A person dies of starvation every 5 seconds in the world each day (12 per minute; 720 per hour; 17,280 per day; 6,307,200 per year; about 60 in the time it will take for you to read this issue of Feed*Your*Head)
Number of people worldwide who entered the 21st century unable to read: 1 out of 6 (about 1.3 billion)
Over 820,000 golf balls are sold each day worldwide
The average American spends two years of their lifetime on the phone (This reflects the use of land lines and does not include cell phone use)
Percent of all phone calls conducted in English worldwide: 85%
Number of people in the world who have never made a phone call: 2 out of 3
According to a 2007 survey of 27 nations, Canada was ranked first among all nations for having a "positive influence" in the world -- the United States ranked third from last, ahead of only Iran and Israel
Mosquitoes have 47 teeth, but it is only the female that bites and seeks to extract blood; she does this for the nourishment she will need to lay her eggs
According to a 2005 survey of more than 1,000 married American men and women, nearly 1 in 10 of these couples have anal sex as a routine part of their sex lives
Scientific name for the split between your buttocks (your butt crack): Natal Cleft
The typical American eats 28 pigs in their lifetime
A typical pig's orgasm lasts half an hour
Chicago's nickname, "The Windy City," originally referred to long-winded politicians -- windier U.S. cities (in terms of weather) include Buffalo, Boston, and Milwaukee while the windiest U.S. city is Blue Hill, Massachusetts
Number of spoken languages in the world: about 6,500 (about 2,000 of these have fewer than 1,000 speakers)
The Bible has been translated into more languages than any other book -- Don Quixote is second
Your skeleton accounts for 14% of your body weight
The average human has 6 dreams per night, with each lasting 5-20 minutes
9 of the world's 50 richest individuals are women
Nearly half of all people online have at least 3 email accounts
Between 1981 and 2003, the average horsepower of cars sold in the United States rose 93%
Most scientists believe that humans either dream to remember (to fix experiences into long-term memory), or that we dream to forget (to eliminate overlapping memories that would otherwise distract us) -- a few believe that we dream for no special purpose but as a mere byproduct of two evolutionary adaptations: sleep and consciousness
More than 6,500 species of fly live in the U.K. -- and about 16,000 species live in the U.S.
The last living member of Napoleon's family, Jerome Bonaparte, died in 1945 of injuries sustained from tripping over his dog's leash
The Earth spins on its axis at about 1,038 miles per hour
All of the 195 countries of the world with the exception of the United States, Burma, South Yemen, and Tonga use the metric system
Number of countries recognized by the United Nations: 192
The Bible was written by over 40 different authors over the span of 1,500 years
It requires 63 feet of wire to make a Slinky
By dividing the model number by 10, you can determine the approximate retail price of a pair of New Balance sneakers (for example: NB574 will retail for approximately $57.40)
Number of bank robberies each day in the U.S.: 20 (average take is $2,500)
First product sold with a bar code in a grocery store: Wrigley's Gum (1974)
Percent of Americans who claim to "not know" or to "have never met" their closest neighbor: 72%
Wal-Mart generates $3 million dollars in revenue every 7 minutes
Over 35% of men and women in the U.S. who place personal ads seeking dates are already married
By their 18th birthday, 6 in 10 teenage women and 5 in 10 teenage men in the U.S. have had sex
Average number of years between first having sexual intercourse and getting married for American women and men: 8
Everyday, Americans steal an average of $20,000 from coin-operated machines, including vending machines for candy and soda as well as from washing and drying machines at laundromats
40% of McDonald's profits around the world come from the sale of Happy Meals
The smile is the most frequently used facial expression worldwide
Most suicides occur in Spring, and the least in Winter
Your brain is 75% water
The average human adult has 6 pounds of skin
Falling asleep while driving accounts for about 550 accidents every 24 hours on American roads
Scientists have determined that ruminating on feelings of guilt can damage your immune system, leaving you susceptible to a wide array of diseases
Statistics and medical reports indicate that about 18% of people residing in the U.S. are prone to sleep-walking
The average person swallows about 1 quart of their own mucus each day
Average number of years a family member holds a grudge against another family member in the U.S.: 20 years
1 in 50 American children under age 15 are currently homeless (alone or with family members)-- the highest rate of child homelessness since the Great Depression of the 1930s
Number of automobiles sold in the U.S. in 2007: 17 million
Number of automobiles sold in the U.S. in 2008: 9 million
Scientists project that we will see a loss of 30% of all mammals, amphibians and insects by the end of the 21st century due to the impact of just one animal species on all others- human impact on the natural environment
On average, 150,000 babies are born in New York City each year-- 10 are born in taxis, 1 on a subway train, and 20 in a privately owned car
In the United States, 80% of people struck by lightning are male-- worldwide, 70% are male
The eye exam chart with the large E on top is called a Snellen Chart
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, couples in the United States could neither afford to marry nor divorce-- both numbers spiked dramatically following World War II
By sheer numbers more of the following crimes occur in the U.S. than anywhere else: rape, burglary, car theft, and assault
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
A TALE OF TWO CRICKETS
During just the 20th century, world population grew from 1.65 billion to over 6 billion
The San Andreas Fault, which runs north-south, is slipping at a rate of about 2 inches per year causing the city of Los Angeles to move toward the city of San Francisco -- scientists predict that within 15 million years, these two cities will merge
At the end of the 20th century, 90% of data on Africa was stored in Europe and the U.S.
