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TIL the US government tried to control the relentless Oregon dunes by planting European beachgrass starting in the 1920s — a geo-engineering project that inspired Frank Herbert’s creation of the Dune universe. However, the Oregon Dunes Restoration Collective sees the sand as a threatened resource.

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x660b TIL about Chesterton's Fence, i.e. the principle that you should not make reforms to a system without first understanding the current state of affairs present in that system.
AN1ow TIL that Abraham Lincoln suffered from Major Depressive Disorder, was put on suicide watch multiple times, and was almost commited to a mental instituion.
7rODX TIL Ed Sheeran once had 14 of the top 15 songs on the U.K. Singles Chart
N7p4M TIL that pencils are yellow because in the 19th century, the best graphite came from China. Because yellow was a royal colour in China, pencil companies began to colour their pencils yellow to show both high quality and an association with China.
D1GBr TIL The Independent news is owned by a Russian oligarch, his son, and a Sultan from Saudi Arabia.