The most efficient commercially available solar panel is the E20, which has a peak efficiency of 20.07% and was released by SunPower Corp. (USA) on 8 June 2011.

The Major League Baseball (MLB) record for most times ejected from a game is 158 by Bobby Cox (USA) managing the Toronto Blue Jays (Canada) and Atlanta Braves (USA) from 1978 to 2010.

The most eggs thrown and caught in one minute from 5 m (16 ft 4 in) is 82 and was achieved by Ashrita Furman and Bipin Larkin (both USA), at the Aloha Hive children’s summer camp, in Fairlee, Vermont, USA, on 19 July 2011. Mark Dorian was the official timekeeper during the attempt and Helen Dorian examined the egss after the attempt. Both Mark and Helen Dorian are counsellors at the summer camp.

The world´s most endangered species of lobelia is Lobelia monostachya, which is entirely confined to the southern leeward Koolau Mountains of Oahu, Hawaii. Only eight plants are currently known to exist here, and they are under threat from landslides, rats, introduced species of plant, and possibly invertebrates too. Attempts are being made to conserve it by propagation at the Lyon Arboretum.

The most expensive TV advertising campaign is the $8.1 million (£5.7 million), or $90,000 (£63,333) per second, adverts for Pepsi Cola. The adverts were first aired during Superbowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome, USA on 3 February 2002. The 90-second commercials starred Britney Spears (USA) representing the drink at different stages in the last five decades. Beginning with Britney impersonating 50’s icon Marilyn Monroe, the commercial then shows Britney supporting a 60’s bouffant hairdo, then walking through fields in a 70’s hippie theme. The 80’s Continue reading →

The most expensive bicycle sold at auction is £318,000 ($500,000) and was sold at Sothebys, New York, on 1 November 2009. The one-off creation named ‘Butterfly bike’ by British artist Damien Hirst was ridden by Lance Armstrong (USA) during the final stage of Tour de France 2009. The sale was in aid of the Mr. Armstrong’s LiveStrong cancer charity. Mr. Hirst used real butterfly wings, lacquered onto the frame of a Trek Madone bike.

A baseball was sold at Guernsey’s auction house, New York City, USA for $3,054,000 (£1,874,655)  including commission, to Todd McFarlane on 12 January 1999. The ball was the one that was hit by Mark McGwire of the St Louis Cardinals for his 70th and final home run in his record-setting season in 1998.

A Louis XV Savonnerie carpet measuring 5.4 x 5.8 m (18 x 19 ft) which was probably made for Louis XV’s Château de la Mouette c. 1740-50, fetched $4,406,000 (£2,993,512) at Christie’s, New York, USA in November 2000.

The five-lane San Francisco–Oakland Bay toll bridge opened in 1963, but was left crippled by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. In 2002, restoration and replacement work began on the bridge at an estimated cost of $6.3 billion (£3.8 billion).

The most expensive dessert is The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate ice cream sundae costing $25,000 (£12,000), which was added to the menu of the Serendipity 3 restaurant, New York, USA on 7 November 2007. The dessert uses a fine blend of 28 cocoas, including 14 of the world’s most expensive. The sundae was made in partnership with luxury jeweller Euphoria New York. The dessert is decorated with 5 g (0.17 oz) of edible 23-karat gold and is served in a goblet lined with edible gold. The Continue reading →