› added 5 years ago

84

TIL that the treadmill of the International Space Station is named after Stephen Colbert.

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yQowp TIL the Queen uses her purse (handbag) to send secret messages to her staff, such as swapping which shoulder it is on when she's done talking with a particular person and wants an excuse to leave the conversation.
7jBO TIL dodo birds were not dumb but friendly to people, and that is what led to their demise.
X0jZD TIL Russian emperor Alexander I offered to mediate an ending to the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain in Saint Petersburg, but the British rejected it by never showing up.
epx56 TIL a blood-filled sandfly was described in 2004 from Early Cretaceous amber in Myanmar. The insect had reptilian blood cells in its gut, along with evidence of a prehistoric leishmania-like parasite.
XpMD TIL: Hypothermia victims may do paradoxical undressing before losing consciousness. On the skin constricted blood vessels suddenly dilates and produce a sensation of extreme heat.