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TIL that a Queens man, Raffi Stepanian, has mined the cracks in the sidewalks in Midtown's Diamond District, New York City, for bits of diamonds, rubies, platinum and gold to make a living. Over six days, he says he collected enough gold for two sales totaling $819.

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5YYjQ Mycelium — the hidden root of mushrooms — is incredibly strong and can withstand a lot of compression and tension. Most materials are only strong from one direction. But mycology materials are tough from all directions and can absorb a lot of force without breaking. So it can withstand as much weight as a brick, but won’t shatter when you drop it or when it experiences a hard impact, said Travaglini.
gMQlA TIL about Vivien Thomas, a black lab technician, who, in the 30s through the 60s, helped his surgeon partner invent heart surgery.
JYDOj TIL Great white sharks do not mistake humans for seals, and often attack humans simply due to low visibility. Most importantly, they don't like the taste of humans as they are bony and low in fat and protein, unlike they're preferred food: seals
dDVlB TIL a majority of the people Christopher Walken interacted with as a child were non-native English speakers, including his father. Walken attributes his unique halting speaking style to watching people hesitate to think of the right English word.
nWaAP TIL the term Guerrilla Warfare was coined during the Peninsula War (Napoleon era - 1807-1814) and is a reference to the Spanish word "guerrilla" (little war) which was used to refer to the partisans fighting against the French.