The "Field with irises near Arles" is one of Dutch artist Van Gogh's most famous paintings. Believed to have been the first of the 130 paintings the artist created while at the Saint Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Remy, France, it is amongst his most recognized and coveted masterpieces. Not surprisingly, the painting has been extremely well-preserved and looks as good as when the artist first painted it, except for one thing - the once purple irises have started to turn blue....

The Golden Gate, a three-mile long by one-mile wide strait that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean, is known for many things - its namesake bridge, beautiful views and the most importantly (at least for seamen), a notoriously heavy fog layer that often encompasses the area. Though foghorns have now been installed to guide ships to the ports of San Francisco, Oakland and Richmond, such was not the case a century ago. It is therefore not surprising to hear that hundreds of ships have veered off course and sunk, whilst trying to cross the area. Amongst the most poignant loss was that of the SS City of Rio de Janeiro, a tragedy that is often referred to as "The Golden Gate Titanic"....

The next time you eat a piece of chocolate, be sure to savor it, because according to two of the world's largest chocolate makers - Mars, Inc. and Barry Callebaut, the decadent treat may soon be in short supply. The problem? We are consuming the candy at a faster pace than farmers can grow cocoa....

Though the initial panic caused by Ebola appears to have subsided, the disease is still alive and well in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. As of December 3rd, the dreadful ailment has infected 15,000 people and claimed 6,202 lives. The frustrating part for experts is that most of these deaths could have been avoided had the locals been aware of the necessary precautions....

An ancient Egyptian handbook that has been in the possession of Macquarie University's Museum of Ancient Cultures in Sydney, Australia, since 1981, has finally been deciphered. According to Macquarie University professor Malcolm Choat and University of Sydney professor Iain Gardner, the book contains magical spells that residents of ancient Egypt drew upon, to make all kinds of wishes come true....

In the popular Hunger Games series, the oppressed residents of District 12, often raised their hand in a three-finger salute - a gesture that began as a sign of gratitude and farewell, but soon evolved into a symbol of defiance. Now, the salute is being used by some Thai youngsters to show their displeasure with the military officials that have been ruling the country under martial law since they ousted the civilian government in May 2014. And just like the leaders of the dystopian society, Thailand's rulers are not too thrilled....

Every year, two turkeys manage to escape the Thanksgiving table thanks to a special pardoning granted by the President of the United States of America. This year was no exception! On Wednesday, November 26th, President Obama used his powers to free a 49-pound turkey named "Cheese" and a lucky spare named "Mac" and allowed them to trot off to Morven Park, in Leesburg, Virginia, where they will spend the rest of their lives in blissful retirement....

On November 15th, children aged 8 to 12 got together at a designated location in five cities around the world - Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Dublin and Amsterdam, to participate in the first Global Children's Designathon. The event that was organized by Dutch design agency Unexpect, challenged kids to come up with solutions for some of the world's most pressing issues - food, waste and traffic - in a single day!...

On November 27th, North Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving, an annual holiday during which families and friends get together for a scrumptious feast and reflect on all the things they are grateful for. The ancient tradition dates all the way back to 1621, when the pilgrims celebrated their first harvest with a feast that lasted for three days. While most people are aware of that, very few know that the holiday was once celebrated several times a year or that Thanksgiving as we know it today, is possible thanks to 19th century writer, Sarah Josefa Hale....

Concerned about the city's growing obesity rates, in July 2013, the Dubai Municipality came up with an innovative plan to incentivize residents to lose weight. Called 'Your Weight In Gold', it promised to reward contestants with the precious metal if they shed weight, during a specified two-month period. The challenge was so successful that the officials not only decided to offer it again, but also make it a family affair....

Rising sea levels are a growing worry for many coastal cities around the world. While all are expected to be impacted, some like Indonesia's capital Jakarta, are more vulnerable. Located in the northwest coast of the Java Sea, Southeast Asia's most populous city lies on a low flat basin at the mouth of the Ciliwung River on the Jakarta Bay. Though its average elevation is 8-meters (26 feet), 40% of the city lies below sea level and is sinking by as much as six inches, annually. Experts speculate that if this pace continues, much of northern Jakarta will be underwater by 2030....

