amazing earth facts
TRANSCRIPT
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Amazing Earth
Facts
We live on a sphere of extremes and oddities. In fact it's not really a sphere, but it is a wild planet,
mottled with deadly volcanoes, rattled by killer earthquakes, drenched in disastrous deluges. But
do you know which were the worst?
Some of Earth's valleys dip below sea level. Mountains soar into thin air. Can you name the
lowest spot? The tallest peak? Do you know how far it is to the center of the planet or what's
there?
Where are the planet's hottest, coldest, driest and windiest places?
The following list of Earth's extremes and other amazing facts is presented in Q&A format, so youcan cover the answers to test your knowledge of the home planet. Sources include the U.S.
Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with other
SPACE.com reporting.
1. What is the hottest place on Earth?
Count one wrong if you guessed Death Valley in California. True enough on many days. But El
Azizia in Libya recorded a temperature of 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius) on Sept. 13,
1922 -- the hottest ever measured. In Death Valley, it got up to 134 Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913.
2. And the coldest place around here?
Far and away, the coldest temperature ever measured on Earth was -129 Fahrenheit (-89
Celsius) at Vostok, Antarctica, on July 21, 1983.3. What makes thunder?
If you thought, "Lightning!" then hats off to you. But I had a more illuminating answer in mind. The
air around a lightning bolt is superheated to about five times the temperature of the Sun. This
sudden heating causes the air to expand faster than the speed of sound, which compresses the
air and forms a shock wave; we hear it as thunder.
4. Can rocks float?
In a volcanic eruption, the violent separation of gas from lava produces a "frothy" rock called
pumice, loaded with gas bubbles. Some of it can float, geologists say. I've never seen this
happen, and I'm thankful for that.5. Can rocks grow?
Yes, but observing the process is less interesting than watching paint dry. Rocks called iron-
manganese crusts grow on mountains under the sea. The crusts precipitate material slowly from
seawater, growing about 1 millimeter every million years. Your fingernails grow about the same
amount every two weeks.
6. How much space dust falls to Earth each year?
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Estimates vary, but the USGS says at least 1,000 million grams, or roughly 1,000 tons of material
enters the atmosphere every year and makes its way to Earths surface. One group of scientists
claims microbes rain down from space, too, and that extraterrestrial organisms are responsible
for flu epidemics . There's been no proof of this, and I'm not holding my breath.
7. How far does regular dust blow in the wind?
A 1999 study showed that African dust finds its way to Florida and can help push parts of thestate over the prescribed air quality limit for particulate matter set by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. The dust is kicked up by high winds in North Africa and carried as high as
20,000 feet (6,100 meters), where it's caught up in the trade winds and carried across the sea.
Dust from China makes its way to North America, too.
8. Where is the worlds highest waterfall?
The water of Angel Falls in Venezuela drops 3,212 feet (979 meters).
9. What two great American cities are destined to merge?
The San Andreas fault, which runs north-south, is slipping at a rate of about 2 inches (5
centimeters) per year, causing Los Angeles to move towards San Francisco. Scientists forecast
LA will be a suburb of the City by the Bay in about 15 million years.
10. Is Earth a sphere?
Because the planet rotates and is more flexible than you might imagine, it bulges at the
midsection, creating a sort of pumpkin shape. The bulge was lessening for centuries but now,
suddenly, it is growing, a recent study showed. Accelerated melting of Earth's glaciers is taking
the blame for the gain in equatorial girth.
11. What would a 100-pound person weigh on Mars?
The gravity on Mars is 38 percent of that found on Earth at sea level. So a 100-pound person on
Earth would weigh 38 pounds on Mars. Based on NASA's present plans, it'll be decades before
this assumption can be observationally proved, however.
12. How long is a Martian year?It's a year long, if you're from Mars. To an earthling, it's nearly twice as long. The red planet takes
687 Earth-days to go around the Sun -- compared to 365 days for Earth. Taking into account
Mars' different rotational time (see #13 below) calendars on Mars would be about 670 days long
with some leap days needed to keep things square. If you find one, please mail it to me. I'm
curious how they worked out the months, given they have two moons. [The initial publication of
this fact mistakenly said a Mars calendar would have 687 days.]
13. How long is the average Martian day?
A Martian can sleep (or work) and extra half-hour every day compared to you. Mars days are 24
hours and 37 minutes long, compared to 23 hours, 56 minutes on Earth. A day on any planet in
our solar system is determined by how long it takes the world to spin once on its axis, making the
Sun appear to rise in the morning and sending it down in the evening.14. What is the largest volcano?
The Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii holds the title here on Earth. It rises more than 50,000 feet (9.5
miles or 15.2 kilometers) above its base, which sits under the surface of the sea. But that's all
volcanic chump change. Olympus Mons on Mars rises 16 miles (26 kilometers) into the Martian
sky. Its base would almost cover the entire state of Arizona.
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Planet building
15. What was the deadliest known earthquake?
The world's deadliest recorded earthquake occurred in 1557 in central China. It struck a region
where most people lived in caves carved from soft rock. The dwellings collapsed, killing an
estimated 830,000 people. In 1976 another deadly temblor struck Tangshan, China. More than
250,000 people were killed.16. What was the strongest earthquake in recent times?
A 1960 Chilean earthquake, which occurred off the coast, had a magnitude of 9.6 and broke a
fault more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) long. An earthquake like that under a major city
would challenge the best construction techniques.
