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SOLAR FLOW The Ulysses Solar Mission revealed that
matter flows outward from the South Pole of the Sun at a rate of
one million tons per second. OZONE VALLEY Chinese scientists have identified an
unusual "ozone valley'' over the western Tibet-Qinghai plateau
with alarmingly low levels of atmospheric ozone, more than ten
percent less than in other areas in the same latitude. Chinese
and US researchers are evaluating the potential causes of the
hole (probably pollution) and potential health problems,
including skin cancer. DDT THEN When DDT was first introduced during WW II,
new recruits were given DDT-impregnated uniforms and entire city
populations (e.g. Naples) were 'dusted' with the chemical. DDT NOW Although banned in the developed world for more than 20 years, DDT is still widely used in the developing world, primarily for control of malaria. For example, Mexico and Brazil each used nearly 1,000 tons of DDT in 1992. The chemical has a half-life of more than 100 years and can be found in the tissues of almost all humans. SOURCE: World Health Organization AFRICAN WATER SHORTAGE Over the last 30 years, the availability of freshwater in Africa has halved. This can be attributed to a combination of climate change and poor resource management SOURCE: Dr. Maurice Ndege, Africa Water Network UPPER CLASS WOMEN Rebecca Elizabeth Marier has become the first woman to graduate 'top of the class' at West Point, the US Military Academy. The rankings are based on academic, military and physical accomplishments. She now will go on to Harvard Medical School. WORLD'S LARGEST GEYSER A new man-made fountain opposite the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is now the world's highest geyser, at 600 feet. The geyser's is powered by three 800 hp pumps and discharges water at up to 200 feet per second. The geyser will keep 1,100 gallons of water, weighing 9,200 pounds, in the air when in operation. SOURCE: Gateway Center SNAKE INVASION Kurdish villages in northern Iraq are
currently being overwhelmed by an invasion of thousands of
poisonous snakes including rattlesnakes and yellow vipers. The
snakes moved into buildings destroyed by Saddam Hussein's troops
and proliferated following an unusually mild winter. PLEASE HOLD One third of 95 developing countries have a
waiting period of six years or more for a telephone connection,
compared with less than a month in developed nations. ORTHO WHAT? Orthorhombic perskovite is the predominant mineral found in Earth's lower mantle and the most abundant mineral on Earth. SOURCE: Science FAT FIGURES About one-third of American adults are at
least 20 percent above their recommended weight. EQUINE ATAVISM The favorite horses of both Alexander the Great (Bucephalos) and Julius Caesar both had atavistic mutations- extra toes. Horses normally have only one toe per foot, but are descended from horses with three or four toes on each limb. SOURCE: Nature Genetics
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Factoids Index