The Olympic torch is one of the greatest symbols of the Olympic Games. In the months before the Opening Ceremony, the torch is carried by thousands of runners in a relay* that starts in Greece before travelling to the country hosting the Games. The flame for the torch is lit for each Olympics during a …
On August 6, 1991, the first website was introduced to the world. And while perhaps not as exciting or immersive as some of the nearly 1.9 billion websites that exist today, it makes sense that the first web page launched on the good ol’ W3 was, well, instructions about how to use it. The first …
Story of the Very First Website Ever Launched, 30 Years Before Read More »
The effects of noise can reach organisms without ears. Because of the way living things rely on each other, noise pollution may actually stop some forests from growing, a new study suggests. In a New Mexico woodland dominated by pinyon pine and juniper trees, researchers found far fewer tree seedlings in noisy sites than they …
Little Boy, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima by US exactly 75 years ago. Three days later, a second bomb, Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki. The device that exploded over Hiroshima destroyed about two-thirds of the city’s structures in a blinding flash of light. At the time, Hiroshima’s population was approximately 300,000. The …
Hiroshima and Nagasaki – 75 Years later then and now – in pictures Read More »
Have you ever sent a message in a bottle? A message in a bottle is a way of sending a message, where people write a letter and put it in a bottle and release it into the ocean. In the olden days, people who were lost on islands or ships at sea used to send such messages. …
Though names like Lydia Jacoby and Momiji Nishiya may not have rung a bell only a week ago, they sure will now. With most of the spotlight on household names to take home medals at the Tokyo Olympics this year, many have unintentionally overlooked the abilities of the younger athletes. Ranging in age from as …
Several strains of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing the disease COVID-19, have emerged across the globe. Viruses mutate all the time, so these new variations were not surprising; however, when a modified version becomes a dominant strain in a region or one with worrisome features, public health experts name and follow those versions. Many of the …
Coronavirus variants: Here’s how the SARS-CoV-2 mutants stack up Read More »
In the United States, the average life expectancy for women is 81 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For men, it’s 76 years. Around the world, women live longer, on average. So why do women tend to outlive men? Two of the main causes are biological, said Virginia Zarulli, an …
Every year the last remaining Inca rope bridge still in use is cast down and a new one erected across the Apurimac river in the Cusco region of Peru. The Q’eswachaka bridge is woven by hand and has been in place for at least 600 years. Once part of the network that linked the most …
One of the reasons we all love snow is because it coats everything in a “pure” white blanket. We even talk about snow in these terms: Weather forecasters say that we’ll be getting “some of the white stuff,” and every December you’re likely to hear the song “White Christmas” again and again. Snow wouldn’t be …
There was a time, not that long ago, when airline passengers had to make do with watching in-flight movies on big screens in the cabin, reading paperback novels or simply gazing out the window at the clouds. They couldn’t surf the internet or watch TV, because, well, they were on an airplane. But that started …
Inflight WiFi and Live TV on Airplanes- Know more Read More »
Our seemingly calm Sun can have a nasty temper that comes in the form of powerful explosions. The star’s unpredictable outbursts can disrupt satellites in orbit and be dangerous for astronauts. Though the flares are well-documented, researchers have never been able to pinpoint the cause of the erratic behavior. Now, the Sun’s incredible multi-staged “tantrum” …
Solar Explosions – “Rosetta Stone” Eruption Provides Insights Read More »
The countdown to the 2020 Summer Games has begun. On July 23, 2021, about 11,000 athletes from 206 countries will gather at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, for the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad. Here are a few contestants to keep an eye on at the world’s most prestigious sporting event. Sky Brown — …
We’ve all heard of it, but what is climate change and what is it doing to our planet? Climate change (or global warming), is the process of our planet heating up. Scientists estimate that since the Industrial Revolution, human activity has caused the Earth to warm by approximately 1°C. While that might not sound …
It’s often easy to overlook the efforts and sacrifices that go behind making a prodigy achieve success at the highest level. “Gifted athlete” is a term that is often associated to define the athlete’s success. When Abhimanyu Mishra became the youngest Grandmaster, breaking a 19-year-old record set by GM Sergey Karjakin, the world rejoiced. The …
Abhimanyu Mishra – The making of the youngest chess Grandmaster Read More »