17. Which earthquake was more catastrophic: Kobe, Japan or Northridge, California?
The 1994 Northridge earthquake had a magnitude of 6.7 was responsible for approximately 60
deaths, 9,000 injuries, and more than $40 billion in damage. The Kobe earthquake of 1995 was
magnitude 6.8 and killed 5,530 people. There were some 37,000 injuries and more than $100
billion in economic loss.
18. How far is it to the center of the Earth?
The distance from the surface of Earth to the center is about 3,963 miles (6,378 kilometers).
Much of Earth is fluid. The mostly solid skin of the planet is only 41 miles (66 kilometers) thick --
thinner than the skin of an apple, relatively speaking.
19. What is the highest mountain?
Climbers who brave Mt. Everest in the Nepal-Tibet section of the Himalayas reach 29,035 feet
(nearly 9 kilometers) above sea level. Its height was revised upward by 7 feet based on
measurements made in 1999 using the satellite-based Global Positioning System.
20. Has the Moon always been so close?
It used to be much closer! A billion years ago, the Moon was in a tighter orbit, taking just 20 days
to go around us and make a month. A day on Earth back then was only 18 hours long. The Moon
is still moving away -- about 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) a year. Meanwhile, Earth's rotation isslowing down, lengthening our days. In the distant future, a day will be 960 hours long! [ Find out
why]
21. Where is the lowest dry point on Earth?
The shore of the Dead Sea in the Middle East is about 1,300 feet (400 meters) below sea level.
Not even a close second is Bad Water in Death Valley, California, at a mere 282 feet below sea
level.
22. Good thing California isn't sinking further, right?
Actually parts of it are, which is so interesting that I snuck this non-question onto the list. In a
problem repeated elsewhere in the country, the pumping of natural underground water reservoirs
in California is causing the ground to sink up to 4 inches (11 centimeters) per year in places.
Water and sewage systems may soon be threatened.
23. What is the longest river?
The Nile River in Africa is 4,160 miles (6,695 kilometers) long.
24. What is the most earthquake-prone state in the United States?
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Alaska experiences a magnitude 7 earthquake almost every year, and a magnitude 8 or greater
earthquake on average every 14 years. Florida and North Dakota get the fewest earthquakes in
the states, even fewer than New York .
25. What's the driest place on Earth?
A place called Arica, in Chile, gets just 0.03 inches (0.76 millimeters) of rain per year. At that rate,
it would take a century to fill a coffee cup.26. What causes a landslide?
Intense rainfall over a short period of time can trigger shallow, fast-moving mud and debris flows.
Slow, steady rainfall over a long period of time may trigger deeper, slow-moving landslides.
Different materials behave differently, too. Every year as much as $2 billion in landslide damage
occurs in the United States. In a record-breaking storm in the San Francisco area in January
1982, some 18,000 debris flows were triggered during a single night! Property damage was over
$66 million, and 25 people died.
27. How fast can mud flow?
Debris flows are like mud avalanches that can move at speeds in excess of 100 mph (160 kph).28. Do things inside Earth flow?
You bet. In fact, scientists found in 1999 that molten material in and around Earth's core moves in
vortices, swirling pockets whose dynamics are similar to tornadoes and hurricanes. And as you'll
learn later in this list, the planet's core moves in other strange ways, too.
29. What is the wettest place on Earth?
Lloro, Colombia averages 523.6 inches of rainfall a year, or more than 40 feet (13 meters). That's
about 10 times more than fairly wet major cities in Europe or the United States.
30. Does Earth go through phases, like the Moon?
From Mars, Earth would be seen to go through distinct phases (just as we see Venus change
phases). Earth is inside the orbit of Mars, and as the two planets travel around the Sun, sunlight
would strike our home planet from different angles during the year. Earth phases can be seen in
recent photographs taken by Mars Global Surveyor and the European Mars Express
31. What is the largest canyon?
The Grand Canyon is billed as the world's largest canyon system. Its main branch is 277 miles
(446 kilometers) long. But let's compare. Valles Marineris on Mars extends for about 3,000 miles
(4,800 kilometers). If added it to a U.S. map, it would stretch from New York City to Los Angeles.
In places this vast scar on the Martian surface is 5 miles (8 kilometers) deep.
32. What is the deepest canyon in the United States?
Over the eons, the Snake River dug Hell's Canyon along the Oregon-Idaho border. It is more than
8,000 feet (2.4 kilometers) deep. In contrast, the Grand Canyon is less than 6,000 feet deep -- a
bit more than a mile.33. Is Earth the largest rocky planet in the solar system?
Just barely! Earth's diameter at the equator is 7,926 miles (12,756 kilometers). Venus is 7,521
miles (12,104 kilometers) wide. Mercury and Mars, the other two inner rocky planets, are much
smaller. Pluto is rocky, too, but it's comparatively tiny (and some say it is not a planet at all).
34. How many of Earth's volcanoes are known to have erupted in historic time?
About 540 volcanoes on land are known. No one knows how many undersea volcanoes have
erupted through history.
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35. Is air mostly oxygen?
Earth's atmosphere is actually about 80 percent nitrogen. Most of the rest is oxygen, with tiny
amounts of other stuff thrown in.
Venus is almost as big as Earth. Despite sweltering heat at the surface, its clouds might
support life, some scientists say.36. What is the highest waterfall in the United States?
Yosemite Falls in California is 2,425 feet (739 meters).
