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For those unfamiliar with the sport, the National Football League's (NFL) championship game, aka the Super Bowl, may seem like an ordinary season finale. However, don't tell that to the 194 million Americans who plan to watch the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs battle it out for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on February 2, 2020....

When 17-year-old Wolf Cukier accepted an internship at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, last summer, he expected to be challenged and gain insights into pursuing a career in astrophysics. Instead, the high school junior from Scarsdale, New York, attained worldwide fame for an achievement that eludes most astronomers — finding a new planet! Even more impressive, Cukier made the discovery on the third day of his two-month-long internship at the US Space Agency....

If you have felt the skies above you seem increasingly empty of chirping birds, you are not alone. A 2018 study by BirdLife International revealed that 40 percent of the world’s 11,000 bird species are in decline, and one in eight bird species is threatened with global extinction. Now, some scientists are using cutting-edge technology to revive the critically-endangered kākāpō; if successful, the techniques used may help save other bird species as well....

The Earth's inner core, which boasts temperatures exceeding 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,000 degrees Celsius), may not evoke images of a winter wonderland. Yet, a new study by a team of scientists led by Youjun Zhang, an associate professor at Sichuan University in China, asserts that the deepest part of our planet may be covered with a 200-mile-thick layer of "snow." However, before you rush to pack your skis, be aware that the "snowflakes" are not composed of frozen water crystals, but of tiny particles of iron!...

Cotton candy is probably the last thing that comes to mind when one thinks of exoplanets. But the three giant worlds orbiting the Kepler 51 star system, about 2,600 light-years away from Earth, are so "light and fluffy" that they warrant a comparison to the beloved spun-sugar confection....

Though bushfires are a common occurrence in Australia during the summer, they have never been as devastating or as widespread as the ones currently burning across the country. Since September 2019, the blazes, fueled by dry foliage and strong winds, have scorched over 15.6 million acres (24,000 square miles) — an area larger than the state of West Virginia. Even worse, officials warn that Australia's wildfire season — which generally lasts through March — is nowhere near its end....

With no brains or nerve cells, single-cellular microorganisms are often regarded to be simple, primitive beings with few capabilities. However, a new Harvard University study suggests that protozoans, like Stentor roeselii, have the smarts to make "complex" decisions when confronted with unpleasant situations....

Happy 2020! At the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2019, cities worldwide rang in both a new year and a new decade with dazzling fireworks shows. Here are some of this year's most spectacular displays from around the world....

Christmas is all about observing beloved traditions. For some, this means attending midnight mass on Christmas eve, for others, it entails watching reruns of old classics like Elf and Home Alone. Then there are the millions for whom the holiday is incomplete without an episode of The Yule Log — a four-hour television show featuring a warm, crackling fire....

Winter lovers, rejoice! Saturday, December 21, 2019, is the winter solstice — the astronomical start of the chilly season for residents of the Northern Hemisphere. Even more exciting, the longest night of 2019 will coincide with the peak of the Ursids meteor showers, giving fans ample time to view the spectacular shooting stars!...

On Wednesday, December 18, 2019, members of the US House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump on two charges — abuse of power (230-197) and obstruction of Congress (229-198). The historic decision culminates a three-month inquiry by House Democrats into whether or not the US leader pressured Ukraine to conduct investigations for his personal political benefit. However, the impeachment process is far from over. Here is how we got to this moment and what to expect next....

Hanukkah is one of the most anticipated and joyous of all Jewish festivals. Although the celebration always begins on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month on the Hebrew calendar, that date can fall anywhere between late November and late December on the Gregorian calendar. This year, the eight-day festival will begin at sundown on December 22, 2019, and continue through December 30, 2019....

Time Inc.'s "Person of the Year" tradition began in 1927, when the magazine commemorated 25-year-old aviator Charles Lindbergh for the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Though the media franchise has since recognized several young people for their global influence, it has never given the important distinction to a teenager. But then again, few teens are as passionate about their mission as 2019's "Person of The Year"— 16-year-old Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg....

