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TIL that cicada's wings have an anti-bacterial surface that kills bacteria not by chemicals, but by using a nanopattern made of nano pillars that shreds the bacterial membrane.

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6wwQ TIL that in the early days of cola, the beverage was flavored using the Kola nut, which was naturally caffeinated and harvested from trees in African rainforests. Today the flavor is replicated using a combination of cinnamon, vanilla, and citrus flavorings.
AD9Ya TIL that Charles Ponzi, the creator of the Ponzi scheme, received Christmas cards from some of his investors and requests to invest money while he was in prison
jMMv TIL that when John Lennon was asked if Ringo Starr was the best drummer in the world he replied “In the world? He`s not even the best drummer in The Beatles!”
0wKZ5 TIL that Maurizio Cattelan, the artist who made the famous $120K duct-taped banana dubbed "Comedian," later made a fully-functional 227 lb 18k gold toilet dubbed "America". The toilet, estimated to be worth $5 million, was stolen the night after installation into Blenheim Palace in the UK.
p8pyQ TIL that the Boston Tea Party was caused by the British giving the East India Company tax breaks which allowed the company to undercut the price of smuggled tea in the colonies. This threatened the commercial interests of Boston’s wealthy smugglers, such as John Hancock, who fomented the revolt