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The latest stories
Rip Currents Kill More Americans Than Sharks or Lightning
In 2025 the NWS counted 55 US rip current deaths and 20 from lightning; the ISAF counted 1 from an unprovoked shark bite.
Read the story →In Most US Airline Accidents, Everyone Survives
NTSB: about 94% of Part 121 aircraft in accidents, 1983 to 2017, had all occupants survive; in 35 serious US accidents: all 10, some 16, none 9.
Read the story →Most US Fire Truck Runs Are Medical Calls
In USFA data for 2024, fires are 3.7 of every 100 fire department responses; EMS and Rescue is 65.1 and false alarms 8.0.
Read the story →About 1 in 33 US Babies Is a Twin
In 2024, 30.1 of every 1,000 US live births were twins, about 1 in 33 babies (3.0%), according to final CDC natality data.
Read the story →Powerball Strategies: What Actually Changes Your Odds
No picking method changes the 1 in 292,201,338 jackpot odds of a $2 Powerball play (2026 rules); more different combinations raise chance and cost equally.
Read the story →The Odds of a Perfect March Madness Bracket
NCAA.com's figure for the average Bracket Challenge player: 1 in 120.2 billion for a perfect 63-game men's bracket (2026). Pure guessing: 1 in 9.2 quintillion.
Read the story →How to Win at Monopoly: The Strategy the Numbers Support
Buy early, trade into a cheap color set, and build three houses: orange repays its $900 of houses in about 16 opponent turns, the fastest of eight groups.
Read the story →Monopoly’s Secret History: From Anti-Landlord Protest to WWII Escape Kit
1904. That’s the year the game that became Monopoly was patented, 31 years before Parker Brothers sold a single box, and not by the man on the box. More than…
Read the story →How a Monopoly Expert Plays the Odds
Exactly 1 in 6: two fair dice have 36 equally likely outcomes, 6 of them doubles, and double six alone is a 1 in 36 roll.
Read the story →C-Sections: The Ultimate in Planned Parenthood
It’s a staple of movies and television sitcoms. Think Charlotte in Sex and the City. A hugely pregnant woman is going about her life—say enjoying a meal in a fancy restaurant,…
Read the story →Alzheimer’s: Would You Want to Know Your Risk?
Alzheimer’s disease is the downside—and looming threat—of rapidly improving longevity. Not surprisingly, aging is the single greatest risk factor for developing the disease. For the 65 and older population of…
Read the story →The Costs of Food Poisoning
Dining at the venerable Harvard Faculty Club is a cherished tradition for many, including current and former faculty and alumni of the prestigious university. But this spring, over 300 people…
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