For Boys Only Page 9

  BENGAL, 1757

  On June 23,1757, Robert Clive and 3,000 English and allied native soldiers faced off against 50,000 French and their allied native warriors near Plassey in Bengal (a region in Southeast Asia). Clive’s enemies had the same modern weapons he had, as well as European artillerymen trained to use them. Clive had a river behind him so he could not retreat, and no advantage in terrain. But Clive won the battle. How did he do it?

  He bribed the opposing general, offering to make him the ruler of Bengal if he held back his men. The general agreed. Sometimes, knowing how to bend your enemy is more important than trying to break him.

  EGYPT, 1798

  On July 28th, Napoleon faced an Egyptian army three times his size near the pyramids. The best Egyptian soldiers were cavalrymen, some 4,000 to 6,000 of them. These were professional soldiers who lived for their moments of glory in battle, and they were supported by 40 cannons. But the battle was no contest. Some 2,000 of the horse riders died, against 29 French deaths. How come?

  The horsemen only knew how to charge straight ahead. Napoleon formed his men into hollow squares five rows deep. They held their fire until the Egyptians were right in front of them, then picked them off, one by one. According to Dr. Jerome Cormello, a retired colonel and professor of military studies at the U.S. War College, the key to victory was the “organization and discipline” of Napoleon’s men, who beat a cavalry whose proud record of victories stretched back to defeating the Mongols in 1303.

  FANTASY WARS

  MONGOLS

  BETWEEN A.D. 1200 AND 1400, no one could take on the Mongols. They were the world’s most devastating fighting force. But if you think of grim, unstoppable soldiers, you have to start with the Romans, who built and held their great empire between 57 B.C. and the A.D. 400s. So, what would have happened if these two ruthless conquerors had met in combat?

  The Internet is full of debate about this one—often from avid Civilization fans. Most posters agree that the Mongols had better weapons. Arrows shot by the exceptional composite bow (see p. 40) they developed could have pierced Roman shields or armor, and the large, well-organized cavalry would have been too much for Roman soldiers. But fans of Rome don’t give up easily—they point out that Mongol victories were short-lived, they blended in with the people they conquered, or gave in to fighting among themselves. Rome’s influence lasted for thousands of years. The Romans were also very good at learning from history. If they fought the Mongols and lost, they might well have come back to win another day.

  WHO WOULD WIN?

  ROMANS

  HOW DOES IT WORK ?

  CELL PHONES

  HOW DO CELL PHONES WORK? Basically, they’re like two-way radios or powerful walkie-talkies. You speak into the phone, and a microphone takes the air vibrations from your mouth and converts them to electrical signals. Those signals are sent into the air. The nearest phone tower picks up your signal and sends it across a network made up of the regular wired phone network and other towers. Your call makes its way through this network in just a few seconds until it finds the person you’re calling. Their cell phone receives your electrical signals and reconverts them into voice tones for their earpiece. When they talk back to you, the process is repeated.

  Towers act like antennas and help you make the first connection. Most cell phones can send out electrical signals to towers several miles away. But if you’re too far from a cell tower, then you can’t get reception or your call breaks up.

  By the way, the reason they’re called “cell” phones is that every tower is considered one cell that is part of a larger group of cells, known as a “cellular network.”

  COMPUTER BYTE SIZES

  WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR COMPUTER’S memory or the size of computer files, you probably mention “megs.” This is short for “megabytes” or a million bytes. A byte is a computer programming word that refers to a specific amount of information. One byte is just about equal to one letter or one number.

  This table shows you how many bytes are in a computer.

  Prefix Bytes

  kilo (K) 1,024

  mega (M) 1,048,576

  giga (G) 1,073,741,824

  tera 1,099,511,627,776

  peta 1,125,899,906,842,624

  exa 1,152,921,504,606,846,976

  zetta 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424

  yotta 1,208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176

  When computers were built in the 1950s, they were so big that they were stored in rooms the size of a school cafeteria. But they were only as powerful as today’s pocket calculators, and they could only handle a few bytes at a time. By the 1980s, most computer memory was measured in kilobytes, which seemed like a lot at the time. In the 1990s, it reached megabytes. Today, we talk more and more about gigabytes. In the next few years, you’ll be hearing a lot about petabytes.

  Here’s how all those numbers translate into familiar paper versions.

  1 byte One letter

  10 bytes Two words

  100 bytes One long sentence

  1 KB Two paragraphs

  10 KB One page in a dictionary

  100 KB A 3 x 5 photograph

  1 MB A 250-page book

  10 MB Two copies of the complete works of Shakespeare, or two songs (MP3s)

  100 MB 1 shelf of books four feet long

  1 GB An SUV filled with books

  100 GB The books on one floor of a local public library

  1 TB The paper from 50,000 trees

  10 TB All the books and letters in the U.S. Library of Congress

  It is estimated that all the printed paper created every year would equal about 2 exabytes. Another estimate is that we could store a recording of everything ever said by anybody in the history of the world in 42 zettabytes. Not that we’d want to listen to all those people all over again, but it’s nice to know that we have the power.

