› added 9 years ago

119

TIL that the caffeine in the coffee plant, like capsaicin in chili peppers, is meant to be a toxic substance to deter herbivores.

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LQEvp TIL in regards to Catholicism, that middle names have a purpose. It was thought that demons needed to know your full name in order to possess you, and thus having a middle name meant it was more difficult; as people rarely use them.
We1Y TIL on July 27, 2007, 2 News Helicopters collided while live on the air and covering a police chase. Despite the best efforts of the stations, one of the audio feeds from a helicopter continued to broadcast the screams of a crew as they plummeted to their deaths.
yVZ1e TIL that Jimi Hendrix and Joe Pesci were members of the same band at different times.
EgnM0 TIL that part of Icelandic Christmas lore is that a giant cat, the Yule Cat will kill you if you don't give or receive clothing on Christmas.
aPj9 TIL that there is a parody religion that instructs its followers to reject regular employment. Church heads also claim that their faux founder can time travel, which explains changes to religious doctrines from time to time.