› added 4 years ago

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TIL that clonally transmissible cancers exist. These cancers can be transmitted between individuals without the involvement of an infectious agent (unlike e.g. HPV-associated cervical cancer). They are very rare in humans but more common in dogs, Tasmanian devils and clams.

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xYl7 TIL the New Zealand town of Brightwater had 5 electric street lights in 1911 powered by a hydroelectric generator which was auto-controlled by a flock of chickens. At night, the chickens would go inside their coop and their weight would close an electric circuit, turning on the street lights.
YZ5W TIL you can calculate the radius of the Earth using just a stopwatch.
5VVOD TIL that a humble Japanese programmer working for Casio has been a central figure in Jamaican reggae, directly credited with the creation of 400+ songs
7oQO TIL: The (female) appendix can be surgically removed using a small incision in the patient’s vagina leaving no external scar, no damage to the abdominal wall, minimal postoperative pain, and an almost immediate return to normal activity.
dEL7 TIL Ford had a concept nuclear powered car in the 1950’s, the inspiration for the fallout franchise’s cars