The Magic Number

American Voices

October 22, 1996 | ISSUE 30•11

What is your favorite number?

You mean, other than eight?

Trish Rubin
Choral Director
I have trouble deciding between 12 and 85, so I'll take their average and say 48.5.

Gene Pfeiffer
Systems Analyst
The cosine of 67 degrees, because that's the number I wore when I played football in high school.

Liz Schreiber
Hotel Concierge
Sorry, I flunked math. But 'albedo' is my favorite meteorological term.

Tanner Bilson
Waiter
I know it's trendy, but I'd have to say six.

Art Dawes
Accordionist
I don't really have a favorite. Just so long as I'm counting, I'm happy.

George Reuschelm
French Teacher

Spanking Doesn't Work

02.09.12 | ISSUE 48•06

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal analyzed two decades of research and found that children who were punished physically became more aggressive over time, while those who weren't became less aggressive.
Smoking Speeds Mental Decline

02.08.12 | ISSUE 48•06

A study published in Archives Of General Psychiatry found that middle-aged men who smoked had diminished cognitive skills, the equivalent of having aged an additional 10 years.
Migrating Whooping Cranes Stall In Alabama

02.07.12 | ISSUE 48•06

Nine whooping cranes that had been following an ultralight aircraft as it guided them on their migratory route stopped when they reached Alabama, 500 miles short of the intended destination.
Florida Millionaire Adopts 42-Year-Old Girlfriend

02.06.12 | ISSUE 48•06

A 48-year-old West Palm Beach millionaire and polo club founder has adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend in an apparent bid to avoid paying out a wrongful death lawsuit.
Should Sugar Be Regulated?

02.03.12 | ISSUE 48•05

In a recent editorial in the journal Nature, researchers from the University of California–San Francisco suggested that as a toxic substance, sugar should be taxed and regulated like alcohol or tobacco.