An Australian bank representative recently yanked an unsuspecting woman back from the brink of the financial oblivion she was about to throw herself into resulting from an internet scam. Westpac Bank trains its employees to poke questions at anyone engaging in strange transactions, and after the teller’s suspicions were aroused,…

Scientists have developed a new solar-powered system to convert saltwater into fresh drinking water which they say could help reduce dangerous the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera. Via tests in rural communities, they showed that the process is more than 20% cheaper than traditional methods and can be deployed…

An Akita named ‘Hero’ saved his owner’s life last week in an incredible tale of loyalty and resilience that saw him remain by his side through two frigid Alberta nights, fend off coyotes, and eventually alert rescuers. Winning plaudits for his name and deed the world over, a GoFundMe raised…

40 years ago today, Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian ever launched into space when he rode aboard the Interkosmos Soyuz T-11 to the Soviets’ space station Salyut-7. He remains the only Indian citizen to reach the final frontier. Sharma spent 7 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes aboard the…

A gorilla’s chest beating is an incredible sight, and sound, to behold, but new research based on years of observation of mountain gorillas shows there’s much we never understood about this iconic acoustic. Since people first went to see King Kong, or since gamers first met Donkey Kong from the…

If you’re the kind of person who likes rare things, then the toromiro tree would be a truly exceptional addition to your ornamental garden. That’s the only place you’re likely to find the toromiro these days, 70 years after it went extinct on its native island of Rapa Nui—which most…

Coffee grounds have been tested in a laboratory setting for their potential use as a cleanup agent of common agricultural runoff, suggesting that along with compost, snail repellent, and many other uses, used coffee grounds could protect water sources from agricultural pollution. The study looked at bentazone—a common herbicide used…

Compared to those who sailed away to fight in World War II, and to those who awaited their return, the average brain size in a human today has grown 6.6%, according to a new study. In addition to being 6.6% denser, the surface area of a modern brain is around…

51 years ago today, the federal government of India, under the administration of Indira Gandhi, implemented Project Tiger, a comprehensive strategy to try and reverse the decline of India’s Bengal tigers across the country. By 2006, camera trap surveys created an estimate that the total tiger population numbered 1,411 individuals.…