› added 9 years ago

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TIL that Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Emir of Dubai from 1958 to 1990, said of their oil-centric economy: “My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel.”

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lxnB TIL that Sean Connery turned down the Gandalf role in Lord of the Rings. “I read the book. I read the script. I saw the movie. I still don’t understand it.”
XE1nR TIL that diamond, despite being the hardest material known, will shatter if hit with a hammer. Hardness means resistance to scratching; toughness is a different property.
WkE1Y TIL about Golden Rice, genetically modified rice that has an increased nutritional value in an attempt to fight malnutrition in poverty stricken places.
0wLW1 TiL that Tobe Hooper, the director behind "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974), also directed the music video for Billy Idol's "Dancing with Myself"
KY05J TIL about the Faʻafafine people. They are people who identify themselves as having a third gender or non-binary role in Samoa, American Samoa and the Samoan diaspora. A recognised gender identity/gender role in traditional Samoan society, they are an integral part of Samoan culture