› added 2 weeks ago

9

TIL over 20 years ago, geneticists found a way to decaffeinate coffee plants

Read more newscientist.com

via reddit.com

BgVGx TIL that mucus is more than just snot and boogers. Fish use it on their skin to fight microbes; snails and slugs use it to move, stay moist, and cover their eggs; hagfish use it in slime to deter predators; and larval lampreys use it when they're feeding.
8eREV TIL the mother of Australian spider species Diaea ergandros allows her babies to suckle blood from her leg joints until she has weakened and (usually) dies. This prevents early cannibalism between the spiderlings, thus resulting in more of the clutch surviving.
epawJ [TIL] Prior to December 22nd 1942, US Citizens pledged allegiance to the flag using the stiff armed Roman salute made infamous by Nazi Germany.
vPZMD TIL carrots were originally cultivated for their leaves and seeds
LQEnv TIL there’s a percentage of a percentage of the population that will fall asleep when things get too emotional, regardless of where they are or what they’re doing. It’s called Type 1 Narcolepsy.