Assorted Facts 3
Researchers say they have discovered how anthrax destroys cells and causes rapid death. A protein in anthrax toxin, called Lethal Factor or LF, disrupts a pathway over which signals are sent into a cell. When that happens, a cell "is cut off from the world" and can no longer divide. LF also causes the massive release of a protein which causes inflammation and the destruction of immune system cells called macrophages, causing rapid shock and death.
One police officer is killed every 54 hours.
Solar storms during the last sunspot peak in 1989-91 caused power failures in Canada and Sweden, made some computers crash and destroyed or damaged several satellites.
Consumers buy about $5 billion worth of dietary supplements -- pills, herbs, teas -- each year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 15 million Americans have asthma, a 75 percent increase since 1980.
The 13th-century tower of St Peter's Church has the largest clock face in Europe.
Early Greek calculations had determined that pi is approximately 3 1/7. In 190 the Chinese calculated pi to five places: 3.14159. Modern computers have calculated pi to more than 100 million decimal places.
92% of pay cable tv programs contain violence.
Adverse reactions to prescription and over-the-counter medicines kill more than 100,000 Americans and seriously injure an additional 2.1 million each year.
Socrates was sentenced to death in 399 BC for allegedly corrupting the youth of Athens and neglecting the gods of the state. He fulfilled his sentence by drinking a concoction made with the poisonous plant hemlock.
The first historical trace of tame cats comes from Egypt around 2500 BC.
The first metallic money in the world appeared between 2000 and 1800 BC. Prior to that time, cattle had been used for currency, as they still are in some parts of our world.
Coloring foods to make them attractive used to be a deadly business. During the 18 & 19th centuries pickles often owed their appetizing green color to copper sulfate, a poison which killed unknown numbers of consumers.
The ancient 14th century Chinese developed the first tinted glasses. The honorable, inscrutable judges wore glasses tinted with smoke to conceal their emotions during trials.
It is estimated that only 5-10% of the worlds information has been digitized.
Approximately 40,000 Americans are sickened by salmonella bacteria each year.
It is estimated that the kidneys of 10,000 executed Chinese prisoners have been sold since 1990.
The guillotine was last officially used as recently as September 10,1977 by the French.
While it took the radio 38 years, and the television a short 13 years, it took the World Wide Web only 4 years to reach 50 million users.
The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute, less than half the normal rate of 20.
The number of text messages sent and received in a given day is greater than the world's population.
The first banner advertising was used in 1994.
Iceland has the most Internet users per capita of any country in the world with over 86 percent of people using the Web, compared with only 69 percent of Americans.
There are approximately 1.06 billion instant messaging accounts worldwide.
The world's first computer, called the Z1, was invented by Konrad Zuse in 1936. His next invention, the Z2 was finished in 1939 and was the first fully functioning electro-mechanical computer.
The chess-playing computer created by IBM called Deep Blue defeated world champion Garry Kasparov in a game of chess in May 1997. Kasparov demanded a rematch, to which IBM replied with a resounding, "no way."
A sphere has two sides. However, there are one-sided surfaces.
The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
John Wayne's neck was 18 inches long.
Jennifer Aniston lived in Greece for a year during childhood.
Tom Cruise given name at birth was Thomas Cruise Mapother IV.
Cary Grant never said, "Judy, Judy, Judy" in any movie.
Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a bellybutton.
Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey are left-handed.
Marilyn Monroe had six toes on one foot.
Bruce Willis was born in Germany.
Walt Disney was afraid of mice.
Harrods has a dress code. Kate Winslet was once refused to enter Harrods department store.
Tom Hanks collects old typewriters.
David Letterman's suits are all custom made.
In 1991 Tom Berenger appeared in a Japanese commercial for Lark cigarettes.
Bruce Lee invented his own style of martial art, jeet kwun do.
Oprah Winfrey was the first billionaire among African-American woman.
Marilyn Monroe appeared on the first cover of Playboy in 1953.
Tom Berenger has worked as a flight steward for Eastern Airlines.
Audrey Hepburn loved to eat sour apples.
Tom Berenger is fluent in Spanish.
Charles Bronson is a very good painter.
Sean Connery has worked as a milkman.