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TIL Sigmund Freud never cured anyone. He promoted cocaine as a miracle drug capable of curing a wide range of diseases, and advanced his career through falsifying case histories and betraying the mentors who had helped him to rise

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b9wG4 TIL The chemical in catnip and silver vine, iridoid nepetalactol, that turns cats on is actually a mosquito repellent. Cats have evolved an endophin response to plants with this chemical to protect themselves from bites on the face. They aren't just having fun.
avDZ TIL days after Hurricane Katrina, an 20year old man with extensive criminal history named Jabbar Gibson stole a school bus and picked up around 70 stranded people and drove 13 hours from NO to Houston. The first bus to arrive at the Astrodome.
ZgJB TIL that in Europe, 92% of expecting parents terminate pregnancy upon receiving a Down Syndrome diagnosis. In America, 67%.
roK1 TIL that the last McDonald’s burger sold in Iceland before its closure in 2009 is on display at a hostel in Reykjavik. And you can watch a live webcam of the burger, which turns 7 today.
kKl5 TIL the US gov has held a stockpile of 1 billion cubic meters of helium since 1925. This is due to post WW1 fear that we may run out of helium in case of blimp warfare.