Pichaporn Sapsittiporn and Sasinuch Lapwongpaiboon, who co-own the i-Creamy Artisan Gelato shop in Sydney, Australia, take great pride in creating some of the tastiest gelato using the best possible ingredients. However, the award-winning Asian-inspired flavors are not the only reason people line up outside the creamery, even on cold winter nights. They are also here to admire and devour the beautiful gelato roses that are crafted before their eyes....

At the recent Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, Korean car manufacturer Hyundai unveiled three battery-powered Iron Man-inspired robotic suits. Though the stylish exoskeletons developed as part of the company’s “Next Mobility” initiative, will not enable users to soar in the skies like the superhero, it will give them earthly “super powers” like mobility, strength, and endurance....

Mention the word refugees, and the image that comes to mind is that of humans that have been forced to leave their countries due to war, persecution or natural disaster. Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, is facing a different kind of refugee crisis – one caused by the hundreds of thousands of elephants that have fled their homelands to escape ruthless poachers....

On Saturday, January 28, Chinese communities around the world will begin a two-week celebration to usher in the Chinese New Year. Also called the Spring Festival, the holiday whose dates are determined by the lunar calendar, is the grandest and most famous of all Chinese festivals. To enable residents to be with their families and friends, most employers in China give their workers at least seven days of vacation. Schools and universities are closed for an entire month....

On November 8, discouraged and upset by the outcome of the US election, retired lawyer Theresa Shook set up a Facebook event inviting women to stage a peaceful protest in Washington, the day after the Presidential inauguration. The Hawaiian resident wanted the Trump Administration to know on its first day in office that women’s rights are human rights. By the time she woke up on November 9, over 10,000 people had expressed their desire to attend the rally....

On Friday, January 20, thousands of supporters gathered at the US Capitol in Washington D.C to witness the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. The 35-word oath of office to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” culminated Mr. Trump’s stunning trajectory from real-estate tycoon to holding the country’s highest office....

On January 20, after eight years in office, President Barack Obama, his wife, Michelle, daughters, Malia and Sasha, and dogs, Bo and Sunny, will leave the White House to President-elect Donald Trump. In his January 10 farewell address, the US leader reflected on his legacy and encouraged Americans to remain optimistic about the country’s future....

The fact that New Yorkers take their pizza seriously is well-known. Pizzeria owners are always striving to create the sauciest, cheesiest, and crunchiest pies to delight their customers. Now, Industry Kitchen, a South Street Seaport restaurant, has upped the ante with “the fance’za” — a pizza so decadent, it will set back the consumer $2,000 USD....

Harbin, the largest city in the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, that boasts winter temperatures of -13°F (-25°C) may not appear to be the ideal vacation destination. But don’t tell that to the millions of visitors who brave the area’s frigid weather annually, to experience one of the world’s biggest and most unique snow and ice festivals....

The decision to bestow the 2016 Good Design Award, Japan’s most prestigious design honor, upon the AuthaGraph World Map came as a surprise to many. Given that previous winners have been innovations like personal mobility chairs and robotic arms, people wondered what had impressed the judges about the design of a map. It turns out that this strange-looking map is the most proportionate depiction of our planet....

Though 3D printing technology has been available for over two decades, it has not gone mainstream as hoped because of the high cost and slow print speeds. But that may change soon, thanks to German sportswear manufacturer Adidas. On December 15, 2016, the company revealed Adidas 3D Runners, stylish sports sneakers featuring a 3D printed midsole that provides athletes with the extra cushioning needed for optimal performance....

On December 27, 2016, the world mourned the loss of the galaxy’s most beloved princess. Carrie Fisher, who was perhaps best known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, passed away at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles. In a tragic turn of events, her 84-year-old mother, Oscar-nominated actress-singer Debbie Reynolds, died a day later as a result of a stroke....

At midnight on December 31, cities worldwide, bid farewell to 2016 and welcomed the new year with dazzling fireworks shows. In case you missed them, here are some of 2017’s most spectacular displays....

