If you have ever been to Hawaii's Big Island, you may have noticed that it's beaches are covered with black volcanic sand - that's because the Island is home to some of the world's most active volcanoes.
Read news articleIf you have ever been to Hawaii's Big Island, you may have noticed that it's beaches are covered with black volcanic sand - that's because the Island is home to some of the world's most active volcanoes.
Read news articleOn Saturday, March 4th, a thousand Alaskans gathered at Willow Lake, Anchorage, to cheer the 62 mushers and their crew of between 12-16 dogs participating in Alaska's world-renowned trail sled dog race,
Read news articleAccording to scientists, the archipelago of 700 islands and 2,400 islets and cays that constitute The Bahamas, are very unique. Unlike other land formations, these were formed entirely in shallow waters from layers of sediment that compressed atop each other and gradually got converted into limestone.
Read news articleIn December 2010, Sotheby's Auction House was commissioned to sell something a little more fun then mundane artwork - The Malcolm Forbes Toy collection. Amongst the items up for auction were armies of toy soldiers from the Revolutionary wars, castles filled with medieval warriors and most exciting of all, one of the first Monopoly sets ever made.
Read news articleOver the years, many advertisers and car manufacturers have commissioned bakers and candy makers to concoct edible models of their vehicles. Below, are some of the most incredible, not to mention delectable, life-sized creations. However, before you go any further, be sure to have a treat close by - You are definitely going to need it!
Read news articleIt seems as though robots can do almost anything these days - They can be waiters, teachers and even astronauts. However, judging from the results of the just completed robotic marathon in Japan, neither Usain Bolt nor 95-year-old Ida Keeling, have much to worry about - Yet!
Read news articleOn March 17, 1937, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, took off from Oakland, California to make history, by becoming the first woman to fly around the world. However, On July 2nd, just 7,000 miles shy of her goal, her Lockheed Electra twin engine vanished into the Central Pacific Ocean. Despite an extensive search that cost the US government $4 million USD, neither the plane nor any remains of Ms. Earhart or her navigator, Fred Noonan, were found.
Read news articleOne of the worst ailments astronauts and people who are bed-ridden for long periods of time suffer from, is loss of bone and muscle. However, bears, which are about the same size as humans, are able to snooze for seven months at a stretch and while they lose their body fat, their muscle mass remains intact.
Read news articleIt is a well-known fact that dolphins are amongst the most intelligent animals on the planet. Yet, we have never figured out how to really communicate with them or for that matter, any other animals either. Now, a team of scientists from Florida's Wild Dolphin project, have taken the first step towards cracking the code.
Read news articleWhile the science of prosthetics or artificial limbs is thought of as a fairly recent branch of medicine, Jacky Finch and her team at the University of Manchester beg to differ - They believe that the first artificial limbs can be traced all the way back to the Egyptian era, around 700 B.C.
Read news articleThe Google Doodle or decorative changes made to the company's logo are almost as famous as the company itself. Started as a way to make the search experience a little more fun, they have become an integral part of the company - with a fan base that anticipates the release of each Doodle, and even collects them. Now you too, can become famous by entering this year's Doodle 4 Google contest and have your artwork displayed on the world's most visited website for an entire day!
Read news articleOn June 3rd, 2010, six brave men left their family and friends to take part in an exciting experiment called Mars500. The brainchild of the European Space Agency (ESA), it is a test to see how humans will interact with each other, if they are forced to live in close quarters, for long periods of time - As would be the case, if we were ever to embark on a journey to Mars.
Read news articleDid you know that fleas, those tiny blood-sucking parasites that make your pet's life miserable, can leap as high as 13-inches (200 times their own body weight), with an acceleration force that exceeds 100 times the force of gravity? Believe it or not, some of the world's leading scientists have not only known that, but have also pondered and debated about it, for the last 44 years.
Read news articleAfter years of suffering in oblivion, it suddenly seems like the people of North Africa are finally taking charge of their own destiny with radical, history-making changes. For most countries, it involves trying to get rid of the dictators who have ruled over them for decades. However, for the continent's largest country, Sudan, the issues were much more deep-rooted - Ones that could only be resolved by spiltting the country in two. On February 7th, over 99% of the people of Southern Sudan, voted to secede from the North, giving birth to a new Nation.
Read news articleThe key to an aircraft's supersonic speed or fuel efficiency, is its aerodynamics or how smoothly the wind flows over its wings and around its body. However, what may look super-efficient on computer models, may not work so well in real life. Therefore, before any new aircraft takes to the skies, manufacturers usually test prototypes or even the real aircraft, inside giant man-made wind tunnels.
Read news articleNASA's first trainee robot astronaut is all ready to head to Space when Space Shuttle Discovery launches off for its final mission on February 24th - However, its legs are not! No problem, say the scientists, for there is plenty to do even without them - The legs will just have to follow when they are ready!
Read news articleToday, February 3rd, marks the first day of the Chinese or Lunar New Year, one of the most important traditional festivals for people of Chinese descent. While all festivals entail some days of celebration, this one lasts for a whopping fifteen days!
Read news articleWho would have thought that every squeal, squeak and chirp that comes out of the mouth of the humble Gunnison Prairie dog means something? A three decade study of these rodents, has revealed a language so complex, that is surpasses the communication skills of dolphins, whales and even non-human primates like monkeys!
Read news articleThe lives and eventual extinction of the prehistoric giants that roamed the Earth's surface, thousands of years ago, has always fascinated researchers. However, it is impossible to recreate most of them, either because the fossilized DNA is too old (dinosaurs) or just not available. But the one exception may be the Woolly Mammoth, that lived during the Ice Age, about 8,000 years ago.
Read news articleIn 1963, a Baptist clergy man turned civil rights leader called Martin Luther King, Jr. rocked the American public with a poignont speech. Entitled 'I Have a Dream', it's message can be summarized with this single line - 'I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character'.
Read news articleA mere roar from a wild cat is enough to send most of us scampering for cover, so you can only imagine what kind of courage it would take, to spend an entire month living with not one, but two wild cats!
Read news articleThirty youngsters from Blackawaton Primary School in Devon, England have earned themselves the bragging rights of becoming the youngest scientists to get published in a prestigious science journal.
Read news articleWhat if a blood cell from your body could step in and take the place of a weak muscle cell? If that was possible, cells from a different part of the heart, could be programmed to substitute for weak heart muscles, helping a person suffering from a heart attack or better still, take over diseased cells in a person with cancer.
Read news articleComing soon to a store near you - A smart wallet that will monitor your cash and even prevent you from spending, if your balances get really low. Sounds intriguing? Read on!
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