On October 17th, 61 wingsuit skydivers from a dozen countries arrived in Perris, California for one purpose - To shatter the skydiving record for the most wingsuit divers in formation while in freefall, set by 42 jumpers in June.
Read news articleOn October 17th, 61 wingsuit skydivers from a dozen countries arrived in Perris, California for one purpose - To shatter the skydiving record for the most wingsuit divers in formation while in freefall, set by 42 jumpers in June.
Read news articleIn case you missed it, Wednesday was 'Back to the Future Day.' For those not familiar with the trilogy, in Back to the Future II, the film's protagonists Marty McFly and Doctor Brown travel 30 years in the future to the fictional city of Hill Valley, CA, to save McFly's yet-to-be born children. The date of their arrival, October 21st, 2015, has since been eagerly awaited by fans all over the world.
Read news articleFans of the Avengers film series will recall Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, that can only be lifted by someone 'worthy,' AKA the superhero himself. However, while the one in the movies was probably a prop, Alan Pan's Mjolnir is the real deal!
Read news articleProsthetics have come a long way since the first known artificial limb - A wood and leather toe was created for an Egyptian noblewoman nearly 3,000 years ago. However, though they have certainly become increasingly sophisticated and nimble they remain extremely expensive, not to mention very industrial looking.
Read news articleAmerican artist Stan Herd is known for numerous things - Oil and watercolor paintings, incredible murals, and most of all, stunning crop art. In fact, the maestro is considered the pioneer of this method of artistic expression that involves the skillful arrangement of plants, soil, and rocks, to create massive masterpieces that are best viewed from a higher vantage point, like a hill or an airplane.
Read news articleStyrofoam, a plastic made of expandable polystyrene foam (EPS) is a useful invention. In fact one could call it almost too useful! The lightweight and buoyant plastic can be used for a myriad of things from thermal insulation to disposable plates & cups, packing material, and even to build boats! The only problem is that the versatile product is almost impossible to recycle.
Read news articleFor U.S. residents, fall and pumpkins go hand in hand. Some use the fruit to make delicious soups and bread, others to carve out scary jack-o-lanterns. Then there are those that spend months growing giant-sized gourds that they use to compete at pumpkin weigh-offs. While there are numerous competitions held across the country, the 'Super Bowl' takes place at Half Moon Bay, CA which prides itself on being the 'Pumpkin Capital of the World.'
Read news articleIn 1920, Johnson and Johnson employee Earle Dickson created the first bandage to cover the frequent burns and cuts his wife Josephine inflicted on herself while cooking. The hand-made prototype was instantly adopted by his employer and marketed as Band-Aid, a brand that has become synonymous with the word bandage. However, while the adhesive strips may now look different from Dickson's creation they still perform the same job - Prevent bacteria from entering wounds.
Read news articleEvery year around this time, thousands of hot air balloon enthusiasts flock to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to participate in the city's annual International Balloon Fiesta. Now in its 44th year, the 2015 festival that took place from October 3rd -11th is the largest gathering of balloons and balloonists in the world.
Read news articleOn October 3rd, East Coast residents were relieved to hear that Hurricane Joaquin which had been hurtling towards the U.S., was no longer a threat. According to meteorologists, the hurricane that was weakened to a category 3 after battering the Bahamas, would likely remain out to sea instead of ramming into the coastline as had been previously thought.
Read news articleTwo Belgian men have come up with a way to take fine dining to a whole new level - Literally! Diners at their pop-up and franchised restaurants enjoy gourmet meals perched upon floating platforms suspended 180-feet above ground with the help of a giant crane!
Read news articleOn September 25th, US first lady Michelle Obama and China's first lady Peng Liyuan announced that the recently born giant panda at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C. would be called Bei Bei. The name which means 'precious treasure' in Mandarin Chinese, was selected from a list suggested by officials at the zoo and the Wolong Nature Reserve in China.
Read news articleJules, a 20-pound French bulldog may not seem like much of a guard dog. But don't let his small size and sweet demeanor fool you. That's because when it comes to protecting his family, the tiny canine is as effective as the most aggressive dog breed.
Read news articleThis morning, William Campbell, Satoshi Omura, and Youyou Tu, were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine for their work on parasitic diseases. Though the brilliant scientists certainly deserve the honor for their groundbreaking research, for most of us, reading about their and the achievements of other Nobel laureates can be overwhelming and perhaps even a little boring. However, the same cannot be said about the winners of the IG Nobel Prize that celebrates 'fun' scientific research.
Read news articleSome sculptors like to create clay masterpieces; others prefer metal. Then there is Theo Jansen. This Dutch artist uses PVC tubes to build giant Strandbeests (beach animals in Dutch). Part work of art, part fantastical creature, the multi-legged insect-like creations are both awe-inspiring and terrifying!
Read news articleWhen the team of marine biologists led by David Gruber of the City University of New York headed to Solomon Islands in the South Pacific in late July, they were hoping to film some biofluorescent sharks and coral reefs. What they had never expected to find was the world's first-known biofluorescent reptile.
Read news articleMost centenarians are thrilled to be able to walk. Not Hidekichi Miyazaki! This 105-year-old Japanese man wants to run and that too, competitively. Hence, it was only natural for "Golden Bot" to celebrate his latest birthday with a record-breaking 100-meter sprint.
Read news articleWhen one thinks of sandcastles the image that comes to mind is usually that of building a masterpiece not staying inside one. However, some lucky visitors to the Netherlands can experience both thanks to two new pop-up sand hotels in the cities of Oss and Sneek.
Read news articleAs far as age goes, the 220-year-old apple tree in Krolevets, Ukraine, is a young pup. After all, California's giant sequoias and redwoods have been around for thousands of years. However, none can do what this unique tree has been able to - Self-propagate a colony of fifteen family trees that combined cover an area of 1,000 sq. meters (10,763 sq.feet).
Read news articleOn Sunday, September 27th, skywatchers will witness the grand finale of the rare lunar eclipse tetrad (series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses). And it promises to be quite a show. That's because this one involves a full moon and perigee. This means that the celestial body will be at its closest distance to earth, giving it a larger than life appearance. The last time the world witnessed this phenomenon was in 1982, and the next one will not be until 2033!
Read news articleSolving the Rubik's Cube in 60 seconds may not seem like a big deal. In fact, it is painfully slow considering that 15-year-old world record holder Collin Burns is able to complete it in a mere 5.25 seconds. However, figuring out the Cube during a free fall jump certainly takes some skill not to mention a lot of courage. That is why skydiver Chris Walker's recent accomplishment is pretty amazing!
Read news articleJapanese fisherman Hiroshi Hirasaka has an unusual hobby. He likes to catch and eat exotic and bizarre-looking creatures.The avid hunter has even outlined his conquests in a book called "Exotic Fish Species: I Caught, Judged and Tried Eating." Hence, you can only imagine his delight when he reeled in yet another scary looking specimen off the coast of Japan's Hokkaido Island, on August 30th.
Read news articleEvery year, the hard-working folks at Guinness World Records scour the globe to seek out and recognize the incredible achievements and talents of both humans and animals. This year was no exception. On September 10, the company released a sneak peek into all the fascinating records fans can look forward to in the 2016 edition of the iconic book.
Read news articleOn August 28, six researchers who barely know each other made their way to the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii's Big Island for a year-long "vacation." However, the crew of three men and three women that includes a soil scientist, a doctor, a post-grad architect student, and an astrobiologist, did not check into a fancy resort. Instead, they locked themselves up inside a solar-powered dome without fresh air, fresh food, or privacy.
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