Watch What You Eat
Your risk of getting heartburn today is 1 in 150.
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Suicide rate in South Korea soars
The suicide rate in South Korea has more than doubled in the past decade, the government said this week. South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world; for citizens in their 20s and 30s, suicide is the leading cause of death. Some analysts say the act has become normalized by a spate of high-profile suicides, including […]
Read moreSecret Santa
An anonymous “Secret Santa” traveled to New Jersey and New York last week to hand out $100 bills to people who’d lost their homes and possessions in Hurricane Sandy. The Kansas City, Mo., businessman spent a day in Elizabeth, N.J., and Staten Island, N.Y., giving C-notes to the poor and homeless; he plans to give away $100,000 this holiday season. He was […]
Read moreKilowatts of Energy Used in Ethiopia and the U.S.
Kilowatt-hours of energy used each year by the average Ethiopian citizen: 52 By the average U.S. refrigerator: 454
Read moreGLOBAL HEALTH CARE
The Commonwealth Fund ranked health care systems in 11 wealthy nations according to criteria such as quality and access. Below, a sampling of the rankings:
Read moreRACE AND WAGES
75%: The percentage of wages earned by full-time black and Latino retail workers relative to their white counterparts, according to a June 2 report from the NAACP and the liberal think tank Demos.
Read moreIt’s Not Easy Being Green
City officials in Chengdu, China, have been painting the city’s grass green to make residents think spring is here.The ruse came to light when some residents noticed unpainted patches of yellowish winter grass, and others found the green paint coming off on their shoes. The city was then forced to admit its deception, but an official said the goal was simply […]
Read moreHaving No Religion
A Pew survey found that one in five Americans is not affiliated with any religion. “Nones” are growing faster than any religious group in America.
Read moreHow Optimistic Are the World’s Millennials?
A Telefonica – Financial Times survey asked more than 12,000 millennials if their country’s “best days” lay ahead. Here’s the positive vote by the region… Asia – 79% Latin America – 78% Central and Eastern Europe – 69% Middle East and Africa – 66% North America – 49% Western Europe – 41%
Read moresubways “teeming with life”
Researchers who swabbed and tested DNA from surfaces in New York City’s subway system identified 562 species of bacteria, including microbes from mozzarella, sausage, hummus, kimchi, sauerkraut, rats, mice, and lice. Geneticist Christopher E. Mason said the bacteria found were not sufficient to cause disease, but that his work revealed the subways to be “teeming with life,” like “a rain […]
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