Formula One - Unknown Facts

• Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open wheeled auto car racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motor sport's world governing body.
• Formual one racing is considered to be one of the worlds most expensive sporting event.
  The first Formula One World Championship was won by Italian Giuseppe Farina in his Alfa Romeo in 1950.
• Each car is assigned a number. The previous season's World Drivers' Champion is designated number 1, with his team-mate given number 2. Numbers are then assigned according to each team's position in the previous season's World Constructors' Championship. However the number 13 has not been used since 1976, before which it was occasionally assigned at the discretion of individual race organisers.
• F1 car is made up of 80,000 components, if it were assembled 99.9% correctly, it would still start the race with 80 things wrong!
• When all of these are meticulously put together after about 2-weeks of work, it can produce more than 750 hp and reach rpm’s higher than 20,000!
• When an F1 driver hits the brakes on his car he experiences retardation or deceleration comparable to a regular car driving through a BRICK wall at 300kmph!!! F1 car can go from 0 to 160 kph AND back to 0 in FOUR seconds!!!!!!!
• F1 car engines last only for about 2 hours of racing mostly before blowing up on the other hand we expect our engines to last us for a decent 20yrs on an average and they quite faithfully DO.... that’s the extent to which the engines r pushed to perform...
• An average F1 driver looses about 4kgs of weight after just one race due to the prolonged exposure to high G forces and temperatures for little over an hour (Yeah that’s right!!!)
• At 550kg a F1 car is less than half the weight of a Mini.
• To give you an idea of just how important aerodynamic design and added down force can be, small planes can take off at slower speeds than F1 cars travel on the track.
  Without aerodynamic down force, high-performance racing cars have sufficient power to produce wheel spin and loss of control at 160 kph. They usually race at over 300 kph.
  In a street course race like the Monaco grand prix, the down force provides enough suction to lift manhole covers. Before the race the entire manhole covers on the streets have to be welded down to prevent this from happening!
• The refueler s used in F1 can supply 12 liters of fuel per second. This means it would take just 4 seconds to fill the tank of an average 50-liter family car. They use the same refueling rigs used on US military helicopters today.
• TOP F1 pit crews can refuel and change tyres in around 3 seconds.
  During the race the tyres lose weight! Each tyre loses about 0.5 kg in weight due to wear.
  Normal tyres last 60 000 - 100 000 km. Racing tyres are designed to last 90 - 120 km.
• A dry-weather F1 tyre reaches peak operating performance (best 20grip) when tread temperature is between 900C and 1200C. (Water boils at 100C remember) At top speed, F1 tyres rotate 50 times a second.
• The fit in the cockpit is so tight that the steering wheel must be removed for the driver to get in or out of the car.A small latch behind the wheel releases it from the column.
• Levers or paddles for changing gear are located on the back of the wheel. So no gear stick! The clutch levers are also on the steering wheel, located below the gear paddles.
• Normal tires last 60,000 - 100,000 km. Racing tires are designed to last 90 - 120 km.
  Racecar tyres don't have air in them like normal car tyres. Most racing tyres have nitrogen in the tyres because nitrogen has a more consistent pressure compared to normal air. Air typically contains varying amounts of water vapor in it, which affects its expansion and contraction as a function of temperature, making the tyre pressure unpredictable.
• Formula 1 cars have over a kilometer of cable, linked to about 100 sensors and actuators which monitor and control many parts of the car.
• ’Automatic’ gearboxes are prohibited by the FIA. However, all the cars are equipped with semi-automatic gearboxes where to change gear, the driver no longer has to activate the clutch pedal at the same time as the gear lever. He simply presses a button on the side of his steering wheel.
• So drivers no longer has to take his hand off the steering wheel also and such a electro-hydraulic device allows the driver to change gear in one or two hundredths of a second.
  The rapid changes possible with semi-automatic gearboxes mean that transmissions with a greater number of ratios (six or seven) can be installed. On circuits with a large number of bends, the drivers only use four or five ratios.
• Reverse gear is obligatory, but must not be used in the pit-lane.
• No specials fuels are used – only Unleaded/‘Green’ Petrol - similar to that available at our roadside filling stations. It has to comply with the strictest EEC standards concerning pollution.
• Speed limits are strictly followed. In pit lanes, speed limit is either 80 or 120 kph (50 or 75 mph), depending on the circuit and the configuration of the pit lane. If drivers exceed this penalty will be paid by drivers!
• The F1 world championship season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held usually on purpose-built closed circuits. The results of each race are combined to determine two annual world championships, one for Drivers' Champions and one for Constructors.
• Michael Schumacher holds the record for having won the most Drivers' Championships (seven) and Ferrari holds the record for having won the most Constructors' Championships (fifteen).
• Jochen Rindt became the only posthumous World Champion after a fatal accident at the 1970 Italian Grand Prix.
• In March 2007 F1 Racing published its annual estimates of spending by Formula One teams. The total spending of all eleven teams in 2006 was estimated at $2.9 billion.

