Thursday, Mar. 06, 2008

Numbers

SUICIDE

1,269 Number of successful suicide jumps off San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge since 1937. Although opponents worry that a barrier would mar the bridge's appearance, the city is considering various safety options, including a higher fence or netting to catch jumpers

90% Percentage of people who were prevented from jumping off the Golden Gate who either are still alive or eventually died from natural causes

HEALTH

67% Percentage of U.S. hysterectomies that experts say may have been unnecessary. About 600,000 hysterectomies are performed every year

33% Percentage of American women who undergo the procedure before they turn 60

DOWRIES

124,000 Number of roses an Iranian court has ordered a man to pay his wife for her dowry. The couple have been married 10 years, but Iranian law holds that a wife can claim her dowry at any point in the marriage. The court has seized the man's home until he pays up

$2 Cost of one long-stemmed rose in Tehran, making the dowry worth an estimated $248,000

MUSIC

48% Percentage of U.S. teenagers who did not buy a single CD last year, up from 38% in 2006

29 million Number of Americans buying music legally online, a 21% increase from 2006

Sources: Washington Post (2); CNN (2); BBC (2); Los Angeles Times; NPD Group