› added 1 year ago

56

TIL the Inca Empire had a messenger system so fast it could deliver a message over 300 km (190 miles) in a single day, thanks to a network of elite runners known as "chasquis". It was so efficient that even in Cuzco, hundreds of km away from the sea, the Inca ruler could enjoy fresh fish

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

mxXWy TIL that oncolytic viruses are a type of virus that preferentially infect and kill cancer cells. A number of such viruses have been tested as potential cancer treatments and one has already been approved in the United States and Europe for the treatment of advanced skin cancer.
PoDe TIL: Instead of autographs, Jonah Hill gives out business cards to his fan that say: I just met Jonah Hill. It was a total letdown.
d8O8j TIL as part of Ben Franklin's will, the cities of Boston and Philadelphia both received 1000 pounds sterling with the will requiring a portion of the money be set aside for 200 years. When this portion was finally accessed it was worth several million dollars.
kNP5 TIL Michael Faraday, one of the foremost experimenters of his time, declined a knighthood, believing that it was against the word of the Bible to pursue worldly reward. He stated that he preferred to remain “plain Mr. Faraday to the end.”
jNRJa TIL in 1962 a strange spring was found in northern Texas. Despite being 500 miles from any coast, it was home to marine species such as crabs, barnacles and seaweed, all isolated thousands of years prior when the sea levels rose and fell. Sadly, all this was wiped out after a dike was built.