13 March: 72

Today is the 72nd day of the year. 10 things you might not know about the number 72:

1. It's the atomic number of hafnium, a chemical element with the symbol Hf. Hafnium is a silver-grey transition metal similar to zirconium. Its existence was predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, but it wasn't identified until 1923, by Coster and Hevesy, making it the last stable element to be discovered. Hafnium is named after Hafnia, the Latin name for Copenhagen, where it was discovered.
2. It is half a gross, or 6 dozen.
3. In binary, it's 1001000; in duodecimal, it's 60; and in Roman numerals it's LXXII.
4. In finance, the rule of 72 is a method for working out how long it will take an investment to double.
5. The exterior angles of a regular pentagon measure 72 degrees each.
6. In religion: In Islam, 72 is the number of houri, or female companions, each Muslim martyr will receive in paradise. 72 languages were spoken at the Tower of Babylon; it's also the number of demons King Solomon sealed away with The Lesser Key of Solomon. The Kabbalah mentions 72 names for God; and according to some manuscripts, 72 is the number of disciples sent forth by Jesus.
7. There are 72 members in the National Senate of Argentina.
8. Room temperature is considered to be 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. 72 dpi (dots per inch) is the default screen resolution for an image or graphic on an Apple Macintosh screen.
10. In numerology, 72 represents humanitarianism, tolerance, introspection, spirituality, teamwork and intuition. The person with 72 in their numerology chart will want to solve humanity's problems, for the benefit of all, not just one race or class.

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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