Most of us have, at some point, experienced travel congestion, especially during major holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. However, nothing compares to the crowds triggered by the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, when millions of people make their way home – usually from cities to rural areas – to celebrate the all-important holiday with friends and family. The spring travel rush, or Chunyun, begins 15 days before the festival – which falls on February 5 this year – and ends 25 days after. The 40-day period collectively results in the world’s largest seasonal human migration. This year will be no exception....
Read news articleDolphins have been known to demonstrate many human-like behavioral traits. These include forming complex relationships to accomplish common goals, teaching one another survival skills, and even “babysitting” each other's kids. Now, some researchers at the Dolphin Plus Marine Mammal Responder in Key Largo, Florida have discovered another thing the intelligent mammals share with humans – a love for television!...
Read news articleWith the Halloween festivities over, most people will spend the next few days taking down the spine-chilling decorations and tossing the pumpkin Jack-o’-Lanterns, or scary monsters, that they spent hours creating. While the millions of gourds that end up in landfills every November is alarming, even more so is the massive amount of food waste generated since most people fail to take advantage of the fruit’s edible flesh and seeds....
Read news articleFrom creating crazy mnemonics to constructing elaborate mind maps, all of us have at some point experimented with techniques to help us recall relevant information during tests and exams. Now, a group of researchers at the RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia have devised a new trick to help boost our memories – a gap-ridden, and oddly slanted, typeface that they ironically called Sans Forgetica!...
Read news articleEvery summer, the beautiful coastal city of Vancouver, Canada hosts a “Car Free Day” Festival. On this day, neighborhoods close their streets to vehicles so artists and local businesses can showcase and sell their wares to the thousands of fairgoers that flock to the event. At this year’s festival on June 17, 2018, visitors seeking something unique and healthy were in for a special treat – unfiltered hot dog water!...
Read news articleAfter breaking numerous records on Earth, retired Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt recently put his legendary speed to test in “space.” The “out-of-this-world” race, staged in a zero gravity environment aboard an airplane designed for scientific research, took place over France on September 13, 2018. It was a publicity stunt organized by champagne-maker G.H. Mumm, to showcase their newly-designed bottle created to make it easier for astronauts and future space tourists to enjoy the beverage while floating through outer space....
Read news articleThe Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s charismatic giant panda Bei Bei, who has won over millions of hearts with his playful behavior and bold personality, turned three on August 22, 2018. To celebrate the occasion, the Zoo’s youngest panda bear was treated to a special enrichment painting session, gifted a new toy, and, best of all, given a massive ice cake, complete with the number 3, to feast on all by himself!...
Read news articleVietnam’s Bà Nà Hills, which attracts over 2.7 million visitors annually, is home to many popular tourist attractions. These include the world’s longest non-stop single track cable car, a replica French medieval village complete with a faux castle, and the perfectly manicured Thien Thai gardens. However, none are as exquisite as the newly-built Cau Vang (Golden Bridge in Vietnamese) pedestrian bridge, which opened to the public in June 2018....
Read news articleWith an estimated 100,000 marine animals being choked, suffocated, or injured by plastic every year, the danger posed by the trillions of pieces of polymer floating in our oceans is well-known. However, given that most of the microplastics measure less than 0.5mm in diameter, collecting them is a challenging task. Now, some Dutch environmentalists have devised a way to not only capture plastic waste before it reaches the open seas and disintegrates, but to also use it to create a public park and wildlife sanctuary....
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