› added 3 years ago

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TIL that Dim, the rhinoceros beetle from A Bug's Life (1998), had no known reference in nature until the Megaceras briansaltini was discovered in 2007. This phenomena, of nature mimicking art, was coined the Dim Effect by its discoverer.

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W7YR9 TIL WWII partly started because of several false flag attacks by the German SS impersonating Polish soldiers against Germany. Hitler needed a reason to attack Poland but there wasn't one so he got the SS to make a reason for him.
mK6o TIL that alligators in Louisiana have learned to balance sticks on their snouts specifically during egret and heron nesting season, when the birds are actively searching for nest materials. This is the first known case of predators using lures based on seasonal prey behavior.
yVW5X TIL: That the Playboy Magazine was named after a defunct car company
4XpRa TIL 2 rats will stop playing with each other if the bigger one doesn't let the smaller one win at least 30% of the time
mxnlx TIL that pirates didn't wear the eyepatches because of a lost eye, it was actually to be able to see below deck, where it was dark.