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.

I was away from things for the past few days, so here is Tuesday's interesting fact.

Today’s interesting fact has to do with steam trains.

Apparently, since the creation of the railroads in the UK, there has not been a single year, where there has not been a steam traction engine on the UK main lines.

They may have replaced them for the most part in the UK with electric and diesel, but there still are steam trains in use in the UK.