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Fun Facts

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Jimi said:

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Fact of the Day​



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Songbirds practice singing in their sleep.
By Bennett Kleinman
Many musicians spend countless hours in rehearsal studios perfecting their tunes. But to some songbirds, rehearsing is also second nature; they’re even known to practice singing in their sleep. This behavior is similar to how a dog’s paws twitch while it snoozes, only in the case of songbirds, it’s the vocal muscles in the throat that experience subconscious movement.

Researchers confirmed this phenomenon by implanting electrodes in sleeping birds such as the zebra finch. While zebra finches are known to croon in a more methodical staccato style when awake, the birds were observed producing disjointed, sporadic notes as they slept, a behavior researchers likened to “learning a musical instrument.” Similar — albeit less common — behavior has also been viewed in great kiskadees, which produced louder and more aggressive tones in their sleep.
Do animals dream like we do?

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My dad used to get so amused at how I practiced piano in my sleep, moving my fingers on a keyboard that wasn't there.
 
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Your science fact of the day​
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Guam Rails don’t vocalize very often. However, if they hear the call of another rail, a loud noise, or another disturbance, they will respond with a loud, piercing whistle or a series of whistles. Additionally, they will emit loud screeches and short kips during the breeding season.​
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image source: animals.sandiegozoo.org​
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You won't believe it: History connections that are stranger than fiction

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History is full of "Wait, that actually happened?" moments. Like finding out Lincoln and Kennedy shared the same tragic destiny, that Adams spent his last breath on Jefferson's name, not knowing his friend was already gone, or that Mark Twain called his own death years before it happened. Read on to discover 10 startling connections.

Read full article
 
Fact of the DayMammals
Chimpanzees ‘smile’ out of fear.
By Kristina Wright
Chimpanzees have a surprisingly expressive range of facial movements — and when interpreting them, context matters. During play, they may use a relaxed, open-mouthed expression known as a “play face,” often with the teeth covered by the lips or only partly visible. This expression can signal excitement and playful intent rather than fear.

A toothy grin, however, can mean something very different. A chimpanzee flashing its teeth may look like it’s smiling at you, but it may actually be scared. When frightened, anxious, or confronted by a more dominant chimpanzee, a chimpanzee may pull back the corners of its mouth and expose its teeth in what researchers call a “fear grin.” Far from expressing happiness, an expression that looks like a smile can signal fear, submission, or an attempt to appease a threatening individual.
How can you tell when an animal is actually happy?
 

World History​

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People used to hang chairs on walls.​

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If you’ve ever gotten frustrated watching a robot vacuum repeatedly ram itself into a chair leg, you might have liked spending time in an 18th-century Shaker home. The Shakers believed that their communities should reflect the order and purity of heaven — and that philosophy found its way into their furniture.
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Moles can smell underwater.
By Tony Dunnell
The star-nosed mole has an undeniably peculiar nose, with a snout ending in a ring of 22 fleshy, tactile tentacles packed with touch sensors. This nasal star is the tiny creature’s most distinctive feature, and it has a pretty incredible ability: detecting scents while underwater.

Trying to inhale water is a very bad idea for mammals, but these semi-aquatic moles have circumvented that problem by blowing out small air bubbles from their nostrils onto objects or scent trails. The mole then quickly sucks the bubble back in, effectively “sniffing” the captured scents. They’ve been observed performing this bubble-blowing and re-inhaling sequence several times per second. It’s an ingenious adaptation that lets them forage in watery environments where ordinary sniffing would be impossible.
The most powerful noses in the animal kingdom
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World History​

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With a population of 40,000 people living in an area of just 62 square miles, the doubly landlocked microstate of Liechtenstein isn’t exactly a global superpower. It hasn’t had an army since 1868, though the formal disbandment of its armed forces was preceded by an impressive feat: returning home from war with more people than it left with.
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Your science fact of the day​
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Common Ringtail Possums prefer to feed on eucalyptus leaves and thus typically live where their favorite food is found. However, they are also willing to eat flowers, fruits, and young leaves from other trees and shrubs located lower in the rainforest canopy.​
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image source: sandiegozoo.org​
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When Dolly Parton turned down Elvis: 10 incredible facts about her life

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Song by indelible song, Dolly Parton wrote and recorded the soundtrack of America for many generations — but there was far more to Dolly’s story than her music. From turning down Elvis Presley to a six-decade marriage to the resolutely private man she loved, her life was filled with stories that are just as fascinating as her catalog. Here are 10 surprising facts and unforgettable moments from the life of Dolly Parton.

Read full article
 

U.S. History​

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What Did Cowboys Actually Eat on the Trail?​

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We’ve all seen the version of cowboys that Hollywood likes to show us, but the Western film genre has always been rife with myths. So what did real cowboys eat on long cattle drives?
 
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