› added 3 months ago

7

TIL that atomic clocks are so precise that the most accurate ones won't lose a second for over 30 billion years — longer than the age of the universe.

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Bgxve TIL of Miyake events, rare bursts of cosmic radiation that create spikes in C14 detectable in tree rings.
gM6k4 TIL Both George Lucas and Don McLean were fans of Weird Al Yankovic's "The Saga Begins" (a Star Wars parody of "American Pie"). McLean said that the parody's lyrics sometimes enter his mind during live performances and a Lucasfilm representative said "You should have seen the smile on Lucas's face."
19j4 TIL that during prohibition in the US an exemption was made for whiskey prescribed by a doctor and sold through a pharmacy. The Walgreens pharmacy chain grew from 20 retail stores to almost 500 during this period, from 1920 to 1933
grE6D TIL the Greenbrier Ghost led to the conviction of a murderer in West Virginia
mxmLv TIL Elephants risk their lives to mine a cave in an extinct volcano in Kenya. The rock has 100 times more sodium than what they normally eat, as well as being rich in potassium and calcium. They dig with their tusks, grind it and swallow it. The bones of those who didn't make it line the trail.