› added 3 weeks ago

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TIL that Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi book, Dune, was largely inspired by his research on how ecologists intervened to protect homes and automobiles from the blowing sands of the sand dunes in Oregon.

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oByM8 TIL Stomphia coccinea is a small reddish or pinkish sea anemone that has the remarkable ability to detach itself and swim away from predators when necessary. When a starfish's sensory organs touch this sea anemone, it rocks back and forth prying itself from its anchorage and escapes: see video below
N4mb TIL that the very first phone number of the White House was “1”.
x6kGb TIL there’s a kind of hummingbird called a shining sunbeam
WkQ7d TIL Taxi drivers in Ireland carry emergency service radios and defibrillators in their cars to tackle suicide in the country
ANRRd TIL the term "woke" in it's modern context, referring to being "awake" or aware of social injustices, especially racism, dates back to the 1930s and was recorded notably in the 1938 song “Scottsboro Boys” by blues musician Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly).