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IN THE NEWS 3/17/2024:

Archeologlists found some unbaked bread in an oven in the country of Turkey. Bread in an oven wouldn't be very newsworthy except this bread is thought to be 8,600 years old. Thought to be the oldest bread ever found, there is actually a finger print in the dough! Archeologists used some of the organic material to help determine the age of the round ball of bread dough. It is believed that a thin clay covering helped to preserve the bread which was found in a partially damaged oven at the archeological site called Catalhoyuk.

Photograph from Kansascitystar

Early Happy April Fool's Day. A news story was posted the other day saying the famous landmark in England, a ferris wheel known as the LONDON EYE, was being dismantled. After about 25 years, the wheel was being relocated to Scotland, specifically Loch Lomand. There were even photographs of the famous landmark being dismantled. The article went on to say that a convoy, 2 miles long, would be transporting all the pieces of the ferris wheel up to Scotland. However, the story was a FAKE! It seems with Artificial Intelligence (AI), which can create amazing "real-like" photographs or even the voice of a famous person, it is getting harder to determine real from fake. How can you spot something that isn't true? When you see something that makes you say "really?",try checking for other stories to confirm or deny what you have read. Use some critical thinking powers. Do you really think the city of London would remove one of its most famous landmarks? Be careful what you read and hear and THINK before you share something before checking it out! More than 10,000 read the posting on Facebook and shared it with other people! And, if you are wondering, the photographs showing the dismantling of the ferris wheel, were actually taken in 1999 when the ferris wheel was first being ERECTED in London!

Photograph from Pixabay.

Learn more about FAKE NEWS and digital literacy: Fake News and How to Spot It!


About a million Joshua trees were destroyed in the fires(called Dome Fire) of 2020. Then, another mega forest fire (York Fire), in 2023, did more devastation. Since that time, Chico, Sully and Herbie have been volunteering their services to help in an effort to replant Joshua tree seedlings in the Mojave National Preserve. Unlike many of the volunteers lending a hand, these three are camels! The camels are transporting Joshua tree seedlings ,supplies and water into a very inhospitable terrain. The goal is to plant 4,000 trees with both human volunteers and the three camels taking on that challenge.

Photograph from Vox.com



PAST NEWS STORIES

2/25/24: Walking along a beach, you probably have come upon footprints in the sand. Archeologists found footprints, in the sand, on a Moroccan beach and they are estimated to be over 90,000 years old! Eighty-five human footprints were found, including those of adults and children. The footprints were studied to see if they were indeed human footprints. The prints had short toes, plantar arches and rounded heels, confirming they were indeed human footprints. It is suggested that the clay sediment and the location on a rocky area helped preserve the footprints until erosion recently exposed them. It is the first time such ancient human footprints have been discovered in North Africa.

Photograph from ABC Australia

A Frenchman, Richard Plaud,has wanted to create a world record since he was a little boy. He recently fulfilled his dream , creating a replica of the famous Paris landmark, the Eiffel Tower. His structure, made from matchsticks, stands 23.5 ft tall. Using over 700,000 matchsticks(taking off the sulfur tips), and using about 51 pounds of glue, Richard worked nearly eight years to create his tallest structure of the Eiffel Tower made from matchsticks. He was just certified with the Guinness World Record for his efforts. At first, he was denied the record because he didn't use wooden matches that you could purchase in the store. Plaud started by buying matches and then taking time to remove the tips, very time consuming. He eventually contacted a company and asked if he could purchase the matches without the tips. After some consideration, the Guinness World Records agreed he deserved recognition for his amazing work of art! The previous record holder was from the country of Lebanon and made a replica of the Eiffel Tower with 6 million match sticks which stood 21.4 ft. tall.

Photograph from NPR

Two penguins at the Birdworld aviary in Surrey, England, have a very unique bond. Squid, a three year old African penguin, has cataracts which cause very poor vision. Cataracts create cloudy lenses on the eye making Squid partially blind. She has much difficulty getting around and especially at meal times, Squid has trouble finding her munchies. Another penguin, named Penguin, noticed the troubles Squid was having and decided to become her "guide bird." At meal times, Penguin lends a hand, making sure Squid doesn't go hungry. Penguin is also by Squid's side most of the day helping her "see" by guiding her around their living area. Interestingly, Penguin, wasn't named because he was such a sickly chick, the aviary staff didn't think he would live. Now, healthy, the name has stuck, and Squid and Penguin are close buddies. The aviary is home to more than 150 species of birds.

Photograph from BBC

Two penguins at the Birdworld aviary in Surrey, England, have a very unique bond. Squid, a three year old African penguin, has cataracts which cause very poor vision. Cataracts create cloudy lenses on the eye making Squid partially blind. She has much difficulty getting around and especially at meal times, Squid has trouble finding her munchies. Another penguin, named Penguin, noticed the troubles Squid was having and decided to become her "guide bird." At meal times, Penguin lends a hand, making sure Squid doesn't go hungry. Penguin is also by Squid's side most of the day helping her "see" by guiding her around their living area. Interestingly, Penguin, wasn't named because he was such a sickly chick, the aviary staff didn't think he would live. Now, healthy, the name has stuck, and Squid and Penguin are close buddies. The aviary is home to more than 150 species of birds.

Photograph from BBC

In Canada, the remains of a ship have washed ashore on the coast off Newfoundland (near Cape Ray). The ship is thought to date back hundreds of years due to the pegs used in its wooden and copper construction. Residents in the area have secured the wreckage so the tides don't return it to the sea with hopes that experts will be able to investigate the ship's remains to determine where the ship may have originated.

NYTimes

Scientists found the world's largest deep-sea reef about 100 miles from the coast of Florida. Stretching 6.4 million acres,(that’s about the size of the state of Vermont) the reef is the home of lots of marine species and several never before known species. The reef is basically white in color due to the cold temperatures at that depth. Algae and photosynthesis, found in warm water reefs, helps create reef colors.The reef can be found from around Miami, Florida, to Charleston, South Carolina! Originally discovered in the 1960s, it is only recently using today's technology(multi-beam sonar and submersibles) was the amazing find actually confirmed.Since I love the color purple, I am sharing a photograph of a purple fish found living in the reef. Interestingly, scientists say that only about 75% of the oceans have been mapped. Wonder what else will eventually be discovered as scientists continue exploring the world's oceans!

Photograph from Daily mail

2/2/2024:An old astronomical stone, of the night sky, thought to be 3000 years old, was found in Italy. It shows different star patterns, called constellations, including Orion and Cassiopeia. Interestingly, 28 of the 29 marking on the stone align with present day stars in the sky. However, one star is not in our present night sky. Scientists think that the missing star may have become a supernova and exploded. The purpose of the stone is unknown but it is thought to have maybe been a sort of calendar to determine the different seasons.

Photograph from Greekreporter

Deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, archeologists have found several clusters of ancient cities lost for thousands of years, hidden by plant vegetation and trees. It is considered the largest and earliest such settlement found in the Ecuador Amazon.Dating to about 2500 years ago, the city,(with buildings built from mud since stone was unavailable) was home to an estimated 10,000. The people that lived here were need Upano.It is thought to have been a thriving area with farming as well as an urban population living there. Discovered with laser mapping technology, called lidar, the remains of roads, drainage canals and houses have been uncovered.

Cecil , a seven year old Goldendoodle,was a bad dog. He found an envelope on the kitchen counter and started to munch on it. Inside the envelop, was $4000 dollars! The owners found shredded money on the kitchen floor but there was still a number of pieces of bills inside Cecil. For the next couple of day, the owners followed Cecil when he went outside to “collect” any deposits. It was stated that $3500 pieces were retrieved. Banks accept pieces of money as long as at least 50% of the bills can be found.

Photograph from MSN.com

1/20/24:

How many countries have sent space vehicles to the moon? If you answered four, you are correct, for now. Japan is hoping to be the fifth country to send a space probe to the moon. Their mission to the moon, called the Hakuto-R (meaning "white rabbit" ) is scheduled for April.The other countries to successfully do this include the United States, Russia, India and China. To date, the ONLY country to successfully send astronauts to the moon is the United States.

Photograph from Pixabay

Do you play with a Rubric's Cube? The Guinness World Records for the the largest Rubric's Cube in the world was just created in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The twenty-one green, purple and blue fiberglass cubes weighs 660 pounds with each cube about 10 ft. Tall! The puzzle cube works so you can try and solve the huge cube while visiting the Dubai Knowledge Park. What do you know about Dubai? Learn about the United Arab Emirates

Happy Birthday to Jonathan! Celebrating 191 years, on December 4, the Seychelles giant tortoise is the oldest living land animal! Jonathan celebrated his birthday at St. Helena, an island in the South Atlantic, on the grounds of the governor's mansion. Jonathan has a couple of buddies-Emma, Fred and David. Guinness World Records also gave Jonathan the title of the world's oldest chelonian (grouping for tortoises, terrapins and turtles). Sadly, Jonathan has no sense of smell and is blind.

Learn more about the Seychelles giant tortoise: learn about the Seychelles Giant Tortoise

1/4/2024: A quacking noise doesn't always mean a duck is in the area. In the country of India, researchers have discovered a species of music frogs that QUACK. The frog, found in north eastern India, was named the Noa-Dihing music frog due to its discovery by the Noa-Dihing River. The frogs make a two or three note pattern that sounds like a duck.

Photograph BBC

Laura Enever has surfed into the record books by breaking the female world's record for surfing a monster of a wave. Last January, the Australian surfer was at Oahu's Outer Reef when she rode a 43.6 ft. wave. WOW!She recently learned from Guinness World Records that she had broken the previous record for the largest wave surfed paddle-in by a female.
Photograph from Mauinow

Teddy Cottlel, of Oxfordshire, Great Britain, doesn't like the emoji of a nerd, a face with glasses and buck teeth. He is asking Apple to change the design to something that doesn't make kids wearing glasses feel badly. He has a petition he hopes others will sign to bring about the change and has even designed an emoji he hopes Apple might used instead.

Photograph from Msn.com

12/10?23:p>Axolotls are unusual fish-like salamanders. They can actually regrow lost legs and even lungs and other organs. Now, that is very cool! Very endangered, the country of Mexico, where they are found, is hoping that people will participate in an adoption program. You don't actually get to own an axolotl but the money given helps to protect the areas they are being raised and help to pay for their food. You also receive an adoption kit and thank you note. Scientists say there are less than 1000 left in the wild, with the vast majority dying within the last couple of years. It is thought that water pollution and a fungus are the main cause for the axolotls becoming critically endangered.

Photograph from popular science

Would you like your name to go into space? NASA has a Message in a Bottle program where you can get your name engraved onto a microchip (smaller than a penny). Deadline is New Year's Eve to submit your name for the upcoming Europa Clipper spacecraft which will travel past the planet Mars and to one of Jupiter's moon's, Europa. The journey will be about 1.8 billion miles! Click here to submit your name: NASA's Message in a Bottle

Illustration from NASA

Iceland is bracing for a volcano eruption and people, in the area of Grindavik, are having to evacuate. When the Fagradalsfjall Volcano erupted in 2021, it was the first time in 6000 years. Now, it appears ready to erupt, again. There have been numerous over 2000 small earthquakes, with over 800 just today! Iceland, called the "land of fire and ice", has 130 volcanoes,of which most are considered active. A very famous tourist site, the Blue Lagoon, has been temporarily closed due to the earthquake and volcanic activity. Learn more:Iceland Bracing for Volcanic Eruption Learn about the country of Iceland: Iceland, Fun Facts!

Have you ever heard of Meret-Neith? She is being called "the forgotten female king" of ancient Egypt. Archaeologists believe they have discovered her grand tomb in Abydos, central Egypt. Meret-Neith lived about 5000 years ago. Her tomb, actually discovered in 1900, has recently been excavated. Lots of artifacts for someone of a royal status, have been found. If, Meret-Neith indeed was the first female ruler, ruling around 2960 BC, she would be the very first female to have been "ruler" of ancient Egypt,

Photograph of her tomb from Daily Mail.

11/20/23:

A man in Minnesota has squashed the previous WORLD record for the biggest pumpkin ever grown. In 2021, a man in Italy grew a pumpkin that tipped the scale at 2703 pounds. Last week, a man in Minnesota, drove his giant pumpkin to the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, located in Half Moon Bay, CA. His pumpkin weighed in at a whopping 2749 pounds! Travis Gienger, a horticultural teacher, called his pumpkin, which he grew in his backyard, Michael Jordan! Gienger said it cost about $15,000 to care and feed his pumpkin.

Photograph from the WashingtonPost

A whopper of a giant rough tail stingray was found off the coast of the state of Connecticut, in the Long Island Sound.It was captured by the Long Island Sound Trawl Survey team. The stingray weighed in at 400 pounds and the sea creature was 6 ft long and 5 ft.wide. After its weigh-in and some photographs were taken, the stingray was return to the sound where it swam away.

Photograph from Connecticut Fish and Wildlife Facebook

Simeon Graham, 15, who used You Tube to teach himself how to juggle, just juggled himself into the Guinness World Records. The teen managed to break three records with the most juggling catches in one minute with 5, 6 and even seven balls! Simeon managed 378 catches(7 balls) in one minute, 423 (five balls) and 396(six balls)in one minute. He has even juggled up to 10 balls! From Great Britain, Simeon has been juggling since he was 7 years old . While home with the chickenpox, he decided to learn how to juggle.At the young age of 11, Simeon got to perform his craft at a performance of the Gandey Circus. He did such a great job that he was invited to work at the circus during his school breaks! Simeon can even juggle while he is on his knees and says he finds drums and bass instruments help him juggle.

Photograph from Simeon's Website.

Imagine having a dinosaur skeleton in your yard! A man in the country of Portugal was doing some remodeling when he came upon some bones that turned out to be that of a sauropod. It is believed to be the largest such dinosaur skeleton found in Europe, measuring 82 feet in length! Now that its ribs and vertebrae were discovered, paleontologists believe more of the dinosaur's skeleton will be unearthed on the property.Learn more about sauropods at this link: Sauropods

Photograph from Goodnews Network

10/1/2023:A sea turtle took a very long adventure, a distance of 4000 miles, from Texas. Seems, back in 2021,Tally, a very rare Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, ended up in Wales! Scientists believe that Tally got into the sea current called the Gulf Stream which helped transport her so far from home. Weak and malnourished and not used to such cold water temperatures, Tally had been recuperating at the Anglesey Sea Zoo, in Wales. This week, Tally got an airplane ride back to Texas where she is being checked by the Houston Zoo to see if she is well enough to be released back into the Gulf of Mexico. If Tally is released into the waters, she will have a tracking device to keep check on her movements.

Photograph from MSN
A baby giraffe was born at the Tennessee Zoo that is quite unusual. It has NO spots. The baby spotless giraffe was born tan with no patches at all. The zoo said that the unnamed baby giraffe may be the only living solid colored giraffe in the world. There is a vote where people can help select the calf's name. One of the four possibilities is Kipekee (Swahili for unique).
Photograph from USAToday

Learn more about giraffes with this freebie:Giraffe Freebie

Could aliens be trying to send Earthlings a message? A stellar object, some 15,000 light-years away from planet Earth, appears to be sending a five minute pulse every 22 minutes. And, the pulsation has been going on for at least 33 years! Scientists are not sure what this could be but suggest it is coming from a magnetar called GPM J1839-10. Magnetars give off burst of energy due to their strong magnetic fields. Then,again, maybe, aliens are trying to contact us. Illustration from Pixabay

Frogs wearing little pants? Part of a study done by Stanford University(California), to determine the navigation skills and intelligence of three South American frogs,(dyeing poison frogs of French Guiana, diablito poison frogs of Ecuador and thighed poison frogs of French Guiana), teeny pants were used for an experiment. Approximately 300 frogs were fitted with hand-made pants which also included a tracking device. Taken from their homes, in the rainforests, in which they lived, the frogs were then released to see how long it would take for the frogs to find their way back. On average, it took a few days. One thing the researchers learned is that frogs are far more intelligent than originally believed! Once the experiment was completed, the pants were removed from the frogs.
Photograph from cbc.caDo you like to doodle? Seems the Vikings did, too. Recently, a 1200 year old drawing was found on a reddish colored clay stone in the country of Iceland. Archaeologists think it is a partly finished boat and may be the oldest drawing found to date in the country. Being an unfinished boat isn't unusual for Viking "graffiti"". Partially carved boats have also been found scratched by Vikings on wood and bones.
Photograph from ancientpages.

9/1/2023:

Today is Juneteenth. In 1865, the last enslaved people (in Texas) learned that they were free people. Actually, the Emancipation Proclamation, of 1863, freed the enslaved people in southern states, but those in Texas didn’t learn about their freedom for TWO more years. June and the date, 19th, were joined to create the word,Juneteenth. In 2021, President Biden signed the legislation into law making Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Illustration from TpT

Joseph Dituri has broken a record. He has spent 93 days under the Atlantic Ocean in the underwater research pod at the Jules' Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida. The previous record holder spent a total 73 days under the water. Dituri plans to stay 100 days under the sea. One of the experiments conducted was the effect of long term pressure on the human body. Another study Dituri conducted was the effect of muscle mass loss, something scientists fear will be a concern on long a trip to Mars. His small underwater home included a bathroom, small kitchen and two bedrooms.

Photograph from CBSNews

Starting last week, bus riders in Scotland can hop a "driverless bus"". Said to be the first automated bus in the world, the robot bus, as it is also called, is operated with computers that monitor 10 sensors on the outside of the vehicle. The sensor detect obstruction in the road, when to turn, etc. However, a driver IS in the vehicle just in case there is a need to take over the driving of the bus.

6/15/2023:

Kirsten Neuschafer, from South Africa, has become the first woman ever to win a solo around the world race, completing the race in 235 days (actually 233 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes and 47 seconds). The race was 30,000 miles long and is considered the most difficult. It is nicknamed the "voyage for madmen"! With 16 starting the Golden Globe Race, Kirsten was one of a handful of competitors to complete the around the world race, she was also the only woman to compete. First held in 1968,(winner took 312 days), it was again held in 2018 and the most current, 2022. The race started in Les Sables-d'Olonne,France on September 4, 2022 and Kirsten was the first to finish on April 27th, 2023.

Without any modern navigation equipment or other assistance, Kirsten and the other competitors relied on celestial navigation. Everything needed for the journey needed to be on the sailboat(35 foot long boat called the Minnehaha) for the around the world journey and competitors were not allowed to set foot on land(or receive any assistance) during the around the world race. Rain water was caught for drinking purposes. Along the route, there were three race gates where competiors dropped off film but could not leave their sailing ships.At one point, one of the racers was in trouble Tapio Lehtinenboat's boat sank and he was in the water on a raft. Kirsten was told of his coordinates and rescued him.

Kirsten isn't new to adventures as she cycled from Europe to South Africa, a distance of 9000 miles!

Photograph from Kirsten's Facebook Page


Spanish climber, Beatriz Flamini, may have broken a record for the longest stay in an underground cave, her own choice.She just emerged after 500 days, in a cave located in Los Gauchos(near Motril), 230 feet deep. She came out of the cave on April 14th.The purpose was to have researchers monitor her to see the effects on loneness and being under the ground for such a long time, how the brain responded to day-night cycles, circadian rhythms, etc. Bringing along 60 books, her painting supplies and her knitting supplies, Beatriz said that the time actually went quickly. She continued to exercise while inside the cave. Two cameras documented her time in the cave. She was in contact with her support team who removed waste and supplied fresh food. Beatriz was not allowed to learn of events in the world or personal tragedies.(A family member died while in the cave).Things such as perception of time was something Beatriz noticed shortly after being in the cave. She also said she did NOT talk outloud to herself during the time but did have lots of internal conversations. She said she never once thought about ending the experiment early.

Photograph from Washington

A mound of dirt in southwest Norway, on the island of Karmoy, covers what archeologist say is a 1200 year old Viking ship. Using ground-penetrating radar, the outline of a ship, was detected, without disturbing the mound. It appears the Viking ship is at least 65 ft. long and buried about 100 ft. beneath the surface. If verified, it may be one of the largest Viking ships discovered. After further study, archaeologists may dig down to the ship this summer.

Photograph of the mound is Miami Herald. Learn about the Vikings: Viking Freebie


5/15/2023:Scientist may have found the oldest living vertebrate on Earth. A Greenland shark found in the North Atlantic Ocean is estimated to be 512 years old. This species of shark have been found to live hundreds of years. They live in the deep waters between Canada and Norway and the cold and their slow metabolism may be a factor in their longevity. With a thick grey body, small head and gapping mouth, this particular Greenland shark measures more than 18 ft. in length and weighs an estimated one ton. In order to calculate the age of the Greenland shark, scientists analyze the radiocarbon in the eye lens. Additionally, with an average growth of .4 inches each year, scientists can calculate its age by size.

Photograph from The Sun

A scoreboard, in excellent condition, was recently found in Mexico and may be about 1200 years old! The stone carving, found at the Chicken Itza's archaeological site, with hieroglyphic writing, is thought to have been used for a ball game called Pelota. Weighing 88 pounds, you can still make out the carvings of two players with decorative headgear. The ancient ball game, where teams tried to move a heavy rubber ball, was played by the Maya people and dates back over 3000 years.

Photograph from mexiconewsdaily

Scientists have filmed a fish. That might not sound newsworthy until you learn it was taken of a fish swimming FIVE miles below the surface of the Sea of Japan. It is the first time a fish, a snailfish, about 4.3 inches in size, was filmed at such a depth. With all the pressure at that depth, 800 times that at the surface, the gelatinous body helps the fish to live in such an environment. The video was taken using a sea robot.

Photograph from University of Western Australia.

4/25/2023:Fossil fuels have long been the most used ways to produce energy. For the very first time, the use of coal, gas and oil to create energy, has dropped this past year. Researchers say it is not due to the world economies but countries turning to other sources of energy, such as wind and solar. One of the biggest users of fossil fuels is the country of China. They have helped bring the numbers down, worldwide, with their increased focus on turning to alternative sources to produce energy which are renewable(water, wind and sun). The study of 78 countries and their energy uses, says that 12% of electricity, world wide, is now created by renewable energy sources.

Photograph from Pixabay

It's been more than fifty years since there has been a mission to the moon. In the fall of 2024, four astronauts, including the first woman, first person of color and an astronaut from Canada will travel around the moon but not do a moon landing. Called Artemis 2, the astronauts will test communication, support and navigation systems with hopes of a lunar landing mission in 2025. The next moon landing mission WILL include a walk on the moon by a woman and person of color. Learn more about the first lunar mission that including two men, Neil Armstrong and Bud Aldrin, walking on the moon in 1969 with this Reader’s Theater Script.Moon Landing: Man Walks on the Moon!Reader's Theater Script

Photograph from Space

Dr. Joseph Dituri hopes to set a world record for staying under the ocean for 100 days. At a depth of 30 feet, Dr. Dituri hopes to study the impact of underwater living on the human body(and the impact of extreme pressure on the body). He also hopes to see some unusual things and has already seen a possible new species of marine life(a single-cell ciliate). A professor at the University of South Florida, Dr. Dituri, or Dr. DeepSea, as he is nicknamed, is continuing to teach while at the Jules' Undersea Lodge, 30 ft. beneath the waters of Key West, Florida. With his project called Neptune 100, Dr. Dituri hoping to create an interest in young people to marine environments and to encourage ocean conservation. He began his time on March 1st and is expected to complete his stay on June 9th. The current underwater record was 73 days and done by two biologists in 2014.

Photograph from Independent

Plant your Pants! Sounds like a great idea to get children to learning about soil. In England, each year, there is a Plant your Pants program where you are encouraged to find a pair of 100% cotton undies and bury them in about 6 inches of soil. After two months, you need to check your buried undies. If they have holes and look eaten away, that means your soil is healthy and different microorganisms are munching on them. If, your undies look pretty much like you last saw them, your soil needs better nutrients. Give it a try this growing season! Learn more at this link: Plant Your Pants!

Illustration from Country Trust

4/10/2023:The BLOB is coming. Sounds like a sci-fi movie but a 5000 mile wide clump (or blooms)of sargassum seaweed(really 300 species of brown algae) is heading for Florida from the Gulf of Mexico! It is so big, that it can been seen from space and the gigantic blob of seaweed is GROWING. Estimated to include 13 million tons, the blob of seaweed is expected to reach the Florida coast by summer. It is a big concern as not only does the seaweed smell(think rotten eggs) and make a mess on the shore as the tides brings it in, the seaweed draws the oxygen out of the water which isn't healthy for marine life.