It is often said that "a picture is worth a thousand words." That is certainly true of the mesmerizing images of fleeting moments of nature submitted by international ecologists and students for the British Ecological Society's (BES) annual photography competition. Here are a few of 2019's winning entries, announced on November 28, 2019....

While America's highest office — the presidency — remains elusive to women, Finland has just elected its third female premier. Even more impressive, 34-year-old Sanna Marin, who was sworn into office on December 10, 2019, is the youngest prime minister in Finland's history, and the world's youngest sitting government head. Prior to this, that honor belonged to New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern, who was 37 years old when she took office in October 2017....

On December 7, 2019, David Datuna was admiring the modern and contemporary works of art on display from 200 of the world's leading galleries at Miami's Art Basel, when hunger pangs hit. Fortunately for the New York-based artist, there was a ripe banana just waiting to be eaten. The only problem? The tropical fruit stuck to the wall with duct tape was no ordinary banana — it was an art installation that had just been sold by Perrotin, an international art gallery, for $120,000!...

To say that space is tight in the Principality of Monaco is an understatement. The pint-sized country, which has a surface area of just 0.78 square miles (2.02 square kilometers), boasts a total population density of 48,466 people per square mile — the highest in the world. With building space stretched to the limit, architects in the world's second-smallest country have been constructing up towards the sky, tunneling down into the ground, and even carving out the surrounding cliffs. Now, they have built a multi-million dollar luxury home inside a rock....

The low percentage of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers is often attributed to men being believed to be better at the sort of thinking those fields require. Though several studies have debunked the myth, they have largely been based on results acquired from various standardized tests. Now, researchers from Pennsylvania's Carnegie Mellon University have found evidence that is hard to overlook: brain scans proving that young girls and boys use the same mechanisms and networks in the brain to solve math problems....

Though it has been over a century since the R.M.S. Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg, modern-day ships remain as vulnerable to such catastrophes. The most recent disaster occurred in May 2019, when a sightseeing boat on the Danube River in Hungary capsized and sank after colliding with a river cruise ship, killing 28 of the 35 tourists aboard. Now, researchers from New York's University of Rochester may have found a way to avert such tragedies, with a water-repellant metal that can stay afloat even after having several holes drilled in it....

Celebrated annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and the popular shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday is designed to kick off the season of generosity. Now in its eighth year, the charitable event uses the power of social media to encourage organizations and individuals to donate funds or resources towards worthy causes. Established in 2012 by New York City nonprofit 92nd Street Y, #GivingTuesday is now observed worldwide, with millions of people coming together each year to bring positive change to their communities....

While an estimated 46 million turkeys will be taking center stage at Thanksgiving dinner tables around the US on November 28, 2019, two lucky birds will be happily cackling in retirement. On November 26, 2019, President Donald Trump used his executive powers to pardon North Carolina-born fowls "Bread" and "Butter" from the chopping block. The Presidential Turkeys will spend the rest of their lives with Peas and Carrots, last year's pardoned birds, at Gobblers Rest at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg....

Not a fan of the increasingly shorter winter days? Then you may want to avoid the town of Utqiagvik, Alaska. That's because the northernmost city in the US just experienced its last sunset of the year on November 19, 2019. Even worse, it will not witness a sunrise again until January 23, 2020. More precisely, that means 65 consecutive days, or 1,560 hours, of no daylight....

Venice, which is built on 118 small islands in the middle of the Venetian Lagoon at the tip of the Adriatic Sea in Northern Italy, is no stranger to floods. The picturesque city experiences water surges from the rising tides at least four times a year, usually during winter....

Though thousands of adventurers have scaled Mount Everest, the highest and most famous of the world's 14 tallest mountains, only 40 climbers have conquered them all. Located in Asia's Himalayan and Karakoram ranges, the "eight-thousanders" each stand over 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) tall, above the so-called "death zone," where the amount of oxygen is insufficient to sustain human life for an extended period....