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TIL: The common birds around your yard often sleep nearby in flocks in trees, but not in nests--they abandon those soon after their eggs hatch. Birds on the edges of flocks often sleep with one eye open, including ducks that roost in water. Birds in the center sleep with both eyes shut.

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08QN TIL a 2005 article from Der Spiegel quoting Fouad Hussein predicts the future regarding the Islamic State in an eerily accurate way: “An Islamic Caliphate in Seven Easy Steps” We’re currently at phase 5 and right on schedule.
rReQd TIL about an Indian art called Shatavadhana, where a person has to remember and answer questions on a stage from 100 people simultaneously while dealing with distractions in a round robin manner. The tasks vary from making up a poem spontaneously to keeping a count of a bell ringing at random.
oB1ER TIL in New York, a bagel that is toasted, buttered, or with cream cheese is taxable. Otherwise, a bagel by itself is exempt from taxation
m7NR TIL a poll of 1000 members of the World Gaming Executives network voted Baldur’s Gate as their favourite game of all time.
ne0AG TIL of mother-in-law languages (also known as avoidance speech) which dictate that a new restricted speech style utilizing a different vocabulary, while retaining the normal phonology and grammar must be utilized in the presence of certain relatives (such a as mother-in-law) which are seen as taboo