Wished You Could Celebrate Your Birthday More Often? You May Want To Consider Exoplanet Kepler 78bImagine living on a planet where you could celebrate almost three birthdays in one day - Think that is just out of this world? Well actually it is - About 700 million light years away in the small constellation of Lyra, where scientists have discovered an exoplanet that zips around its star in a speedy 8.5 hours...
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - How To Lasso An AsteroidThe scientists at US Space Agency NASA are planning a radical new mission, one that entails capturing an asteroid and then sending over a manned spaceship so the astronauts can obtain some samples and bring them back to earth....
Read news article'I Have A Dream' - Four Simple Words That Galvanized A NationDuring his short but effective life as preacher and civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. gave many speeches. However the one that seemed to resonate with the entire country, race notwithstanding, was the one he delivered fifty years ago on August 28th, 1963, whilst standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C....
Read news articleYou Will Never Guess The Artist(s) Behind These Underwater 'Mystery Circles'The unsolved mystery of the 'crop circles' - Intricately carved large designs that magically appear on farms all across the world, has been plaguing scientists for centuries. Some speculate that they are the work of farmers trying to attract tourists, whilst others believe that they are alien art. But when similar creations started to appear underwater off the coast of Southern Japan, there seemed to be no explanation - logical or otherwise!...
Read news articleIs This Ostrich Egg Globe, The Oldest Depiction Of The 'New World'?An intricately carved globe pieced together from two bottom shells of ostrich eggs may have just taken over the title of the oldest depiction of the 'New World', from the copper etched Hunt-Lenox globe that lies in The New York Public Library. What is even more interesting is that ostrich globe which is believed to have been created between 1504-1506 used Leonardo Da Vinci's unique 'triangle' technique to transfer the 2-dimensional map drawing into a 3-dimensional sphere, leading Belgian cartographer Stefaan Missinne to speculate that it may be the work of a skilled artist from Da Vinci's Florence studio....
Read news articleDaredevil Escape Artist Pulls Off Heart-Stopping Stunt For The Second TimeWhile there are many professional escape artists - entertainers that specialize in freeing themselves from shackles under stressful conditions - few take it to the level Wisconsin daredevil Anthony Martin does. He has escaped from under 2,000 pounds of sand, a steel cage submerged in ice-cold water and even some of the world's most secure prisons. However this latest stunt definitely ranks as his most dangerous one yet! What is even more incredible is that this is second time he has been able to pull or should we say escape it off!...
Read news articleEureka! Climate Change Is Good For California's Ancient Trees!Climate change always seems to be about things going wrong - The Arctic is melting faster, sea water levels are rising rapidly . . . and the list goes on. Now finally there is some good news. According to a team of experts led by Emily Burns, Science Director at Calfornia's Save the Redwoods League, it is actually helping the world's tallest trees thrive....
Read news articleAdorable Mammal Is The First New Carnivore Species Discovered In The Americas In 35 YearsWith its large brown eyes, fluffy red-orange hair and bushy tail, the Olinguito could easily be mistaken for a stuffed teddy bear. But this cute as a button mammal that belongs to the raccoon family is very much alive and extremely precious - That's because it is the first new carnivore to be 'discovered' in the western hemisphere in over three decades....
Read news articleLove Cotton Candy? Then You (And Your Parents) Are Going to Love These GrapesMention cotton candy and most parents will 'tut tut' and shake their heads in disapproval. For while those wisps of spun sugar that melt in the mouth may be yummy, they have absolutely no nutritional value. But what if you could somehow incorporate that taste into something that your parents would thoroughly approve of? Say like grapes for instance? Think that's impossible? Read on . . ....
Read news articleCould Undersea Hot Springs Hold The Key To Understanding The Origins Of Life?While scientists know that the first life found on Earth almost three billion years ago began with the simplest form, its origins still remains a mystery. Sure Charles Darwin's theory of Evolution by means of Natural Selection presented in his 1859 book 'The Origin of Species' sounds plausible, but it still does not explain how that first living microorganism came into being. A team of scientists led by University of California Santa Cruz Professor Andrew Fisher believe that an unusual ecosystem located at the bottom of our oceans may provide some clues....
Read news articleCaine's Cardboard Arcade May Be Closed But Its Legacy Lives OnIn summer of 2011, nine-year old Caine Monroy was twiddling his thumbs at his father's auto parts shop in Los Angeles, wondering what to do over the long summer break, when he suddenly hit upon a brilliant idea - Why not build a gaming arcade?...
