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TIL that, in his younger years, John Lennon beat women. “ I used to be cruel to my woman, and physically – any woman. I was a hitter.”

rYnW TIL that at the 1931 World Ice Hockey Championship the Canadian team was recognized as being so dominant, such that they did not participate in the play off tournament. Canada was put into the gold medal final game, and the tournament was played to determine an opponent. Canada won.
kOgo5 TIL that the U.S military has been developing a sniper rifle that can be controlled with an Xbox 360 controller while being flown around by an autonomous drone.
epeNL TIL Despite having possessed four colonies in Africa, Italy teaches its language in only one Eritrean school
pYEgN TIL that the term “shirako” (literally “white child”) refers to the testicles or sperm sacs of male fish, which are considered a delicacy in Japan.
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