Urban Ants Love Junk Food Almost As Much As HumansDropped a chip or cookie on the pavement? Don't bother picking it up especially if you live in an urban area like Manhattan. That's because according to a team of researchers led by North Carolina State University's Clint Penick, some industrious ants will soon carry it away. For believe it or not, many city ants have come to love junk food almost as much as humans do!...
Read news articleDisabled Friends Demonstrate The Power Of TeamworkThis is a tale of two friends - one is blind, the other, a double amputee. On their own, the two are "disabled". But together, they are a formidable force that have transformed the plains north of Yeli Village in North China's Hebei Province from a wasteland to a lush, green, tree-filled stretch of land. Meet 53-year-old Chinese residents Jia Haixia and Jia Wenqi!...
Read news articleScrunchies May Save Birds From Nature's Fiercest Predator - Your Cat!Did you know that nature's deadliest predator is probably lurking in your neighborhood? Odds are, you may be even harboring it in your home. Confused? We are talking about your pet cat. Though they may appear cuddly and innocent, they are known to wreak havoc on their local ecology, killing birds, small mammals, and reptiles at an alarming rate....
Read news articleMarilyn or Einstein? Take This Fun Eye Test Devised By MIT ResearchersThe recent worldwide debate about the color of a dress has piqued the public's interest in illusions. While there are many that are making their rounds, the most fascinating is one created by researchers at Boston's Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2007. In addition to being fun, it apparently also serves as a vision test....
Read news articleDisney's MagicBands Make Theme Park Experience Even More "Magical"What's more magical than being at a Disney theme park? How about being at one where everything from tickets to park itinerary, fast passes, and even dinner reservations, is taken care of before you even enter the park. Sounds too good to be true? Then you have not met Disney's incredible MagicBands!...
Read news articleVideo(s) Of The Week - Best April Fool's Pranks Of 2015Every year after April 1st, the world takes stock of the best pranks. This year was no exception. Amongst the ones that made the top list was Google's portable mailbox and Richard Branson's announcement to move his company's US headquarters to Branson, Missouri....
Read news articleShort But Spectacular Lunar Eclipse Delights MillionsOn Saturday, April 4th, sky gazers in many parts of the world were treated to the third of the four lunar eclipses that will occur before the end of 2015. What made the celestial event even more special is that it was the shortest one of the century....
Read news articleCalifornia Governor Imposes First-Ever Mandatory Water Restrictions To Deal With DroughtOn April 1st, California's Governor Jerry Brown did what his predecessors have been doing for over 65 years - trek to Echo Summit in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to measure the snowpack. The only difference? Instead of ski gear he was wearing a light windbreaker and hiking shoes. That's because for the first time since the tradition began there was no snow to ski upon....
Read news articleThe Ingenious Stork's Bill Seed Plants Itself!Plants typically use one of three methods to disperse seeds - wind, water, or animals. Not the Erodium cicutarium or as it is often called "stork's bill." This dynamic plant uses a powerful mechanism called "ballistic dispersal," to transport its seeds over 500 yards away. Though that is certainly impressive what happens after, is even more so....
Read news articleBrace Yourselves - April Fool's Day Is Almost Here!Brace yourselves - It's almost April 1st, the one day of the year when pulling a light-hearted prank is not frowned upon. Also known as April Fool's Day, the origins of this fun tradition are a little sketchy. Some believe that the light-hearted fun began in 1852 when the world transitioned from the Julian calendar (which began the New Year in April) to today's Gregorian calendar. Others think it was to celebrate the change of seasons....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Moritz The Puzzle-Solving PigWhen one thinks of pigs, smart is not the first word that comes to mind. However, after seeing Moritz complete puzzles with such ease you may change your mind not just about him but all the other porkers out there....
Read news articleIt's Almost Earth Hour! Use Your Power To Help The PlanetToday the world will celebrate Earth Hour. This means that millions of people across twenty-four time zones and six continents will switch off all lights and turn off all electronics for an hour, from 8.30-9.30 pm local time. While it may seem trivial, this small action will make more than a symbolic difference in our battle against climate change....