  SO YOU WANT TO BE A ROCK STAR

  MUSICIANS MAKE MOST OF THEIR BIG money from playing concerts. U2’s most recent concert tour was one of the biggest in history, bringing in almost $400 million from ticket sales. Much of that money was used to pay for crew and transportation during the tour.

  To get the band set up and on stage every night took 16 tractor-trailer trucks, six buses, and 80 crew members—plus a private jet. This was for the stage, guitars, drums, microphones, amplifiers, lights, video screens, and the computers to control it all. Even with all of this equipment, the average time to load up the trucks was only two hours. Over the course of a year and a half, the band visited five continents, played 132 sold-out shows, and sold 4,619,021 tickets.

  U2 is among a select group of musicians that make millions of dollars each year. Here is a list of what the Top 10 moneymaking musicians made in one year.

  U2, $154.2 MILLION

  The most popular rock band in the world is U2. They’ve been performing together since they were all in high school. U2’s lead singer, Bono, is well-known for his work in trying to help poor countries in Africa.

  THE ROLLING STONES, $92.5 MILLION

  The Stones were formed in 1962, more than 45 years ago. The members of the band are all in their sixties, and still perform huge concerts all over the world.

  PAUL MCCARTNEY, $56 MILLION

  Sir Paul, as he is known, was one of the four Beatles. He was knighted by the Queen of England and is the richest musician in history.

  DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, $39.6 MILLION

  Matthews was born in South Africa and moved to Virginia as a child. He started his popular band with local musicians, and they have become a popular concert attraction all over the world. He uses some of his money to support farmers and organic crops across America.

  GREEN DAY, $31 MILLION

  The three members of Green Day have won numerous awards for their punk-style music. They started a charity with U2 to help buy musical instruments for kids whose instruments were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

  COLDPLAY, $30.1 MILLION

  Often compared to U2, Coldpla
y is one of England’s most popular bands. They are known for supporting many political causes, and claim to give 10 percent of all their earnings to charity.

  DESTINY’S CHILD, $24.8 MILLION

  Destiny’s Child is the most popular “girl group” of all time, selling more than 50 million albums. The three ladies in this band have each been successful with solo records and acting on Broadway or in movies.

  P-DIDDY, $24.3 MILLION

  Known by lots of names (Puffy, Puff Daddy, Diddy), Sean Combs not only records albums, he is a successful clothing designer. He also owns a record company and several restaurants.

  GWEN STEFANI, $23.9 MILLION

  A longtime member of the band No Doubt, Gwen became even more popular when she released solo albums. She has a popular clothing line and has also begun an acting career.

  50 CENT, $19.7 MILLION

  This rapper, born Curtis James Jackson III, came from a poor family and worked his way up to become one of the most popular rappers of all time. He has written several books and is now appearing in movies.

  SELLING A LOT OF RECORDS IS ALSO good for a musician’s piggy bank. Most musicians make about one dollar for every CD sold. Here are the 10 musicians who’ve sold the most records in the United States—ever.

  1. THE BEATLES: 168,500,000

  The Beatles have sold more than 160 million albums in the U.S., which averages out to more than half the people in this country owning a Beatles record. They changed history with their pop music and long haircuts, but only recorded for eight years, from 1962 to 1970. They are still considered the most popular music group of all time. The Beatles’ song “Yesterday” is reportedly the second-most recorded song ever … after “Happy Birthday to You.”

  2. ELVIS PRESLEY: 118,500,000

  During the 1950s and 1960s, this shy young truck driver from Tennessee became the most popular solo artist of all time. He is still called “the King of Rock and Roll.”

  3. GARTH BROOKS: 116,000,000

  Wearing his black hat wherever he goes, Garth Brooks is country music’s all-time best-selling performer. After setting concert attendance records in the 1990s, he went into semiretirement to spend time with his family and work with charities.

  4. LED ZEPPELIN: 109,500,000

  This British band was famous for creating loud and exciting rock music in the 1970s, but they also recorded many unusual and exotic songs. Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” has been the single most popular song on music radio stations for more than twenty years.

  5. THE EAGLES: 91,000,000

  An American group that performed during the 1970s, the Eagles broke up after band members started getting into fights with each other. Years later, they reunited and their greatest hits album became the all-time best-selling record in the United States.

  6. BILLY JOEL: 79,500,000

  A piano player from New York, Joel’s songs about life in American towns made him a favorite of radio stations during the 1970s and 1980s. He still tours today, often with Elton John.

  7. PINK FLOYD: 73,500,000

  This group from London was known for their experimental work with sound and synthesizers during the 1960s and 1970s. Their album Dark Side of the Moon spent 741 weeks on the best-seller list, longer than any other recorded piece of music in history.

  8. BARBRA STREISAND: 71,000,000

  A girl from Brooklyn who suffered from stage fright, Barbra is the best-selling female artist of all time. She is also a successful theater and movie actress and director.

  9. ELTON JOHN: 69,000,000

  A British pianist whose birth name was Reginald Dwight, Elton John became known for his pop songs and flamboyant stage costumes during the 1970s and 1980s. He is actively involved in many charities and often tours the world with fellow piano man Billy Joel.

