Solar Powered Cars Race Across the Australian OutbackDespite technological advances in fuel and engine efficiencies, vehicles remain high on the list of polluters. In the U.S alone, carbon emissions from gas-powered cars and other vehicles account for about 27% of our total greenhouse-gas output annually. The 'World Solar Challenge' hopes to change that some day with cars fueled by the biggest, cleanest, and cheapest, source of energy - The sun!...
Read news articleOxford Dictionaries 'Word Of The Year' Is . . . An Emoji?We all know that life without emojis, (the small digital icons that we use ad nauseam) would be extremely boring. Hence, it is only fitting that the editors of the prestigious Oxford English Dictionary chose - The emoji with the tears of joy as its 'Word of the Year' for 2015....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Jetman Yves Rossy Flies Alongside World's Largest Passenger PlaneA few months ago Yves Rossy and his protege Vince Reffet became the first humans to fly in a formation using Rossy's world-famous jet-propelled wings. Now the two adventures have upped the ante with a heart-stopping flight alongside the world's largest commercial airplane - The Airbus A380!...
Read news articleEl Niño Transforms World's Driest Non-Polar Desert Into A Lush Wildflower WonderlandDeserts are by definition barren areas of land with little precipitation. But few compare to Atacama Desert. Often called the world's driest non-polar desert, the 600-mile stretch of land gets an average of just 0.13 inches of rain annually, despite its location next to our planet's largest body of water, the Pacific Ocean....
Read news articleIndia's 'Birdman' Feeds Thousands Of Parakeets DailyThough the moniker 'birdman' may not conjure up images of a superhero, that is what India's Joseph Sekar is to the thousands of parakeets that he feeds daily. The 62-year-old Chennai resident says that he had always left small amounts of rice and grain out for the neighborhood sparrows and squirrels. However, things took a dramatic turn in 2004 after a 9.1 magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a massive tsunami that impacted many Indian cities, including Chennai....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Italian Sailors Rescue Adorable Puppy Lost At SeaOn October 24th, a group of sailors from the RYCC Savoia yacht club in Naples, Italy were enjoying a beautiful day on the water when they noticed an animal swimming toward them. Upon getting closer, they realized it was a tiny puppy that was holding on for dear life in the freezing waters of the Gulf of Naples....
Read news articleCelebrating Veterans DayOn Wednesday, November 11th, Americans will celebrate Veterans Day. The special holiday is dedicated to the brave men and women of the armed forces who risk their lives on a daily basis to keep the rest of us safe and free. They include members of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, National Guard, Air Force, and the Coast Guard....
Read news articleDiwali, The Hindu Festival Of Lights Is Almost Here!India is known for a myriad of colorful festivals. However, very few are as joyous as Diwali or Deepavali (row of lighted lamps). Also called the Festival of Lights, the ancient holiday that extends across many cultures and beliefs is celebrated for five days and is one of the most anticipated and eagerly awaited of all Indian celebrations....
Read news articleSevere Pollution Causes India's Bellandur Lake To Spew Toxic White FoamThough we always hear about how polluted our oceans, lakes and seas are, it is rare to witness the contamination without at least wading into the waters. However, such is not the case for the residents that live in the vicinity of Bangalore's largest body of water - Lake Bellandur. They get to both witness and experience the toxic effects of the pollution that spews out in the form of fluffy white foam, every single day of the year!...
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Aladdin And His "Magic Carpet" Take New York City By StormOn Friday, October 30th, New York City residents received an early Halloween surprise when Disney's street urchin Aladdin and his "magic carpet" came zooming down the streets. The clever stunt that appeared to be straight out of the popular movie was the brainchild of vlogger Jesse Wellens, and reality television star Casey Neistat....
Read news articleBirthday Party Project Brings Kids Joy One Party At A TimeFor most kids, the best thing about having a birthday is the party. Unfortunately, thousands of children both in the U.S.A and worldwide who live in homeless shelters or transitional facilities never get to experience the joy of celebrating the day they were born. But that is changing gradually at least in the U.S.A, thanks to Paige Chenault and her Birthday Party Project (BPP)....
Read news articleNeed An Extra Hour To Recover From Halloween Festivities? You Got It!What could be better than Halloween falling on a Saturday? How about an "extra" hour on Sunday? That will be the case for most North American residents because this weekend also marks the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST). This means that on Sunday, November 1st, residents will add an extra 60 minutes to their day by simply moving back the clocks....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Wingsuit Skydivers Set New Formation RecordOn October 17th, 61 wingsuit skydivers from a dozen countries arrived in Perris, California for one purpose - To shatter the skydiving record for the most wingsuit divers in formation while in freefall, set by 42 jumpers in June....
