SEAFLOOR SCRAPING
Bottom-trawling nets, which scrape up anything in their path in pursuit of fish, have left their mark on 20 million sq. mi. (52 million sq km) of seafloor.
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Military Bases
The Department of Defense has 562,000 military bases and facilities located around the world, which collectively cover 24.7 million acres—nearly the size of Virginia. Much of that space is now unused, but Congress has barred the Pentagon from conducting a detailed assessment out of fear that bases in home districts would be closed.
Read moreToo Much Brawn, Not Enough Brains
A gang of German bank robbers trying to blow open an ATM machine used too much explosive and destroyed the entire bank. The blast reduced the bank building in the village of Malliss to rubble and damaged cars more than 100 yards away, yet the targeted ATM machine was left completely intact. “Something evidently didn’t work the way the robbers […]
Read moreHello, I’m Johnny Cash
A 60-year-old Dutch man received a brain implant to cure his obsessive-compulsive disorder, and suddenly became a fanatical Johnny Cash fan. The patient said his doctors, “kept listening simply and solely to Johnny Cash.”
Read moreH.S. Football Team of Deaf Players Wins Title
A high school football team of deaf players in Fremont, Calif., has won a league title for the first time. The Eagles of the California School for the Deaf, already national champions among schools for the deaf, won the regular North Central ll/Bay League title with a 10-2 season. Despite fielding a squad without a single player over 200 pounds, […]
Read moreU.S. Shark Attacks
52: Number of unprovoked shark attacks in the U.S. last year (compared with 20 elsewhere in the world). None were fatal. 28: Number of attacks in Florida, the most of any state. Runners-up were Hawaii (seven), South Carolina (five), California (four) and North Carolina (four). 65%: Percentage of attacks involving surfers (or people doing other board sports); 32% involved swimmers. The rest involved […]
Read moreIt was a bad week for . . .
. . . ordering a margarita, after heavy rains, tree disease, and cartel violence sent prices for Mexico’s limes soaring from to $14 a case to $100. “We don’t buy them [anymore],” said the owner of a San Antonio Mexican restaurant. “We substitute lemons.”
Read moreGuns Used For Self Defense
Number of times guns are used in self-defense each year in the U.S.: 180,000
Read more7 Tips for Creative Thinking
Remaining creative throughout your life clearly offers mind health benefits. Not only can it minimize anxiety, depression, and cognitive problems, it can also enhance a person’s enjoyment of everyday experiences. In order to point your mind in a more creative direction, consider some of the following strategies: 1. Notice the world around you. You don’t need to be a writer, artist, or inventor to […]
Read moreUs vs. Them
Percentage of Americans and Chinese, respectively, who believe their government is “on the side of average citizens”: 12, 80 Who believe their government is “on the side of corporations”: 73, 17
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