37. What percentage of the world's water is in the oceans?
About 97 percent. Oceans make up about two-thirds of Earth's surface, which means that when
the next asteroid hits the planet, odds are good it will splash down.
38. Which two landmasses contain the vast majority of the Earth's fresh water supply?
Nearly 70 percent of the Earth's fresh-water supply is locked up in the icecaps of Antarctica and
Greenland. The remaining fresh-water supply exists in the atmosphere, streams, lakes, or
groundwater and accounts for a mere 1 percent of the Earth's total.
39. Which of the Earth's oceans is the largest?
The Pacific Ocean covers 64 million square miles (165 million square kilometers). It is more than
two times the size of the Atlantic. It has an average depth of 2.4 miles (3.9 kilometers).
40. Why is Earth mostly crater-free compared to the pockmarked Moon?
Earth is more active, in terms of both geology and weather. Much of our planet's geologic history
was long ago folded back inside. Some of that is regurgitated by volcanoes, but the results are
pretty hard to study. Even more recent events evident on the surface -- craters that can by
millions of years old -- get overgrown by vegetation, weathered by wind and rain, and modified by
earthquakes and landslides. The Moon, meanwhile, is geologically quiet and has almost no
weather; its craters tell a billions-year-long tale of catastrophic collisions. Interestingly, some of
the oldest Earth rocks might be awaiting discovery on the Moon, having been blasted there
billions of years ago by the very asteroid impacts that rattle both worlds.41. How much surface area does Earth contain?
There are 196,950,711 square miles (510,100,000 square kilometers).
42. What is the largest lake in the world?
By size and volume it is the Caspian Sea, located between southeast Europe and west Asia.
43. Where do most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur on Earth?
The majority occur along boundaries of the dozen or so major plates that more or less float on the
surface of Earth. One of the most active plate boundaries where earthquakes and eruptions are
frequent, for example, is around the massive Pacific Plate commonly referred to as the Pacific
Ring of Fire. It fuels shaking and baking from Japan to Alaska to South America.
44. How hot are the planet's innards?
The temperature of Earth increases about 36 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) for every
kilometer (about 0.62 miles) you go down. Near the center, its thought to be at least 7,000
degrees Fahrenheit (3,870 Celsius).
45. What three countries have the greatest number of historically active volcanoes?
The top three countries are Indonesia, Japan, and the United States in descending order of
activity.
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46. How many people worldwide are at risk from volcanoes?
As of the year 2000, USGS scientists estimated that volcanoes posed a tangible risk to at least
500 million people. This is comparable to the entire population of the world at the beginning of the
seventeenth century!
47. Which of the following sources stores the greatest volume of fresh water worldwide:
lakes, streams or ground water?Groundwater comprises a 30 times greater volume than all freshwater lakes, and more than
3,000 times what's in the world's streams and rivers at any given time. Groundwater is housed in
natural underground aquifers, in which the water typically runs around and through the stone and
other material.
48. Which earthquake was larger, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake or the 1964
Anchorage, Alaska, temblor?
The Anchorage earthquake had a magnitude of 9.2, whereas the San Francisco earthquake was
a magnitude 7.8. This difference in magnitude equates to 125 times more energy being released
in the 1964 quake and accounts for why the Anchorage earthquake was felt over an area of
almost 500,000 square miles (1,295,000 square kilometers).
49. Which earthquake was more destructive in terms of loss of life and relative damage
costs, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake or the 1964 Anchorage earthquake?
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake tops this category. It was responsible for 700 deaths versus
114 from the Anchorage earthquake. Property damage in San Francisco was also greater in
relative terms due to the destructive fires that destroyed mostly wooden structures of the time.
50. Is Earth's core solid?
The inner portion of the core is thought to be solid. But the outer portion of the core appears
molten. We've never been there though, so scientists aren't sure of the exact composition. A
radical Hollywood-like idea was recently put forth to blow a crack in the planet and send a probe
down there to learn more. An interesting bit of recent evidence shows Mars' core may be similarly
squishy. Scientists figured this out by studying tides on Mars ( tides on Mars? ).51. Does all of Earth spin at the same rate?
The solid inner core -- a mass of iron comparable to the size of the Moon -- spins faster than the
outer portion of the iron core, which is liquid. A study in 1996 showed that over the previous
century, the extra speed caused the inner core to gain a quarter-turn on the planet as a whole. So
the inner core makes a complete revolution with respect to the rest of Earth in about 400 years.
Immense pressure keeps it solid.
52. How many people have been killed by volcanoes during the last 500 years?
At least 300,000. Between 1980 and 1990, volcanic activity killed at least 26,000 people.
53. How much of the Earth's surface consists of volcanic rock?
Scientists estimate that more than three-quarters of Earth's surface is of volcanic origin-- that is,
rocks either erupted by volcanoes or molten rock that cooled below ground and has subsequentlybeen exposed at the surface. Most of Earth's volcanic rocks are found on the sea floor.
54. Can an earthquake cause a tsunami?
If the earthquake originates under the ocean, yes. Near the earthquake's epicenter, the sea floor
rises and falls, pushing all the water above it up and down. This motion produces a wave that
travels outward in all directions. A tsunami can be massive but remain relatively low in height in
deep water. Upon nearing the shore, it is forced up and can reach the height of tall buildings. One
in 1964 was triggered in Alaska and swamped the small northern California town of Crescent
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City, moving train cars several blocks and killing several people there. Asteroids can cause
tsunami , too.
