With plans underway to lasso asteroids, establish settlements on Mars and send tourists out for quick jaunts, the fact that our future lies in Space is indisputable. However some of these dreams will be left unfulfilled unless we do something about all the junk we have abandoned in Space in the last 55 years....

Nadal has experienced a wide range of triumphs and tribulations in 2013. After being forced to withdraw from the year's first grand slam - the Australian Open due to a stomach virus, he came back with a vengeance in May to win his eighth French Open title. Then in June, he along with many other top players, suffered a stunning loss in the initial round at Wimbledon, only to bounce back strong in the last major tournament of the year, the US Open....

It took five attempts, but on September 2nd, 2013, U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad accomplished the dream she has been harboring since 1978 - Become the first person to swim from Cuba to the Florida Keys without a protective 'shark' cage....

If you have been listening to the news lately chances are you have heard about the escalating tension in Syria and the heated debate between nations about whether it may be time for other countries to intervene and help the rebels. So what exactly is the crisis that has the entire world up in arms and how did it get to this stage? Read on . . ....

If humans can participate in art contests why can't chimpanzees? After all they do share over 90% of our DNA and are likely to do as good a job, if not better! In order to highlight their art talent as well as the amazing work of the eight chimpanzee sanctuaries around the country that provide care for the mammals retired from research, pet trade and entertainment, the folks at the Humane Society of the United States decided to hold a competition....

Imagine 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...

During 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....

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....

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....

In 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?...

While 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....

On 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....

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....

Running 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'....

Solar Impulse, the world's first single passenger solar-powered airplane has come a long way since its first flight in 2009, when it rose a mere 3 feet above the ground and flew for just 1,150 feet in the 30 seconds it was in air. In 2012, the elegant green flying machine successfully completed an intercontinental trip from Europe to Africa and on July 6th, 2013, added another feather or should we say 'wing' to its cap, with a flight across the United States of America....

Despite the influx of a myriad of electronic toys, the iconic Lego brick remains a steadfast favorite in most households. While most kids lose interest as they grow, there are a select few that become so attached, that they make a career building objects with the colorful bricks, becoming part of the elite group of individuals with the coveted title of certified Lego Professional!...

For the lucky few that live in developed countries, having access to fast reliable Internet is a no-brainer. It is therefore easy to forget that over five billion people or a majority of the world is not as fortunate. But if search giant Google has its way, that may soon, be a thing of the past....

Of all the sports played today, pole vault is one of the most demanding in technique and athleticism. So imagine competing when you are legally blind! Not one, but two high school girls have accomplished this daunting and seemingly impossible feat. 15-year-old Charlotte Brown of Emory, Texas and 17-year-old Aria Ottmueller of Chandler, Arizona are both standout athletes who have found out-of-the-box ways to overcome their visual impairment and conquer not just this, but other sports as well....

Given that we are constantly being bombarded with news about species of animals becoming extinct, it is refreshing to hear that there are also new ones constantly being discovered - What is surprising is that every year, nature lovers and scientists find not one or two, but thousands of never before seen species....

3-D printers are certainly the buzz today - They are being put to all kinds of uses, ranging from creating faux cars for movies to architectural models and if some advocates have their way, possibly even lunar structures. However, none of these ideas are as radical as the one proposed by Anjan Contractor, who believes that they will be the key to ending world hunger....

Though the US tornado season usually in begins in earnest from March and continues till June, things had been a little quiet this year, thanks to a cooler spring that lasted all the way through mid-May, keeping the twisters at bay. But as the temperatures and humidity have risen, the tornadoes have emerged with a deadly vengeance....

While today, the mere mention of a shark sighting sends shivers down our spines, such was not the case about a century ago. In those days, most people believed that sharks were tame creatures who could be easily scared and had jaws so weak, that even if one were brave enough to come close, it would pose no threat. This belief was reinforced by experts who maintained that sharks would never attack humans, especially in the temperate waters of the United States, unless they were provoked....

The fact that plants do not live a passive life has been known for sometime now. In 2012, a team of researchers led by Professor Nick Smirnoff from The University of Exeter, was able to visually prove that they communicate with each other and now two totally separate research studies reveal that these silent communicators may actually be 'talking' to each other and us!...

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....