› added 10 years ago

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TIL Jesus was mentioned more times in the Quran than Mohammad himself

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VBwGZ TIL that traditional lacquer is made w urushiol sap, aka the rash-causing toxin in poison ivy & poison oak. In fact, "urushi" (as in "urushi-ol") is the Japanese for the Chinese lacquer tree (also toxic) & an English word for lacquerware. They all fall in the genus Toxicodendron, or "poison tree".
5YRXn TIL that Tiger Moths can beat their wings in a way that noise cancels a hunting bat's echolocation attempts to find it.
Me1Xm TIL The product that became Nutella was created by Pietro Ferrero. He decided to try and create a cheaper alternative to chocolate, which, due to the Second World War, was in short supply. It was made by combining hazelnuts, which were easily available locally, and a little cocoa.
9wWmM TIL Analtech, the name of a U.S. based manufacturer of glass plates and other accessories, became a liability with the rise of the internet as YouTube videos promoting their products directed viewers to less than wholesome videos and clients reported being blocked by their own security protocols.
16ODX TIL that in 1993, an Amtrak Sunset Limited passenger train derailed on CSX Transportation's Big Bayou Canot Bridge in Alabama. 47 people were killed and 103 others were injured. Such a rail disaster had not occurred in the U.S. since the 1958 Newark Bayou rail accident, in which 48 people died.