55. Are all tsunamis high waves when they strike a coastline?
Asteroid-generated tsunamiNo, contrary to many artistic images of tsunamis, most do not result in giant breaking waves.
Rather, most tsunamis come onshore more like very strong and fast tides. The water can rise
higher than anyone along a given shore area has ever seen, however . [Model of an East Coast
tsunami ]
56. How much of the Earth's land surface is desert?
About one-third.
57. What's the deepest place in the ocean?
The greatest known depth is 36,198 feet (6.9 miles or 11 kilometers) at the Mariana Trench, in
the Pacific Ocean well south of Japan near the Mariana Islands.
58. What is the fastest surface wind ever recorded?
The fastest "regular" wind that's widely agreed upon was 231 mph (372 kph), recorded at MountWashington, New Hampshire, on April 12, 1934. But during a May 1999 tornado in Oklahoma,
researchers clocked the wind at 318 mph (513 kph). For comparison, Neptune's winds can rage
to 900 mph (1,448 kph).
59. How much fresh water is stored in the Earth?
More than two million cubic miles of fresh water is stored in the planet, nearly half of it within a
half-mile of the surface. Mars, too, appears to have a lot of water near its surface, but what's been
detected so far is locked up as ice; nobody has estimated how much might be there.
60. How old is Earth?
Our planet is more than 4.5 billion years old, just a shade younger than the Sun. Recent evidence
actually shows that Earth was formed much earlier than previously believed, just 10 million years
after the birth of the Sun, a stellar event typically put at 4.6 billion years ago.
61. What is the world's largest desert?
The Sahara Desert in northern Africa is more than 23 times the size of southern California's
Mojave Desert. [Several readers have e-mailed to suggest that arid Antarctica technically tops
this category; true, some researchers put it there, but most lists of deserts don't include it.]
62. Which planet has more moons, Earth or Mars?
Mars has two satellites, Phobos and Deimos. The Earth has only one natural satellite, but it's the
Moon. The outer planets have lots of Moon, most of them found fairly recently and leading to the
possibility that scientists might one day need to redefine what it means to be a moon.
63. What is the world's deepest lake?
Lake Baikal in the south central part of Siberia is 5,712 feet (1.7 kilometers) deep. It's about 20million years old and contains 20 percent of Earth's fresh liquid water.
64. What is the origin of the word "volcano"?
It derives from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
65. How many minerals are known to exist?
There are roughly 4,000 known minerals, although only about 200 are of major importance.
Approximately 50-100 new minerals are described each year.
66. What is the total water supply of the world?
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The total water supply of the world is 326 million cubic miles (1 cubic mile of water equals more
than 1 trillion gallons).
67. What is the world's largest island?
Greenland covers 840,000 square miles (2,176,000 square kilometers). Continents are typically
defined as landmasses made of low-density rock that essentially floats on the molten material
below. Greenland fits this description, but it's only about one-third the size of Australia. Somescientists call Greenland an island, others say it's a continent.
Moon making
68. Where are most of Earth's volcanoes?
The most prominent topographic feature on Earth is the immense volcanic mountain chain that
encircles the planet beneath the sea -- the chain is more than 30,000 miles (48,000 kilometers)
long and rises an average of 18,000 feet ( 5.5 kilometers) above the seafloor. It is called the mid-
ocean ridge and is where Earth's plates spread apart as new crust bubbles up -- volcanic activity.
There are more volcanoes here than on land. The spreading, however, leads to scrunching when
these plates slam into the continents. The result: More volcanoes and earthquakes in places likeCalifornia and Japan.
69. What volcano killed the most people?
The eruption of Tambora volcano in Indonesia in 1815 is estimated to have killed 90,000 people.
Most died from starvation after the eruption, though, because of widespread crop destruction, and
from water contamination and disease.
70. Were Earth and the Moon separated at birth?
Not quite. But leading theory holds that our favorite satellite was carved partly from Earth shortly
after the Earth formed. A Mars-sized object slammed into our fledgling planet. The impactor was
destroyed. Stuff flew everywhere and a lot of it went into orbit around Earth. The Moon gathered
itself together out of the largely vaporized remains of the collision, while Earth hung in there pretty
much intact.
71. How many lightning strikes occur worldwide every second?
On average, about 100. Those are just the ones that hit the ground, though. During any given
minute, there are more than a thousand thunderstorms around the Earth causing some 6,000
flashes of lightning. A lot of it goes from cloud-to-cloud.
72. Are rivers alive?
Not in the traditional sense, of course. But like all living creatures, rivers have a life span. They
are born, grow in size, and they age. They can even die during the span of geological time.
73. Can asteroids create islands?
Speculation has existed for decades that ancient asteroid impacts might create hot spots of
volcanic activity, which could give rise to mountains that poke up through seas that didn't used tobe there. There's no firm answer to this question, but a recent computer model suggested Hawaii
might have been formed in this manner .
74. Is the state of Louisiana growing or shrinking?
Louisiana loses about 30 square miles (78 square kilometers) of land each year to coastal
erosion, hurricanes, other natural and human causes and a thing called subsidence, which
means sinking. Much of New Orleans actually sits 11 feet ( 3.4 meters) below sea level. Parts of
the French quarter have sunk 2 feet in the past six decades. The city is protected by dikes, but all
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experts agree that storm tides from a direct hit by a major hurricane would breach the system and
swamp much of the city. In 2000, the director of the U.S. Geological Survey, Chip Groat, said:
"With the projected rate of subsidence, wetland loss and sea-level rise, New Orleans will likely be
on the verge of extinction by this time next century."