There have been many inventions that have helped mankind such as the wheel, paper, and the airplane. And then, there’s candy. Candy may not be as important as wheel or paper. But, there is something about candy that makes a lot of people happy. Candy had to be invented and hasn’t always been around. If we look at drawings from the …
Here is some good news for those wilting in the sweltering summer heat — July is National Ice Cream Month! The “cool” holiday can be credited to Proclamation 5219, signed by former US President Ronald Reagan on July 9, 1984. The decree urges citizens to observe the entire month, or at the very least the third Sunday of July — designated National Ice …
It’s hard to imagine that a few inches of plastic can protect your head from life-threatening physical trauma, right? But somehow, bicycle helmets (and all helmets for that matter) are able to do this time and again. How are bicycle helmets made and how do they provide such incredible protection? Let’s look into it. The …
A group of wandering wild elephants, nicknamed “The Northbound Wild Elephant Eating and Walking Tour,” have become an overnight Internet sensation in China and globally. The pack first captured the attention of the locals in March 2020, after they suddenly left their home in the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve. While the original group comprised 16 …
Bhavani Devi has done India pround by becoming the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics. Ranked 45th in the world, Bhavani Devi will compete in the sabre category of fencing. Fencing is a sport that is neither popular nor well established in India, and that has made it more difficult for Bhavani to reach …
Meet Bhavani Devi- The first Indian fencer to reach the Olympics Read More »
De Beers Group, a pioneer in the Diamond industry has been harvesting stones from under the Atlantic Ocean. De Beers spent decades building a global empire (some would call it a “cartel”) around diamond mines in countries like South Africa. So why did they purchase more than 3,000 square miles, or 7,770 square kilometers, of …
This year’s US Independence Day celebrations promise to be extra special due to the arrival of a second, smaller Statue of Liberty from France. The bronze replica, nicknamed “Little Sister, is expected to reach New York City in time for the Fourth of July festivities. The statue will be displayed on Ellis Island – across …
The Statue Of Liberty to welcome “Little Sister” Read More »
The coelacanth — a wondrous fish that was thought to have gone extinct along with the dinosaurs 66 million years ago before unexpectedly being found alive and well in 1938 off South Africa’s east coast — is offering up even more surprises. Scientists said a new study of these large and nocturnal deep-sea denizens shows …
Fish once labeled a ‘living fossil’ baffles scientists again Read More »
It is International Yoga Day 2021 and Yoga not only includes just asanas but also different Pranayamas (breathing techniques) and meditation that teaches kids patience and helps them overcome mental stress. Here are some Yoga Asanas and Pranayamas that help better physical and mental health in children. In such a young age kids have good …
International Yoga Day 2021: Yogasanas for children for overall devolopment Read More »
On the third Sunday of every June in the United States, sons and daughters across the country honor their fathers with cards, gifts and a little encouragement to kick back. You might buy dad a tie without thinking twice, but have you ever stopped to wonder how this celebration got started? The first recorded observance …
What happens when Oil and Water mix? Have you tried to wash oily hands in just water and discovered that your hands stayed oily? Or think of crude oil that spills from a tanker in the ocean and floats on top of the water. There are two main reasons why don’t oil and water mix …
The Universe is big, but how big is it? All the planets, galaxies, stars including you on our very own home planet Earth, make up the Universe as we know it. But exactly how big is this Universe? To understand the cosmology of this majestic Universe, we can always rely on Comparison! Suppose you are …
Some household items are constant reminders telling us that nothing lasts forever. Items like dulled razor blades. Ink cartridges that end up costing more than the printer itself. And even items such as pens. That notion may have to be revised because of an Italian design firm. The firm is Pininfarina. They are the creators …
Father’s Day, which will be celebrated on June 20, 2021, promises to be extra special this year. The Earth will join in the festivities with the June solstice, kicking off the Northern Hemisphere’s first day of summer. Conversely, Southern Hemisphere residents will celebrate the astronomical start of winter, or winter solstice, with the shortest day …
Juneteenth — a combination of the words June and nineteenth — is one of the oldest known holidays commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It was on June 19, 1865, that the nation’s last enslaved people — a group in Texas — learned that slavery had been outlawed and that they were …