A Global Epidemic

Hundreds of cigarettes arranged in the shape of countries on a world map

Smoking is a relentless killer. Surveys shows the that;

It killed 100,000,000 people during the last century.
It takes about 6,000,000 lives a year.
On average, it kills one person every six seconds.

And there is no sign of a turnaround.

Researchers predict that smoking will have taken 1,000,000,000 lives by the end of the 21st century.

Unlike epidemics that send doctors racing to discover a cure, this scourge is eminently curable; the solution is well-known. Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, stated: “The tobacco epidemic is entirely man-made, and it can be turned around through the concerted efforts of governments and civil society.”

Each year, the tobacco industry spends billions of dollars on advertising to attract new customers. The addictive nature of tobacco almost ensures that casualties will remain high among the one billion smokers already hooked.

Advertising and addiction keep many trapped in a habit they wish they could break.

The Lantern of the Photuris Firefly

THE lantern, or light organ, of a particular Photuris firefly is covered with jagged scales that dramatically enhance the brightness of the light that the insect produces. * Jagged scales Consider: Researchers have found that tiny scales on the lantern surface of some fireflies form a corrugated pattern, somewhat like overlapping shingles or tiles. The scales tilt up at one end by just 3 micrometers —less than one twentieth the thickness of a human hair. Yet this tiny tilt lets the lantern shine almost 50 percent more brightly than it would if the scales formed an even surface!

An Overview of Indonesia

Land Straddling the equator between Australia and continental Asia, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago. Most of its more than 17,500 islands feature rugged mountains and dense tropical forests. With more than 100 active volcanoes, it is also the most active volcanic region on earth.

Beyonce’s Good Genes

Beyonce’ s good looks are definitely good genes. Here’s a 20-year-old baby faced Bey at the Golden Globes in 2001 (left) and 15 years later ... the flawless singer -- who turns 35 this weekend -- at the MTV VMAs last week (right) .

Rielyn Co

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