American Relief Administration Russian famine lives saved

American aid likely saved millions in famine

During Russia’s 1921–22 famine, the American Relief Administration likely saved millions of lives. Its director, Herbert Hoover, was a devoted anti-communist, but argued that starving people should be fed regardless of their politics.

A giant black hole can have the average density of water

≈ density of water

A black hole can contain an enormous mass while having a surprisingly low average density inside its event-horizon-sized region. For a black hole with 100 million times the Sun's mass, that average density is roughly similar to water.

A high-altitude gene variant spread quickly among Tibetans

≈3,000 years

Over roughly 3,000 years, a gene variant that helps people live at high altitude became very common among Tibetans. It is an example of how quickly natural selection can change a human population when the environment strongly favors a trait.

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American Relief Administration Russian famine lives saved

American aid likely saved millions in famine

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