Friday Factoids – stuff
The past couple of Friday Factoids have been thematic, so this is going to be a (pseudo) random assortment.
- British chemist Joseph Priestley gave rubber its name in 1770, when he discovered that it can rub away (erase) pencil marks.
- The three wealthiest people (and their families) in the world have more assets than the combined wealth of the 48 poorest countries.
- 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.
- Men who donate blood have a 30% reduced risk of heart disease compared to those who do not. The difference is attributed to reduced levels of iron following blood donation.
- 18 million courses of antibiotics are prescribed for the common cold in the US per year. Too bad colds are caused by viruses. 50 million unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed for viral respiratory infections.
- There are more than 1,000 chemicals in a cup of coffee. Of these, only 26 have been tested, and half caused cancer in rats.
- A pinhead’s volume of a piece of a dwarf star would weight more than the earth.
Comments
One Comment on Friday Factoids – stuff
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Hugo on
Fri, 9th Dec 2005 7:25 pm
There are more than 1,000 chemicals in a cup of coffee. Of these, only 26 have been tested, and half caused cancer in rats
Just about anything, given the right amount of exposure and dosage, can cause cancer – it has even been shown with oxygen. Guess I now need to kick that pesky breathing habit along with the smoking.
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