› added 5 years ago

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TIL July 21, 2014, Research was published that showed how scientists from Temple University were able to permanently delete the HIV virus from human DNA—snipping out the gene, and allowing the cell’s repair machinery to take over, soldering the genome back together—resulting in virus-free cells.

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yGde TIL in the Middle Ages, chess pawns had individual names that represented the occupations of citizens.
OGA5X TIL that Michael Jackson's father was quite critical of his appearance when he was a child, calling him "fat nose." This led to Michael having four rhinoplasties and spending the rest of his life worrying about how his body and face looked.
yQ9ye TIL that despite its simplicity, the "music" for 1978's Space Invaders was revolutionary for the gaming industry. It's the first game to have a continuous soundtrack where sound effects are superimposed. It also popularized musical dynamics, variability, and interaction with on-screen animations.
Br0xy TIL of the Raqch'i ruins, which features the largest known roof of the Incan Empire on a massive temple that stands 65' tall and spans 302 feet, surrounded by a 4km long defensive wall.
p8dZN TIL that the first human name in recorded history is: Kushim. He signed his (or her) name at the bottom of a tablet that's over 5,000 years old, which was excavated in Sumer. Kushim signed at the bottom of the tablet to note how much barley they had on-hand.