› added 10 years ago

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TIL that 1 week of camping, without electronics, resets our biological clock and synchronizes our melatonin hormones with sunrise and sunset. If you have trouble sleeping, go camping.

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Z81KB TIL about Physarum Polycephalum, a slime mold that was used by scientists to create an accurate model of the cosmic web, and even recreated the layout of Japan's railway system by placing food in the shape of cities around Tokyo.
oBK7W TIL that Blackpanthers planned a free breakfast program for children but the Chicago cops broke into the church they were holding it in the night before and Urinated on all the food. Regardless of the delay the program continued and fed tens of thousands of hungry kids over the span of many years.
rRVg0 TIL Solar activity varies with an 11-year cycle. At solar minimum, the Sun often appears nearly featureless, completely free of sunspots. At maximum, however, there can be hundreds of sunspots arranged in a half dozen or more groups
8aXA4 TIL there are about 1,500 species of cicadas known. There are those that appear yearly in midsummer, and there are also the so-called "periodic" cicadas. They appear at prime number intervals - 7 years, 13 years and 17 years. Once every 221 years, the 13-year cycle and 17-year cycle cicadas overlap.
AEYx TIL that all patents on Lego have expired and anyone can make Lego clones; they just cannot use the word Lego since it is a Trademark. Lego have lost 2 court cases (EU & Canada) because of this.