The Times Square "Time Ball" for the year 2000 was named the "Star of Hope". It was specifically made by Waterford Crystal in Ireland and contained 504 glass crystals cut into triangles, 600 light bulbs, 96 big lights and 92 mirrors.

In the UK, only about 26% of the glass waste is recycled; that is 600,000 tonnes out of the 2.2 million tonnes potentially available. The average in the rest of Europe is around 55%, and in some countries it is as high as 90%. In North America, about 20% of paper, plastic, glass and metal goods are currently made from recycled material.

Five mighty F-1 engines, each producing 680,000kg of thrust, were used to power the Saturn V Rocket used for moon landings,

The favorite plants of the mountain gorilla are the leaves of the hacienda and wild trees and wild celery. Western lowland gorillas in Gabon will eat insects, the most favorite being the weaver ant.

A recent survey reveals that one in four Americans 'believe in' Astrology, up from 18 percent in 1988. One third (33 percent) of those in the 18 to 29 year old age bracket believe, to some extent, that horoscopes and their stars influence and predict events in their lives. Only 18 percent of those 60 years or older put much credence in Astronomy.

When the pharaohs' tombs were opened in Egypt early in the nineteenth century, not only human mummies were found but also those of sacred animals such as cats and ibises

In the twilight of the Greek era, a singular man appeared - Diophantus, who has been called the "Father of Algebra".

The basic ball bearing design has remained unchanged since 1794, when Philip Vaughan patented it for use on carriage wheels. Two circular grooved rings known as 'races', one fitting inside the other, provide the contact between the two components moving relative to one another.

Quasars are the most distant objects in the Universe.