Video of the Week - Penguin Dance Fever Grips Saudi ArabiaPenguins are known for many things - their charming looks, cheerful Christmas spirit, high-diving skills and . . . dancing skills? Apparently so, for how else can you explain the Penguin dance fever that is spreading across the world and has even charmed the normally staid residents of Saudi Arabia?...
Read news articleOverweight Aquarium Turtle Is Placed On A Diet!The fact that humans have a tendency to overindulge is no secret. However, it is very rare to hear about animals doing the same. But that certainly appears to be the case with nine-year-old Ernie, a loggerhead sea turtle that resides at the Manchester Sea Life aquarium....
Read news articleDutch Designer Aspires To Replace Street Lights With Glow-in-The-Dark TreesDutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde is on a quest. He wants to replace the millions of street lights that dot our streets with bioluminescent trees. And while that may sound like something straight out of a science-fiction movie, it is not as far-fetched as you think....
Read news articleScientists Ponder Over Mystery Of Early Blossoming 'Space Cherry Tree'In November 2008, 265 pits collected from various cherry trees from 14 locations across Japan, were sent to the International Space Station. The endeavor was part of an educational and cultural project to demonstrate to kids, how seeds can continue to live and grow, even after a jaunt to space. The seeds that circled the globe 4,100 times during their four-month mission, were brought back to earth in March 2009. While some were kept for lab tests most, were returned to their original locations....
Read news articleMessage In A Bottle Gets Delivered After 101 Years!If you are ever stranded on an island, here is one thing you may not want to do - send a distress message inside a bottle. That's because chances are it will not be delivered until long after you are gone. At least that's what happened to the one Richard Platz sent to his wife, on May 17th, 1913....
Read news articleThink Fairies Are Real? So Does This ProfessorAlways wanted to meet Tinker Bell? Then you may want to head over to Rossendale Valley in Lancashire, England, where you will encounter not one, but numerous versions of the fairy that first made her appearance in J.M. Barrie's 1904 play, Peter Pan. At least that is what one university professor is asserting and he even has pictures to prove it!...
Read news articleBaby Volcanic Island Niijima Swallows Up Its Neighbor!When the eruption of a volcano on November 21st, 2013, resulted in a brand new island about a thousand kilometers south of Japan's capital Tokyo, experts were a little hesitant to declare that a permanent new landmass had been born. That's because these kind of volcanic islands have a tendency to disappear almost as rapidly, as they appear....
Read news articleVisitors To Stockholm Museum Can Unwrap Ancient Egyptian Mummy, One Layer At A TimeAlways wondered what an Egyptian mummy might look like underneath all of its wrappings? Then you may want to head to Stockholm's Medelhavsmuseet, where a new exhibit allows visitors to peel off all the layers right down to the skeleton - with a swipe of a finger!...
Read news articleExperts Believe There Is No Relation Between Recent String Of Earthquakes Along 'Ring Of Fire'Over the last few weeks, earthquake activity seems to have increased dramatically. First there was the 5.2 magnitude shaker in Los Angeles on March 21st. Then came the more intense, 8.2 magnitude quake near Chile on April 1st, followed by one that measured 5.8 in magnitude the day after, in Panama. While they may all appear to be isolated incidents, the shakers do have one thing in common - They all occurred in locations along the dreaded 'Ring of Fire', the world's most active earthquake and volcano belt....
Read news articleWill The Mystery Of The Missing Malaysian Flight MH370 Ever Be Solved?When the 239 passengers and 12 crew members boarded Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur at 12.41 am on March 8th, they probably had one thought in mind - To go to their respective homes or hotels and catch up on some well deserved rest when the flight landed in Beijing, at 6.30 am....
Read news articleFrance's Iconic Eiffel Tower Celebrates 125 YearsWhen Gustave Eiffel designed the Eiffel Tower for the 1889 Exposition Universelle held to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the French Revolution, he had never envisioned it to last more than 20 years. But the tower, which turned 125 on Monday, March 31st, has not only outlived all expectations, but also, become the most enduring symbol of France, one that is visited by almost 7 million visitors a year....
