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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

GYRlE TIL the town of Rjukan, Norway receives no natural sunlight from September to March due to the steep mountains that surround it. They've installed 3 large mirrors to reflect light into the town's square. The mirrors track the sun's path and move every 10 secs to create a 600m squared pool of light.
yQ0MJ TIL: There was a powerful geomagnetic storm that made it possible for people to observe auroras not just on the poles but all over the globe.
nepkG TIL Former Manson Family member Barbara Hoyt, was poisoned by a hamburger with several doses of LSD in it. This was meant to prevent her from testifying in the Tate-LaBianca murder trial. The plan backfired when she survived. After the attempt to silence her, her reticence disappeared.
JxLV TIL that 94% of the population of China live to the East of Heihe–Tengchong line
GA11g TIL when the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1967, they had the name of the man who wore their mascot costume engraved on the cup.