Naturalists Begin Search For 'Extinct' Tasmanian TigerThe Tasmanian tiger that roamed the jungles of the Australian mainland over 2,000 years ago and those of the island of Tasmania until about the 1930's, has been declared extinct since the early 1980's. But that hasn't stopped reports of 'sightings' in both areas. Unfortunately because the people that purportedly saw the tiger were caught off-guard, there have never been any clear pictures or videos to prove that it is indeed the ancient animal. Now, a group of International researchers have arrived in Tasmania to scout the forests and solve the mystery of whether the tiger is alive or extinct, once and for all....
Read news articleItalian Man Single-Handedly Builds Giant Amusement ParkAbout forty years ago, an Italian man by the name of Bruno decided to start a restaurant or Osteria in the middle of the forest near Treviso, Italy. So, he bought a few pounds of sausages, a grill and some wine and opened shop. In order to attract customers he put his metalworking skills to work and built a few simple rides....
Read news articleSochi 2014 Olympics Torch Heading To SpaceOn Thursday, November 7th, 2013, exactly a month after it began its extensive travel schedule, the Sochi Olympics torch will embark on the longest leg of its 40,000-mile relay - A trip to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft along with three new crew members: Russia's Mikhail Tyurin, NASA's Rick Mastracchio and Japan's Koichi Wakata....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Guatemala's Giant Kite FestivalDay of the Dead, a holiday celebrated annually on November 1st & 2nd to honor deceased family and friends is enjoyed across Latin America. However the festivities differ in each country. Mexico commemorates the day by offering the departed with their favorite foods, Haiti by playing loud music and drums and Guatemala by flying giant hand-made kites over cemeteries....
Read news articleEngland's Retired Police Dogs To Receive PensionWith retirement benefits being slashed across the world, it is refreshing to hear that a police department in England is planning to add to its obligations by paying pension benefits to their retired police dogs who like their owners, have spent their lives protecting the public....
Read news articleOwl-Themed Cafes Are The New Rage In JapanJapan has long been known for its cat cafes - places where the pet-starved residents of the country can enjoy a hot cup of java whilst being nuzzled by some loving kitties. Now there is a new trend that seems to be emerging across the country's capital, Tokyo - owl-themed cafes, complete with the live nocturnal birds in tow!...
Read news articleGet Ready To Celebrate Diwali, The Festival of LightsOn Sunday, November 3rd, Hindus, Jains and Sikhs all over the world will celebrate Diwali. Also called Deepavali, which means row of lights, the ancient celebration is the biggest and most eagerly awaited of all Indian festivals....
Read news articleAhhh! It's Time To Fall Back!A little worn out after all the Halloween festivities? Then you are in luck because this weekend, it's time to 'Fall Back,' which means that at 2 am on Sunday, November 3rd, most Americans will add an extra hour to their day by moving the clocks back. This age-old tradition that goes all the way back to World War One is observed in other parts of the world too - However, the dates differ, with most changing their clocks about a month earlier....
Read news articleDogs Take Center Stage At New York's Halloween Costume ParadeOn Saturday October 26th, over 500 dogs of various breeds ranging from terriers to Chihuahuas to Bulldogs, arrived suited in elaborate costumes to strut their stuff at the country's biggest Halloween canine parade. Now in its 23rd year, Tompkins Square Dog Parade, which doubles up as a fund raiser, is famous for the extraordinary lengths owners go through, to help their pooches win the coveted 'Best in Show' title....
Read news article11-Year-Old Florida Boy's Redesigned Sandbag Could Help Millions During Natural DisastersHaving lived in Florida all his life, 11-year-old Peyton Robertson is well aware of the havoc caused by hurricanes. At the tender age of 4 he suffered through Hurricane Wilma, one of the most intense tropical cyclones from the Atlantic and then just last year experienced the deadliest, most destructive storm of the 2012 season and the second most costliest of all US storms....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Rich Ferguson Strikes Again With Another Scream-Worthy PrankYep, It's that time of the year. Besides all the delicious treats you will receive on the 31st, there will also be plenty of tricks. To get you into the spirit, here is a prank that California-based magician Rich Ferguson recently pulled on some unsuspecting shoppers. It is guaranteed to make you fall out of your chair - literally!...
Read news articleResidents Of Norwegian Town Rjukan Finally Experience Winter SunlightFor many of us the onset of winter means shorter daylight hours and therefore less exposure to the sun, but for the 35,000 residents of Rjukan in Norway it means complete darkness. That's because the tiny town situated deep in a valley floor is surrounded by high mountains that block out the sun entirely, during the winter months....
