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The world is filled with extremely talented sand artists - people that can masterfully carve up giant castles, sculptures and even paintings, using just sand and water. But very few are as adorable as Beachbot - a robot which will keep the audience entertained as it scurries around creating beautiful masterpieces....

On Thursday, January 22nd, social media sites were buzzing with excitement at the pictures of the blue patches of glimmering water along Hong Kong's coastline. However, experts were not as thrilled. That's because while the algal bloom responsible for this mesmerizing sight are not toxic to humans, they are well-known to wreak havoc on marine life....

With less than a week left before Superbowl XLIX, the argument among sports fans and experts should largely be about which of the two teams - the New England Patriots or the Seattle Seahawks - is going to take home the coveted title. However this year, the light banter has been overshadowed by a more serious discussion - did the Patriots cheat at the January 18th AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts by using deflated balls?...

Mention the Indian subcontinent and one of the first things that comes to mind is the Taj Mahal. Located in Agra, the mausoleum that is widely hailed as the "Jewel of Muslim art in India", was built in the 1600's by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Intricately crafted from pure white marble, the masterpiece that took about 22 years to complete, is considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world and visited by millions of people each year....

Here is a story most of you are probably familiar with. Kid gets invited to a classmate's birthday party. Parents respond with a resounding yes, but later realize they have a conflict and decide it's okay to skip the party without informing the host. End of story right? No, says this British mother who wants the errant party to pay for the cost incurred....

In early January, Mercedes-Benz captured the world’s imagination by unveiling a futuristic self-driving car prototype at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to being autonomous, the F015 Luxury in Motion, also promises to be fuel efficient and as its name indicates, the epitome of luxury. While this is in complete contrast to Google's compact, koala-like autonomous vehicle, one thing is apparent - if manufacturers have their way, driverless cars will be sharing the highways with human-driven vehicles, within the next decade....

On March 28th, US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko will launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft on a historic mission - a year long visit to the International Space Station. The trip, the first of many that will be undertaken before a manned mission to Mars, is a test to gather information about the psychological and physical effects of extended space travel on the human body....

Animals use many tricks to hide from predators - from blending in with the environment to disguising themselves into something unsavory and even, creating decoys. While different, they are all optical. Now scientists have uncovered a fish species that uses both visual and chemical camouflage. That means they not only blend in with the colorful coral they feed on, but also smell like it!...

First there was San Francisco-based Lava Mae that came up with the brilliant idea of mobile showers for the homeless, and now two Australian youngsters that have created a similar laundry service for those down on their luck....

On Monday January 19th, Americans will celebrate the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., (MLK), a Baptist clergyman turned activist, who is often credited with spearheading the country's civil rights movement. It is thanks to his efforts that America is today a nation where everyone has equal rights, regardless of race, color or creed....

On Sunday, January 11th, almost 4 million people across France and several hundred thousand more globally, marched in solidarity against terrorism. The biggest gathering was in Paris where an estimated 1.7 million people, including 40 world leaders, walked along the boulevards and avenues of central Paris. Some were carrying signs with the slogan “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie), while others held up large stylized pencils or wore writing implements on their hats or other items of clothing....

Though the sight of a baby whale is always welcome, the report of a newborn in the group of orcas that scientists call the J-Pod, is particularly exciting. That's because, this batch which is part of the 77-member Southern Resident Killer Whale group (SRKW) that reside off the coast of the state of Washington and British Columbia, has been on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's endangered list since 2005....

Every year around this time, schools districts in the Eastern and Midwestern regions of the United States brace themselves for the inevitable "snow days" - school closures forced by the freezing Arctic blasts that dip temperatures to as low as 40 below in states like Iowa. While a great favorite amongst students, the unscheduled holidays are a big nuisance for educators. That's because in order to complete the State mandated 180 days of student instruction, they have to compensate for the unscheduled holidays by cancelling teacher enrichment days, long weekends and in extreme cases, even cutting short spring and summer vacations....

In April 2014, a series of devastating tornadoes wreaked havoc on the southern United States. The fierce system of multiple tornadoes that ripped through the region ravaged scores of local communities, claimed the lives of more than 35 people, and caused over a billion dollars in damages across 17 states. Also affected of course were the animals that lived in the region. The one species that managed to escape unscathed were the golden-winged warblers that left their breeding grounds in Tennessee two days before the tornadoes struck and flew off to Florida....

On January 5th, 2015, visitors from all over the globe flocked to the world-renowned Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in Northeast China to admire the beautiful snow sculptures, towering ice castles and intricately chiseled 'snice' (snow & ice) buildings. Now in its 31st year, the annual extravaganza that takes place in its namesake city of Harbin, encompasses an area of about 75,000 square meters and ranks amongst the largest ice and snow festivals in the world....

On December 5th, 2014, NASA scientists got one step closer to their dream of landing humans on Mars with Orion's successful test flight. One of the biggest challenges it overcame was withstanding the dreaded Van Allen radiation belt located 3,600 miles above Earth's surface. Now scientists have to come up with a way to ensure that the humans that will call the spacecraft home during the six-to-nine month long journey to the Red Planet and back, are able to do the same....

Happy 2015! As is the tradition, at the stroke of midnight on December 31st, 2014, cities all around the world welcomed the new year with elaborate fireworks. Though you may have seen the ones where you reside, chances are you missed some of the other spectacular displays that took place globally. So settle down with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the show!...

While holiday classics like Elf, Home Alone, and The Polar Express, can be viewed any time of the year, "The Yule Log" - a show that features a warm crackling fire - can only be seen during Christmas. It is therefore no wonder that fans look forward to it with such anticipation, year after year!...

Every New Year, millions of people make a resolution only to see it fall by the wayside within a few months, weeks, or even days. However, 26-year-old Luke Cameron is not amongst those. After losing a close family friend known for her generosity to cancer in 2013, the young man vowed to do at least one good deed a day, for 365 days - and he has not missed yet....

This holiday season, the people of Japan are dealing with an unusual food crisis - a butter shortage! Though that would not be a problem any other time of the year, it is during Christmas, because of an age-old Japanese tradition of celebrating the day with a delectable strawberry and cream sponge cake that is baked with . . . lots of butter!...

If the sun appears to set a little earlier (or later) this Sunday, it is not your imagination. That's because depending on where you live, December 21st will be the shortest or longest day of 2014. Also known as the winter (or summer) solstice, it marks the official start of winter for the residents of the Northern Hemisphere and summer for those that live in the Southern Hemisphere....

The "Field with irises near Arles" is one of Dutch artist Van Gogh's most famous paintings. Believed to have been the first of the 130 paintings the artist created while at the Saint Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Remy, France, it is amongst his most recognized and coveted masterpieces. Not surprisingly, the painting has been extremely well-preserved and looks as good as when the artist first painted it, except for one thing - the once purple irises have started to turn blue....

With their large flattened heads, small beady eyes and slimy skins, Japanese giant salamanders are not destined to take home the prize for "best-looking". However, according to a team of scientists they may just be eligible for the most "awesome dad" award, at least amongst amphibian males who are not known for their nurturing personalities....

With Christmas less than two weeks away, your neighborhood is probably aglow with beautiful lights. However they will pale in comparison to nature's own light show, the Geminids. Though this annual celestial display that has been nicknamed the 900-pound gorilla of meteor showers has been visible since December 4th, their best showing will be on the night of December 13th and the early morning of the 14th, until about 2.00 am local time....