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When I had ambitions for general interest blogging, I had an article kicking around in my head on the dangers of being a superlative tree. Prometheus was the o
by mmanfrin 7y ago
When I had ambitions for general interest blogging, I had an article kicking around in my head on the dangers of being a superlative tree.
Prometheus was the oldest tree, killed by a core sample.
Tree of Ténéré, the most isolated tree in the world, felled by a drunk driver. [1]
The Senator, the biggest cypress in the world was lit afire by an arsonist. [2]
Kiidk'yaas, a rare golden spruce, was felled by someone protesting logging. [3]
I also remember reading about the 2nd (largest, tallest, widest?) tree in the world being lit alight by someone smoking meth in its branches, but I can't find the source or name.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_T%C3%A9n%C3%A9r%C3%A9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_T%C3%A9n%C3%A9r%C3%A9
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Senator_(tree) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Senator_(tree)
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiidk%27yaas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiidk%27yaas
- ricree 7y agoThe meth example you're thinking of is probably The Senator, which you've already linked.
- mmanfrin 7y agoI think you're right.
- Mengkudulangsat 7y agoThe Kiidk'yaas one is bad-ass! I hope they make a movie out of him. Edit: They did! [1] [1] https://www.hakaimagazine.com/article-short/film-review-hadwins-judgement/ https://www.hakaimagazine.com/article-short/film-review-hadw...
- henrikschroder 7y agoIf you visit Muir Woods north of SF, they refuse to tell you which tree is the tallest in the park. For good reason. People suck.
- benj111 7y agoWell there's always a tallest tree in the forest, if the current tallest is cut down, another becomes the tallest, so there's no particular gain or loss over and above any other big tree.
- usrusr 7y agoWhich is exactly the point: the park does not want to lose any big old tree, and singling out superlative individuals would make them targets in a way that the collective isn't. People out for the attention of attacking a superlative individual won't just fall back to any random tree.
- pyreal 7y agoMy reading of the Wikipedia article re: Kiidk'yaas suggests that it was felled by someone protesting protesting logging.