Elephant that got prosthetic leg in 2006 still walking strong An Asian elephant that lost her right foreleg in a landmine explosion in 2006 was able to walk normally again after Thai orthopedic surgeon Therdchai Jivacate created a prosthetic leg for her. …

Solar panels in space China is planning to have a commercial-scale solar power plant in space by 2050. The power station will capture the sun’s energy more directly and beam it back to Earth. The main advantage a space-based solar power station has over an Earth-based facility is the presence…

Birds can sense disaster coming In April 2014, more than 80 tornadoes swept through the southern and central United States, causing 35 fatalities and $1bn in property damage, but according to a study published in Current Biology, a species of birds known as golden-winged warblers, sensed the tornadoes coming a…

Rare rhino saved but dies soon after The sighting, in March 2016, of a Sumatran rhino in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, was a big deal because the species of rhino was thought to be extinct in the region. This was the first time in 40…

Clams tell us about climate change The next time you go to the beach to pick up seashells, or eat a meal with clams in it, think about this: Researchers say they can tell a lot about climate change just by studying the rings on a clam’s shell. Clams have…

Big dams, big problems Dams have many benefits, but some governments are building them as prestige projects, and these are damaging the environment. The purpose of dams Rivers are precious but unpredictable sources of water. They dry up during hot seasons, overflow and cause floods during periods of heavy rainfall. …

Superpowers: Russia Historical Background from 200 to 1914 200–600: Many ethnic groups including Slavs, Turks, and Bulgars settle in Russia. 862: The semi-legendary (meaning: having historical foundation but elaborated in legend) Viking, or *Varangian, leader Oleg, ruler of Novgorod founds Kievan Rus, the first major East Slavic state. …

What is a superpower? A superpower is a country that has tremendous swaying power on the world stage. It is militarily and economically powerful and its cooperation is necessary in solving the world’s problems. A superpower perceives its own interests as having a direct impact on the world and, inversely, it sees the world’s…

Conflict Zones: Syria Historical Background In October 1918, Arab forces under Emir Feisal, supported by the British, captured Damascus, bringing to a close 400 years of Ottoman rule. In 1919, Emir Feisal, during the Versailles peace conference held after the defeat of Germany and the Ottoman Empire during World War One, proposed Arab…