Fred Weir was still handsome then, his dark hair swept back from a sharp peak in a high-templed forehead, a tall, athletic fellow with a charming grin.

NPR: Excerpt: 'Trauma'

The notion of a sharp global peak in production does not withstand scrutiny, either.

ECONOMIST: Why the world is not about to run out of oil

Often, epidemics begin with a low, steady rate of cases, followed by a sharp acceleration to a much higher peak.

ECONOMIST: The BSE Inquiry

The rover's primary target is Mount Sharp, a peak about 8 kilometers (5 miles) away.

CNN: Mars rover could start moving in a week

For one thing, the number of citizen-initiatives on the ballot, 61, represents a sharp decline from the peak of 102 in 1994.

ECONOMIST: Referendums

It was a time of sharp recession, with the Dow still under 1000, struggling to touch a peak first hit in ... gasp, 1966.

FORBES: Buy the Numbers

As you can see from the chart, the rather sharp correction from the September peak occurred during a seasonally strong period, but since the initial plunge, gold prices have again begun to edge higher.

FORBES: The Four Key Seasonal Trends for 2012

Sharp a three-and-a-half-billion-year-old peak in the middle of the crater, with layered deposits like a textbook on Martian prehistory.

NEWYORKER: The Martian Chroniclers

Its prime target is the 18, 000-foot (5, 500-meter) peak at the center of Gale Crater, Mount Sharp, where scientists hope to get a layer-by-layer look at the history of the planet.

CNN: Mars rover captures nearby rocket 'footprint'