It took radio broadcasts 38 years to reach an audience of 50 million; it took television 13 years to reach an audience that large and the Internet just 4 years
Globally, for every one dollar spent on development assistance to the poorest nations, ten dollars are spent on military budgets
Currently, 2 bullets exist for every person on Earth and 1 gun for every 10 people
In Ireland, consumers used 1.2 billion plastic bags a year (316 per person) until 2002, when a plastic bag consumption tax was enacted that reduced use by 90% -- as a result, about 18 million liters of petroleum have been saved
Introduced just 25 years ago, more than 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year -- these petroleum-based products do not biodegrade, they photodegrade by breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways around the world
Number of alcoholics worldwide, as estimated by the World Health Organization: 76.3 million
U.S. Population:
--15 to 64 years (66%)
--under 15 years (21%)
--over 64 years (13%)
DECIBEL SOUND SCALE:
Decibels -- Sound
180 -- Rocket launching pad
140 -- Jet plane
140 -- Gunshot blast
130 -- Pain threshold
120 -- Discomfort
120 -- Automobile horn
90 -- Subway/Metro
80 -- Noisy restaurant
75 -- Busy automobile traffic
66 -- Normal conversation
50 -- Average home
30 -- Whisper
About 147 million people (2.5% of world population) consumes marijuana each year -- people in nearly every country admit to using marijuana at some point in their lives
Thousands of years ago, the Ancient Persians thought the Earth was flat and conceived of it as a stone tablet -- they later postulated that it might be an egg since all life came from it -- shortly after this formulation, they returned to believing the Earth was flat since no one had slid off the egg's surface
In 1462, Pope Pius II declared that baptized Africans should not be enslaved
French philosopher Voltaire predicted that within 100 years of his lifetime Christianity would be obsolete -- 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society began using Voltaire's former printing press and publishing house to produce Bibles
The first six months of our calendar have 181 days, while the last six months have 184 days -- on July 2 at Noon, you are exactly halfway through the year
Proportionally and compared to other primates, human males have massive genitalia
THE SCIENTISTS BEHIND THE SCIENCE:
In a recent study, crickets on the Atkins diet were found to be exceptionally persistent in seeking a sexual mate, and began calling for a mate at a younger age than is typical -- they also died much sooner than normal after expending so much of their energy seeking sexual partners -- this was only true for the males, however, and the females, who also called for sex as frequently as the males did not die any sooner than is typical for a cricket
75% of commercial fishing catch will be used to feed people -- the remaining 25% is used to make products such as glue, soap, lip sticks, and fertilizer
A recent study revealed that over 80% of millionaires drive pre-owned cars
Number of millionaires globally: more than 7 million (most are Americans - 1 out of 3)
The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head
You have a greater chance of being infected with flesh-eating virus than being struck by lightning -- unless you are living in Cuba
The more than 4,600 species of mammals represent 0.3% of animals in the world
Summer on Uranus lasts 21 years, and so does winter
In 1653, New York City had one lawyer, Adriaan van der Donck
Your likelihood of being shot and killed during a bank robbery is highest if you are the robber
Scientists recently discovered that Florida, USA and Hudson Bay in Canada are getting about 1 inch closer every 36 years
The average bra is designed for 180 days of use
Besides the genitals and breasts, the inner nose of the human is the only other body part that routinely swells during sex
Six 8-studded Lego pieces can be combined into 102,981,500 different configurations
33 nipples are visible in Madonna's music video for the song "Vogue"
In the time it took you to read this sentence, five babies were born
When folding their arms across their chest, 7 out of 10 people cross their left arm over their right
The "You Are Here" arrow on a map or directory is called an "ideolocator"
Soldiers from every country salute with their right hand
Ants stretch when they wake up from sleep
Your nose takes up 7% of your face
The San Andreas Fault, which runs north-south, is slipping at a rate of about 2 inches per year causing the city of Los Angeles to move toward the city of San Francisco -- scientists predict that within 15 million years, these two cities will merge
At the end of the 20th century, 90% of data on Africa was stored in Europe and the U.S.
