Page 189 - Animal Facts

A new type of bacteria has been discovered that uses poisonous arsenic to build its DNA.

All life on Earth was thought to have been composed of six elements: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur...until now. This newly-discovered microorganism, called GFAJ-1, was found in Mono Lake, California. The building blocks used to create its genetic material contain arsenic, which is poisonous to all but a few organisms on Earth!
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In five years, the number of Chinese skiers increased by 25 times.

In 2000, there were 200,000 Chinese skiers. In 2005, that number went up to 5 million. The China Ski Association estimates that number will be 25 million in the year 2014. This is just a sign of an increasingly affluent middle class in China. The result is that leisure activities have been booming.

Still, in China, 90% of skiers are beginners that rent their equipment, and 80% of first-timers do not ski ever again, because they had a bad experience. The Chinese ski industry is hoping to change those numbers by providing more five-star ski resorts in the country. Right now most of the slopes are still really bumpy and accidents are common.

More info on the growing Chinese ski industry.

You can buy frozen milk in Siberia.

Yakutsk, Siberia has been dubbed "the coldest city". Winter there lasts from October until May, and the temperature can get as low as -55 degrees. 98% of the town is covered in permafrost. Since permafrost is an unstable surface to build on, the buildings there are built on stilts that are drilled into the ground. The stores there sell frozen milk and frozen fish!

Despite the weather, this town is home to 240,000 people. The Czars used to exile their political opponents to this area. Under Soviet control, Gulag prisoners were sent there to work in mining. The Soviet Union spent billions developing the area to develop the region, because it is rich in natural resources. This is where 20% of the world's rough diamonds come from, and there are also deposits of silver, gold, and coal.

More information about this strange city in this article.

Many cats are lactose intolerant.

Despite the prevailing notion that cats love milk, most are not able to digest it well. Serving a cat milk can lead to an upset stomach, indigestion, cramps and kitty gas. If your cat insists on having milk, try giving it a small bowl of cream once in a while (a few times a week at most). Strangely enough, milk with less fat tends to have more lactose, so avoid giving your cat skim milk.

Cats also can't eat onions, garlic, or related vegetables because it gives anemia. Green tomatoes also can give your kitty intestinal problems. And, like dogs, your cat shouldn't eat chocolate either.

This article has more tips on what your cat can and can't eat.

A policeman who promised a waitress half his lottery winnings kept his word after the numbers they chose together were selected.

Robert Cunningham, a 30-year-old detective, was a regular customer at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. One Friday evening in 1984 he made an offer to his favorite waitress, Phyllis Penzo - they would each select three numbers, which he would use to purchase a lottery ticket across the street. Cunningham jokingly said that they would split the ticket 50/50.

The following night Penzo had completely forgotten about the purchase, when Cunningham burst through the door...clutching the WINNING lottery ticket! The policeman was true to his word and gave half of the $6 million prize to the waitress. For more on this story, we recommend viewing the 1994 Nicolas Cage film, It Could Happen to You.
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