How Pi Day Became America's Biggest Math HolidayA holiday associated with a math constant may not seem very exciting. But Pi ("π") Day, observed annually in the US on March 14 (3/14), is an exception. That's because the celebrations may start with math activities centered around pi — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, widely recognized as 3.14. But they inevitably end with a slice or two of delicious pie!...
Read news articleThree American Athletes Looking To Leave Their Mark At The 2022 Winter ParalympicsThe 2022 Paralympic Winter Games kicked off on March 4, 2022, with a memorable opening ceremony at Beijing's National Stadium. The nine-day sporting event, which ends on March 13, 2022, features roughly 564 athletes competing in 78 medal events across six different sports — alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, sled hockey, snowboarding, and wheelchair curling. Here are three American athletes hoping to make Paralympic history....
Read news articleChildren’s Hand and Footprints Found In Tibet May Be The World's Oldest Cave ArtA neatly-laid out sequence of five handprints and five footprints found near the village of Quesang in Tibet is being hailed as the world's oldest human art. The fossilized indentations were etched on travertine — pliable limestone formed by deposits from natural springs that harden over time. Based on the dimensions, the researchers believe the footprints belonged to a seven-year-old, while the handprints were those of a 12-year-old....
Read news articleMini Boat Launched By New Hampshire Students Turns Up 8,000 Miles Away In NorwayWhen a group of Rye Junior High School students in New Hampshire set sail a roughly five-foot-long boat into the Atlantic in October 2020, they were not sure what to expect. While some were optimistic it would wash ashore in Europe, many believed the tiny vessel, called Rye Riptides, would get destroyed along the way. On February 1, 2022, the skeptics were proved wrong when the partially dismantled boat washed ashore 8,300 miles away on a small island near Dyrnes, Norway....
Read news articleCelebrate Women's History Month With These Frontline Female TrailblazersCelebrated every March, Women's History Month honors the often-overlooked contributions of women in history, society, and culture. This year's theme — "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope"— salutes both the brave frontline workers of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the countless women who have provided healing and hope throughout history....
Read news articleSweden's Icehotel Celebrates Its 32nd IncarnationHotels often undergo makeovers. However, few can compete with the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden. Carved entirely from "snice" — a mix of snow and ice — the hotel is rebuilt annually, with each iteration more impressive than the previous version. The 32nd Icehotel, open to guests until April 17, 2022, is no exception....
Read news articleColorful LEGO Bricks Have Been Washing Ashore English Beaches For 25 YearsFebruary 13, 2022, marked the 25th anniversary of the Great LEGO Spill — the worst toy-related environmental disaster of all time. On this fateful day in 1997, the Tokio Express was battered by a massive, 28-foot rogue wave off the United Kingdom's southwestern coast. The force tilted the cargo ship — en route from Rotterdam to New York — by 60 degrees, causing it to drop 62 containers into the sea. One was filled with about 5 million colorful LEGO bricks!...
Read news articleWorld's Largest Colony Of Nesting Fish Found Beneath Antarctic IceThe Weddell Sea, an extension of the Southern Ocean off the coast of Antarctica, is known for its abundant wildlife. The 1,242-mile (2,000-km) bay's nutrient-rich waters are home to large populations of seals, penguins, and baleen whales. Now, researchers have uncovered a trove of 60 million icefish nests sprawled across 93 square miles (240 square kilometers) of the seafloor. The nurseries — each guarded by a ghoulish-looking adult — constitute the fish's largest-known breeding colony....
Read news articleQueen Elizabeth II Is The First British Monarch To Celebrate A Platinum JubileeOn February 6, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee — 70 years to the day she became queen. The 95-year-old is the first British monarch and one of only four documented monarchs, worldwide — Louis XIV of France; Johann II of Liechtenstein, and, most recently, Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand — to mark the extraordinary anniversary. The historic milestone will be celebrated with events and initiatives throughout the year, but the main festivities will be held during a four-day holiday weekend in June....
