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TIL that in 1493, Christopher Columbus saw 'mermaids' and dexcribed them as 'not half as beautiful as they are painted' - they were actually manatees.

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via reddit.com

0wbV1 TIL that Ichneumon wasps lay their eggs inside trees where they detect formerly laid and evolved wood wasp larvae. They paralize the other larvae through poison and then lay their single egg on top of it. Scientists are not sure how they find their victims through centimenters of solid tree bark
QJrZL TIL The word sepia comes from the Mediterranean Cuttlefish, a type of squid whose dark brown ink was used by classical civilizations. The name of this squid thereafter comes from the Greek ''sepein'' meaning: to rot. Most likely from the way the fish dirties the waters with its ink.
78wKZ TIL that scientists have figured out a way to weigh clouds. Determining the cloud's approximate size is the first step. Clouds that are average in size weigh just about 1.1 million pounds.
0Yyy TIL that in the Articles of Confederation, Canada was invited to join the United States should it seek independence. This applied only to Canada unless nine states said otherwise.
v1WpK TIL that in 2015, as a prank, a science journalist and others set up a study which showed that eating chocolate could help you lose weight faster. The study was published in a scientific journal and widely reported in the media.