Top Secret America

The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work.

Explore more at this project by the Washington Post.

Youtube Infographic

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Astronaut

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Vitamin D Found To Influence Over 200 Genes

The extent to which vitamin D deficiency may increase susceptibility to a wide range of diseases is dramatically highlighted in newly published research. Scientists have mapped the points at which vitamin D interacts with our DNA — and identified over two hundred genes that it directly influences. Read More at Science Daily.

World’s Biggest Living Thing

The largest living organism ever found has been discovered in an ancient American forest.

The Armillaria ostoyae, popularly known as the honey mushroom, started from a single spore too small to see without a microscope. It has been spreading its black shoestring filaments, called rhizomorphs, through the forest for an estimated 2,400 years, killing trees as it grows. It now covers 2,200 acres (880 hectares) of the Malheur National Forest, in eastern Oregon.

More at The Independent.

The Problem

The back story to this compelling illustration.

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Tallest Mountain To Deepest Ocean Trench

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‘Separate’ Is Most Commonly Misspelt Word

The eight-letter word came top due to the regular placing of an ‘E’ where the first ‘A’ sits.

Second in the list was ‘definitely’, which often falls victim to a string of mistakes including mixing up the second ‘I’ with an ‘A’. Another common error is dropping the final ‘E’.

More at the Telegraph.

Please Stop Wasting Stuff

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Bananas Are Radioactive

You may have read about everyday objects setting off radiation alarms at border crossings between the US and Canada and Mexico. Newsweek has an article describing how medical radiation treatments (e.g., bone scans) may lead to traveling delays when they trigger radiation sensors. When the sensors are tripped, border officials conduct more intensive inspections to make sure you aren’t carrying nuclear weapons. There are other ways to set off the alarms. Do you carry kitty litter in your car to help provide traction in icy weather or to absorb oil? It’s slightly radioactive. Do you have tile or granite in your vehicle for a home improvement project? It has a relatively high radiation signature. Do you have a lot of bananas? They are also slightly radioactive.

Full article at About.com