Why manhole covers are round shaped?

For some one who doesn’t know what is Manhole cover, then, it’s a covering over the manholes, which can be removed and fitted easily. Any one could see them wherever the underground drainage passes near by your house or road.
Now the question is, why these manhole covers are round shaped!!! When I googled the shape of manhole covers, its mostly in round in shape. Also have got some images of the Rectangle and triangle shaped covers! But mostly in round shaped. There are many theories revolving around! Lets see some glimpses of that!
1) Manhole covers are round because the manholes are round.
2) Only round manhole covers will not fall in to the man hole
3)Heavy, round manhole covers are easier for one person to move by rolling.
4) You also don't have to "align" a manhole cover to its hole. Any orientation of the cover will do this.
5) Round manhole covers are easier to manufacture.§ Animals dig round holes, so it natural for humans too to do the same.
6) If any other shapes of sharp corners are followed then the sharp corners will pop up and have a possibility of hurting the car tires and humans!
7) The tunnels are pipes so its easier to go with the whole theme or circularity
8) If you stress test an a circle you will find that the circle dissipates the stress more evently at all points.
8) When you heat metals, they expand. Assume that you choose any shape other than circle, when they expand you can not know which parts becomes longer than other parts. But with circles they expand (almost) uniformly. So even with expanding they are easier to remove and put back in. So when they expand they do not get stuck.
9) Circular man holes are easy to dig. Hence covers are also round.

So this means manholes are one of the few things in the universe that are absolutely goof proof. Now it time to know one more fact about these manholes cover. This question in one which was asked in Microsoft’s Interview. So don’t try to ignore. It may also fetch u a job in some other company too!! Good Luck friends!!!

Cigarette and Smoking Facts

1. The first users of Tobacco were thought to have been the Mayan civilizations of Central America. But tobaccos were in America from 6000BC.
2. Initially they were used for smoking and chewing also.
3. Rodrigo de Jerez became the first European smoker in history( 1493 AD ) And he was also the world's first victim of the anti-smoking lobby!
4. Sir John Hawkins: brought the cigars to England.
5. Sir Walter Raleigh: popularized it in the Queen Elizabeth’s Court. (In 1552-1618)
6. First paper rolled cigarette were found in around 1832 by Egyptian soldiers during Turkish- Egyptian war
7. 1856 First cigarette factory opened. It was in Walworth, England, and owned by Robert Golag, a veteran of the Crimean War.
8. 1858 Fears about the effects on smoking on health first raised in The Lancet.
9. Mrs. Richard Benson and William Hedges open a tobacconist shop near Philip Morris in London.
10. 1970 Broadcast ads for cigarettes are banned in America.
11. 1992 Nicotine patches introduced.
12. And to till date, many countries have banned the smoking in public or enclosed public places.
13. Lower intelligence has been related to smoking.
14. One puff lowers the temperature in the fingertips 1ºF to 3ºF in 3 minutes.
15. There is a direct link between parents' smoking and children's respiratory disease.
16. Maternal smoking has been linked to asthma in infants and young children.
17. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds, including 60 that can cause cancer.
18. 100,000 doctors stop smoking every year.
19. Cigarette smoke collects with lint and is known to gum up delicate mechanisms such as aircraft controls.
20. Smokers have difficulty running and exercising.
21. Smoking destroys vitamins, particularly vitamin C and the B's.
22. Smoking has also been shown to increase the risk of osteoporosis.
23. At least 40 of the chemicals in tobacco smoke are proven to cause cancers of the lung, throat, mouth, bladder and kidneys and the smoke also causes a number of other cancers.
24. The nicotine in cigarette smoke also acts as a stimulant, increasing the heart rate and blood pressure, and decreasing the flow of blood through the blood vessels.
25. Two-thirds of cigarette smokes are not inhaled by the smoker, it goes into the surrounding air.
26. Smoking is directly related to fat level in our body!
27. 2 to 4 cigarettes smoked continuously would increase blood fats 200 to 400%.
28. One who smokes will not be physically or mentally able to cope with life's challenges.
29. When a pregnant lady smokes, baby’s weighs less and its pulse would be 30% faster than a non-smoker's baby.
30. Premature birth has been related to smoking habits of pregnant mother.
31. Children's respiratory disease are directly linked to Parents smoking habits
32. Air pollution (auto exhausts, industry wastes, etc.) increases the lung cancer rate of the smoker, but not of the non-smoker.
33. The smoker is sick more often, explaining why he misses an average of 7½ working days per year, usually with a loss of pay, while the non-smoker will miss only 4½ days.
34. The overall bad health of the smoker results, on average, of about 12 to 14 minutes per cigarette.
35. The smoker's body requires more sleep every night
36. Foods will taste much better to non-smokers.
37. If u are not smoking for 12 months Your increased risk of dying from heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker. And for not smoking for 12 hrs, all the Nicotine contents comes out of your body.
38. Smoking has been related to brain damage and premature senility.

