The Tomb Of Romulus?

Is this the tomb of Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome? Recently, archeologists in Rome discovered a tomb underneath the Forum -- a plaza with ruins of ancient buildings. The Forum is believed to have been the center of ancient Rome. The tomb has an altar dedicated to Romulus. However, the sarcophagus (coffin) inside the tomb is empty. This raises the question of whether or not it really belonged to Romulus. Some historians even argue that Romulus and Remus did not exist and that the tomb was just a place where Romulus was celebrated. The Legend of Romulus and Remus Romulus was said to...

The Pale Blue Dot Turns Thirty!

On February 14th this year, space enthusiasts celebrated the 30th anniversary of a very special photograph -- a speck of dust caught in a beam of light. This "Pale Blue Dot" is a photo of Earth taken from a distance of 3.7 billion miles) by NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe as it headed out of our solar system. Our Earth takes up a mere one-tenth of a pixel; the rest of the picture is layered beams of scattered light against the empty darkness of space. It is a reminder of how isolated we are in the universe — but also how, in this isolated space of existence, those of us on planet Earth are all...

What Would Our Earth Look Like Without Oceans?

James O'Donoghue, a planetary scientist from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, recently remade a 2008 animation from NASA, revealing what the world would look like if the oceans were drained. The animation was recreated at a higher resolution and a tracker was included to identify how much water was being drained. Let's look at the video first and some of the things that we learned. Topographical Features In the animation, we witness how, after only a few hundred feet of water are drained, undersea land immediately begins to appear on the edges of continents. These formations, known as...

Where Are The Bumblebees?

Their loud buzzing sounds and large furry bodies can send one running for cover! While bumblebees may look intimidating, they are, in fact, one of the gentlest bee species. They do not form swarms or sting unless provoked. Unfortunately, these bees are on a decline. Scientists looked at 66 different species of bumblebees and found that 47% had disappeared from North America and 17% from Europe, compared to the period before 1974. Scientists also compared the declining bee population with changes in climate and their habitats over the past 100 years. From this, they were able to conclude that...

Mice Fight In A Winning Picture!

We have seen people fight people, but never has the world seen a mouse fight another mouse..until now. Sam Rowley is a Bristol-based wildlife filmmaker and photographer. He is also the winner of the People's Choice Award at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition held by the Natural History Museum. He won this award for taking a picture of two mice fighting over crumb in the London Underground Station. Each year, wildlife photographers across the world turn in entries to an international jury of photography experts. The primary aim of the contest is to challenge the stereotypes of...

The Newest Oldest Man Alive

[Update Feb 25, 2020: Chitetsu Watanabe passed away at age 112, just days after receiving the title.] Chitetsu Watanabe, a man from Niigata, Japan was recently named the oldest man alive by the Guinness World Records. He is currently 112 years old and 344 days as of when he was honored with the title. He was born on March 5th, 1907 as the first of eight children. When asked about the secret to living such a long life, he answered, “not to get angry and keep a smile on your face.” Chitetsu does not let his age limit him. He exercises daily and keeps his mind sharp by making origami,...

Fires Out In Australia

Since July, hazardous bushfires have been burning throughout Australia (read our earlier articles) The fires have burned about 5.4 million hectares of land and destroyed more than 2,400 homes. It caused thousands to seek refuge elsewhere and killed an estimated one billion animals. The air pollution in Canberra, Australia, was the third-worst in the world on January 3, 2020. The black carbon, which is toxic to humans, has traveled thousands of miles to New Zealand and South America and is affecting people there. How Were The Fires Put Out? Australia rejoiced when heavy rain came down and...

A Car-Sized Turtle Once Roamed The Earth!

Pet turtles are, at most, the size of your hand, right? Now imagine a turtle the same size as a small car! On February 12, paleontologists uncovered the fossils of the Stupendemys geographicus , an ancient species of freshwater turtles, that were up to thirteen feet long! Found in Northern Venezuela and the Tatacoa Desert, the turtles lived twelve to four million years ago during the Miocene Epoch. These fossils will aid paleontologists in learning more about the turtle’s habitat and behavior. Let’s learn more about this exciting discovery! The Golden Age! The Miocene Epoch, which spanned 23...

The Little Fairy

There once was a little girl named Scarlet. She lived in the small town of Red Hill. Her father was a car engineer and her mother was a 2nd-grade teacher. One day, Scarlet went outside and in her backyard nothing was normal. She thought it must be a trick of the light, but it wasn’t. In front of her, she saw a tiny rose garden, tiny straw houses and the most beautiful butterflies she ever laid eyes on. She whispered in a small soft voice to excite to speak. “Hello” she began, “Is anybody there”. The sweet Scottish girl suddenly heard something. “Over there, “said a squeaky voice. “I heard her...

Orangutan Lends A Hand!

Orangutans, translated into English as “person of the forest,” are one of the most endangered apes in the world. The main threats to the orangutan population are loss of habitat through deforestation, palm oil plantations, poaching and illegal pet trade. Around 2000 to 3000 orangutans are killed each year. Orangutans are the only species of great apes from Asia. The other great apes- including gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees- all come from Africa. Orangutans only reside in the Southeast Asian Islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The Viral Clip Recently from Borneo, a video clip went viral of a...

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