CIRCLE WITH A DOT

TIL Ostrich farms routinely have difficulties getting male ostriches to breed, because they often find their human caretakers more attractive than female ostriches.https://gizmodo.com/that-ostrich-over-there-it-is-totally-into-you-5876033#til #todayilearnedhttps://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1tc4you/til_ostrich_farms_routinely_have_difficulties/

TIL that most male nudity in films ( other than porn ) uses prosthetic peniseshttps://theconversation.com/how-prosthetic-penises-in-shows-like-hbos-minx-reinforce-existing-stereotypes-and-taboos-179084?utm_medium=article_clipboard_share&utm_source=theconversation.com#til #todayilearnedhttps://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1t4mvn6/til_that_most_male_nudity_in_films_other_than/

TIL that the state of Minnesota possesses a confederate flag captured by Union soldiers from Minnesota during the Battle of Gettysburg. The state has repeatedly refused to return the flag to the state of Virginia. Former Minnesota governor, Jesse Ventura said “Why? I mean, we won.”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/28th_Virginia_battle_flag?wprov%3Dsfti1#til #todayilearnedhttps://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1t0rpa7/til_that_the_state_of_minnesota_possesses_a/

TIL the current US nuclear stockpile consists of 3,700 warheads, with another 1,477 awaiting dismantlement. This represents a nearly 90% reduction from the peak stockpile size of 31,000 warheads the US had in 1967https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapons_of_the_United_States#til #todayilearnedhttps://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1t0585h/til_the_current_us_nuclear_stockpile_consists_of/

TIL Nazi Germany had an institutionalised system of bribery for senior officials to ensure loyalty. Top Wehrmacht officers and Reich officials would receive tax-free birthday cheques of 250,000 marks paid from a secret "Konto 5" slush fund as well as thousands of marks for "expenses" paid monthly.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bribery_of_senior_Wehrmacht_officers#til #todayilearnedhttps://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1swc2gk/til_nazi_germany_had_an_institutionalised_system/

TIL that in 1930, the US government released 600 beavers in Oregon to combat soil erosion. On average, each beaver cost $5 but performed the equivalent of $300 in erosion control.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impacts_of_beavers#til #todayilearnedhttps://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1svef7m/til_that_in_1930_the_us_government_released_600/

TIL that a population of escaped American Minks have managed to regrow their brains by at least 20% over 40 generations to nearly match the size found in the ancestral population, a rare reversal of the domestication process.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/10/7/230463/91980/Domestication-effect-of-reduced-brain-size-is#til #todayilearnedhttps://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1sraki1/til_that_a_population_of_escaped_american_minks/

TIL (not really) “feminine hygiene products (tampons, pads) are classified by the FDA as medical devices, not cosmetics, meaning manufacturers are not federally required to list ingredients on packaging.”https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/menstrual-products-ingredient-labels-federal-rules-lacking-state-action/#til #todayilearnedhttps://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1spui09/til_not_really_feminine_hygiene_products_tampons/

TIL a 2008 study showed growing evidence Syphilis was brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus from the New World.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2217670/#til #todayilearnedhttps://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1spasv2/til_a_2008_study_showed_growing_evidence_syphilis/

TIL harbor seals have about 100 whiskers that can detect the invisible water trails left behind by fish — like reading the wake of an airplane that already passed. When scientists covered a seal named Filou's whiskers with a nylon stocking, he immediately lost the ability to track prey. He could hunhttps://www.npr.org/2026/04/16/nx-s1-5786687/harbor-seals-whiskers-fish-science#til #todayilearnedhttps://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1soyqxb/til_harbor_seals_have_about_100_whiskers_that_can/