Photograph from Yahoonews

Three King Penguins at a zoo in the country of Singapore got some badly needed surgery. Their eyes were very cloudy, affecting their vision. A veterinary ophthalmologist gave the penguins custom-made lenses to help their sight! It is believed to be the first time cataract surgery was done on penguins.

Photograph from CBS

Three King Penguins at a zoo in the country of Singapore got some badly needed surgery. Their eyes were very cloudy, affecting their vision. A veterinary ophthalmologist gave the penguins custom-made lenses to help their sight! It is believed to be the first time cataract surgery was done on penguins.

Photograph from CBS

Paleontologist say they have found the remains of a species of plant-eating sauropod dinosaurs in China that had a world record size neck. It is estimated that the neck of the maenchisaurus sinocanadorum was 10 ft. longer that a school bus! Although found in the late 1980s, the fossils, of three vertebrae ,were just recently studied and the determination made.

Illustration from CNN

Pompeii was a city destroyed when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Since the city's rediscovery, about 250 years ago, archaeologists have been uncovering the city, buried in ash and stone, and have made some amazing finds. Learn about Pompeii at this link:Kids:National Geographic Weeds and grasses growing in Pompeii can damage the very old buildings so an unusual crew has been called in to help keep the grass and weeds down...sheep. About 150 sheep have been given the task of chopping to their hearts content. The sheep also supply fertilizer to the grounds adding needed nutrient to the soil. Interestingly, before the invention of lawnmowers, a family of sheep herders were employed to use their sheep for this very purpose. In fact, the same family, is supplying the sheep, today!

Photograph from CNN

3/15/2023:If you like ice skating, so did people who lived in China more than 3500 years ago. Archaeologists found ice skates dating back to the Bronze Age. Found in a tomb of a wealthy family, in western China, the bone pieces have holes for strapping to shoes and are the oldest skates ever found in China. Archaeologists suggest that the skates show a possible exchange of ideas between the cattle herders of western China and European people. That is because the earliest ice skates are credited with the people of Scandinavia(1000 BC), specifically the Finnish people.

Photograph from LiveScience

Don't you just hate eating ice cream in the summer heat and having it melt so quickly? Ben and Jerry's are developing an ice cream that may slow down the melting process of ice cream. A secret formula helps keep ice cream solid for much longer periods. Although it is a "secret" recipe, scientists say there are two ways to slow the melting process. One calls for less sugar and adding more starch. Changing the formula for these ingredients can affect the taste of frozen treats so there will be lots of taste testing before the less melting ice cream appears on store shelves. Slowing the melting of ice cream would help the environment as ice cream wouldn't need to be kept at current freezers temperatures.

Photograph from Pixabay

A 2400 flush toilet was unearthed in China, in the city of Xi'an (where the Terra Cotta Soldiers were found). Archaeologists say it could be the world's oldest flush toilet and may have been used by an emperor of ancient China. Servants probably supplied water to the toilet and such a toilet would have be a "luxury item", not used by most people at the time. Before this discovery, the oldest flush toilet was believed to have belonged to Queen Elizabeth of England (1500s). Now, a study of the inside of the toilet will hopefully provide information on what people ate during this time in ancient China!

Photograph from CNN

2/28/2023:The dodo bird lived on the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean. The flightless bird, weighing over 40 pounds, had no enemies until sailors came to the island. Extinct since the 17th century, a group of researchers is hoping to bring back the dodo...sort of. Using its close relative, the Nicobar pigeon’s cells will be edited to be close to the dodo. It won't exactly be the dodo but similar. What do you think of this idea?

Photograph from Pixabay

Scientists found the fossil remains of what may be the biggest penguin that ever walked the planet! Weighing over 340 pounds, the Kumimanu Fordyce, was remains of the penguin were discovered in New Zealand. About the size of an adult human, the penguin is said to have lived over 50 million years ago.

Photograph from CNET

Pasadena, California, has a bird problem, specifically PEACOCKS. During the Covid pandemic, the peacocks multiplied until their numbers are now in the hundreds. With less people being out and about using their cars ,the roads were much safer for the colorful birds. Noisy and creating a mess, the peacocks are now being rounded up and removed to less populated areas. Native to Central Africa and south Asia, the peacock is the national bird of India. Learn more about the peacock at this link. Peacocks!

Photograph from Pixabay

2/15/2023:A tiny robot is very unique. About a millimeter in size, the metal robot can be melted and return to solid form. In an experiment, the MPTM(Magnetoactive phase transitional matter robot) was placed in a cage and melted its way out only to reform once outside of the cage.Scientists from Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania say such a shape shifting robotic could help get into tiny, difficult to reach areas, and might eventually help doctors with surgical procedures. See a video here: Shape Shifting Robot!

Photograph from BBC

Hekashepes was about 35 years old when he died more than 4300 years ago. His mummy was recently found in the country of Egypt. Archeologists say the mummy may be the oldest ever found in Egypt. In very good condition for his age, Hekashepes was found with lots of gold covering his body. His underground burial site was near the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser,the oldest pyramid found in Egypt(built 1279-1213 BC). To date, the oldest mummies to be found were found in the country of Chile. Some of the Chinchorro mummies are said to be 7000 years old! On the topic of mummies, some museums are now using the word "mummified person" in place of the word "mummy" saying the term adds more humanity to the human remains. What do you think?

A large amount of eggs were recently found in India. The eggs, 256, belonged to dinosaurs, specifically, titanosaurs! Laid millions of years in the past, scientists say the fossilized eggs may have been preserved when volcanic lava covered the eggs. Scientists uncovered 92 clutches(nests) of dinosaur eggs in an area of central India, called the Dhar.Photographs from BBC

A large amount of eggs were recently found in India. The eggs, 256, belonged to dinosaurs, specifically, titanosaurs! Laid millions of years in the past, scientists say the fossilized eggs may have been preserved when volcanic lava covered the eggs. Scientists uncovered 92 clutches(nests) of dinosaur eggs in an area of central India, called the Dhar.

Photographs from BBC

1/30/23: An unusual GREEN comet, discovered last year by astronomers, is coming into the Earth's area of the solar system. Scientists say it has been 50,000 years since it last appeared. Called C/2022 E3(ZTF), the comet will be closest to the Earth in the beginning of February.

Illustration from Yahoo

There are many places on the Earth where the internet doesn't exist or is very spotty. Do you utilize the internet each day? What are some of the things you use the internet?

Photograph from Pixabay

Molly Sampson, 9, Maryland, loves searching for fossils and asked for insulated chest waders for Christmas. Waders would enable Molly, who loves searching for fossils,to continue her hunt for a tooth of a Otodus megalodon(one of the largest giant sharks that lived 13 million years ago), even in the cold waters of winter. On Christmas Day, Molly got two gifts. First she got the waders and second, she found a whopper of an extinct shark tooth. After breakfast, Molly, wearing her new waders, went search near Calvert Beach, along with her dad and sister. The Christmas morning was COLD, only about 10 degrees but that didn't stop Molly from wading knee-deep in the low tide waters searching for a fossil tooth. She spotted what was a 5 inch "meg" tooth, the largest ever found in her area. It isn't her first fossil discovery. She's already found over 400 teeth but none the size of this discovery. Molly gave the tooth to the Calvert Marine Museum to confirm the identity of the tooth where the curator confirmed it was the tooth of an Otodus Megalodon that probably was about 45-50 ft. in body length. Molly wants to be a paleontologist when she grows up. She is off to a great start!

Photograph from mom's Facebook page.

1/15/23:The US Mint has released the first quarter in a new series to honor American Woman called American Woman Quarters. It went into circulation today and honors Bessie Colman. Bessie was the first African American female pilot in the U.S.A AND the first AMERICAN to receive an international pilot's license!

Learn more about Bessie Colman with this Reader's Theater Script: Bessie Colman, A Reader's Theater Script

What may be the OLDEST pair of jeans just sold for $114,000! The minor's white heavy duty jeans were found in a trunk, in a shipwreck, found off the coast of North Carolina. The ship, the SS Central America, sank in 1857 in a hurricane while on route from New York to San Francisco.

Photograph from Yahoo News

Scientists at the California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility say that a huge breakthrough has been made in developing energy with nuclear fusion. Something like harnessing the sun's power in a box, 192 lasers were able to heat a capsule to over 180 million degrees! It may be your children's clean energy source making the use of fossil fuels unnecessary to their generation and beyond.

Photograph from CNN

1/1/2023:Thanks to a hurricane in Florida, the remains of a ship from the 1800s was found under the sands near Dayton Beach. Archaeologists think it may be a merchant seafaring vessel and measures about 80 ft. in length.The wooden ship is too fragile to dig up and remove so it will remain buried where it has been for many years.

Photograph fromThe Virginian-Pilot

A new species of dinosaur-type marine sea turtle has been discovered in the country of Spain. A hiker came upon some of the remains sticking out of the ground in the Catalonia area of Spain. Called Leviatanochelys aenigmatica, the body length was about 12 feet long, making it one of the largest turtle species every discovered! The dinosaur-type sea turtle lived about 83 million years ago and is thought to have only come ashore to lay eggs.

Illustration from Yahoo news

The first "parastronaut" has been named by the European Space Agency. British medic, John McFall, lost a leg due to a motorcycle accident and will begin the two-three year study to see if someone with a physical disability can be part of a future space mission. McFall said of his selection,"ESA has the commitment to send an astronaut with a physical disability into space... This is the first time that a space agency has endeavored to embark on a project like this. And it sends a really, really strong message to humanity."

Photograph from MSN

A new species of dinosaur-type marine sea turtle has been discovered in the country of Spain. A hiker came upon some of the remains sticking out of the ground in the Catalonia area of Spain. Called Leviatanochelys aenigmatica, the body length was about 12 feet long, making it one of the largest turtle species every discovered! The dinosaur-type sea turtle lived about 83 million years ago and is thought to have only come ashore to lay eggs.

Illustration from Yahoo news

Goldfish in the wild can get lots bigger than most people think. Called "The Carrot", a whopper of a goldfish was caught by a man in France. The goldfish weighed 67 pounds, about the size of a 10 year child. The goldfish was released after several photograph were taken. Goldfish in the wild can live up to 25 years! Photograph from CNN

12/5/2022:The school nurse has probably checked your head for lice at some point. Seems this pesky problem has been around for a LONG time. Israeli Archeologists have uncovered an ivory comb,dating back 3700 years that may have the oldest known sentence, written in a type of alphabet. Found in Lachish, Israel, the sentence says,"May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard."" Interestingly, the oldest example of head lice was a louse egg found on the hair of a Brazilian mummy which was about 10,000 years old!

Photograph from CNN

WOW! Imagine surfing a 115 ft. tall wave. Sebastian Steudtner, of Germany, has broken the record for the tallest wave ever surfed. He did this at Nazare, Portugal, known for their record waves.

Photograph from Forbes

11/25/2022:

WOW! Imagine surfing a 115 ft. tall wave. Sebastian Steudtner, of Germany, has broken the record for the tallest wave ever surfed. He did this at Nazare, Portugal, known for their record waves.

Photograph from Forbes

Scientists observing bees say that they PLAY. Studying bumblebees in action, researchers from Queen Mary University of London, England, found bumblebees seem to like rolling wooden balls around. The bumblebees studied were not given any incentive (rewards) for doing this. The insects just seemed to have fun doing it!

Photograph from CTVnews

For the first time, Disney has introduced a short film that highlights its first plus-sized character. Bianca, of Reflect, is a ballerina, who deals with developing self-esteem.

Photograph from NPR

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, begins on Monday, October 24th and last for five days.It's a happy time of year and is the biggest holiday in the country of India.Practiced mainly by people of the Hindu faith, many other people enjoy taking part in the festive holiday season, too. During the holiday, there will be gift giving, lighting lamps(Dipa lamps) special sweet treats including Laddus (sweet wheat balls with nuts and fruits inside) and Karanjis (flour fried dumplings with coconut and sugar), praying, getting together with family and friends and fireworks to help welcome the new year. Learn a bit about the country of India by clicking here:Learn about the country of India

Illustration from Pixabay

This year a record was broken for a pumpkin grown in North America. Travis Gienger, of Minnesota, grew a pumpkin that weighed in at 2560 pounds! Hard to believe but that is NOT the biggest pumpkin ever grown. That honor goes to Stefano Cutrupi, of Italy, who set a new world record for a pumpkin the fall of 2021. Cutrupi's pumpkin smashed the scale at 2702 pounds replacing a pumpkin record of 2624 pounds grown by Matias Willemijns of Belgium.

Photograph of the World's largest pumpkin from guinnessworldrecords.com

A new statue can be seen outside the headquarters of the CIA building in Virginia. The statue of Harriet Tubman,the famous Underground Railroad conductor, was also a spy for the Union during the Civil War. For the unveiling of the statue last month, Tubman's great-great-great grandniece, Michele Jones Galvin, was present.

Photograph from Auburnpub

11/1/2022:

A canoe was retrieved from Lake Mendota, in the state of Wisconsin, that is very old. Estimated to be at least 3000 years old, it is actually the SECOND such canoe found by Tamara Thomsen, a marine archeologist. The canoes were both made from white oak and are about 15 ft. long and are believed to have been used by early Native American people that lived in the area. Both canoes will go through a two year preservation process.

Photograph from Goodnewsnetwork

NASA successfully smashed a space craft, going at speeds of 15,000 mph, into a small asteroid, on purpose. It was part of a mission called DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) to see whether or not a massive crash could change the path of an asteroid. It has taken almost a year for the spacecraft to travel about 6.8 million miles to reach the asteroid called Dimorphos. The small asteroid travels with a large asteroid called Didymos. It will take some time before scientists know if the mission was able to push the smaller asteroid closer to the larger one. Although no known asteroids are on a course where they could hit the Earth, scientists want to be prepared to keep the planet safe should an asteroid be of concern in the distance future.

Photograph from newsforkids.net

NASA successfully smashed a space craft, going at speeds of 15,000 mph, into a small asteroid, on purpose. It was part of a mission called DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) to see whether or not a massive crash could change the path of an asteroid. It has taken almost a year for the spacecraft to travel about 6.8 million miles to reach the asteroid called Dimorphos. The small asteroid travels with a large asteroid called Didymos. It will take some time before scientists know if the mission was able to push the smaller asteroid closer to the larger one. Although no known asteroids are on a course where they could hit the Earth, scientists want to be prepared to keep the planet safe should an asteroid be of concern in the distance future.

Photograph from newsforkids.net

10/7/2022:German scientists say that experiments show that freshwater stingrays and some cichlids can be taught simple math. Shown cards of shapes, squares or circles, the fish learned that if they picked the card with more, they got rewarded with a treat. They were also able to figure out the card that had less and if their noses touched the proper card, they also got a treat. It appears the fish could distinguish between more and less. The highest number that the fish seemed to grasp was up to the number 5. The stingrays seemed to perform better than the cichlids.

Photograph from washingtonpost

The famous Nazca Lines in southern Peru has a new addition. Archaeologists have discovered a cat on the side of a hill. The "geoglyph"spider, joins a hummingbird, a a dog, a monkey, a condor and many others. The amazing drawings can only be appreciated from above. In fact, it was in 1927, when passengers in air planes, passing the area, started commenting on the shapes. Archaeologists think the Nazca drawings were made 500-2000 years ago.With little wind or rain in the area, the Nazca drawings have remained over all these years.

Photograph from Sunnyskyz

Cheetah Facts

Photograph from BBC

9/28/2022:Someone's tooth was found in the country of Georgia. Not just any tooth but a tooth believed to be over 1.8 million years old! The tooth, a molar, was found in an area called Dmanisi, where previous early human remains have been found. It is thought to be the oldest tooth found outside of the continent of Africa.

Photograph from DW

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth, of Great Britain,a long held tradition with the Royal bees was done this week. The official Buckingham Palace beekeeper went to the hives, placed black ribbon bows on them, and knocked on each hive. He then whispered that their queen had died and they now had a "new boss"and the 20,000 bees living in each hive were urged to behave for their new king.

Photograph from DailyMail

Nicole Aunapu Mann will be the first Native American female to go on a mission into space to the ISS, early in October. Mann, with a heritage of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, will take with her a dreamcatcher, a gift from her mom when she was a young girl. A dreamcatcher is a symbol of protection and unity.Mann has also been training for the Artemis mission, the first return to the moon in over 50 years. She is one of the finalists to become the first woman to walk the moon when the mission blasts off in 2025. Currently 12 men have walked the moon's surface.

Photograph from ABCnews

With many areas having a drought, river and lake areas are low and in Texas, an amazing discovery was made. Massive dinosaur tracks were found in the exposed river bed of the Paluxy River, part of Dinosaur Valley State Park! Thought to be the footprints of sauropods and theropods, the tracks may have been made 113 million years ago. Photo from Dinosaur Valley State Park

9/10/22:

Recycled plastics have been used to make the first all plastic bicycle.Called the Igus:bike, the bike uses about 36 pounds of single-use plastic in its construction. The bike will go on sale in 2023 and has a pricetag of about $1400. A version made from plastic but not RECYCLED plastic will also be available and will cost a bit less.

Photograph from Designnews
Pigeons can cause quite a mess. At one of the metro stations in San Francisco, Pac-Man has been put on the job to scare the pigeons away. The Harris hawk swoops around the area of El Cerrito del Norte Station, frightening the pigeons away and hopefully creating lots less droppings from the pigeons. Five year old Pac-Man and his owner, Ricky Ortiz, started working at the metro station three days a week)last May.People are noticing lots less Pigeon droppings and Pac-Man has become somewhat of a celebrity with visitors wanting to take selfies with the hawk.
Photograph from BCCNewsround

Did you know that 11 men have walked on the moon beginning in 1969 with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin? In 2024, NASA hopes to have a mission return to the moon and a woman astronaut will make history doing a lunar walk. At this time there are 9 women candidates for the Artemis moon mission. Learn more about the different female astronauts at this link:Female Candidates for 2024 Moon Walk

Photo from DailyMail

A farmer in Great Britain has made an amazing discovery on his property. He found a fossilized fish(thought to be a Pachycormus) so very well preserved that it still looks like a fish. Scientists say that about 183 million years ago, his farmland was part of a tropical ocean. When scientists came to the site, many additional bones, including two ichthyosaurs were also unearthed.

Photograph from Dailymail

Researchers have developed eyeglasses(called XRAI Glass) which can do a remarkable thing for those who are deaf. The glasses can instantly project audio into captions onto the lenses. Pretty amazing!

Photograph from Dailymail

North American Monarch butterflies are in trouble. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the population of monarchs has dropped so much that they have listed the butterfly on the endangered list. Just in the past 10 years, it is estimated their numbers have gone down 70%. A source of food for many North American birds, the monarchs are important pollinators helping to grow our different crops. Pesticides, loss of habitat and climate change are the cause for the dwindling number of these beautiful orange and black butterflies.

Photograph from wpclipart

Jane Goodall,famed primatologist, has just been recognized with a Barbie doll! Part of their series , Inspiring Women, Goodall's doll is made from recycled plastic and has Goodall’s blond hair(in a ponytail). Wearing khaki shorts and shirt, the likeness Barbie doll also is wearing binoculars and is holding a notebook. Goodall has helped to change the attitudes people had toward animals, specifically the chimpanzee. Her method of studying chimpanzees involved living amongst them, for over 55 years. She is also known as an anthropologist, humanitarian and writer. She has worked for better treatment of animals in zoos and protection of the habitat of animals in the wild.

Photograph from CNN.com

8/1/2022:

This week, a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune(educator, journalist, civil rights advocate),replaced a statue of a Confederate general in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. The hall has 100 statues, two from each of the states.Representing the state of Florida, Bethune's statue is the first African American(male or female) honored in the hall. Note:There are other statues for the contributions of African Americans(Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr., but they are not in the National Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Photograph from CNN

Want to buy your very own dinosaur? A Gorgosaurus (a relative to the T-Rex)and estimated to be 76 million years old is for sale. It is the only such dinosaur skeleton that will be sold to a private owner and not go into a museum. Gorgosaurus once roamed the earth in what is now Canada and the western USA and this particular skeleton was found in Montana in 2018.There aren’t many such skeletons so it is believed that the Gorgosaurus (meaning fierce or terrifying lizard) will be pretty expensive, at least $5 million dollars or more. You will need a LARGE room to display your purchase as the Gorgosaurus is 10 ft.tall and 22 ft.long! Do you think a dinosaur skeleton should be auctioned to a private collector or do you think such a discovery should be in a museum for others to see? Read more:Gorgosaurus
Photograph from BBC

The Mayflower sailed again this summer and just arrived at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, having left England on April 29th. The 50 ft. replica of the ship that brought 102 Pilgrims over from Plymouth, England, in 1620, retraced the similar 3500 mile journey. This time, instead of passengers, the ship was powered by robotics and had no crew. Along the way, the autonomous ship collected information about microplastics pollution, whales and other scientific studies. It is thought to be the largest ship to make a sailing across the Atlantic with only robotic power.

Photograph from DailyMail

Scientists say a Cambodian fisherman may have caught the world's largest freshwater fish. Measuring 13 ft.long, the stingray topped the scale at 661 pounds! Nicknamed,"Boramy" or "full moon"", the fish was caught in the Mekong River. The stingray was released BACK into the river after first being given a tag so its behavior can be monitored.

Photograph from DailyMail

7/1/2022:The world's oldest tree, called "Methuselah"", in California, has competition. The Great Basin bristlecone pine was holding the record of about 4800 years old. Now, scientists have found a tree in the Chilean Andes, called "Gran Abuelo"(Spanish for Great Grandfather) which is estimated to be 5400 years old. An alerce tree, scientists used a computer modeling program to date the tree. Using dendrochronology, counting the tree's rings, which is the usual method of determining the age of a tree, is currently being done to determine which tree is truly the OLDEST tree in the world.

Photograph from sciencetimes

6/7/22:Add algae power to solar and wind as sources of energy. Scientists at the University of Cambridge, in Great Britain, have powered a small computer using algae. The only thing the algae needs to survive and create energy is water and light, a process called photosynthesis. The algae, called Synechocystis, has provide the device electrical current for a year.It is thought the technology of using algae power might be used for small devices such as cell phones,,smart watches and more.

Photograph from BBC


Scientists say they have discovered the world's largest plant. About 3x larger than the city of Manhattan, the seagrass was found off the coast of western Australia. Using genetic markers, the scientists determined it is actually ONE plant and is estimated to be 4500 years old!

Low water levels have revealed an ancient city in the country of Iraq. Dating back 3400 years, the city, with a fort and palace, was started in the Bronze Age. Additionally, artifacts with Mesopotamian script called cuneiform were also unearthed. With the water levels of the Mosel Dam rising again, the city has once again become submerged.

Back in 2018, while excavating for a future industrial park, workers found a giant stone. As they continued to dig, the ruins of a well preserved ancient Mayan city. Located on the Yucatan Peninsula, near Merida, Mexico, the city dates back to 600-900 AD and was the home for more than 4,000 people.It was announced this week that archaeologists have found the ruins of pyramids, palaces and plazas in the site named Xiol (meaning "spirit of man" in Mayan). Additionally, a burial ground was also discovered.

Photograph from Whtc

A new type of flying reptile has been unearthed in the Andes Mountains of Argentina. Called the "Dragon of Death"", it is estimated that the reptile(pterosaur) lived about 86 million years ago. It was a HUGE creature with a body about the size of a school bus! Stretching about 30 ft. in length, the flying reptile (named Thanatosdrakon Amaru or Death Dragon) flew in the sky using its wings to hunt for food. Illustration from USAToday


Ringling Bros. announced that their circus performances will resume in 2023. The circus shut down in 2017 due in large part to concerns about animals being used in their performances, especially, elephants. The return of the Ringling Bros.Circus will include lots of clowns and acrobats but will have NO live animals.

