The extreme hurricanes and devastating wildfires of 2017 caused $306 billion in total damage, making it the most expensive year on record for natural disasters in the United States. Unfortunately, 2018 has commenced with extreme weather conditions of its own. After a frigid last week of December, the East Coast of the United States is being pummeled with a “bomb cyclone” winter storm that has brought bitterly cold temperatures, deep snow, and hurricane-speed winds to the region....

The reason animals “waste” so much time sleeping has always been somewhat of a mystery to scientists. The popular belief is that resting rids brain cells of toxins, helps consolidate fresh memories and prepares the mind for a new day of learning. However, a new study by a team of research students at the California Institute of Technology has unveiled it’s not just creatures with brains that snooze - even the brainless jellyfish need their zzz’s!...

French graphic design firm Super Terrain, has come up with an ingenious way to capture the essence of Ray Bradbury’s best-selling novel, Fahrenheit 451. The company’s recently released special edition copy can only be read by applying heat to the blackened pages....

As is the case each year, cities worldwide welcomed the New Year with dazzling fireworks shows. In case you missed them, here are a few of the thousands of spectacular displays that lit up the skies around the globe at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2017....

Ever since Apple introduced the front-facing camera in 2010, selfies have become the undisputed king of social media. The incessant need to share breathtaking self-portraits on popular mobile photo services like Instagram and Snapchat has often proved to be dangerous and, in some cases, even deadly. Fortunately, that will not be the case for those using a new art installation in Columbus, Ohio, which transforms an ordinary phone selfie into a 14-feet-high 3D sculpture, which can be admired by all....

As had been widely anticipated, on Thursday, December 14, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 to repeal the net neutrality regulations put in place by the agency two years ago. Why should you care? Because if critics are right, it may hinder your ability to access your favorite social media apps, play video games, or stream movies....

Today, December 12, marks the first day of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. Since the eight-day celebration begins at the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month on the Hebrew calendar, its exact date varies from late November to the end of December....

After almost a year of orbiting the sun, on September 22, 2017, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer) made its closest flyby of Earth. Moving at speeds of about 19,000 mph, the spacecraft passed within 11,000 miles of the planet’s surface just south of Chile, before zooming over Antarctica....

With the New Year just weeks away, you are probably looking forward to watching the dazzling fireworks shows that will usher in 2018 worldwide. Unfortunately, the over ten million visually impaired and blind Americans, and scores more around the globe, have never been able to experience this joyful celebration. That may change soon thanks to Feeling Fireworks, a tactile fireworks experience invented by the masterminds at the Disney Research Lab in Switzerland....

A week before the December 2 season-opening race of the 2017 FIA Formula E Championship, Techeetah team driver Jean-Éric Vergne got behind the wheel for an unusual challenge. The French driver, who placed fifth at the 2016 FIA championship, tested his driving skills against the world’s fastest land animal – the cheetah. And, unlike the Michael Phelps race against a shark earlier this year, this one did not rely on a CGI animated replica....

Facial recognition is a complex task which requires as many as 200 neurons in the brain’s temporal lobe, called “face patches,” to fire up simultaneously within milliseconds. Hence the skill has always been believed to be the realm of “intelligent” animals such as humans, monkeys, apes, dogs, and horses. Now, British scientists have found that the unassuming cud-chewing sheep also possess this skill....

After months of anticipation, Britain’s Prince Harry finally announced his engagement to American actress, model, and humanitarian Rachel Meghan Markle. As per British royalty tradition, the official statement released on November 27, came from the groom’s father, Charles, Prince of Wales — the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and heir apparent to the British Throne....

Over the past few years, the art world has seen some astronomical bids for the works of famous painters. In 2015, Pablo Picasso’s Women of Algiers became the most expensive painting to be sold in an auction, after an anonymous buyer paid $179 million. That same year, a $300 million private sale of Willem de Kooning's abstract landscape Interchange broke the record for the most expensive artwork ever sold. However, both the sales pale in comparison to the $400 million paid for Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi on November 14. The buyer also paid an additional $50.3 million to cover the auction house’s fees and taxes....

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday help kickstart the holiday shopping season, #GivingTuesday, which will be observed on November 28, attempts to galvanize the season of giving. Now in its sixth year, the charitable day uses the power of social media to encourage organizations and individuals to donate funds or resources to worthy causes. Created by the team at the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact at New York City’s 92nd Street Y, its mission is to bring positive change to communities through giving....

Since 2015, members of the Incredible Science Machine have been mesmerizing fans with their complex chain reactions using tens of thousands of dominoes and props. This year was no exception. On March 23, the team set into motion their latest spell-binding creation that culminated in the toppling of a massive centerpiece comprising 76,017 dominoes....

Over the past 30 years, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has experienced a 50 percent loss in coral. Though part of the decline is being attributed to the warmer ocean temperatures caused by climate change, about half of the damage is due to the proliferation of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS). The deadly predators can devour as much as 53 square feet (five square meters) of live coral annually....

After providing the world with spectacular close-up images of Pluto and its icy moons in the summer of 2015, NASA’s New Horizons is zipping off into uncharted territory a billion miles away. On January 1, 2019, the spacecraft will fly past the most remote world ever explored by mankind. Dubbed (486958) 2014 MU69, the small frozen object that lies in the Kuiper Belt may help scientists reveal the origins of our solar system. To mark this historic event, the US Space Agency is asking the public to help find a nickname that is easier to remember than the elaborated moniker assigned by researchers....

Houston residents, recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, finally have something to cheer about – a World Series victory. Thousands of fans lined up on the city streets on Friday, November 3 for a parade celebrating the Houston Astros who won the baseball championship with a resounding 5-1 score against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh game. What makes the much-needed win even more special is that it is the first time the 56-year-old team has brought home the coveted trophy....

North Americans will enjoy an extra hour of fun, or sleep, this weekend! That’s because Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends on November 5, which means that the clocks will turn back an hour. In addition to adding an extra 60 minutes to Sunday, this simple action effectively moves an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening, making it easier to wake up....

On October 26, Saudi Arabia made history by becoming the first country in the world to grant citizenship to a non-human. The stunning announcement came shortly after Sophia, a humanoid robot, had completed a live interview at the Future Investment Initiative held in the capital city of Riyadh from October 24 to 26. The three-day summit was organized by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia to connect the world’s most powerful investors, thought leaders, and public officials to future innovations....

Asking a patient to hum piano melodies and play an instrument while undergoing brain surgery may sound like a strange request from a doctor. However, that is precisely what a team of brain specialists, led by University of Rochester Medical Center’s Web Pilcher, requested Dan Fabbio to do as they were removing his tumor....

Sea spiders, which have inhabited Earth for over 500 million years, are fascinating creatures. The marine arthropods, which range in size from a millimeter long to as big as a dinner plate, have eight jointed legs that convene around a tiny body. Since their torsos are so small, they use their legs to conduct normal body functions such as digestion and reproduction. Now, it seems the creatures also have a unique breathing mechanism....

Mention the word superhero, and the images that come to mind are of fictional characters like Spiderman, Wonder Woman, or Batman. However, veteran photographer Josh Rossi has used his camera to unveil the world’s real superheroes – six young children who are battling severe diseases and disabilities....

Festivals, most associated with religion, are an essential part of the Indian culture. There is rarely a week that goes by without some celebration. However, few are as widely observed as Diwali. Also known as Deepavali (row of lights), the joyous five-day ritual is the biggest and most anticipated of all Indian celebrations....