It took radio broadcasts 38 years to reach an audience of 50 million; it took television 13 years to reach an audience that large and the Internet just 4 years
Globally, for every one dollar spent on development assistance to the poorest nations, ten dollars are spent on military budgets
Currently, 2 bullets exist for every person on Earth and 1 gun for every 10 people
In Ireland, consumers used 1.2 billion plastic bags a year (316 per person) until 2002, when a plastic bag consumption tax was enacted that reduced use by 90% -- as a result, about 18 million liters of petroleum have been saved
Introduced just 25 years ago, more than 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year -- these petroleum-based products do not biodegrade, they photodegrade by breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways around the world
Number of alcoholics worldwide, as estimated by the World Health Organization: 76.3 million
U.S. Population:
--15 to 64 years (66%)
--under 15 years (21%)
--over 64 years (13%)
DECIBEL SOUND SCALE:
Decibels -- Sound
180 -- Rocket launching pad
140 -- Jet plane
140 -- Gunshot blast
130 -- Pain threshold
120 -- Discomfort
120 -- Automobile horn
90 -- Subway/Metro
80 -- Noisy restaurant
75 -- Busy automobile traffic
66 -- Normal conversation
50 -- Average home
30 -- Whisper
About 147 million people (2.5% of world population) consumes marijuana each year -- people in nearly every country admit to using marijuana at some point in their lives
Thousands of years ago, the Ancient Persians thought the Earth was flat and conceived of it as a stone tablet -- they later postulated that it might be an egg since all life came from it -- shortly after this formulation, they returned to believing the Earth was flat since no one had slid off the egg's surface
In 1462, Pope Pius II declared that baptized Africans should not be enslaved
French philosopher Voltaire predicted that within 100 years of his lifetime Christianity would be obsolete -- 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society began using Voltaire's former printing press and publishing house to produce Bibles
The first six months of our calendar have 181 days, while the last six months have 184 days -- on July 2 at Noon, you are exactly halfway through the year
Proportionally and compared to other primates, human males have massive genitalia
THE SCIENTISTS BEHIND THE SCIENCE:
- Richard Feyman was a physicist and part of the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb -- his hobby was picking locks
- Jack Parsons co-founded the Jet Propulsion Laboratory despite having no formal education -- in his spare time he practiced magic and claimed he was the Anti-Christ -- he died by accidentally blowing himself up during a lab experiment in his home in 1952
- Nikola Tesla, credited with the invention of the wireless radio and the AC generator that kick-started the electrical age, was born in 1856 during a violent lightning storm
- Albert Einstein did not speak until the age of 3 and did not speak fluently until age 9, by which time his parents feared he was mentally retarded -- he never memorized his home telephone number or learned to drive a car, and after age 30 refused to wear socks ever again
- Dr. Kellogg declared sexual desire was an illness and invented corn flakes as a treatment and remedy in the 1930s-- the initial lack of flavor of his invention made his product unpopular and only after adding flavor did Kellogg's Corn Flakes become a leading cereal brand
- Born and raised in Germany's Castle Frankenstein, 17th century alchemist Johann Dippel became noted as the inventor of Prussian Blue, one of the first synthetic chemical dyes -- he became even more famous for his endless search for immortality and rumors of his experiments on corpses -- he was the inspiration for Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"
- Charles Richter, the American scientist who developed the Richter Scale to measure the strength of earthquakes, was an avid nudist, which ultimately led to his divorce once his wife realized she could not dissuade his insistence on frequent nude parties at their home and his unwillingness to wear clothing unless in public
In a recent study, crickets on the Atkins diet were found to be exceptionally persistent in seeking a sexual mate, and began calling for a mate at a younger age than is typical -- they also died much sooner than normal after expending so much of their energy seeking sexual partners -- this was only true for the males, however, and the females, who also called for sex as frequently as the males did not die any sooner than is typical for a cricket
75% of commercial fishing catch will be used to feed people -- the remaining 25% is used to make products such as glue, soap, lip sticks, and fertilizer
A recent study revealed that over 80% of millionaires drive pre-owned cars
Number of millionaires globally: more than 7 million (most are Americans - 1 out of 3)
The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head
You have a greater chance of being infected with flesh-eating virus than being struck by lightning -- unless you are living in Cuba
The more than 4,600 species of mammals represent 0.3% of animals in the world
Summer on Uranus lasts 21 years, and so does winter
