› added 1 year ago

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TIL that one of the world’s largest species of cockroach is rightfully named “M. Longipennis”

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via reddit.com

6EV8Z TIL Scientists accidentally discovered that grazing animals prevent grasslands from becoming desert after they killed thousands of elephants to try and conserve remaining grasslands, yet it actually made desertification worse. When they increased the number of grazing animals it restored the land.
LkoXZ TIL Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was first published as a giveaway for the department store Montgomery Ward in 1939. The story was initially rejected because, in 1930s pop culture, a bright red nose was closely associated with chronic alcoholism and drunkards.
d8QpQ TIL a 1984 Einstürzende Neubauten performance was stopped after 21 minutes as the band was attempting to drill a hole in the stage so they could leave the venue through the floor
DQKKV TIL Miguel Indurain, 5-time Tour de France winner, had a resting heart rate of just 28 bpm
vPyxx TIL that in the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire banned the distribution of raw seeds or seedlings. However, Indian Sufi saint named Baba Budan managed to sneak out a few beans by hiding them in his beard and brought them to India, which eventually led to the worldwide spread of coffee cultivation.