First Book Printed In British North America Is Now World's Most Expensive!A nondescript battered book filled with spelling errors just became the world's most expensive printed book. On Tuesday, November 26th, US philanthropist David Rubenstein paid $14.2 million USD to own a copy of the first book printed in British North America - The Whole Book of Psalmes or as it is better known today, the Bay Psalm Book....
Read news articleMysterious Troll-Haired Insect Discovered In South American RainforestRemember troll dolls? The ones that were all the rage in the 1960's and then for brief periods of time from the 1970's to 1990's? Well it turns out that nature has it own version and as usual, it is a lot better looking than the one created by humans....
Read news articleTwo Lucky Turkeys Trot Away From Cranberry Sauce And Stuffing!While over 46 million turkeys are getting ready to take center stage at the dinner table this evening, two - Popcorn and his lucky spare, Caramel, are trotting away to George Washington's Mt. Vernon Estate and Gardens in Virginia, where they will impress visitors during the holidays, before moving to their permanent retirement home in Lessburg's Morven Park....
Read news articleHappy Hanukkah Or Should We Say 'Thanksgivukkah'On Thursday, Jewish families residing in the US are in for a double treat - Thanksgiving and the first full day of Hanukkah, which begins today (November 27th), at sundown. Also known as the Festival of Lights, the last time these two special celebrations coincided was in 1888 and the next? Probably not for at least another 77,798 years, which means that for those that observe both, this is a once in a lifetime celebration!...
Read news articleVideo of the Week - World Record For Super-Sized Pong Played On Philadelphia SkyscraperPlaying video games on a handheld console is fun, but wouldn't it be even more so on the wall of a giant 29-story skyscraper with thousands of people joining in? That's exactly what Drexel University's Professor Frank Lee had in mind when he organized 'The Grandest Game of Pong on the Planet' to kick off Philadelphia's tech week, earlier this year....
Read news articleResearchers Discover Active Volcano Under Antarctic IceWhile above-ground active volcanoes in the Antarctica are nothing new, finding one that is buried deep inside its thick ice layer is certainly a first. The exciting discovery was revealed in the November issue of Nature Geoscience by researchers from the Washington University in St. Louis, who stumbled upon the frozen continent's well-kept secret, accidentally....
Read news articleInternational Space Station Celebrates 15 Years in OrbitOn November 20th, 1998, a Russian rocket launched off with an unusual piece of cargo - Zarya ('sunrise' in Russian), the module that became the first piece of the largest manmade structure every built in space - The International Space Station (ISS). Designed to be the power source for the ISS, it orbited earth for two weeks, before being joined by Unity....
Read news articleAlaska's Rat Island Returns To Being A Bird ParadiseWhile the presence of rats in homes may cause anxiety and annoyance, they rarely result in driving out the residents. But that is exactly what happened to the inhabitants of the 10-square-mile Hawadax Island off the coast of Alaska, almost 230 years ago. Now thanks to a five-year effort by conservationists, the eerily silent 'Rat Island' as it had been dubbed for many years, has been returned to its rightful owners - birds!...
Read news articleWill ISON 'The Comet Of The Century' Sizzle Or Fizzle?Stargazers all over the world are abuzz with excitement. That's because for the first time ever, comet ISON has started making its way through our inner solar system. While comets skirting by earth are nothing new, this one is being dubbed 'Comet of the Century', thanks to its orbit that takes it so close to the sun that it could result in an unprecedented cosmic scene, caused by the distinct bright tail created when the ice on the comet's body vaporizes....
Read news articleWorld's Oldest 'Non-Colonial' Animal Was Even More Ancient Than Previously ThoughtA tiny clam that was dredged up from its home under the sea in 2006 and named world's oldest 'non-colonial' animal is making headlines again. That's because scientists had grossly miscalculated the age of the ancient mollusk. Turns out that Ming was not 405 years old as had been originally believed, but an astounding 507, when discovered....
Read news article'Playing' With Food Has Never Looked So Good!A mosaic of a tea picker, a wild flower meadow and a working camera all made from sugar, were just some of the extraordinary sights in store for the thousands of people fortunate enough to attend the annual Experimental Food Society Spectacular held on November 8 & 9th, at London's Truman Brewery....
Read news articleRemembering The Legacy Of John F. KennedyThis week marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of America's beloved President John Fitzgerald Kennedy or as he was affectionately called, JFK. The November 22nd, 1963, tragedy that occurred as the 35th leader of the United States of America and his elegant wife Jacqueline, were riding in an open motorcade through downtown Dallas, is regarded as a defining moment in American history, one that many will never forget....
