current-events

Big Question

How Do Tsunamis Work?

Tsunami and earthquake damage seen from the air above Sendai, Japan, one day after an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale hit the northeast coast on March 11, 2011. Today, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan’s Miyagi prefecture, generating a 3-foot-high tsunami. That, of course, is nothing compared to the tsunami that struck the same region last year, which was as high as 65 feet in some areas. That tsunami left 19,000 dead or missing, destroyed miles of coast line, and... READ ON

Article

The World's First Driving School ... For Dogs

By Frances R. Catanio They provide companionship, help law enforcement sniff out bombs and drugs, assist disabled people in their daily lives — so why not teach dogs to drive, too? At what appears to be the world's first driving school for canines, the New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been training rescue dogs to operate vehicles. The goal of the experiment is to demonstrate how intelligent dogs can be, says Bill Hayton at the BBC, in order to get more people... READ ON

Article

What James Cameron Found at the Deepest Known Point in the Ocean

When Titanic and Avatar director James Cameron surfaced from his record-breaking solo dive to the deepest known point in the world’s oceans, Challenger Deep, on March 26 this year, he said the environment was “bleak” and “looked like the moon.” But a look the preliminary results of that trip—and unmanned trips after it—presented at the American Geophysical Union on December 4 show that life does thrive 35,803 feet below the surface. In the video below, Cameron speaks with National Geographic... READ ON

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6 Weird Gifts President Obama Has Received

By Lucas... READ ON

Article

Cheap, Sustainable Bricks Made from Cow Blood

Image courtesy Sanguis et Pulvis You can’t get blood from a stone, but you might get a brick from blood. In his final semester at the University of Westminster in London, architecture student Jack Munro created an experimental building material by mixing cows' blood with a preservative (to prevent bacterial and fungal growth) and sand and then baking it in a mold, so that the blood coagulates and holds the sand in a stable and waterproof... READ ON

Big Question

If Kate Has Twins, Which One Will Assume the Throne?

Britons woke up yesterday morning to gleeful headlines declaring that the former Kate Middleton, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, is pregnant. It was, of course, something British tabloids already knew—every time the Duchess turned down a glass of wine in favor of water or happened to rest her hand on her stomach, she was instantly and obviously pregnant.But this time around, she actually is. However, the happy couple was forced to explain to the salivating British press much earlier than they... READ ON

Article

5 Stars Who Badmouthed Their Own TV Shows

Two and a Half Men’s Angus T. Jones isn’t the first actor to publicly bash his own show. (Jones, who called the show "filth" earlier this week, has since backpedaled and apologized.) Here are a few other stars of series past who couldn’t resist airing their grievances. 1. I Am Not Spock. OK, Maybe I... READ ON

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Kim Jong Un Wins 'Sexiest Man Alive': How The Onion Tricked a Chinese Newspaper

Bradley Cooper. Channing Tatum. Kim Jong Un? Not to be outdone by People's annual ode to chiseled abs, The Onion nominated North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un this year's "Sexiest Man Alive." Unfortunately, not everyone was in on the spoof, namely China's largest Communist Party newspaper, The People's Daily, which not only took the bait but splashed a 55-page slideshow dedicated to the boyish leader across its... READ ON

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What Country Eats the Most Turkey?

by Nicholas... READ ON

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11 Facts About the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons—And What It Takes To Inflate Them

At its start in 1924 (when it celebrated Christmas!), the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade wasn't a high-flying event: It was organized by employees and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo. The balloons—which used to be filled with only air—made their debut in 1927; Felix the Cat was the first character balloon. Now, 85 years later, the inflation of the balloons is an event itself. The parade closes off the streets next to the American Museum of Natural History, pins down its balloons, begins to... READ ON