Read news articleNike Unveils Marty McFly's Iconic Power-Lace Shoes On 'Back To The Future' DayIn case you missed it, Wednesday was 'Back to the Future Day.' For those not familiar with the trilogy, in Back to the Future II, the film's protagonists Marty McFly and Doctor Brown travel 30 years in the future to the fictional city of Hill Valley, CA, to save McFly's yet-to-be born children. The date of their arrival, October 21st, 2015, has since been eagerly awaited by fans all over the world....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Engineer Builds Real-Life Thor HammerFans of the Avengers film series will recall Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, that can only be lifted by someone 'worthy,' AKA the superhero himself. However, while the one in the movies was probably a prop, Alan Pan's Mjolnir is the real deal!...
Read news articleDisney And Open Bionics Team Up To Create 3D Printed Superhero Prosthetic ArmsProsthetics have come a long way since the first known artificial limb - A wood and leather toe was created for an Egyptian noblewoman nearly 3,000 years ago. However, though they have certainly become increasingly sophisticated and nimble they remain extremely expensive, not to mention very industrial looking....
Read news articleStan Herd's Latest Crop Art Masterpiece Is Inspired By Van GoghAmerican artist Stan Herd is known for numerous things - Oil and watercolor paintings, incredible murals, and most of all, stunning crop art. In fact, the maestro is considered the pioneer of this method of artistic expression that involves the skillful arrangement of plants, soil, and rocks, to create massive masterpieces that are best viewed from a higher vantage point, like a hill or an airplane....
Read news articleHow Tiny Mealworms May Help Reduce Our Massive Plastic Pollution ProblemStyrofoam, a plastic made of expandable polystyrene foam (EPS) is a useful invention. In fact one could call it almost too useful! The lightweight and buoyant plastic can be used for a myriad of things from thermal insulation to disposable plates & cups, packing material, and even to build boats! The only problem is that the versatile product is almost impossible to recycle....
Read news articleHalf Moon Bay Hosts 'Super Bowl' Of Pumpkin Weigh-OffsFor U.S. residents, fall and pumpkins go hand in hand. Some use the fruit to make delicious soups and bread, others to carve out scary jack-o-lanterns. Then there are those that spend months growing giant-sized gourds that they use to compete at pumpkin weigh-offs. While there are numerous competitions held across the country, the 'Super Bowl' takes place at Half Moon Bay, CA which prides itself on being the 'Pumpkin Capital of the World.'...
Read news article'Smart' Bandage Extracts Bacteria From WoundsIn 1920, Johnson and Johnson employee Earle Dickson created the first bandage to cover the frequent burns and cuts his wife Josephine inflicted on herself while cooking. The hand-made prototype was instantly adopted by his employer and marketed as Band-Aid, a brand that has become synonymous with the word bandage. However, while the adhesive strips may now look different from Dickson's creation they still perform the same job - Prevent bacteria from entering wounds....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Albuquerque's Spectacular International Balloon FiestaEvery year around this time, thousands of hot air balloon enthusiasts flock to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to participate in the city's annual International Balloon Fiesta. Now in its 44th year, the 2015 festival that took place from October 3rd -11th is the largest gathering of balloons and balloonists in the world....
Read news articleHow Hurricane Joaquin Contributed To South Carolina's Historic Rainfall Without Making LandfallOn October 3rd, East Coast residents were relieved to hear that Hurricane Joaquin which had been hurtling towards the U.S., was no longer a threat. According to meteorologists, the hurricane that was weakened to a category 3 after battering the Bahamas, would likely remain out to sea instead of ramming into the coastline as had been previously thought....
Read news article'Dinner in the Sky' Takes Gourmet Dining To A Whole New LevelTwo Belgian men have come up with a way to take fine dining to a whole new level - Literally! Diners at their pop-up and franchised restaurants enjoy gourmet meals perched upon floating platforms suspended 180-feet above ground with the help of a giant crane!...
Read news articleNational Zoo's Adorable Newborn Giant Panda Is Named Bei Bei (Precious Treasure)On September 25th, US first lady Michelle Obama and China's first lady Peng Liyuan announced that the recently born giant panda at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C. would be called Bei Bei. The name which means 'precious treasure' in Mandarin Chinese, was selected from a list suggested by officials at the zoo and the Wolong Nature Reserve in China....
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