Read news articleSurprise! Giant Pandas Love Sweets Too!Though giant pandas may appear perfectly happy chewing bamboo, scientists recently discovered that just like the rest of us, they would rather have something a tad sweeter. This 'surprising' fact was disclosed to the world on March 26th, in the online scientific journal PLOS One by Danielle R. Reed, a behavioral geneticist at Philadelphia's Monell Chemical Senses Center....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - The Epic Man Vs. Machine Ping Pong ShowdownFirst, it was the Rubik's Cube solving Lego robot and now, one that not only plays ping pong, but also, has the audacity to challenge one of the world's best players - Germany's Timo Boll. Meet the incredibly fast Kuka robot, which is built for manufacturing, but certainly seems to have a knack for ping pong....
Read news articleClasscraft Makes Learning Fun By 'Gamifying' The ClassroomOnline gaming has made the world much more exciting almost everywhere except in the classroom. While we now have access to computers and even tablets that feature all kinds of educational games, teachers still use old-fashioned incentives to encourage students. Sure you can get some extra credit by spending copious amounts of time doing challenging problems, but it's not fun and more importantly, cannot be achieved by students that find the subject challenging....
Read news articleCharlie The Macaw Appointed 'Parrot in Residence' At Legoland Windsor ResortOn February 24th, 2014, the managers at UK's Legoland Windsor Resort sent out an unusual casting call across the nation. They were seeking a parrot that would 'shiver their timbers' for their new Pirate Shores attraction. Pet owners were asked to apply by sending a photo and a short convincing essay on why their bird was the 'Ultimate Parrot Pirate'....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Lego Robot Crowned Rubik's Cube ChampionEven in this day of digital gaming, solving the Rubik's cube as rapidly as possible, remains a challenge most people can't seem to resist. While humans have been doing it ever since the 3x3x3 cube came to market in 1974, even robots are now getting into the fray....
Read news articleIntroducing . . . The Speedy Ladybugs!When one thinks of ladybugs or ladybirds as the British like to call them, the images that come to mind are those of a super cute insect that can barely hop, leave alone zoom at high speeds and soaring heights. Turns out that the aphid lovers that are considered by many as a sign of good luck, have been hiding this unexpected talent from us, all this time....
Read news articleIn These Asian Countries Convenient Commuter Transit Takes A Whole New MeaningPeople often brag about living or working close to the subway or train station they use for their daily commute. However by that they usually mean a block or two away, not literally on the railway tracks like these folks in Vietnam and Thailand....
Read news articleBritish Girl Dedicates Her Life To Saving Orphan Elephants In ZambiaThough elephant poaching is banned throughout Africa, unscrupulous hunters continue to slaughter the mighty beasts in large numbers. While that is sad enough, what is even worse is what happens to orphaned baby elephants. Unable to feed themselves, they become weak and are often abandoned by their herds for fear that they will attract lions. Now thanks to one British girl, there is hope, at least for the orphaned calves in Zambia....
Read news articleGlowing Ball Installations Bring Light To Typhoon Ravaged Philippine ResidentsIn November 2013, super-typhoon Haiyan AKA Yolanda, swept through the Philippines decimating many of its cities and leaving thousands of residents homeless. As is usually the case following natural disasters, initially, there was tremendous outpouring of concern and aid from the international community. However as the months have passed, world focus has moved on to other issues and the donations, trickled down to almost nothing....
Read news articleSouth Korea Hopes To Revive Endangered Wildlife Inside These Giant Glass BiodomesWith humans increasingly invading and polluting spaces that were once teeming with wildlife, the list of endangered animals grows longer every day. Now South Korea, a country that boasts a population density 10 times the global average, is planning to take a bold step to try reverse at least some of the damage, with a new National Research Center for Endangered Animals....
Read news articleVideo of the Week - Italians Battle It Out With OrangesEurope's obsession with food-throwing festivals is well known. There is of course the famous La Tomatina in Spain where contenders pelt each other with tomatoes and now Italy's Battaglia delle Arance where rotten oranges are the ammunition of choice....
Read news articleCrafty Spiders Build Decoys Of Themselves To Fool PredatorsWith over 40,000 known species of spiders, scientists had believed they knew everything there was to know, about these web building arachnids. However, that was before they discovered two new species that dupe their predators by building incredibly accurate decoys of themselves....
Read news articleOrphaned Pelican Learns To Fly With Some Human HelpAbout four months ago, guests lunching on the pristine white sand beaches outside Greystoke Mahale, a luxury wildlife camp located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Africa, were treated to an unusual sight - A Great White Pelican emerging from the waters and waddling towards them....
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