In short, "Smoking is injurious to Health"

Blood and blood Donation Facts

1. Dr. Karl Landsteiner first identified the major human blood groups – A, B, AB and O – in 1901.
2. Four main red blood cell types: A, B, AB and O. Each can be positive or negative for the Rh factor. AB is the universal recipient; O negative is the universal donor of red blood cells.
3. White cells are the body's primary defense against infection.
4. Red blood cells usually carries the oxygen.
5. Apheresis is a special kind of blood donation that allows a donor to give specific blood components, such as platelets.
6. Someone needs blood every two seconds.
7. About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood.
8. One pint of blood can save up to three lives.
9. Healthy adults who are at least 17 years old, and at least 110 pounds may donate about a pint of blood—the most common form of donation—every 56 days, or every two months. Females receive 53 percent of blood transfusions; males receive 47 percent.
10. One unit of blood can be separated into several components: red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.
11. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's organs and tissues.
12. Red blood cells live about 120 days in the circulatory system.
13. Platelets promote blood clotting and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.
14. Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts.
15. Plasma, which is 90 percent water, makes up 55 percent of blood volume.
16. Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets.
17. 43,000 pints: amount of donated blood used each day in the U.S. and Canada.
18. Blood or plasma that comes from people who have been paid for it cannot be used to human transfusion. Instead they are mostly used for research purposes.
19. Granulocytes, a type of white blood cell, roll along blood vessel walls in search of bacteria to engulf and destroy.
20. Platelets can be stored for 5 days
21. Plasma can be stored for 1 year.
22. Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery need blood and platelets from donors of all types, especially type O.
23. Anemic patients need blood transfusions to increase their red blood cell levels.
24. Cancer, transplant and trauma patients, and patients undergoing open-heart surgery may require platelet transfusions to survive.
25. Thirteen tests (11 for infectious diseases) are performed on each unit of donated blood.
26. 17 percent of non-donors cite "never thought about it" as the main reason for not giving, while 15 percent say they're too busy.
27. The #1 reason blood donors say they give is because they "want to help others."
28. Shortages of all blood types happen during the summer and winter holidays.
29. Blood centers often run short of types O and B red blood cells.
30. The rare blood type is the one not on the shelf when it’s needed by a patient.
31. There is no substitute for human blood.
32. If all blood donors gave three times a year, blood shortages would be a rare event (The current average is about two.).
33. If only one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would disappear for the foreseeable future.
34. Blood donations are always easy with four steps: medical history, quick physical, donation and snacks.
35. 10 pints: amount of blood in the body of an average adult.
36. One unit of whole blood is roughly the equivalent of one pint.
37. Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body's weight.
38. A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his body.
39. Giving blood will not decrease your strength.
40. People who donate blood are volunteers and are not paid for their donation.
41. 500,000: the number of Americans who donated blood in the days following the September 11 attacks.
42. Only 5 percent of eligible donors across the nation donate blood, but the number of transfusions nationwide increases by 9 percent every year.
43. Blood donors can donate as frequently as every 56 days. A benefit from donating this often is that you receive a mini-physical once every two months.
44. Each whole blood donation can help as many as three people. One unit is divided into three parts: red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
45. Some clinics offer childcare during your donation.
46. On average, a hip replacement typically uses one unit of blood, a cardiac bypass 2 units, a heart transplant 2 units, and a liver transplant 10 units!
47. Blood cannot be manufactured. It can only come as a gift from people.
48. The need for blood increases during holidays and summer months. People are more apt to be traveling and active during these times and thus are at an increased risk for accidents.
49. Statistics show that 25 percent or more of us will require blood at least once in our lifetime.
50. You burn about 650 calories by donating one pint of blood.
51. People with AB+ type blood are universal donors of plasma, the liquid portion of blood.
52. AB+ plasma is often used in emergencies, for newborns and for patients requiring massive transfusions.
53. The American Red Cross accepts blood donations only from voluntary donors
54. Among Red Cross donors in a given year, 18% donate occasionally, 38% are first time donors, and 43% are repeat and loyal donors
55. People with O- type blood are universal donors. Their blood can be given to people of all blood types. Only 7% of people in the U.S. have O- blood type.
56. Type O- blood is often used in emergencies before the patient's blood type is known, and with newborns who need blood.
57. One out of every 10 people admitted in a hospital needs blood.
58. Try to have a good whole night sleep before giving blood.
59. Don’t forget to eat before u donate.
60. Everything used in the donation process is sterile, disposable and used only once. You cannot contract any disease by giving blood.
61. Since a pint is pound, you lose a pound every time you donate blood.
62. Platelets are small blood cells that initiate blood clotting, controlling bleeding.
63. Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, salts and proteins, including solvable clotting factors; plasma is 90 percent water and constitutes 55 percent of blood volume.
64. Type II diabetics (non-insulin dependent) are eligible to donate blood provided the diabetes is controlled by diet and/or oral ant diabetic drugs. Diabetics taking injectable insulin may donate blood.
If they are stabilized and have not changed their insulin dosage within 2 weeks of donating.
66. On most occasions, person who had body piercing cannot donate blood. Those who have, please check up with your doctor.
67. To reduce medical risks, blood donations are not accepted for a women who are pregnant or gave birth before 6 weeks. Blood given to babies cannot be more than five days old. This creates a continual, ongoing need for fresh blood.

