It’s not hard to find interesting or useful facts when you crack open a book in the library. Let’s see what fun facts Tyler found when he browsed through the reference related materials.

 

The United States imprisons a larger percentage of its black population than South Africa did at the height of apartheid. These racial disparities, however, cannot be explained by drug crime rates. Studies show that people of all colors sell and use illegal drugs at strikingly similar rates. FROM: The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness, (2020), p. 8.

6 key numbers surrounding Russia’s war in Ukraine: (1) Over 13 million Ukrainians have been displaced, (2) Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians may have lost their lives in the war, (3) Russia occupies 20% of Ukrainian land, (4) Dozens of countries have pledged billions of dollars in military aid since the war began, (5) Ukraine’s economy could shrink by as much as 45% because of the invasion, (6) Bake sales, spare change and “St. Javelin” have raised over $500 million in private money to help Ukraine. FROM: 6 key numbers that reveal the staggering impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine, (2022). NPR.

The largest known prime number has 24,862,048 digits when written in base 10. It was discovered by Patrick Laroche in 2018. FROM: Interesting facts for curious minds, (2022),  p. 64.

More Americans died of gun-related injuries in 2020 than in any other year on record, according to recently published statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That included a record number of gun murders, as well as a near-record number of gun suicides. Despite the increase in such fatalities, the rate of gun deaths – a statistic that accounts for the nation’s growing population – remains below the levels of earlier years. FROM: What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S., (2022). Pew Research Center.

2023 will feature numerous celestial events worth viewing. From April 15 – April 29, the Lyrid meteor shower will be visible, peaking on April 22nd. The Eta Aquarids meteor shower will peak on May 5th, while the Perseid meteor shower will culminate on August 11th and 12th. A supermoon occurs when the moon is closest in its elliptical orbit to Earth; a blue moon occurs when the moon is full for the second time in a month. On August 31, the moon will meet both of these criteria, making it a super blue moon. FROM: Ten dazzling celestial events to see in 2023, (2023). Smithsonian Magazine.

Originally posted in the Freeman/Lozier Library’s quarterly newsletter, More Than Books, V. 26 No. 2, Spring 2023.