Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007

Numbers

IMMIGRATION

16

Anticipated processing time, in months, for citizenship applications and residence visas filed by legal U.S. immigrants with Citizenship and Immigration Services after June 1

66%

Percentage increase in fees for the agency's services, as of July 30; critics say the hike has failed in its goal of speeding the process

INTERNET

2010

Year the Internet could slow to a global crawl because of a surge in video overloading its current capacity

$137 billion

Amount that infrastructure investors will have to invest--more than double the amount planned--to keep up with the video demand

URBAN DWELLERS

25

Amount of waste in pounds that the average pigeon produces per year. There are up to 1 million pigeons living in New York City

$1,000

Proposed fine for feeding pigeons in New York City; the practice is outlawed in London's Trafalgar Square, and Venice is looking to stop the sale of birdseed in St. Mark's Square

EXOTIC FOOD

3.3

Weight in pounds of a white truffle found on Nov. 23 near Pisa--the second largest ever; the world's largest, 5.5 lbs, was found in 1954

20

Maximum number of days after discovery that a white truffle should be eaten; the Pisa truffle will be auctioned on Dec. 1 in Macau, eight days after it was found

Sources: New York Times (2); PCWorld; New Yorker; Reuters; Guardian (2)