For most of us, building a snowman or even an igloo is hard enough. So you can only imagine the effort, skill, and patience, it takes to build not just giant sculptures, but also, towering castles and beautifully chiseled buildings using just ice and snow - That is exactly what happens annually, in the city of Harbin in Northeast China....

With yet another storm unleashing its fury on the Eastern, Midwestern and even Southern regions of the United States, residents are really feeling the wrath of winter this year, and probably thinking that nobody in the world has it as bad as they do. Turns out, such is not the case. The people of Yakutsk in Russia have been enduring even worse weather for centuries, and have actually gotten to like it!...

At a symposium held by the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities in Toronto, Ontario, on January 11th, archeologists revealed the uncovering of yet another provincial pyramid near the ancient settlement of Edfu in Southern Egypt. The 4,600-year-old structure, built decades before the Great Pyramid of Giza, is the seventh of its kind discovered scattered near major ancient settlements, throughout central and southern Egypt....

This morning, 25,000 people braved the early morning chill and made their way to Gobbler's Nob to see for themselves what Punxsutawney Phil had to say about the length of this year's frigid winter season. Unfortunately, the legendary woodchuck did not predict what most had been hoping for!...

There are few celebrations that Americans look forward to, more than Super Bowl Sunday. And while the love for the game is an obvious reason, there is another equally important element - The food! For, believe it or not, Super Bowl Sunday is not just the most popular television event of the year, but also the second-largest day for food consumption, after Thanksgiving!...

On Friday, January 31st, 2014, more than a billion people of Chinese origin will usher in the first day of the year 4712. Known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, it marks the beginning of the longest and most significant of all Chinese festivals. As the name indicates, the four-thousand-year-old tradition whose date is determined by the lunar calendar, began as a way to mark the end of the dreary winter season and the beginning of spring....

The polar vortex that greeted many Americans at the start of the year, served as a rude reminder of the detrimental effects that global warming could have on our weather patterns. The fact that something has to be done to reverse or at least halt climate change is obvious, but the question for most of us is what and how? Turns out, that it doesn't take much money or resources - Just some ingenuity and will, both of which the founders of U.K. based design firm Studio Swine, seem to have in abundance....

On the third Monday of January each year, Americans celebrate the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - the civil rights activist who is often credited for singly-handedly spearheading the nation's civil rights movement....

With most governments struggling to balance their budgets by taking money from residents through higher taxes, it is refreshing to hear about one that is doing just the opposite. On Tuesday, January 9th, the world woke up to the news that every Norwegian, right down to the newest born, was worth a million Kroner or about $164,000 USD - at least on paper. This was not a cruel joke on the residents but a reality that has come about thanks to the financial savvy of the country's government....

This holiday season, while most people were cuddled up in front of a fireplace, a few were striving to achieve what no human had been able to do - Peddle across the Antarctica! The three-way race between Britain's Maria Leijerstam, Spain's Juan Mendez and America's Daniel Burton began in mid-December from the Novo Russian airbase in Queen Maud Land, Eastern Antarctica....

You may have often heard your parents say 'life is short' - But to most of you the average American lifespan of 79 years or 28,835 days probably feels like an eternity. However, break it down into the chunks of time you spend doing mundane things like eating, drinking, sleeping or working and you will realize that as usual, they are right!...

For those that have always wished for superhuman strength, here is some good news - A group of engineering students from the University of Pennsylvania have invented a way to make it happen instantly! And while it may not be enough to save a damsel in distress, it is guaranteed to impress your friends....

With the holiday break coming to an end, students are bracing for the tough schedule that lies ahead. And it's not just the academic challenges they are preparing for, but also mundane ones like keeping up with constantly changing schedules and getting to classes in time. What if teachers could start the New Year by switching sides and experiencing what their students go through? That is exactly what some educators at Burr and Burton Academy, an independent high school in Manchester, Vermont, did and what they discovered, can only be described as eye opening....

They can be frustrating and challenging but the sense of achievement one gets upon completing them is like none other! In case you are wondering, we are talking about the crossword puzzle, the word game that celebrates its 100th birthday this week!...

Just about five months ago, Leo Grand's life looked pretty bleak. Homeless since losing his job at Metropolitan Life in 2011, he spent his days panhandling on the streets of and nights, seeking out a safe place to sleep. Then in late August, a young man made him a strange offer that changed his life....

Today is Friday the 13th, the second and last one that we will have to encounter in 2013! While to most of us it signifies the start of another carefree weekend, there are some people that consider today to be extremely unlucky. As you probably know, the number 13 has a bad reputation to begin with. This is the reason many office and residential towers often skip the 13th floor altogether. However, when that date falls on a Friday, the fear factor seems to escalate to a whole new level....

Saturday, December 7th, marked the 72nd Anniversary of the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu. The surprise attack was conducted on the Hawaiian naval base by Japan's Imperial army to try stop the United States from interfering with the country's attempt to expand its wealth and influence, by conquering neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Fearing that the US Pacific Naval Base would foil their plans, the Japanese decided to try cripple its entire fleet....

On Thursday, December 5th, 2013, the world suffered the loss of one of the most extraordinary and incredible humans to have ever lived on this planet - Nelson Mandela. The 95-year-old former South African President and anti-apartheid leader who died at his Johannesburg home, had been suffering from a recurring lung infection for many years....

Not being a 'math person' is something that is not only asserted pretty frequently, but also, accepted very readily. According to a 2010 survey conducted by Change the Equation three out of ten Americans believe that they are 'bad' at math, while over half of 18-34 year-old's seem to have convinced themselves that they just can't tackle numbers....

Though the discovery of dinosaur fossils is always an exciting event, the remains of one that roamed North America about 100 million years ago, is even more so. That's because while paleontologists have extensive knowledge about the Tyrannosaurus-rex that dominated the arena in the late Cretaceous period (about 60 million years ago), very little is known about the ones that ruled the roost during the intermediate period....

It is a great time to be a high school student in the US - Schools in Virginia are paying students to do well in Advanced Placement tests and now one in Utah is showering them with gifts, just for showing up!...

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....

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....

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!...