› added 1 year ago

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TIL about Mapinguari, a monstrous jungle-dwelling spirits from Brazilian folklore that protects the forest and animals. It's described as a former human shaman turned into a hairy humanoid cyclops and has a gaping mouth on its abdomen. Some claim it's a modern-day sighting of a giant ground sloth.

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AD51o TIL about the Chesapeake Bay Flotilla, a motley collection of barges and gunboats assembled to defend Chesapeake Bay from the British Royal Navy. The ships were scuttled to prevent capture, and the sailors brought the cannons ashore to defend Washington D.C. in the Battle of Bladensburg.
VMVa8 TIL there's such a thing as Alien Abduction Insurance. It is a policy designed to protect humans from trauma suffered following alien abductions and surprisingly many insurance companies offer it.
d8e67 TIL Jon Bon Jovi owns restaurants in New Jersey & there are no prices on the menu. If you are unable to pay the suggested donation, you may still enjoy a delicious meal.
o0RY TIL In woodpeckers, most of the energy from pecking that reaches the brain is heat. The reason why woodpeckers peck in short bursts is to let their brain cool off.
nWwVd TIL that Charles Clyde Ebbets took the famous 1932 photo "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper," showing construction workers eating lunch on a steel beam high above NYC. Despite its popularity, his authorship wasn’t officially recognized until 2003, when his family provided evidence confirming his role.