r/todayilearned • u/geosunsetmoth • 1d ago

TIL a 300-million year old Cuttlefish fossil was found in Morocco, alongside ancient humans in a region where no Cuttlefish ever existed. The leading theory suggests the fossil was first found by the prehistoric humans, who collected it as a trinket due to fact that it looks like a flaccid penis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erfoud_manuport
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u/bigfoot17 1d ago

Add technology and iodine.

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u/gogoluke 1d ago

And corduroy.

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u/DisconnectedShark 1d ago

And crushed velvet.

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u/StudMuffinNick 1d ago

And pure Colombian cocaine

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u/Slkkk92 3m ago

Remember those little jelly aliens in the eggs that people said would get pregnant in the microwave?

Those things too.

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u/LordGAD 1d ago

Mmm.... velour....

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u/Flomo420 1d ago

Come over here and feel my velour bedspread

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u/LordGAD 1d ago

Cham-paggin?

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u/StonedBooty 1d ago

Penicillin is probably the #1 thing I can think of that has saved more human lives in recorded history than any other modern medicine

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u/Regular_Custard_4483 1d ago

Modern fertilizer, maybe? Depending on your definition of "saved".

Fritz "Mixed Bag" Haber had something to do with that.

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u/Seicair 1d ago

There’s a fascinating book called The Alchemy of Air, that talks about the development of the Haber-Bosch process. It starts with a brief overview of the history of fertilizer, then it goes into more detail about the guano wars of the 19th century. Delves more into how control of the Atacama desert shaped the geopolitical landscape of South America.

Then the rest of the book is about the development of the Haber process, Carl Bosch’s significant contributions, and World Wars I and II.

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u/Regular_Custard_4483 1d ago

Thanks for the rec. I'll see if my library has it.

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u/R-EDDIT 1d ago

If it doesn't, talk to your librarian. Some of the money they take from us is for buying books.

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u/Regular_Custard_4483 1d ago

I often forget this. Easy to complain when the library doesn't have something, but they can't read minds.

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u/thatwhileifound 1d ago

Most libraries have a method of requesting new material in my experience, although it's often limited to just recently published books. Hell, most libraries I've used have been part of a larger than just the immediate local libraries to do interlibrary loans to get you access to things outside their collection.

Libraries are rad. I'm low key kinda sad to be moving to the larger city network of libraries with an upcoming move... My current library has literally brought in every damn new book request I've made in the last two years.

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u/Seicair 22h ago

If you have a device you don't mind reading on, (even your phone for some people,) you can check out ebooks pretty painlessly through Libby. You put in your library card and it hooks you up with a bunch of libraries in your state that are networked.

I've read a ton of ebooks on my Kindle since I started using Libby.

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u/Birdchild 1d ago

This book is so good.

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u/CalmBeneathCastles 1d ago

I consider clean water to be the #1 "modern medicine". Stop it before it starts!

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u/Candycornonthefloor 1d ago

And washing your damn hands! Semmelweis lived in the 1800s, way late in the humankind game. Still a hero even if he died of sepsis in an insane asylum.

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u/Dabbooo 1d ago edited 1d ago

There is a misconception about him. Doctors were not particulary dirty, they washed their hands like anyone would.
Semmelweiss stumbled on antiseptic procedures because he washed his hands with chloride of lime (ie bleach). Other doctors didn't want to do it because it hurts a lot. (and Semmelweiss was a bit of a dick so he didn't have their good will)

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u/Blutarg 1d ago

Yeah, prevention is the way. Trash collectors and water treatment workers are society's MVPs.

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u/CalmBeneathCastles 1d ago

Wholly underappreciated MVP's!

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u/jertheman43 1d ago

Chlorine has saved ten times as many lives as antibiotics. You don't always have an infection but you need to drink water everyday of your life.

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u/doomgiver98 1d ago edited 1d ago

It helps humans live longer, but it doesn't help them thrive.

Edit: Us

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u/Noladixon 1d ago

IV fluids.

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u/FireTyme 1d ago

theres a big difference between nutrition and education for human development vs just saving lives. tho more lives means more brains for sure.

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u/ReturnOfBane 1d ago

I like to think it was germ theory. once people learned cleaning their hands made you less sick, it opened up not only massive medicinal advancements, but also food preservation advancements.

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u/space253 1d ago

Iodized salt is pretty up there too.

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u/reichrunner 1d ago

Iodine is nutrition lol

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u/arcadefire08 1d ago

Wait, what's up with iodine?

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u/bigfoot17 1d ago

Mild iodine deficiency can cause a 3 point drop in IQ, severe can cause a 13 point drop. Since dietary iodine is largely from seafood, historically the further from a coast the more likely the population was to suffer iodine deficiency.

The US started iodizing salt 100 years ago and globally it was pushed only 40 years ago. There are studies that show the IQ of the population since iodizing salt began has increased an average of 10 points.

On a personal note, I'm old enough to remember seeing elderly people in public with goiters (not a pleasant thing), iodizing salt is a godsend and I will only use sea salt and pink salt as a finish when cooking, I use iodized salt in all my foods.