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TIL The film Predator was originally written in responese to Rocky movies after people joked he was running out of people to box and would have to fight an alien next

a807L TIL The speed record for unpowered RC gliders is 548 miles per hour (882 km/hr) using the dynamic soaring techniques (repeatedly crossing between air masses of differing velocities) pioneered by the albatross.
neyjB TIL that the constellation Orion’s Belt is actually part of a bigger constellation called Orion.
KYMQG TIL only six states prohibit the inclusion of animals in circuses. Animal Defenders International estimate there are approximately 300 exotic/wild animals being used in circuses in the US.
JY181 Did you wake up today with a craving for clay, or dirt? That’s called pica, an abnormal craving for substances other than typical food. If you went ahead and acted on your impulse, it's probably a good idea to head over to your doctor’s office. Research indicates that in most cases this craving is a result of a mineral or vitamin deficiency. This brings us to this week’s Today I Learned, as National Geographic Society grantee and ornithologist Luke Powell explains why macaws regularly munch on South American rain forest clay. Yummy! All animals (including humans) need salt to live. Animals that live in the Amazon rain forest face a curious predicament due to the way the Andes mountain range affects weather coming from the Pacific Ocean. This geography results in an extreme lack of salt in the Amazon and, consequentially, some unique behaviors and appetites.EDITOR: Laurence AlexanderSERIES PRODUCER: Chris Mattle
pYya8 TIL Cosmonauts drank cognac on the Mir space station in 1997, hours after a flash fire caused by a collision with an unpiloted supply vehicle nearly forced an emergency evacuation. NASA astronaut Jerry Linenger declined a drink