At midnight on December 31, cities worldwide, bid farewell to 2016 and welcomed the new year with dazzling fireworks shows. In case you missed them, here are some of 2017’s most spectacular displays....

Love to laugh out loud? Then you may be the perfect candidate for #laugh, a global collaborative project to create the first piece of art in outer space using the International Space Station’s (ISS) newly acquired 3D printer. While transforming an emotion into art may seem a little far-fetched, Eyal Gever, is known for his aptitude for combining art and technology to make 3D sculptures from life-like digital simulations based on moments in time....

Deep below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico lies a salt lake so deadly that researchers are calling it the ‘Jacuzzi of Despair.’ Measuring 100 ft in circumference and 12 ft deep, the brine pool gets its well-deserved reputation due to its warm temperature and high methane and salt content — a fatal combination for many unfortunate sea creatures that wander in....

Since 2013, Torobo, a robotic arm designed to test the limits of artificial intelligence, has had one aspiration — to be admitted to the University of Tokyo, one of Asia’s top-ranked educational institutions. However, despite having an extensive database of textbooks and other teaching materials to draw upon, Torobo, (short for Todai Robot) has repeatedly failed to obtain the university's required minimum 80% score in the National Center Test, a standardized entrance examination adopted by Japanese universities. This year was no exception....

From December 5-11, millions of kids in over 180 countries will take the Hour of Code challenge. The annual initiative, which coincides with Computer Science week, is organized by Seattle-based non-profit Code.org to demystify the world of coding, and inspire students of all backgrounds and ages to consider a career in software engineering....

Sweden’s ICEHOTEL has been delighting visitors with its extraordinary architecture, glittering ice sculptures, and unique location since 1989. However, those not brave enough to face the Arctic winters are out of luck. That’s because the hotel, located in the village of Jukkasjarvi, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, is built entirely from ice blocks which melt when summer comes along. But this year, adjacent to the conventional ice structure, sits the equally impressive ICEHOTEL 365. Though also built entirely from ice, it is designed to remain open year-round....

Snapchat, the popular social media app that allows users to share photos or short videos, or “snaps,” has taken the world by storm since its launch in 2012. Now, the company has done it again with the release of Snapchat Spectacles — stylish sunglasses that can record short video clips....

The fact that ants are fascinating insects has been known for some time. The tiny creatures that make their way around using their built-in GPS, survive floods by morphing into living rafts and are even reputed to predict earthquakes. Now, scientists have discovered a colony of wood ants living in a dark underground barren bunker despite having no apparent source of food....

When the international team of sailors and researchers led by Professor Jon Adams from the University of Southampton established the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project, their primary goal was to map the sea floor and study the prehistoric landscapes flooded during the last Ice Age. So you can only imagine their delight, when they stumbled upon an unexpected treasure trove of perfectly preserved shipwrecks, many of which are known from historical sources, but have never been seen before....

While parrots are usually credited as the avian world’s best mimickers, the title probably belongs to the aptly named superb lyrebirds. Endemic to Australia, the ground birds are extremely shy and difficult to approach. Hence, though researchers have known of their ability to imitate everything, from other birds, to humans, and even car alarms and chainsaws, very little was known about their lifestyle in the wild. Now thanks to a team of researchers led by Dr. Anastasia Dalziell, a Postdoctoral Associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, we finally have some insight into these amazing ancient animals that have been around for millions of years....

The fact that Donald Trump was unlike other candidates has been apparent since he announced his bid for the US Presidency in January. The real-estate mogul and businessman promised to “Make America Great Again” with radical suggestions like building a wall to stop illegal immigrants and imposing tariffs to discourage imports. While many of his ideas were not ‘politically correct,’ and even bordered on being unconstitutional, they struck a chord with the American public. On November 8, much to the surprise of experts, it was not the politically astute Hillary Clinton, but the business savvy Trump who was elected the 45th President of the United States....

