Meet Theresa May, Britain's 76th Prime MinisterOn June 23, British voters stunned the world with their decision to leave the European Union. Almost immediately, Prime Minister David Cameron, who had lobbied hard against what has popularly become known as “Brexit,” announced his resignation, leaving officials scrambling to find a new leader....
Read news articleWhy "Finding Dory" For Your Aquarium May Not Be A Good IdeaThe phenomenal success of Finding Dory, the much-awaited sequel to the 2003 film, Finding Nemo, is being met with mixed feelings by marine experts. That’s because though the animated movie is the perfect platform to draw attention to the precarious state of our coral reefs, it may instead result in endangering both the reef and its inhabitants further....
Read news articleBritain's Surprising Decision To Leave The European Union Roils Global MarketsOn June 23, residents of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom (UK)— England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales — went to the polls to determine if the country should leave the European Union (EU). Most experts believed that Britons would make the “sensible” decision and vote against what has popularly been dubbed “Brexit.” After all, the benefits of remaining with the world’s largest economy far outweigh the drawbacks. But the experts were wrong!...
Read news articleCan An Elevated Bus Solve China's Traffic Woes?To state that China has traffic issues is an understatement. A 2015 study conducted by navigation system maker TomTom revealed that the country is home to five of the top twenty most traffic congested cities in the world. Though Chinese authorities have tried to control the traffic flow with tactics that range from charging road tolls to building expressways with 50 lanes, nothing appears to be working. Now, some engineers are proposing an ingenious solution to ease the country’s traffic woes — An elevated bus that glides over cars!...
Read news articleTim Bengel's Sand Art Is Like None OtherMention sand art and the image that comes to mind is that of an intricately carved sculpture or design sketched on a beach surface. Though impressive, they are transient masterpieces that disappear with the first large wave or splash of rain. However, 24-year-old Tim Bengel’s sand art is permanent. That’s because the German artist uses the grit to “paint” his masterpieces on canvas. While the final product is certainly stunning, what is even more so is the way it is created....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week — East Australia's Massive Storm Whips Ocean Into A Foamy MessA few days after a massive storm battered Australia’s East Coast, sections of the coastline experienced a rare phenomenon – An ocean so foamy that it resembled a giant bubble bath. Experts say the marshmallow-like waters are a result of powerful ocean currents whipping together salts, chemicals, dead plants, decomposed fish, and seaweed excretions....
Read news articleWorld Bids Fond Farewell To Boxing Legend Muhammad AliOn Friday, June 10, over 100,000 fans lined up along the streets of Louisville, KY and chanted “Ali Ali” as the hearse carrying legendary boxing icon Mohammad Ali’s cherry-red casket made its way to the Cave Hill National Cemetery. The 74-year-old, who had been battling Parkinson’s disease for 32 years, passed away at a hospital near Phoenix on June 3, 2016. Ali was famous not only for his athletic prowess but also for his social activism....
Read news articleVisually Impaired Srikanth Bolla Sees No Challenges, Just OpportunitiesBeing blind is tough under any circumstances. But things were even harder for Srikanth Bolla who born in a small village near Hyderabad, India, where the common belief was that kids with disabilities were “useless” and even a “sin” and therefore, better off dead. Fortunately, Srikanth’s parents loved their son and refused to give in to societal pressure. Instead, they encouraged the blind boy to dream big and reach for the stars....
Read news articleThe 3-D Zebra Crossings That Are Making India's Roads Safer For PedestriansZebra crossings — the alternating dark and light stripes on the road surface — are meant to alert drivers that pedestrians may be trying to get across. Unfortunately, they are not very effective. A 1998 study done by the Department of Traffic Planning and Engineering at Sweden’s Lund University, revealed that three out of four drivers maintained the same speed or even accelerated as they were approaching a crossing. Even worse? Only 5% stopped even when they saw someone trying to get across. Now a mother-daughter team in Ahmedabad, India have devised a clever way to get drivers to pay more attention — A zebra crossing with an optical illusion....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Rakuten's Delivery Drone Serves Up Refreshments To Hungry GolfersOn May 9, Japanese online retailer Rakuten announced the nation’s first drone delivery service at Tokyo’s Camel Golf Resort. Called Tenku, the autonomous vehicle, which has the capacity to carry up to 2kg can be summoned by golfers to bring snacks, drinks, and even equipment like balls, while enjoying a round of golf....
Read news articlePanama's Plastic Bottle Village Will Be Constructed From Recycled PET BottlesThough the detrimental impact of plastic waste on the environment is well-known, consumption of drinks bottled in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) —the most commonly used polymer — continues to rise at alarming levels. According to experts, over 22,000 plastic bottles are discarded every second, and the numbers are only growing. While a fraction of them do get recycled, most end up in the ocean, where they disintegrate into smaller pieces and are often mistaken for food by innocent fish and birds....
