Articles with 400-600 Words

Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, have tremendous potential to deliver emergency supplies to remote or disaster-struck regions. However, they are expensive to mass produce and often require special pads to launch and land safely. Additionally, the need for the aircraft to maintain enough battery life to return, cuts the delivery distance to half. But these issues may be history, thanks to an affordable and disposable drone that is designed for a one way journey....

Move over, Atlantis! A real lost continent has been discovered by a team of geologists led by Lewis D. Ashwal from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. The scientists, who have named it Mauritia, believe that the landmass was once part of Gondwana, the supercontinent that included most of the landmasses in the modern-day Southern Hemisphere, and the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent that are now part of the Northern Hemisphere....

In retrospect, 2016 was a banner year for exploding devices. The trend began when hoverboards — two-wheeled self-balancing motorized devices — randomly began to burst into flames, hurting riders and causing millions of dollars in property damages. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 mobile phone, which debuted to stellar reviews in August faced similar issues and was withdrawn from the market by October. It turns out that all the mishaps were the result of malfunctioning lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries used to power the devices....

Every February 14, people worldwide demonstrate their affection for family members, friends, teachers, and significant others with a gift or two. However, this display of love does not come cheap. The National Retail Federation say that 55% of Americans will celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, spending an average of $136.57 USD each. Though lower than the $146.84 USD expended in 2016, it will add a respectable $18 billion USD to the economy! It is no wonder that retailers love the holiday....

Gordon, the barista at San Francisco’s Cafe X, will not greet you by your name or wish you a pleasant day. However, the one thing Gordon will guarantee is “precision crafted specialty coffee in seconds, the way the roaster intended.” That’s because Gordon is not a human, but a robotic arm programmed to make the perfect cup of java, using beans and recipes from local favorites like Peet’s, Verve Coffee Roasters and AKA Coffee....

A mako shark is being dubbed the “Energizer Bunny” after traveling a distance of half the globe, or 13,000 miles (just over 21,000 km), in less than two years. According to researchers at the Nova Southeastern University's (NSU) Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI), it is the longest track recorded in the Atlantic Ocean by a tagged mako shark....

Avid Pokémon video and card game fans were recently called upon to use their expertise for an unusual task – to help scientists understand the inner workings of the brain. Specifically, Weiwei Zhang, an assistant professor at the University of California, Riverside, wanted to learn the connection between the short-term — or working memory — and long-term memory....

Wish to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday celebrations, but skip the NFL game? Then tune into Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl! The idea to create a show that features puppies “playing” ball came about in 2005 when the programming team was brainstorming ways to attract viewers on Super Bowl Sunday. While filming the animals on a football field was initially suggested in jest, it resonated with the team. After all, who doesn't like watching cute puppies frolicking around?...

As is the case every February 2, thousands of people gathered at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania early in the morning to witness legendary groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, predict the length of this year’s winter. Given the gloomy weather and scattered snow showers, it appeared highly unlikely that the animal would see his shadow, the indication of an extended winter....