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Americans Try Different Religions
Twenty-eight percent of Americans have left the faith in which they were raised for another religion, or no religion at all.
Forty-four percent change from one type of Protestantism to another.
Over 50 percent of people were raised with no religious affiliation but now identify with a particular religious group.
Sixty-six percent more people enter the category of "no religious affiliation" than those leaving, making it the fastest growing segment of American religious preference.
Thirty-seven percent of married people say their spouse has a different religious affiliation.
Sixty percent of people raised in an Adventist home remain connected to the church as adults.
SOURCE: Pew Research Center
Sweet Remedy
You've probably heard a warm drink with some honey in it is good for a sore throat. As it turns out this traditional cure goes far beyond cold season. Honey naturally prevents the growth of many types of bacteria and can actually promote the growth of certain bacteria that aid digestion. Honey is also an anti-inflammatory agent, pain reliever and skin softener.
SOURCE: Honey, the Gourmet Medicine by Traynor
April Showers
The world record for the most rain in a day is just over 6 feet, on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean. The wettest place in the world is Mawsynram, India, which receives more than 40 feet of rain yearly. Weight-wise, rain is heavy. The amount of rain it takes to cover 1 acre of land with an inch of water weighs over 1 ton.
SOURCE: BBC
Safe Sipping
A group of Swiss scientists have developed the "Life Straw," a device which could provide clean drinking water worldwide at a personal level. The Life Straw is slightly larger than an ordinary drinking straw, and contains filters made of halogenated resin, which kill nearly 100 percent of bacteria and nearly 99 percent of the viruses which pass through it. Each straw can filter more than 185 gallons of water, about a year's supply for one person. The group has also introduced a family-size water purifier which can provide more than 2 gallons of safe drinking water per hour and more than 4,000 gallons in its lifetime.
SOURCE: Scientific American
