› added 4 months ago

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TIL that during his tenure as Senate majority leader, future US President Lyndon B. Johnson instructed his staff to dilute his scotch and soda to a greater extent than that of his guests. This was done in order to maintain a clear and focused state of mind.

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YbrP TIL that penicillin was formally discovered when Alexander Fleming did not tidy up some petri dishes filled with bacteria before going on vacation. A penicillin spore then spontaneously landed in a petri dish and caused enough damage to the bacteria for Fleming to notice this when he came back.
grvoL TIL that a scene in "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" share the same score. It's suspected that the mix-up occurred due to a confusion between John Williams, the composer, and William Ross who was assisting John Williams with the project.
oBaYY TIL that the Ute Indians discovered mechanoluminescence hundreds of years before modern scientists. Quartz crystals were put in sacks of thin buffalo skin. When shaken, they would produce sparks of light that they used in their religious ceremonies.
5YJXr TIL A giant virus has been discovered with its own immune system. French scientists found these giant virus defence mechanisms work in a similar way to the CRISPR-Cas system, whereby the virus learns to recognise invaders, capture their genetic material and use this information to destroy them.
oDkW TIL elephants console one another when they are upset with trunk strokes and touches