Picture from WPClipart


For the first time, plants have been grown from soil samples taken from the MOON! It took more than 11 years for the researchers to be able to obtain a bit of lunar soil from NASA.(previous requests were turned down) That's why the experiment has only recently been conducted. The lunar soil, like on earth, varies, but the samples(from Apollo Missions 11,12 and 17) were able to sprout seeds, although the plants were not as robust as plants grown with earth soil. The success of this experiment means that on future trips to the moon, astronauts might be able to grow food and not have to bring everything with them for long durations on the lunar surface. Photograph from NASA

05/20/2022:A little boy in Great Britain was looking for shells with his dad when he made an amazing discovery lying in the sand and pebbles. Sammy Shelton, 6,found a HUGH tooth of a megalodon. The giant carnivore, the largest sea shark ever to exist, became extinct over 65 million years. It is estimated that the megalodon could have measured 60 ft. in length.The black tooth is about 4 inches long and could be over 20 million years old! An evolutionary biologist at the University of East Anglia,Norwich, Great Britain, Ben Garrod, confirmed the discovery. Sammy has been showing the tooth to his friends and likes to sleep with it near his bed at night.Garrod said it is quite rare to find a tooth of a megalodon, especially along the coast of Great Britain. Photograph from BBC

Archaeologists have discovered the longest known painting done by Indigenous Americas. A 10 ft.long diamond rattlesnake, dating back 1000 years, was found with other drawings, including human figures, in a cave in the state of Alabama. Scientists say the cave art is also the largest such collection of cave art created by Indigenous Americans. Carved into the rocks, the drawings have all but disappeared. Originally found in 1998, the paintings were made clearer using technology called photogrammetry. The location of the cave is being kept a secret.

Photograph from artnewsScientists have revealed that the remains of a 205 million year old ichthyosaur have been found 9000 ft. above the ocean, in the SWISS ALPS! The sea creature's vertebrae (eight),ten rib bone pieces and a tooth, were found in rocks near Davos, Switzerland, in the Chrachenhorn Mountains. Ichthyosaurs could reach 65 ft.in length and weigh up to 80 tons. The fossil remains, originally discovered back in the 19702 and 1980s, were recently identified as that of the "fish lizard". It is hoped that more of the ichthyosaur will eventually be unearthed.
Photograph from dailymail.

So much plastic litter the land and waters. It is estimated that less than 10% of all plastics are recycled. Scientists at the University of Texas(Austin) has developed a "Pac-Man" protein that munches on plastic, breaking them down, potentially helping to eliminate the growing plastic pollution problem. Specifically, the protein eats PET(polyethylene terephthalate) found in many products made with plastic. The scientists say that the protein actually broke down the plastic is less than one day!

Photograph from Phys.org

Recently, a hologram of a NASA Flight Surgeon was beamed up to the International Space Station. The technology called "holoportation" allowed Dr. Josef Schmid to talk with the astronauts, "shake" hands with a French astronaut and even take a selfie with the astronauts. Scientists hope this technology will be another way of bringing people together. Dr. Schmid was able to travel about 250 miles above the Earth, to the ISS, which is traveling 17,500 mph, without leaving his office at NASA!

PhotographPhotograph from CNET

Using ground penetrating radar, scientists have discovered an old Viking ship dating back to possibly 793-1066 AD. The 30 ft. long by 5 ft. wide ship was big enough to hold six men. It is approximately 30 feet under the ground. It was found in western Norway. It is thought that the "boat grave ship" was the resting place for a very important person due to the size of the ship. When excavated, scientists are hoping to also find treasures belonging to the individual. The location of the ship is where a highway is planned to be construction.

Photograph from DailyMail

Scientists are doing trials to see how teeny robots injected into the body might be able to treat areas that are difficult to access, specifically, cancers of the brain.Magnets are used to move the robots, only a few millimeters in length, to the needed area. Once at the location of a tumor or cyst, the robot burst the growth. Today, most treatments using radiation and drugs, effect the entire body.The technology has been given permission for human trials after being tested on pigs and sheep.Many years ago, writer Isaac Asimov wrote about scientists reduced in size traveling inside the human body in a tiny space vehicle. His books was called Fantastic Voyage.

Photograph from Dailymail

In 2022, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson made history as the first African American female being confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. There have been 115 Supreme Court justices as of 2021! Justice Jackson becomes only the 7th woman to become a Supreme Court Justice. It is also the FIRST time there will be four women, out of the nine justices, on the Supreme Court! Learn more with this freebie:Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson



A new guard is on the patrol at the historic area of Pompeii, Italy. Spot's job is to work the night shift after the ancient city is closed to visitors and keep a lookout for thieves searching for artifacts they can steal, Spot is a robotic guard dog. Spot is capable of climbing stairs and opening doors. With a camera, Spot can send video to humans of what it sees. Additionally Spot can inspect the areas for tunnels of thieves who might be trying to sneak into the city. In 79 AD, a volcano, Mt. Vesuvius, erupted and the ash and stone from the eruption covered the city. Today, visitors can come to the excavated city and walk the streets and visit the shops and homes.
Photograph from dailymail

What are being called world's oldest pants were found in China, in a desert region called the Tarim Basin. Discovered in 2014, the pants are more than 3000 years ago and were worn by a horseman or herdsman called Turfan Man. The pants have been studied since being unearthed. It appears that the pants were woven from the wool of sheep or other animals and not "cut" from fabric.

Photograph from science news.org

Changing our clocks forward an hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall may be ending. The Senate voted to make Daylight Savings time, permanent. The bill needs to go to the House for a vote. If passed, President Biden will have to decide whether to sign the bill into law or VETO (say no).Currently, Arizona is the only state that doesn't change their clocks twice a year. This isn't just an America custom. At least 70 countries have Daylight Saving Time, to get more sunlight in the evening hours. The downside is that during the winter months, many would have an extra hour of darkness. What do you think?

4/25/2022: A new guard is on the patrol at the historic area of Pompeii, Italy. Spot's job is to work the night shift after the ancient city is closed to visitors and keep a lookout for thieves searching for artifacts they can steal, Spot is a robotic guard dog. Spot is capable of climbing stairs and opening doors. With a camera, Spot can send video to humans of what it sees. Additionally Spot can inspect the areas for tunnels of thieves who might be trying to sneak into the city. In 79 AD, a volcano, Mt. Vesuvius, erupted and the ash and stone from the eruption covered the city. Today, visitors can come to the excavated city and walk the streets and visit the shops and homes.

Photograph from dailymail

What are being called world's oldest pants were found in China, in a desert region called the Tarim Basin. Discovered in 2014, the pants are more than 3000 years ago and were worn by a horseman or herdsman called Turfan Man. The pants have been studied since being unearthed. It appears that the pants were woven from the wool of sheep or other animals and not "cut" from fabric.

Photograph from science news.org

Changing our clocks forward an hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall may be ending. The Senate voted to make Daylight Savings time, permanent. The bill needs to go to the House for a vote. If passed, President Biden will have to decide whether to sign the bill into law or VETO (say no).Currently, Arizona is the only state that doesn't change their clocks twice a year. This isn't just an America custom. At least 70 countries have Daylight Saving Time, to get more sunlight in the evening hours. The downside is that during the winter months, many would have an extra hour of darkness. What do you think?

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4//15/2022:What are being called world's oldest pants were found in China, in a desert region called the Tarim Basin. Discovered in 2014, the pants are more than 3000 years ago and were worn by a horseman or herdsman called Turfan Man. The pants have been studied since being unearthed. It appears that the pants were woven from the wool of sheep or other animals and not "cut" from fabric.

Photograph from science news.org

Changing our clocks forward an hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall may be ending. The Senate voted to make Daylight Savings time, permanent. The bill needs to go to the House for a vote. If passed, President Biden will have to decide whether to sign the bill into law or VETO (say no).Currently, Arizona is the only state that doesn't change their clocks twice a year. This isn't just an America custom. At least 70 countries have Daylight Saving Time, to get more sunlight in the evening hours. The downside is that during the winter months, many would have an extra hour of darkness. What do you think?

3/25/2022:Sir Ernest Shackleton sailed to Antarctica aboard the Endurance in 1915 on an expedition to explore the continent. The plan was to traverse the continent. With horrible weather, the men were trapped in ice for ten months before their ship eventually sank. The men were stranded and eventually, Shackleton and five crew members set off in a small boat to reach a whaling ship over 830 miles away to get help. It took them 16 days to reach South Georgia island where the station was located. Shackleton returned to rescue the remaining 22 crew members. Now,107 years after the ship's sinking, the Endurance has been found in the Weddell Sea. Due to the cold temperatures, the ship is in remarkably good condition. In fact you can still see the lettering of the ship's name.

Back in 2020, a school in Massachusetts launched a tiny boat into the Atlantic, as part of an experiment sponsored by Educational Passages. The boat contained a GPS tracker so kids could keep tabs on its location. After a while, the boat was considered "lost at sea" as it stop transmitting its location. At sea for 462 days, the boat was found, on January 30th, in Norway,by a boy named Karel. Covered in barnacles and missing most parts of the boat, Karel took the boat home. Opening the boat, a note explaining the project was found, still intact. Karel and his classmates will be writing a letter to the Massachusetts' school.

Photographs from US Embassy OsloScientists found some microscopic organisms in the frozen Arctic permafrost of Siberia that are over 24,000 years old. Called rotifers, the teeny multi celled creatures actually came back to life after being "thawed". Now, that's a long sleep!


Photograph from sciencenewsforstudents.

The Russians,led by Vladimir Putin, have invaded the democratic country of Ukraine. Learn about the Ukraine at this link: Learn about Ukraine Map from nationsonline


Using radio waves, astronomers have discovered the largest galaxy ever found. Called Alcyoneus (in ancient Greek Mythology, a giant that fought Hercules), it is 160 times the size of our Milky Way Galaxy. It stretches 16.3 million light years in width and is located about 3 billion light years from planet Earth. Called a radio galaxy, there is a whopper of a black hole in its center!

Illustration from Pixabay

2/20/2022:There's now an app for helping to return lost dogs. Called the Smart Snout, it uses nose prints to identify dogs without the need for surgical implants of a chip. All dogs have unique nose prints, like a fingerprint. The technology requires uploading a photograph of your dog's snout as well as some information including your email address. If your pooch goes missing, the app can be used to help find it.

Photograph from Pixabay.

In Brighton, a city in Great Britain, all new buildings will be required to have "Bee Bricks". Many of the bees in the area are called solitary bees, preferring to live by themselves. The "Bee Bricks" have lots of different size holes for the bees to call home. Bees are so very important to pollinating the foods we eat and the idea is to help encourage bees to nest in the area.

Photograph from Goodnewsnetwork

Maybe you have seen the new Disney movie, Encanto. Did you happen to notice that the main character, Mirabel, wears eyeglasses? A 12 year old girl in Great Britain helped to make this happen. In 2019, Lowri Moore wrote a letter to Robert Iger, of Disney, saying that many kids wear eyeglasses (including her) and wished that Disney would create a heroine that resembled her, someone with eyeglasses! Disney listened.

Photograph BBC Newsround

Goldie wasn't eating and her owner was concerned. Seems the porcupine puffer fish's teeth had grown so large, it was unable to eat. A puffer fish's teeth are constantly grow but eating hard shell mollusks helps to grind them done naturally. An exotic pet vet, in Great Britain, came to the rescue. He filled her water tank with a mild anesthetic. Asleep, his assistance wrapped Goldie in a moist blanket to keep the fish from getting dry(and to protect the assistance should Goldie blow herself up OPENING her sharp spines). The vet used a dental instrument to cut Goldie's teeth size in half. The entire procedure took about 2 hours.

Photograph from Dailymail

Drones have many uses and a drone has been used to rescue a pooch stranded on mud flats(marshlands) in Great Britain. Millie, 3, a Jack Russell-Whippet, got loose from her lease and wandered off, winding up on the mudflats. The area has sinking mud and quick moving tides. Millie would drown if First Responders were unable to get Millie to safety.Unfortunately, Millie wouldn't budge and a local drone group was contacted. Cooked sausages were attached to a pair of drones. Some bacon was tried, too. Millie chased them to get a tasty nibble. At one point,Millie caught one of the sausages, almost bringing one of the drones down. A sausage tethered to another drone was successful in luring Millie the almost 1000 feet to safety.

Photograph from Denmead Drone and Rescue Facebook

Zara Rutherford, 19, of Belgium, has become the youngest woman to successfully fly solo AROUND the world, landing her into the Guinness World Records book. Zara's journey, in a one-seater microlight plane, took 155 days. Her trip covered over 32,000 miles and visiting 41 different countries on five continents. During her trek, Zara had to stop in California, as she lost visibility due to wildfires. She had to deal with bad weather delaying her trip and had to alter her flight plans when the country of China refused her entry. She also dealt with smog in India and poor visibility over the desert of Saudi Arabia. Zara said the hardest part of her flight was the extreme cold in Siberia. Zara has wanted to make a round the world trip since learning to fly as a young teenage. A goal she has now accomplished.Photograph from Stripes.

Photograph from The Guardian

2/7/22:

Two labradors named Duke and Huntah are on patrol to help keep COVID from spreading in several schools in Massachusetts. With their wonderful sense of smell, the dogs have been trained to smell an odor distinct to those with COVID. While on the job, the two pooches go around classrooms and hallways (lockers) and even the cafeterias after the students have left. Should Duke or Huntah detect the whiff of COVID, the dogs will sit and place a paw on the chair or desk suspected of the scent.The school does a trace of those that have sat at the chair or desk and a test for Covid is given to those students. Other schools are thinking of having COVID trained dogs, too, to help fight the disease from spreading in schools.

photograph from Twitter

Even thought the meaning of millipede means 1000 feet, the most the species has been even been counted to have is a little more than 750. Now, scientists have found a millipede in Australia with 1306 tiny legs. Imagine counting all of them! Called the Eumillipes persephone, the millipede doesn't have any eyes and uses its antennas to maneuver as it tunnels through dirt. With all the many legs, the millipede is able to dig in several directions at the same time!

Photograph from sciencenewsforstudents

1/27/22:A 6.7 inch fossilized egg found in China had an amazing discovery inside of it, a perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo! Thought to be about 66 million years old, the theropod(oviraptorosaur) has been nicknamed "Baby Yingliang". A type of feathered, toothless dinosaur, the embryo was in what is called a "tucking" position, almost ready to have hatched. It is thought that a mudslide buried the egg, preserving it. Found ten years ago, it was just recently discovered in a storage area of the Yingliang Stone Nature History Museum, where scientists made the discovery.

Photograph from BBC

Scientists in Great Britain have discovered a fossilized ancient millipede that was very long...almost 9 ft. in length! Called the largest-known invertebrate animal, the ancient millipede, named "arthropleura",lived about 326 million years ago. It is estimated that the millipede weighed about 110 pounds when alive. The discovery, originally made in 2018, was accidentally discovered when a boulder cracked open when it fell, showing the unique millipede fossil inside.

Illustration from DailyMail

The Madagascar hissing cockroach may have a new role in life.The cockroach may become a helper in disaster rescues! After being put to sleep for a couple of minutes, the 2 inch cockroach is fitted with a teeny backpack with an infrared camera. The devise can detect life by deterring temperatures where rescuers are searching. During tests, the cockroaches have been found to be 87% accurate in assessing life vs. non-life. On a typical search and rescue, scientists, in Singapore, who have been conducting the studies, said about 500 such "cyborg bugs" would be needed. This particular cockroach hisses to scare off predators and can live without their heads for up to seven days! Learn more about the Madagascar hissing cockroach:Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

Photograph from sunnyskyz

You probably have heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Found in the Pacific Ocean, it is an area with plastic bottles, nets, buoys and other trash that is larger than THREE of the country size of France.Scientists have discovered that life forms, perhaps as many as 300 species living in the patch.Shrimp like creatures, sponges, mussels, barnacles, crabs and more have been spotted.Scientists think the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country in Japan(2011) causes such debris that these creatures most likely hitched a ride on floating debris and now can't get back home.Interestingly, there are at least 5 garbage patches on the Earth. Illustration from NOAA

Love this photograph! At the Natural History Museum in London, England, the giant T.Rex has gotten into the holiday spirit with the donation of a large, very large holiday sweater. The knitted sweater took 100 hours to make.Photograph from BBC

1/10/22:

The Madagascar hissing cockroach may have a new role in life.The cockroach may become a helper in disaster rescues! After being put to sleep for a couple of minutes, the 2 inch cockroach is fitted with a teeny backpack with an infrared camera. The devise can detect life by deterring temperatures where rescuers are searching. During tests, the cockroaches have been found to be 87% accurate in assessing life vs. non-life. On a typical search and rescue, scientists, in Singapore, who have been conducting the studies, said about 500 such "cyborg bugs" would be needed. This particular cockroach hisses to scare off predators and can live without their heads for up to seven days! Learn more about the Madagascar hissing cockroach:Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

Photograph from sunnyskyz

You probably have heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Found in the Pacific Ocean, it is an area with plastic bottles, nets, buoys and other trash that is larger than THREE of the country size of France.Scientists have discovered that life forms, perhaps as many as 300 species living in the patch.Shrimp like creatures, sponges, mussels, barnacles, crabs and more have been spotted.Scientists think the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country in Japan(2011) causes such debris that these creatures most likely hitched a ride on floating debris and now can't get back home.Interestingly, there are at least 5 garbage patches on the Earth. Illustration from NOAA

Love this photograph! At the Natural History Museum in London, England, the giant T.Rex has gotten into the holiday spirit with the donation of a large, very large holiday sweater. The knitted sweater took 100 hours to make.Photograph from BBC

12/5/2021:Walking along Black's Beach in San Diego,CA, a man came upon what he thought was a strange looking jellyfish. In fact, it was a Pacific footballfish, a very rare deep sea creature that usually lives at depths of 2000 to 3300 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. With sharp needle like teeth, the football fish can top the scales at about 110 pounds and grow to 3 ft. long. Its very large mouth is helpful in catching any prey!

Photograph from news.yahoo

On Wednesday, 11/24, NASA's launched a spacecraft, using Elon Musk's company, SpaceX, with the purpose of crashing into an asteroid! The mission of DART(Double Asteroid Redirection Test) is to see whether smashing into an asteroid can redirect its orbit that might be heading toward an impact with Earth. NOTE: NO asteroid is currently on target to hit Earth. The spacecraft will take about 10 months to reach the asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos with hopes of hitting into Dimorphos, the smaller of the two asteroids, at a speed of approximately 15,000 mph. Cameras will photograph the crash from a small satellite released from the spacecraft. Dimorphos is about the size of the Great Pyramid of Egypt.

Leave your shoes at home? A school in Perth, Australia, says that next year, as a pilot program, kids in elementary school will not need to wear shoes in school. It is thought that walking barefoot helps to to develop a young child's feet, knees, ankles and hips. Others says that there is no evidence that walking barefoot, especially in a school, is beneficial.What do you think? Would you walk barefoot in school if you were allowed to do so? Photograph from pixabay

Remi Ouvrard, of France, reached an altitude of 13,176 feet above the earth while STANDING atop a hot air balloon! Ouvrard did this as a charity event to raise money for neuromuscular diseases. Harnessed in place and with oxygen, in case he needed it, Ouvrard stood atop the hot air balloon for 1 and 1/2 hours. Just in case you are wondering, Ouvrard broke the world record for standing atop a hot air balloon!

Photograph from thetimes.co.uk

11/25/21:

Walking along the beach, a man saw what he thought was a stuffed penguin, until it moved! Turns out the Adelie penguin, called Pingu, had found its way from Antarctica to New Zealand. It is estimated that Pingu traveled almost 1800 miles from his home! Tired and hungry, Pingu was checked by a local penguin rescue center and released. Only the third time a penguin has reached the shores of New Zealand, Pingu, is the first in 28 years. It is hoped that Pingu, about 2 feet tall,will make his way back to Antarctica’s Ross Sea.

Photograph from BBCNewround

A new satellite, the Landsat 9, launched back in September, has begun taking photographs of the earth. Some wonderful pictures have just been released by NASA. It is hoped that the data learned will assist in the study of wildfires, glacier melting, deforestation and more. Take a peek at this link:LOOK at the Earth from Space!

Photograph of a satellite from pixabay

The population of the South Pacific island of Tuvalu, 11,000, has always had to deal with water with its elevation only 15 ft. above sea level. With rising waters, from climate change, the island is sinking into the ocean. Recently, a leader of Tuvalu, gave his comments to the recent world meeting on climate change, standing almost to his knees in water! There is some talk to MOVE the country to another location, perhaps, Fiji or New Zealand.Learn about Tuvalu:Learn about Tuvalu

Photograph from Tuvalu Department of Trade

Scientists have created a spider silk, stronger than steel, without the help of a spider! Using the DNA from the golden orb weaver (or banana spider),bacteria were "taught" to spin silk. The bacteria can't actually "spin" a web of silk but with the help of scientists, a type of spider silk has been created in the lab, thanks to the help of the bacteria.

Photograph from cosmos magazine.

A giant smiley face can be seen in a forest in the state of Oregon. Using Larch and Douglas fir trees, a lumber company planted the trees that turn orange-yellow in color in the fall. About 300 ft. in diameter, the smiley face forest will continue to smile each fall for about 30-50 years. At that time the lumber company will log the trees for lumber.

Photograph from Sunnyskyz

11/13/2021:A new hotel, the Voyager Class, is planning to open in 2027...in space. The hotel rooms will include fantastic views of the earth and allow for 280 guests to experience weightlessness during their stay, around 3 days. Would you like to one day stay at such a hotel in space? Why, why not?

Illustration from CNN

The remains of a little crab was found in fossilized amber (tree resin). The remains, dating back 100 million years, were found in the country of Myanmar. Called Cretapsara athanata, the crab that lived during the time of the dinosaurs, is believed to be the the best such crab fossil ever found. The amazing discovery, made in 2015, was being sold by a street vendor in a city in Myanmar.

Photograph from CNN

Paleontologists have discovered a long ago sea scorpion that was the size of a dog! The fossilized remains were unearthed in China. Called Terropterus xiushanensis, the arthropod lived about 435 million years ago. Related to horseshoe crabs, the massive sea scorpion was about 3.3 ft. long. It is thought that the creature used their long claws lined with teeth for catching prey.

Illustration from LiveScience.

10/28/2021:

Do you like having balloon contests in your living room where you try and keep a balloon from falling to the floor? This week, the first ever Balloon World Cup, was held in Tarragona, Spain. Competitors from 32 countries participated. To make the court "feel" like a person's home, furniture was placed around the court and even a car! The rule for the competition was simply to swat the balloon upwards and then be the team that keeps it from falling to the ground. The winner of the first Balloon World Cup was a teen from Peru.

Photograph from CNN.

The US Mint announced that beginning in 2022 (through 2025) new quarters will be issued commemorating American Women. Part of the American Women Quarters Program, the first women to be honored with be Dr. Sally Ride, Anna May Wong, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren and Maya Angelou.

Illustration from USMint

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A Crusader's sword, encrusted with marine life, dating back 900 years, was found by a diver in the Mediterranean Sea near the country of Israel.

Someone really likes dinosaurs and just purchased Big John, the skeleton of a triceratops. Originally found in the state of South Dakota, the fossilized remains are in excellent condition. The dinosaur got its name from the Greek for "three horned face".This specific skeleton is thought to be the largest ever found and sold for over 8 million dollars! It was purchased at an auction in Paris, France, by someone in the United States.

Learn about the triceratops: Triceratops Facts

How many walrus are on the planet? If you'd like to help count them, you can do so right from your living room. Using satellite images, volunteers are being asked to scan images to help count their numbers. The WWF (World Wildlife Federation) with the British Antarctic Survey have started a five year program called "Walrus from Space".Tracking of albatross, seals, penguins and even whales have been spotted from space but this is the first time the satellite images will be used to count walrus, specifically the Atlantic sub-species. Global warming and decreased sea ice (used by walrus for raising their babies and to hunt), is having a negative effect on the walrus population. If you are at least 10 years old and interested in becoming a "Walrus Detective",check out the information at this link: Walrus from Space

Photograph from Pixabay.

10/10/21:

At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery, an honor guard changes every hour from October 1 through March 31. After this,the guard changes every half hour until the fall. For the first time, in 84 years, an all female military guard (hree members) performed the solemn ceremony at the tomb site.

Photograph from Dailymail

Scientists have found the fossil of one of the oldest eagle-like raptors. Called Archaehierax sylvestris, the eagle once flew over the continent of Australia. An almost complete fossil, of the eagle, was discovered at Lake Pinpa, South Australia. The size of a small dog, the Archaehierax sylvestnis, dating back 25 million years, munched on mammals such as the koala bear.

Illustration from CNN.

Several pairs of footprints were found in New Mexico that are very old. After studying the footprints which were found in White Sands National Park back in 2009, scientists estimate that the prints date back about 23,000 years. That means people were walking around North American thousands of years earlier that ever thought. Based on the size of the different prints, scientists think they were made by both children and teens. Before this discovery, the oldest footprints had been those found in Canada, dating back about 13,000 years.