  10. AC/DC: 66,000,000

  Started by two brothers in Australia in the 1970s, AC/DC continues to make records more than 30 years later. Their music and stage costumes provided inspiration for the movie School of Rock.

  THE ONLY FOUR

  SPORTS DYNASTIES WORTH MENTIONING, AND WHY NO ONE WILL EVER TOP THEM

  MARCH MADNESS: Since the NCAA tournament began in 1939, only seven teams have ever repeated as champions. Before Florida did it in 2006—07, Duke was the last to defend its title, in 1991—92. Only one has done better than that—much better. UCLA was the NCAA champion in 1964—65. They lost in ‘66, and then got serious, winning seven times in a row. They lost in 1974, but won again in ’75—10 championships in 12 years. No team has ever, or will ever, come close to that record. Coach John Wooden set an example in seeing talent, not race, and crushed teams stuck in the past. Other teams at the time also had black players, but limited how many would play, or treated them as outsiders. Wooden set high standards and treated all his players as equals.

  WHO IS THE GREATEST basketball coach of all time? Arnold “Red” Auerbach of the Boston Celtics, no doubt about it. He led the Celtics to the NBA Finals every single year between 1957 and 1966, when he stepped down as manager; and each time they won, except in 1958. Nine championships in 10 years!

  In 1956, Auerbach made a key trade that gave him three top draft picks. He selected Bill Russell and K.C. Jones, two black players who had led San Francisco to consecutive NCAA championships. Auerbach was a pioneer in using any combination of players that would win, and not paying any attention to their race. His disciplined, unselfish champions expected to win, and they did. Due to his legacy, the Celtics have dominated their sport like no other professional team, winning over 26% of all NBA championships. Truth to tell, though, they have not won much in recent years, so that percentage is declining fast.

  GO, RED BIRDS! The Saint Louis Cardinals have won 10 World Series. The Boston Red Sox have done well, too, with their six championships—that puts them only 20 behind the New York Yankees. Think of the fabled “Murderer’s Row” of the ’20s, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, and Bob Meusel. Read about the home-run derbies of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. For fun, get a book on the dramatics (members of the team often squabbled with each other) of Reggie Jackson and Ron Guidry. Hunt around on the Web for stories of the efficiency of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Any place you look, you will see the same story: The Yankees win. All told, Yankee teams have won a full quarter of all the World Series ever held.

  HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS come in bunches: Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers took the Stanley Cup in 1990, 1988, and ‘87, as well as 1985 and ’84, and they broke the streak of four in a row won by the New York Islanders between 1980 and ‘83. But the real champion of champions is the Montreal Canadians, who won four in a row before the Islanders’ reign, and five in a row between 1956 and ’59. In fact, if any team can challenge the Celtics and Yankees as dominant in their sport, it is the Habs (short for habitant, French for a farmer from Quebec, the Canadian province in which Montreal is located)—who have won 24 Stanley Cups, just over a quarter of all the hockey championships.

  WHY DON’T WE HAVE sports dynasties today? Three simple reasons—free agency, expansion, and the draft. In the old days, players were tied to the team that paid them. The team could trade a player, but a player could not sign with a new team. So, teams stayed together for a long time. Today, expiring contracts cause teams to reshuffle not only every year, but even during a season. A team going nowhere with an expensive player who will leave next year will try to trade him before the year runs out. When the Celtics and Canadians dominated their sports, they had very few rivals. The National Hockey League, for example, had just six teams during much of its early history, until it doubled to twelve in 1967—68. And then there is the draft: Teams with the worst records now get first crack at the best high school and college players. That does not guarantee a team will turn around, but it does mean new stars are spread around.

  MAJOR LEAGUE BROTHERS

  VINCE, JOE, AND DOM DIMAGGIO all played in the major leagues—with Dom’s lifetime .298 average being quite good, and Jo
e’s .325 making him a frequent choice as the best ever.

  Felipe, Mitty, and Jesus Alou were the first brothers to bat one after another in order. They did it on September 10. 1963. Playing for the San Francisco Giants against the New York Mets—they went down one, two, three. Five days later, they formed the first all-brothers starting outfield in baseball history. Moises, Felipe’s son, is still playing, and collectively, the four Alous have played more innings than any other baseball family

  The winningest duo of brother pitchers is Phil and Joe Nickro. Phil’s knuckleball won him 318 games in 24 years, and in 22 years, Joe won another 221. Their family total of 539 gives them 10 more than Gaylord and Jim Perry. Joe’s son Lance is a first baseman, not a pitcher. but he is playing today.

  LARGEST

  PORTS FACILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES

  WHEN YOU WATCH SPORTS ON TV, there are usually thousands of people in the stands, a lot of them screaming their lungs out. But one place dwarfs all those stadiums, and the action is louder than the fans. That’s the Indianapolis Speedway during the Indianapolis 500 race. The largest sports facility in history, the Speedway packs in 255,000 people during the race, making it—for one day, at least—one of America’s 100 largest cities. The Speedway is so huge that the Kentucky Derby track, Yankee Stadium, the Rose Bowl, Wimbledon’s tennis courts, the Roman Coliseum, and Vatican City could all easily fit into the Speedway at the same time.