مستوى مبتدئ

On November 24th, 2014, Samantha Cristoforetti became the first Italian woman astronaut to enter outer space. On May 3rd, the 38-year-old made history again - this time for brewing the first cup of espresso at the International Space Station! Prior to this, astronauts were resigned to getting their caffeine rush from instant coffee slurped from a pouch through a straw....

If you make a list of the world's top ten most challenging jobs, chances are that being a teacher will not make the cut. But think about the daunting task millions of educators face each day as they try to mold a group of often surly, unruly kids into intelligent, well-rounded individuals. That surely has to be the toughest job in the world, especially given that there is no promotion or bonus awaiting them even if they are wildly successful!...

On Sunday May 10th, the approximately 85 million moms that reside in the United States will celebrate Mother's Day. This means a one-day role reversal, where moms get to enjoy all the things kids take for granted - like sleeping in and getting fed. While the special woman in your life is bound to be grateful for making her day special, so will the officials of the United States....

When Canadian resident Charlene Fritz joined an expedition to Snow Hill Island in the Antarctic Peninsula she was expecting to see many exotic animals. What she did not plan on was receiving a cuddle from one of them!...

A team of scientists from California's Stanford University recently announced that they may have accidently stumbled on a way to reprogram certain cancerous cells to turn against their own! The breakthrough came about when the group led by Ravi Majeti was researching Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) cancer cells....

Researchers recently reported the discovery of three new species of dragons in the Andean cloud forests of Ecuador and Peru. However, don't run for cover yet, for these are not fire-breathing beasts that kidnap fair maidens and battle knights in shining armor. Instead, they are just tiny wood lizards that are often referred to as 'miniature dragons' thanks to their close resemblance to the mythical creatures....

Every year, bulldogs from across the country make their way to Des Moines, Iowa to participate in Drake University's "beautiful bulldog" contest. In addition to the bragging rights that come with the title, the winner also gets to serve as the mascot of the prestigious Drake Relays - the nation's second oldest track event....

Here is some great news for all comic book fans. Saturday, May 2 is Free Comic Book Day. Yes, that means you can walk into any participating store and walk out with a copy of your favorite comic book. The icing on the cake? The day is celebrated by vendors all over the world!...

The day began like any other. Muharrem, a hearing-impaired young man and his sister, who reside in Istanbul's Bağcılar neighborhood, headed out to complete some chores. Along the way, Muharrem noticed a strange phenomenon. Everyone, from the pedestrian that accidently bumped into him, to the person who sold him bagels, to even the taxi driver, communicated with him using sign language....

Over the past few years, researchers have come up with many innovative ways to use human kinetic energy - from powering soccer fields to playgrounds and classroom lights. Now some scientists want to take it to the next level with a new fabric that harnesses everyday motion to power personal devices!...

If you ever visit the city of Chengdu that lies southwest of China's Sichuan Province don't be surprised to see a cute backpack-carrying poodle strutting down the streets on its hind legs. According to its owner 43-year-old Zhu Tai, the dog can walk for almost a mile before it needs to come down on all fours....

Dropped a chip or cookie on the pavement? Don't bother picking it up especially if you live in an urban area like Manhattan. That's because according to a team of researchers led by North Carolina State University's Clint Penick, some industrious ants will soon carry it away. For believe it or not, many city ants have come to love junk food almost as much as humans do!...

On Thursday, April 2nd, the world rejoiced at the news that Iran had reached a tentative agreement with United States and five other world powers to limit its nuclear program. The landmark deal that was announced from Lausanne, Switzerland has been in the works for over two years....

This is a tale of two friends - one is blind, the other, a double amputee. On their own, the two are "disabled". But together, they are a formidable force that have transformed the plains north of Yeli Village in North China's Hebei Province from a wasteland to a lush, green, tree-filled stretch of land. Meet 53-year-old Chinese residents Jia Haixia and Jia Wenqi!...

The recent worldwide debate about the color of a dress has piqued the public's interest in illusions. While there are many that are making their rounds, the most fascinating is one created by researchers at Boston's Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2007. In addition to being fun, it apparently also serves as a vision test....

Every year after April 1st, the world takes stock of the best pranks. This year was no exception. Amongst the ones that made the top list was Google's portable mailbox and Richard Branson's announcement to move his company's US headquarters to Branson, Missouri....

On Saturday, April 4th, sky gazers in many parts of the world were treated to the third of the four lunar eclipses that will occur before the end of 2015. What made the celestial event even more special is that it was the shortest one of the century....

We all know that music has the power to comfort us when we are frazzled or distressed. Can it do the same for animals? In 2001, University of Leicester researchers decided to test this by exposing dairy cows to different genres of music. They discovered that certain types of music helped cows produce 3% more milk than those that only heard the jarring sounds of milking machines....

Plants typically use one of three methods to disperse seeds - wind, water, or animals. Not the Erodium cicutarium or as it is often called "stork's bill." This dynamic plant uses a powerful mechanism called "ballistic dispersal," to transport its seeds over 500 yards away. Though that is certainly impressive what happens after, is even more so....

When one thinks of pigs, smart is not the first word that comes to mind. However, after seeing Moritz complete puzzles with such ease you may change your mind not just about him but all the other porkers out there....

Most of us could probably survive without spinach, kale, or broccoli, but a world without chocolate? Now that would be hard! But if some of the world's largest candy manufacturers are to be believed, it could happen if we don't act soon....

Today the world will celebrate Earth Hour. This means that millions of people across twenty-four time zones and six continents will switch off all lights and turn off all electronics for an hour, from 8.30-9.30 pm local time. While it may seem trivial, this small action will make more than a symbolic difference in our battle against climate change....

For humans seeing butterflies fluttering around with their beautiful brightly colored wings is a joyful sight. However not for their natural predators like lizards, spiders, and birds. To them, the vibrant hues are a reminder of a bad-tasting species that are best avoided. For those not easily duped, some butterflies also have eyespots on their wings. According to researchers, this tricks would-be predators into thinking that the insect is a larger animal, like an owl....

What's better than meeting your favorite superhero? How about receiving a bionic arm from him? That's exactly what seven-year-old Alex experienced recently, when he met with Robert Downey Jr. aka Tony Stark!...