"It is well known that the seriously ill will resist reaching important events," said Richard Suzman of the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. “The mechanisms are a bit mysterious, but the phenomenon is very real. "After apparently looking at the year 2000, an above-average number of people died in the first week of the new year, reports The Guardian of London. In the UK 65% more people died this week - there and in New York Robert Butler, president of the International Longevity Center said these numbers are reflected around the world. The will to live can be very strong. "
Search computer
Thanks to electronic technology, ships may no longer need large amounts of paper charts to navigate, notes the London Daily Telegraph. In November 1999, the International Maritime Organization, through the German Hydrographic Service, granted permission for the first time to use a computer-aided shipping system. Instead of paper graphics, the computer offers two electronic versions: a digitized facsimile of the paper graphic and a digitized version called vector graphics. One of the main advantages of the electronic map is that it shows the actual location of the ship at all times. By overlaying a radar chart on the computer screen, navigators have additional control over the hazards on their way. A boat captain who was enthusiastic about this development said: “Lighten our cargo. . . So that we can focus more on pilots, traffic movements, other boats and, as we approach a port, what our pilot is doing. ""
Unlikely aliens
"Over the past few decades, astronomers have been advancing the idea that extraterrestrial civilizations are likely to spread beneath the stars," says the New York Times. “This extraterrestrial creed has not only fueled countless books, films, and TV shows. . . but a long scientific research that uses giant satellite antennas to search the sky for weak radio signals from intelligent aliens. This research is likely to fail, say two eminent scientists, Dr. Peter D. Ward and Dr. Donald C. Brownlee, authors of Rare Earth. The new discoveries in astronomy, paleontology and geology show "this composition and stability" The earth is extremely scarce "and the conditions elsewhere are unsuitable for complex forms of life." We have finally said out loud what many have thought for so long: At least this complex life is rare, "said Dr. Ward. Dr. Brownlee adds," People say the sun is a typical star. That's not true. Almost all environments in the universe are terrible for life. It is the only place in the Garden of Eden like the earth on which it can exist. ""
Bible translated into more languages
"The Bible remains the most translated book in the world," notes the Mexican daily Excelsior. According to the German Bible Society, the Bible was translated into 21 other languages in 1999, so that it is now at least partially available in 2,233 languages. Of these, "the Old and New Testaments were fully translated into 371 languages, 5 more than in 1998". Where are all these languages located? "The greatest variety of translations is in Africa with 627, followed by Asia with 553, Australia / Pacific with 396, Latin America / Caribbean with 384, Europe with 197 and the United States with 73." However, the newspaper said, "The Bible has not even been translated into half the languages spoken on earth." Why not? Since relatively few people speak these languages, translating the Bible is a challenge. Also, many people are bilingual, and if the Bible isn't printed in one of your languages, you can read it in another.
Unloaded ammunition
Recently, Italian fishermen took up fisheries they'd rather not catch: chemical weapons. According to Valerio Calzolaio, Undersecretary of State for the Italian Ministry of the Environment, "the usual practice of getting rid of obsolete ammunition from 1946 to 1970 was to throw it into the sea". There are around 20,000 bombs on the Adriatic bed on the east coast of Italy. In 1997, 5 Italian fishermen died and 236 were hospitalized because of the effects of deadly chemicals released from the corroded ammunition they carried in their nets. To exacerbate the problem, an unknown number of bombs were dropped by fighter planes in the same waters during the recent Balkans conflict, and some of them have already been "caught" in fishing nets. Italian waters aren't the only ones affected. It is estimated that 100,000 tons of chemical weapons have been found on the Baltic Sea floor and similar landfills exist in the coastal waters of Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Inflated numbers
"Don't always believe what you read in the papers," says The Economist. Journalists "are not infallibly accurate". This is especially true of statistics, especially those related to disasters. Because? "In the fog of war or peacetime disaster, it is obviously impossible to know exactly how many people died or were injured," the article reads. To satisfy people's curiosity, journalists make estimates that are generally high and "rarely reduce their estimates over time". The reason? “Journalists want to promote their stories, the editors of their newspapers, the humanitarian workers in their agencies. Even government officials may want to gain sympathy. "The magazine advises readers to be wary of false accuracy, obvious inflation and the persistent tendency of journalists to exaggerate." He adds, “No matter how powerful the press in general, when it comes to killing people, the pen is actually more powerful than the sword. ""
Beware of animals
According to the French newspaper Le Monde, 52% of families in France have pets. However, a recent study by a group of veterinarians at the Institute of Comparative Animal Immunology in Maisons-Alfort, France, shows that fungi and parasites, transmitted by 8.4 million cats and 7.9 million dogs in France, are responsible Various diseases in animal owners. These include ringworm, roundworm, scabies, leishmaniasis, and toxoplasmosis. This can lead to miscarriages or fetal malformations in pregnant women. The report also mentions the numerous allergic reactions caused by pets and infections resulting from dog bites, around 100,000 per year in France.
Oral ecosystem
"Stanford University scientists have discovered 37 new and unique organisms in one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world: the human mouth," reports the Toronto Star. This brings the known species of oral bacteria to over 500, "a diversity so great that it rivals that of tropical forests, which are often viewed as the pinnacle of biological wealth." Are bacteria harmful? After discovering new organisms in oral plaque, microbiologist Dr. David Relman: "This diversity is very comforting because it offers stability and biological protection." The Stern adds that most types of bacteria “need comfort, protection and nutrition. Few of them cause problems like tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath.
Rising wars
"The number of wars has continued to increase," reports the German newspaper Siegener Zeitung in 1999. The study group investigating the causes of war at the University of Hamburg recorded 35 armed conflicts in 1999, three more than in the previous year. Of these, 14 were in Africa, 12 in Asia, one in Europe and the rest in the Middle East and Latin America. An end to the war is not in sight, said the study group. Indeed, "eight wars appeared for the first time on this year's list, including violent conflicts in Chechnya, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan and Nigeria". One reason for this is that some of the causes of conflict can boil beneath the surface for a long time before it explodes into armed conflict or large-scale wars.
This would be great!