In what is being described as an “important first step,” for marine protections in the island nation of New Zealand, 5 new marine preserves will enter into force next month.

Scientists trudging through Nicaragua’s rainforest have identified a “hotbed” of avocado species diversity.

The fruit was first transported hundreds of miles to Central America from South America around 5,000 years ago, and the American researchers uncovered genetic traces of this ancient migration in the fruit’s DNA.

Happy 55th Birthday to the amazing musician and singer Alison Krauss, who has won more Grammys than almost anyone. A teenage prodigy in Decatur, Illinois, she was attracted to bluegrass music and was winning contests at age 10—and at 16 showed off her extraordinary fiddle playing on a debut album with a major label. Her soundtrack performance for O Brother, Where Art Thou? was credited with helping renew Americans’ interest in bluegrass music. CHECK OUT her fiddle skills in “Man of Constant Sorrow” on YouTube, playing with her longtime band, Union Station—and WATCH her perform the ballad, When You Say Nothing At All... (1971)

A man who was paralyzed from the chest down is now regaining hand and arm control thanks to a double neural bypass surgery—by using a computer to connect his brain with the nerves in his hand and arms.

245 years ago today, the Articles of Confederation were officially adopted by the Continental Congress after ratification by all 13 states as the supreme law of the land in post-Revolutionary America. Calling into existence the most limited and constrained form of government ever achieved by modern man, affording it only those powers the former colonies had recognized as belonging to the King of England. There was no president, no executive agencies, no judiciary, and no tax base. READ More… (1781)

Older male whales are more successful at mating than their younger rivals because they are better singers, suggests new research.

The older singing whales are increasingly successful at birthing offspring compared to younger males, with the findings suggesting that the humpbacks may need time to learn and refine their singing and competitive tactics—giving experienced males a clear advantage.

A Colorado man was given a heartwarming surprise last week, after his granddaughter reached out to strangers who provided one last look at his favorite thing—a classic car show.

“I just wanted to do something special for him,” his granddaughter, Annaliesse Garcia, told KDVR News.

A Monopoly World Champion has shared his top tips for winning your next game—and his first piece of advice is to always buy the ‘orange’ properties.

As the iconic board game celebrates its 90th birthday this year, Jason Bunn, who once won the world title, talked to SWNS news agency about his successful strategies.

Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

2,228 years ago today, the Gaozu Emperor (given name Liu Bang) claimed the Mandate of Heaven and established the Han Dynasty—one of the three great dynasties of a unified Imperial China. Among the hundreds of Chinese emperors, Liu Bang was among the few born to a peasant family. Though he ruled briefly—just 7 years—it was enough to usher in the historical era known in the West as the first Pax Sinica, from as far south as the Pearl River to as far north as the Mongolian steps, and as far west as Xinjiang. In the last years of his reign, he instituted free-market reforms including privatized coinage and lower taxes. READ more about his life and the founding of the Han Dynasty… (202 BCE)

A neat feat of calculation and deduction may have solved one of our solar system’s greatest mysteries.

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is bigger than Mercury, yet for all its conspicuousness, scientists don’t know exactly how it came to be so large that it’s gravitational influence causes Saturn to tilt and wobble.

The UK’s first geothermal power plant has just begun operations, using hot water from deep underground to create renewable electricity.