› added 10 years ago

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TIL there is a disease that strikes starfish “that causes the creatures’ arms to crawl in opposite directions until they tear away from the body, causing the insides to spill out.”

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via reddit.com

p8aye TIL that cigarette filters change color not because they are trapping part of the cigarette smoke, but because they are designed to change color to lead consumers to think that they are trapping part of the smoke
dDZgB TIL - The highly coveted Akhal-Teke horse was involved in the first war over horses in 104 BC and 102 BC, deemed the "War of the Heavenly Horses", fought between the Chinese Han Dynasty and the Persians. In victory, the prize of “T’ien ma” or Heavenly Horses allowed China to grow a strong cavalry.
XEnLX TIL The Draft Eisenhower movement was the only successful political draft of the 20th century to take a private citizen to the Oval Office. It was a widespread American grassroots political movement that eventually persuaded Dwight D. Eisenhower to run for President.
lovA7 TIL that between 1871 and 1885 Marianne North, a Victorian biologist, and botanical painter painted in oil over 800 paintings while visiting 17 countries on 6 continents. Towards the end of her life, she presented her life's work - 832 paintings - to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
JYd7m TIL Sculptor Michelangelo had no experience painting frescoes and did not consider himself a painter when he reluctantly took the commission for the Sistine Chapel. He even wrote a poem about how much he hated doing it.