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The rise of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian empire was responsible for the annihilation of an estimated 40 million people, but there were clearly more than a few conquests off the battlefield as well. A 2003 study suggests that 1 in 200 men are direct descendants of Genghis Khan. Studies of Y-chromosome data found that almost 8 percent of men living in the former Mongolian empire carry nearly identical Y chromosomes. Researchers believe this is attributed to a unique set of social selection circumstances put into play by the spread of the Mongolian empire. In this week’s "Today I Learned," research scientist Albert Lin elaborates on Genghis Khan as a romantic.

Lk94Z TIL from 1933 to 1975 it was illegal for Americans to own Gold.
VMVQm TIL that Arthur Conan Doyle loosely based Sherlock Holmes on Dr Joseph Bell, a Scottish surgeon who was known for his skills in observation. Dr Bell would often pick a stranger, and by observing him, deduce his occupation and recent activities. He was considered a pioneer in forensic science.
lojo7 TIL That only 14 years after almost the entire Choctaw population was forcibly relocated in the Trail of Tears, the tribe donated $170 (over $5,000 today) to victims of the Potato Famine in Ireland, creating a bond between the two peoples that lasts to today.
P1A8L TIL: "Soaking" is a sexual practice where the penis is inserted in the vagina but without any thrusting. It is a loophole for people who practice religions that prohibit premarital sex.
gQNX TIL that in 2006, the US ambassador to Syria received instructions to overthrow the Syrian government by force. Instructions included intentionally stoking sectarian tensions to destabilize the government.