Thursday, Mar. 13, 2008

Numbers

ECONOMY

63,000 Net number of U.S. jobs lost in February, the biggest decline in four years, after economists predicted a gain of 25,000 jobs

$200 billion Amount the U.S. Federal Reserve pledged to inject into the banking system, prompting a March 11 market rally that saw the Dow Jones industrial average surge 417 points--its biggest one-day gain in five years

PLASTIC SURGERY

7,882 Number of breast-augmentation surgeries performed on American teens in 2007, up 55% from 2006

47.4% Percentage of those augmentations that were based on aesthetic preference; others were performed to correct asymmetries or deformities

RELIGION

2,130 Number of U.S. congregations using environmentally friendly "eco-palms" in their Palm Sunday services. Traditional palm-harvesting wastes more than 50% of the fronds

$47.50 Average cost of 200 eco-palms, compared with about $22 for traditional palms

SPACE EXPLORATION

29 Age of Yi So-yeon, a female bioengineer who will become South Korea's first astronaut. Her voyage to the International Space Station is scheduled for April 8 and will last about 10 days

49 Number of women who have flown into space so far, out of 466 people overall

Sources: CNN Money; USA Today; American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (2); USA Today (2); AP; Encyclopedia Astronautica