The Crunch Of An Apple And Fizz Of A Soda? Yum!First there were the delicious cotton candy grapes and now an effervescent apple that will have your mouth tingling with joy! Called "Paradis Sparkling", the unusual fruit is the result of eight years of research by Swiss fruit nursery Lubera....
Read news articleLava From Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Inching Scarily Close To HomesIn early September, officials warned residents of the rural communities of the Ka'ohe Homestead and Pahoa on Hawaii's Big Island, that they might have to evacuate their homes because they were in the course of the hot lava that has been spewing from the Kilauea volcano since June....
Read news articlePumpkin Carving Maestro Ray Villafane Creates Yet Another MasterpieceNo Halloween celebration would be complete without a peek at pumpkin carver extraordinaire Ray Villafane's incredible masterpieces. As has been the case for the past three years, the artist and his team of equally talented carvers, spent the weekend of October 18th and 19th at the New York Botanical Garden, transforming some of the world's largest pumpkins into scary zombies....
Read news article"Fall Back" Means An Extra Hour To Snooze This WeekendThis weekend, marks the end of Daylight Saving Time. This means that on Sunday, November 2nd, most Americans will move their clocks back by an hour, adding an extra sixty minutes to do whatever they please....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - OK Go's Latest Music Video Will Have You Twirling UmbrellasLos Angeles-based alternative rock band OK Go first rose to fame in 2006 with the release of the music video of their song "Here it Goes Again". While the song was good, what made it special was the fact that the four musicians performed the song, whilst dancing atop fast-moving treadmills. Viewed more than 50 million times on YouTube, the video became one of the year's biggest hits and even won a Grammy....
Read news articleNew York's Annual Halloween Dog Show Does Not DisappointThough there are numerous Halloween dog parades across the country, very few are as famous as the one held at New York City's Tompkins Square Park. Now in its 24th year, the annual pageant that doubles up as a fundraiser is one of the most competitive dog events in the world, with owners going through incredible efforts and expense to don their best friends in the most unique Halloween costumes....
Read news articleGoogle Vice President Alan Eustace Beats Felix Baumgartner's Skydiving RecordOn October 14th, 2012, 43-year-old Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner mesmerized the world when he skydived from an altitude of 128,000 feet. Along the way, he became the first man to break through the sound barrier without vehicular power on his descent and also broke skydiving records for exit altitude, vertical free-fall distance without drogue and vertical speed without drogue. Now just about two years later, Google Vice President Alan Eustace has completed a similar feat by skydiving from an even higher altitude - 135,908 feet!...
Read news articleWorld's Biggest Spider Weighs As Much As A Newborn PuppyIf you shriek in fear at the sight of the tiniest of spiders, you may want to avoid the rainforests of Suriname, Guyana, northern Brazil and southern Venezuela, where the Goliath birdeater dwells! Listed in the Guinness World Records as the world's biggest spider, the terrifying-looking arachnid weighs a hefty six ounces, (almost the same weight as a newborn puppy), and has a leg span that extends out 11-inches (the size of a child's forearm)....
Read news articleUS Billionaire Paul Allen Pledges $100 Million To Help Fight EbolaWith the death toll in West Africa rising to over 4,900 and new cases sprouting up daily, the World Health Organization estimates that it needs a billion dollars to train personnel, set up the required health facilities and obtain the necessary medical supplies to completely eradicate the deadly virus that has kept the world on edge for the last several months....
Read news articleWhy Little Penguins At Australia's Phillip Island Sport Stylish SweatersIf you happen to visit the Penguin Foundation at Australia's Phillip Island Nature Park, you may encounter an unusual sight - Little penguins waddling around in brightly colored turtleneck sweaters. Unfortunately, it is not because the flightless birds are trying to establish a new fashion trend, but because they are victims of oil spills. Confused? Read on!...
Read news article"Smart" Spray On Bandage Reports Healing Progress By Lighting UpBandages are crucial for repairing skin wounds; they cover up areas of injury, prevent infection, provide protection and generally help speed up the healing process. But In this world of "smart" technology, these all-important healers appear somewhat antiquated....
Read news articleDiwali, India's Glittering Festival Of Lights!India is known for many colorful and fun festivals. But none are as popular as Diwali, a festival that spans over five-days and extends across many cultures and beliefs. It is therefore not surprising that the ancient observance, which is also referred to as Deepavali, (row of lights) is the biggest and most eagerly awaited of all Indian celebrations....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Nikola Tesla Portrait "Painted" With ElectricitySerbian scientist Nikola Tesla is known for many brilliant innovations. However his biggest contribution to the world was the invention of the alternating current without which, we would not have electricity in our homes today! It is therefore only fitting that as a tribute to the brilliant man, American artist Phil Hansen decided to create a portrait of him using just electric sparks....
