과학 기사

Data gathered by humanitarian organization, World Food Programme, indicates that every year over 847 million people worldwide, suffer from malnutrition and about 3.1 million children under the age of five, die from starvation. While eradicating world hunger is a top priority for both scientists and philanthropists, given the increasing global population and dwindling natural resources, it is not easy. But thanks to new innovations like the recently introduced 'LivingBox', there may be some hope....

Although most hitchhikers are people in need of genuine assistance, passersby tend to ignore them because they are wary of giving rides to strangers. But what would they do if they came across a hitchhiking robot? Would humans be caring enough to take it to its desired destination or would they vandalize and toss the helpless machine by the wayside?...

Award-winning artist and professor Sam Van Aken has managed to accomplish what very few people are able to do - combine art and science together in a project that is as visually stunning, as it is biologically amazing. He has created trees that grow not one or two, but more than 40 types of stone fruit that include numerous kinds of peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines and cherries. What's even more amazing is that many of the fruits are ancient, hard-to-find, varieties....

Land animals are not the only ones being affected by the loss of habitat and climate change. The issues are taking their toll on birds too. Experts estimate that since the 1500's, over 190 bird species have become extinct. Of these, at least 12 were endemic to North America....

Tornados in the Midwestern and Southern United States have always been a troubling yet fascinating phenomenon - just think of Dorothy's whirlwind adventure in the Wizard of Oz! Occurring predominantly in the area east of the Rocky Mountains dubbed 'Tornado Alley', they form during severe thunderstorms called supercells that occur when cold dry polar air comes in contact with warm moist tropical air....

In early July, shepherds walking across the Tunisian desert, stumbled upon an unusual sight - a beautiful blue lake that had mysteriously appeared in the midst of the parched land. While nobody knows for sure how the 60-foot deep stretch of water that spans over two acres was formed, there are a few theories....

Each year around this time, stargazers anxiously await nature's finest fireworks show - the Perseid meteors. The 'fireball' champions of all annual meteor showers have already been streaming through our skies at the rate of about a dozen an hour, for the last few weeks. However, things will really heat up from early August 11th to the 13th, when between ninety to a hundred meteors will come zooming across the skies, making them easy to spot, even with the naked eye....

While illusions that trick the eyes are pretty common, ones that fool human ears are relatively rare. That is the reason this experiment conjured up by the scientists at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute for their new exhibit 'Your Brain', is so intriguing....

Mention koalas and the image that comes to mind is that of a cuddly animal snoozing, whilst clinging on to a tree trunk for dear life - and rightfully so, given that the animals sleep for up to 20 hours a day! However, while the fact that their sedentary lifestyle is caused by their unusually small brains and the limited nutritional content of the eucalyptus leaves they consume is well-known, what was never questioned was their penchant for tree trunks. Turns out that the smart koalas have figured out that staying close to trees is the best way to beat the heat, during the hot Australian summers....

The fact that the Japanese love robots is well-known. The nation of 127 million people currently employs over a quarter million robots workers, more than any other country in the world, and the number is expected to quadruple in the next 15 years. So far, most of the robots have been built for the industrial sector and therefore bear no resemblance to humans. But if some scientists have their way, the days of androids - robots that look and act like humans, are not too far away....

For people that live in the Northern Hemisphere, Saturday, June 21st, will appear to be one of those glorious days when the sun has forgotten to set and depending on where they live, that may actually be true. That's because tomorrow is not just the first day of summer, but also, the longest day of the year....

From May 15th to June 15th, Muscovites seeking entertainment have a unique option - vocal, dance and even stand up comic performances by some of the world's most advanced robots. Called 'Ball of Robots', the month-long event at the city's Artplay Center features over 20 skilled robot entertainers from countries all around the world, including Canada, United States, Japan, France and New Zealand....

Judging by their looks, one would never guess that New Zealand's national bird - the tiny flightless kiwi and the colossal African elephant bird that roamed Madagascar until the 17th Century, had much in common. While the kiwi is roughly the size of a modern chicken and weighs between three to seven pounds, the elephant bird loomed a massive ten feet tall, and could weigh as much as 600 pounds! In addition to the difference in size, the two species lived 7,000 miles apart, making any connection between the two almost impossible....

The plan had been to create a beautiful nature park complete with a large artificial lake on the outskirts of the city of Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province in north-central China. However thanks to a cruel trick played by nature, what the officials have ended up with, is an unsalvageable sandy mess!...

Given that technology is being incorporated into every aspect of our life, it is not surprising to hear the emergence of 'smart' clothing that make lifeless fabrics fun and playful. London-based Cute Circuit has been creating interactive fashions like huggable shirts and dresses with live tweets since 2004. Now Hungarian designer Judit Eszter Karpati has joined the fray with Chromosonic, a high-tech material that changes color when exposed to touch or sound....

Visitors that dare to venture deep into the Western Amazon rainforest often encounter a strange sight - groups of butterflies hovering above yellow-spotted river turtles that are basking in the sun. What's even stranger is why they are there - To drink the tears from their eyes! And it's not because the beautiful insects are trying to comfort the reptiles, but because the tears contain the one ingredient that is lacking in their diet - sodium....

Always wanted to experience what it would be like to live in a gravity-free world? Then you may want to check out the 'Mystery Spot' - a nondescript barn located in the redwood forests that lie on the outskirts of the picturesque city of in California. That's because short of flying, you will be able to experience almost everything astronauts do, without ever leaving earth....

The idea that the mighty crocodile which can shred its prey to pieces within minutes, would even glance at a vegetable let alone eat it, seems almost insulting. But don't tell that to the residents of the Nyanyana crocodile farm that lies on the shores of the world's largest artificial lake, Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba. They apparently are completely vegetarian....

A team of paleontologists in South America recently announced that they have found the remains of what may be the biggest dinosaur found yet. According to their estimates, the unnamed giant, a new species of the Titanosaur, weighed at least 77 tons, stood 65-feet high and measured 130-feet long, from head to tail. In contrast, the previous record holder, the Argentinosaurus, which stood a slightly taller 70-feet, is believed to have weighed just 70 tons and measured 115-feet in length....

Scientists have often pondered over how the eight-armed octopus avoids getting tangled around itself. This mystery was particularly perplexing given that each tentacle is lined with hundreds of suckers that are strong enough to stick to almost anything. Also, unlike animals with rigid skeletons, the mollusks have no idea where their arms are at any given moment....

One of the most popular ways to demonstrate this year's severe US winter appeared to be tossing out a glass of boiling water and watching it freeze instantly, in mid-air. Of course, the reason the fun experiment impressed viewers is because nobody expects boiling water to turn to ice that quickly. Turns out that contrary to intuitive thinking, it actually solidifies faster than cold water! Why? That's a mystery still waiting to be solved....

With fishing trawlers increasingly tossing nets deeper into the ocean, tales of innocent marine animals being entangled are becoming all too common. Late last month, that was exactly what happened to a humpback whale that was making its way through the waters of California's Monterey Bay....

A man named Rick finally got to experience what Mother's Day feels like this year, thanks to 13 little ducklings that think that he is their mother and follow him around all day. The unusual saga began when the mother of the young chicks disappeared soon after laying the eggs....

A team of scientists led by University of Texas, Austin, astronomer Ivan Ramirez have identified a star that they believe is one of many siblings our sun has floating around the Universe. Formed 4.5 billion years ago from the same large interstellar cloud that gave birth to our sun, it is 15% larger and lies 110 light-years away in the constellation Hercules. Though not visible with the unaided eye, HD 162826 that lies close to bright star Vega, can be easily viewed with low-power binoculars....