Read news articleComing Soon To A Classroom Near You . . . RoboRoachesWith the advent of smart devices, classroom curriculum is starting to become increasingly interactive. Now neuroscience PHD student Greg Gage and his team at Backyard Brains are taking it to a new level with their robo kits that can transform any cockroach into a RoboRoach! All that is required is a smart phone, steady hands and a living insect....
Read news article'Pay It Forward' - The Random Act Of Kindness Fever That Is Spreading Across AmericaDrive-thru windows of fast food restaurants all over America are reporting a new sharp rise in a new trend - Customers 'paying it forward', meaning that they pay for the purchases made by the car right behind them. Why? Because they just want to perform a random act of kindness....
Read news articleRay Villafane Transforms World's Largest Pumpkins Into Spooky MasterpiecesWith Halloween just around the corner, the frenzy to carve out the spookiest pumpkin has begun in earnest, all over the country. But very few people have the talent to transform the gnarly fruits into 3-D zombie masterpieces like pumpkin carver extraordinaire Ray Villafane, who showcased his superior skills last week, at New York Botanical Garden's Giant Pumpkin Carving Weekend....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Experience Felix Baumgartner's Epic Leap From The Edge Of SpaceOn October 14th 2012, over eight million people worldwide tuned in to YouTube to watch Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner leap from the edge of space - 128,000 feet (24 miles) above sea level - and break the sound barrier as he came zooming down to earth....
Read news articleTwo Rare Oarfish Discovered Off Southern California's Coast Within A WeekThey say that when it rains, it pours. That certainly seemed to be case in Southern California last week, except that it was not water falling from the skies, but ginormous rare oarfishes that appeared from deep inside the oceans....
Read news articleMeet Rex, The World's First Bionic ManWhile scientists have built many artificial organs individually, they have never before been put together to create an entire human body. Rex or as he has recently been renamed Frank (after Frankenstein), the world's first fully functional bionic man has just changed that. Now on display at the National Air And Space Museum in Washington D.C., the human clone was assembled in three short months using state-of-the-art organs that were donated by 17 manufacturers - A good thing given that the total cost came to about $1 million USD!...
Read news articlePhew! US Leaders Finally Reach A Deal To Reopen The Government And Raise The Debt Ceiling - For A Few MonthsWhen the government partially shut down on October 1st, after lawmakers were unable to reach an agreement on what is usually a routine matter - Passing the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund normal government programs - most political pundits predicted that it would last just a few days. They were obviously wrong....
Read news articleAfrican Lava Lake Naturally 'Mummifies' Birds and AnimalsWith thousands of beautiful flamingos crowding around, at first glance Lake Natron, a salt lake in Northern Tanzania looks like your typical picturesque African landscape. But look closer and you will find something eerily unusual - Perfectly preserved dead animals strewn all along its shores. And while many have likened the lake to Medusa, the monster from Greek mythology who turned anyone that looked her in the eye to stone, most experts assert that the lake itself is not deadly....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - 3D Printing Takes Center Stage At London's Science MuseumWhen Massachusetts Institute of Technology students Jim Bredt and Tim Anderson created the first 3-D printer in 1995 by modifying an inkjet printer so that it would extrude a binding solution on to a bed of powder, instead of ink on paper, they probably had no idea of its tremendous potential....
Read news articleThe $100 USD Bill Gets A Much Needed MakeoverIt has taken over a decade and faced numerous design hurdles, but the new $100 USD bill that Americans fondly call 'Benjamin' finally made its debut on October 8th, 2013. The largest U.S. denomination in circulation, it is not surprisingly, the most recognized form of U.S. Currency worldwide....
Read news article'Power Flour' Aspires To Feed The World's Hungry With Insect ProteinMost people are grossed out by insects and believe them to be just a nuisance. However, a group of students from Montreal-based McGill University think of them as protein that can be used to feed millions of malnourished people worldwide, an idea so powerful that it won them the prestigious 2013 Hult Prize on September 23rd....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - 'Power Up 3.0' Gives Paper Airplanes A Much Needed Lift And DirectionWith the introduction of remote-controlled airplanes, the paper versions have pretty much become relics of the past. Now, Miami-based Taylor Toys hopes to make them current again by giving them the much needed lift and control....
Read news article