› added 5 years ago

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TIL that trees release so called monoterpenes to start the condensation of new clouds to help block the sun and cool themselves if it's too hot.

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67DX TIL that Lake Superior has approximately the same surface area as the state of South Carolina.
BrDMd TIL that Genrich Altshuller, a Soviet engineer, was given a 25-year prison sentence for sending Joseph Stalin a letter explaining a desire to improve Soviet engineering. He later went on to write science fiction books and found a famous engineering school.
78pnL TIL in Finland long-distance trains have sections for people travelling with pets, with a seat next to the passenger and compartments for night travel.
Yp9xd TIL that "The Wizard" by Paul Hardcastle, which became the theme music for Top Of The Pops in the 80s, was ostensibly about 1970s kids character Catweazle, an 11th century Wizard who time-travels to the present day. The track samples dialogue from the show.
Z8KwG TIL that at the end of the bronze age (1200-900 BCE). Several ancient civilizations were invaded and in some cases conquered by an obscure force of "Sea Peoples". They were a contributing factor to the Bronze age collapse and their origin is still mostly unknown.