Echidnas, medium-sized animals that closely resemble porcupines or hedgehogs, are one of only two egg-laying mammals (the other being the duck-billed platypus) left in the world. Also called spiny anteaters, the timid creatures that are native to Australia, are very elusive and hard to observe in the wild. Therefore, though they have been around for millions of years, very little is known about their lifestyle, making it almost impossible to breed the mammals in captivity....

The “Muriwai Monster,” a twitching black mass that washed up on Muriwai Beach, 25 miles northwest of Auckland, New Zealand, has taken the world by storm since its discovery about a week ago. Melissa Doubleday, who stumbled upon it while driving by, initially suspected it to be a whale carcass. However, when she shared images of the mysterious “creature,” which was covered in seaweed and wiggling black tendrils with white shells on social media, people around the world began speculating it was a sea monster, a “beach Christmas tree,” or even an alien time travel capsule....

Since 2013, Torobo, a robotic arm designed to test the limits of artificial intelligence, has had one aspiration — to be admitted to the University of Tokyo, one of Asia’s top-ranked educational institutions. However, despite having an extensive database of textbooks and other teaching materials to draw upon, Torobo, (short for Todai Robot) has repeatedly failed to obtain the university's required minimum 80% score in the National Center Test, a standardized entrance examination adopted by Japanese universities. This year was no exception....

The thorny devil, named for the sharp spikes that cover its head and body, is a lizard that dwells in the Australian Outback’s hot and arid desert. Though its scary appearance has earned it other equally alarming names like the thorny dragon or the mountain devil, the palm-sized reptile is a harmless, slow-moving animal that has managed to adapt to one of the world’s most inhospitable environments. While researchers know a lot about these hardy lizards, the one mystery that had never been completely solved, is how they keep hydrated....

During the past 15 years, Yves “Jetman” Rossy has strapped on his jetpack — carbon fiber wings powered by four small engines — to conduct many heart-stopping stunts. The former Swiss Air Force pilot has soared across the Grand Canyon, circled Japan's Mt. Fuji and even flown alongside the world's largest commercial airplane, the Airbus A380. On November 25, the daredevil upped the ante when he and protégés Vince Reffet and Frédéric ‘Fred’ Fugen, flew in formation with eight Alpha Jets from the Patrouille de France, the precision aerobatics demonstration team of the French Air Force....

With Christmas around the corner, Valentine’s Day is probably the last thing on your mind. However, don’t tell that to Motohiro Okai. The chocolatier who works at the Rihga Royal Hotel Chocolate Boutique L’éclat in Osaka, Japan, has been feverishly working to perfect an exclusive line of “shoes” that will delight even the most discerning man....

On Sunday, December 4, Fidel Castro, Cuba’s former President and leader of the Communist revolution, will be laid to rest at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba, the island's second-largest city. Fidel, who passed away on Friday, November 25 at age 90, ruled the country with an iron fist for 47 years (1959-2006) and was one of the most controversial leaders of our time. Supporters maintain that Fidel was a champion of socialism and think his revolutionary regime protected Cuba from American imperialism. Critics, which include his daughter Alina Fernández, considered him a dictator who allowed human rights abuses and impoverished the country’s economy....

The fact that ants are fascinating insects has been known for some time. The tiny creatures that make their way around using their built-in GPS, survive floods by morphing into living rafts and are even reputed to predict earthquakes. Now, scientists have discovered a colony of wood ants living in a dark underground barren bunker despite having no apparent source of food....

When the international team of sailors and researchers led by Professor Jon Adams from the University of Southampton established the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project, their primary goal was to map the sea floor and study the prehistoric landscapes flooded during the last Ice Age. So you can only imagine their delight, when they stumbled upon an unexpected treasure trove of perfectly preserved shipwrecks, many of which are known from historical sources, but have never been seen before....

On Friday, November 11, Americans will celebrate Veterans Day. The federal holiday honors the brave men and women of the armed forces who risk their lives to protect our freedom. They include members of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, National Guard, Air Force, and the Coast Guard....

Researchers had long known that Aboriginal Australians once used boomerangs for hunting and digging. Now, a new study suggests that the natives created ‘killer’ versions of the iconic Australian souvenirs to fight internal battles as well....