› added 8 years ago

366

TIL the three gorges dam in China holds back so much water it slows the rotation of the earth slightly.

Read more businessinsider.com

via ift.tt

KYBB9 TIL The algae, Caulerpa taxifolia, has been identified as the largest known single-celled organism. Found underwater, it can grow up to several meters long- even though it's technically just one cell.
x6Vn1 TIL about project plowshare, a US program to find peaceful uses for nuclear weapons including excavating dig sites using nuclear weapons
yVWRJ TIL the first eclipse to be known in advance of its occurrence happened in 585 BC and was accurately predicted by Thales of Miletus. The methods he used for his prediction remain unknown.
G5m1 TIL In the U.S, a 2007–2008 survey showed that dog-owning households outnumbered those owning cats, but that the total number of pet cats was higher than that of dogs. The same was true for 2009–2010.
a8wV9 TIL of "Antiaris toxicaria", also known as the "Upas", a tree whose latex is so toxic it is used to poison the tips of blowdarts and arrows in Southeast Asian cultures. It has sometimes been regarded as the most poisonous tree in the world.