› added 5 years ago

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TIL that bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) kill so many bacteria that their corpses release 1 BILLION TONS of carbon every DAY, which is a major source of food for bottom-dwelling ocean creatures.

Read more ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

via reddit.com

vPYA4 TIL that there is a tradition in the U.S. Navy that no submarine is ever lost. Those that go to sea and do not return are considered to be “still on patrol.”
Y7nvW TIL Mountain Dew, Fresca, and other food had been banned in the EU and Japan for containing brominated vegetable oil (BVO) - bromine is also commonly used as a flame retardant. Over consumption has resulted in medical attention needed for memory loss and nerve disorders, amongst other issues.
ZnoR TIL that around half of all clinical trials by drug companies go unpublished. Which leads to overestimation of drug efficiency and an underestimation of dangers. And that a movement called AllTrials, which is supported by hundreds of organisations, has been fighting for all trials to be released.
v167D TIL than Charlie Chaplin, while directing his movie "City Lights", made actress Virginia Cherrill re-do a scene where she says "Flower Sir"? 342 times. The movie was a silent film.
5YEOQ TIL That in the aftermath of Chicago's St. Valentine's Day Massacre, newspaper publisher Walter A. Strong asked his friend Herbert Hoover to put an end to Chicago's lawlessness, launching a multi-pronged attack on Al Capone, resulting in convictions for tax evasion, his imprisonment and death.