In 1653, New York City had one lawyer, Adriaan van der Donck
Your likelihood of being shot and killed during a bank robbery is highest if you are the robber
Scientists recently discovered that Florida, USA and Hudson Bay in Canada are getting about 1 inch closer every 36 years
The average bra is designed for 180 days of use
Besides the genitals and breasts, the inner nose of the human is the only other body part that routinely swells during sex
Six 8-studded Lego pieces can be combined into 102,981,500 different configurations
33 nipples are visible in Madonna's music video for the song "Vogue"
In the time it took you to read this sentence, five babies were born
When folding their arms across their chest, 7 out of 10 people cross their left arm over their right
The "You Are Here" arrow on a map or directory is called an "ideolocator"
Soldiers from every country salute with their right hand
Ants stretch when they wake up from sleep
Your nose takes up 7% of your face
Monday, March 2, 2009
A BONOBO KIND OF LOVE
The world's food supply depends on about 150 plant species -- of those, just 3 are known as "super crops" because they provide 50% of the world's plant food energy (rice, wheat and corn) -- sorghum, millet, potatoes, yams, soybean and sugar provide an additional 25%
Percent of Cubans who have known no other leader than Fidel Castro: 70%
In 2001, more information could be sent over a single cable in one second than in 1997 was sent over the entire Internet
81% of the world's population live in developing countries
On average, men can read smaller print than women, while women can hear better and generally score slightly higher on IQ tests
73% of Americans have cell phones -- 40% of Americans aged 12-14 have cell phones
An American child will consume and pollute more over a lifetime than 30 children born in India
In the United States, there are more shopping malls than high schools
There are 5 million more women in the U.S. than men
The United States leads the world in one-person households -- 26% of Americans live alone
Last year, 46% of Wal-Mart's U.S. employees had no insurance or were receiving Medicaid (taxpayer-funded health care) -- the average full-time Wal-Mart employee earns less than $18,000 per year, with Wal-Mart being the single largest employer in 20 U.S. states
Brits are filmed on camera up to 300 times a day due to cameras placed on street corners, inside stores, in railway stations, and in many workplaces
Worldwide, about 4 billion plastic bags end up as litter each year -- tied end to end, that's enough to circle the globe 63 times
A healthy human brain has 100 million nerve cells (neurons) with long, branching extensions connected at 100 trillion points (synapses)
In the U.S., two-thirds of undocumented immigrants live in just 6 states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, and North Carolina
Voltage of most car batteries: 12 volts
Chance of contracting an infection during a hospital stay in the U.S.: 1 in 15
75% of Americans keep paper currency in their wallets in order of denomination, with the lowest amounts leading up to the highest amounts
Based on proportional crime statistics, it is safer to live in New York City than in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
About 10% of the workforce in Egypt is under 10 years of age
In the late 1930s, Abe Pickens of Cleveland, Ohio,USA attempted to create world peace by placing personal telephone calls to world leaders -- he managed to contact Mussolini, Hirohito, Franco, and Hitler -- he spent his entire life savings for this effort and died penniless before the end of World War II
45% of Americans do not correctly identify the Sun as a star
During the American Revolutionary War, more inhabitants of the colonies fought on the side of the British than on the side of the Continental Army
Humans sleep less, and require less sleep, as they get older -- generally, teens need as much sleep as children at about 9 hours a night, while adults need 7-8 hours, but for folks over age 70 the need for sleep decreases to about 6 hours per night
More than 20 million Americans have a sleep disorder, but for those who don't, they sleep about the same number of hours as Americans did 50 years ago (7-8 hours per night)
Worldwide, the most commonly reported sexual problem for men is premature ejaculation, while the most commonly reported for women is a total lack of interest in sex with men
Based on cave paintings and artifacts, researchers hypothesize that Ice Age women enjoyed sex at least as much as their male counterparts
Water expands by about 9% as it freezes
Earth travels through space at 66,700 miles per hour
Anthropologists and other scientists believe that the sex lives of our pre-historic ancestors were likely similar to the promiscuous, bisexual, no-commitment sexuality of the modern bonobo chimpanzees
Eagles mate while airborne
Sex drains time and physical energy and takes precious nutrient resources, and so biologists consider asexual reproduction a logical alternative -- we now know that asexual reproduction came first (so to speak) in nature and is seen today in plants and flatworms and other living organisms -- scientists believe that sexual reproduction evolved as the dominant form of reproduction in nature so that organisms could adapt to stressful or changing environments through the slight shuffling of genes
