TIL researchers found that for an average-sized living room a 4K or 8K screen offers no noticable benefit over a similarly sized 2K screen of the sort often used in computer monitors and laptops. In other words, there is no tangible difference when it comes to how sharp an image appears to our eyes. [Source]
the Guardian
Ultra-HD televisions not noticeably better for typical viewer, scientists say
Research shows 4K or 8K screens offer no distinguishable benefit over similarly sized 2K screen in average living room
TIL weeds can evolve to mimic the crops they grow among because farmers remove the obvious weeds, unintentionally selecting for look-alikes. The phenomenon is called “Vavilovian mimicry.” [Source]
TIL that Grape-kun, a Humboldt penguin in Japan, was rejected by his mate Midori and the rest of the colony, after which he formed a deep bond with a cardboard cutout of an anime character, who stayed by his side until his death. [Source]
TIL in 2013 three Berkeley Law Students pled guilty to killing and beheading Turk the flamingo in Vegas [Source]
Above the Law
A Final Guilty Plea in the Berkeley Bird Beheading - Above the Law
The sad story of the Berkeley bird beheading comes to a close, as the third and final defendant pleads guilty.
TIL that in 1961, 90% of doctors surveyed said they would not tell a cancer patient their diagnosis, but by 1977 that had reversed, with 97% saying they would. [Source]
PubMed
Changes in physicians' attitudes toward telling the cancer patient - PubMed
In answer to a questionnaire administered in 1961, 90% of responding physicians indicated a preference for not telling a cancer patient his diagnosis. To assess attitudinal changes, the same questionnaire was submitted to 699 university-hospital medical staff.…
TIL that an individual who shoots a bear in self-defense in Alaska outside hunting season must present the skull and the entire hide with claws to the state. Failure to do so is a criminal offense. [Source]
TIL that the quotes "No man is an island" and "For whom the bell tolls" are both taken from the same brief passage by poet John Donne. [Source]
TIL that in 1453, Henry VI fell into an 18-month long catatonic stupor. Likely triggered by the news of a military defeat, Henry was unable to speak or move, and even failed to respond respond to the birth of his son. His illness was likely inherited from his maternal grandfather, Charles VI. [Source]
TIL that singer Peter Yarrow (of the famous folk group Peter, Paul and Mary) served only three months in prison of a potential three year sentence after being convicted of molesting a 14-year-old girl. He was later granted a full pardon by Jimmy Carter in 1981. [Source]
TIL about Sarajevo Safari, where wealthy foreign men paid huge monetary fees to hunt civilians in the city with sniper rifles for entertainment purposes during the Bosnian war. [Source]
TIL that the United States Coast Guard has only one member, SM1 Douglas Munro, who has been awarded the Medal of Honor. SM1 Munro used his Higgins boat as a shield to protect Marines being evacuated during the Battle of Guadalcanal, dying in the process. [Source]
TIL Vicks VapoInhalers contained an optical isomer of Methamphetamine until 2016 [Source]
Peachtree Recovery Solutions
Is Vicks Inhaler Addictive? - Peachtree Recovery Solutions
Are over the counter medications safe? Peachtree Recovery in Atlanta answers the question, “Is Vicks inhaler addictive?”
TIL that before 1993 women were rarely included in clinical medical trials in the US, and are still "substantially underrepresented in clinical trials for leading diseases." [Source]
AAMC
Why we know so little about women’s health
Before 1993, women were rarely included in clinical trials. Today, the medical field still doesn’t know how well many drugs and devices work for women.
TIL about Dixy Lee Ray, the first woman governor of Washington. A Democrat, she climbed Mt. Rainier at age 12, changed her name from "Marguerite" to reference Robert E. Lee, ran the Atomic Energy Commission under Nixon, never married, and ran off hippies with a whistle when she was a museum curator [Source]
TIL that over 4,000 Google employees signed a petition refusing to build AI for the US military, forcing Google to abandon a Pentagon contract. Palantir took it, won a $480 million Army contract, and is now deployed across five combatant commands and NATO. [Source]
Nanonets Blog | AI Document Processing & Workflow Automation
AI Arms Race Has Real Numbers: Pentagon vs China 2026
AI targeting systems executed 900 strikes in 12 hours, a pace that previously took weeks. Maven, Palantir, and frontier models are operational in active conflict. The Pentagon just banned Anthropic and switched to OpenAI while strikes continue. The arms race…
TIL: Hundreds of Giant Sequoia saplings are being planted in Detroit, Michigan. [Source]
Smithsonian Magazine
Giant Sequoias Are Taking Root in an Unexpected Place: Detroit
Arborists are planting urban groves of the world's largest trees in one of the city's most blighted neighborhoods
TIL Over 80% of the population of Hong Kong uses seawater for toilet flushing. [Source]
TIL One theory suggests that the famous prehistoric “Venus figurines” might actually be self-portraits made by women looking at their own bodies [Source]
TIL in episodic television, there are some episodes called "bottle episodes", which are produced cheaply and restricted in scope to use as few actors, effects and sets as possible. Notable shows that have these episodes are Star Trek: The Next Generation, Friends, Breaking Bad, Community, and so on. [Source]
TIL In 1979, the movie 'The China Syndrome' was released, a fictional story about a potential nuclear plant meltdown. The nuclear industry called it "sheer fiction and a character assassination of an entire industry". 12 days later, 3 Mile Island suffered a nuclear meltdown. [Source]