

590: No Such Thing As Workshopping The Alphabet
66 snips Jul 3, 2025
Join an engaging discussion about nature's quirks, featuring the kumaru tree's resilience to lightning strikes and the intriguing tales of survival. Dive into the flavorful world of tonka beans and explore the bizarre realm of airline sick bag collectors. Unpack the humorous history behind a 15th-century Korean king's method for addressing grievances and witness an artist’s struggle with an elusive squirrel in his painting. Plus, marvel at the phenomenon of pareidolia, where we find faces in the most unexpected places!
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Kumaru Trees Evolve To Harness Lightning
- Kumaru trees get struck by lightning multiple times and survive by conducting electricity internally, which helps them reproduce more by killing parasites and competition.
- This unique adaptation boosts their seed production up to 14 times, showing evolution's role in their survival and reproduction success.
Lightning Safety: Crouch with Bum Raised
- If caught outside during lightning, crouch low with your bum in the air to direct electricity away from your brain.
- This position helps reduce risk by guiding the current down your body safely.
Lightning Strike Survivor Pitches On
- Ray Caldwell, a baseball player, was struck by lightning during a game but got up and finished pitching the match.
- His remarkable survival shows most people (85-90%) survive lightning strikes despite long-term damage.