On Friday, November 11, Americans will celebrate Veterans Day. The federal holiday honors the brave men and women of the armed forces who risk their lives to protect our freedom. They include members of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, National Guard, Air Force, and the Coast Guard....

Researchers had long known that Aboriginal Australians once used boomerangs for hunting and digging. Now, a new study suggests that the natives created ‘killer’ versions of the iconic Australian souvenirs to fight internal battles as well....

The world is finally uniting to save the environment. On October 5, the United Nations announced that the threshold to enforce the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement had been met, paving the way for its implementation starting November 4. On Friday, October 28 came additional good news. After five years of negotiations, representatives of 24 nations and the European Union agreed on a landmark deal to establish the world’s largest marine protected area (MPA) in Antarctica....

Imagine being able to visit any foreign country without having to worry about the language barrier. Until recently, universal translating devices only existed in science fiction movies and TV shows. But technology is finally catching up with human imagination, and companies worldwide, are feverishly working to introduce universal translators. Among them is New York-based startup Waverly Labs....

The next time you shriek at the sight of a spider, be aware that the arachnid can hear you loud and clear from as far away as 10-feet! The surprising discovery by Cornell University researchers adds to the already impressive list of arachnid attributes that includes superior vision and ability to weave intricate webs....

Though not mandatory, it has become customary for the US Presidential nominees of the two largest political parties — currently the Democratic and Republican parties — to face off against each other in a series of live debates. While the primary purpose is to convince undecided voters, hearing the candidate’s views on issues ranging from the US economy to foreign policy sometimes sways even staunch party supporters. Given that the nominees get just three chances to present their ideas, the discussions are often contentious. However, the arguments are usually restricted to differences in policies. But this time the rhetoric has been personal. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump spent the first two debates talking more about each other’s character flaws than discussing America’s future. Last night was no different....

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and important ecosystems on Earth. Not only do they provide food and habitats for the fish and seafood we eat, but they also shelter many other organisms that are crucial for ocean food chains. Experts estimate they contribute about $30 billion USD to the global economy annually, through tourism, fisheries, and coastal protection. Unfortunately, warming ocean waters, acidification, and over-fishing are killing the beautiful reefs at unprecedented levels....

Listen up Potterheads! Muggle student scientists from the U.K.’s University of Leicester have been researching some critical matters: do the spells and potions that Harry Potter and his fellow wizards use really need magic to work or do they have a scientific basis? The research papers, “Gillyweed – Drowning with Gills?” and “Revealing the Magic of Skele-Gro,” published in the Journal of Interdisciplinary Science Topics in May, investigated the magical plant and potion that helped the wizard in the popular book series....

Looking for some inspiration for your Halloween pumpkin? Then you might want to check out American sculptor and artist, Ray Villafane’s masterpieces. The two-time winner of the Food Network show, “Outrageous Pumpkins,” does not just “carve” pumpkins. He transforms them into 3-D sculptures — ghoulish ones of course!...

Polish explorer Krzysztof Starnawski’s fascination with the Hranická Propast, or Hranice Abyss, an underwater cave in the Czech Republic, began in 1999. The diver, who once held the record for the deepest dive (283-meters) with a closed circuit rebreather, says the cave’s limestone unusual formation led him to suspect that it was a lot deeper than his dives had taken him....

Legendary artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci, who conducted the first systematic study of friction, has always been credited as the pioneer in Tribology. But while his famous machinery design sketches reflected the inventor’s knowledge of the benefits and drawbacks of friction, precisely when and how Leonardo developed these ideas, has remained a mystery....

The first clue that the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season would be an active one came in January, when Alex, a Category 1 hurricane, arrived six months before the season’s official June 1st start date. Since then, there have been 13 named storms and three hurricanes. However, none have been as devastating as Hurricane Matthew, which has left a trail of destruction all the way from Haiti to North Carolina....

On Wednesday, October 5, Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart, and Bernard L. Feringa won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for creating machines that are a thousand times thinner than a hair strand! What is even more impressive is that the nanomotors are not made of pistons or gears — just a handful of molecules!...