Kids News - Articles with 400-600 Words

Ever 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....

A fisherman trawling for shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico, south of Key West, Florida, got the surprise of his life when he pulled up the nets on April 19th - Intermingled with the tiny shrimp was a giant shark, the kind that one would only expect to encounter in a horror movie! What was even scarier, was that the shark was alive and menacingly trashing around the deck, trying its best to escape....

If you have ever had to decide on an outcome with a friend, chances are you have done it by playing rock-paper-scissors, the fun hand game where players simultaneously form one of the three shapes with an outstretched hand. Like most people, you probably thought that the game is designed for a random outcome, one in which neither player has an advantage. Turns out you were wrong. According to scientists from China's Zhejiang University, there is a method to this madness - one that can be easily mastered so that you never lose a rock-paper-scissors duel again....

While most scientists are focused on creating vaccines for life threatening mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria, British biotech firm Oxitec is taking a unique approach. They want to nip the problem in the bud or should we say larva, by killing the dengue-carrying mosquitos with the help of genetically modified laboratory versions....

Though humans may think they are the masters of deception, some of the world's best con artists appear to be birds. First there is the cuckoo finch that tricks other birds into raising its offspring and now, Africa's fork-tailed drongo that sends out false alarm signals, just so that it can steal food from other birds....

A new eatery in Melbourne, Australia is making headlines all over the world. However the accolades are not for its cuisine, service or location, but for the way it delivers - via a parachute, similar to how the Hunger Games tributes received their gifts! Another unusual twist? The menu comprises of just one item - grilled cheese sandwiches or jaffles, as the Australians like to call them....

In January 2012, US tech giant IBM's Swiss laboratory stunned the world when they unveiled the world's smallest globe. Measuring a mere 22 by 11 microns, it was so tiny that 1,000 of them could be placed on a single grain of salt. Now, the scientists have done it again with this even tinier, National Geographic Kids Magazine cover. Measuring 11 by 14 microns, it is about half the size of the globe, which means that up to 2,000 of the covers could easily fit on a grain of salt!...

Most 13-year-old girls spend their days trying to keep up with the latest fashion trends and fretting about junior high grades. Isabella Rose Taylor is no different. Except in her case, it involves setting fashion trends with her eponymous clothing line and worrying about college grades. For, believe it or not, this teenager is not just a successful fashion designer, but also, a brilliant student who is pursuing a degree in fine arts at a local college. If that is not impressive enough, her junior clothing line is about to debut at one of the nation's most prestigious retailers - Nordstrom....

Earlier this week, the Earth Day Network announced the 'Green Cities' challenge, asking communities worldwide to reduce their dependence on 'dirty' energy - electricity produced using fossil fuels. Now, Washington D.C.'s Georgetown University, is making the challenge more enticing, with a $5 million USD reward for any U.S. town or city that devises the best program to reduce energy consumption....