Home Articles Facts Games Poems & Quotes
Fact File


In the Fact File section we bring you a new collection of quick facts each week. (Click on the links below for more facts)

 
 

3181/ Number of human olfactory receptor cells = 40 million
Number of rabbit olfactory receptor cells = 100 million
Number of dog olfactory receptor cells = 1 billion

3182/ A study of 237 second grade children used piano keyboard training and newly designed maths software to demonstrate improvement in maths skills. The group scored 27% higher on proportional math and fractions tests than children that used only the maths software.

3183/ In an analysis of U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students (NELS:88, National Education Longitudinal Survey), researchers found that students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show “significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12.” This observation holds regardless of students’ socio-economic status, and differences in those who are involved with instrumental music vs. those who are not is more significant over time.

3184/ Students with coursework/experience in music performance and music appreciation scored higher on the SAT: students in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the maths, and students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on the maths, than did students with no arts participation.

3185/ Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66% of music majors who applied to medical school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. 44% of biochemistry majors were admitted.

3186/ In the Kindergarten classes of the school district of Kettle Moraine, Wisconsin, children who were given music instruction scored 48 percent higher on spatial-temporal skill tests than those who did not receive music training.

3187/ In 2001, 16.3 percent of American children lived in poverty, a lower rate than 1993 (22.7 percent), but higher than the 1973 rate of 14.4 percent.

3188/ In 1998, the top 1 percent of Americans owned 47.7 percent of all stock, while the bottom 80 percent owned 4.1 percent. Between 1989 and 1998, nearly 35 percent of all stock market gains went to the top 1 percent of shareholders. 64 percent of American households have stock holdings worth $5,000 or less, or own no stock at all.

3189/ 64 percent of U.S. workers say they would rather have more time than more money. Even in households earning less than $25,000, 49 percent said they would still prefer time over money.

3190/ Most Americans in the highest-earning one percent of the population (median annual income: $330,000) don't consider themselves rich according to a Worth-Roper Starch Survey.

3191/ As of 1998, 48 percent of American households owned stock either directly or through a mutual fund or some sort of retirement plan. Over 86 percent of the value of all stocks and mutual funds, including pensions was held by the top 10 percent of the households.

3192/ The Pentagon - a building, institution, and symbol was conceived at the request of Brigadier General Brehon B. Sommervell, Chief of the Construction Division of the Office of the Quartermaster General, on a weekend in mid-July 1941. The purpose was to provide a temporary solution to the War Department’s critical shortage of space. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 11, 1941. The building was dedicated on January 15, 1943, nearly 16 months to the day after the groundbreaking.

3193/ In 2003 there were 60,847 appeals to the US Courts of Appeals (excludes Federal Circuit).

3194/ It is estimated that the annual incidence of spinal cord injury (SCI), not including those who die at the scene of the accident, is approximately 40 cases per million population in the U. S. or approximately 11,000 new cases each year.

3195/ Fifty-three percent of SCIs occur among persons in the 16 to 30 year age group, and the average age at injury is 32.6 years. Since 1973 there has been an increase in the mean age at time of injury. Those who were injured before 1979 had a mean age of 28.6 while those injured after 2000 had a mean age of 35.9 years. 81.2% of all persons in the national database are male

3196/ The State Flag of Virginia bears the Great Seal of the Commonwealth on a field of blue. The seal depicts the goddess "Virtus." She is dressed as an Amazon, armed with a spear and sword, and stands over a defeated despot. The seal displays the State Motto,"Sic Semper Tyrannis," which is Latin for, "Thus Always to Tyrants."

3197/ Consumers spent $687.5 billion for food that originated on U.S. farms in 2001, according to the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

3198/ Of that $687.5 billion. About 19 percent, or $123.3 billion, went to farmers (farm value) and the remaining $557.5 billion (marketing costs) covered all the costs to bring food to consumers — including labour, processing, packaging, storage, displaying, marketing, advertising and interest. The total marketing bill also includes food-away-from-home sales — the cost of the highly processed meals at restaurants.

3199/ How $100 is Spent on average in the supermarket.

Perishables
$50.69

Beverages
$10.87

Staples, Condiments, other
$5.30

Non-Food Grocery
$8.66

Snack Foods
$6.19

Main Meal Items
$8.11

Health & Beauty Care
$3.85

General Merchandise
$3.52

Pharmacy
$2.69

Unclassified
$0.13

Source: Progressive Grocer, April 2004, pg. 36

3200/ On September 27, 1949, the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) approved the proposal for using the red five-star flag as the national flag of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution and the yellow color of the stars the golden brilliant rays radiating from the vast red land. The design of four smaller stars surrounding a bigger one signifies the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Click on the links below for more great facts...

 

More next week...

   

©FirstScience.com About UsContact Us

Home   l  Biology   l  Physics   l  Planetary Science   l  Technology   l  Space

First Science 2014