The Loch Ness Monster is credited with bringing $40 million annually to Scottish tourism
11% of Earth's surface is used to grow food and other crops
Panama hats are made in Ecuador
The smell of Crayola Crayons is so familiar to Americans that it is one of the top 20 most recognizable scents to adults, with over 30% being able to identify the smell when blindfolded -- sniffing crayons has been shown to reduce blood pressure
The turkey was wrongly named after what was thought to be its country of origin
Hitler signed his last order with a blue crayon
Percent of Cubans who have known no other leader than Fidel Castro: 70%
In 2001, more information could be sent over a single cable in one second than in 1997 was sent over the entire Internet
81% of the world's population live in developing countries
On average, men can read smaller print than women, while women can hear better and generally score slightly higher on IQ tests
73% of Americans have cell phones -- 40% of Americans aged 12-14 have cell phones
An American child will consume and pollute more over a lifetime than 30 children born in India
In the United States, there are more shopping malls than high schools
There are 5 million more women in the U.S. than men
The United States leads the world in one-person households -- 26% of Americans live alone
Last year, 46% of Wal-Mart's U.S. employees had no insurance or were receiving Medicaid (taxpayer-funded health care) -- the average full-time Wal-Mart employee earns less than $18,000 per year, with Wal-Mart being the single largest employer in 20 U.S. states
Brits are filmed on camera up to 300 times a day due to cameras placed on street corners, inside stores, in railway stations, and in many workplaces
Worldwide, about 4 billion plastic bags end up as litter each year -- tied end to end, that's enough to circle the globe 63 times
A healthy human brain has 100 million nerve cells (neurons) with long, branching extensions connected at 100 trillion points (synapses)
In the U.S., two-thirds of undocumented immigrants live in just 6 states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, and North Carolina
Voltage of most car batteries: 12 volts
Chance of contracting an infection during a hospital stay in the U.S.: 1 in 15
75% of Americans keep paper currency in their wallets in order of denomination, with the lowest amounts leading up to the highest amounts
Based on proportional crime statistics, it is safer to live in New York City than in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
About 10% of the workforce in Egypt is under 10 years of age
In the late 1930s, Abe Pickens of Cleveland, Ohio,USA attempted to create world peace by placing personal telephone calls to world leaders -- he managed to contact Mussolini, Hirohito, Franco, and Hitler -- he spent his entire life savings for this effort and died penniless before the end of World War II
45% of Americans do not correctly identify the Sun as a star
During the American Revolutionary War, more inhabitants of the colonies fought on the side of the British than on the side of the Continental Army
Humans sleep less, and require less sleep, as they get older -- generally, teens need as much sleep as children at about 9 hours a night, while adults need 7-8 hours, but for folks over age 70 the need for sleep decreases to about 6 hours per night
More than 20 million Americans have a sleep disorder, but for those who don't, they sleep about the same number of hours as Americans did 50 years ago (7-8 hours per night)
Worldwide, the most commonly reported sexual problem for men is premature ejaculation, while the most commonly reported for women is a total lack of interest in sex with men
Based on cave paintings and artifacts, researchers hypothesize that Ice Age women enjoyed sex at least as much as their male counterparts
Water expands by about 9% as it freezes
Earth travels through space at 66,700 miles per hour
Anthropologists and other scientists believe that the sex lives of our pre-historic ancestors were likely similar to the promiscuous, bisexual, no-commitment sexuality of the modern bonobo chimpanzees
Eagles mate while airborne
Sex drains time and physical energy and takes precious nutrient resources, and so biologists consider asexual reproduction a logical alternative -- we now know that asexual reproduction came first (so to speak) in nature and is seen today in plants and flatworms and other living organisms -- scientists believe that sexual reproduction evolved as the dominant form of reproduction in nature so that organisms could adapt to stressful or changing environments through the slight shuffling of genes
The Loch Ness Monster is credited with bringing $40 million annually to Scottish tourism
11% of Earth's surface is used to grow food and other crops
Panama hats are made in Ecuador
The smell of Crayola Crayons is so familiar to Americans that it is one of the top 20 most recognizable scents to adults, with over 30% being able to identify the smell when blindfolded -- sniffing crayons has been shown to reduce blood pressure
The turkey was wrongly named after what was thought to be its country of origin
Hitler signed his last order with a blue crayon
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