In November 2008, 265 pits collected from various cherry trees from 14 locations across Japan, were sent to the International Space Station. The endeavor was part of an educational and cultural project to demonstrate to kids, how seeds can continue to live and grow, even after a jaunt to space. The seeds that circled the globe 4,100 times during their four-month mission, were brought back to earth in March 2009. While some were kept for lab tests most, were returned to their original locations....

A group of sixth-grade math students from Oak Grove Lutheran School are making headlines for achieving something quite extraordinary - Generating better portfolio investment returns than students from some of the country's most prestigious universities....

When the eruption of a volcano on November 21st, 2013, resulted in a brand new island about a thousand kilometers south of Japan's capital Tokyo, experts were a little hesitant to declare that a permanent new landmass had been born. That's because these kind of volcanic islands have a tendency to disappear almost as rapidly, as they appear....

Always wondered what an Egyptian mummy might look like underneath all of its wrappings? Then you may want to head to Stockholm's Medelhavsmuseet, where a new exhibit allows visitors to peel off all the layers right down to the skeleton - with a swipe of a finger!...

Over the last few weeks, earthquake activity seems to have increased dramatically. First there was the 5.2 magnitude shaker in Los Angeles on March 21st. Then came the more intense, 8.2 magnitude quake near Chile on April 1st, followed by one that measured 5.8 in magnitude the day after, in Panama. While they may all appear to be isolated incidents, the shakers do have one thing in common - They all occurred in locations along the dreaded 'Ring of Fire', the world's most active earthquake and volcano belt....

When the 239 passengers and 12 crew members boarded Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur at 12.41 am on March 8th, they probably had one thought in mind - To go to their respective homes or hotels and catch up on some well deserved rest when the flight landed in Beijing, at 6.30 am....

When Gustave Eiffel designed the Eiffel Tower for the 1889 Exposition Universelle held to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the French Revolution, he had never envisioned it to last more than 20 years. But the tower, which turned 125 on Monday, March 31st, has not only outlived all expectations, but also, become the most enduring symbol of France, one that is visited by almost 7 million visitors a year....

Tomorrow is April 1st or as it is better known, Fools' Day! This is the day when pranksters come out in full force to have some light-hearted fun at the expense of some unsuspecting souls. Though the origin of this age-old tradition is not known for sure, some trace it back to 1582, the year when the Julian calendar (which began the New Year in April), was replaced with today's Gregorian calendar. Others believe it was to mark the change of seasons. No matter what started it all, April Fools' sure is a fun tradition....

Online gaming has made the world much more exciting almost everywhere except in the classroom. While we now have access to computers and even tablets that feature all kinds of educational games, teachers still use old-fashioned incentives to encourage students. Sure you can get some extra credit by spending copious amounts of time doing challenging problems, but it's not fun and more importantly, cannot be achieved by students that find the subject challenging....

On Saturday, March 29th, millions of people in more than 7,000 cities and over 150 countries will do something radical - Switch off all lights and electronic devices from 8.30-9.30pm local time! Why? Because believe it or not, this minor action that has become known throughout the world as 'Earth Hour' will help make a dent in the fight against climate change....

The next time you moan and groan about being asked to take a shower, think about this statistic - there are about 1.2 billion people in the world that do not have access to sanitation facilities. Even more shocking is the fact that many of them live in developed countries. Now, San Francisco-based startup Lava Mae, is trying to change that with a simple but brilliant idea - transforming decommissioned buses into mobile showers for the homeless....

People often brag about living or working close to the subway or train station they use for their daily commute. However by that they usually mean a block or two away, not literally on the railway tracks like these folks in Vietnam and Thailand....

In November 2013, super-typhoon Haiyan AKA Yolanda, swept through the Philippines decimating many of its cities and leaving thousands of residents homeless. As is usually the case following natural disasters, initially, there was tremendous outpouring of concern and aid from the international community. However as the months have passed, world focus has moved on to other issues and the donations, trickled down to almost nothing....

At first sight, the Foldscope looks like a hastily assembled children's toy. However look closer and even into it, and you will realize that it is a powerful working microscope - one that can be used to detect dangerous blood-borne diseases like malaria and sleeping sickness, allowing for early treatment and potentially, saving thousands of lives....

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, which means that you better have some green on you, or be prepared to suffer through painful pinches all day long! That of course is only one of the fun traditions of this Irish holiday. Others include extensive searches for lucky four-leaf clovers and leprechauns that lead to pots of gold. So who is St. Patrick whose death anniversary is celebrated with such abandon, and how did all these fun traditions start? Read on . . ....

Festivals are a way of life for people that practice Hinduism. Not a month goes by without one. However, very few are as fun or as widely anticipated as Holi, the festival of colors. Celebrated annually at the beginning of spring, on the day following a full moon, this year's festivities will take place on March 17th....

While television viewers have been inundated with reality shows about the everyday lives of ordinary people, none have been performed atop a giant hamster wheel. That is what two New York artists recently did, not just for an hour or two, but for a ten-day period starting from February 28th to March 9th, 2014....

Here is some good news for those of you that have been enduring below freezing temperatures for the last three months - Spring is almost here, at least as far as the clocks are concerned. That's because this weekend, most Americans will anticipate the season change by moving their clocks ahead by an hour. Also referred to as Daylight Saving or British Summer Time, this age-old tradition dates all the way back to World War One....

Hosting an Olympics is never cheap. However, no country has ever spent as much as Russia did on the recently held Winter Games in Sochi. It is estimated that between the new infrastructure, which includes the event venues, hotels, highways and a new train system, and the hosting, entertainment and security costs, the country spent about $51 billion USD - making the XXII Winter Games, the most expensive, in Olympics history....

The next time your dog chews up your homework or favorite t-shirt don't waste your energy admonishing him/her. That's because while it may seem sad and look at you with sorrowful puppy eyes and tail tucked between the legs, scientists say dogs have no idea what shame is....

The next time you are out walking your dog, be sure to keep your eyes peeled on the ground, for you never know what treasures you may find. That is exactly what happened to a California couple who recently stumbled upon what is being touted as the most valuable ancient gold find in North America....

Though there have been many fierce spelling bee contestants, few can claim to have done what two Jackson County, Missouri, finalists did on Saturday, February 22nd, 2014 - Buzz their way through all the words provided by the Scripps National Bee, as well as, twenty others that the judges hastily picked from the latest edition of the Merriam-Websters dictionary, during the short lunch break....

We have heard of many amazing cake creations - from fancy sports cars to life-size Transformers replicas. But London-based cake artist Michelle Wibowo has taken cake creativity to a whole new level, with this edible 'painting' of Renaissance artist Michelangelo's 'Creation of ​Adam'....

On Saturday, February 22nd, the world woke up to the news that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych had been voted out from office by the country's parliament, culminating the often deadly protests that have gripped the country since November 2013. Ironically, unlike with the Arab Springs, the residents of Ukraine had not been protesting to oust their leader but to try to convince him to change his policies....