› added 8 years ago

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TIL that the Vatican is the only country in the world where women can’t vote

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
ZLyG TIL that Albert Einstein’s inability to speak until a late age actually caused him to use “visual thought experiments”, such as imagining trains and elevators, while working on physics problems. This is considered to be one of the reasons behind his success.
16omX TIL that old people smell is actually caused by a chemical they secrete through their skin. It's called "2-nonenal"
jNXdv TIL The only person Tina Fey has slept with is her husband.
OgrY TIL: The producer recording “Sweet Child O’ Mine” with Guns n’ Roses suggested there be a breakdown at the end of the song. The band had no idea where to take the song, resulting in the iconic repetition of “Where do we go now?”