Change In The Number Of Overweight People
Percentage change in the number of overweight people in the developing world since 1980: +261
Read moreTag: trends
Missing Airplanes
Total number of passenger planes that have gone missing without a trace since 2000: 10
Read moreFrom The Pope’s Mouth
Pope Francis accidentally cursed in Italian while delivering his weekly blessing at the Vatican, using the word cazzo, the equivalent to the F-bomb, rather than caso, which means “example.”
Read moreObese Americans
American men are weighing in at an average of 196 pounds—16 pounds more than in 1990, a new Gallup survey has found.The average weight for women jumped 14 pounds—to 156 pounds— over the same period. Gallup estimates 62 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese.
Read moreDeprivation
“Women deprived of the company of men pine; men deprived of the company of women become stupid.” – Anton Chekhov
Read moreAir Pollution in India
According to the U.N., India has 13 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities. Low vehicle-emission standards, booming industrialization, crowded cities and the burning of trash means that the vast majority of Indians breathe unsafe air.
Read morePirates
Portion of the Indian Ocean that is underexplored by scientists because of pirates: 1/4
Read moreTHE FASTEST TRAINS
A magnetic levitation passenger train set a world speed record of 375 m.p.h. (603 km/h) on a test track in Japan on April 21. Here are top operating speeds, in miles per hour, of some of the world’s other fastest trains: Shanghai Maglev Train, China: 268 TGV, France: 199 AVE, Spain: 193 Sapsan, Russia: 155 Acela Express, U.S.: 150
Read moreThe Less You Have, The More You Give
In 2011, the poorest 20 percent of Americans gave 3.2 percent of their income to charity. The wealthiest 20 percent were far stingier, donating just 1.3 percent. Researchers say those with less to share may have “higher empathy” because they’re more exposed to need.
Read moreIndia’s Dangerous Smog Problem
Toxic air pollution in the Indian capital of Delhi has given some 2.2 million children irreversible lung damage, according to a 2010 study from the Kolkata-based Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute that surfaced this month. The report has raised fresh concerns in a country where carbon emissions are forecast to increase for decades.
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