Photograph from MSM

With the terrible forest fires in California, there is fear that some of the oldest and biggest trees in the world, the sequoia, are in danger. There are over 2000 sequoias in the Sequoia National Park.To protect the world's largest tree by volume, the General Sherman, fire fighters have wrapped the base in protective fire-resistant aluminum blankets. Standing 275 ft. tall and 36 ft. in diameter, it is hoped this wonderful tree, estimated to be over 2300 years old, will be saved from the raging forest fires.

Photograph from the NYDailyNews

9/25/2021:

With global warming, causing glaciers to melt, the people of Switzerland are trying to save the snow covered Mount Titlis (10,623 ft. tall).In winter, skiers, flock to the area to ski. Specially made white polyester fleece blankets were placed over the snow. It took about six weeks to cover the snow covered area, about the size of 14 football fields, with the blankets. White reflects the sunlight and kept the sun's rays from melting the snow. The snow cover protects the glacier ice which is underneath the snow. Once the weather turns colder, the blankets will be removed for ski season.

Photograph from Learning English

Scientists have discovered the remains of an extinct penguin that was the size of a child! Thought to roam the area of present day New Zealand more than 27 million years ago, the penguin stood almost 5 ft. tall. Called the Kairuku waewaeroa (meaning long legs), the almost complete skeleton was found by a group of children who belonged to a natural history club. The tallest penguin in today's world is the Emperor penguin, which can reach about 4 ft. tall.

Photograph from CBC.ca

Using DNA collected from the remains of frozen woolly mammoth, scientists will try and bring back the extinct creatures. Well, sort of... It may take about six years and the animal will be a new, not exact version of the woolly mammoth that walked the planet about 4000 years ago.The elephant is a relative of the woolly mammoth. Using DNA collected from teeth, tusks, hair of the woolly mammoth, scientists plan to add elephant DNA and place a seeded embryo into an Asian elephant to carry until birth. More like an elephant, the new creature would be able to live in colder climates, thanks to the DNA from the woolly mammoth.

Illustration from thoughtco

Scientists in Germany and New Zealand are training cows to use a "toilet" to urinate. So far, 11 out of 16 calves have successfully been potty-trained. Why train cows to use a specific area, a fenced in area with artificial grass? It is believed that the "mooloo"", as the area has been called, can help the environment. It is estimated that cows urinate about 8 gallons a day! That's a lot of nitrogen that turns to ammonia that is harmful to water supplies.If cows can also be trained to do ALL their bathroom needs in a mooloo, the manure can be harvested to create energy.

Al.com

9/5/2021:

you know that there is a space cemetery? Actually the place is called Point Nemo (meaning "no one" in Latin). Located in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean, and about 1400 miles from the closest island, it is here where scientists direct space trash. Since 1971, approximately 260 pieces of space crafts, including the Russian space station Mir and a Chinese space station called Tiangong-1, have been sent. Much of the space trash disintegrates on entry but still lots of pieces reach the "space cemetery".

Illustration from phys.org

Imagine being 11 years old and playing drums for a famous music group. Nandi Bushell just got to be the drummer for a summer concert, at the Los Angeles Forum, in CA, with the Foo Fighters.Last year, Bushell challenged the drummer and lead singer, of the band, Dave Grohl, to a virtual drum competition, which he accepted. She was then invited to perform a set during their concert this summer. Specifically, she placed the drums for the rock group/s Everlong. Nandi, who lives in Great Britain, started playing drums when she got a drum set when five years old. Her dad gave her lessons but eventually saw that her talents needed a professional drum instructor. Nandi says she was Ringo Starr, of the Beatles, was an influence on her love of the drums.

Photograph of Greenland's ice sheet from NPR

Scientists made an interesting discovery in the famous Great Barrier Reef area. The Great Barrier Reef is found off the east coast of Australia. The whopper of a coral, measuring about 17.39 ft. and about 32.8 ft. wide, is about the size of a double decker bus.The coral found near Orpheus Island (northern Queensland) is estimated to be over 400 years old. It was named Muga dhambi, meaning "big coral".

Photograph from Newscientist.

Archaeologists in China has discovered TWO new dinosaur species and they are MASSIVE. Thought to date back about 120-130 million years, the dinosaurs were about the size of a blue whale. Part of the family of dinosaurs called sauropods (long necked and long tail herbivore-grass eaters), the new dinosaur species were found in northwestern China. The dinosaurs were named Silutitan siensis (meaning Silk Road) and Hamititan xinjiangensis. One of the remains (of the Silutian siensis) suggests the species was 65 ft.long when it roamed the earth. Interestingly, the Hamititan xinjiangensis (thought to be 55 ft. in length) is similar to a dinosaur found in the South American country of Brazil. It is the first time dinosaur fossils have been found in this area of China. Archaeologists hope to unearth additional fossils and, perhaps, nest of fossilized eggs.

Illustration from CNN

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If you looked at this stone orb, would you take a second look? Seems that the stone is actually a rare fossilized egg with the embryo still inside. Using micro-computed tomography, paleontologists were able to see the inside had a turtle embryo. Belonging to an extinct giant land tortoise known as Nanhsiungchelyidae, the egg, the thickness of an ostrich egg, is estimated to be 144 to 66 million years old. The tiny turtle embryo was perfectly preserved and is the first such discovery of its kind. An mature nanhsiungchelyidae's shell was about the length of an adult human!

Photograph from allthatsinteresting

The island of Greenland had something happen for the first time in recorded history. It rained on its highest point, an ice sheet at an elevation of 10,551 ft. Not just a few sprinkles, the rain lasted for several hours. It was the first time temperatures were recorded above freezing at the summit. Scientists say that global warming is causing places, such as Antarctica and Greenland, where the only two ice sheets on Earth can be found, to have more and more melting. What do you know about the island of Greenland?Learn about Greenland

8/25/21:

Scientists have created a glue that seals wounds in just about 15 seconds. Current surgical glue takes minutes to stop bleeding.The inspiration for the glue was from marine barnacles! Researchers at the Mayo Clinic and MIT(Massachusetts Institute of Technology) developed a glue after studying barnacles. In order for barnacles to latch on to surfaces such as rocks, ship hulls and even marine life, they secrete an oily sticky material and protein which enables them to adhere to a substance. Imagine how such a quick sealing adhesive this might help people with severe lacerations.

Photograph from Dailymail

This week, after spending over 4600 years buried in the sands outside the Great Pyramid in Giza, archaeologists have moved Pharaoh Khufu's solar boat, 138 ft. long,to its new resting place, the Grand Egyptian Museum. A specially made remote-controlled vehicle was used to transport the very old ship. Ancient Egyptians believed you could take your possession with you into the afterlife so it wasn't surprising that this pharaoh(king) hoped to use one of his TWO boats that were buried outside the pyramid. Interestingly, the boat, discovered in 1954, is considered the "biggest and oldest organic artifact made of wood, in the history of humanity".

Photograph from Dailymail

Photograph from Dailymail

Two lion cubs, named Sparta and Boris, were recently found in the country of Russia. What makes the cubs unique is that they roamed the area about 28,000-43,000 years ago, during a time called the Ice Age. The almost perfectly preserved lion cubs still have most of their fur and even their whiskers.

Photograph from MSN

A man caught an unusual fish while fishing off a pier in North Carolina. Called a sheepshead fish, the creature has very human-like teeth. The sheepshead uses the teeth, especially the large molars to catch crustaceans such as clams and oysters.

Photograph from Huffpost

A 25 ft. long ship has been found near the north coast of the country of Egypt.The ship was discovered in the Mediterranean Sea and is estimated to be 2200 years old! Marine archaeologists say that an earthquake near the ancient city of Heracleion caused the ship to sink. The shaking caused a temple ,called Amun ,to be destroyed and its huge stone debris hit the ship. Artifacts including a beautiful gold amulet and very well preserved Greek vases have also been found.
Photograph from Greekreporter

8/17/2021:If you watch SpongeBob Square Pants, you may be interested in this marine discovery. Scientists have found a real yellow sponge near a pink sea star. The discovery was made on the slope of an underwater mountain named Retriever Seamount. It is found about 200 miles from New York City. Interestingly, sea stars are what we once called starfish. The name has recently been changed since the marine creature is NOT a fish!

Photograph from Dailymail

Have your ever had a goldfish for a pet? Usually the average goldfish is just about 2 inches long but some whoppers have recently. been recently found in the Keller Lake in Minnesota. The giant goldfish are about the size of a football and are about 12 inches long. One found last year weighed nine pounds! Seems that as long as the fish have enough food and water, they will grow and grow. These giant-sized goldfish living in the lake make look awesome but they are an "invasive species".That means they compete with the native species and harm their habitat. Authorities ask people NOT to release their goldfish into bodies of water.

Photograph from Livescience

7/25/21:The new 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee champ is 14 year old Zaila Avant-garde. She won with the correct spelling of the word, murraya(a genus of Australian and Asiatic tropical trees) being crowned the winner out of 11 finalists. Zaila made history becoming the first African American to win the spelling championship in its 96 year history. Zaila says that spelling is a "side hobby"".In addition to being a spelling whiz, Zaila, who wants to play professional basketball, has also several Guiness World Records including the most bounce juggles in one minute(255 with four basketballs), the most dribbled basketballs at one time(six for 30 seconds) and the most basketballs bounced in 30 seconds(307). Congrats to Zaila!

Photograph from Dailymail.

A world record sandcastle was recently built in the country of Denmark. Reaching 69.4 ft. high, and using over 5000 tons of sand, the sandcastle, was the creation of Wilfred Stijger and 30 other sand sculptors. Some glue was added when it was completed so it could hopefully last until the winter months. You can see the sandcastle in Blokhus, Denmark.

As the Tour de France gets underway, it was announced that a WOMEN'S Tour de France ( Tour de France Femmes )will resume in 2022. It was in the 1980s when the last Women's Tour de France took place. The eight day race will begin at the conclusion of the men's Tour de France.

Photograph from Pixabay
A flying car, that can reach heights of 8200 ft. and speeds of 105 mph, completed its first 35 minute inter-city flight, in the country of Slovakia. The AirCar was able to return from its test flight and within three minutes have its winds folded away, returning to a sports car, and then, driving away. The vehicle can carry two people.
Photograph from BBC

LEGO plastic bricks are making a change. The company has announced that they will be using recycled bottles to make their colorful plastic bricks. The company said that in addition to play, LEGO wants to have a "positive impact on the planet". A one-liter plastic soda bottle will produce about 10 LEGO bricks. The eco-friendly bricks should be available in less than two years.

Photograph from the guardian

7/1/2021: Seems someone is missing a leather shoe. Found in a bog in the country of Germany, the shoe dates back about 2000 years! The area was once a road in the marshy area and archaeologists also found a very old broken cart axel. It is thought that maybe the person lost the shoe, in the marshy area, while repairing the cart.A shoe found in a cave in the country of Armenia, is still the oldest found, to date. It is about 5500 years old.

Photograph from dailymail

Juneteenth(or June 19th), is a day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. Although President Lincoln,signed the Emancipation Proclamation, on January 1, 1863, it would take until 1862, and the 13 Amendment(1865) for many enslaved people would learn that slavery had been abolished. On June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Texas learned that they were free people. A celebration started in the Texas with prayers, dancing and cookouts that continues to this day. Also known as Black Independence Day or Freedom Day, a number of states, including Oregon, Washington, Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania and New York, have made it a state holiday. This week, Congress voted to make Juneteeth a federal holiday. It is expected that President Joe Biden will soon sign the bill into law.

Illustration from pixabay.com

The answer to how many oceans are on the planet, has for some time, been four. Not anymore. National Geographic has officially recognized the waters around Antarctica as the fifth ocean. Called the Southern Ocean, it is defined by the currents that are around it. All the other oceans are defined by the continents that touch them. NG made their announcement on World Oceans Day, June 8 and unveiled a new map showing the five oceans. Many oceanographers have felt that the Southern Ocean is simply an extension of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Since 1999, the US Board on Geographic Names has recognized the Southern Ocean. Illustration from DailyMail.

6/25/21: A whopper of a dinosaur discovery has been made in Australia. The length of a BASKETBALL court, the "australotitan cooperensis", is the largest dinosaur ever found in Australia and one of the 5 largest dinosaurs to roam the planet. Paleontologists say it lived about 96 million years ago and measured up to 98 ft. long and 21.3 ft. high(from the hip). It is estimated the sauropod, a plant eater, nicknamed the "southern titan" would have tipped the scales at about 163,000 pounds. Found back in 2007, on a cattle ranch, in Queensland, it has just been reported this week.

Illustration from Dailymai

In a swamp on the island of New Guinea, scientists have found a yummy species of frog. The frog, about 3 inches long, is chocolate colored and has been named the "chocolate frog"". Found in crocodile infested waters, the frog with big black eyes is actually called Litoria mira ("surprised" or "strange" in the language of Latin) and is related to the green tree frog native to Australia.

Photograph from Livesscience

Scientists studying the suction power of elephants, made an interesting discovery. One 7400 pound elephant, named Kelly, showed that elephants use suction to pick of items with their trunks. Kelly successful suctioned up a thin tortilla chip without breaking it!

Photograph from scienceshowforkids

What may be the largest drawing in the world has been found in India. Huge man-made spiral shapes were found in the Thar Desert and extend for more than seven miles. The discovery was originally discovered back in 2016 using Goggle Earth. It isn't sure who or when the drawings were made but the lines are thought to be at least 150 years old.

Photographs from dailymail.
What do you know about the country of India?Learn about the country of India

6/15/21:What may be the largest drawing in the world has been found in India. Huge man-made spiral shapes were found in the Thar Desert and extend for more than seven miles. The discovery was originally discovered back in 2016 using Goggle Earth. It isn't sure who or when the drawings were made but the lines are thought to be at least 150 years old.

Photographs from dailymail.
What do you know about the country of India?Learn about the country of India

Thought to be approximately 2000 years older than Egypt's oldest pyramids, amazing stone structures, called mustatils, are found in the country of Saudi Arabia. There are about 1000 huge stone rectangular shapes and scientists have determined their age to be about 7000 years old. All similar in shape, some are more than 1500 ft.long. It isn't known who constructed the mustatils but the stone structures may have some religious significance. Some muscatels were found to have bones and horns of sheep, cattle and gazelles.

Photograph from nbcnews. Learn about the country of Saudi Arabia:Saudi Arabia

A 12 year old girl dropped a message in a bottle, something many people do. What makes the message, written by Mathilde Lefebvre most unusual, is it was found in 2017, almost 105 years after the young girl dropped the bottle into the ocean. Adding to this, the girl was a passenger on the Titanic and she wrote that in a couple of days the ship would be docking in New York harbor. Sadly, the next day, after the message was thrown into the ocean, the Titanic hit an iceberg and most passengers, including Mathilde and her family perished. The bottle was found near the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada. Scientists are trying to determine if the message in a bottle is authentic, using carbon dating. There WAS a family onboard the Titanic with a daughter named Mathilde.center>Photograph from CBC.ca

5/25/2021:

Scientists that study viruses(virology) in Netherland have trained about 150 bees, known for their keen sense of smell, to detect the odor of Covid. Using a conditioning technique, the bees received a reward of sugar water when they correctly sniffed out the virus. The trained bees can detect the Covid virus in only a matter of seconds.

Two divers exploring the Peace River, near Sarasota, Florida, came upon an amazing discovery. They found a 50 lb. femur bone of a Columbian mammoth. The 4 ft. long bone is thought to date back about 100,000 years. The Columbian mammoth could reach heights of 13 ft. and top the scales at a whopping 10 tons. It was one of the largest of the mammoths that lived in the Western Hemisphere. Additionally, the divers found a tooth from a saber-tooth tiger and remnants of an extinct shark.

Photograph from Orlando Sentinel

A most unusual "bookmobile" has come to villages in the country of Pakistan. Roshan, the camel(name means "bright light" ), brings library books to kids in remote villages in Pakistan. With the pandemic closing schools, a program was established to have Roshan, a 12 year old camel(and his herder), bring books to the children to keep up on their reading skills. The "Camel Library" operates in a village for 2 hours. Kids exchange books with Roshan's following visit. Every week, the camel travels the rough terrain, roads too narrow for vehicles to six villages. Started as a pilot program, Roshan and the books he carries has been extended. A principal and her sister came up with the idea. A book society(Alif Laila Book Bus Society) has donated the books. In just 6 weeks, more than 150 children have benefited from the program.

Photograph from Aljazeera.com
A farmer lifted a large rock on his property and discovered an ancient tomb. Found on the Dingle Peninsula, of Ireland, archaeologists think the tomb dates back to the Bronze Age. Removing the rock uncovered a stone-lined passageway. It is thought to date back 2000 BC to 500 BC. The tomb might even be older than this estimate. Human remains were found in the tomb, too.
Photograph from rte.ie

5/7/2021:Another discovery was recently made in Lucerne, Switzerland. Remains of a Bronze Age village, with remains of about 30 wooden stilts, used for houses, was found while a pipeline was being placed in the harbor area. Additionally, pottery was also found. Archaeologists say the village shows that people were living in the area 2000 years earlier than they had thought.

Photograph from swissinfo.ch

A series of circulating coins, honoring woman, are forthcoming, beginning with a coin honoring Sally Ride, the first American female to go into space. Part of the US Mint's American Women Quarters Program, Maya Angelou, famous writer, will also be recognized. Other women, for the 2022-2025 American Women Quarters are yet to be determined. People are encouraged to suggest a woman to be highlighted for this program. Nominate

Illustration from Collectspace.com

A "Pizzly Bear" is a bear whose parents are a grizzly bear and a grizzly. Due to climate change, there are less and less polar bears and the two types of bear have been mating with one another. With an elongated nose and off-white fur, the pizzly was first stopped in 2006. Since then, additional sighting have been found in Wyoming and Idaho. The offspring of a grizzly and a polar bear are better adapted for warmer climate.

Photograph from News18

4/25/2021:

A city founded by King Tutankhamun's grandfather (King Amenhotep 111) has been unearthed in Luxor, Egypt. Called the "lost golden city", the city dates back 3500 years ago. Archaeologists have begun to unearth Aten, the name of the city, that included roads, a bakery (with ovens and kitchen equipment), workshops and homes. Many artifacts are being discovered at the city including seals with Amenhotep's name, jewelry and pots. Like the Roman city of Pompeii, destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, which when rediscovered shared a wealthy of information on the life of people living in 79 AD, it is believed this ancient city will be sharing much about ancient Egyptians and their way of life. It is hoped that tombs, with mummies and their treasures, will also be unearthed.

Photograph from BBC

UPDATE: THIS historic flight has been rescheduled for the week of April 29th.April 11th may be an out-of-this-world historical day. A helicopter on the planet Mars is scheduled to do the first ever flight on another planet! The 4 pound battery powered helicopter "survived" the brutal night temperatures at ,Jezero Crater, site of the flight (-90C or -130F) The worry was such cold temperatures could damage the helicopter named Ingenuity. The flight, dubbed the "Wright Brothers moment on Mars", is expected to hover for about 30 seconds, take some photographs, turn and return to the ground. Interestingly, a small piece of fabric from the Wright Flyer(1903) made the journey from Earth to Mars and is on the Ingenuity helicopter.

Photograph from NASA

4/20/2021:

A most unusual parade in Cairo, Egypt, happened on Saturday, to honor 22 very important mummies(18 kings and 4 queens), including Ramses 2 and Queen Hatshepsut (first female ruler of ancient Egypt). The royal mummies, dating back more than 3000 years in age, made their way through the streets, at sunset, each in specially made golden colored carriages, with their names spelled out in Arabic, English and Hieroglyphics. The processional started with the oldest first, to the youngest mummy. Each mummy was placed in nitrogen capsules for protection and special shock absorbers were installed on the vehicles to prevent a bumpy ride. The parade, called the "Pharaohs' Golden Parade" started with a 21 gun salute to honor the famous mummies. War chariots, pulled by horses were also part of the parade escorting the mummies to their new home. Military music was also played during the parade. Due to the Covid virus, spectators were asked to watch on television and not attend the parade route. The mummies were given the special parade to move them from their current resident at the Egyptian Museum to the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

Photograph from egyptfwd.org

In North Carolina, a stray dog (called Sisu) wanted a buddy. It went into a local Dollar General and tried to take a stuffed purple unicorn. He did this several times(5) before being stopped by animal control. The official took the pooch(and purchased the purple unicorn) to an animal shelter. A photograph of the dog and its fluffy companion was posted on social media and the dog(and his unicorn)soon found a home!

Photograph from CNN

You have heard about people finding a message in a bottle, thousands of miles from where the bottle was placed. This week, a bright green surfboard was found, having traveled over 1700 miles from where its owner last rode a wave. Danny Griffiths lost his board four years ago while surfing off the coast of Tasmania. After resurfacing from the water, he couldn't spot his surfboard. Two fishermen, off North Queensland (Australia), found the board, covered in barnacles, took it home and cleaned it up. Griffiths will be getting his board back. It is believed that the ocean currents took the surfboard around New Zealand and to Queensland.

Photograph from CNN

4/5/2021: A walrus, the size of a cow, found itself off the coast of Ireland, the first ever confirmed spotting of a walrus in Ireland! Native to the Arctic, scientists think the walrus was on an iceberg and fell asleep as the iceberg drifted further and further south. Thousands of miles from home, the walrus is thought to be young because of the size of its tusks. It was spotted by a young girl who was walking with her dad, along Valentia Island, in County Kerry, Ireland. At this time, there aren't any plans to step in to do anything to assist the walrus to get back home.

An amazing discovery has been made in China. Paleontologists have unearthed a fossil of an oviraptorosaur, sitting atop about 24 unhatched dinosaur eggs! It is the first such discovery ever made and an example that dinosaurs, like birds of today, incubated their eggs. The find included the remains of some of the baby dinosaur embryos. Oviraptorosaurs (meaning "egg thief lizards")were a species of feathered dinosaurs that lived 130-66 million years ago.

Photograph from dailymail

3/20/21:

The country of Seville, Spain, has LOTS of orange trees. It is estimated that there are 50,000 trees in the city, the leader of any other European city for orange growing. The downside to all those trees and the oranges they produce is that the oranges are rather sour and not good for eating. Many of the oranges are sold to Great Britain where they are turned in to marmalade. Still, 200 people are employed to pick up orange off the streets where the oranges are used for fertilizer or placed in landfills, until now. A project is using the oranges to create electricity, specifically, to generate the city's water purification plant. The juice is pressed and allowed to ferment. The gas(methane) produced will drive the water purification plant's generator. The amount of electricity produced, about 38.6 US tons,could power about 150 homes.

Photograph from pixabay.com

In the waters, east of New Zealand, scientists have photographed glow-in-the-dark species of three shark. Called the blackberry lanternshark, the southern lanternshark and Kitefin shark, these sharks are the largest bioluminescent vertebrate. Found at depths of 656 ft.(known as the twilight zone), the sharks are about six feet in length. Although the sharks have previously been discovered, they have never shown off their light show, until now. Scientists estimate that as many as 76% of marine creatures are bioluminescent!

Photograph from NBCnews.com

The city of Pompeii was destroyed in 79 AD when it was buried in ash from erupting Mt. Vesuvius. Archaeologists have been unearthing the city and discovered a 2000 year old iron,wood and bronze, four wheeled chariot. It was found near a villa of a wealthy ancient Roman. In excellent condition, and said to be the first chariot found in its entirety, it was probably pulled by several horses. It was buried under a collapsed wooden ceiling and has lots of ornate decoration on it as well as metal backrests and armrests.

Photograph from LiveScience

A wild merino sheep was found wandering around in a forest in Australia who REALLY needed a trim. Not having had a haircut in years, the sheep, nicknamed BAARACK, could hardly see with the growth covering its eyes. Brought to the Edgar's Mission Farm Sanctuary, Baarack was given a badly needed shearing. It is estimated that nearly 70 pounds of wool were removed!

Photograph from LiveScience. Pretend you are Baarack and tell about a day in your life.

A drawing of a kangaroo may not seem newsworthy until you learn it is about 17,500 years old! Scientists discovered the drawing, about 6.5ft in size, in a cave in Western Australia. It may be the oldest rock painting ever found in Australia. Radiocarbon testing was done on mud wasp nest found near the cave drawings. To date, the OLDEST cave drawing found, was that of a pig, on the island of Indonesia and dates back about 45,000 years.

