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TIL the tail feathers of Birds of Paradise are so black that they absorb 99.95% of all light, just .01% less than the blackest human-made nanomaterial, and help make brightly-colored patches stand out more during mating dances

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9vrQ TIL that 80% of the Tor Project’s budget comes from the US Government
gvLL TIL: A man was assaulted in a Mcdonalds in France for having a cybernetic implant (cyborg eye). Press claims it to be the first of many cybernetic hate crimes.
4kVQR TIL that one of the most popular medieval legends about Saint Nicholas of Myra (the original basis for the legend of Santa Claus) involves him magically resurrecting three children who were murdered by an evil butcher and sold as cured meat.
9aa7 TIL of the Carolina Parakeet, a neotropical parrot that was native to much of the United States up until they were driven extinct by deforestation, hunting, and possibly disease in 1910. They lived in huge flocks of up to 300 birds and were likely poisonous to eat.
RYW7 TIL that in 1939, Maine Rep. Cleveland Sleeper introduced a bill to make it illegal to add tomatoes to clam chowder.