The $9 billion, 1,000-ft. (305 m) Amazonian Tall Tower Observatory—now the tallest structure in South America—recently entered the final stages of construction. It will be inaugurated in August and fully operational by 2017. Here’s what Brazil and Germany, which co-funded the project, are hoping it will accomplish: Gather data The tower’s height and state-of-the- art instruments will enable scientists to […]
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Estimated amount spent globally on fertility drugs and devices this year: $4,054,984,000 Percentage of first-time fertility treatments that fail: 75
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Minimum amount that Chinese citizens have moved into offshore bank accounts since 2002: $1,000,000,000,000
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FIGHT BACK! But forget that old saw about punching them in the nose. The International Shark Attack File recommends that you borrow a page from a pro-wrestling villain and gouge its eyes or claw at its gills, which are more sensitive than its nose. Or you could just befriend some dolphins. On at least two occasions in 2004 and 2007, […]
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A New York City woman set off 21 bug bombs inside her apartment, causing an explosion that collapsed her five-story building, injuring 14 people.
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68.4 – The number of minutes Americans spend traveling each day, per capita, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number is down from 74.4 minutes in 2003.
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Delhi’s air now contains twice as much toxic matter as that of notoriously smoggy Beijing. The health impact has been disastrous, with children in Delhi now three times as likely as others in India to develop severe lung disorders.
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60% – Share of the planet’s largest herbivores, including elephants, gorillas and rhinos, at risk of extinction, according to a new study.
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The Department of Homeland Security has spent $2 million over the past three years on four studies analyzing why its workers suffer from such chronically low morale. It has yet to publish or act on the findings of any of those reports.
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The reason for the voters’ despair is plain, said Ron Fournier in NationalJoumal.com. The American dream of upward mobility seems dead, and neither party seems to have any plan to revive it. “For many, the Republican Party is becoming too extreme, while the Democratic Party—specifically, President Obama—raised and dashed their hopes for true reform.” In polls, a majority of Americans […]
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