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On May 26, NASA astronaut Jeff Williams spent seven hours inflating the first expandable room at the International Space Station. Called Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, the balloon-like structure that measures 10-feet by 13-feet, (about the size of an average bedroom) when fully inflated, is the first prototype of what NASA experts hope will be the space habitat of the future. The compressed module arrived at the ISS aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on April 8 and was put in place outside the Tranquility module by ISS’s robotic arm, Canadarm2....

Though the detrimental impact of plastic waste on the environment is well-known, consumption of drinks bottled in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) —the most commonly used polymer — continues to rise at alarming levels. According to experts, over 22,000 plastic bottles are discarded every second, and the numbers are only growing. While a fraction of them do get recycled, most end up in the ocean, where they disintegrate into smaller pieces and are often mistaken for food by innocent fish and birds....

Most airlines go all out to ensure their passengers have the best possible flight experience. Now, Europe’s low-budget airline EasyJet, wants to extend the positive experience beyond the plane ride with “Sneakairs” — Smart shoes that allow visitors to explore new cities and towns without ever looking at a map....

On Thursday, June 23, residents of the United Kingdom will head to the polls to vote “yes” or “no” to a single question: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” Simple as it sounds, the outcome of the referendum will have a significant impact on the country’s future....

On Monday, May 30, Americans will celebrate Memorial Day. The Federal holiday that is observed annually on the last Monday of the month is highly anticipated by all, for various reasons. To students, it signifies the end of the school year and the start of a long lazy summer break. For adults, the holiday is a reminder to firm up vacation plans and host barbecue parties....

Hundreds of thousands of hearing-impaired people in the United States and many parts of Canada rely solely on American Sign Language (ASL) for communication. But popular as the language is, there are millions of people with normal hearing that are unable to decipher the hand and finger gestures. That may change soon thanks to the ingenious “SignAloud” glove that converts sign language into speech....

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....

When a 91,000-acre piece of vacant land came up for sale in Southwest Florida about ten years ago, it attracted builders from across the country. After all, the chance to develop an area almost five times the size of Manhattan does not come frequently. But to everyone’s surprise, the owners did not auction the property that lies just 20 minutes from Fort Myers to the highest bidder. Instead, they sold it to Palm Beach-based Kitson & Partners who not only promised to preserve a bulk of the land, but also use the remaining acreage to build an environmentally friendly town....

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!...

Ordinarily, the 13th of the month is just another day on the calendar. However, when it falls on a Friday, as it will tomorrow, the day takes on a whole new significance. That’s because Friday the 13th has a reputation for being unlucky. The unfounded fear that affects over twenty million people in the U.S., and many more worldwide, is so serious, that it is considered a medical disorder that goes by the names friggatriskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia....

On Sunday, May 1 shortly after 4 pm, a crew from the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Department reported a wildfire in the vicinity of Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada. Though the fire, which was labeled MWF-009 because it was the ninth such blaze encountered this season was similar to the previous ones, it concerned firefighters more for two reasons....

A new “Rembrandt” painting unveiled in Amsterdam in early April is making headlines around the world. However, the authentic-looking masterpiece is not the work of the 17th century Dutch artist. It is a brand new painting that uses technology to mimic Rembrandt’s technique so perfectly, that it could easily be mistaken for one created by the great artist himself....

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....

Schools across the world are trying to come up with innovative solutions to keep students active and alert. Some are replacing conventional classroom chairs with exercise balls or standing desks. At Ward Elementary School in Winston, North Carolina students have adopted an innovative program that entails riding stationary bikes while reading....

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....

On Wednesday, April 20, Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew announced that Harriet Tubman will replace Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, on the $20 bill. The former slave and abolitionist is the first African-American, and the first woman in over a century, to be featured on the face of U.S. currency. The last female represented on U.S. notes was Martha Washington, who appeared on the $1 silver certificate from 1886 to 1957, when the certificates were discontinued....

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....

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....