Though the detrimental impact of plastic waste on the environment is well-known, consumption of drinks bottled in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) —the most commonly used polymer — continues to rise at alarming levels. According to experts, over 22,000 plastic bottles are discarded every second, and the numbers are only growing. While a fraction of them do get recycled, most end up in the ocean, where they disintegrate into smaller pieces and are often mistaken for food by innocent fish and birds....
Read news articleOn Thursday, June 23, residents of the United Kingdom will head to the polls to vote “yes” or “no” to a single question: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” Simple as it sounds, the outcome of the referendum will have a significant impact on the country’s future....
Read news articleLike most street artists, Malaysian singer Jass Pangkor has good and bad days. A few weeks ago, the talented artist was experiencing a particularly depressing day because not one person had stopped to listen to his performance....
Read news articleIn 2014, marine biologist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer David Gruber was on a nighttime dive to observe biofluorescent corals when he noticed a bright green eel darting across. This was the first time biofluorescence had been witnessed in a vertebrate. Curious to see if there were more such creatures just waiting to be discovered, Gruber and his team began combing through coral reefs around the world. Sure enough, they found that 180 species of animals, including bony fishes, reptiles, and even the hawksbill sea turtle, have the capability to “glow”, in the deep dark ocean waters....
Read news articleAre we the only intelligent beings in the Universe or are there several other perhaps even smarter civilizations just waiting to be discovered? That is the million dollar question scientists have been trying to answer for over 50 years. Now Russian billionaire Yuri Milner wants to solve the mystery once and for all, by reaching for the stars . . . Literally!...
Read news articleA new “Rembrandt” painting unveiled in Amsterdam in early April is making headlines around the world. However, the authentic-looking masterpiece is not the work of the 17th century Dutch artist. It is a brand new painting that uses technology to mimic Rembrandt’s technique so perfectly, that it could easily be mistaken for one created by the great artist himself....
Read news articleIn January and February of 2016, a total of 13 young sperm whales washed up on the beach near the town of Tönning in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. An autopsy revealed that the whales had all died of heart failure. The researchers believe that the young bulls, all between 10-15 years old, may have entered the North Sea by mistake. Since the sea floor here is too shallow for these deep sea dwellers, it caused the whales to become disoriented and perish....
Read news articleOn February 10, Ramon Paje, the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Philippines, announced the discovery of 400 "new" islands within the borders of the world's second largest archipelago....
Read news articleSaturday, May 7 will be like Christmas for comic book lovers. That's because, on that day, they will be able to walk into any one of the 2,300 participating vendors worldwide, and take home a comic book (or two) for free!...
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