› added 10 years ago

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TIL the idea of a wolfpack being dominated by an aggressive “alpha” is misunderstood. Packs are family units, and the alphas are simply the parents of the other wolves.

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6Ewxw TIL the Atakapa people in SW Louisiana survived hurricanes by tying themselves up to live oak trees using grape and rattan vines. In 1830, the Atakapa begged a colonist to tie himself and his family high in a live oak tree for their safety; they refused and he and his family drowned.
gMK5A TIL that the real "Last Samuraï" who inspired the movie with Tom Cruise wasn't American, but rather a French officer named Jules Brunet
7rQ07 TIL cockroach infestations can be so bad that the house needs to be burned to the ground surrounded by a ring of fire to prevent any of the little demons from escaping.
16Zx8 TIL that the reason pen caps have holes is so you can't choke on them.
wvNJ TIL the highest point and the lowest point in the continental US are only 88 miles apart, with almost a 15,000 foot drop in elevation.