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TIL of the 1626 Wanggongchang explosion. A massive unexplained explosion in Beijing, killing 20,000 and estimated to be similar in power to that of the Hiroshima Bombing

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wojZ1 TIL the word Covid-19 appeared in the dictionary a record 34 days after coinage. Before that, the fastest was AIDS, which took two years.
nemGB TIL that the neurons in an octopus are not concentrated in the brain - 2/3 of them are located in the tentacles meaning that each individual tentacle acts autonomously and independently of the brain. However, an octopus can exert precise control over a tentacle when need be through eyesight alone.
69y6m TIL that in Major League Baseball the ball is pitched so fast that the eye cannot track it. However, the brain is able to calculate its trajectory via specialized cells, making it possible for the batter to hit it.
MexaV TIL Shorter people build higher ceilings inside their buildings in Minecraft while taller people will build lower ceilings. Egocentric Reference Frames cause us to build upon our environments in a way that we are accustomed to seeing them.
V5DQ TIL A KKK Grand Dragon, confined to a wheelchair, had been threatening a local rabbi. The rabbi responded by offering the man compassion, friendship, and transportation around town. They became friends and the Grand Dragon eventually quit the KKK and converted to Judaism.