Annual Geminids Promise A Stunning Celestial Show This WeekendThough the comet of the century, ISON, may have the dependable annual Geminid showers have arrived and will be in full blossom starting today, Thursday, December 12th, all the way through to Monday, December, 16th. Nicknamed the 900-pound gorilla of meteor showers by NASA, they outweigh other dust streams by factors of between 5 to 500!...
اقرأ المقالCommemorating The 72nd Anniversary Of The Bombing Of Pearl HarborSaturday, December 7th, marked the 72nd Anniversary of the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu. The surprise attack was conducted on the Hawaiian naval base by Japan's Imperial army to try stop the United States from interfering with the country's attempt to expand its wealth and influence, by conquering neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Fearing that the US Pacific Naval Base would foil their plans, the Japanese decided to try cripple its entire fleet....
اقرأ المقالNot A 'Math Person?'- Don't Tell These Researchers!Not being a 'math person' is something that is not only asserted pretty frequently, but also, accepted very readily. According to a 2010 survey conducted by Change the Equation three out of ten Americans believe that they are 'bad' at math, while over half of 18-34 year-old's seem to have convinced themselves that they just can't tackle numbers....
اقرأ المقالBefore The Tyrannosaurus Rex There Was Siats MeekerorumThough the discovery of dinosaur fossils is always an exciting event, the remains of one that roamed North America about 100 million years ago, is even more so. That's because while paleontologists have extensive knowledge about the Tyrannosaurus-rex that dominated the arena in the late Cretaceous period (about 60 million years ago), very little is known about the ones that ruled the roost during the intermediate period....
اقرأ المقالWill An Amazon Drone Be Delivering Your Package Anytime Soon? You Decide!On Sunday, December 1st, Jeff Bezos the founder and CEO of retail giant Amazon sent shock waves across the nation with his announcement that within a few years, the company would be using aerial drones to make deliveries. Called Amazon Prime Air, it will be available to transport packages of up to five pounds within a ten miles radius of one of the company's numerous fulfillment centers....
اقرأ المقالHow The Ingenious Mushroom Creates Its Own MicroclimateWhen words like 'complex machines' and 'ingenious engineers' are used to describe something, the last thing that comes to mind is the drab mushroom, the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus. But that is exactly what Emilie Dressaire, professor of experimental fluid mechanics from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, is calling them after discovering that these amazing toadstools possess the capability of creating their own microclimate....
اقرأ المقالFirst Book Printed In British North America Is Now World's Most Expensive!A nondescript battered book filled with spelling errors just became the world's most expensive printed book. On Tuesday, November 26th, US philanthropist David Rubenstein paid $14.2 million USD to own a copy of the first book printed in British North America - The Whole Book of Psalmes or as it is better known today, the Bay Psalm Book....
اقرأ المقالTwo Lucky Turkeys Trot Away From Cranberry Sauce And Stuffing!While over 46 million turkeys are getting ready to take center stage at the dinner table this evening, two - Popcorn and his lucky spare, Caramel, are trotting away to George Washington's Mt. Vernon Estate and Gardens in Virginia, where they will impress visitors during the holidays, before moving to their permanent retirement home in Lessburg's Morven Park....
اقرأ المقالHappy Hanukkah Or Should We Say 'Thanksgivukkah'On Thursday, Jewish families residing in the US are in for a double treat - Thanksgiving and the first full day of Hanukkah, which begins today (November 27th), at sundown. Also known as the Festival of Lights, the last time these two special celebrations coincided was in 1888 and the next? Probably not for at least another 77,798 years, which means that for those that observe both, this is a once in a lifetime celebration!...
اقرأ المقالResearchers Discover Active Volcano Under Antarctic IceWhile above-ground active volcanoes in the Antarctica are nothing new, finding one that is buried deep inside its thick ice layer is certainly a first. The exciting discovery was revealed in the November issue of Nature Geoscience by researchers from the Washington University in St. Louis, who stumbled upon the frozen continent's well-kept secret, accidentally....
اقرأ المقالInternational Space Station Celebrates 15 Years in OrbitOn November 20th, 1998, a Russian rocket launched off with an unusual piece of cargo - Zarya ('sunrise' in Russian), the module that became the first piece of the largest manmade structure every built in space - The International Space Station (ISS). Designed to be the power source for the ISS, it orbited earth for two weeks, before being joined by Unity....
اقرأ المقالAlaska's Rat Island Returns To Being A Bird ParadiseWhile the presence of rats in homes may cause anxiety and annoyance, they rarely result in driving out the residents. But that is exactly what happened to the inhabitants of the 10-square-mile Hawadax Island off the coast of Alaska, almost 230 years ago. Now thanks to a five-year effort by conservationists, the eerily silent 'Rat Island' as it had been dubbed for many years, has been returned to its rightful owners - birds!...