Breaking up
75. How much would seas rise if the Antarctic Ice Sheet melted?
The Antarctic Ice Sheet holds nearly 90 percent of the world's ice and 70 percent of its fresh
water. If the entire ice sheet were to melt, sea level would rise by nearly 220 feet, or the height of
a 20-story building. Scientists know there's a melting trend underway. The United Nations has
said that in a worst-case scenario -- depending on how much global air temperatures increase --
seas could jump 3 feet (1 meter) by 2100.
77. Is ice a mineral?
Yes, ice is a mineral and is formally described as such in Dana's System of Mineralogy.
77. What is the softest of all minerals?
Talc is the softest of minerals. It is commonly used to make talcum powder.78. What is the hardest of all minerals?
The one that becomes emotionally useless after a divorce but still retains monetary value.
79. How are colors produced in fireworks?
Mineral elements taken from Earth provide the colors. Strontium yields deep reds, copper
produces blue, sodium yields yellow, and iron filings and charcoal pieces produce gold sparks.
Bright flashes and loud bangs come from aluminum powder.
80. Does Earth have the worst weather in the solar system?
Right now, it's the worst that most humans I know ever experience. But there's lots of wilder
weather elsewhere. Mars can whip up hurricane-like storms four times bigger than Texas. Dust
storms on the red planet can obscure the entire globe! Jupiter has a hurricane twice the size our
entire planet, and it's lasted for at least three centuries ( another storm on Jupiter is even bigger).
Venus is a living hell, and Pluto is routinely more frigid than the coldest place on Earth (though
may change one day, and Pluto may in fact become the last oasis for life).
81. Where are the highest tides?
In Burntcoat Head, Minas Basin, part of the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, tides can range 38.4
feet (11.7 meters). The bay is funnel shaped -- its bottom slopes upward continuously from the
ocean inlet. The result is an extreme "tidal bore," a wave-like phenomenon at the leading edge of
the changing tide. Bores in Fundy can travel up feeder rivers at 8 mph (13 kph) and be more than
3 feet (1 meter) tall.
82. Where is the world's only equatorial glacier?
Mt. Cotopaxi in Ecuador supports the only glacier on the equator.83. What is the largest lake in North America?
Lake Superior.
84. What's the deadliest hurricane to ever hit the United States?
A Category 4 hurricane hit Galveston, Texas in 1900 and killed more than 6,000 people (read
about the history of it here). The next closest death toll was less than 1,900 from a 1928 Florida
hurricane.
85. What is the longest mountain chain on Earth?
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The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which splits nearly the entire Atlantic Ocean north to south. Iceland is one
place where this submarine mountain chain rises above the sea surface.
Gold rings in surprising places!
86. How much gold has been discovered worldwide to date?More than 193,000 metric tons (425 million pounds). If you stuck it all together, it would make a
cube-shaped, seven-story structure that might resemble one of Donald Trump's buildings. First
you'd have to find all those rings that have gone down the drain.
87. What are the two major gold-producing countries?
South Africa produces 5,300 metric tons per year, and the United States produces more than
3,200 metric tons.
88. What North American plant can live for thousands of years?
The creosote bush, which grows in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts, has been
shown by radiocarbon dating to have lived since the birth of Christ. Some of these plants may
endure 10,000 years, scientists say. If only they could talk.
89. On average, how much water is used worldwide each day?
About 400 billion gallons.
90. Is Saturn the only ringed planet?
Saturn has the most obvious rings. But Jupiter and Neptune both have subtle ring systems, [as
does Uranus, readers reminded me]. And even Earth may once have been a ringed planet, the
result of some space rock's glancing blow
TEACHER : What is the chemical formula for water?
PAPPU : "HIJKLMNO! "!!
TEACHER : What are you talking about?
PAPPU : Yesterday you said it's H to O ! *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
TEACHER : PAPPU, go to the map and find North America.
PAPPU : Here it is!
TEACHER : Correct. Now, class, who discovered America?
CLASS : PAPPU! *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
TEACHER : PAPPU, how do you spell "crocodile"? PAPPU : "K-R-O-K-O-D-A-I-L"
TEACHER : No, that's wrong PAPPU : Maybe it's wrong, but you asked me how I spell it!
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
TEACHER : PAPPU, give me a sentence starting with "I".
PAPPU : I is... TEACHER : No, PAPPU. Always say, "I am."
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PAPPU : All right... "I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
TEACHER : "Can anybody give an example of "COINCIDENCE?"
PAPPU : "Sir, my Mother and Father got married on the same day, same time."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
TEACHER : "George Washington not only chopped down his father's Cherry tree,but also admitted doing it. Now do you know why his father didn't punish
him?" PAPPU : "Because George still had the axe in his hand?"
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
PAPPU : Daddy, have you ever been to Egypt?
FATHER : No. Why do you ask that?
PAPPU: Well, where did you get THIS mummy then?
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
TEACHER : What a pair of strange soc ks you are wearing, one is green and one is
blue with red spots !
PAPPU: Yes it's really strange. I've got another pair just like that at home.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
TEACHER : Now, PAPPU, tell me frankly do you say prayers before eating ?
