Twenty-four-year-old Ohio resident Ian Burkhart had lost all hope of being able to move his limbs again after a tragic diving accident left him paralyzed, six years ago. But on April 13, doctors from The Ohio State University and Battelle Memorial Institute reported that for the first time in medical history, they had been able to restore movement to the young man’s fingers without the use of external prosthetics. This means that Ian can now perform tasks like brushing his teeth, pouring water into a glass, and even playing Guitar Hero by just thinking about them. Though these may seem like small feats, they are tremendous achievements for someone whose body has been totally lifeless for many years....

In 2014, marine biologist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer David Gruber was on a nighttime dive to observe biofluorescent corals when he noticed a bright green eel darting across. This was the first time biofluorescence had been witnessed in a vertebrate. Curious to see if there were more such creatures just waiting to be discovered, Gruber and his team began combing through coral reefs around the world. Sure enough, they found that 180 species of animals, including bony fishes, reptiles, and even the hawksbill sea turtle, have the capability to “glow”, in the deep dark ocean waters....

Are we the only intelligent beings in the Universe or are there several other perhaps even smarter civilizations just waiting to be discovered? That is the million dollar question scientists have been trying to answer for over 50 years. Now Russian billionaire Yuri Milner wants to solve the mystery once and for all, by reaching for the stars . . . Literally!...

In January and February of 2016, a total of 13 young sperm whales washed up on the beach near the town of Tönning in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. An autopsy revealed that the whales had all died of heart failure. The researchers believe that the young bulls, all between 10-15 years old, may have entered the North Sea by mistake. Since the sea floor here is too shallow for these deep sea dwellers, it caused the whales to become disoriented and perish....

Mention the word "coding" and the first image that comes to mind is a complicated algorithm that has no relationship to the real world. It is, therefore, no wonder that most kids steer away from learning this skill that is becoming increasingly important in today's world. Now, thanks to a small robot created by researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute even kids as young as five, will be clamoring to program....

Wood has many great properties that make it the perfect building material — It is cheap, durable, easily available, and most importantly, renewable. The one thing it is not, is transparent! Now thanks to a team of scientists at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology the versatile material may even be able to add that attribute to its already impressive list....

Animal videos are always heartwarming. However, the one that captured Tuffy, a black bear splashing in a pool, is even more so. That's because it shows the animal's unbridled joy after being rescued from a bear bile farm, where he was locked in a tiny cage and tortured for years. In fact, Tuffy was so thrilled with his newly found freedom that he did not return to his den that evening — Instead, the bear spent the night sleeping under the stars....

Japan is famous for its state-of-the-art high-speed railway system. In 2015, its Magnetic Levitation or, Maglev train, which gets its name because it hovers 10 cm above the tracks, set a new speed world record of 375 mph (603km/hr). Now the innovative island nation wants to build a train that features a mirror-like exterior and blends in so well with the environment, that it will be practically "invisible."...

On Friday, April 22, billions of people across the globe will celebrate Earth Day. They will commemorate the event by staging rallies, participating in environmental clean-up activities, and pledging to undertake "green" initiatives to protect this precious planet. While that is certainly helpful, it would be even better if we could incorporate "greener" habits into our daily lives. These stunning images taken from space by NASA will serve as a reminder of why making every day "Earth Day" is so important....

In May 2011, Joao Pereira de Souza stumbled upon a stranded Magellanic penguin outside his shack on Proveta Beach in Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro. The bird was soaked in oil and unable to move. The 71-year-old retired bricklayer scooped up the starving penguin, nursed it back to health and put it out to sea....

On Thursday, April 14, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake jolted the residents of Japan's Kyushu Island. The tremor that struck near the town of Ueki in the Kumamoto Prefecture occurred just before 9:30 pm local time and resulted in 9 deaths and over 850 injuries. An additional 44,000 people were rendered homeless. Though numerous smaller aftershocks followed, most experts believed that the worst was over....

On Tuesday, April 12, representatives from Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort, Duke Energy, and Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) flipped a giant light switch to mark the highly anticipated opening of a five-megawatt solar facility. Cleverly designed to resemble the familiar "not-so-hidden-Mickey," the massive solar farm that is located near Epcot is clearly visible from Space....

While weather predictions are getting increasingly accurate, meteorologists are often still unable to gauge the severity of storms. That's because forecasting what the elements have in store for us is a complicated task that is dependent on numerous variables including temperature, humidity, jet streams, and even the size of raindrops!...

Tossing a plastic spoon or fork into the trash after using it once is not just acceptable; it is fashionable. Experts estimate that over 40 billion pieces of plastic cutlery end up in the garbage each year - And that's just in the US. The numbers are even worse in India where an astounding 120 billion pieces clog the landfills annually. But that may change soon thanks to Indian entrepreneur Narayana Peesapaty, whose start-up Bakey's transforms mundane cutlery into delicious treats!...

A recent study conducted by a team of researchers from Canada's McGill University has uncovered that birds who live in urban environments are not just better at problem-solving and more skilled in tasks that require innovation than their rural counterparts: they also have stronger immune systems!...

History was made on March 2, 2016 when a Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft traveling from the International Space Station landed in a remote part of Kazakhstan. The landing was cause for celebration as the craft carried American astronaut, Scott Kelly, and Russian cosmonaut, Mikhail Kornienko, home from their 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station....

Here is some good news for those that are looking for adventure in their lives. Peer-to-peer rental site Airbnb is accepting applications for people that are brave enough to spend a night inside the shark tank at France's Aquarium de Paris....

What's more exciting than having a fresh hot pizza delivered to your door? How about having it brought to you by a robot? Thanks to Domino’s Robotic Unit or DRU, that just became a reality! On March 8, the three-feet tall robot made its first delivery to some lucky residents in Brisbane, Australia....

Every year more than 2 million people, a quarter of them children, end up in hospital emergency rooms with concussions — And those are the lucky ones! That's because there are millions more that postpone treatment or even worse, never get themselves examined simply because they don't experience the classic concussion symptoms that include vomiting, blurred vision, and loss of balance....

The fact that computers are getting increasingly smarter is evident. However, they still lack creativity and intuition and hence cannot learn, think and understand like humans — At least, that was the consensus until Google's AlphaGo computer algorithm beat 18-time world champion Lee Se-dol, 4 to 1 at the ancient Chinese game, Go....

When one thinks of a spider, the image that comes to mind is the crafty arthropod feasting on an innocent insect it has lured into its web. It turns out that the arachnids have a much more sophisticated palate. In addition to relishing the occasional fish and frog, they also have a strong penchant for vegetables. At least, that's the conclusion reached by a team of zoologists from the USA, United Kingdom and Switzerland, after an extensive worldwide study of the eight-legged arthropods....

Just when we think there couldn't possibly be any more mysteries left to solve about the human anatomy, comes another discovery. This one has to do with sighing. It turns out that the involuntary reflex that is generally associated with sadness or despair is crucial to our well-being. That is why researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles and Stanford University were determined to find out what triggers this spontaneous action, without which our lungs would collapse!...

This past week was an exciting one for astronomy fans. That's because two comets — 252P and the P/2016 BA14 — were scheduled to make their closest approach to Earth, back-to-back. The icy celestial bodies did not disappoint....

On March 18, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in Ohio released the first pictures and video of its newest residents - Five adorable cheetah cubs. The cute newborns that include three males, and two females had to be born via a rare C-section surgery on March 8, due to some medical complications with their mother, five-year-old resident cheetah, Willow....