SEVEN DAYS:A glance at the week that was
If you thought relics of revered leaders were a phenomenon restricted to religions, evidence to the contrary came this week with the news that someone was attempting to auction some of Ronald Reagan’s blood.
The 12cm vial contains “dried blood residue” taken from the late US president after the 1981 assassination attempt by John Hinckley. After complaints from the Reagan family and threatened legal action, the anonymous vendor decided to donate the vial to the president’s foundation. Online bids had reached more than €24,000.
We now know
Israeli scientists have turned skin cells into healthy heart tissue.
The average restaurant meal in the US is now three times largerthan in the 1950s, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Commercial space flight has arrived, with the successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9rocket (pictured), owned by the PayPal cofounder Elon Musk, last Tuesday.
The numbers
18%Drop in Facebook's share price in the first three days after going public. The bungled IPO has generated lawsuits and accusations of insider trading.
$1,000Cost of the super-size zillion dollar frittata served at a hotel in New York. It contains a whole lobster and is topped with 275g of caviar. "Norma dares you to expense this," reads the menu.
27,000Number of international job cuts over the next two years announced by the US computer giant HP.
80Minimum number of mummies found by archaeologists at a temple at Pachacamac, Peru
161Number of days the 23 Vita Cortex workers spent occupying their Cork plant before their redundancy payments started this week.
2Maximum number of flies now allowed to be found in Beijing public toilets under stringent cleanliness standards published by the city's administration.
