Scientists Discover The Obvious - Teenage Brains Are Wired To Be Impatient And Impulsive!

The words teenager and patience are rarely uttered in one sentence. Adolescents are well-known for being irritable, impulsive, and craving instant gratification. According to the researchers from Berlin-based Max Planck Institute for Human Development, it is not because of hormones or that teens like to "act up." It is simply because the structural connections inside their 'amygdala' or emotional center of the brain, are still developing, limiting their ability to think ahead about the consequences of their actions....

Read news article
Even Nobel Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai Has To Take The SATs

Right about now, high school seniors that wish to attend U.S. Universities are scrambling to complete their college applications before the December or January deadlines. Among the things they will be required to submit is a Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT score. While the standardized test is an optional requirement for some schools, at California's Stanford University it is mandatory for every applicant - Even the world's youngest Nobel Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai!...

Read news article
Six "Astronauts" Embark On A Yearlong Mock Mission To Mars

On August 28, six researchers who barely know each other made their way to the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii's Big Island for a year-long "vacation." However, the crew of three men and three women that includes a soil scientist, a doctor, a post-grad architect student, and an astrobiologist, did not check into a fancy resort. Instead, they locked themselves up inside a solar-powered dome without fresh air, fresh food, or privacy....

Read news article
Japan's "Granny" Pop Sensation KBG84 Proves That Age Is Just A Number

Girl bands - Music groups that feature women only have been around since the 1920's. However, none compares to Japan's latest pop sensation KBG84. That's because, with an average member age of 84, they are not just the country's hottest music band; they are also the oldest! But age has not hindered the "granny" group from releasing a hit single and performing to sold out shows in Tokyo and Osaka....

Read news article
Chris, The World's Woolliest Sheep Gets A Much Needed Haircut

On September 2nd, Canberra's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) received news of a woolly creature roaming around in the Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve on the outskirts of the city. When the officials arrived to investigate, they discovered a barely visible ram buried under a giant ball of beautiful merino wool....

Read news article
Is Queen Nefertiti Resting Inside A Hidden Chamber Within King Tut's Tomb?

Queen Nefertiti, the wife of King Akhenaten who ruled from 1352 to 1336 B.C., was one of ancient Egypt's most influential and beautiful queens. Historians maintain that she played a significant role in the political and religious reforms that resulted in numerous changes including the establishment of Aten as Egypt's supreme god. Many even believe that the powerful queen served as pharaoh for a brief period following her husband's death and the accession of his 9-year-old son King Tutankhamun (Tut), to the throne....

Read news article
SpaceX Announces Hyperloop Pod Competition

In August 2013, Elon Musk, the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, the world's first privately funded spacecraft company unveiled a 57-page white paper that outlined a radical new supersonic transportation system. Called Hyperloop, it envisioned giving residents of high-traffic cities that lie within short distances the option to commute in enclosed capsules through low-pressure steel tubes at up to 800 mph. Musk hypothesized that such a system would help cut the commute time between cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco from the current 6 hours to just 30 minutes....

Read news article
Facebook And Google Vie To Bring Internet Connectivity To All

For those living in developed countries, life without Internet connectivity is almost unimaginable. However, about 4 billion people across the world still have sketchy or no access to the massive networking structure that has transformed the world into a global village. But if social networking powerhouse Facebook and search giant Google have their way, that will soon be a thing of the past....

Read news article
ISS Astronauts Enjoy First Space-Grown Salad

Space food has come a long way since John Glenn orbited Earth in 1962. He and other members of Project Mercury, the first American human spaceflight program, had to endure unappetizing foods that came in the form of bite-sized cubes, freeze-dried powders, and semi-liquids stuffed in aluminum tubes. Today astronauts can select from an extensive menu of over 70 foods and 20 beverages. The one thing they still can't get? Fresh fruits and vegetables!...

