Three men stranded on a remote Pacific island for a week were successfully rescued on April 9, 2024, thanks to their clever "help" signal made using palm fronds.
Read news articleThree men stranded on a remote Pacific island for a week were successfully rescued on April 9, 2024, thanks to their clever "help" signal made using palm fronds.
Read news articleOn April 21, 2024, the 10.5-mile-wide (17 km) Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also called "Devil Comet," will make its closest approach to the Sun. As it comes near the star, the comet will brighten significantly and be visible in the western sky an hour after sunset. The icy rock will appear as a fuzzy glowing patch with a faint tail streaking behind.
Read news articleHumans and chimpanzees share 98.8 percent of their DNA, so it's not surprising that they display similar behaviors and traits. They include communicating through gestures and vocalizations, and using tools to complete tasks. Now, new research reveals that chimpanzees employ human-like military tactics to evaluate risk and expand their territories.
Read news articleThe United Kingdom (UK) Antarctic Heritage Trust is looking to hire five people — a base leader, a shop manager, and three general assistants — to work at the "Penguin Post Office" in Port Lockroy, Antarctica. The five-month stint is open to UK residents over the age of 18. It will begin in early November 2024 and last until March 2025.
Read news articleIn a world first, doctors at the Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General) in Boston have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a living person. The March 21, 2024, announcement came just months after the successful completion of similar transplants in deceased individuals. The historic four-hour surgery took place on March 16, 2024. The 15-member transplant team included experts who had spent their entire careers working on organ research.
Read news articleIn the summer of 2023, Lohit Y.T. and his team at the World Wildlife Fund-India traveled to the foothills of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, India. They hoped to research the area's amphibians and reptiles, which often emerge during the humid monsoon season. While documenting a cluster of about 40 Rao's intermediate golden-backed frogs near a small pond, the naturalists noticed something unusual. One of the amphibians had a mushroom sprouting from its side!
Read news articleFor people who enjoy pranks, there is no better holiday than April Fools' Day. Celebrated annually on April 1, it is the only day of the year when light-hearted tricks are not frowned upon. The origin of this fun tradition is hazy. Some maintain that it started in 1582 when the world moved from the Julian calendar — which began the new year in April — to the current Gregorian calendar. Others think it was to celebrate the onset of spring.
Read news articleEaster, the oldest and most important Christian festival, will be observed on March 31, 2024. The holiday commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many American adults mark the event by attending special church services. For children in the US, Easter means egg hunts, parades, and the Easter Bunny. But not everyone celebrates the holiday with these traditions. Here are a few fun customs from around the world.
Read news articleEvery spring, many fish species migrate from the Vecht, a branch of the Rhine River, to the shallow waters of the Kromme Rijn River to spawn and reproduce. However, their journey often stops at the Weerdsluis lock in Utrecht, Netherlands. The manually operated lock, designed to maintain the canal's water levels, rarely opens in the spring months. But now, thanks to an interactive "fish doorbell," the marine animals are able to reach their destination with little or no disruption.
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