› added 7 months ago

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TIL of the Cypress of Kashmar, a 1450 y.o. giant Cypress tree said to have been planted by the Prophet Zoroaster in Iran. Despite prophecy warning against it, it was chopped down by the Caliph because he did not want to travel so far to see it. The Caliph was murdered soon after.

Read more zoroastrian.org.uk

via reddit.com

Y4EZ TIL the possible origin of the phrase “knock on wood” comes from Germanic folklore, “wherein dryads are thought to live in trees, and can be invoked for protection.”
WeyL TIL Roger Ebert considers Armageddon (1998) to be one of his most hated films. He said it was “an assault on the eyes, the ears, the brain, common sense and the human desire to be entertained.”
BYJr TIL When Michael Chrichton was in college, he conducted an experiment to expose an English professor who he believed was giving him abnormally low marks. Crichton submitted an essay by George Orwell under his own name. The paper was returned by his unwitting professor with a mark of “B−”.
b9Kvj TIL about the "Dorset Biological Warfare Experiments" which involved spraying South Dorset (UK) with various chemicals and bacteria, without the knowledge or consent of the inhabitants. The experiments took place in the 60's and 70's to see how much spread could occur from one aircraft. Answer: lots
oBy9E TIL that in 1965 University of Florida football coach Ray Graves asked some scientists at the school to develop a drink to help hydrate his players. They created the drink, and two years later the Florida Gators won their first Sugar Bowl. It helped the Gators and was called Gatoraid because of it.