Video(s) Of The Week - In Celebration Of YouTube's Eighth Birthday!We have all become so reliant on YouTube for things ranging from tutorials to cooking tips and of course, entertainment, it appears as though the video-sharing site has been around forever. But believe it or not, it was just eight years ago, on April 23rd, 2005, that the first 20-second video was uploaded on this now popular destination....
Read news article40,000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Crumples A Day After CompletionThe 40,000 piece hand-cut jigsaw puzzle that beautifully depicted the scenes from Queen's Royal Jubilee celebration was definitely a work fit for royalty . . . Until, it crumpled right before the eyes of its creator, 63-year-old Dave Evans....
Read news articleWill The World's Newest Lightest Material Be Instrumental In Cleaning Up Toxic Oil Spills?It weighs less than air and is extremely strong, yet flexible enough to bounce back to its original shape, after being compressed. And, it does not float away either, because a 10cm×10cm×10cm cube does not displace 1000 cubic centimeters of air, since a lot of air stays in the pores of the 'sponge'. But best of all, it can absorb up to 250-500 times its own weight of oil at a rapid pace of 68.8 grams per second. This is not a material scientist's dream, but a description of the most recent 'lightest' solid created by a research team from China's Zheijang University....
Read news articleHumpback Whales Share New Hunting TechniquesIt is a well-documented fact that humpback whales gather their prey by creating 'bubble nets'- that is, blow bubbles underwater to confuse shoals of fish and cause them to herd together, giving the whales a perfect opportunity to devour them in one gulp....
Read news articleWorld's Most Endangered Language Is Spoken By Only Two People Who Don't Talk To Each Other!Though there are about 400 languages from all over the world that are in danger of disappearing completely, Zoque-Ayapaneco, an indigenous Mexican language is considered the most likely to become extinct, because the only two people in the world that speak it fluently, do not talk to each other!...
Read news articleFour Year-Old Huckleberry Is World's 'Most Beautiful Bulldog'On Monday, April 22nd, 47 drooling, wrinkle-skinned bulldogs convened inside Drake University's athletic field house with one purpose in mind - To be crowned the 'World's Most Beautiful Bulldog', an honor that among other things, earns them the right to be the official mascot of the 104th Drake Relays - The nation's oldest and most prestigious track and field competition....
Read news articleTimely Measures Almost Repair The Ozone 'Hole' - Can The Same Be Done For Global Warming?On February 8th 2013, scientists from European Space Agency (ESA) announced that their weather satellite that is equipped with an instrument specifically designed to sense ozone concentrations showed revealed the seasonal ozone 'hole' above the Antarctica had shrunk to record levels!...
Read news articleIngenious Coralbots May Help Restore Coral ReefsCoral reefs are not just beautiful to look at, but also, extremely useful. Considered the marine equivalent of tropical rainforests, they cover only 2% of the ocean bottom but harbor almost 25% of all marine life. However, like many other species, this amazing ecosystem that has been around for five hundred million years is in danger of being eradicated completely, if something is not done soon....
Read news articleKeep Your Eyes Peeled For The World's Largest 'Message In A Bottle'If you have always dreamt of discovering a bottle with a message during one of your jaunts to the seashore, you are in luck - Because right about now, there is a ginormous bottle, one so large that it had to be registered and insured as a boat, floating around somewhere in our oceans, just waiting to be discovered....
Read news articleThe 'March To The Sea' That Instigated India's Quest For IndependenceWith a population of over 1.2 billion, the South Asian country of India is not only the world's largest democracy, but also, the third largest economic power. It is therefore hard to believe that from 1850-1947, this powerhouse had been a British colony. Though there had been some isolated regional struggles for independence, it was a seemingly insignificant 'March To The Sea' protest organized 83 years ago by civil rights leader Mohandas Gandhi, that instigated a countrywide nationalist movement. This eventually, led to the birth of India as an independent nation....
Read news articleOur Beautiful Earth!Time to get off the couch and make your mark . . . after all, it is Earth Day! Originally celebrated in North America on April 22, 1970, this year's theme is 'The Face of Climate Change' - aptly reflecting the dire situation our planet is going to be in, if something is not done to turn around global warming soon. In case you are still procrastinating, here is a visual reminder of why we should do all pitch in, to save our beautiful planet....
