› added 12 years ago

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TIL scientists discovered a “smoking” caterpillar that puffs nicotine out of small holes in its body to ward off spiders.

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KOQgJ TIL that Retta, the actress who played Donna Meagle on Parks and Recreation, graduated from Duke University, worked as a chemist before doing stand-up and moving to LA, and is also the niece of former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
awMQ0 TIL that U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower had a speech prepared in the event that the 1944 D-Day invasion failed. In the speech he takes full responsibility for the failure of the operation.
8agp8 TIL That spicy foods are spicy because they trigger certain cells inside the tongue that are the same type of cell that detect extreme heat, and it has nothing to do with taste.
r8Yo TIL of a classical pianist Joyce Hatto who was described as “the greatest living pianist”. After her death it was found out that she and her husband plagiarized over 100 recordings made by other classical pianists of her time.
N7ZgM TIL that in the 19th century, America was notorious for exporting adulterated food and counterfeiting European products, similar to how China is regarded by the West today.