Since the start of the Syrian civil war four years ago, the average life expectancy in the country has dropped from 79.5 years to 55.7 years, about the same as in South Sudan and Malawi, according to a new U.N. report
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In 2011, the poorest 20 percent of Americans gave 3.2 percent of their income to charity. The wealthiest 20 percent were far stingier, donating just 1.3 percent. Researchers say those with less to share may have “higher empathy” because they’re more exposed to need.
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4.36 – The average rainfall, in inches, for the contiguous United States in May, the country’s wettest month since record keeping began in 1895.
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Percentage of Benjamin Netanyahu’s 2014 primary-campaign contributions that came from the United States: 90 That came from three U.S. families: 30
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Percentage of countries worldwide in which girls outperform boys in academic achievement: 70
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It turns out that there’s strong evidence to suggest that at least one kind of dolphin sound, studied extensively over the past decade, does function as a kind of referential symbol. Dolphins use distinct “signature whistles” to identify and call to one another. Each dolphin is thought to invent a unique name for itself as a calf and to keep […]
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Annette Fredskov, of Naestved, Denmark, ran 26.2 miles every day for a year, despite having multiple sclerosis. She marked the anniversary of her daily feat with a double marathon two weeks ago, running over 52 miles in just over 10 hours. Since July 2012, she has run almost 10,000 miles and worn through 20 pairs of running shoes. Fredskov says […]
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Amount for which the owner of happybirthday.com is attempting to sell the domain name: $2,000,000 Amount for which he sold sex.com in 2010: $13,000,000
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A Canadian man nearly blew off his own head while trying to kill a mouse with a rifle. Dale Whitmell, 40, tried to crush the scampering rodent with the butt of his rifle, but when he slammed the weapon on the ground, it discharged. The bullet grazed his forehead but did not badly wound him. After being released from a […]
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After decimating the Tanzanian elephant population, poachers have now killed half of the elephants in neighboring Mozambique in just five years. A survey by Mozambique’s government and the U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Society found that the herd has shrunk from 20,000 in 2010 to just over 10,000 animals today. “This decline is due to rampant elephant poaching in the country’s most important […]
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