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TIL About firedamp whistles, a device designed to detect flammable gases in a coal mine by blowing local air and a reference gas through whistles and listening for a "beat" caused by a slight difference in the frequency

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oRn5A TIL that shoebill birds stalk their prey patiently, in a slow and lurking fashion. While hunting, the shoebill strides very slowly and is frequently motionless. Shoebill are known to prey on baby crocodiles, amongst other species
rW0x TIL Paul Revere never actually said “The British are coming!”. The operation was meant to be conducted as discreet as possible and colonial Americans at the time still considered themselves British.
mG9Y TIL that in 19th century England, a man by the name of Jack Black was an expert rat catcher. When he caught rats of unusual colour, he would breed them and sell the well bred rats to nobility. Even Queen Victoria kept a pet rat or two.
1aad4 TIL the first US naval ship to have electric lighting was the USS Trenton (commissioned, 1877). The lights were installed in 1883
6xQl TIL that the People’s Republic of China abolished the five time zones system and established one single time zone in 1949.