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TIL that the half-penny was discontinued in 1857 because it was worth too little. But in 1857, the half-penny had more purchasing power than today's dime.

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yQVve Take a look out your window and you're bound to see a dinosaur or two—or at least the descendant of one. That little blue jay? Dinosaur. The obnoxious early rising crow? Dinosaur. The squirrel running up the tree? Well, that’s still a squirrel. But those feathered friends make your yard a real-life Jurassic Park. Most researchers believe birds are descendants of a group of dinosaurs that included the Tyrannosaurus rex. Fossil research has shown that birds and dinosaurs shared behaviors such as brooding and nest building. According to paleontologist and National Geographic grantee Jack Horner, it also stands to reason that dinosaurs had similar courting behaviors as today’s birds. Because various bird species tap-dance, moonwalk, and boogie to impress potential mates, it makes sense that dinosaurs did the same. Just imagine a giant T. rex with its tiny T. rex arms "twerking" its way into the heart of its intended. In this week’s Today I Learned, Horner explains how dinosaurs might have been the original smooth criminals.Read more about one species of Triceratops, Triceratops horridusAdditional footage provided by Cornell Lab of Ornithology
X06g6 TIL of the origin of the phrase "drunker than Cooter Brown." Legend says that Cooter lived on the dividing line between north and south in the American Civil War. He didn't want to fight, so he stayed drunk all the time to make himself ineligible for military service.
VMZjG TIL: The 'secret' nuclear missile launch code during the Cold War was '00000000'
4kXPo TIL An orange tree blight began spreading from China in the 90s. It has now infected trees worldwide and is decimating orange production. Orange harvest is down 72% in Florida and 31% in Brazil. There is no known cure for the blight and scientists are frantically trying to find a cure.
wokao TIL Using very high magnification through a telescope causes floaters, or particles inside the eyeball, to be more noticeable