The world's most complicated watch, a 1933 timepiece made by luxury watchmaker Patek Phillipe was sold for an astounding $24.4 million USD at a Sotheby's auction in Switzerland on November 11th. The historic price for the aptly named 'Supercomplication' masterpiece smashed the world record set by same watch in 1999, when it was bought by Sheikh Saud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Thani, a member of Qatar's royal family, for $11 million USD....

For all you middle-school presidents, secretaries and treasurers that aspire to lead the country some day, here is some encouraging news - Elise Stefanik, the youngest woman ever to be elected to the US Congress started the same way. The 30-year-old who defeated Democratic incumbent Aaron Woolf in New York's 21st Congressional District in the November 4th midterm elections, began her political career in sixth grade, as student council secretary....

Sunday, November 9th, marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a barrier that had divided the city of Berlin and the country in two - democratic West Germany and communist-controlled East Germany. When the barrier was finally removed on November 9th, 1989, the decision was met with much joy and enthusiasm with more than two million East Berliners crossing over to the West, that weekend....

With a population of 156 million, Bangladesh ranks amongst the world's most populous nations. What makes the situation worse is that most of the country is situated on the low-lying Ganges delta, formed by the confluence of three major rivers - Ganges, Brahamputra and Meghna. As a result, it is highly susceptible to flooding especially during the rainy season from July to October, when the rivers rise as much as 12-feet, making many areas accessible only by boat....

Tuesday, November 11th, is Veterans Day - a special day set aside to pay tribute to the brave men and women of the armed forces who put their lives at risk to ensure that the rest of us can enjoy the freedom we often take for granted. These include members of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and the Coast Guard....

No Halloween celebration would be complete without a peek at pumpkin carver extraordinaire Ray Villafane's incredible masterpieces. As has been the case for the past three years, the artist and his team of equally talented carvers, spent the weekend of October 18th and 19th at the New York Botanical Garden, transforming some of the world's largest pumpkins into scary zombies....

This weekend, marks the end of Daylight Saving Time. This means that on Sunday, November 2nd, most Americans will move their clocks back by an hour, adding an extra sixty minutes to do whatever they please....

Though there are numerous Halloween dog parades across the country, very few are as famous as the one held at New York City's Tompkins Square Park. Now in its 24th year, the annual pageant that doubles up as a fundraiser is one of the most competitive dog events in the world, with owners going through incredible efforts and expense to don their best friends in the most unique Halloween costumes....

With the death toll in West Africa rising to over 4,900 and new cases sprouting up daily, the World Health Organization estimates that it needs a billion dollars to train personnel, set up the required health facilities and obtain the necessary medical supplies to completely eradicate the deadly virus that has kept the world on edge for the last several months....

India is known for many colorful and fun festivals. But none are as popular as Diwali, a festival that spans over five-days and extends across many cultures and beliefs. It is therefore not surprising that the ancient observance, which is also referred to as Deepavali, (row of lights) is the biggest and most eagerly awaited of all Indian celebrations....

In 1993, 17-year-old He Rongfeng and his two friends left their village and made their way to in China's Zheijang Province, to look for work to help support their struggling families. Unfortunately, jobs were not easy to come by, and the trio were forced to resort to begging....

In September 2013, the government of Spain increased taxes on cultural events from 8% to 21%, making the cost of live theater performances prohibitive for most people. Within four months, venues reported a 30% decline in audience. While most theater owners sat around fuming at the officials, Barcelona-based Teatreneu, decided to tackle the challenge with an innovative approach to attract audience....

On October 10th, 2014, the Nobel Committee announced that this year's Noble Peace Prize would be awarded to two extraordinary individuals that have dedicated their lives to fighting for the rights of others - 17-year-old girls' education activist Malala Yousafzai, and 60-year-old children's activist Kailash Satyarthi. So what inspired the two to devote their lives to these worthy causes? Read on to find out . . ....