Read news article
Why Los Angeles Reservoirs Are Covered With Black Plastic Balls

On August 13, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti along with officials from the water department watched as the last 20,000 "shade balls" rolled their way into the city's largest in-basin water reservoir. The release marked the final phase of the project that involved covering the 175-acre lake with 96-million four-inch black plastic balls. Their purpose? To provide shade and improve water quality....

Read news article
The Color-Changing Dusky Dottyback Is A Master Of Disguise

Camouflage is not a new concept in the animal kingdom. From grasshoppers blending in with leaves to owls mimicking tree barks, many animals, birds, and insects, depend on their ability to hide in plain sight for survival. But if there were an Oscar for the species with the best disguise, it would surely go to the dusky dottyback. The crafty predator fish can change its color to mimic that of its prey's parents, allowing it to feast on their juveniles, without raising suspicion....

Read news article
Breakthrough Ebola Vaccine Provides Hope for West Africa

Ebola has been on the public health radar for quite some time. However, the most recent epidemic, the deadliest since the disease was identified in 1976, has brought the aggressively contagious viral illness to the forefront. Researchers from all over the world have been frantically trying to find a cure. Now there appears to be a breakthrough in the form of a safe vaccine that in initial trials has proven to be extremely effective in eliminating the risk of contracting the dreaded disease....

Read news article
Mcity: A Town Built Just for Cars

At first sight, Mcity near Ann Arbor, Michigan looks just like any other U.S. town or city. However, look closer and you will notice that the buildings are merely facades and the sidewalks, eerily empty. In fact, the only things you will encounter are cars zipping around, many with no humans at the helm. Welcome to the world's first car city - a 32-acre vehicle haven created by the University of Michigan to test new automotive technology....

Read news article
This Tiny Iron Fish May Help Prevent Global Anemia

Anemia, a condition where the body is not producing enough healthy red blood cells to transport oxygen to the tissues is a common ailment. Caused by a diet that is deficient in iron, its symptoms range from fatigue and dizziness to weakened cognitive ability and stunted development in children....

Read news article
How A Single Fridge Is Helping Curb Food Waste In Spain

Food waste is a growing concern. According to a recent report by the United Nations Environmental Programme, consumers in industrialized countries waste as much as 222 million tons of food annually. To put it in perspective, that is almost equivalent to the net food production of sub-Saharan Africa. Now the residents of the small Spanish town of Galdakao have devised a simple solution to help reverse the trend - a community refrigerator!...

Read news article
World Leaders Reach Landmark Nuclear Deal With Iran

Earlier this year, the world rejoiced at the news that Iran had tentatively agreed to a deal that would curtail its capability to develop a nuclear program. In exchange, the United States and five other world powers promised to lift the harsh trade sanctions that have crippled the country's economy since they were imposed in 2005....

Read news article
Australian Chestnut-Crowned Babbler May Not Be Babbling After All

To the novice listener, the Australian Chestnut-crowned babbler's sweet melodies may sound like any other birdsong. However, to ornithologists it is a series of sounds which when combined, forms a unique bird-like vocalization or what we refer to as language. The discovery is exciting because the tiny birds are the first nonhuman species known to communicate using language....

Read news article
First FAA Approved Drone Delivery in the United States Is A Success

In December 2013, Jeff Bezos, the founder, and CEO of Amazon made headlines when he announced the company's intention to use unmanned aerial vehicles or drones to make deliveries. However, while Amazon is still trying to convince the Federal Aviation Authority, Australian startup Flirtey has already made history on by completing the first-ever FAA-approved drone delivery in the USA....

Read news article
Microscopic Images Reveal The Beauty Of Human Tears

Our eyes tear up for various reasons. The most common, known as basal, are involuntary tears that are continuously being released to keep the cornea moist. Then there are reflex tears that are shed when eyes are exposed to irritants like dust or onion vapor. And finally, emotional or psychic tears that pour out when one is experiencing extreme happiness or grief....

Read news article