Read news articleButterfly Wings: More Than Meets the EyeFor humans seeing butterflies fluttering around with their beautiful brightly colored wings is a joyful sight. However not for their natural predators like lizards, spiders, and birds. To them, the vibrant hues are a reminder of a bad-tasting species that are best avoided. For those not easily duped, some butterflies also have eyespots on their wings. According to researchers, this tricks would-be predators into thinking that the insect is a larger animal, like an owl....
Read news articleOn Friday Show Your Support For Five-Year-Old Seth Lane By Wearing YellowOn Friday March 27th, five-year-old Seth Lane will undergo a bone marrow transplant - his second one in four and a half years. To show support and raise awareness of the Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) disease the young boy suffers from, his family has one simple request. They want everyone to wear Seth's favorite color yellow, and post pictures Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, with the hashtag #WearYellowForSeth....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Tony Stark Fits Disabled Boy With An Iron Man ArmWhat's better than meeting your favorite superhero? How about receiving a bionic arm from him? That's exactly what seven-year-old Alex experienced recently, when he met with Robert Downey Jr. aka Tony Stark!...
Read news articleUnexpected Money "Downpour" Halts Traffic in KuwaitWe have heard of it raining frogs and even spiders, but cold hard cash? That has to be a first! While it may be hard to believe, a sudden "downpour" of money is exactly what some lucky residents of Kuwait recently experienced....
Read news articleNAO, The Humanoid Robot Helps Students Master Handwriting SkillsJust a few weeks ago, NAO, the humanoid robot made headlines when it became Mitsubishi Bank's first non-human employee. Now the cute 23-inch tall robot that weighs a mere 5.5 kilograms (12.7 pounds) is in the news again. This time around NAO is helping students develop good handwriting skills....
Read news articleSmile! It's The International Day Of Happiness And First Day Of Spring!...
Read news articleSpacewalks Have Come A Long Way In Fifty Years!Fifty years ago, on March 18th, 1965, Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov took the first spacewalk. It lasted just twelve minutes and almost ended in a disaster. That's because the vacuum of space caused his pressurized suit to inflate and become rigid, making it impossible for Leonov to re-enter the Voskhod 2 space capsule airlock. The quick thinking astronaut let out some of the precious air from his suit and despite severe decompression sickness, manage to stumble back in and live to tell his harrowing tale....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Lincoln Middle School Basketball Players Display Incredible "Bully Handling" Skills!Some Wisconsin basketball players are being lauded not for their ball handling, but bully handling skills. Last year, seventh graders from Lincoln Middle School in Wisconsin were in the midst of a basketball game when they overheard some bullies heckling Desiree Andrews, a cheerleader who has Down syndrome....
Read news articleGet Your Green On! It's Almost Saint Patrick's DayIt's time to tuck away those black and blues that you have been donning all winter and get some green on! That's because Tuesday March 17th is St. Patrick's Day, which means that those not sporting the color will have to endure painful pinches! Of course this fun holiday is also about searching for four-leaf clovers and leprechauns that can lead you to gold. So how did the death anniversary of a once obscure saint who was not even Irish by birth, result in all these fun traditions? Read on....
Read news articleMythical Lost City Discovered in HondurasIt sounds like the plot from a National Treasure movie, but this time, the discovery of an ancient city in Central America is real! On February 25th, researchers emerged from La Mosquitia, a very remote jungle area of Honduras, with some incredible news. They had been able to locate the mythical “White City,” rumors of which have persisted since the 16th Century....
Read news articleFossil Discovery in Kenya Reveals Modern-Day Hippos Evolved In AfricaResearchers have long suspected that hippos evolved from a family of plant-eating, semi-aquatic mammals called anthracotheres. The ancient animals that roamed freely all the way from North America to Asia inhabited Earth about 40 million years ago. However, scientists could never verify the theory since the only fossils of ancient hippos discovered thus far, dated back just 15 million years. Now thanks to Fabrice Lihoreau, there is finally some proof....
Read news articlePi Enthusiasts Prepare To Celebrate "Once In A Lifetime" EventPi Day that is celebrated on March 14th (3.14) annually, is always a significant occasion even for people that are not particularly fond of math. That's because while celebrations may begin with a discussion of the symbol, they invariably end with consuming different variations of Pi's yummy namesake - pie! However, this year promises to be even more special. That's because, for the first time and last time this century, the day will fall on 3/14/15, which happen to be the first five digits of Pi!...
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