The quarter dollar is both the most commonly-used coin in the American currency and the most unique. Since 1999, the coin's reverse, or "tails," side has showcased all 50 US states, as well as the breathtaking beauty of the country's national parks. Now, the US Mint plans to use the silver canvas to celebrate female leaders who have played a crucial part in shaping the nation's history....
Read news articleThe annual 3-to 4-millimeter rise in sea levels is expected to impact many coastal communities in the coming decades. However, few are as vulnerable as the Republic of the Maldives, a collection of more than a thousand picturesque islands in the Indian Ocean. NASA researchers believe that parts of what is "arguably the lowest-lying country in the world" will become uninhabitable by 2050, due to wave-driven flooding and limited freshwater. To combat the inevitable, the government recently unveiled plans for the world's first "true" floating island city....
Read news articleDarius, one of the world's most famous rabbits, has disappeared! The massive, 4 foot 3-inch long Continental Giant, who has held the Guinness World Record for the "longest living rabbit" since 2010, vanished from his backyard in the village of Stoulton, England, on April 10, 2021. The local police, who are frantically searching for Darius, believe he was stolen from his enclosure overnight on Saturday....
Read news articleAn ancient volcanic space rock found in the Algerian Sahara Desert, may provide scientists with insights into the building blocks of planets. Dubbed Erg Chech 002, or EC 002, the meteorite is believed to be a remnant of a protoplanet dating back 4.6 billion years — about the time when our solar system was being formed....
Read news articleWith just one correct answer out of 43 quintillion possible combinations, it is not surprising that most people spend days, if not months, trying to solve the Rubik's Cube. However, don't tell that to speedcuber extraordinaire Atharva R Bhat. The eight-year-old from Bangalore, India, just established a new Guinness World Record (GWR ) by solving three of the 3x3 rotating puzzles simultaneously in an astonishing one minute and 29.97 seconds....
Read news articleOn March 21, 2021, Earth will have its closest encounter with 2001 FO32 — the largest and fastest-known asteroid scheduled to fly past our planet this year. The space rock, estimated to be between 2,526 feet ( 0.47 miles) and 5,577 feet (1.05 miles) in diameter, will zip past Earth at a staggering speed of 76,980 miles per hour (123,887 km/h). To put it in perspective, that is about 100 times faster than the speed of sound!...
Read news articleTrash Panda, the Fulton County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency's (ESDA) feline mascot, often featured in the organization's memes to spread safety information, has openly declared his love for Fruity Pebbles. So the cereal's manufacturer, Post Consumer Brands, decided to surprise the two-year-old rescue cat with an honor usually reserved for star athletes like Michael Jordan and Simone Biles — its face featured on a cereal box....
Read news articleWhen RM Sotheby's was commissioned to sell a Ferrari 330 P2 Junior, they expected it to fetch between $6,000 and $12,000 (5,000 to 10,000 euros). As it turned out, the experts had significantly underestimated the vehicle's value. On February 13, 2021, an enthusiastic bidder paid a record $145,445 (120,000 euros) — including the auctioneer's 20 percent commission — for the pristinely-preserved replica of one of Ferrari's finest 1960s sports-racing cars....
Read news articleLocated in California's Sierra Nevada mountains, Yosemite National Park is famous for its giant, ancient sequoia trees and impressive rock formations, like El Capitan and Half Dome. However, from mid-to-late February each year, the pristine preserve's main attraction is Horsetail Fall — a temporary waterfall that flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan every winter. During the brief two-week-period, the 1,500-foot-tall waterfall frequently transforms into a spectacular natural Firefall....
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