White House Facts

[Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/facts.html]
For two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States government, and the American people. Its history, and the history of the nation’s capital, began when President George Washington signed an Act of Congress in December of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a district "not exceeding ten miles square…on the river Potomac." President Washington, together with city planner Pierre L’Enfant, chose the site for the new residence, which is now 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As preparations began for the new federal city, a competition was held to find a builder of the "President’s House." Nine proposals were submitted, and Irish-born architect James Hoban won a gold medal for his practical and handsome design.
Construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in October of 1792. Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in. Since that time, each President has made his own changes and additions. The White House is, after all, the President’s private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge.
The White House has a unique and fascinating history. It survived a fire at the hands of the British in 1814 (during the war of 1812) and another fire in the West Wing in 1929, while Herbert Hoover was President. Throughout much of Harry S. Truman’s presidency, the interior of the house, with the exception of the third floor, was completely gutted and renovated while the Trumans lived at Blair House, right across Pennsylvania Avenue. Nonetheless, the exterior stone walls are those first put in place when the White House was constructed two centuries ago.
Presidents can express their individual style in how they decorate some parts of the house and in how they receive the public during their stay. Thomas Jefferson held the first Inaugural open house in 1805. Many of those who attended the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol simply followed him home, where he greeted them in the Blue Room. President Jefferson also opened the house for public tours, and it has remained open, except during wartime, ever since. In addition, he welcomed visitors to annual receptions on New Year’s Day and on the Fourth of July. In 1829, a horde of 20,000 Inaugural callers forced President Andrew Jackson to flee to the safety of a hotel while, on the lawn, aides filled washtubs with orange juice and whiskey to lure the mob out of the mud-tracked White House.
After Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, Inaugural crowds became far too large for the White House to accommodate them comfortably. However, not until Grover Cleveland’s first presidency did this unsafe practice change. He held a presidential review of the troops from a flag-draped grandstand built in front of the White House. This procession evolved into the official Inaugural parade we know today. Receptions on New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July continued to be held until the early 1930s.
There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.
At various times in history, the White House has been known as the "President's Palace," the "President's House," and the "Executive Mansion." President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.
Presidential Firsts while in office... President James Polk (1845-49) was the first President to have his photograph taken... President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) was not only the first President to ride in an automobile, but also the first President to travel outside the country when he visited Panama... President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-45) was the first President to ride in an airplane.
With five full-time chefs, the White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d'oeuvres to more than 1,000.
The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.
For recreation, the White House has a variety of facilities available to its residents, including a tennis court, jogging track, swimming pool, movie theater, and bowling lane.