While this week it's all about the newly released Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, last week, Potter fans were focused on the muggle version of the Quidditch World Cup - Except, this one was not a figment of Rowling's imagination, but an actual championship played on solid ground in New York City....

On October 28th, two minivans arrived amidst much fanfare, to the World Expo in Shanghai, after completing an epic 8,000-mile (13,000 km) voyage across two continents in 92 days. What was so epic about the journey? Just the fact that it was the longest single trip ever made by autonomous or driverless vans....

The world is awash with insects and parasites - While we are familiar with some like spiders and worms, others like aphids and bed bugs are not so apparent to the naked eye. Now zoologist Tom Jackson brings some of these rather terrifying looking creatures to life, in a book called 'Micro Monsters' - a title that is self-explanatory once you see the pictures....

Around this time each year, thousands of Monarch butterflies will make their way from North America's colder regions to their winter home in California and Mexico, where they will hibernate before heading back in early spring. This round trip, which in some cases spans about 2,000 miles each way and can take as long as two months, is unique and fascinating for a number of reasons....

In October of 2009, NASA blasted the Cabeus crater on the Moon's South Pole with a rocket, to look for evidence of water. Called the LCROSS mission, it was considered a huge success, after 25 gallons of water was discovered. However, a closer look at the data transmitted has revealed, that not only is there much more water than previously believed, but also, other surprising elements....

How cool would it be to wake up one morning and find out that a painting which spent the last 30 years behind your couch, is an original work of art painted by none other than the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo? If experts are right, this old unfinished painting of Jesus and Mary, that the Kober family affectionately call 'The Mike,' may indeed be that piece of art....

Seventeen days after a mine shaft inside San Jose's gold and silver mine collapsed, the world received the amazing news that the 33 miners trapped inside, were alive and well. Now, came the next challenge - How to pull them out safely....

For the longest time, scientists believed that humans were the only ones who had the intelligence to build and use complex tools to solve day-to-day issues. However, recent research has revealed that a number of animals also display similarly intelligent behavior....

On Sunday, September 19th, BP announced that the leaking Macondo well was finally 'dead' - ending the five month nightmare that began with a horrific rig blast that killed eleven workers and spewed millions of gallons of toxic oil, into the Gulf of Mexico....

Clouds with oddly shaped holes or hole punches, ones that look like UFO's have crashed through them, have bemused public and experts alike, for many decades. While known to occur when turboprop and jet airplanes zip through certain clouds, the cause behind the gaping hole remained an enigma, until now....

On August 5th, Chilean residents woke up to the grim news that the main shaft of the San Jose gold and silver mine in Northern Chile had collapsed, trapping 33 miners inside. For 17 long days and nights, they awaited anxiously. Just as they were about to give up, came the good news - All 33 were alive!...

If you happen to be in Ohio, this first full weekend of August, don't be surprised if you see double, triple or even quadruple images of every person you meet. That's because you have just arrived at the world's largest Twin Days festival....

The next time you irritate your family or friends by humming the same tune over and over and over, you can blame it on that pesky earworm that's slithered into your brain....

The next time you are asked to swap that computer game for a crossword puzzle, remind your parents that according to really smart scientists, the former will be more effective in making your brain 'smarter'!...

Feeling a bit blue now that the FIFA World Cup is over? Do not fret, for coming your way soon is the 2010 Quidditch World Cup! And, it's not a figment of J.K. Rowling's imagination either, but a real live competition, played by teams from some of America's and the world's most prestigious Universities....

Last weekend, the Sonoma-Marin County Fair held one of its most popular events - The contest to pick the 'World's Ugliest Dog'. While it may sound cruel, being the ugliest dog has a lot of benefits - There is a generous cash prize, other goodies and a chance to become world famous!...

The next time you see an Orangutan gesturing or even throwing something at you, chances are that it is not doing it without plan, but actually trying to tell you something....

While salt-water crocodiles are the largest living reptiles in the world, they have very little stamina when it comes to swimming. Even a 20-minute swim is work for these ferocious animals - Yet, they seem to make their way all across the seas. Now scientists may have finally solved the mystery of how they do it - They surf!...

On June 3rd, six of these men will make their way into a sealed five-capsule, 1,000sq.ft. metal unit, where they will spend the next 520 days. The seventh person, a back-up will get to go only if one of the core six has to back out for any reason....

Visit New York City's Bedford Avenue L subway station on any given day, and you will see a huge crowd gathered around musician Ben Simon, as he strums away on one his funky guitars, which can only be described as pieces of art!...

Ever wondered why dinosaurs were gigantic and stood out even in an era when most animals were much bigger than they are today? A team of German paleontologists believes they may have found the answer - The giant lizards didn't chew their food!...

'Relax with this never ending game', is the message enthusiasts of Bejeweled 2 are greeted with, each time they sign on to play this fun puzzle game. However, California grandfather, Mike Leyde, has succeeded in the seemingly impossible task, by scoring the maximum, 2,147 billion points - A milestone the creators of the game believed would never be reached....

A yet to be controlled oil spill near the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, is turning out to be one of the nation's biggest oil-related catastrophe, threatening not only some of North America's most endangered wildlife, but also, the livelihood of thousands of fishermen....

April 22, 2010 is Earth Day - an international day of observance of environmental issues. This day was first observed in North America on April 22, 1970 to highlight environmental issues that the government seemed to be ignoring. Since then, it has been adopted globally, with more people participating each year....