Giant QE2 Asteroid Zips Past Earth At A Safe Distance

The announcement of a large asteroid zipping by earth is always met with a lot of excitement and some apprehension - Especially, given the several close encounters we have had in past few months. After all, there is always the chance that one may veer from its course and decide to come visit us. Fortunately, that did not happen when the ginormous 1998QE2 zipped by earth on Friday, May 31st....

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Will RoboBees Help Alleviate The Loss Of Honey Bees?

Though scientists have known about Colony-Collapse Disorder, the phrase used to describe the untimely deaths of millions of honey bees across the globe for many years, nobody has yet been able to ascertain why. With bees responsible for pollinating crops worth in excess of $200 billion USD a year, something has to be done to avert what could soon become a global food crisis....

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Why We Celebrate Memorial Day

To most of us Memorial Day weekend is just an opportunity to spend three-days lazing around the pool making plans for the upcoming summer vacation, or hitting the malls looking for bargains. Hence it is often easy to forget the real significance of this holiday - A day to honor the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives whilst serving in our armed forces....

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Will 3-D Printers Be The Key To Ending World Hunger?

3-D printers are certainly the buzz today - They are being put to all kinds of uses, ranging from creating faux cars for movies to architectural models and if some advocates have their way, possibly even lunar structures. However, none of these ideas are as radical as the one proposed by Anjan Contractor, who believes that they will be the key to ending world hunger....

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Robocops, Robots And Drones To Boost Security At Upcoming Events In Brazil

Over the next four years, Brazil will be home to several world-class events. In July 2013, the largely catholic nation will welcome the recently elected Pope Francis as he makes his first official international visit. In 2014, Rio De Janeiro will host World Cup Soccer and two years later, the much awaited summer Olympics. Given the unfortunate rise in terrorism especially at large public events, the government is not taking chances when it comes to keeping both visitors and locals, safe....

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New Irish Stamp Tells A Story - Literally!

Postage stamps, the tiny adhesive labels which prove that adequate postage has been paid have also become a venue for story-telling via pictures. Over the years, they have tugged the hearts of nature lovers with pleas from endangered birds and even brought a smile on the fans of the Simpsons who helped make it the longest running television show ever! None however, have told the entire story literally, until now....

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Uh-Oh! The Moon Just Added Another Large Crater To Its Pockmarked Surface

Given that the moon already has a pockmarked surface, one would think that an additional crater would not really be cause for much excitement - But as it turns out, this latest one is, because according to scientists it is the biggest explosion observed on the lunar surface since 2005 - One so large, that the bright flash of light that resulted from the impact, could have been observed from earth without a telescope, had a stargazer been looking up at that precise moment....

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US Tornado Season Begins With A Massive Twister!

Though the US tornado season usually in begins in earnest from March and continues till June, things had been a little quiet this year, thanks to a cooler spring that lasted all the way through mid-May, keeping the twisters at bay. But as the temperatures and humidity have risen, the tornadoes have emerged with a deadly vengeance....

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Video Of The Week - Soccer Superstar David Beckham Retires

With his runway model-like looks and incredible soccer skills, David Beckham stole the hearts of millions of fans all over the world. On Saturday, May 18th, the 38-year old brought down the curtain on his storied 20-year professional soccer career with one final game as honorary captain of the Paris St. Germain (PSG) team....

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When In New York, Seek Out The Candy Cab

New York City streets are jam-packed with similar-looking yellow cabs. Some however, are better than others. In the past some lucky people have struck it rich with the Cash Cab. While that is history, there is now a sweeter kind of jackpot waiting to be claimed thanks to the Candy Cab - A free candy store on wheels filled with all sorts of delights, ranging from Skittles to Milky Ways....

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San Francisco's Wacky Bay To Breakers Race Attracts 30,000 'Runners'

On Sunday, May 19th over 30,000 official competitors and thousands of unofficial ones, took to the streets of San Francisco, to participate in 102nd Bay to Breakers, the city's most famous road race. Started in 1912 to bring some cheer to the residents following the devastating 1906 earthquake, the unique event celebrates not only athleticism, but also, the fun-loving spirit of the residents of San Francisco....

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The Deceptively Frail Seahorse Provides Inspiration For Robotic Armor Designs

With their beautiful colors, upright swimming abilities and curled up tails, seahorses are magical creatures. Now it turns out, that these seemingly fragile fish are tough enough to weather impact that would destroy most living creatures - So much so, that researchers are planning to mimic their body structure to solve a problem that has been eluding them for many years....

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Record High Readings Of Carbon Dioxide Raise Concern

On Thursday, May 9th, 2013, Federal scientists overseeing the oldest greenhouse gas monitoring system situated in Hawaii, reported that worldwide levels of carbon dioxide, the chief culprit behind global warming had reached 400 parts per million, a milestone never been encountered by humans before....

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The Jersey Shore Shark Attacks Of 1916

While today, the mere mention of a shark sighting sends shivers down our spines, such was not the case about a century ago. In those days, most people believed that sharks were tame creatures who could be easily scared and had jaws so weak, that even if one were brave enough to come close, it would pose no threat. This belief was reinforced by experts who maintained that sharks would never attack humans, especially in the temperate waters of the United States, unless they were provoked....

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Video Of The Week - A Festival Dedicated To Internet Cat Videos!

On Saturday May 11th, six thousand cat lovers and their felines gathered in downtown Oakland to participate in the city’s first Internet Cat Video Festival. The block party which began at 3.00pm featured local bands dressed up as cats, comedians telling cat jokes and dozens of booths selling hand-crafted cat merchandise....

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