Read news articleMenu For Mars Astronauts May Include Delectable Stews And DessertsWhile missions to the moon or even International Space Station take a lot of meticulous planning, the one to Mars is going to require even more so, mainly due to the fact that it will be the longest one ever. Scientists estimate that it will take astronauts a total of at least 520 days or about 18 months to travel to Mars, perform a short mission and return to Earth....
Read news articleIndian Elephants Demonstrate Their Steel-Trap MemoriesThe fact that elephants never forget and hold a grudge against their abuser(s) when one them is injured has been proven many times, both anecdotally as well as by the results of a formal study of African elephants who reacted negatively to the scent of Masai clothing because the young tribesmen often spear them to demonstrate their bravery. Now a herd of Indian elephants is showing that they are no slouches either, when it comes to revenge!...
Read news articleDesigner Brings Smart Technology To ApparelWith 'smart' technology being incorporated into almost everything around us it is not surprising to hear that it is now also making its way to apparel. First there was Cute Circuit's 'twitter' gown and now, dresses that move to acknowledge their admirers....
Read news articleComing To A Sky Near You - The Spectacular Perseid Meteor ShowersThough there is a slew of meteor showers that are visible from Earth every year, none comes even close to the show put on by the Perseids annually around mid-August. They are so spectacular that the experts at NASA call them the 'fireball' champion of all annual meteor showers! The best part is that this year's event is coming up soon....
Read news articleWhy A 'Bland & Neutral' Flavored $325,000 USD Burger Is Being Hailed A SuccessOn Monday, August 5th, reporters from some of the world's most prestigious newspapers gathered in Hammersmith, London and watched attentively as award-winning chef Richard McGeown carefully sautéed a beef patty in oil and butter, placed it on a plate beside a burger bun, lettuce and tomato, and served it with great flourish to Chicago-based food writer and journalist, Josh Schonwald and Austrian food researcher, Hanni Rutzler....
Read news articleNew Zealand's 'Glow-In-The-Dark' Cave is Powered By Flies!New Zealand's North Island is known for many things - it's active volcanoes, pristine beaches, waters that harbor about 8000 marine species as well as the rich Maori culture and heritage. However, none come even close to one of nature's most amazing and unique offerings - The Glowworm Grotto Cavern....
Read news articleSampal The Dolphin's Truly Magical Tale!When dolphins get caught accidently in fishing nets, the outcome is usually dire - They either get injured and lose a tail or, spend their lives in captivity entertaining humans. But while thirteen-year-old Sampal's story began that way, it has a perfect fairy-tale ending....
Read news articleSmog Eating Sidewalks And Concrete Recycling Robots? Awesome!With global warming on the rise, innovative solutions to combat pollution are becoming increasingly important. While there are many that are unveiled each week, only a few have the capability of tackling the issues on a scale large enough, to make a real difference. Here are two ingenious ones that definitely make the cut....
Read news article72-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Tail Unearthed In Mexican DesertOn July 23rd, a team of paleontologists comprising of experts from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History and students from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, excavating in the Chihuahuan Desert in the Northeastern State of Coahuila, stumbled upon an exciting and rare discovery - An almost perfectly preserved tail of a dinosaur that inhabited the area, 72 million years ago....
Read news articleStubborn, Ambitious Or A Visionary? Your Choice Of Ice Cream Reveals It AllWhile you may believe that the flavor of ice cream you order is a random decision, Dr. Alan Hirsh, the founder of Chicago-based Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation begs to differ. He believes that it revels some interesting insights into the person's character and has unveiled it all in a study he conducted for Baskin Robbins, in honor of National Ice Cream month. Curious to find out what your choice says about you? Read on!...
Read news articleBadwater Ultramarathon Tests The Limits Of Human EnduranceRunning a single marathon is hard enough. Now imagine running five of them back-to-back in temperatures exceeding 120°F and you will understand why the Badwater Ultramarathon is often referred to, as the 'world's toughest footrace'....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Detroit Kids Get Downright Mucky At 26th Mud DayIf you happened to be visiting Detroit's Westland Suburb on Tuesday July 9th, you would have seen witnessed an unbelievable sight - Over 2,000 kids frolicking in a 75-by-150 mud pit while their parents cheered from the sidelines. Welcome to mud day!...
Read news articleVolunteers Form Human Wall To Guide Baby Loggerhead Sea Turtles To SeaThough it is common for the volunteers of Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire to ensure that the hundreds of loggerhead sea turtles that hatch on the beaches of the Caribbean Island make it to sea each year, the task usually involves just keeping an eye on them. This year, they had to do something they have never done before - Create a human wall for some of the little ones that were confused as to the path to the ocean....
Read news article