At 15 years old, Jack Andraka invented a method of diagnosing pancreatic cancer, thus helping to save the lives of millions of people around the world. It is 168 times faster, 26,000 times cheaper, 400 times more sensitive, and has a 99% success rate.
15
The average home creates more pollution than does the average car.
33
Marie Curie, the Nobel prize winning scientist who discovered radium, died of radiation poisoning.
57
The weight of a carat (200 milligrams), standard unit of measurement for gemstones, is based on the weight of the carob seed.
51
A cubic yard of air weighs about 2 pounds at sea level.
31
Brass doorknobs automatically disinfect themselves in about 8 hours.
18
The Manchineel Tree is so poisonous, rainwater dripping off it’s leaves will burn your skin.
17
Scientists have revived a flowering plant from a fruit stored away in permafrost by Arctic ground squirrel 32,000 years ago.
16