Photograph from DailyMail

After traveling almost 300 million miles, NASA's Perseverance (Percy for short) has touched down on the surface of Mars, in an area called Jezero, which scientists think was a former lake. Part of what is hoped during the two year exploration by the car-sized robot, which weighs 2,260 pounds, is to search for signs of life. It already sent some fantastic pictures from Mars, called the Red Planet. One of the FIRSTS for Percy will be to conduct a helicopter experiment,(helicopter is called Ingenuity and is the size of a pigeon) which will be the very first time flight has been done on another planet. Interestingly, NASA scientists watched the landing with peanuts, a good luck tradition that began with the 1964 Ranger 7 mission.

Photograph from NASA

2/28/21:

Sweden plans to build about a dozen new bridges in the northern area of their country. Called "renoducts",the bridges are for reindeer. With increased road traffic, such crossings will enable reindeer herds and their Sami herders, to get to grazing areas more safely. The word "renoduct" comes from "ren", the Swedish word for reindeer and viaduct. Can you name 2 facts about the country of Sweden? Photograph of such a viaduct is from the Guardian.

Archaeologists have found blue glass beads in Alaska, specifically Punyik Point, northern Alaska. Near the glass beads, plant fiber was found, probably used to string the jewelry. Using radiocarbon dating, the plant fiber date back to about 1397-1488. What makes the beads even more interesting is they are Venetian glass beads from Italy! How did these beads get to Alaska? Archaeologists think that traders brought the beads along the Silk Road to China. From there, people brought the beads across the Bering Strait to Alaska, perhaps in kayaks. These blue glass beads may be the oldest ever found in North America. The trek to cross the Bering Strait with the glass beads also would pre-date Columbus' trip across Europe to North America.

Photograph from dailymail

Archaeologists have unearthed a number of mummies with two having an unusual item in their mouths-golden tongues! Found at Taposiris Magna, Egypt, near the city of Alexandria, it is thought that the 2000 year old mummies may have had the golden tongues to speak to the god of the dead, Osiris, in the afterlife. Additionally, 14 other mummies were also found at the site.

Photograph from Livescience.

Scientists say that the island of Great Britain and North America are moving further away from one another. At approximately 1.5 inches a year, North America is inching its way toward Asia. The cause is earthquake activity around the mid Atlantic Ridge, the mountain range on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. The seismic activity is causing the movement of the tectonic plates which meet in this part of the Atlantic. Illustration from Dailymail

2/15/2021:

A tiny chameleon species has been discovered in the rainforests of the island of Madagascar. It is REALLY small and is being called the "world's smallest"". The Brookesia nana is about 1/2 inches in length. Thus far, scientists has discovered two such reptiles, a male and a female! Learn about the world's 4th largest island in the world, Madagascar:Madagascar

If you go to the moon, you will see evidence that we have been there. One of the things you can see, since there isn't wind to blow them away, are the footprints of Neil Armstrong. He was the first person to walk onto the moon,in 1969. The "One Small Step" Act, which went into effect in 2021, has designated the footprints, protected, and a historical site. Additionally, the area where the space craft, Apollo 11 landed, and any other artifacts, are also a protected area under this new law. It is the FIRST law outside our planet!

Photograph from DailyMail

1/26/2021:Someone painted a drawing of a pig. Not really newsworthy until you learn that the painting was done about 45,000 years ago. Scientists dated calcite deposits on the cave painting to determine the age of the artwork. Archaeologists found the dark red ochre drawing in a cave in Indonesia. Specifically, the cave drawing was found on the island of Sulawesi and in the Leang Tedongnge Cave.It may be the oldest animal cave painting ever found.The work of art was also signed. The artist left two hand prints near the back of the pig s body! Note: A cave painting found in South Africa, dating back about 73,000 years is believed to be the world's oldest cave drawing.

Photograph from BBCNews

On January 20, 2021, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. became the 46th president of the United States. Kamala D. Harris became the first WOMAN and first woman of color to become the Vice President of the United States. We wish our new leaders much success! Photograph from WhiteHouse

1/1/2021:

Some wood was found in a cigar box in Scotland, Great Britain. Not just any wood, the fragments of cedar were taken from the Great Pyramid of Giza. The pieces are about 5,000 years old and were original found in the Queens Chamber back in 1872. Eventually donated to the University of Aberdeen, they were misplaced, until now. Scientists hope that the wood fragments(wood is very scare in the desert country of Egypt) may provide additional information on the Great Pyramid.

Photograph from BBC

Nicknamed the "Sistine Chapel of the ancients", archaeologists have made an amazing discovery in the Amazon rainforest. They have found painted art on cliffs. Estimated to date back about 12,500 years. Thousands of images have been found including giant sloths, horses from the ice age, human figures(including people holding hands and dancing), turtles, lizards, birds, fish and an extinct camelid. Most of the images, with a red and white coloring, are high above the ground. Archaeologists think that some type of ladder was used to enable the artists to reach the heights of the cliff where the paintings were done. Some of the paintings are so high up the cliff that they can only been seen with drones!The discovery, found in the Chiribiquete National Park, Colombia, was actually made last year but has just been announced.

Photograph from the Guardian.

The highest mountain (above sea level), Mt. Everest, has gotten a bit taller by about 2ft. For a few years, the countries of China and Nepal have disagreed on the record height of the mountain. Previously, Nepal had said the snow at the summit should be factored in to the measurement but China had disagreed. The two countries have just announced that Mt. Everest is officially 29,032 ft. tall. It is believed that the 2015 earthquake, that hit the area, may have been a factor in the change of the height of the mountain. Scientists have also believed that moving tectonic plates could also cause the mountain's height to alter. Previously, the measurement was 29,029 ft. tall.

Photograph from pixabay

The 2024 Olympics to be held in Paris, France, will see the addition of a new Olympic sport, breakdancing! Along with breakdancing(to be called breaking), debuting at the 2024 games, surfing, sport climbing and skateboarding will be official Olympic sports at the Tokyo games to be held in 2021.

12/17/2020:

12/1/2010:Archaeologists in Egypt have made an amazing discovery. Over 100 sealed coffins, most with mummies still inside were discovered near Saqqara necropolis. It is estimated that the mummies date back about 2500 years. In addition to the coffins, a number of artifacts, including statues and funeral masks were also unearthed. A number of the coffins, believed to be of wealthy and important people, were placed on display this week, near the Step Pyramid of Djoser.

Photograph from NBC News

Learn Fun Mummy Facts:MUMMY FACTS!

President Donald Trump was the first president in 100 years not to have any pets in the White House. President-Elect Joe Biden will be bringing the family's two dogs to the People's House when "first dogs", Major and Champ, come to their new home on January 20, 2021. It will be the very first time a rescue dog(Major) will be living in the White House. The dogs, nicknamed DOTUS(Dogs of the United States) already have a social media page where they are sharing their story.

Photograph of President-Elect Joe Biden with Major, who was adopted from the Delaware Humane Association: CBSnews

11/18/20:Hikers in the country of France came upon an unusual tiny aluminum capsule It was a message that a carrier pigeon was carrying back in 1910. Today, we have internet and cell phones, but back in the early 1900s, one of methods to get messages, especially in war, was by carrier pigeon. The hand written message is still readable and was sent by a German officer. It is estimated that 95% of all carrier pigeons got their message to the intended person during World War 1. This particular message was one of those that didn't reach its destination.

Photograph from NYPost

Row, row, row your tiniest boat in the world. Scientist have created a boat using a 3D printer that is about the third of the thickness of a strand of hair. A high resolution printer and an electron microscope were used to made the boat. Wondering the applications of making such miniatures? Scientists think that one day in the future, tiny devices could perhaps travel inside your body to dispense medicines.

Photograph from Cnn.com

Row, row, row your tiniest boat in the world. Scientist have created a boat using a 3D printer that is about the third of the thickness of a strand of hair. A high resolution printer and an electron microscope were used to made the boat. Wondering the applications of making such miniatures? Scientists think that one day in the future, tiny devices could perhaps travel inside your body to dispense medicines.

Photograph from Cnn.com

Scientists have found a coral reef, in the Pacific Ocean, near the country of Australia, that is the height of the Empire State Building! The coral reef is about 1650 ft. in height. Found about 131 ft. below the surface of the ocean, scientists estimate the coral reef is almost 5000 ft. wide. The coral reef discovery, the first in 120 years, was made during a mapping of the seafloor near the famous Great Barrier Reef (sometimes referred to as the "single largest animal being of the world"). Coral are invertebrate marine life that like to live in colonies.

Photograph from ibtimes.com

Learn fun facts about the Great Barrier Reef:Fun Facts about the Great Barrier Reef


Archaeologists have found a large cat in the country of Peru. This particular cat doesn't roam or need to eat. The cat, 120 ft. long, was man-made about 2000 years. Found in what is the Nazca Lines of Peru, in the Peruvian Desert, the cat was hardly visible. Being created on a slope of a hill, erosion has caused it to almost disappear. Previous geoglyphs, as they are called, have been found over the years. Currently between 80-100 have been discovered include a spider, human, monkey and a hummingbird. Interestingly, the geoglyphs are mostly visible from the sky. So, just how were these amazing works of art from ancient people actually made?

Photograph from livescience.com

Gibbons love to swing from tree to tree in the canopy of the rainforest on Hainan island (part of China). They rarely have to venture down to the rainforest floor. A few years ago (2014), a landslide destroyed a large area of the rainforest and the gibbons had a dangerous gap. The gibbons, a very rare primate, would still attempt the leap, not always being successful.Scientists came up with an idea. Create a rope bridge linking an estimated 50 ft. wide void. It has taken months to warm up to the new rope bridge but the Gibbons have begun using it! Instead of swinging along the ropes, the gibbons(often holding to another for assistance),walk across the rope. Others crossed the rope bridge,upside-down.

11/2/2020:

In recent years, the idea of animals living in captivity to entertain humans have come into questions. Some circuses have closed over the issue of having live performing animals. One circus in Germany has moved to hologram animals. Marine parks, too, have had to rethink the use of killer whales and dolphins living in captivity to entertain humans. A animatronic company has created a life-like dolphin which may be the answer to future marine parks. The 550 pound robot can move and make sounds of a real dolphin. With a battery, the 8 1/2 ft. long bottlenose dolphin robotic, can swim and do activities for up to 10 hours. The skin is made from silicone. Photograph from DailyMail

Paleontologists have unearthed the remains of four parrot-faced dinosaurs in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. With two fingers on each arm and a beak(no teeth), the very well preserved fossils of the Oksoko avarsan dinosaurs, about 6.5 ft long, are estimated to be about 68 million years old.

CNN.com

10/23/20:

Do you still write by hand? A study at Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that if you write things down by hand(and not type on a computer device), you will remember the information much better. Hooked up to electrodes, to study the brains of the volunteers, it was found that the brain is much more engaged when the person is writing by hand instead of using a keyboard.Illustration from wpclipart.com

A massive robot has been created in Japan. A Transformer type robot, named Gundam, stands 60 ft. ta and weighs 24 tons. Not only tall, the robot can MOVE its legs, right arm and point its finger. Gundam can also kneel. It took six years to build the robot, a character from a popular Japanese TV series, which will bring tourists to the Gundam Factory near Yokohama, Japan.

Photograph from OneNewsPage

Farmers have a unique way of cleaning up rice paddies in the country of Thailand. The yearly activity is called "pet lai thong", in Thai, meaning "field chasing ducks".After the rice has been harvested, ducks, thousands of them(up to 10,000) are allowed into the paddies to munch up insects such as golden apple snails and worms, that remain on the rice husks. The constant stirring up of the soil also enriches the water with oxygen. Mostly Khaki Campbell young ducks, about twenty days old, the ducks spend about 5 months in the paddies, before going back to their farms where they will spend the next few years laying eggs. It's a win for all, the rice paddy farmers get their fields cleaned of pesky insects without pesticides(and a flatting of the fields by the footsteps of thousands of ducks). The duck farmers get months of free food for their flocks of young ducks.

Photograph from yahoo.com

Archaeologist have recently discovered 13 wooden coffins in Egypt. Found at Saqqara, where the Djoser step pyramid is located, the coffins are completely sealed and are believed to date back 2500 years. Since many tombs have been robbed, these coffins, being unopened, makes this discovery a rare find. The coffins, found stack on top of one another, were found in a 40 ft. deep well. The coffins are in excellent condition. Red, white, bold, blue and black colored designs are still visible. Additionally, archaeologists say there are three other sealed compartments which may have other coffins.

Photograph from livescience.com

If you don't like heights, this bridge may NOT be for you. A world record suspension bridge has opened in the country of Portugal. The bridge spans the River Paiva(576 ft. below).It takes about 10 minutes to walk the 1692 ft. long Tibetan-style bridge. The previous record holder was the Kuonen Suspension Bridge, located in Switzerland(1621ft.long)
Photograph from Fredericksburg.com

Scientists are studying what people ate in the past to people living today and how microbes in our body have caused obesity and allergies. The study studied people living in the Middle Ages. You may wonder, just how did they do this? To conduct the study, scientists researched two latrines dating back to the 15th century, found in the countries of Israel and Latvia. The waste materials found in the medieval toilets were used for the study and provided lots of information as to what microbes were in the waste remain of people who used the toilets hundreds of years ago.

Photograph from courthouse news.com

10/10/2020:

A four year study found a most unusual method to protect grazing cows from attacks by leopard, lions, hyenas and cheetahs. Paint EYES on their rear ends! Cattle ranchers, in Botswana, were having their roaming cattle attack at night by predators. Biologists did an experiment.Some of the cattle had two Xs painted on their backsides, others were given big eyes and the rest had nothing painted on their backsides. Those 683 cows with the painted eyes were left alone, making it a very inexpensive method for farmers to protect their herd of cattle. It is thought that the lions and other predators thought they were being stared down by the cows! The idea came about by the University of New South Wales after seeing that the eyespots on some butterflies(and birds) seems to lessen attacks by predators. The painted rear end eyes also are beneficial to the big cats as the farmers don't hunt them down in retaliation for their harming the cows. Win win for all.

Photo from ourcommunitynow.com

Imagine going up into the sky on 52 large helium filled weather balloons. That's what David Blaine, illusionist, did on September 2nd, flying him into the record books. Blaine soared 4.5 miles up over Page, Arizona, reaching about 24,900 ft. That is about the level jets cruise in the sky. Blaine had to learn how to sky dive and get a hot air balloon pilot certificate in order to able to do his balloon flight. With oxygen levels getting low, Blaine using his parachute and came back to earth traveling at a speed of 125 mph.WOW!

Photograph from Yahoo.com

A massive skull of a triceratops has been unearthed in the Badlands of South Dakota. Estimated to weigh about 3000 pounds, the skull was nicknamed "Shady" for the nearby town where it was discovered, Shadehill, SD. Last summer, a rancher was repairing some fencing when he noticed something strange sticking out of the earth. Turns out it was part of the horn on the skull. It is estimated based on the skull size, that the entire triceratops was about 7 ft. long. The skull was brought back to Westminster College, in Missouri, where the team that found the triceratops was from. Next summer, the team will return to the site in hopes of unearthing additional bones of the dinosaur.

Photograph from USA Today

A collapsed cliff in Grand Canyon National Park revealed what many be the oldest recorded fossilized tracks. It is estimated the tracks are about 313 million years old. It is thought that what looks to be two sets of tracks were made by amniotes. Aminiotes had their eggs on land.

Photograph from Yahoo.news

9/27/20:

In Russia, near the Sea of Okhotsk, a very different seal was spotted. An albino seal is extremely rare, but this little guy has a tint of orange. The pup was spotted by a biologist named Vladimir Burkanov. The orange puff ball is active and looks healthy. The biologist nicknamed him the "Ugly Duckling" because he stands out as unique among the group.Photograph from Boredpanda

What may be the oldest stone monuments in the world have been found in the country of Saudi Arabia. There are hundreds of the stone structures, some dating back about 7000 years. Called "muscatels"(meaning "rectangle" in Arabic), the stone monuments have been found throughout the country, especially in the desert areas and the lava fields. Some are 49 ft. in length but others are about the size of a football field(2021 ft. long). Archaeologists aren't sure about the purpose of these structures. Faded geometric designs were found on some of the muscatel.

Photograph from 9news.com.au

A new law is being proposed in the country of Germany. All pet owners would be required to take their dogs for a walk twice a day. In addition, each walk would be for at least one hour under the Hundeverordnung(Dogs Act). Many people say such a law effecting the approximately 9.4 million dogs in Germany would be almost impossible to enforce. Others say exercise depends on the age of the dog. An older dog would have difficulty with such daily exercise requirements. When asked to clarify, the lawmaker, proposing the law, said it would mainly apply to those dogs in kennels.

9/1/20:Scientists may have found the world's oldest bedding. Found in a cave in South Africa, the "mattress" was made of ash and grasses. Ash is a bug repellant as they can't easily move through ash powder. It clogs their breathing. It is estimated that the bedding is about 200,000 years old. Archaeologists said that burned camphor bush was also found in the cave. This plant may have been used, as it is today, to keep away bugs.

"> Photograph from gizmodo.com

8/24/20:

With the world pandemic, social distancing is being practiced. Maybe, they don't keep 6 ft. apart but scientists have recently discovered that separation of the healthy and sick is definitely practiced by animals and insects,too.The Caribbean spiny lobster can detect when another lobster is sick and keep their distance. Honeybees that are sick stay away from their hives so they don't infect the rest of the hive. Mandrills stop grooming other mandrills when they can sniff the smell of parasites in the infected mandrill droppings. Termites that are sick vibrate their bodies to make other healthy termites, stay away. It was also found that bats, gorillas, house finches and ants stay away from the sick, too. Social distancing among creatures of the planet can be dangerous as they are usually safer in numbers.

Scientists studying satellite images noticed stains in the snow of Antarctica. The stains, seen from space, were actually dropping from penguins. The image findings resulted in the discovery of eight new emperor penguin colonies. The emperor penguins are the world's tallest of the penguin species.

Photograph from cbs.com

8/18/20: The remains of a 10ft tall woolly mammoth were discovered in a lake in Siberia, Russia. Thought to date back to 10,000 years ago, the mammoth, found in the mud, is so well preserved, the mammoth still had skin and soft tissue on its bones. Droppings of the mammoth were also unearthed which will be studied to determine what the mammoth had recently eaten. Scientists have yet to find its large ivory tusks.

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

A few years ago, scientists found microbes that lived over 100 millions years ago. They were buried in dirt underneath the seafloor in the South Pacific Ocean. The single-celled organisms, that lived before the dinosaurs, were able to be woken up and brought back to life. The tiny life forms responded to nutrients and oxygen. The ancient microbes were found in sea sediment gathered 328 ft. beneath the 20,000 ft.floor of the ocean.

Photograph of microbes from livescience.com

West of Paris visitors to the Rambouillet Forest may be surprised at what they may come upon. WALLABIES. Native to Australia, specifically, the island of Tasmania, a group of the hoppers escaped from a zoological reserve back in the 1970s. They were never recaptured. Today, there are at least 150 Wallabies calling the forest home. With no natural predators, they seem to be thriving in France. The highway has place road signs(yellow with a black kangaroo) to warn motorists that they may come across one of these marsupials while driving in the area.

Photograph from Odditycentral

8/1/20:A school in Virginia has become the first public school system in the WORLD to use drone to deliver books to kids. Students can order a book from over 150,000 titles. The drone delivers a book right to their door.The program was started in mid June to help kids keep up their reading skills during the coronavirus pandemic.

7/10/20: Have you ever tried to find a ball under a cup out of several that are shuffled around? A study by researchers at Harvard did this with 21 adults, 21 children and a 22 year old parrot. Colorful pom-poms were placed until cups and were moved around. Participants had to follow the moving cup to keep track of which cup had a pom-pom.The results, the African grey parrot, Griffin, did the best on the memory test. He outperformed the children and was slightly better or equal to the adults! Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

Elephants and farmers in Botswana don't often get along. The elephants trample their crops, planted near the Chobe River, where the elephants go for water and the fertile grasses growing there. Dogs barking, fences and farmers banging pots, haven't seem to detract the elephants, who especially roam in the night hours. A new idea, from Elephants Without Borders, seems to be working to keep the wild elephants from damaging farmer's crops. Solar powered Strobe lights(disco lights) have been placed to create a light barrier along the perimeter of the farmers' fields. The different color lights, whose patterns are changed weekly, seem to be keeping the elephants away from the crops. Note:A similar idea was tried in the country in India(southwestern India-Calicut) back in 2018.

This balloon ride is going to be an out of this world experience when passengers lift off in 2021. Along with a pilot, eight people , on each trip, will embark on a six hour round trip to the edge of space! The Space Perspective's vehicle uses hydrogen (helium is in short supply) to inflate the balloon that extends about the length of a football field. The cabin will offer 360 degree views from 100,000 ft. above the earth. The ride, which will begin at the Florida's Cecil Spaceport and/or Kennedy Space Center, will end when the balloon vehicle splashes down to the ocean and the passengers are retrieved and brought back to shore. Start saving your money, as a ticket will cost about $125,000!

With the coronavirus, many venues are not having spectators or audiences. In Barcelona, Spain, the 2,300 seats of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Opera House opened without anyone in the seats. However, the seats , at the June 22 performance, weren't empty. Plants from local nurseries filled 2292 seats! The plants will all go to a good home, health care workers that have been working hard to fight the virus.Photograph from NPR

6/25/20:A Siberian town, in the Arctic, had a record temperature in June. A 100.4 F degree temperature was the hottest ever recorded for that time of the year, in a town called Verkhoyansk. This area of the Arctic can have winter temperatures of -56F! Photograph from Livescience.com

A whopper of a shelled creature was found on the Isle of Wight. It tips the scale at 210 pounds! The ammonite, a member of the mollusk family, is about the size of a car tire and is estimated to be about 115 million years old.

Photograph from Dailymail.com

Kathy Sullivan, the first American female astronaut to do a spacewalk, went into the history books again, becoming the first woman to make a deep dive into the Mariana Trench. Along with Victor Vescovo, who was the first to travel down into all the world's deepest points in each of the world's oceans(2019), Sullivan went down 36,000 ft. into the Challenge Deep, the deepest part of the Mariana Trench.The Mariana Trench is found in the Pacific Ocean.Only 7 other people have ever traveled down into the Challenger Deep, Vescovo holding the world's record for distance. At such depths, there is lots and lots of pressure, darkness, extremely cold temperatures and yet,some life forms. Once Sullivan and Vescovo completed their journey, they placed a call to the International Space Station!

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

Seems an owl(largest species in Europe, called Eurasian eagle owl)-so fluffy and cute, decided to hatch her baby chicks in a planter outside a man's apartment window in the country of Belgium. After the three babies arrived, they seemed fascinated by the man on the other side of the window.They appear to especially be intrigued when the television is on.

Photograph from Jos Baart's Facebook page. Learn about the country of Belgium: Learn about Belgium

6/5/2020: Two women explorers, Sunniva Sorby and Hilde Falumn Strom, have been conducting science experiments at the Arctic for about eight months. The first females to ever solo winter at the North Pole, they were due to come home May 8th. However because of world shut down due to the virus, their ship that was to come pick them up and take them home, did not come. So, Sorby and Strom, remain, using a 1930s trapper's cabin, as they have done for now 9 months. Their cabin has no running water or electricity. It is also small, just 215 sq. feet. Although there is still food, the women have begun to ration it, not knowing when they will be going home. They think it will not be until the end of the summer when that will happen. The women also brought along, Ettra, a dog. Co-founders of an organization called The Hearts in the Ice, Sorby and Strom continue to do their scientific testing, collecting data on the weather and wildlife. They drill to take ice core samples to determine the microscopic life that lives in the sea ice. During the winter months, when temps went below zero, it took about 15 minutes just to don the twenty pounds of clothing needed to go outside. During the winter months, there was also complete darkness for 90 days. In addition to their scientific work, they need to collect ice for water and firewood that has drifted from Siberia and can be found along the shorelines. Fortunately, they have wind and solar power and technology to keep in contact with the outside world. The women also had to deal with hurricanes. And, there are polar bears nearby and it has been a worry that their wooden hut would not be sturdy enough to protect them, should the polar bears decide to be more aggressive. The closest humans are about 87 miles away. There are Arctic fox , about 23 reindeer and seals in the area. Birds include auks and white ptarmigan. Photograph from their website: heartsintheice.com

You can read their blog postings at this link: Arctic Explorers Learn about the Arctic with this informative web quest:Arctic: A Webquest

Dogs have a great sense of smell. They can sniff out lots of different things including drugs, cancer and even malaria. Now, dogs may be called upon to help sniff out the coronavirus. Medical Detection Dogs are being trained to do just that. The dogs are being trained, at Durham University, in London, England. Every time they smell the virus, they are rewarded with treats. It is thought that six specially trained dogs,labradors and cocker spaniels, could be used at airports to test up to 250 people an hour for the disease. The pooches may be on the job in the next six weeks.

