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177

TIL birds cannot detect capsaicin (the active ingredient in chilli that makes it spicy) so it is used as a squirrel deterrent for birdfeeders.

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WkM7o TIL of Yasuke, an east african man who came into the service of Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga as a retainer in 1581 after being brought to Japan with Jesuit missionaries. When they first met Nobunaga had Yasuke's skin washed, believing it was ink only to realise that was Yasuke's natural skin colour
Z6wa TIL Bob Anderson who trained Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) in sword fighting also wore the Darth Vader suit during the lightsaber duels in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
e01pJ TIL that before elevators the piano nobile or noble level (first storey in European terms; second floor in American terms) had the best rooms with large windows and balconies, avoiding the damp and smell of the street. Some newer buildings preserve the tradition.
GYomj TIL that the first person to hit 25,000 subscriber milestone on YouTube was a 78 year old man.
xL6g TIL that, despite making up via http://ift.tt/1e0aSni