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TIL French art critic Charles Baudelaire hated photography and thought it would be the death of art, saying "the photographic industry was the refuge of every would-be painter, every painter too ill-endowed or too lazy to complete his studies"

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VMjRm TIL about the Salt Witch of the Nebraska Plains. Indians maintained that a salt column was under the custody of the Salt Witch, and when they went there to gather salt they would beat the ground with clubs, believing that each blow fell upon her person and kept her from working other evil.
QJdML TIL that there's an eco friendly variation to standard cremation - hydro cremation. The process utilizes a mix of water and sodium to break down the soft tissue of a body, and the bones are then pulverized to be given to the family. It doesn't utilize formaldehyde, nor does it relase green house gas
Brlbd TIL of the Strategic Defense Initiative, which was an anti-ballistic missile program, launched by Ronald Reagan in the 80's, that was intended to use lasers and satellites to shoot down nuclear missiles in space. Because of this, the program was commonly referred to as "Star Wars".
0drmp TIL Elton John's moving song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" was written as a tribute to a friend who talked him out of suicide and helped him come to terms with his homosexuality. The friend was musician Long John Baldry more well known nowadays for voicing Dr. Robotnik in the 90s Sonic cartoon.
x6e40 TIL that depleted Uranium is used to create projectiles capable of puncturing tank shells and armor. This is not only because it is extremely dense, but also because upon impact, a uranium shell will continually sharpen itself and retain its shape.