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TIL that a species of wasp, Ampulex dementor, is named after the Dementor. This name was chosen to reflect the fact that the wasp uses a toxin to neutralise the neural behaviour of cockroaches and make them docile, as if their souls had been sucked out.

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gMkZ9 TIL of the Amazing Randi, a magician/skeptic who spent his life debunking false magicians, skeptics and con men, such as Uri Geller
e1VD TIL that the blue jay isn’t blue because of pigmentation, but because the structure of the feather interferes with light. Thus, if a feather is crushed, it no longer appears blue.
VXJ8 TIL When a Shakespearean actor has “dried” (forgotten their lines mid-scene), some will start “nubbing,” which means to make up a fake Shakespearean line on the spot. Usually their fake speech will contain the word “nub” or “nubbing” as a cue to their fellow actors that they are stuck.
xLy0 TIL that the company that makes the Etch a Sketch was on the verge of bankruptcy when it agreed to let its drawing toy be featured in Toy Story 2. Although the scene featuring an Etch a Sketch was only 12 seconds long, it resulted in a 20 percent sales bump that helped to save the company.
v1A5x TIL that Nebraska community college student Katy Ayers grew a canoe out of mushroom roots (mycelium) to prove fungi is a bio-friendly building material. It floats with two passengers, but when it gets wet it fruits (sprouts mushrooms). Katy plans to get a Ph.D. in mycology then help save the planet.