Watching the World

▪ “About one in four people” in the United States “develops at least one mental disorder in any given year, and nearly one in two people does so at some time in their lives.”​—SCIENCE NEWS, U.S.A.

▪ In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan generated at least 24 waves over 50 feet [15 m] high in the Gulf of Mexico. The largest measured 91 feet [27.7 m].​—SCIENCE MAGAZINE, U.S.A.

▪ Use of cell phones while driving results in a fourfold increase in the likelihood of crashes requiring hospital visits, whether drivers use a hands-free device or not.​—BMJ, BRITAIN.

▪ A new edition of a catalog designed to aid Bible translators lists 6,912 living languages.​—THE NEW YORK TIMES, U.S.A.

▪ Despite warnings of harm to their children, 30 percent of women in Poland smoke during pregnancy or breast-feeding years.​—ZDROWIE MAGAZINE, POLAND.

Attitudes Toward Wealth

An Australia Institute study on attitudes toward wealth has found that only 1 in 20 of Australian millionaires considers himself prosperous, reports ABC News Online. According to Clive Hamilton, executive director of the Institute, “the richer that we become, the less satisfied we are with our incomes.” In fact, only 13 percent of people in the highest income group feel totally satisfied with life. Says Hamilton: “You really have to ask why it is in our society that we pursue financial success more than anything else, when all of the evidence suggests that it is other aspects of life which really contribute to our sense of well being.”

Orbiting Junk

“Imagine the outrage if drivers abandoned their cars on city streets after they ran out of fuel,” says New Scientist magazine. Yet, this is similar to what is happening to defunct satellites, increasing the risk that newer spacecraft will collide with orbiting junk. It is estimated that some 1,120 objects larger than 20 inches [60 cm] across are close to the geostationary ring, the favored position for communications equipment, but only 300 or so of these are operational satellites. Among the hazardous materials abandoned in orbit at various altitudes are 32 defunct nuclear reactors.

Weapons and War

When the Cold War ended, the arms business took a downturn. In the past few years, however, business has prospered. In 2004, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military spending reached one trillion dollars. This figure is the equivalent of $162 for each man, woman, and child on the planet. According to SIPRI, 19 conflicts causing more than 1,000 deaths each were fought in 2004. Of those conflicts, 16 had already been raging for more than ten years.

Dual-Fuel Cars

One third of new cars leaving Brazilian showrooms are now dual-fuel, reports Veja magazine. These vehicles run on gasoline, sugarcane-derived alcohol, or a mixture of the two in any proportion. From 2003 to 2004, sales of the alcohol fuel increased by 34 percent. The trend has little to do with environmental concerns. It simply is cheaper for most motorists to run on alcohol. The dual-fuel cars can help to protect “the consumer against fuel crises and fluctuations in price,” explains Rafael Schechtman, director of the Brazilian Center of Infrastructure. “If the price of alcohol increases, you turn to using gasoline, and vice-versa.”