Read news articleRare Juvenile "Ghost Shark" Found Off New Zealand CoastChimaeras, or ghost sharks, have been around for millions of years. However, the elusive fish, which live at depths of up to 6,000 feet, are largely unknown to science. The lack of crucial information — like how long they live or how often they reproduce — makes it challenging to monitor and protect the 52 known ghost shark species. Now, a rare newborn chimaera, discovered off the coast of New Zealand, may help scientists better understand the mysterious deep-water creatures....
Read news article19-Year-Old Zara Rutherford Becomes The Youngest Woman To Fly Around The World SoloMost 19-year-olds are still trying to perfect their driving skills. But Zara Rutherford had her eyes set a little higher. The British-Belgian teenager wanted to be the youngest woman to fly around the world solo. On January 22, 2022, Rutherford fulfilled her lifelong dream when she successfully landed her two-seat ultralight aircraft back at the Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in Belgium, where she had departed from 155 days ago....
Read news articleTeam Ruff And Team Fluff Prepare For Battle At Puppy Bowl 18!Want to enjoy the Super Bowl Sunday celebrations, but pass on the NFL game? Then you may want to check out Puppy Bowl XVIII, which will air on Animal Planet and Discovery+ a few hours before the big game. It features adorable puppies competing for the "Lombarky" trophy in a chaotic, but insanely cute, "football" game. The best part is the "players" — selected from animal shelters around the country — all find permanent homes before the game ends....
Read news articleBMW's "Chameleon" Car Can Change Colors With The Touch Of A Button!Shoppers pondering over which color car to purchase may want to consider German automaker BMW's new concept car. Unveiled at the January 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, the stylish BMW iX Flow is the world's first color-changing car. The vehicle's exterior can be changed from white to gray to black, and back, with the touch of a button....
Read news articleThese Biofluorescent Mammals Emit A Vivid Pink And Red GlowBiofluorescence refers to an organism's ability to absorb ultraviolet light (UV) and emit it as a colorful glow. The skill has been documented in fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and even microscopic tardigrades. However, glow-in-the-dark mammals are still new to science. They currently include just a handful of nocturnal animals such as flying squirrels, opossums, and platypuses. The latest to hop on to this elite list is a jumping rodent called the springhare....
Read news articleSuper Bowl 56 Is This Sunday!The countdown to Super Bowl LVI — the National Football League's championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals— has begun. On February 13, 2022, an estimated 100 million Americans will tune in to watch the two teams battle it out for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The championship game — the fifth one for the Rams and the third one for the Bengals — certainly promises to be exciting. But Super Bowl Sunday is about more than just football....
Read news articleAthletes To Watch At The Beijing 2022 Winter OlympicsThe XXIV Winter Olympic Games officially kicked off with an opening ceremony at Beijing's National Stadium, aka " the Bird's Nest," on February 4, 2022. The two-hour, 20-minute extravaganza— which emphasized togetherness — was filled with spectacular performances and brilliant light and fireworks displays....
Read news articleAshleigh Barty And Rafael Nadal Make History At Australian OpenThis year's first Grand Slam tennis tournament — the Australian Open — ended with historic wins for both the women's and men's singles champions. On January 29, 2022, 25-year-old Ashleigh Barty became the first Australian to clinch the women's singles title at a home grand slam in 44 years....
Read news articleScientists Digitally "Unwrap" The Mummy Of 18th Dynasty Egyptian PharaohThe mummified remains of Amenhotep I, who ruled Egypt from around 1525 to 1504 BC, were unearthed over a century ago, in1881. But the pharaoh's sarcophagus, exquisitely dressed in linens and an ornate, lifelike face mask, was left untouched for fear of damaging his fragile body. Now, researchers have used three-dimensional computerized tomography (CT) to peek through the layers and obtain invaluable information about the ancient king, who lived over 3,500 years ago....
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