Read news articleJust In Time For Halloween - A Real-Life Ghostbuster!With Halloween rapidly approaching, reports of paranormal sightings will start to escalate as people get into the spirit of the spooky holiday. While most are obvious hoaxes, there are a few reported by people who genuinely believe they have encountered a ghost or spirit. It is these perceptions that professional skeptic Benjamin Radford spends his time investigating and resolving, with logical explanations - so far, he has not failed!...
Read news articleWorld's Elite Triathletes Battle It Out At Hawaii's Grueling Ironman World ChampionshipsThere are over twenty Ironman competitions held around the world. However none compares to the original one that takes place in Kona on Hawaii's Big Island during the second weekend of October. Now in its 36th-year, this grueling event that is dubbed the "World Championships", is considered the most prestigious Ironman race. That's because while the Hawaiian event is no different from any other Ironman challenge in terms of distance, the natural environment makes it the toughest of them all....
Read news articleCaltech Researchers Believe Tiny Sea Animals Are Big Drivers Of Ocean CurrentsThe fact that ocean currents, which move the waters and help mix-up varying temperatures, salinity and nutrients, are caused by tides and winds is a well-documented fact. Now some researchers from the California Institute of Technology believe that the zillions of small marine animals that live deep inside our oceans also play a big role in the churning of the waters....
Read news articleBeggar Turned Millionaire Returns To Repay 21-Year-Old Random Act Of KindnessIn 1993, 17-year-old He Rongfeng and his two friends left their village and made their way to in China's Zheijang Province, to look for work to help support their struggling families. Unfortunately, jobs were not easy to come by, and the trio were forced to resort to begging....
Read news articleSay Goodbye to Peanut Allergies!Peanuts! Who knew they could be such a hassle? As the world’s leading cause of food allergies, the tiny members of the legume family sure are a nuisance for the intolerant, resulting in reactions that range from minor skin rashes to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Even worse, according to experts at FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education), the incidences of peanut allergies have actually tripled in the last fifteen years!...
Read news articleAt This Spanish Comedy Club Patrons "Pay Per Laugh"In September 2013, the government of Spain increased taxes on cultural events from 8% to 21%, making the cost of live theater performances prohibitive for most people. Within four months, venues reported a 30% decline in audience. While most theater owners sat around fuming at the officials, Barcelona-based Teatreneu, decided to tackle the challenge with an innovative approach to attract audience....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - KLM's Detective Beagle May Be A Marketing Stunt But It Sure Is Cute!On September 23rd, 2014, Dutch airline KLM released a YouTube video that made everyone who saw it, wish they could travel on the airline, and forget a possession or two. That's because the short clip depicted a cute beagle aptly named "Sherlock" as the newest and most efficient member of the airline's lost and found service....
Read news articlePakistan's Malala Yousafzai and India's Kailash Satyarthi Win Nobel Peace PrizeOn October 10th, 2014, the Nobel Committee announced that this year's Noble Peace Prize would be awarded to two extraordinary individuals that have dedicated their lives to fighting for the rights of others - 17-year-old girls' education activist Malala Yousafzai, and 60-year-old children's activist Kailash Satyarthi. So what inspired the two to devote their lives to these worthy causes? Read on to find out . . ....
Read news articleA Peek Inside The World's First Carbon Neutral CityAs the world becomes more aware of the risks of climate change and the importance of sustainable energy sources, individuals and communities are increasingly taking measures to reduce their carbon footprint. Some are building "passive homes", to take advantage of natural sun and wind patterns, while others are installing solar panels or windmills, to power their homes. But never before has there been an entire "green" city - one that relies solely on renewable energy sources and smart design elements, to eliminate its carbon footprint....
Read news articleGuess What? Acing Those "Mad Minute" Tests Could Make You A Math WhizThe next time you are asked to test your math computational skills with the dreaded "Mad Minute" test, do not groan and moan! According to Stanford scientists, it is the mastery of these basic facts that will help transform you into math whizzes, as you grow older! And given that they have peeked inside the brains of elementary school-age kids, adolescents and adults, they should know....
Read news articleWingardium Leviosa! British Artist "Levitates" Covent Garden's Historic Market BuildingFirst there was the invisibility cloak created by scientists from the University of Rochester and now, this levitation of a section of Covent Garden's historic Market Building in London! And though it may appear to be the work of wizard extraordinaire Hermione Granger, this is no magic spell - just a clever illusion, created by 30-year-old British artist and designer, Alex Chinneck....
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