PAPPU: No sir, I don't have to, my mom is a good cook.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
TEACHER : PAPPU, your composition on "My Dog" is exactly the same as your
brother's. Did you copy his ?
PAPPU: No, teacher, it's the same dog ! -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
TEACHER : What do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longerinterested?
PAPPU: A teacher
Microwaved Water - See What
It Does To Plants Below is a science fair project. In it she took filtered water and divided itinto two parts. The first part she heated to boiling in a pan on the stove,and the second part she heated to boiling in a microwave. Then after cooling she used the water to water two identical plants to see if there
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would be any difference in the growth between the normal boiled water and the water boiled in a microwave. She was thinking that the structureor energy of the water may be compromised by microwave. As it turnedout, even she was amazed at the difference.
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I have known for years that the problem with microwaved anything is not the radiation people
used to worry about, It's how it corrupts the DNA in the food so the body can not recognize it. So
the body wraps it in fat cells to protect itself from the dead food or it eliminates it fast. Think of all
the Mothers heating up milk in these "Safe" appliances. What about the nurse in Canada that
warmed up blood for a transfusion patient and accidentally killed them when the blood went in
dead. But the makers say it's safe. Never mind then, keep using them. Ask your Doctor I am sure
they will say it's safe too. Proof is in the pictures of living plants dying. Remember You are also
Living. Take Care.
FORENSIC RESEARCH DOCUMENT
Prepared By: William P. Kopp
A. R. E. C. Research Operations
TO61-7R10/10-77F05
RELEASE PRIORITY: CLASS I ROO1a
Ten Reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven
From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no
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longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, we will conclude
this article with the following:
1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term - permanent -
brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing
the brain tissue].2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in
microwaved food.
3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating
microwaved foods.
4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the
human body.
5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the
human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot
be broken down.
6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in
microwave ovens.
7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may
explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.
8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human
blood.
9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph
gland and blood serum alterations.
10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a
decrease of intelligence.
Have you tossed out your microwave oven yet?
After you throw out your microwave you can use a toaster oven as a replacement. It works wellfor most and is nearly as quick.
The use of artificial microwave transmissions for subliminal psychological control, a.k.a.
"brainwashing", has also been proven. We're attempting to obtain copies of the 1970's Russian
research documents and results written by Drs. Luria and Perov specifying their clinical
experiments in this area.
\
Hi All
Once again i m here after watching lots of Killings of innocent childrens and innocent civilians of
Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and now Lebnon and may be next one should be
IRAN......... and feel so sad.
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UN (United Nation)........... is a Joke. Basically United Nation form to
support those countries who do killing in other countries innocent people and when some body
raise there voices against that killing they VITO them...........
What is VITO........ i think it means
"SHUT UP AND WE DO MORE THEN THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING..........." and we have full
support of UNITED NATION.
So all of my brother, sister & friends...............
Where these people pushing our world and into what?????????...... Think
Shame on Israel
Shame on America
Shame on West.
Shame on UNO
Israel uses
banned weaponsagainst Lebanesecivilians
7/17/2006 2:00:00 PM GMT
A statement issued Sunday by Lebanon's
Cabinet accused Israel of using bannedweapons against Lebanese civilians.
"We are facing a real annihilation carried out
by Israel," Information Minister Ghazi Aridi
said after an emergency cabinet meeting.
"Israel is using internationally prohibited weapons against civilians,"he added, without specifying
(Reuters Photo) A man that was injured in an
Israeli attack that destroyed a house in Tyre,
Lebanon
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the kind of weapons he accused the Israeli army of using.
Lebanese media reported earlier that Israel had used phosphorus incendiary bombs and vacuum
bombs. But those reports weren't confirmed.
Amnesty International called on Israel, the Lebanese governments, and Hezbollah movement toput an end to the current escalation in the Lebanese territories which has so far claimed over 150
lives.
"It is vital at this time of rapidly rising tension that all parties observe the requirements of
international humanitarian law, and that other governments take all appropriate steps to insist that
they do so," the Amnesty said in a statement.
• "Collective punishment"
"Israel must put an immediate end to attacks against civilians and against civilian infrastructure in
Lebanon, which constitute collective punishment. Israel must also respect the principle of
proportionality when targeting any military objectives or civilian objectives that may be used for
military purposes," said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International's Middle East
Programme.
International humanitarian law stipulates that armed forces should distinguish between
combatants and civilians, between military objects and civilian objects, and prohibits
indiscriminate attacks or attacks that inflict damage disproportionate to the anticipated concrete
military advantage, Human Rights Watch said.
Amnesty accused the Israeli army of carrying out deliberate attacks throughout Lebanon targeting
civilian objects, including Beirut international airport, bridges and an electricity power station.
Israeli airstrikes also hit Hezbollah-run Al Manar television station in Beirut and its relay station in
Baalbek.
The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits "collective penalties and likewise all measures of
intimidation or of terrorism ..." (Article 33).
Article 147 of the Convention states that "extensive destruction ... not justified by military
necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly," hostage-taking and "torture or inhuman
treatment" constitute war crimes.
India struggles to catch China
By Rupert Wingfield-Hayes
BBC News, Delhi and Beijing
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The rapid growth of the Indian
and Chinese economies have
transformed the two countries in
recent years. But this prosperity
has also brought other problems.
I think it was in 2003, that the world
suddenly woke up to China.
