› added 4 years ago

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TIL that the Sputnik virophage is a parasite of Mamavirus, which infects Acanthamoeba, which can infect humans. So it is a parasite of a parasite of a parasite.

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0dkYN TIL that a 2009 study found that the majority of friendships only last about seven years. Although the number of friends a person has in their social circle remains fairly stable, turnover is high. Roughly 70% of a person's friend group will change after seven years.
1aQ64 TIL the vending machine was invented in the 1st century AD by Hero of Alexandria. It dispensed Holy Water, and was apparently created because people were taking more Holy Water then they were paying for
5Vrxk TIL about the "boiling frog", an apologue describing a frog being slowly boiled alive. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability or unwillingness of people to react to or be aware of sinister threats that arise gradually rather than suddenly.
MX0 TIL that Google has started a beta in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Thailand and Uganda called ‘Google trader’ where locals can contact sellers of anything from chicken egg incubators to entire houses.
yQ6Ze TIL there are wasps that make honey, called Mexican Honey Wasps.