Scientists have often pondered over how the eight-armed octopus avoids getting tangled around itself. This mystery was particularly perplexing given that each tentacle is lined with hundreds of suckers that are strong enough to stick to almost anything. Also, unlike animals with rigid skeletons, the mollusks have no idea where their arms are at any given moment....
Read news articleOne of the most popular ways to demonstrate this year's severe US winter appeared to be tossing out a glass of boiling water and watching it freeze instantly, in mid-air. Of course, the reason the fun experiment impressed viewers is because nobody expects boiling water to turn to ice that quickly. Turns out that contrary to intuitive thinking, it actually solidifies faster than cold water! Why? That's a mystery still waiting to be solved....
Read news articleWith fishing trawlers increasingly tossing nets deeper into the ocean, tales of innocent marine animals being entangled are becoming all too common. Late last month, that was exactly what happened to a humpback whale that was making its way through the waters of California's Monterey Bay....
Read news articleA man named Rick finally got to experience what Mother's Day feels like this year, thanks to 13 little ducklings that think that he is their mother and follow him around all day. The unusual saga began when the mother of the young chicks disappeared soon after laying the eggs....
Read news articleA team of scientists led by University of Texas, Austin, astronomer Ivan Ramirez have identified a star that they believe is one of many siblings our sun has floating around the Universe. Formed 4.5 billion years ago from the same large interstellar cloud that gave birth to our sun, it is 15% larger and lies 110 light-years away in the constellation Hercules. Though not visible with the unaided eye, HD 162826 that lies close to bright star Vega, can be easily viewed with low-power binoculars....
Read news articleFirst there was the Drinkable Book that purifies water and now, this ordinary looking billboard that supposedly cleans 100,000 cubic meters or 3.5 million cubic feet of air, per day. To put it in perspective, that is the equivalent of the amount of purification provided by 1,200 mature trees....
Read news articleEver since the discovery of the first pyramid, scientists have pondered over how ancient Egyptians built these monumental structures that are visible even from space. Though there are some theories about the construction technique, the question that was always left unanswered is how workers were able to lug the giant limestone bricks that weighed as much as 2.5 tons, from the quarry to the pyramid sites that were located hundreds of miles away....
Read news articleEvery year, global energy and petrochemical company Royal Dutch Shell challenges high school and university students to design, build and test energy efficient vehicles. Created to spark debate about the future of mobility and inspire young engineers, the Shell Eco-Marathon begins in the Americas, before moving to Europe and then finally Asia. This year's Americas event which took place in Texas from April 24th-27th, 2014 attracted 121 teams from all across the continent....
Read news articleWith the Memorial Day long weekend fast approaching, chances are you looking for somewhere to go. Here's a suggestion - Find a location that takes you away from bright city lights, one where you are able to see the clear dark skies and shining stars. That's because on May 24th, you might be able to witness a never before seen meteor shower....
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