› added 2 months ago

6

TIL that 17th‑century Persia built huge “pigeon towers” in order to generate a huge amount of fertiliser. Around the city of Isfahan, landlords constructed thousands of cylindrical mud‑brick towers whose only purpose was to attract wild pigeons. These cylindrical structures were purely for pigeons

Read more gwern.net

via reddit.com

KPJE TIL that in 1077, Robert, the oldest son of William the Conqueror, initiated a years-long insurrection against his father after his two younger brothers dumped a full chamber-pot over his head and his father failed to punish them for it.
gM0MA TIL the word “cocksucker” is uttered 279 times in the series Deadwood.
0w1g1 TIL there's a river basin in Venezuela that gets struck by lightening over 200 times per hour for up to 10 hrs straight. It occurs more than 100 times a year and is predictable up to a few months in advanced.
KOrkw In 1965, a Japanese company called Yamasa Clock created a personal-fitness pedometer called the Manpo-kei, which means “10,000 steps meter.” The Japanese character for 10,000 looks almost like a person walking or running, which is likely how the gadget-maker landed on the name—and the number. It’s also an easy goal to remember, especially when accompanied by a sketch of a person who’s literally walking. But that benchmark wasn’t based on any scientific evidence. There's no magic number of steps that can ensure your heart health.
4kdb6 TIL: In the early 1800s, a Norwegian Fisherman when denied alcohol carried a 371kg stone to block the shop's doorway.