Photograph from bbc.co.uk

5/25/20:

An unusual package arrived at the International Space Station last July. It contained green slime from the children's television network, Nickelodeon. The package came via a SpaceX Dragon cargo vehicle and was labeled "Slime Bag".The astronauts used the green slime to conduce a number of experiments including filling a syringe with the goo and ejecting it, blowing slime bubbles and playing ping pong with the slime. The purpose of sending the green slime to the ISS was to see how the stuff behaves when there isn't any gravity and a video was made to stimulate kids to the awesomeness of science. Check out the video clip: SLIME in SPACE!

Photograph from collectspace.com

A special rock is for sale for about 2.5 million dollars by an auction house in London, England. What makes the rock so valuable that it is from the moon, having traveled about 240,000 miles. Thought to be the 5th largest moon rock ever found on earth, the rock was found in the Sahara Desert. It's about the size of a football and weighs about 29 pounds. In total there are about 1433 pounds of lunar rocks on earth. Most of the lunar rocks(about 881 pounds) were brought back to Earth by astronauts during the Apollo space program.

Photograph from CNN

In Egypt near Luxor, archaeologists found a mummy of a teenager thought to have been about 15 years of age resting in a wooden coffin.It is estimated that she lived about 1580BC to 1550 BC. The teenage mummy wore lots of jewelry, including rings, several necklaces and earrings. The young girl, who lived about 3600 years ago, was also found with a pair of leather sandals and what archaeologists say was a bridal gown.
Livescience.com

On the continent of Antarctica, scientists have found the remains a skull and hip bone of a very old frog, dating back 40 millions years. At one time, the climate of Antarctica was much warmer and was home to trees and lots of different wildlife.It is believed to be the first discovery of bones of a frog ever found on Antarctica, specially Seymour Island. The species of frog, known as a helmeted frog, still exists in areas of South America, such as the country of Chile.

Photograph from Dailymail

On the continent of Antarctica, scientists have found the remains a skull and hip bone of a very old frog, dating back 40 millions years. At one time, the climate of Antarctica was much warmer and was home to trees and lots of different wildlife.It is believed to be the first discovery of bones of a frog ever found on Antarctica, specially Seymour Island. The species of frog, known as a helmeted frog, still exists in areas of South America, such as the country of Chile.

Photograph from Dailymail

5/1/20: A wonderful glimpse into the past was made by archaeologists who have found twelve shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea(specifically the Levantine Basin near the present day country of Syria). The ships, located by robots, were found about 1.2 miles below the surface and date back to the 17th century. The ships had their cargos including well preserved blue and white porcelain from China, peppercorns from India and jugs from Italy. Archaeologists also found coffee pots! The ships, thought to have sunk around 1630, were located on what was a trade route from Europe to Asia. One of the ships was quite big, measuring about 140 ft. Long. Photograph from dailymail. Pretend you were one of the archaeologists that made this discovery and write a “diary” telling about your discovery.

Glaciers melting in the country of Norway have unearthed an amazing discovery. Vikings once used a mountain passageway once covered by glaciers and scientists have found wonderful artifacts along the trail which the long ago travelers left behind. Dating back to about 1700 years ago, archaeologists have found hundreds of interesting things including a snow shoe(for a horse), knitted mittens, shoes, a walking stick with runic writings, a wooden needle and even the remains of a dog and his leash. The passage was originally found in 2011, along the Lomseggen Ridge at Lendbreen,Norway. What do you know about Vikings?

Click here to learn about the Vikings.VIKING FACTSPhotograph of the remains of a knitted mitten is from Dailymail.

A symbiotic relationship is a partnership between two different creatures. The red billed oxpecker birds like to sit atop black rhinos. Called the "rhino's guard"", the bird hitches a ride and munch on the ticks, maggots and flies that also like to live on the rhino's hide. Scientists from Victoria University Australia, now have found another partnership between the creatures. Black rhinos with their buddies, the oxpeckers, are less likely to be attacked by poachers. When the oxpeckers sense danger, they send out a warning system, a hissing sound. Being "blind as bats", poachers, looking to kill rhinos for their horns, are often able to sneak up on unsuspecting rhinos. With help from the oxpeckers, the rhinos are alerted to humans and flee the danger.

Photograph from breakingnews.ie

Learn interesting Rhino facts:Rhino Fun Facts

You probably have a ball of string somewhere in your home. Seems that Neanderthals did, too. Scientists think they have found the oldest fragment of cord. The 41,000 (to 52,000) year old piece of cord was found in southern France, at an archeological site called Abri du Maras. It was found stuck to a stone tool. Previously, a piece of string, dating back 19,000 years was found in Israel. The ability to take fibers, probably from a conifer type tree(ie: evergreen),twist them into strands and then take the strains and form roping materials takes several steps. Archeologists have found that Neanderthals also painted on cave walls, made a type of glue and created tools from seashells.

Photograph from gizmodo.com

Under the ice of West Antarctica, scientists have found traces of a 90 million year old rainforest. Back in 2017, sediment samples were taken under the ice near Pine Island Glacier. Using a CT scanner, spores, pollen, roots and remains of plants were discovered. The data helped to compile climate and type of land that once existed in this area of West Antarctica. It is estimated that the summer temperatures were in the mid 60s. Check out this freebie to learn more about the continent of Antarctica.

Illustration from LiveScience
Antarctica FREEBIE

4/15/2020:Possibly the brightest comet in many years(since 1997 when Hale-Bopp came for a visit) is heading for Earth.Called Atlas, it was just discovered this past December and if it doesn't break apart as it travels by the sun, should give a beautiful light show when it appears in our sky the early May.

Illustration of a comet from mnn.com. Learn about comets:Comet Facts

About 70 tons of fish waste are created every year in the fishing business. Scientists have developed a use for fish scales,a bendable screen. Gelatins are removed from the scales. The gelatins are added to chemicals including copper, sulphide and light emitting zinc to make a very thin film. Placed on nanowire, the light emitting substance in the gelatin is activated to create a screen that can be folded and used with electronics. Biodegradable, in about 24 days(faster pouring hot water on the screens), it is thought the fish scale screens could help lead to less electronic trash(70% of toxic trash is from electronics which currently use plastic). Other possible uses of this technology include digital tattoos to place important health information on your skin, glowing displays in magazines and watches.

The Oculudentavis Khaungraae (meaning "eye tooth bird") is the world’s smallest dinosaur. It was only about 2 inches long. An almost perfectly preserved skull of an oculudentavis was discovered in amber(tree sap that has fossilized) dating back about 99 million years. It was found in the country of Myanmar. Although tiny, the dinosaur had 100 razor sharp teeth and bulging eyes but was small enough to fit in a human hand.

Photograph from dailymail

Future manned missions to the planet Mars will need to replenish food supplies. One of the many experiments astronauts have done aboard the ISS was to see if they could grow lettuce. The harvested red romaine lettuce, grown from seeds, was found to actually be more nutritious than earth grown lettuce, having more zinc, sodium, sulphur and phosphorus. The "out of this world lettuce" was sampled by astronauts, who said it tasted great.

Photograph of astronaut Shane Kimbrough from DailyMail

Would you eat a cookie, pancake or waffle made with insect fat? Scientists(Ghent University) in Belgium,think replacing butter with 1/4 of Black soldier fly larvae fat is more eco-friendly and a more sustainable as insects take up less land than cows. Insects also need less water than cows. In the experiment, scientists made waffles. Some were made with all butter, some with 1/4 insect butter and some with half of each. Scientists say they could not tell the difference!

Illustration from wpclipart

3/10/20:Four fossilized shells of a whopper sized ancestor of armadillos were found in the country of Argentina. Dating back about 20,000 years, one of the fossilized armadillo shells was the size of a Volkswagen Beetle(about 5 ft. long and 2 inches thick). Called Glyptodonts, archaeologists think the discovery is that of a family of two adults and two children.It is the first time four such fossils were found in the same location.

Photograph from dailymail

Two girls from Great Britain showed age doesn't matter when it comes to making a difference. Asha and Jia Kirkpatrick(12 and 10) were concerned about palm oil use and how the plantations making palm oil are destroying the Indonesian rainforest, home of the rare orangutan. It is estimated that 25 orangutans die each day due to loss of habitat. The sisters started a petition, asking the Kellogg cereal company to stop using palm oil. The girls also said they would boycott Kellogg's cereals until the company made a change in their use of palm oil in their cereal products. With nearly one million signatures, Kellogg's announced it would only use palm oil that is environmentally produced and lessens the deforestation of the rainforest of Indonesian.

2/28/20:In the Venezuela Urumaco region and Colombia's Tatacoa Desert ,scientists have uncovered the fossil remains of a really big turtle. Living about 13 million years ago, the car-sized Stupendemys geographicus, swam in freshwater rivers and lakes.It is estimated that the turtle could grow to 13 ft! Although NOT the largest ever turtle(that record goes to Archelon), the unearthed shell of the Stupendemys measured 9.4 ft.

Photograph from global news.ca

Radio burst in space(called FRBs) are not uncommon but scientists are very interested in a recent discovery. Scientists have noticed radio sounds which have a pattern. The sounds start every 12 days and for 4 days, the FRBs continue twice an hour. The signals then stop only to restart in the next cycle. The source of the signals isn't clear but is thought to come from a galaxy 500 million light-years from Earth. WOW! Could someone really be trying to contact us from somewhere in space?

2/18/20:

SADLY, this record was broken when temperatures reached a never before record for Antarctica of 69.35 degrees!You may not think a temperature of nearly 65 degrees is newsworthy until you learn that the temperature was recorded on the continent of Antarctica! In fact, the reading on the thermometer, in the first week of February, is the warmest ever recorded on the northern tip of Antarctica! Sadly, this part of the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming areas in the world. Check out this free reading on Antarctica: Antarctica FREEBIE

Bowie is a bit shy, which isn't unusual for young cheetahs. To help him with emotional support, he was given his very own... support dog! The Labrador retriever, Nandi, was introduced to Bowie, a resident at the Turtle Back Zoo, in West Orange, NJ. The two have become BFFs, having been together since they were only a few weeks old. Not only calming young Bowie, Nandi is his playmate. Did you know that there are less than 7000 cheetahs left in Africa? The zoo hopes that Bowie will create an interest in cheetahs and the need to protect them.

Photograph from wgme.com

A tomb with hundreds of artifact belonging to someone living during the Iron Age was uncovered by archaeologists. The tomb, found near Corinaldo, Italy, dates back about 2600 years. The treasures suggest a person of wealth since the tomb also contained a chariot with medal wheels, weapons and a bronze helmet. Why do you think archaeologists think the tomb belonged to a man? Photograph from livescience.com

2/1/20:For the very first time, a USS Aircraft carrier will be named for an African American. The Navy made the announcement on Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday.The USS Doris Miller will honor Doris Miller. Miller, the grandson of slaves, was also the very first African American to receive the Navy Cross for his efforts to fight off the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. At the time, Miller, a cook, aboard the West Virginia, was not allowed to operate an anti-aircraft machine gun.When the Japanese attack occurred on Dec. 7, 1941, Miller ignored the rule and took over the anti-aircraft machine gun and helped save lives, returning fire against the Japanese attack planes. Sadly, Miller would died later in World War 2 when the ship he was on was torpedoed by the Japanese.

Photograph from USAToday

Three man-made "trees" have been placed in the city of London, England. Actually, the towers made of different types of moss(and a bench for sitting), were erected to help lower pollution levels in the capital city. The moss towers exhale oxygen and take in carbon-dioxide. Scientists say that one of these towers does the job of 275 real trees, helping to clean the air. An irrigation and energy system (using solar panels) also helps provide the tree tower with water and supplies data on the environment.

Photograph from secretldn.com

Do you like to ride a bicycle? What if you could ride a bike ON a lake, river or ocean? A company in New Zealand has created a hydrofoil electric bike that can reach speeds of 12 mph as you cycle on water. Instead of wheels the Hydrofoiler XE-1 has hydrofoils (winglike blades). As you pedal, a propeller lifts you out of the water and allows you to ride on the water. As with all new inventions, the bike that rides on water isn't cheap, selling for about $6000. The company thinks their new addition to cycling may eventually make its way into the Olympics. Photograph from dailymail

1/15/2020:

Do you wear sun screen to protect your skin from the sun? The island of Palau, in the Pacific Ocean, is the first country to ban the use of sun screen lotions using chemicals including oxybenzone and octinoxate. The ban on such sun screen lotions went into effect this week. Sun screen with such chemicals has been found to be harmful to the coral reefs and marine life. The state of Hawaii has also decided to ban such lotions(in 2021). Do you think this law will be hard to enforce?

12/25/19:Archaeologists in China has found 220 additional terra-cotta soldiers in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The life size statues, all with different facial features and originally painted in vivid colors, were originally found in 1974 by farmers digging a new well. In addition to the additional clay soldiers, a golden camel was also unearthed. Thus, far, over 8000 terra cotta soldiers have been found, hundreds of life size horses and chariots, too. The actual resting place of the emperor has not yet be unearthed. Photographs from Dailymail

A letter written 150 years ago by famed British writer,Charles Dickens, was recently discovered. The topic was about a thirty pound turkey that was destroyed in a train carriage fire. Dickens,(Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations and more), had planned to serve the turkey at his family’s Christmas dinner and when it didn’t arrive wrote a note to his tour manager.The year was 1869. He asked "Where is that Turkey? It has not arrived!" He wrote the note in all caps.The Great Western alway Company wrote an apology to Dickens who then wrote the following response when told the fate of his holiday turkey."Sir, in reply to your letter I beg to say that I have no doubt my Christmas fare was destroyed by an unavoidable accident. I bore the loss with unbroken good humour towards the Great Western Railway company."Faithfully Yours, Charles Dickens. The correspondence was just discovered while going through papers at the Railway Museum. Sadly, Dickens would not live to see another Christmas holiday.Photograph from Guardian

A pod of four orcas was spotted off the coast of Genoa,Italy. Originally spotted in Iceland in 2014, the orcas have made an amazing migratory journey of over 3230 miles. Scientists identified the whales from their fin tails and eye patches which were in a database.It is one of the longest such treks by orcas and is the first time orcas from Iceland have traveled down the coast of Italy. The whales are known as Dropi, Riptide ,Aquamarin and Sn114. What name would you give to Sn114?

Photograph from wantedinmilan

Do you like chewing gum? Archaeologists says that Stone Age people did, too. A wad of birch bark ,black-brown in coloring, was found at a site in Denmark. It dates back about 5700 years and still had tooth markings. Not the oldest chomped gum ever found but what is amazing, scientists found the DNA of the chewer and learned lots of information! The girl ,who tossed the gum substance, had blue eyes, black hair and dark skin. Traces of what she(named Lola) had recently eaten, hazelnuts and duck, were also learned. Very cool!

Photograph from bbc.com

What may be the oldest animal cave paintings ever found have been discovered in Indonesia, specifically the island of Sulawesi.Thought to be 44,000 years old, the drawings were found in a cave called Leang Bulu’Sipong. The paintings include wild pigs,a buffalo and what appear to be humanlike figures. The age of the paintings were determined by measuring the radioactive uranium in the calcite "popcorn" that had grown on the walls of the paintings. Do you know anything about the island nation of Indonesia?

Photograph from bbc.com. Learn about Indonesia, a country made up of 17,000 islands!Learn about Indonesia

A letter written 150 years ago by famed British writer,Charles Dickens, was recently discovered. The topic was about a thirty pound turkey that was destroyed in a train carriage fire. Dickens,(Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations and more), had planned to serve the turkey at his family's Christmas dinner and when it didn't arrive wrote a note to his tour manager.The year was 1869. He asked "Where is that Turkey? It has not arrived!" He wrote the note in all caps.The Great Western alway Company wrote an apology to Dickens who then wrote the following response when told the fate of his holiday turkey."Sir, in reply to your letter I beg to say that I have no doubt my Christmas fare was destroyed by an unavoidable accident. I bore the loss with unbroken good humour towards the Great Western Railway company."Faithfully Yours, Charles Dickens. The correspondence was just discovered while going through papers at the Railway Museum. Sadly, Dickens would not live to see another Christmas holiday.Photograph from Guardian

A pod of four orcas was spotted off the coast of Genoa,Italy. Originally spotted in Iceland in 2014, the orcas have made an amazing migratory journey of over 3230 miles. Scientists identified the whales from their fin tails and eye patches which were in a database.It is one of the longest such treks by orcas and is the first time orcas from Iceland have traveled down the coast of Italy. The whales are known as Dropi, Riptide ,Aquamarin and Sn114. What name would you give to Sn114?

Photograph from wantedinmilan

Do you like chewing gum? Archaeologists says that Stone Age people did, too. A wad of birch bark ,black-brown in coloring, was found at a site in Denmark. It dates back about 5700 years and still had tooth markings. Not the oldest chomped gum ever found but what is amazing, scientists found the DNA of the chewer and learned lots of information! The girl ,who tossed the gum substance, had blue eyes, black hair and dark skin. Traces of what she(named Lola) had recently eaten, hazelnuts and duck, were also learned. Very cool!

Photograph from bbc.com

What may be the oldest animal cave paintings ever found have been discovered in Indonesia, specifically the island of Sulawesi.Thought to be 44,000 years old, the drawings were found in a cave called Leang Bulu’Sipong. The paintings include wild pigs,a buffalo and what appear to be humanlike figures. The age of the paintings were determined by measuring the radioactive uranium in the calcite "popcorn" that had grown on the walls of the paintings. Do you know anything about the island nation of Indonesia?

Photograph from bbc.com. Learn about Indonesia, a country made up of 17,000 islands!Learn about Indonesia

12/22/19:Don't let anyone say you are too young to make a difference. Greta Thunberg, 16, has become the youngest Time Magazine's 2019 Person of the Year for her efforts to bring awareness to our changing climate. Her movement caused more than 4 million young people (and adults) from all over the world, to march in her "climate strike" on September 20, 2019. Greta said,"We deserve a safe future. And we demand a safe future. Is that really too much to ask?" We only have one Earth. Each and every one of us must do our part to protect the environment for future generations. Congrats to Greta!Photograph from Time.come

Miguel is helping to illuminate the holiday lights at the Tennessee Aquarium. Miguel is an electric eel! When searching for food, the eel send off bursts of energy. When he is eating or excited, Miguel releases more energy. The energy helps to power a Christmas tree outside Miguel's tank.Photograph from USAtoday.com

Scientists say a recent discovery may be the oldest prehistoric puppy ever unearthed. Found in Russia's Siberia, the very well preserved pup has its teeth, fur and even its eyelashes. It is thought, Dogar, as it is being called, could be 18,000 years old!Photograph from livescience.com

12/1/19:VR(virtual reality) headsets are worn by humans but now some dairy COWS in the country of Russia are wearing them, too. Made specifically for their heads, scientists think that a sunny spring/summer experience will make the cows happier and produce more milk during the bleak winter months.

Photograph from BBC.co.uk/newsround

Archaeologists are roaring about a new discovery. Five lion cub mummies were recently found (plus cobras, crocodiles, cats and a mummified scarab beetle). Previously, only one lion mummified has ever been discovered(2004) but this is the very first time lion cubs have been discovered, mummified by the ancient Egyptians. The discovery was made in Saqqara, Egypt, an "ancient city of the dead"". The lion cubs, about 3 ft. long, believed to be about 2600 years old, were found in wooden boxes with ancient Egyptian writing, called hieroglyphics. Scientists also found two other mummified wildcats which may be a panther, leopard, cheetah or lioness. Photograph from smithsonianmag.com

Artificial intelligence has been used to help archaeologists,from Yamagata University in Japan,find new Nazca line patterns in the Peruvian desert. Given information about previous Nazca lines, some over 2000 years old, the IBM Watson computer reviewed satellite and aerial images. It discovered a new geoglyph, a human looking image. It spanned 16 feet. The character looks like it is wearing a headdress, has a rectangular head and is carry a stick. The face has three dots suggesting eyes and nose. Using AI by archaeologists may help make more archaeological discoveries.

Photograph from livescience.com

The National Zoo in Washington,DC, is saying goodbye to Bei Bei, a 4 year old panda. Pandas are native to the country of China and the pandas found outside of China are on loan. In 1984, China announced that all pandas when they reach the age of 4, must be returned to China. Bei Bei, named by former First Lady Michelle Obama and the first lady of China, will be going in style on his own Boeing private plane. Called the Panda Express, he will even have a song playlist to listen to during the long journey back to China as well as his special favorite foods including apples, sweet potatoes, biscuits and bamboo.

Photograph from ABC.com

Everyone loves cookies including astronauts at the International Space Station. A special oven is being shipped to the ISS this week so the astronauts can try baking cookies in space. It will be the very first time cookies will be baked at the International Space Station. Scientists wonder if the lack of gravity effects baking.What about the shape of the cookies, will the cookies be flat? Crumbs are a concern as they can get into the different instruments so every morsel will have to be watch. Chocolate chip cookies will be made and hopefully, be a yummy treat for the astronauts.

Photograph from CBSnews.com

11/10/19:On an uninhabited island, near Cornwall, Great Britain, rangers have made a disturbing discovery. Thousands and thousands of multi-colored rubber bands have been found strewn about Mullion Island. Seabirds, thinking the elastic bands are worms, have plucked them from flower fields and dropped them on the island, where the birds, herring gulls and great black-backed gulls, have their babies. Additionally, green fishing netting was also found which rangers think the birds thought was food. The collection of bands and netting were gathered up. Ingesting the plastic bands can be very dangerous for the birds as they get stuck in a bird's stomach, preventing them from being about to eat.

Photograph from dailymail.com

Last week, Jessica Meir and Christina Koch went out for a walk and made history. The two NASA astronauts became the first all-female team to do a space walk and repair at the international Space Station. For about seven hours, the female astronauts worked to replace a 232 pound battery charger which helps supply the power at the ISS. The all-female space walk was originally planned for several months ago, however, there was an issue when only ONE of the spacesuits was the size needed for a woman astronaut. It took several months to get another ready. The first American female astronaut to do a space walk was Kathryn Sullivan in 1984.

Photograph from CBSnews.com

10/25/19:It can get VERY hot in the country of Qatar. So hot, that the temperatures can reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit! With such sweltering temperatures, people tend to stay indoors in air-conditioning. To encourage people to go outside, the capital city of Doha has installed OUTSIDE air conditioning systems! The cool air is being pumped into outdoor malls and markets. Last year, their soccer stadiums were set up with air-conditioning units. Additionally, near the markets, the main road has been painted a pretty shade of blue! Blue absorbs less heat than black so it its hoped this will also help lessen the temperatures.

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

An amazing mummy discovery was made in Egypt. Thirty coffins, with their mummies(preserved bodies), were found. Discovered near the city of Luxor, the mummies are believed to be 3000 years old, and include the bodies of both men, women and two children. The mummies were NOT unwrapped. Archeologists say that the coffins of men were depicted with hands made into fists and the coffins of women were depicted with open hands. The wooden coffins are very well preserved with hieroglyphics(ancient Egyptian writing) and their colorful paint, red, white and turquoise, still evident. The coffins will be available for viewing next year at the Grand Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt.

Photograph from ktla.com

Animals have taken selfies but never a plant. Scientists, at the London Zoo, say Pete the fern(maidenhair fern), just took the world's first plant selfie! Pete, like all plants, creates bio matter as it grows.Through photosynthesis, sugars are produced, some which end up in the soil. Bacteria living in the soil create energy as they break down these sugars. Fuel cells placed in the soil harnessed this energy which powered a small camera. SNAP, a photograph of Pete was taken! In fact, Pete was able to take 20 selfies every 20 seconds! Scientists hope this technology will help study remote shady areas, such as the Amazon Rainforest, where solar power is not an option.

