By The Numbers

Hitchhiker’s guide to getting back to earth

Tobin Low Mar 2, 2016

On Wednesday, some of us returned from a year in space, while others quietly celebrated getting the good parking spot at work. Who’s to say who had a more interesting hump day? Here are some need-to-know numbers for Wednesday.

via GIPHY

Astronaut Scott Kelly returned to earth after a year on the International Space Station — he and his retired-astronaut-twin-brother Mike Kelly are participating in a study on the effects of long term space travel. Now, thanks to a hitched ride with the Russians, he’s back. And if you’re wondering how much it costs to travel back to earth, the seat cost the U.S. about $75 million. But considering it’ll be a year or two before NASA has a commercial program to shuttle astronauts back and forth, the seat is worth the price.

Tomorrow brings the next Republican presidential debate. Coming out of Super Tuesday, where Donald Trump swept several states, the event is sure to be must-see-tv. That’s especially of note to advertisers, who have been paying more and more to get ad space during presidential debates. These days, a 30-second spot is garnering six figure price tags. That’s translating to millions of dollars for networks.

But maybe you need a break from all of the noise surrounding the election. Maybe you just want a quiet night with your family. Chick-fil-A is certainly hoping that’s what you’re after. The franchise has started a marketing campaign that asks patrons to store their cell phones in a box — a “Cell Phone Coop,” as it’s called — while dining at Chick-fil-A. As Mashable Tech writes, it’s only at about 150 outlets at the moment, though it’s not an official company policy.

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