I am not sure what caused it to
happen, what particular event or news story. I just remembered the
phone in the BBC's Beijing Bureau started ringing and it has not
stopped since.
Well now it is happening again and this time it is not China, it is India.
Every time you turn on the television or pick up a magazine, it is no
longer the rise of China, it is now the rise of China and India.
The desire to make comparisons is understandable. Both have more
than a billion people. Both are
growing at 10% a year.
There are, I suspect, many who
are hoping that India, with its
freedom and democracy, will win
this new race to become the next
economic super power. I am not so
sure.
I have spent the last eight years
living in Beijing, and only four days
in Delhi, so comparisons are
difficult.
But the few days I recently spent in
India made me look at China in a
new light.
'Shocking experience'
Delhi is an overwhelming
experience. It is as if all of
humanity has been squeezed into
one city.The streets groan under the weight
of people. The air is filled with deafening noise and sumptuous smells.
Switch on the television and it is the same.
Between channels blasting out voluptuous Bollywood love stories and
pop videos, an endless stream of news channels dissect the latest
political scandals, and debauched lifestyles of the rich and famous.
Coming from China it is an almost shocking experience.
Heavy investment has turned
Beijing into a modern city
Delhi is an overwhelming
experience. It is as if all of
humanity has been squeezed
into one city
Over 15 million people live inDelhi
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But after the initial delight at being in an open society, I started to
notice other things.
The hotel was expensive and bad.
In my room I searched for a high
speed internet connection, a
standard feature in any hotel inChina. There was not one.
Then with the night-time temperature still well above 30C (86F) the
power went out.
I lay for hours soaked in sweat trying, and failing, to get back to sleep
and wishing I was back in Beijing where the lights never go out.
But getting back would not be easy.
Passenger queues
I looked at my plane ticket. Departure time 0315. Surely that could not
be right.
I called the front desk. "That's correct sir," he said, "the airport is too
small so many flights from Delhi leave in the middle of the night."
He was not joking.
My taxi struggled along the Jaipur road towards the airport.
The two-lane road was clogged by an endless convoy of lorries.
Finally I arrived at Indira Gandhi International airport. Despite the hour
it was teeming with people.
The queues snaked around the airport and back to where they had
started.
Foreign tourists stared in
bewilderment. Locals with the
resigned look of those used towaiting.
"Is it always like this?" I asked a
man in the queue ahead of me.
"Pretty much," he sighed.
I was finally shepherded aboard the flight to Shanghai.
Next to me sat a friendly looking Indian man in shorts and running
shoes.
"Is this your first trip to China?" he asked me.
"No," I replied, "I live there."
"Really," he said, his interest piqued, "what should I expect?"
"I think," I said, "you should expect to be surprised."Jaw dropping
Six hours later, our plane taxied to a halt in front of the soaring glass
and steel of Shanghai's Pudong International Airport
Foreign tourists stared in
bewilderment; locals with the
resigned look of those used to
waiting
I could not help feeling a
sense of relief at being back in
a country where thingswork
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As we emerged into the cool
silence of the ultra-modern
terminal, my new companion's jaw
slid towards his belly button.
"I was not expecting this," he said,
his eyes wide in wonder. "Oh no, Idefinitely was not expecting this".
I also found myself looking at
China afresh.
Later that day as I drove home
from Beijing airport along the
smooth six-lane highway I could
not help feeling a sense of relief at
being back in a country where
things work.
And it was not just the airports and roads.
Driving through a village on the edge of Beijing I was struck by how
well everyone was dressed.
In Delhi, I had been shocked to see thousands of people sleeping
rough on the streets every night, nothing but the few rags they slept in
to call their own. Even deep in China's countryside that is not
something you will see.
In Delhi I had been told of the wonders of India's new economy, of the
tens of thousands of bright young graduates churning out the world's
latest computer software.
I thought of China's new economy, of the tens of millions of rural
migrants who slave away in factories, making everything fromplimsolls to plasma televisions.
And of the same rural migrants, heading home to their villages at
Chinese New Year festival loaded down with gifts, their pockets
stuffed full of cash.
China is not a free society, and it has immense problems. But its
successes should not be underestimated.
They are ones that India, even with its open and democratic society, is
still far from matching.
From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday 22
July, 2006 at 1100 BST on BBC Radio 4. Please check the
programme schedules for World Service transmission times.
INTERESTING GEOGRAPHY
In Delhi I had been shocked
to see thousands of people
sleeping rough on the streets
every night, nothing but the few
rags they slept in to call their
own
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Find something that you already knew...
Alaska
More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska.
Amazon
The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20% the world's oxygen
supply. The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean
that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one
can dip fresh water out of the ocean. The volume of water in the Amazon
river is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined
and three times the flow of all rivers in the United States.
Antarctica
Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any
country. Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica. This ice also
represents seventy percent of all the fresh water in the world. As strange
as it sounds, however, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average
yearly total precipitation is about two inches Although covered with ice
(all but 0.4% of it, i.e.), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with anabsolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.
Brazil
Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.
Canada
Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Canada is anIndian word meaning "Big Village."
Chicago
Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world.
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Detroit
Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, carries the designation M-1,
named so because it was the first paved road anywhere.
Damascus, Syria
Damascus, Syria, was flourishing a couple of thousand years before
Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited
city in existence.
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world located on two continents.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles's full name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los
Angeles de Porciuncula --and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size: L.A.
