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TIL That a small portion of television static you see between channels is caused by cosmic background radiation, remnants of the 'Big Bang'.

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neDa9 TIL: Male Western parotia bird appears like a ballet dancer while performing courtship display to attract female. He just doesn't perform, but rehearses in advance and ensures the perching spot is clean for the female to watch the show comfortably. The endemic species belongs to birds of paradise.
gMXxW TIL during the 1957 Christmas Speech by the Queen, freak radio conditions caused by sunspots resulted in American police radio chatter interfering with the broadcast. On one occasion, listeners could distinctly hear an American police officer say, "Joe, I'm gonna grab a quick coffee".
Bgvkk TIL that in ancient Greece, men had to go to the gym completely naked. These spaces were exclusively for men, and exercising in the nude was meant to promote the appreciation of the male physique as a tribute to the gods.
BreAD TIL Australia constructed a number of pest-exclusion fences in an (unsuccessful) attempt to control rabbit and dingo populations - at one time, the rabbit-proof fence was the longest unbroken fence in the world
QJpOk TIL the Hammersmith Ghost Murder saw a 19th century ghost prank go badly wrong and spark off a public panic that culminated in a fatal shooting. This resulted in a murder trial that set a precedent for English criminal law- that acting on a mistaken belief can be a valid defence