The nation that put the first man on the Moon is failing to make the grade today when it comes to basic knowledge of the solar system and other fundamental scientific insight. That’s according to a new survey which concludes that while most Americans have a world of information at their fingertips, and show tremendous enthusiasm for new technology, they also lack fundamental knowledge of basic science. Out... 

The heaviest snowfall in decades has left 12 dead and more than 1,500 injured across Japan, local media reported on Sunday. The snow has paralyzed the public transport system and left hundreds of thousands without electricity. One person died in a snow-related traffic accident in the city of Shizuoka located south of the capital Tokyo early on Saturday, police said. Another two people died in car... 

Fishing boats are seen berthed at Dalijia fishing port in Dalian, northeast China’s Liaoning Province. China is set to construct the world’s longest underwater tunnel, which will connect two of its northern port cities in an earthquake-prone region, an expert involved in the project says. Under the USD36 billion project, a 123-kilometre tunnel will be built as a shortcut between Dalian... 

Facebook has bowed to pressure from LGBT activists by creating over 50 new custom gender options, meaning users can identify as things like “gender fluid,” “transmasculine” or “two spirit”. Leftist commentators are already hailing the decision, joyous that it will drive conservatives crazy. “It screams of “political correctness gone mad,” writes the Guardian’s Paris Lees, “and... 

The Belgian parliament has passed a bill that extends the right to euthanasia to children under 18, making the country the first to completely lift age restrictions on euthanasia to minors. On Thursday, the lower house of parliament adopted the controversial legislation by 86 votes in favor, 44 against and with 12 abstentions. The adoption of the ground-breaking legislation followed approval by the... 

A heavy winter storm that slammed the US southeast and made its way up to the north has left over a dozen people dead and knocked out electricity to hundreds of thousands of American homes. The giant storm, called “Snowmaggedon”, has also caused massive traffic jams on roads. Meanwhile, air travelers are also confused as hundreds of flights have been called off. Most outbound flights from Newark,... 

The European Commission is set to authorize the growing of genetically modified maize on European soil, despite 19 member states voting against the move, highlighting the “absurd” rules of weighted votes in the EU. In a debate on Tuesday, 19 EU member states indicated that they would vote against the authorization of genetically modified maize because of health and environmental concerns and opposition... 

Would you like to have an RFID microchip implanted under your skin? If you are anything like me, you would never allow such a thing to be done. But many others, especially among the younger generations, see things very differently. RFID microchip implants and other forms of “wearable technology” are increasingly being viewed as “cool”, “trendy” and “cutting edge” by young people that... 

Top officials from North Korea and the neighboring South have held the highest-level government talks in years, ahead of the planned reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. Talks between the two sides were held on Wednesday at the border truce village of Panmunjom on the southern side of the border. The last official high-level meetings between North and South Korea were held in December... 

“The U.S. worked hard to create the American dream of opportunity. But today, that dream is a myth.” Economist Joseph Stiglitz, Financial Times If you follow the financial news, you already know that the American people are on an epic downer. Just check out some of these headlines I pulled up in a five minute Internet search and you’ll see what I mean: “Gloom and doom? Americans more pessimistic... 

The number of Americans that renounced their citizenship was 221 percent higher in 2013 than it was in 2012. That is a staggering figure, and it is symptomatic of a larger trend. In recent years, a lot of really good people with very deep roots in this country have made the difficult decision to say goodbye to the United States permanently. A few actually go to the trouble to renounce their citizenship,... 

A new battlefield lifesaver in the form of a syringe can seal a gunshot wound in just seconds. Supporters hope the ‘XStat’ will replace gauze, which army medics have used to treat life threatening war injuries for centuries. The device was designed by US company RevMedx, which claims the apparatus can stop a wound from bleeding in just 15 seconds. The XStat is a modified syringe that injects tiny... 

After a powerful winter storm knocked out power for more than one million people in the Northeastern United States, hundreds of thousands remain in the dark as utility crews rush to restore electricity. Dubbed “Winter Storm Nika” by the Weather Channel, this was the second blizzard to strike the Northeast this week. Nika dropped more than a foot of snow in some areas, but it did the most damage... 

Animal study indicates that a type of food poisoning bacterium known as Clostridium perfringens can develop Multiple Sclerosis damage in the brain. Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College in the United States, through lab tests in mice, found that a toxin made by a rare strain of C. perfringens is responsible for MS-like damage. While the exact cause of Multiple sclerosis (MS) has not been... 

The president of Uruguay has been nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. According to his advocates, José “Pepe” Mujica’s much talked-about marijuana legalization is in fact “a tool for peace and understanding.” For the second year in a row, the Drugs Peace Institute, which has supported Mujica’s marijuana legalization drive since 2012, insisting that the consumption...