اقرأ المقالWill ISON 'The Comet Of The Century' Sizzle Or Fizzle?Stargazers all over the world are abuzz with excitement. That's because for the first time ever, comet ISON has started making its way through our inner solar system. While comets skirting by earth are nothing new, this one is being dubbed 'Comet of the Century', thanks to its orbit that takes it so close to the sun that it could result in an unprecedented cosmic scene, caused by the distinct bright tail created when the ice on the comet's body vaporizes....
اقرأ المقالWorld's Oldest 'Non-Colonial' Animal Was Even More Ancient Than Previously ThoughtA tiny clam that was dredged up from its home under the sea in 2006 and named world's oldest 'non-colonial' animal is making headlines again. That's because scientists had grossly miscalculated the age of the ancient mollusk. Turns out that Ming was not 405 years old as had been originally believed, but an astounding 507, when discovered....
اقرأ المقالSan Francisco Temporarily Transforms Into Gotham City Complete With BatkidOn November 15th, the beautiful city of was under siege! With the Riddler and Penguin terrorizing its residents, Police Chief Greg Suhr, had no choice but to call everyone's favorite caped superhero - Batman or as it turns out was the case here, Batkid. No, this was not the filming of Batman Begins, but a citywide charade organized to fulfill the wish of a five-year-old boy by -based Make-A-Wish Foundation!...
اقرأ المقال'Pop-Up' Schools Provide A Glimmer Of Hope For Third World CountriesFor those of us that live in the United States and other developed nations, good quality education is something we take for granted. But such is not the case in most third world countries. In places like Kenya, access to schools is severely limited and even those that do exist are producing poor academic results. Now, thanks to an innovative 'out of the box' solution provided by Bridge International Academies, there may be hope....
اقرأ المقالEven Macaques Need Computer Time To Relax!The fact that non-human primates seem to like touchscreen computers as much as their human counterparts has been known for some time now - After all, the orangutans and gorillas of the Milwaukee Zoo have been 'enriching their lives' with iPads since 2011. Now, a new study asserts that exposing the animals to these devices not only makes their lives more interesting, but also, helps them relax and become friendlier....
اقرأ المقالWristify - The Ingenious Bracelet That Helps Keep You Perfectly Toasty (Or Cool)If you live in a normal household chances are that there is constantly some bickering going on about the house being too cold or too hot. Now, thanks to an ingenious bracelet invented by the students from Cambridge-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), every household member can regulate his/her own body temperature and be perfectly comfortable....
اقرأ المقالLosing Pounds In Dubai is Worth Its Weight In Gold - Literally!We have heard of corporations incentivizing employees to get healthier by providing them with gym memberships or even gift cards, but gold from local government officials? That has to be a first! Turns out it is exactly what the flashy city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates did recently, to try get its residents to adopt a healthier lifestyle....
اقرأ المقالGeorge Dennehy, The Armless Musician That Is Inspiring The WorldThey say that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That certainly seems to be the philosophy 19-year-old George Dennehy has adopted all his life. For how else can you explain that despite being armless, the musician plays not one, but multiple instruments, all with his feet....
اقرأ المقالWhy We Celebrate Veterans DayFor most of us Veterans Day just means a chance to enjoy an extra day off from school or work. However this November 11th, be sure to spend a few minutes on its true purpose, by acknowledging the men and women who have served in our armed forces. These include the members of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and the Coast Guard....
اقرأ المقالNaturalists Begin Search For 'Extinct' Tasmanian TigerThe Tasmanian tiger that roamed the jungles of the Australian mainland over 2,000 years ago and those of the island of Tasmania until about the 1930's, has been declared extinct since the early 1980's. But that hasn't stopped reports of 'sightings' in both areas. Unfortunately because the people that purportedly saw the tiger were caught off-guard, there have never been any clear pictures or videos to prove that it is indeed the ancient animal. Now, a group of International researchers have arrived in Tasmania to scout the forests and solve the mystery of whether the tiger is alive or extinct, once and for all....
اقرأ المقالSafeFlame Torch Creates Fire From WaterWhile creating a hot flame using ordinary water may seem like something out of a science fiction movie, it is not only possible, but may soon be available to all, thanks to the genius work of a team of researchers that are working in collaboration as part of the European Union-funded SafeFlame consortium....
اقرأ المقالIs The Mystery of King Tutankhamun's Death Finally Solved? You Decide!Ever since Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun (Tut) - the Egyptian pharaoh that ruled over 3,300 years ago, scientists have been haunted by the mystery surrounding the death of the 19-year old boy prince....
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