› added 9 years ago

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TIL Tennessee has an “Unauthorized Substances Tax” which requires “merchants or peddlers” of illicit substances to buy stamps to affix to illegal substances that they sell. Oh and don’t worry, buying the stamps is completely confidential and legally cannot be used as evidence in court.

4Xp45 TIL people born between 1977-1983 make up a micro-generation called 'xennials.' This group straddled the line between the last gasp of quaint communications and the rise of the internet, but were still young enough to adapt.
XE8lQ TIL that the mild and much more common first stage of frostbite, the numbing and reddening of the skin, is called frostnip.
j6MeM TIL about Open Insulin Foundation, a team of biohackers working to make insulin accessible to everyone via an open source small scale manufacturing model. Their work started in 2016 with a $16k crowdfund, and now they are transitioning into a 501(c)(3).
Me6k0 TIL that many starving children in developing nations appear bloated with swollen bellies due to a condition called kwashiorkor, an illness related to malnutrition caused by a lack of protein resulting in an osmotic imbalance where the cells hold onto too much water.
rNmEy TIL about Eurypterids, or "sea scorpions", the largest known arthropods ever to have lived. The largest, Jaekelopterus, reached 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) in length. Many forms lived in brackish or fresh water, and their dual respiratory system allowed for short periods of time on land.