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Persian forces defeated the Egyptian army at the Battle of Pelusium in 525 BC by literally carrying cats into battle, knowing the Egyptians worshipped the animals and would not risk harming them.
Persian forces defeated the Egyptian army at the Battle of Pelusium in 525 BC by literally carrying cats into battle, knowing the Egyptians worshipped the…
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Taste receptors are not exclusively confined to your tongue, as scientists have discovered fully functional bitter taste receptors lining the walls of your lungs, airway, and even your intestines.
Taste receptors are not exclusively confined to your tongue, as scientists have discovered fully functional bitter taste receptors lining the walls of your…
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Wood frogs survive winter with much of their body water frozen.
Wood frogs survive winter with much of their body water frozen. Ice forms largely outside their cells, while glucose and other protective changes help tissues…
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England recorded payments with notched wooden tally sticks split into matching halves.
England recorded payments with notched wooden tally sticks split into matching halves. The grain and cuts helped reveal whether the two records belonged…
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Gene Kelly's rain-soaked joy concealed a fever.
Gene Kelly's rain-soaked joy concealed a fever. Accounts of the famous Singin' in the Rain number describe Kelly performing while ill with a high fever. The…
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Astrology used to be entirely fatalistic, meaning ancient astrologers would bluntly tell you exactly when you were going to die of a horrible plague or lose all your money in a shipwreck.
Astrology used to be entirely fatalistic, meaning ancient astrologers would bluntly tell you exactly when you were going to die of a horrible plague or lose…
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Winamp was the absolute king of MP3 players in the late nineties, famous for its customizable skins and the iconic audio greeting declaring that it really whips the llama's ass.
Winamp was the absolute king of MP3 players in the late nineties, famous for its customizable skins and the iconic audio greeting declaring that it really…
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Skyrim hides some shop inventories in chests beneath the world.
Skyrim hides some shop inventories in chests beneath the world. A merchant’s goods can live in a container connected to the trading system, rather than being…
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SpaceX launched a giant wheel of Le Brouere cheese into low Earth orbit during the maiden flight of their Dragon spacecraft in 2010.
SpaceX launched a giant wheel of Le Brouere cheese into low Earth orbit during the maiden flight of their Dragon spacecraft in 2010. The cheese was sealed in…
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Human Design is a relatively new system invented in the late 1980s by a former advertising executive who allegedly had a mystical experience in Ibiza, combining astrology, the I Ching, and quantum physics.
Human Design is a relatively new system invented in the late 1980s by a former advertising executive who allegedly had a mystical experience in Ibiza,…
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Disneyland Paris originally opened under the name Euro Disney and was such an unmitigated financial and cultural disaster that the executives genuinely feared the entire theme park would be forced into bankruptcy.
Disneyland Paris originally opened under the name Euro Disney and was such an unmitigated financial and cultural disaster that the executives genuinely feared…
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An echidna's dating scene can turn into a single-file queue.
An echidna's dating scene can turn into a single-file queue. During breeding season, several males may follow one female in an echidna train. Observers on…
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Lobsters keep a cellular repair tool switched on.
Lobsters keep a cellular repair tool switched on. Researchers found telomerase activity in many lobster tissues. The enzyme helps maintain chromosome ends as…
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Millions of paranoid citizens completely distrust traditional banking institutions and actively choose to hoard massive amounts of physical cash stuffed into mattresses, buried…
Millions of paranoid citizens completely distrust traditional banking institutions and actively choose to hoard massive amounts of physical cash stuffed into…
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Pyrrhus won the battle that made victory sound dangerous.
Pyrrhus won the battle that made victory sound dangerous. After fighting Rome at Asculum in 279 BCE, Pyrrhus had lost men he could not easily replace.…
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Consuming calories late at night does not magically cause you to store more fat than eating the exact same meal during the daytime; the deeply entrenched diet myth that your…
Consuming calories late at night does not magically cause you to store more fat than eating the exact same meal during the daytime; the deeply entrenched diet…
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Nicolas Cage actually named his second son Kal-El in a bizarre tribute to the birth name of Superman, perfectly encapsulating the chaotic energy of a man who once spent millions on dinosaur skulls and haunted mansions.
Nicolas Cage actually named his second son Kal-El in a bizarre tribute to the birth name of Superman, perfectly encapsulating the chaotic energy of a man who…
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Mount Rushmore stands on land promised to the Lakota.
Mount Rushmore stands on land promised to the Lakota. The 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty recognized the Black Hills as Lakota territory before the United States…
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Dubai's palm island needs gaps in its protective crescent.
Dubai's palm island needs gaps in its protective crescent. The surrounding breakwater shields Palm Jumeirah from waves, but water still needs a route in and…
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New York's subway had a train for collecting the money.
New York's subway had a train for collecting the money. Armored cars carried fare revenue from stations to a money-processing facility at 370 Jay Street in…
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The PlayStation 3 arrived with a $599 option and a format-war stake.
The PlayStation 3 arrived with a $599 option and a format-war stake. Sony's 2006 U.S. launch offered a $499 model and a $599 model, both equipped with Blu-ray…
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The Y2K bug was a small date shortcut with a very expensive deadline.
The Y2K bug was a small date shortcut with a very expensive deadline. Software that stored years as two digits could mistake 00 for 1900 when the calendar…
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Dakota Fanning's vampire stare came with red contact lenses.
Dakota Fanning's vampire stare came with red contact lenses. Playing Jane in Twilight meant replacing her familiar blue-eyed appearance with the Volturi's red…
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One reported Antarctic Tinder match came with a helicopter-sized distance problem.
One reported Antarctic Tinder match came with a helicopter-sized distance problem. A 2014 account described a researcher at McMurdo expanding his search…
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