Read news articleVideo of the Week - Mars, Four Billion Years Ago?We are all familiar with the rocky, red surface of present day Mars - After all, that is why it is nicknamed the 'Red Planet'. And while It's definitely not a place most of us would want to live on in its present state, what if it had been filled with huge lakes, lush green fields and giant cliffs? Just like . . . Earth?...
Read news articleJapanese Scientists Uncover Cool Optical IllusionFocusing on the red cross, look carefully at this picture. What do you see? White dots wriggling around in different directions and colliding? What if we tell you that the dots are not wriggling around, but are actually moving in a straight trajectory, and even worse, they never meet each other at all!...
Read news articleSan Francisco Temporarily Transforms Into Gotham City Complete With BatkidOn November 15th, the beautiful city of was under siege! With the Riddler and Penguin terrorizing its residents, Police Chief Greg Suhr, had no choice but to call everyone's favorite caped superhero - Batman or as it turns out was the case here, Batkid. No, this was not the filming of Batman Begins, but a citywide charade organized to fulfill the wish of a five-year-old boy by -based Make-A-Wish Foundation!...
Read news article'Pop-Up' Schools Provide A Glimmer Of Hope For Third World CountriesFor those of us that live in the United States and other developed nations, good quality education is something we take for granted. But such is not the case in most third world countries. In places like Kenya, access to schools is severely limited and even those that do exist are producing poor academic results. Now, thanks to an innovative 'out of the box' solution provided by Bridge International Academies, there may be hope....
Read news articleEven Macaques Need Computer Time To Relax!The fact that non-human primates seem to like touchscreen computers as much as their human counterparts has been known for some time now - After all, the orangutans and gorillas of the Milwaukee Zoo have been 'enriching their lives' with iPads since 2011. Now, a new study asserts that exposing the animals to these devices not only makes their lives more interesting, but also, helps them relax and become friendlier....
Read news articleResearchers Reveal The One Word That Can Be Understood Almost UniversallyWhat is the one word that you can speak in almost any country in the world and be understood? If your response to that is 'Huh?' - You are absolutely right! This three letter word that we often use to express our confusion or unclearness is apparently used in almost the same form, all the way from Ghana to Laos and even Iceland!...
Read news articleWristify - The Ingenious Bracelet That Helps Keep You Perfectly Toasty (Or Cool)If you live in a normal household chances are that there is constantly some bickering going on about the house being too cold or too hot. Now, thanks to an ingenious bracelet invented by the students from Cambridge-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), every household member can regulate his/her own body temperature and be perfectly comfortable....
Read news articleLosing Pounds In Dubai is Worth Its Weight In Gold - Literally!We have heard of corporations incentivizing employees to get healthier by providing them with gym memberships or even gift cards, but gold from local government officials? That has to be a first! Turns out it is exactly what the flashy city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates did recently, to try get its residents to adopt a healthier lifestyle....
Read news articleSuper Typhoon Haiyan Sweeps Across PhilippinesThe residents of Philippines are no strangers to typhoons - After all, an average of 19 storms brush by each year with at least 6 or 7 making landfall. However, super-typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda as the locals are calling it, that landed around 4 am local time on Friday, November 8th, 2013, was no ordinary storm. With estimated sustained winds of 200 mph and gusts rising as high as 235 mph, experts believe that it may have been the biggest typhoon to ever make landfall....
Read news articleVideo of the Week- Costa Rican Village Showered With Flower PetalsWe see commercials all the time. Some like the ones created by LG Electronics are funny, while others are just straight-up boring. But very few are as mesmerizing as the one recently created by Sony Corporation to showcase the clarity of their new 55' and 65' 4K ultra high definition televisions....
Read news articleGeorge Dennehy, The Armless Musician That Is Inspiring The WorldThey say that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That certainly seems to be the philosophy 19-year-old George Dennehy has adopted all his life. For how else can you explain that despite being armless, the musician plays not one, but multiple instruments, all with his feet....
Read news articleWhy We Celebrate Veterans DayFor most of us Veterans Day just means a chance to enjoy an extra day off from school or work. However this November 11th, be sure to spend a few minutes on its true purpose, by acknowledging the men and women who have served in our armed forces. These include the members of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and the Coast Guard....
Read news article