› added 7 years ago

534

TIL that 300 million years ago insects could get really big. Millipedes and centipedes could get larger than humans, dragonflies as big as eagles, beatles the size of a large dog.The leading theory is that ancient bugs got big because they benefited from a surplus of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere.

Read more earthsky.org

via reddit.com

e0yjk TIL that the Doors' drummer John Densmore vetoed an offer by Cadillac of $15 million to use "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" for advertisement, citing lead singer Jim Morrison's historic and vehement opposition to licensing the Doors' music
16LR8 TIL that sharks have the ability to locate prey by sensing the weak electric fields produced by their muscles contracting. They do this via jelly-filled canals called Ampullae of Lorenzini connect pores in their skin to sensory bulbs that detect small differences in voltage.
KOQKB TIL while both tea and coffee plants produce caffeine, this trait evolved independently - meaning caffeine production developed at least twice.
ry61 TIL upon his death, otr & tv star Jack Benny’s widow, Mary, received a red rose. After several days, with another rose delivered each day, Mary called to find out who was sending them. The florist told her that Benny made arrangements for a rose to be sent to her every day for the rest of her life.
l7beB TIL that during the Battle of Lepanto it is said that at some point the Janissaries ran out of weapons and started throwing oranges and lemons at their Christian adversaries, leading to awkward scenes of laughter among the general misery of battle.