subject: Can The Fountain Of Knowledge Overflow? [print this page] More than 80% of lightening strike victims are male. Although the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration had no specific explanation, several theories were suggested. First, men take more risks. Second, men spend more time outside. Third, more men have jobs requiring them to be outside. NOAA's safety advice about lightning is to go inside when you hear thunder because you are close enough for a strike. You should also wait 30 minutes after hearing the last thunder to go outside. On average 54 people are killed yearly by lightning. Don't take an "outside chance" of being one of them.
House cats kill more animals than previously thought. In a study presented to the Ecological Society of America, kittycams were attached to 60 house cats for 7-10 days, during which time the cats were outside 4-6 hours daily. Only 30% of roaming house cats kill prey, averaging 2 animals weekly. Lizards, snakes and frogs represented 41% of the kill; mammals - like chipmunks and voles - 25%; insects and worms - 20%; and birds - 12%. According to the American Bird Conservancy, America's 74 million house cats are responsible for 1 in 3 bird species being in decline. Unfortunately, it's a natural "cat-astrophe".
One would expect the germiest surfaces in hotel rooms would be the toilet and sink. In a 2012 study presented to the American Society of Microbiology, researchers tested 19 surfaces in 9 different hotel rooms in 3 states. The maid's mops and sponges were consistently the germiest surfaces, which significantly raises the risk of cross-contamination. However, television remotes and bedside lamp switches were just as contaminated as toilets and sinks. The least contaminated surfaces were headboards, curtain rods and bathroom door handles. I'm thinking the maid should forget the chocolates and leave hand sanitizers on the pillows.
Robbing banks doesn't pay well. A study based on 2006 data and published in the journal Significance found the average take-home from U.S. bank robberies was $4,330. Armed robbers increased the average take by $16,045 - but they also increased the punishment. Robbers operating in teams increased their take by an average of $14,070 - but that has to be divided. To make a living, more banks have to be robbed; and on average robbers are caught after 4 bank robberies. The number of U.S. bank robberies went down from 6,700 in 2008 to 5,014 in 2011. Obviously, robbers are taking "bank holidays".
