Today’s interesting fact has to do with the Stock Market.

It has been estimated that over 90% of the trades that are done on the stock market these days are computer controlled.

These computers use algorithms that are specially created for optimum purchase and selling of stock certificates.

The computers used are so fast that microsecond differences in the timing of bids can make or lose millions.

Optical fibres are used to send the signals to and from the markets.

These fibres have traditionally been run along railroad tracks.

But railroad tracks when they go into cities and towns can be forced to wander.

A company recently laid an almost straight optical fibre cable 1300 kilometres from the New York Stock Exchange to the Chicago Stock Exchange, to save microseconds for their customers’ computer trades to allow them to beat their competitors’ bids.