7 AMAZING FACTS OF OUR WORLD
[1] HIDDEN DANGERS IN FRANCE
An estimated 1.3 million tons of lethal
devices from world wars one and two remained buried in France. The former front
line is littered with old bombs and chemical shells that continue to pose a
threat to people and the environment. Since many formerly vacant lots are now
residential or industrial areas, bomb-removal squads receive thousands of call
each year. Still, hundreds of accidents have occurred, and over 600 experts
have been killed in the line of duty between 1945 and 1985. At the present rate,
according to specialists, it could 700 years to dispose of this arsenal!
[2] BUSES PROMOTE ATHEISM
There is probably no God. Now stop
worrying and enjoy your life. This slogan has been displayed on 200 buses in London,
England; on another 600 countrywide; and on two giant screens in London’s
Oxford Street, reports The Guardian newspaper. The originators say that their
campaign is in response to religious advertising that condemns non-believers to
hellfire. The word “probably” is used in order to meet the rules of Britain’s
Advertising Standards Authority, since it is impossible to prove that God does
not exist. One objective of the campaign is to encourage more atheists to come
out to reveal their views.
[3] RISKS OF PROGRAMMING EARLY CHILDBIRTH
In the United States, more and more
infants are delivered early –by induced labor or by cesarean section –out of
convenience. However, the last weeks of pregnancy are more important than once
thought. A study of some 15,000 newborns showed that for every week a baby
remained in the womb between the 32nd and 39th weeks,
there was a 23 percent drop in seizures, jaundice, respiratory distress, and
brain hemorrhages. Infants born at 32 to 36 weeks had increased risk of mild
behavioral and cognitive problems. The American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists thus recommends that babies not be delivered before 39 weeks
unless there is a medical reason to do so.
[4] CORAL BLEACHING
A reef is a living wall formed by
colonies of carnivorous animals called coral polyps, which have a hard external
layer of calcium carbonate, or limestone. Live corals build upon the dead
skeletons of past generations. Microscopic algas [zooxanthellas] live in the
tissues of reef corals in a symbiotic relationship, giving off oxygen and
nutrients, which the polyps utilize, and absorbing the carbon dioxide given off
by the polyps. Sensitive to changes in water temperature, the polyps begin
expelling the algas when the temperature rises, causing a loss of chlorophyll
pigment that results in a bleached appearance. In this weakened, corals are
vulnerable to disease and death. However, coral reefs are resilient and can
recover when protected.
[5] HAPPINESS AND HEALTH
It has long been thought that happy and
positive people tend to be generally healthier than stressed, hostile, or
pessimistic people. In one recent study, researchers concluded that people with
upbeat moods have lower levels of cortisol –a stress hormone that may
contribute to a range of ills when it is chronically elevated. Such people also
have lower levels of two proteins that indicate widespread inflammation in the
body. According to Dr. Andrew Steptoe of University College, London, mood
states are not just a matter of heredity, but depend on our social
relationships and fulfillment in life.
[6] MOON SIGHTING GOES HIGH-TECH
For hundreds of years, Muslims have
scanned the skies for the first sliver of the new moon that ends the month of
Ramadan and begins the feast of fast breaking. Traditionally, in some areas
that sighting had to be made with naked eye, after which a religious leader
would make an announcement to the faithful. Within the past few years, however,
some clerics have sanctioned high tech methods. Iranian astronomers,
accompanied by clerics who verify their sightings, now use high definition
telescopes, night-vision equipment, and even planes loaded with sensitive
observation equipment. An early sighting means early start to the holiday.
[7] AMAZING SOCIAL SKILLS IN INFANTS
Babies as young
as six months develop social judging skills before they could talk, says
researchers in Yale University, U.S.A. Babies aged six months to ten months
watched a large-eyed toy try to climb hills, while other toys either helped it
or pushed it backward. The children were then presented with the toys to see
which they would play with, explains the Houston Chronicle. Nearly every baby
picked the helpful toy over the bad one. So to some extent, even infants can
tell the difference between naughty and nice playmates, and know which to
choose.
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