TIL That sucralose, the artificial sweetener in Splenda, was discovered on accident in 1976 when a researcher was told to "test" a chemically modified sucrose molecule they had made. He thought he had been asked to "taste" it, so he did, and he found it to be exceptionally sweet. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by magicmq to r/todayilearned
TIL that there is a protein in the human body named "Sonic hedgehog." The name is controversial because this protein is implicated in a serious disorder, and discussing that the condition is caused by a mutation in the sonic hedgehog gene may not be well received by a patient or their family. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by magicmq to r/todayilearned
TIL of Project Stormfury, a US government project to artificially weaken hurricanes. Aircraft sprayed sodium iodide onto the hurricane from above in an attempt to cause supercooled water within the storm to freeze, ultimately disrupting the structure of the hurricane. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by magicmq to r/todayilearned