New York City
The term "The Big Apple" was coined by touring jazz musicians of the
1930's who used the slang _expression "apple" for any town or city.
Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time - The Big Apple.
There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin, Ireland; more Italians
in New York City than in Rome, Italy; and more Jews in New York City
than in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Ohio
There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio, every one is manmade.
Pitcairn Island
The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn in Polynesia, at just
1.75 sq. miles/4,53 sq. km.
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Rome
The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome, Italy in
133 B.C. There is a city called Rome on every continent.
Siberia
Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests.
S.M.O.M.The actual smallest sovereign entity in the world is the Sovereign
Military Order of Malta ( S.M.O.M.). It is located in the city of Rome, Italy,
has an area of two tennis courts, and as of 2001 has a population of 80, 20
people less than the Vatican. It is a sovereign entity under international
law, just as the Vatican is.
Sahara Desert
In the Sahara Desert, there is a town named Tidikelt, which did not receive a drop of rain
for ten years. Technically though, the driest place on Earth is in the valleys of the
Antarctic near Ross Island. There has been no rainfall there for two million years.
Spain
Spain literally means 'the land of rabbits'.
St. Paul, Minnesota
St.Paul, Minnesota, was originally called Pig's Eye after a man named
Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant who set up the first business there.
Roads
Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A.: 1%, in Canada: 75%
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one-mile in every five
must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times
of war or other emergencies.
Texas
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The deepest hole ever made in the world is in Texas. It is as deep as 20
empire state buildings but only 3 inches wide.
United States – Waterfalls
The water of Angel Falls (the World's highest) in Venezuela drops 3,212
feet (979 meters). They are 15 times higher than Niagara Falls.
So, didn't it feel good to learn something new today???
It is always said you should learn something new every day.
Unfortunately, at our age what we learn today, we sometimes forgettomorrow. But keep in the game...it's good for us.
Protests in UK at Israeli action
Thousands of people across the UK have joined
demonstrations against Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Eleven rallies were organised by groups such as Stop TheWar Coalition and the Muslim Association of Britain.
They were held in towns and cities including Birmingham, Glasgow, London, Manchester,
Edinburgh, Exeter and York.
The rallies came as the last of the British evacuations from Lebanon took place, making a total of
about 4,000 people leaving the country for Cyprus.
Ahmed Sheikh Mohamed, president of the Muslim Association of Britain, said: "We need to stop
this mad war."
Meanwhile, a rally to show solidarity with people in northern Israel - areas of which have been hit
by Hezbollah rockets - is being held on Sunday by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
Show of support
Its rally - at 1700 BST in Kenton, Middlesex - will have a live video link to northern Israel.
The protest in London was one of many in the UK
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Organisers of the event, run under the slogan, "Yes to peace,
no to terror", are planning for numbers of around 2,500 to
5,000, said a spokesman.
The board wanted to show support for Israel's "right to defend
itself", it added.
Henry Grunwald, president of the board, said: "At a time when the situation in the Middle East is
extremely precarious, we would like to send a message of support to the people of Israel."
Saturday's demonstration in London against Israel's actions included a march past the US
embassy and a rally in Hyde Park.
Metal barricades
Police estimated that 7,000 people took part in the London rally but organisers said more than
20,000 people attended the march from Whitehall to Hyde Park, including families and
representatives from various faiths. No arrests were made during the protest.
Organisers estimated that there were 2,000 people at the march in Manchester, while the police
put the figure at "up to 1,000".
In Birmingham around 200 protestors took to the streets,
police said there were about 100 people in Sheffield, and there
were around 150 in Newcastle.
The London protest grew larger by the time it reached the US
embassy, where about 50 uniformed police officers and metal
barricades also prevented the march from accessing the main
door.
Marchers shouted slogans at the Grosvenor Square embassy, such as "George Bush, terrorist"
and "Down, down, USA."
The flag of Lebanon, banners, and a handful of Hezbollah flags, were also waved in the direction
of the building.
'Peace for Lebanon'
There were also rallies in Kirkcaldy and Norwich, and there was a demonstration in Bristol on
Friday.
Israel's war in Gaza and
Lebanon is escalating into an
international crisis
Spokesman for the protest
Howells condemns action
Scots protest at Israeli action
In pictures: UK protests
The flag of Lebanon was at the
forefront of the London protest
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The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, British Muslim Initiative and Lebanese organisations were
also involved in organising demonstrations against what they call Israel's "crimes against
humanity".
A spokesman for the protests said: "Israel's war in Gaza and Lebanon is escalating into an
international crisis which could soon engulf the whole region.
"The promise by Bush and Blair, in the lead up to the Iraq war, that their wars would bring
freedom and democracy to the Middle East and peace to Palestine have yet again been shown to
be lies, just as the anti-war movement has consistently said they were."
Casualty numbers
Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells said he was pleased with how the evacuation plan had gone.
As for anyone who missed Saturday's deadline for evacuation, he said: "If necessary we will have
to make arrangements."
Israel says its attacks on targets in Lebanon are aimed at securing the release of two Israeli
soldiers, who were captured by Hezbollah militants on 12 July, and preventing further Hezbollah
rocket attacks.
Thousands of civilians are struggling to leave southern Lebanon, as Israel continues air strikes
and ground raids.
At least 349 Lebanese have been killed in the 11 days of violence, many of them civilians.
Thirty-four Israelis have been killed, including 15 civilians killed by rockets fired by Hezbollah into
Israel.