Read news articleIron Man Fan? Then You May Want To Head To Japan For The 4DX ExperienceIf you are a superhero fan, chances are you have already pre-purchased the ticket for the May 3rd midnight premier of Iron Man 3 and are looking forward to your interactive 3D experience with Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. But, if you are a little late to the game, you may want to skip the US party and instead, head over to Nagoya, Japan where one theater is screening the experience in 4DX....
Read news articleApplications Pour In For First Private Mission To MarsIn February 2013, US multimillionaire Dennis Tito announced that his non-profit organization, Inspiration Mars Foundation, was planning to sponsor two 'qualified' people for a flyby to Mars in 2018. While one would think that an announcement this ambitious from a man whose closest encounter with Space has been as the first paying guest of the International Space Station would arouse some skepticism, such is not the case....
Read news articleCreative Photographer Fulfills Young Boy's Wish To Experience Life's Simple PleasuresMost of us take jumping onto a skateboard, shooting hoops or flying a kite, for granted. But for 12-year old Luka, anything beyond moving a limb or two, is just wishful thinking. That's because the young boy suffers from muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease that confines him to a wheelchair....
Read news articleCan Red Wood Ants Predict Earthquakes?While ants may appear to be just pesky insects whose sole purpose in life is to annoy humans, they are in reality, quite amazing - they can survive the biggest floods by morphing into living rafts, find their way anywhere, thanks to a built-in GPS and now it turns out, may even have the ability to predict earthquakes - Something even the world's best brains have been unable to do so far!...
Read news articleRunning Tap Results In A Spectacular Frozen Waterfall In ChinaEarlier this week, the world got a whiff about the formation of a spectacular new frozen waterfall in China's Jilin City. However, this hunk of ice that sits on the side of a building, is not a natural wonder, but a manmade version created unwittingly, by an apartment resident....
Read news articleSoutheast Asia Welcomes Songkran (New Year) With A SplashAsian countries seem to have the most fun when it comes to celebrations. This was amply demonstrated last week when Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Burma ushered in their cultural New Year, with a giant, free-for-all, water fight!...
Read news articleEarth Day 2013 - Remembering Early EnvironmentalistsOn April 22nd, people all over the world will celebrate the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day. Besides conducting environmentally friendly projects within their communities, over one billion people are also expected to participate in rallies to voice their concern about the dire effects of global warming on our planet and vow to take actions to help reverse the trends....
Read news articleVideo Of The Week - Why Astronauts Never Shed TearsThough it is common knowledge that lack of gravity makes life in space a tad different from that on earth, very few of us ever think about how different. There is of course the fact that Astronauts are always suspended and floating around, but what about beyond that? Something as basic as shedding a tear or two of joy or sorrow?...
Read news articleTeen Polyglot Has Mastered 23 LanguagesNew York teen Timothy Doner, has an unusual hobby - He likes to learn languages! And not the way most of us do to get through basic school requirements, but thoroughly enough so that he can conduct a decent conversation. Over the last five years, the 17-year old has been able to master 23! While this has earned him the title of the world's youngest polyglot, he is still not satisfied....
Read news articleOtzi The Iceman Should Have Visited A Dentist (Or Eaten Less Junk Food)!Given that it has been over 20 years since the body of Otzi the Iceman was found, one would think that scientists had discovered all they could, about this Neanderthal who inhabited the earth some 5,300 years ago. Turns out the one thing they had not examined was his teeth, and what they discovered, would make any dentist cringe!...
Read news articleVietnam's Dragon Bridge Actually Breathes Out Fire!Though bridge designs have come a long way since humans began using fallen tree trunks or stones to get across stretches of water, they have until now been boring inert structures. That however changed on March 29th, 2013, with the unveiling of Vietnam's Dragon bridge. It not only resembles the legendary mythical creature, but also, acts like it, by breathing out fire!...
Read news articleUS East Coast Braces For The Onslaught Of The 17-Year CicadasAfter being slammed by severe winter storms, some areas of the East Coast of the United States are now getting ready for another onslaught - This time, from the millions of cicadas that are about to emerge from the ground for the final three months of their lives....
Read news articleTransparent Fish With No Scales And Clear Blood Baffles ScientistsLast week, Japan's Tokyo Sea Life Park unveiled its latest exhibit - A transparent fish that has no scales and clear blood. The specimen of the Ocellated Ice Fish, believed to be the only one of its kind in captivity, was brought to the center by Japanese krill fisherman in 2011....
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