› added 6 years ago

137

TIL about the Toba Catastrophe - the theory that 75,000 years ago, a massive volcano eruption reduced the human population to 3000, causing a genetic bottleneck that has reduced the genetic diversity in humans today.

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via reddit.com

KOBkJ TIL If you cut down a cactus in Arizona, you be penalized up to 25 years in jail. It is similar to cutting down a protected tree species.
p8Y0O TIL about Skateistan, an organization that helps street kids in developing countries by teaching them how to skateboard.
6EjmJ TIL that a 1964 earthquake liquified the glacial soil around Valdez, Alaska, causing an underwater landslide and tsunami. Roughly half the town (including the soil it was built on) was washed out to sea. The current site of the city is 4 miles away.
J5gv TIL There is an “Apple Tree Colony” in Ukraine across 10k sqft consisting of only one tree that spread naturally by creating roots from it’s branches (as a gooseberry shrub does). Scientist have not been able to reproduce this with other apple trees.
kMMW TIL Switzerland has enough nuclear blast shelters to accommodate 114% of their population