And the Answer Is...

The greatest contribution of the USA.  The USA has produced remarkably to the world over the past century or two.  Include construction, metals production, electronics, machinery, nuclear energy sources, aviation, medicine, and more.  Which is the greatest? 

And the answer is … 

Agriculture.  American scientists have developed the disease resistant crops, fertilizers, and farming methods currently feeding the world.  Without all this chow there would be no now – as we know it.  

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Today’s math problem.  Let’s say the prime interest rate is 5%, and it goes up to 5.5%. Clearly the interest rate is up by 0.5%.  But, in going from 5% to 5.5% the increase is really 10%.  So which is it? Up by 0.5% or up by 10%? 

And the answer is…

Both.  It depends on what and how you’re counting.  In the 0.5% increase we are discussing the net increase in the borrowing percentage.  But in the 10% increase we are discussing the percentage increase of the percentage.  The confusion is with the double use of the symbol “%”, one to be the units of the quantity and the other to measure its relative change. 

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How dark is dark?  For cosmologists to explain their current observations of the universe, they have required at least 96% of its substance to be called “dark,” meaning we can’t see it but only detect its gravitational effects.  What is this stuff?

And the answer is…

Nobody knows.  Indeed, you don’t know and really can’t know if there is dark matter in your morning cup of coffee.

A little humor... I'm not really overweight. I'm just overburdened by dark matter.