10/17/2019:In Japan, black cows are having a tough time dealing with horseflies that land and bit them. Researching the fact that zebras don't seem to have the problem that the cows had with flies, scientists applied white paint(animal friendly) and turned a number of cows into "zebra cows".Farmers were using pesticides to cut down on the flies but the flies developed a resistance to the pesticides. Besides, pesticides are not eco-friendly. The experiment used two groups of three cows. Two painted like zebras, two others with black stripes and two were left in their natural state. The flies didn't land on the white areas so the amount of fly bites was cut in half! The downside to the experiment is that the paint would have to be reapplied after a few weeks.

There are LOTS of different flavors of ice cream but a woman in Ecuador may have come up with the strangest flavor yet. She sells guinea pig flavored ice cream. In the country of Ecuador(Peru, Bolivia and Columbia, too), the guinea pig is a traditional food dish, usually served with peanut sauce and potatoes. Using a basic ice cream recipe, she made a pate from boiling guinea pig meat. A puree of fruit ,such as passion fruit, is added. The ice cream is served with sprinkles and has become a popular ice cream treat for the people of Quito, Ecuador! Some say the ice cream takes like chicken. What do you think? Would you eat guinea pig flavored ice cream?

A baby zebra foal, born at the Maasai Mara National reserve in Kenya, is very unique. Instead of the usual stripes, "Tira", named for the guide that first spotted the baby zebra, has polka dots! The condition, called pseudomelanism, is very rare. Sadly, being unique in a herd of other stripped zebras, will make Tira stand out to predators. It is believed the last sighting of a polka dotted zebra was in 1977.

Photograph from Msn.com

10/7/19:At these librarians you don't check out a book, you check out a person! Begun in Denmark in 2000, the idea of human libraries have now spread to over 70 countries, including the United States. The purpose is to encourage people to learn about different issues from those with first had knowledge of the topic. For example, wonder what it is like to be a refugee? The best way is to talk with someone who is a refugee. Like a real library, you need to "check" out your human. Mostly temporary, although there are now several permanent human libraries in the world, the basic library rule still applies. Return your human on time and in the same condition you received it!

Would you WEAR your chair? A company has developed a "wearable chair" that attaches to your rear end. While walking, the aluminum legs hangs behind you. A pad is also clipped around your waist. When you need to take a break and sit, the device turns into a chair! Developers say the device also helps with back pain.

Photo from the guardian.com

Scientists say there are less tweets by birds because there are 3 billion less birds than 50 years ago! A study was conducted in the United States and Canada and found the cause of this massive decline is largely environmental. Pesticides and loss of habitat are two of the reasons. Which are your favorite species of birds? What do you think could be done to protect bird populations?

Photo from wpclipart.com

9/28/19:It is estimated that Friday's global strike(September 19th) was the largest ever climate rally. An estimated four million young people(and adults), from more than 150 countries gathered to protest the need for lawmakers to do more to address our changing climate. This week, world leaders will be gathering at the United Nation, in New York City, where one of the meetings is on global climate. The USA is one of two nations not participating in the Paris Climate Accord. Trump withdrew from the accord. President Trump has said he will not be attending the meeting on climate change at the United Nations.One of the founders of the global climate movement is Greta Thunberg, a 16 year old from the country of Sweden. Photo from Yahoo.com

Captain James Cook sailed to Australia (called the "unknown Southern Land"") on the ship, HMS Endeavour, back in 1770. Imagine about 100 crew aboard a wooden ship less than 100 ft. long! Scientists think they have located the remains of his ship off the coast of Rhode Island.The ship was used to bring British soldiers to fight in the Revolutionary War. After many years, the ship was sold eventually making its way to the area of Rhode Island where it is thought to have been scuttled. Although it hasn't yet been confirmed, samples of the wreckage have been taken to determine if it is the famed HMS Endeavour.

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

Victor Vescovo dove into the history books by successfully diving into the deepest points of all five of the world's oceans.Note: The Southern Ocean(near Antarctica) is now classified as an ocean. His last dive, part of a project called the Five Deeps, was done into the Molloy Trench(18,209 ft), in the Arctic Ocean. In the Mariana Trench, the world's deepest,(more than 6 miles ), Vescovo saw some evidence of plastic trash. During his dives, Vescovo discovered over 40 new species of sea life.He is the very first person to complete the five dives into the deepest trenches of the five oceans.

Photograph from BBC.com

Would you eat meat and chicken made in a petrie dish? A lab in Israel is hoping you will. Using stem cells from cows, they are growing beef. Another company is experimenting with removing stem cells from chicken to make chicken. Both ideas would mean you could continue eating meat and chicken without killing either a cow or chicken. The result is still 100% real meat! The very first meat made in a lab was in 2013. The hamburger was very expensive, $330,000! The costs has come down to around $10 a hamburger patty. It is possible, that one cow could feed the world, just using its stem cells. Cell-based meats will be available in a couple of years.

Photograph from thetakeout.com

Remains of one of the most complete skeletons of a dinosaur have been found in Japan. The skeleton is that of a 26 ft. long duck-billed dinosaur, called an Edmontosaurus, dating back 72 million years. Because the dinosaur, a plant eater, is very similar to a duck-billed dinosaur found in North America, it is more evident for the Continental Drift Theory that suggest that North America and Asia were once connected.

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

9/15/19:

Volcanic pumice rocks,( marble to basketball in size) have created a floating mass twice the size of Manhattan(or 20,000 football fields). Thought to have been created from an underwater volcano near the island of Tonga, the mass can be a real problem for boats that come upon the area, clogging rudders and engines. However,the teeny holes in the pumice rocks make wonderful homes for tiny sea creatures. Creatures including crabs, barnacles,coral and worms are getting a free ride on the rocks as they floats along the Pacific waters toward Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

ABCnews.go.com

For Women's Equality Day, August 26, Mattel announced two more women who made contributions to our world to be honored in their Barbie Collection. Rosa Parks and Sally Ride join Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo and Katherine Johnson. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus back in 1955, to a white person. She was arrested and her arrest resulted in a boycott of the Montgomery, Alabama, bus company for over a year. Sally Ride was the first American female astronaut to do into space. Is there a woman that you feel should be honored for their contributions to our world?

Photograph from yahoo.com

Sadly, the giraffe has gotten some new recognition. This past week, nations of the world have moved to classify giraffes as an endangered species. A committee at the World Wildlife Conference approved the protection with a vote of 106-21. The African Wildlife Foundation says that in just 30 years, the population of giraffe in the wild has diminished by 40 percent. It is estimated, by the Giraffe conservation Foundation, that there are about 80,000 giraffes in the wild.(as of 2014) As an endangered species, the trading of hides, bone carvings, meat and other giraffe parts would be controlled. A full ban was not approved. The cause of the dwindling of giraffes in the wild included the destruction of their habitat, climate change and worsening droughts and illegal trading of giraffe body parts.

9/1:

Workers excavating for a new elementary school in the city of Taiyuan, China, have unearthed a 1300 year old tomb. It is believed to be that of someone of royalty from the Tang Dynasty. The underground tomb has beautiful wall art and lots of pottery. At this point, it is unknown for whom the tomb was built.

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

A six year old girl was surprised that there weren't any female toy soldiers for her to purchase so she decided to try and do something. She wrote letters to toy companies asking for them to make some female green toy soldiers. The girl, Vivian Lord, says lots of girls would play with toy soldiers, especially if there were female soldiers, just like in real life. One toy company has responded to Vivian. The BMC toy company said that if more people ask for female toy soldiers they might start making them, too! What do you think?

Photograph from cnn.com

Paleontologists have unearthed the remains of a giant parrot that stood 3 ft. 3 inches, in the country of New Zealand. Being so large, the species has been given the name, "Heracles inexpectatus". It also has earned the nickname of "Squawkzilla"". Originally discovered about 11 years ago, what was originally thought to be the bones of a duck or eagle, was recently found to be of an extinct parrot. Due to its size, scientists do not believe the giant parrot was able to fly.
Illustration from Livescience.com

8/20/2019:There MAY be life on the moon but it came from Earth. A space craft launched by the country of Israel, crashed onto the surface of the moon. Aboard the spacecraft were some dehydrated water bears, or tardigrades, for research purposes. The eight legged creatures were encased in artificial amber, and placed in suspended animation. Also called moss piglets, tardigrades need water to dehydrate so it thought they aren't alive on the moon. Then, again, that can't be known for sure.

Photograph from bbc.com

Update: 8/5- Franky Zapato successfully flew the length of the English Channel with his flyboard! Averaging speeds of 87 mph, Zapato soared the 22 mile channel about 60 ft. above the water. His first attempt, a couple of days ago wasn't successful, when he landed in the water during an attempt to refuel. This time, Zapato used a bigger boat. He didn't give up!Photograph from en.rfi.fr

In mid-August, a group of scientists will attempt to sail from the port of Varna, on the Black Sea, to Crete, in a replica of an ancient Egyptian sailing vessel! Greek Historian, Herodotus, wrote that the ancient Egyptians sail as far as the Black Sea in search of resources not available in the lands of Egypt. The 800 mile journey will be in a 46 ft. boat designed from ancient rock drawings found in Egypt. Constructed with bundles of Totora reeds, the ship will have two sails and the crew will attempt to prove that such sailings were possible by the ancient Egyptians. The reed boat needs to be submersed in water for two weeks to get sea worthy. It is thought that the boat is unsinkable due to all the air chambers in the reed bundles. Some of the dangers the crew will face in their small reed boat include rough waters through areas of the Aegean as well as large modern ships that will be in their path. One thing the crew on the Abora IV will have that ancient sailors did not will be modern navigational equipment including radio equipment and modern satellite technology.

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

Paleontologists in France recently found a whopper of a dinosaur femur. The length was almost 7 feet! With that size femur, the dinosaur, a possible sauropod, would have tipped the scale at about 55 tons. Walking the earth about 140 million years ago, the sauropod, with a long neck and long tail, was thought to be a herbivore. The location of the find has been a treasure trove for paleontologists. Over 40 different species, including ostrich dinosaurs and stegosauruses, have been unearthed at the site near the city of Cognac, France.

Photograph from thesun.co.uk

A six year old girl was surprised that there weren't any female toy soldiers for her to purchase so she decided to try and do something. She wrote letters to toy companies asking for them to make some female green toy soldiers. The girl, Vivian Lord, says lots of girls would play with toy soldiers, especially if there were female soldiers, just like in real life. One toy company has responded to Vivian. The BMC toy company said that if more people ask for female toy soldiers they might start making them, too! What do you think?

Photograph from cnn.com

8/4/2019:

A six year old girl was surprised that there weren't any female toy soldiers for her to purchase so she decided to try and do something. She wrote letters to toy companies asking for them to make some female green toy soldiers. The girl, Vivian Lord, says lots of girls would play with toy soldiers, especially if there were female soldiers, just like in real life. One toy company has responded to Vivian. The BMC toy company said that if more people ask for female toy soldiers they might start making them, too! What do you think?

Photograph from cnn.com

7/25/2019:Divers came upon a HUGE jellyfish off the coast of Cornwall, England. The huge barrel jellyfish(also called the dustbin-lid jellyfish) was estimated at about 5 ft. in length. The human sized huge barrel jellyfish is very rare to spot. Amazingly, this jellyfish, with eight long chubby looking arms underneath its body, isn't the largest of the ocean jellyfish. A lion's mane jellyfish is the largest. With 1200 tentacles, the body of a lion's mane can reach about 120 feet in length. Think the length of a blue whale!

Photograph from Lizzie Daly Wildlife(Facebook)/ABCNews.com

Mattel, the makers of Barbie, will be honoring astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti with a new Barbie doll. Part of the Barbie Dream Gap Project, the company hopes the doll will be a role model to young girls inspiring them that they can dream of becoming anything. Cristoforetti, is the first Italian female member of the European Space Agency.

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

7/10/2019:A businessman has a unique idea to bring fresh water to the Arabian Gulf. He plans to bring giant icebergs from Antarctica! Fresh drinking water is in short supply in desert regions. Removing salt from sea water(desalination) is costly. Abdulla Alshehi thinks that despite dragging icebergs 5500 miles, there still would be sufficient amounts of ice left to make the idea workable. In addition to drinking water, Alshehi believes that the bergs would generate cloud formation as the icebergs melt, perhaps, causing some rain to fall on the area. Before the year is out, Alshehi will do an experiment bringing a smaller iceberg to the area to see just whether his idea will work.

Photograph from oddity central.com

Can you shot a basketball from the foul line? Cue 3 just made 2000 shots in a row! It's a new world's record! Cue 3 is a robot with sensors which helps him figure out the best angle and force to use. Standing 6ft. 10 in., the humanoid must be moved into position as he is unable to move on his own. Before Cue 3 stopped his foul shooting, he actually made 2020 baskets in a row to honor the 2020 Olympic Games that will be played in Tokyo, Japan.

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

A wonderful light show is on display in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A species of fireflies, photons Carolinas, are believed to be one of the only species of lightning bugs in North America to synchronize their flashing. For two weeks, thousands and thousands of male flash their bioluminescent green-yellow lights in the abdomens, about 6-8 blinks at a time and then go dark for a couple of seconds,trying to find a mating partner.Females respond just one flash.Humans who wish to visit the park to see the remarkable light show must enter a lottery, which just a small number gaining access to the park during this time. Learn about fireflies at this link:Fireflies

Photograph from justfunfacts.com

6/25/2019:The remains of a whopper of a sea creature have been found in Antarctica. Called an Elasmosarid, it is related to the plesiosaurs(think "Loch Ness Monster"), prehistoric creatures that had very long necks. Thought to date back about 70 million years, the Elasmosarid remains, one of the most complete ever found, suggest when the creature roamed the ocean, it weighted about 15 TONS and was about 40 ft. long.

History was made at the Tony Awards this week. Actress Ali Stroker won the award for best featured actress in a musical, for her performance in Oklahoma. It is the very first time a person with a disability, in this case, a person in a wheelchair, won a Tony Award. Stroker was paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident when she was two years old. "This award is for every kid who has a disability, a limitation or a challenge who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena," she said. Sadly, there is still need for improvement in awareness for those with disabilities. Stroker had to wait backstage at the theater in case her name was called as there wasn't a ramp for her to come up on stage.

Photograph from Yahoo.com

Have you visited a national park or historical site? Senators Gary Peters and Ted Cruz have introduced a bill to create a protected site, on the moon! Called the "One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act"", it would be the first ever protected site somewhere other than on Earth. The area to be protected would be the Apollo 11 landing site where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, became the first humans to walk on the moon. What do you think of this idea?

Photograph from space.com

Meteorologists in San Diego, California, say that there was an unusual display on their National Weather Service radar. A swarm of ladybugs, 80 miles long, was detected, on June 4th! Called a "bloom", some meteorologists questioned whether it was indeed a massive number of ladybugs. Even in large numbers, could they REALLY be detected as a cloud like occurrence on radar equipment? Did you know a group of ladybugs is called a "loveliness"? Do you know anything about ladybugs? Click here to learn about ladybugs:Ladybugs

Picture from easyscienceforkids.com

6/3/2019:In addition to passing your classes, a new law passed in the Philippines will require ALL students to show that they planted 10 trees to graduate! With about 18 million students calling the Philippines home, that could mean that 175 million trees will be planted each year! It is estimated the requirement would mean about 525 billion trees could be grown in just one generation.The tree graduation requirement hasn't begun as of yet but trees indigenous(native) to the Philippines will be the first priority. Areas for planting will include abandoned mining sites,forest and urban areas of the Philippines. In addition to helping to beautify the Philippines, scientists hope the tree requirement will cut down on CO2 levels and hopefully help lessen the growing global climate crisis.

Illustration from wpclipart.com

Ever think of your almost stubby pencil? Is it ready for the trash heap? A company is offering pencils that when it is time to say "goodbye", have a new purpose. Their pencils are meant to be planted! The eco friendly pencils have a seed capsule inside them that sprout when the stub is planted in a pot of dirt. Some of the pencils contain daisies, sunflowers, basil, carnations, forget me nots and even cherry tomatoes!

Photograph from sproutworld.com

A very rare panda was photographed in southwest China. The white panda, with red eyes, called an albino, was spotted walking in a forest in Sichuan province. Native to China, approximately 80% of wild pandas are found in this area of the country. Sadly, scientists believe there are less than 2000 wild pandas left on the planet, with another 548 held in capacity in zoos around the world. Destruction of their habitat is the main reason for their falling numbers. Learn about panda bears at this link:PANDA BEARSPhotograph from scmp.com

Did you know that of the 5000 statues nationwide, only 400 are of women? If you walk through Central Park, in New York City, you will come upon 22 statues of famous MEN. Not one statue is of a woman, except for statues of fictitious Mother Goose and Alice in Wonderland. A group of women want to have a woman statue added to Central Park- a REAL woman who made a contribution in history. Specifically, TWO women will be added for the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote(2020). Statues of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are to be added. Additionally, at Statuary Hall, at the U.S. Capital, there are two statues for each state on display. Only nine of the one-hundred statues are of women. The state of Kansas is changing one of their statues to honor Amelia Earhart. Things don't change unless someone decides a change is needed. What might you like to change?

Photograph from ameliaearhartangarmuseum.org

In a disappointing decision, the Trump Administration has just decided NOT to replacing President Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. The change was scheduled for 2020 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote(the 19th Amendment to the Constitution). If you look at any of the U.S. currency, no woman is currently on any U.S. currency bill. Tubman, probably the most famous "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, helped bring hundreds of slaves to freedom. Her selection was made after many people voted that she would be a great pick to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Trump said the decision made by the Obama Administration to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman was "pure political correctness". What do you think of this decision?

Illustration from Fortune.com

Four people have visited the depths of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench(Pacific Ocean),the deepest trench on the earth. The first humans to go into the Mariana Trench were Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard,in 1960.Film director James Cameron(Titanic/Avatar) reached a record depth of 35,756 feet in a solo submersible dive in 2012. In May, 2019, Victor Vescovo beat this depth by successfully going 35, 849! He beat Cameron's record depth by about 36 ft. Traveling down into the Mariana Trench, Vescovo(who also has climbed the seven summits on each continent) saw four never before seen prawn-like fish and sadly,a plastic bag at a depth of almost 7 miles! He also saw a candy wrapper at this depth.

Photographfrom fivedeep.com

5/23/19:

In a disappointing decision, the Trump Administration has just decided NOT to replacing President Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. The change was scheduled for 2020 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote(the 19th Amendment to the Constitution). If you look at any of the U.S. currency, no woman is currently on any U.S. currency bill. Tubman, probably the most famous "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, helped bring hundreds of slaves to freedom. Her selection was made after many people voted that she would be a great pick to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Trump said the decision made by the Obama Administration to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman was "pure political correctness". What do you think of this decision?

Illustration from Fortune.com

Four people have visited the depths of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench(Pacific Ocean),the deepest trench on the earth. The first humans to go into the Mariana Trench were Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard,in 1960.Film director James Cameron(Titanic/Avatar) reached a record depth of 35,756 feet in a solo submersible dive in 2012. In May, 2019, Victor Vescovo beat this depth by successfully going 35, 849! He beat Cameron's record depth by about 36 ft. Traveling down into the Mariana Trench, Vescovo(who also has climbed the seven summits on each continent) saw four never before seen prawn-like fish and sadly,a plastic bag at a depth of almost 7 miles! He also saw a candy wrapper at this depth.

Photographfrom fivedeep.com

Four people have visited the depths of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench(Pacific Ocean),the deepest trench on the earth. The first humans to go into the Mariana Trench were Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard,in 1960.Film director James Cameron(Titanic/Avatar) reached a record depth of 35,756 feet in a solo submersible dive in 2012. In May, 2019, Victor Vescovo beat this depth by successfully going 35, 849! He beat Cameron's record depth by about 36 ft. Traveling down into the Mariana Trench, Vescovo(who also has climbed the seven summits on each continent) saw four never before seen prawn-like fish and sadly,a plastic bag at a depth of almost 7 miles! He also saw a candy wrapper at this depth.

Photographfrom fivedeep.com

Twelve men have walked on the moon. By 2024, this may change when NASA launches a new mission, Artemis(named for the ancient Greek goddess of the moon). It will be this mission when a woman will leave her footprints on the surface of the moon. The previous moon mission, called Apollo (the twin of Artemis) ended in 1972.

Photograph from wpclipart.com

Historians say that Captain James Cook claimed Australia for England back in 1770, when he explored the east coast of Australia. Willem Janszoon, in 1606, of Holland, is credited with being the first European to visit the continent. A discovery of a coin may cause historians to make some changes in history books. A copper coin, thought to be 1000 years old, was found last year. It is from Tanzania, a country in East Africa. It is believed that Portuguese sea traders may have left the coin, making them the first Europeans to visit the continent of Australia, as early as 1515. Others suggest that perhaps the coin was brought by African traders from Kilwa(present day Tanzania) to Australia, where contact with Indigenous people of Australia was made.Photograph from Dailymail

Scientists have developed a teeny backpack for bumblebees which will enable researchers to be able to use the insects to fly around and collect data onto the sensor found inside the backpacks. Information collected from the sensors, with rechargeable batteries, will help supply temperature, humidity and flying patterns of bees and help with agriculture. Creating a sensor weighing about the weight of 7 uncooked grains of rice, was the hard part. Bumblebees used for the experiment were collected and placed in a freezer to slow them down and backpacks were glued to their backs. Scientists from the school of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington say using bees over drones, is much more efficient. Next, backpacks that are equipped with live cameras, which farmers can used to monitor their crops.

Photograph from geekwire.com

5/15/19: Scientists in the country of Israel have found another use for 3D printers. What is believed to be the world's first tiny heart was produced using cell containing "bioink""! The heart has the necessary functions to actually work including cells, blood vessels and chambers.Although the heart is only about the size of a rabbit's heart, it is thought that it is a step to possible human hearts being printed. Imagine creating a human heart, when needed, on a 3D printer, saving lives of many people who die every day because a needed replacement heart is not currently available. Amazing!

Photograph from nbcnews.com

Fire has badly damaged the famous cathedral in Paris, France, called Notre-Dame. It is thought that an accident during renovations started the fire in the "forest". This is the nickname for the wooded roof that used 1300 trees to construct. Dating back to the Middle Ages, the cathedral was begun in the 12th century and took about 200 years to finish. Author Victor Hugo's, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, tells a story about a man, named Quasimodo,with a physical handicap, who worked in the bell tower. The beautiful stain glass in the windows was removed during World War 2, numbered and stored to protect them during the war. After the war, like a jig-saw puzzle, the glass pieces were reinstalled in the windows. Sadly,is believed that many, but not all, the stain glass was damaged in the fire. Many religious relics were saved by emergency crews. As the fire blazed, hundreds and hundreds of people gathered to sing hymns. Authorities say that Notre-Dame WILL be restored.

Scientists are very excited with the release of the first ever direct image of a black hole and scientists are calling the black hole "an absolute monster"". The black hole is massive, about three million times the size of the planet Earth! It is located about 55 million light-years away from Earth. Scientists describe a black hole as an area of space where the pull of gravity is so great that not even light can escape. The image was created using eight different telescopes, part of a network of telescopes called Event Horizon Telescope. Congratulations to MIT graduate student, Dr. Katie Bouman, whose algorithm made the image possible. Kind of looks like a donut, doesn't it?

Image from bbc.com

The oldest pyramid in Egypt dates back to 27 BC. Called the Step Pyramid (also called the Pyramid of Djoser), it needed some TLC after a 8.5 magnitude earthquake damaged it in 1992. It was feared that the pyramid might collapse. Engineers from Great British began working on repairing the 4,700 year old pyramid, in 2010. Steel rods were used to help support the many stones. They are just finishing up their efforts to support the landmark so that future generations can appreciate it.

Photograph from dailymail

5/1/19:A company in England has developed a biodegradable pod that may replace plastic water bottles. Made of seaweed, scientists removed any odor and the green coloring. The pods, which are edible and tasteless, were used in the London Marathon, last weekend. The 41,000 runners were handed the water capsules made from seaweed. If not used within about six weeks, the pods decompose. That's much more environmentally friendly than using plastic water bottles that can take 450 years to breakdown! The company says the pods can be filled with all sorts of liquids.

Photograph from livekindly.com

Two third graders in a school in Medford, MA, were looking for a way to make their school neighborhood safer. Their idea was to make the crosswalk in the school's pick up zone a 3D illusion. The children spoke with the Mayor of Medford as well as the traffic commission trying to convince the adults of their class project idea. Local officials liked the students' idea and hired an artist to paint the school's crosswalk to look 3D. Now, 3D crosswalks will be coming to other area elementary schools,too. The illusion makes the white painted barriers look raised up causing drivers to slow down. The students are very excited that their idea and hard work was made a reality and hope it will help keep children safer as they cross the streets.

