Random Facts

There are more chickens than people in the world

via Interesting, but Irrelevant Facts, For Friday.

For adult males – Multiply the body weight by 10; add double the body weight to this value.

[i.e., for a 150 lb male, 1,500 + (2 x 150)=1,800 cal/day BMR]

For adult females – Multiply body weight by 10; add the body weight to this value.

[i.e., for a 120 lb female, 1,200 + 120=1,320 cal/day BMR]

via How Many Calories Does Your Body Need?.

Minus 40 degrees Celsius is exactly the same as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

via Random Facts.

Even though Monday isn’t always wash day today, the term “Blue Monday” still exists. However, it’s meaning is different. It now refers to the day when employees have to return to work after a weekend break. Another interesting fact about Monday, the second day of the week, is it’s the most likely day for workers to have heart attacks. The British Medical Journal reported a 20% increase in heart attacks on Mondays as opposed to the other days of the week. The attacks may be caused by stress and high blood pressure caused by returning to work.

via Interesting Facts About Monday, the Second Day of the Week – Associated Content – associatedcontent.com.

Facts About Hurricanes and Tropical Storms | Scienceray.

Tropical storms are classified by peak wind speed: An easterly (tropical) wave is a group of thunderstorms traveling together, sometimes called a hurricane seedling, out of which larger storms can emerge. A tropical depression is a cluster of thunderstorms with sustained winds below 38 mph. A tropical storm is more organized, with winds between 39 and 73 mph. A hurricane has winds of 74 mph and above.

Like many high-impact sports, break dancing can lead to long-term health issues, including (no joke) Breaker’s Thumb, Break Dancer’s Pulmonary Embolism, and Break Dancer’s Fracture of the Fifth Metatarsal.

Amazing Fact Generator ».

Since the normal color of urine is pale yellow, variations can be an indication of health problems or be the result of certain foods that have been eaten.

Clear urine

If a person has been drinking an excess of water or diuretics such as coffee or beer, the urine may have little or no color. Typically, it is nothing to worry about if it happens occasionally.

Yellow urine

Excess sweating could result in the urine becoming a deeper yellow. Also, it is a sign that you have not been drinking enough liquids

Dark yellow urine

Liver problems or jaundice can cause the urine to become consistently a dark yellow color. Be sure you have been drinking enough fluids before jumping to conclusions.

Orange urine

People who eat too many carrots–like from a juicer–may see orange urine. Also, too much Vitamin C can turn the urine orange.

Brown urine

Brown urine can an indication of a serious condition. It could be caused by liver disease, hepatitis, melanoma cancer, or copper poisoning. Other symptoms from those ailments should also be considered as indicators. But note that if you had recently eaten fava beans or taken a laxative, your urine also could turn brown.

Greenish urine

A urinary tract infection, bile problems and certain drugs can cause the urine to turn greenish. A brighter green color is an indication of an excess of B vitamins.

Blue urine

Urine with a bluish tint can be caused by a psuedomonas bacterial infection. It can also be an indication of high levels of calcium.

Reddish urine

There are a number of things that can cause the urine to have a red tint.

Urine Color as Health Indicator – Strategies for Staying Healthy: School for Champions.

Fastest Animal on Land

Cheetahs are, without a doubt, the fastest creatures in the world on land. There’s probably some wickedly fast creatures in the ocean that we still don’t even know about. Why would a cheetah need to be able to run so fast? The only animal that comes in a close second to the Cheetah’s amazing speed is its favorite prey, the gazelle. In order to catch up with a meal that’s as swift as the wind, the cheetah had to develop the ability to run as fast, or faster than the gazelle, or face the alternative – starvation. Pretty strong motivation for practicing their wind sprints.

· it has a long, super streamlined body with long, powerful legs – longer legs mean fewer strides from point A to point B

· the cheetah’s head is small in proportion to its body (compare it to other large cats) – part of its aerodynamic styling for less resistance for greater speed

· the long, powerful tail helps the cheetah to maintain balance when changing direction at extremely high speeds

· did you know that cheetahs can “bark”? They make several different types of vocalizations, but they don’t growl. Listen to the sound of a Cheetah purring.

Although the Cheetah is one fast runner, he can only maintain that incredible velocity for about 200 to 300 yards/274 meters. These high speeds only allow the cat to overtake its prey within short distances, so cheetahs must still rely on stealth, sneaking, and the element of surprise to get close enough to the gazelle before giving chase.

Cheetah | Fastest land animal.

The math-buffs’ holiday, which only occurs nine times each century, falls on Tuesday — 3/3/09 (for the mathematically challenged, three is the square root of nine).

“These days are like calendar comets, you wait and wait and wait for them, then they brighten up your day — and poof — they’re gone,” said Ron Gordon, a Redwood City teacher who started a contest meant to get people excited about the event.

The winner gets, of course, $339 for having the biggest Square Root Day event.

Gordon’s daughter even set up a Facebook page — one of a half-dozen or so dedicated to the holiday — and hundreds of people had signed up with plans to celebrate in some way. Celebrations are as varied: Some cut root vegetables into squares, others make food in the shape of a square root symbol.

The last such day was five years ago, Feb. 2, 2004, which coincided with Groundhog Day. The next is seven years away, on April 4, 2016.

3/3/09: Math fans to celebrate Square Root Day.

Precious fingers, arms, toes, and even your life are at serious risk when operating a snow blower or thrower. Safety cannot be emphasized enough … the purpose of this equipment is to make life easier not to take it away.

There are many statistics to look at when discussing snow blower operation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim 5300 emergency visits and 1,000 amputations a year. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s statistics reveal as many as 4,387 hospital emergency room visits in 2001.

Snowblower Safety-Statistics Regarding Snow blower Injuries.