9 February: 40

Today is the 40^th day of the year. 10 things you might not know about the number 40:

1. Forty is the only number in the English language which has its letters in alphabetical order.
2. 40 is the atomic number of zirconium.
3. Minus forty degrees is the one temperature at which the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales correspond; that is, −40 °F = −40 °C.
4. In some Middle Eastern traditions, 40 is used to represent a large, approximate number, similar to "umpteen". Hence the tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves may not mean Ali had exactly 40 thieves hanging out with him. Also the Arabic proverb “To understand a people, you must live among them for 40 days” may not mean exactly 40 days, either.
5. The number 40 occurs several times in the Bible. Rain fell for "forty days and forty nights" during the Flood, and when it stopped raining, Noah waited for 40 days before releasing the Raven. Moses spent three consecutive periods of "forty days and forty nights" on Mount Sinai. The prophet Elijah had to walk 40 days and 40 nights before arriving at mount Horeb. Jesus fasted "forty days and forty nights" in the Judean desert, and there were 40 days between the resurrection and the ascension. Or were there, given fact number 4? Anyway, that last one has given rise to a belief in some cultures that after a person dies, their soul lingers on Earth for 40 days before moving on.
6. Quarantine, isolation to prevent the spread of epidemic disease, derives from a Venetian dialect of the Italian 'quaranta giorni' meaning 'forty days', the period that ships had to be isolated before passengers and crew could go ashore during the Black Death.
7. The DIY staple WD40 is an abbreviation of "Water Displacement, 40th formula".
8. Thomas Dolby, Stray Cats and Foreigner all released albums called 40. U2 included a track by the same name on their album, War, which is a version of Psalm 40. Also in music, the best selling record countdown is the Top 40. Also in entertainment, as of 2009, 40 is the highest number ever counted to in Sesame Street.
9. On to sport and games now. 40 is the maximum permitted number of runners in the Grand National, the third point in a game of tennis, the number of spaces on a Monopoly board.
10. In numerology 40 represents dignity, self-worth, pragmatism, dependability, focus, dedication, patience and self control. If you keep coming across the number 40 in your life, it’s said to be a message from the angels reminding you that you are safe.

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

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