2014 will be remembered for many things - the re-emergence of Ebola, cyber attacks on corporations like Target, Home Depot and Sony, and most importantly, numerous extraordinary protests. Though the reasons for the public rallies that occurred in cities all across the globe differed, they had one thing in common - their success can be largely attributed to the use of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, which helped raise worldwide awareness and brought like-minded people together to organize effective campaigns that lasted for months, some even continuing into 2015....
Read news articleEvery 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....
Read news articleThis 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!...
Read news articleThe "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....
Read news articleWith 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....
Read news articleAn ancient Egyptian handbook that has been in the possession of Macquarie University's Museum of Ancient Cultures in Sydney, Australia, since 1981, has finally been deciphered. According to Macquarie University professor Malcolm Choat and University of Sydney professor Iain Gardner, the book contains magical spells that residents of ancient Egypt drew upon, to make all kinds of wishes come true....
Read news articleIn the popular Hunger Games series, the oppressed residents of District 12, often raised their hand in a three-finger salute - a gesture that began as a sign of gratitude and farewell, but soon evolved into a symbol of defiance. Now, the salute is being used by some Thai youngsters to show their displeasure with the military officials that have been ruling the country under martial law since they ousted the civilian government in May 2014. And just like the leaders of the dystopian society, Thailand's rulers are not too thrilled....
Read news articleThough all hotels undergo periodic renovations, very few do it as frequently as Sweden's ICEHOTEL, which is rebuilt every year. That's because as the name indicates, the hotel is carved entirely from ice blocks that melt into a giant puddle of water, when the temperatures warm up. And while each rendition of ICEHOTEL is special, the 2014 version is even more so, given that the unique destination is celebrating its 25th anniversary....
Read news articleOn November 15th, children aged 8 to 12 got together at a designated location in five cities around the world - Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Dublin and Amsterdam, to participate in the first Global Children's Designathon. The event that was organized by Dutch design agency Unexpect, challenged kids to come up with solutions for some of the world's most pressing issues - food, waste and traffic - in a single day!...
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