Read news articleBritish Voters Get Ready To Decide If The U.K. Should Leave The European UnionOn Thursday, June 23, residents of the United Kingdom will head to the polls to vote “yes” or “no” to a single question: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” Simple as it sounds, the outcome of the referendum will have a significant impact on the country’s future....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week — Music Loving Kittens Make Malaysian Street Artist's DayLike most street artists, Malaysian singer Jass Pangkor has good and bad days. A few weeks ago, the talented artist was experiencing a particularly depressing day because not one person had stopped to listen to his performance....
Read news articleThese Biofluorescent Catsharks Glow In The Dark!In 2014, marine biologist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer David Gruber was on a nighttime dive to observe biofluorescent corals when he noticed a bright green eel darting across. This was the first time biofluorescence had been witnessed in a vertebrate. Curious to see if there were more such creatures just waiting to be discovered, Gruber and his team began combing through coral reefs around the world. Sure enough, they found that 180 species of animals, including bony fishes, reptiles, and even the hawksbill sea turtle, have the capability to “glow”, in the deep dark ocean waters....
Read news article"Breakthrough Starshot" Aims To Launch Nano Starships To Search For AliensAre we the only intelligent beings in the Universe or are there several other perhaps even smarter civilizations just waiting to be discovered? That is the million dollar question scientists have been trying to answer for over 50 years. Now Russian billionaire Yuri Milner wants to solve the mystery once and for all, by reaching for the stars . . . Literally!...
Read news articleComputer Generated 'Rembrandt' Painting Unveiled in AmsterdamA new “Rembrandt” painting unveiled in Amsterdam in early April is making headlines around the world. However, the authentic-looking masterpiece is not the work of the 17th century Dutch artist. It is a brand new painting that uses technology to mimic Rembrandt’s technique so perfectly, that it could easily be mistaken for one created by the great artist himself....
Read news articleSperm Whales Washed Up In Germany Had Plastic Waste In Their StomachsIn January and February of 2016, a total of 13 young sperm whales washed up on the beach near the town of Tönning in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. An autopsy revealed that the whales had all died of heart failure. The researchers believe that the young bulls, all between 10-15 years old, may have entered the North Sea by mistake. Since the sea floor here is too shallow for these deep sea dwellers, it caused the whales to become disoriented and perish....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week — Philippines Has 400 More Islands Than Previously Thought!On February 10, Ramon Paje, the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Philippines, announced the discovery of 400 "new" islands within the borders of the world's second largest archipelago....
Read news articleDon't Forget To Get Your Free Comic Book On May 7Saturday, May 7 will be like Christmas for comic book lovers. That's because, on that day, they will be able to walk into any one of the 2,300 participating vendors worldwide, and take home a comic book (or two) for free!...
Read news articleFree At Last! Tuffy The Bear Rejoices After Being Rescued From Bile FarmAnimal videos are always heartwarming. However, the one that captured Tuffy, a black bear splashing in a pool, is even more so. That's because it shows the animal's unbridled joy after being rescued from a bear bile farm, where he was locked in a tiny cage and tortured for years. In fact, Tuffy was so thrilled with his newly found freedom that he did not return to his den that evening — Instead, the bear spent the night sleeping under the stars....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week — Queen Elizabeth II Turns 90!On April 21, throngs of people lined along the street of Windsor to get a glimpse of the world's favorite monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, on her milestone 90th birthday. They were not disappointed....
Read news articleJapan's New Train Will Be "Invisible"Japan is famous for its state-of-the-art high-speed railway system. In 2015, its Magnetic Levitation or, Maglev train, which gets its name because it hovers 10 cm above the tracks, set a new speed world record of 375 mph (603km/hr). Now the innovative island nation wants to build a train that features a mirror-like exterior and blends in so well with the environment, that it will be practically "invisible."...
Read news articleLoyal Penguin Returns Annually To Bond With Brazilian Man Who Rescued HimIn May 2011, Joao Pereira de Souza stumbled upon a stranded Magellanic penguin outside his shack on Proveta Beach in Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro. The bird was soaked in oil and unable to move. The 71-year-old retired bricklayer scooped up the starving penguin, nursed it back to health and put it out to sea....
Read news articlePowerful Earthquakes Rock Southern Japan And EcuadorOn Thursday, April 14, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake jolted the residents of Japan's Kyushu Island. The tremor that struck near the town of Ueki in the Kumamoto Prefecture occurred just before 9:30 pm local time and resulted in 9 deaths and over 850 injuries. An additional 44,000 people were rendered homeless. Though numerous smaller aftershocks followed, most experts believed that the worst was over....
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