› added 5 months ago

21

TIL: There exists a protein called "Sonic hedgehog SHH". Mutations in this gene can cause a condition known as "holoprosencephaly", a failure of splitting the two cerebral hemispheres, among other things.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

a887A TIL that sloths have algae, fungi, moths and insects growing in their hair. Some of the fungal strains are showing uses in treatment for malaria, chagas disease and even breast cancer.
BMxe TIL that during the German occupation of Luxembourg, some Luxembourgish refused to give the Nazi salute. Instead of raising one’s arm while shouting “Heil Hitler” they shouted in a strong Luxembourgish accent “Drei Liter” which is German for “Three liters”
N7E0M TIL that during a power blackout in Los Angeles in 1994, people saw the Milky Way and called 911 to report a "strange giant, silvery cloud".
wLpwJ TIL 2x4s aren’t actually 2” by 4”.
ZpM64 TIL: people in the Early-to-Modern Era hired poor people to literally consume sins of the dead