Photograph from medfordccsr.org

4/17/19: Would you take a ride in a drone-type taxi? The flying taxi, has no human at the controls and lifts off like a helicopter in a vertical take off. The inside space is a bit cramped but can seat two passengers. It is hoped that people wishing for a short trip, will find the flying taxi, which can reach speeds of 90 mph, the way to fly. The flights, currently in the experimental stage, may be available for passengers within the next 10 years.

Photograph from dailymail

Scientists have uncovered what is considered the remains of the world's biggest T-Rex ever found. The discovery was made in the country of Canada. The remains of the T-Rex, called "Scotty" are 42.7 ft. Long. Scotty is estimated to have roamed the earth about 66 million years ago. Based on the weight of its leg bones, paleontologists believe Scotty may have tipped the scales at 19,400 pounds. Originally discovered in 1991, it took ten years just to remove the dinosaur's skeleton from the very hard sandstone. The T-Rex discovery will be on exhibit in May, at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.

Photograph from sciencedaily.com

Imagine being just 16 years old and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. That's exactly what has happened to Greta Thunberg, of Sweden. She has received THREE nominations by lawmakers from the country of Norway. Although just a teen, Greta has been working hard for the world to address climate change. Greta is part of a movement called Youth Strike for Climate. She also created Fridays for Future, encouraging young people to use Fridays to march for the environment. Greta has spoken at the Climate Change Conference at the United Nations and also the World Economic Forum. Should Greta win the prestigious award, she will be the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace prize. Currently, Malala Yousafzai, at 17, won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to call attention to the rights of children around the world to get an education, especially girls.

If you still need proof that humans are polluting our oceans with trash, a sperm whale found off the coast of Sardinia(Italy) may convince you humans need to do better. The female whale that washed ashore was found to have 48.5 pounds, yes, pounds of plastic trash inside its stomach. That was 2/3rds of its stomach mass. Items included tangled fishing lines, lots of shopping bags and plastic plates. The whale probably died because it couldn't digest food due to all the plastic waste in its stomach. Recently another dead whale was found off the coast of the Philippines. It was estimated to have 88 pounds of plastic inside its belly!

Photograph from Thetelegraph.com

4/5/19: Do you like using glitter? Did you know that glitter is made from micro plastics? There is a movement to ban glitter because it is harmful to our environment. Marine life and birds have been found with glitter in their bodies.The tiny plastic particles look like food to marine life. It is hoped that people will consider using glitter that is more environmentally friendly.

Photograph from thesun.co.uk

Only eight, Tanitoluwa Adewumi, has won the New York State chess championship for his age group beating out 73 other chess players. That alone is an amazing accomplishment, especially when he just started playing chess only last year. However, Tanitoluwa, originally born in Nigeria, currently lives with his family at a homeless shelter in New York City. Each of Tani's seven trophies are next to his bed. Tani said that his goal is to become the youngest grand master in the world.

The wait is over. After 50 years, NASA plans to examine a number of moon rocks brought back from the Apollo moon landings! For all these years, many of the lunar rocks have been preserved and left untouched, waiting for technology that would be able to better study the moon rocks. Now, with the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing(Apollo 11/1969), some of these lunar rocks, which have been kept in airtight and cold conditions, will be studied by a group of nine scientists. What might be learned from the study of these moon rocks?

Photo from nasa.gov

The Sehuencas water frog was considered to be extinct except for one named Romeo. No other of the species of frog had been spotted since 2008. That all changed when five of the amphibians were recently discovered in a mountain forest in the country of Bolivia. Scientists who study amphibians and reptiles, herpetologists, say that the Sehuencas only live in mountain cloud regions of Bolivia. With a moist climate, their habitat also breeds a fungus that kills the frog. With this discovery of five Sehuencas, it is hoped that others are hopping around, yet to be found. Because of their rareness, the five discovered croakers were taken to a lab where it is hoped they will breed more Sehuencas. Scientists also plan to study ways to stop the fungus from killing off the frogs and the eventual goal is to return the frogs back into their own habitat.

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

Scientists have discovered a tiny bacteria living in a hot water pool in Yellowstone National Park with an interesting ability. The bacteria can breathe electricity! The hot water that the bacteria call home is about 110 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. It is thought that the bacteria can help eat pollution and create electricity in the process. The scientists did not name the unique bacteria. What would YOU name this bacteria? Do you know a fact about Yellowstone National Park?

Photograph of a hot pool from interestingengineering.com

3/25/19: Only eight, Tanitoluwa Adewumi, has won the New York State chess championship for his age group beating out 73 other chess players. That alone is an amazing accomplishment, especially when he just started playing chess only last year. However, Tanitoluwa, originally born in Nigeria, currently lives with his family at a homeless shelter in New York City. Each of Tani's seven trophies are next to his bed. Tani said that his goal is to become the youngest grand master in the world.

The wait is over. After 50 years, NASA plans to examine a number of moon rocks brought back from the Apollo moon landings! For all these years, many of the lunar rocks have been preserved and left untouched, waiting for technology that would be able to better study the moon rocks. Now, with the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing(Apollo 11/1969), some of these lunar rocks, which have been kept in airtight and cold conditions, will be studied by a group of nine scientists. What might be learned from the study of these moon rocks?

Photo from nasa.gov

The Sehuencas water frog was considered to be extinct except for one named Romeo. No other of the species of frog had been spotted since 2008. That all changed when five of the amphibians were recently discovered in a mountain forest in the country of Bolivia. Scientists who study amphibians and reptiles, herpetologists, say that the Sehuencas only live in mountain cloud regions of Bolivia. With a moist climate, their habitat also breeds a fungus that kills the frog. With this discovery of five Sehuencas, it is hoped that others are hopping around, yet to be found. Because of their rareness, the five discovered croakers were taken to a lab where it is hoped they will breed more Sehuencas. Scientists also plan to study ways to stop the fungus from killing off the frogs and the eventual goal is to return the frogs back into their own habitat.

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

Scientists have discovered a tiny bacteria living in a hot water pool in Yellowstone National Park with an interesting ability. The bacteria can breathe electricity! The hot water that the bacteria call home is about 110 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. It is thought that the bacteria can help eat pollution and create electricity in the process. The scientists did not name the unique bacteria. What would YOU name this bacteria? Do you know a fact about Yellowstone National Park?

Photograph of a hot pool from interestingengineering.com

3/7/19:Scientists have discovered a very unusual penguin. Nicknamed the "Rarest Penguin on Earth", the Emperor penguin is totally black. Living on Antarctica's ice covered continent, most penguins have a white belly which helps to camouflage the birds from predators, such as orcas, leopard seals and giant petrel seabirds. Scientists estimate a totally black penguin happens once in every quarter million of penguins. The Emperor penguin are the heaviest and tallest of all species of penguin. Some can reach 4 ft. tall.

Photograph from countryliving.com

Last week, residents of Guba, Siberia,had a group of unwelcome visitors. The community of 2000 had 52 polar bears come to town. The huge polar bears were searching open garbage dumps for food. With global warming, there is less ice for the polar bears to use to search for food, their favorite being seals, so the bears migrated into Guba. The polar bears have gotten into several office buildings pushing doors and windows to gain entrance. The polar bears have also been spotted near the local schools. Noise and dogs are being used to try and scare the large group of polar bears. The residents are also trying stun grenades. Thus, far, nothing has worked. A Russian law forbids the killing of polar bears. Polar bear, which can weigh over 1200 pounds can also run 25 mph. What might be a way to get the polar bears to leave Guba?

Photograph from scmp.com. Learn about polar bears with this internet activity:Polar Bears!

Have you used a compass? A compass points to what is called the magnetic north pole. Scientists from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the British Geological Survey regularly check and say that the location of the Earth's magnetic north pole is moving and faster than expected. Actually, NORTH is now moving at an estimated 34 miles a year! At one time, it was moving at about 9 miles a year. Magnetic North Pole is heading toward the area of Siberia, in Russia. Magnetic north has moved about 1400 miles since 1831 when it was located in the Canadian Arctic. Knowing where magnetic north is located is used for navigation by ships and airplane and electronics such as cell phones. Even some birds use magnetic north for migratory purposes. The cause of the movement is the liquid outer core of the planet. There is also a magnetic south which is also moving but much slower. Scientists say that eventually magnetic south will have more pull that magnetic north, something that hasn't happened in over 780,000 years.

Illustration from wpclipart.com

2/27/19:Denmark is building a wall.Standing 5 ft and crossing the southern border for 40 miles, the electric steel fence is being built to keep wild boar from Germany from crossing into Denmark. Some wild boar have tested for a deadly disease called the African swine fever. The country of Denmark hopes that the fence will stop the spread of pigs which may carry the disease and spread the deadly disease to Danish pigs. Some question the wall saying its 12 million dollars is a costly sum and that the wall could prevent other animals, such as the wild wolf's migratory patterns. Others say the wall won't really stop the spread of the disease which can also be spread through humans(although it isn't harmful to humans).

Photograph from livescience.com

2/7/2019:Perhaps as a child you tried to dig to "China"". Scientists have drilled the deepest hole ever dug on the continent of Antarctica! Drilling began in January and after 63 hours, a depth of 7,060 ft. was reached. Scientists will continue to drill down through most of the month of February. It is hoped that the project will help scientists learn about climate change and its effects on the continent by reaching beneath the ice sheet. Data on ice temperatures and water pressure were collected from instruments placed into the hole.

wpclipart.com

A company in Russia wants to advertise in space. Using tiny satellites(cubists) that reflect light, StartRocket, wants to launch the satellites to about 280 miles above the earth. The advertisements created would be beamed to Earth and appear in the night sky. The idea of space ads came from an orbiting art project called the "disco ball" satellite that orbited the Earth for about two months in 2018. Some say that the satellites would just be more "space junk" added to the already 500,000 pieces of materials the U.S. Department of Defense tracks orbiting the planet. Others say that the space billboards would create light that would interfere with astronomers scanning the night sky. What do you think of this idea? Would you want to look up at the stars and see billboards advertising soda, cars or clothing? Illustration from nbcnews.com

After ten years, King Tutankhamun's tomb has been reopened to the public. The restoration project included cleaning the inside of the tomb. Years of visitors tracking in dusk and mold created from people breathing in the tomb have taken a toll. Wall paintings were also cleaned but strange "dark spots" on one mural were left(they were there when Howard Carter) rediscovered the tomb in 1922. Since some of the murals had scratches from visitors to the tomb, improved protection was installed to protect the murals.Although most of the wonderful artifacts found in the tomb have been moved to the Cairo Museum, King Tut's mummy and some of his belongings are still in the tomb. Click here to see great photographs of King Tut's tomb.KingTut TombLearn about King Tut with this fun/informative Reader's Theater Script:aKing Tut: A Reader's Theater Script


What appears to be hundreds of spiders floating in the sky over Minas Gerais, Brazil, is really an amazingly large spider web! The spiders, parawixia bistriata, are actually attached to a very large web spun by the spiders to catch prey. Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

The Chinese have successful landed a probe on the far side of the moon, the side, which is never facing Earth. It is the first probe to ever touch the surface of this part of the moon. Images have already been sent back to Earth by the probe called "Yutu 2"".

Image of far side of the moon is from NASA.gov

1/20/19:The New Horizon probe, has been roaming space for about 13 years and has reached a milestone.Traveling about 4 billion miles from Earth, the New Horizon has passed Ultima Thule, the most distance known space object! The probe will send back data and images of its fly-by of the bowling pin shaped object located in the Kuiper Belt. However, it will take about 1 1/2 YEARS for the images to arrive back to Earth! Image from space.com

A dog badly burned from the recent forest fires in California got a very unusual treatment. For the very first time, a dog, a Boston terrier, was grafted with the skin of tilapia fish to address burned skin on her legs and paws.The dog, named Olivia, appears to be healing very well from the treatment. In fact, within only five days, new skin began to grow instead of traditional methods that take weeks.Previously, bears and a mountain lion have been given the treatment of using fish skin on burn wounds. Photograph from americanveterinarian.com

After 921 miles and 54 days, Colin O'Brady, has made history. He successfully crossed Antarctica, from coast to coast, unassisted and alone. O'Brady, who called the trek, "The Impossible First", dragged a 400 pound sled which carried his food, tent, a satellite phone, GPS tracker and fuel. He ate lots of oatmeal, soup and protein bars, trying for about 7000 calories per day to keep his energy levels up. During the journey, O'Brady endured 30 mph winds ,extremely cold temperatures, averaging -40F degrees, and the solitude of not seeing anyone else! Another man,Louis Rudd, was also trying to be the first person to accomplish this task. About 70 miles away,O'Brady waited for Rudd to complete his journey, too. O'Brady has also climbed Mt. Everest and the other six highest peaks on each continent.

Photograph from irishtimes.com

1/2/19:Jean Jacques Savin is trying to be a human "message in a bottle"as he attempts to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an orange barrel vehicle. If successful, it would be the first time someone has done this using just the ocean currents for movement. Savin started his trek from the Canary Islands(near the coast of West Africa) this week(December 26th). Aboard the barrel, 10 ft. long by 7 ft. wide, is a small bed(with straps to hold him from being tossed around by rough waves), and tiny kitchen, food supplies and communication technology.The barrel has a window so Savin can observe some marine life. Additionally, Savin will collect data on ocean currents.It is estimated that he should reach the Caribbean, a distance of 2800 miles, in March.

Photograph from cnn.com

With more and more tourists visiting Antarctica each year(estimates are about 40,000 people),scientists have detected a problem with some of the penguins, native to the continent. Seems the birds are getting germs from the tourists and this could mean serious troubles. Scientists tested the droppings of penguins and found they contain human bacteria. It is the first such transfer, called "reverse zoonosis" every found, in Antarctica. The gentoo, king and macaroni penguins as well as several other birds, including the kelp gulls, giant petrels and brown skuas, are infected with human pathogens. The gentoo penguins are very endangered birds and it is feared that the human bacteria may cause the birds further survival issues. What would you suggest as a possible way to help these native creatures of Antarctica?

Photograph from zmescience.com

12/15/18:The country of Egypt has announced a wonderfully preserved tomb dating back 4400 years. The discovery was made near Saqqara and is decorated with much hieroglyphics(ancient Egyptian writing). The tomb also has 45 statues, many of pharaohs(kings of ancient Egypt),carved into the rock. It is believed that the tomb was untouched for hundreds of centuries and archeologists are hopeful that the tomb, thought to be that of an important priest, will include many artifacts, when excavation begins in the new year. Interestingly, the tomb is in the same area as the famous Step Pyramid.

Photograph from reuters.com

An amazingly successful launch of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic took place in the Mojave Desert, in California. The SpaceShipTwo reached the edge of outer space, or 51.4 miles in altitude. The space vehicle had two pilots aboard for the historic ride, which reached 2.9 times the speed of sound in less than one minute! It is hoped that within six months, the company will begin offering rides of a lifetime! The cost for the trip will be $250,000 per person and will include a few minutes of weightlessness(zero gravity).

Photograph from dailymail.co.uk

Plastic bags. Most people use them but they are very harmful to the environment and especially marine life. It is believed that up to 5% of all plastic bags find their way into our oceans. People in the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu, are hoping to make a statement with what they are hoping will take the title as the world's largest sculpture made from plastic bags. Using collected plastic bags, a map of the Dead Sea was created. An estimated 100,000 plastic bags were used to make the sculpture which measures 65 ft. long and 16 ft. Tall. It is hoped that the plastic bag sculpture will create an awareness to just how many plastic bags find their way into the our oceans. The current plastic bag sculpture record was done in the country of Singapore, back in 2012. An octopus was made from 68,000 plastic bags!

Photograph from news18.com

Knickers is a very large steer that lives on a ranch in Australia. Standing 6' 4", the Holstein Friesian tips the scale at about 3000 pounds. Knickers doesn't have to worry about become thousands of hamburger patties as he is actually too large for a processing plant. So, Knickers will live out his life on the range grazing with other cattle and being the one that other steers follow around. Possibly a record size steer for the country of Australia, Knickers doesn't take world record honors. Currently, that goes to a steer in Italy.Called Bellino, the steer measures 6' 6.5" in height!

Photograph from msm.com

11/25/18:

Egyptologists made an amazing discovery when they discovered a burial coffin(sarcophagus) of a mummy. For the first time, the Egyptologists OPENED the sarcophagus, in from of journalists and discovered a very well preserved female mummy! Thought to date back about 3500 years, the mummy's sarcophagus had two wooden coffins that were also in excellent condition.Photograph from https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/46336523

NASA has successfully landed a probe onto the surface of the red planet,Mars, near its equator. Unlike other robotics which can move around the surface, this probe, Insight, will remain stationary. It weighs 800 pounds and has three legs. Its job is to learn about the interior of the planet. Insight took six months to reach Mars, traveling 300 million miles along the way. The most dangerous part of the project was its six minute descent. There was concern that it might burn up as it streaked through Mars' atmosphere! Scientists are very excited that Insight landed in one piece and are eager to get data from the probe.

Illustration from bbc.com>

The Tree is here! Each year, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree brings thousands and thousands of tourists to New York City. This year's Norway spruce tree comes from Wallkill, NY, and stands 72 ft. tall. Called "Shelby" by the people where the tree has stood for many years, the 2018 tree will be decorated with 50,000 lights and crowned with a 900 pound Swarovski crystal star. The official lighting is November 28th. After the holiday season is over, the tree will be donated to Habitat for Humanity where the wood will be used to build homes. The Rockefeller Center tree has been a tradition since 1931.During the Great Depression, workers were constructing Rockefeller Center and decorated a tree, on Christmas Eve.

Diwali

Illustration from wpclipart.com

11/20/18:This year, 2018, Diwali or Deepavali, begins on November 6th and lasts for 5 days. It's a happy time of year and is the biggest holiday in the country of India. Practiced mainly by people of the Hindu faith, many other people enjoy taking part in the festive holiday season, too. During the holiday, there will be gift giving, lighting lamps(Dipa lamps) special sweet treats including Laddus(sweet wheat balls with nuts and fruits inside) and Karanjis (flour fried dumplings with coconut and sugar), praying, getting together with family and friends and fireworks to help welcome the new year. Deepawali means "festival of lights". Learn more about Diwali:

11/1/18:

Marine Archeologists have discovered what is being called the world's oldest intact shipwreck ever found. The Greek trading ship dates back to about 400BC and was discovered in the Black Sea. Coils of rope were still found on the ship! Scientists say that there is little oxygen located at the depth the ship was located. Without oxygen, the ship didn't deterioration. The ship will remain where it was found so that future generations, with more advances in technology, can study the ship, too.

Photograph from Yahoo.com

There has been 88 constellations, or patterns of stars, in the sky, until now. NASA scientists, wanting to celebrate the discoveries made by the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope, have mapped out 21 new star patterns. Unlike the 88 known constellations in the sky, you can't see these new constellations without using the powerful telescope. However, NASA has a new interactive website where you can go and see some of the new constellations including the Hulk, a obelisk(think Washington Monument), Godzilla, the Colosseum and the Eiffel Tower. Click here:New Gama-ray ConstellationsClick here to see the 88 constellations that you CAN see in the night sky(depending on which hemisphere you live).Constellations

Illustration from NASA

An asteroid recently got some visitors. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency landed several robots onto the surface of an asteroid in an historic achievement. It is the first time that this has been done. The asteroid, Ryugu, which is about 180 million miles away from the Earth, has little gravity so the moving robots hopped around, traveling about 49 ft. with each movement. During their short life span(about 17 hours), the robots collected data and beamed it back to earth. It is hoped that the data collected will help scientist learn more about asteroids.

Photograph of asteroid from dailymail.com

10/20/2018:

Due to low waters, the Ataturk Dam in the country of Turkey has unveiled very old cave drawings on some of the rocks. Dating back to the Stone Age, scientists estimate the drawings may be over 2.6 million years old! Surprisingly, the drawing spotted by local fishermen, are in good condition. One drawing shows a hunt of a wild goat. Another shows men with horses chasing a type of animal. There are no plans to protect the drawings which will again disappear from view if the dam waters rise. Photograph from dailymail.com

At one time people thought a 1000 pound pumpkin was impossible. Almost each year a new record size pumpkin makes the news. This fall, Steve Geddes, of New Hampshire, has taken the world record for a pumpkin grown in North America. His whopper of a pumpkin was 2,528 pounds! Now, the thought of someone growing a 3000 pound pumpkin is being talked about as a possibility. Geddes pumpkin smashed the previous record, in 2017, of a 2363 pound pumpkin. In case you are wondering the world record is held by a Belgian named Mathias Willemigns. In 2016, his giant pumpkin weighed in at 2,624 pounds!

Photograph from Time.com

Check out these fun pumpkin facts:PUMPKIN FUN FACTS

During the summer, eight year old Saga Vanecek was swimming in Lake Vidosten, in Sweden, when she spotted something unusual.Turns out that what Saga found was a 33 inch sword(about 3ft. Long) and not just any sword, a pre-VIKING sword believed to be about 1500 years old! Saga, whose family moved from the USA to Sweden last year, found a sword of metal, wood and leather, the first of its kind ever found in the area known as Scandinavia. Archaeologists are searching the Lake to see whether there may be other Viking artifacts. Thus far, a brooch has also been uncovered thought to date back to 300-400 CE. With a drought this summer, the lake levels were low and it is believed the is why Saga was able to spot the sword. Saga's discovery will be going on display at the Jonkopings Lans Museum. When Saga first held up what she had found, she called to her dad and said she had found a sword in the lake. She's being called the "Queen of Sweden" for her discovery.

Photograph from Jonkopings Lans Museum

Scientists have uncovered a new species of dinosaur. Found in South Africa, the Ledumahadi mafube("giant thunderclap at dawn"), weighed a whopping 26,000 pounds when it roams the planet. Thought to be a relative of the brontosaurus, the huge dinosaur lived an estimated 200 million years ago. It is believed that like other sauropods(like the brontosaurus) this new species walked on all four legs and was a plant eater. Interesting, too, is the fact that the Ledumahadi is related to a dinosaur found in the country of Argentina, on the continent of South America. At one time, it is believed that there was a giant continent called Pangea making walking from one continent to the other very easy at that time!

Illustration from phys.org

Starting in November, a cafe in Tokyo, Japan, will have robotic servers, thanks to Ory Lab, a developer of robots. The unique experiment, using 4ft. tall robots to bring food to customers, is more than a novelty idea. It will give people with severe disabilities a chance to have a job. The robots, weighing about 40 pounds, can be operated by people who are unable to come to work. A tablet or computer with internet is what operates the robotic server, who has a built-in camera and microphone in its head. If the experiment works, it is hoped that a permanent cafe will be operating by the 2020 Olympics, to be held in Japan.

Photograph from sciencenewsforkids.com

10/1/18: Everyone uses scotch tape but do you know that tape is made from fossil fuels? Most sticky tape is made from crude oil or the polymers from the crude oil. Scientists have discovered something else that works well for all your taping needs and it is better for the environment. The sticky substitute comes from trees. Researchers at the University of Delaware created an adhesive from lignin, a waste product from paper making. Experiments with this sticky substance passed the stick-to-it test.

Illustration from wpclipart.com

Marine archaeologists are announcing that they think they found Captain James Cook's ship HMS Endeavour. Cook, from England,visited the Hawaiian Islands, calling them the "Sandwich Islands" and went on to be the first Englishman to travel to the east coast of Australia. He also traveled to New Zealand. Killed by native in Hawaii, his crew returned back to England on the HMS Endeavour. Later, the ship was renamed the Lord Sandwich 11 and was used as a prison ship during the American Revolutionary War. It was eventually sunk, in 1778, and archaeologists think they have discovered it off the coast of the state of Rhode Island, in the Narragansett Bay.

Replica ship from theguardian.com

Do you like to draw? Scientists say that a stone recently discovered with crisscross red lines, may be the oldest known drawing. Found in a cave in South Africa, the drawing dates back 75,000 years. The tiny lines, made with ochre, were found in the Blombos Cave, about 200 miles from the city of Cape Town, South Africa. The prehistoric lines are about 30,000 years older than any other found to date.

Photograph from cbc.ca

9/15/18: Discoveries under the oceans can still be made. Scientists just discovered a coral reef about 160 miles off the coast of Charleston, SC, in the Atlantic Ocean. The reef,if pieced together, would stretch the length of the state of Delaware, or about 85 m