Thursday Tea

"A newly described dinosaur might look like a chicken, but don't be fooled: It was nearly 4 meters long, weighed about 250 kilograms, and lived 66 million years ago in what is today the Hell Creek rock formation in North and South Dakota. That's why its discoverers are calling it the 'chicken from hell,' and indeed it was related to early birds and to feathered, birdlike dinos that brooded over their nests, such as Oviraptor. The creature had a toothless beak, sharp claws, and a tall crest on top of its head. It is the largest Oviraptor-like dinosaur found in North America."

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"Skipping a good night's sleep can cause brain damage according to a new study. From the article: 'Are you a truck driver or shift worker planning to catch up on some sleep this weekend? Cramming in extra hours of shut-eye may not make up for those lost pulling all-nighters, new research indicates. The damage may already be done — brain damage, that is, said neuroscientist Sigrid Veasey from the University of Pennsylvania. The widely held idea that you can pay back a sizeable "sleep debt" with long naps later on seems to be a myth, she said in a study published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience. Long-term sleep deprivation saps the brain of power even after days of recovery sleep, Veasey said. And that could be a sign of lasting brain injury.'"

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 The Contractors Who Go Where Governments And Armies Can’t Or Won’t 

 A lone tree stands among the mysterious Fairy Circles of Namibia - [2600x1741]

Fairy circles are circular barren patches of land, typically found in the grasslands of the western part of Southern Africa. They are most prolific in Namibia, but are also present in Angola and South Africa. Their diameters vary between 2 and 15 metres. Evidence suggests that the sand termite Psammotermes allocerus is responsible for their creation.
Mysterious Fairy Circles Are ‘Alive’ - From Wired.com
Fairy circle - Wikipedia
Image Source

 Tech Giants Knew About Prism All Along, the NSA's Top Lawyer Says

  TIL the US Pledge of Allegiance was conceived by a magazine to sell American flags to public schools

 BP wins new US oil contracts four years after Deepwater Horizon disaster - wins 24 bids to begin exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, just days after authorities lifted a year-long ban

 Insects living in wetland grasses along Louisiana's coast oiled in the aftermath of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster are still dying, a result of exposure to remaining oil in the marsh almost four years later, according to a Louisiana State University entomologist.

 As a waitress on the Bible belt, there isn't a day that this isn't a problem.

 The biggest known rigid object that can be maneuvered through an L-shaped corner.
So now you know...