Things I learned lately - 18 Oct

• The Sunswift eVe solar-powered car broke a 26 year old speed record for electric vehicles at the Australian Automotive Research Center in Victoria. eVe is now the fastest solar powered electric car to complete a 500km course. The 1988 record was an average speed of 73 km/h; the Sunswift eVe reached 100 km/h average over the 500 km.
• The sound made by the Krakatoa volcanic eruption in 1883 was so loud it ruptured eardrums of people 40 miles away, travelled around the world four times, and was clearly heard 3,000 miles away. Imagine being in Boston and clearly hearing a noise coming from Dublin, Ireland. Travelling at the speed of sound, it takes a noise about 4 hours to cover that distance.
• Pope Francis says guardian angels exist.
• It has been proven that cell phones do not cause gas station fires. Static discharge when you touch your vehicle is the culprit.
• In Norway, university is free.
• Oregon is about to vote on the legalization of marijuana.
• Global solar electricity output has gone from 1.5 Gigawatts in 2000 to 136 Gigawatts in 2014.
• Depending on the country you live in, the biggest obstacle to large-scale adoption of solar power is no longer the cost, but the threat or actual fees governments are allowing energy utilities to charge people who are getting their power from the sun. The traditional companies are successfully arguing that their business will suffer if people go solar.
• Peanut allergies may be related to the act of roasting the nuts.
• Soon, Europe will no longer require airline passengers to put their mobile device into airplane mode at any time during a flight.