› added 1 week ago

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TIL about the theory that myxosporeans, A microscopic parasite, may have originally been a cancer that evolved into it's own independent species.

Read more quantamagazine.org

via reddit.com

6gkX TIL that octopus wrestling was once a documented hobby.
j6y0M TIL there is a semi-secret club in the United States for male aviators. Founded in 1919 it now has 277 "hangers" across the country. Notable members include Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Charles Lindbergh, helicopter designer Igor Sikorsky, WW II Raider Jimmy Doolittle and WW I ace Eddie Rickenbacker.
6EvDJ TIL that the "drink 8 glasses of water a day" is based on a 1945 recommendation that had no medical basis. The current recommendation is "drink when you are thirsty, unless you are outside on a hot day or are elderly- then drink a bit more."
awxKb TIL The medieval "plague costume" beak was for smell — it was filled with herbs to mask the smell of the dying. Modern nurses do a similar thing in hospitals today. It is common for nurses to rub alcohol under their nose, under a respirator or face mask, to hide the scent of a patient's wounds.
kJP5B TIL about the Crime Syndicate of America, teams of supervillains from one of DC Comics' parallel universes where they are the evil counterparts of the Justice League.