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Ants Trapped Inside Abandoned Nuclear Bunker Develop A Unique Society

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Ants Trapped Inside Abandoned Nuclear Bunker Develop A Unique Society

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Wood ants at work inside the abandoned bunker (Photo Credit: Wojciech Stephan)

The fact that ants are fascinating insects has been known for some time. The tiny creatures that make their way around using their built-in GPS, survive floods by morphing into living rafts and are even reputed to predict earthquakes. Now, scientists have discovered a colony of wood ants living in a dark underground barren bunker despite having no apparent source of food.

Built by the Soviet Union to store nuclear weapons, the bunker located in in Templewo, Poland, was abandoned after the end of the Cold War. Eventually, a large colony of wood ants took up residence in the soil above, building a 60-cm high nest directly over the bunker's vertical ventilation pipe. As years passed, the metal covering on the pipe eroded, leaving behind a gaping hole that thousands of worker ants accidentally slip into each day, as they go about their daily chores.

Colony of free ants provide a constant supply of worker ants to the bunker below (Photo Credit: Wojciech Stephan)

Polish Academy of Sciences zoologist Wojciech Czechowski and his team began studying the underground colony in 2013, after they were discovered by colleagues researching the population of bats in the bunker. The scientists, who published their observations in the Journal of Hymenoptera in late August, say that besides the bats and mites that feed on the dead ants, there are no other visible sources of food in the bunker. This means that the insects live in a state of near starvation and are probably dying at a rate faster than they would at the surface.

In July 2015, the researchers disturbed part of the ant mound in search of larvae, pupae, empty cocoons, and queens.They found nothing, leading them to suspect that the lack of food and cold temperatures made reproduction impossible and that the group tending the nest is entirely composed of non-reproductive female workers. Their population is replenished every year, by a new rain of unfortunate ants, that slide down the ventilation shaft, never to see the light of day again.

Wood ants repair the mound disturbed by researchers looking for offspring (Photo Credit: Wojciech Stephan)

The researchers say that when they returned in January 2016, the mound had been repaired. It appears that despite the inhospitable conditions and having no queen or ant brood to care for, the worker ants do not stop constructing and maintaining their nest.

The tidy insects have also created a cemetery on the flat area of the bunker to put their perished companions to rest. Czechowski estimates that layer, a few centimeters thick, comprised over two million dead ants. Interestingly enough, while many ants were seen scaling the 2.3-meter high bunker walls, none were observed on the ceiling. This means that the ants never get near the ventilation pipe that would enable them to return home.

The mound of the bunker 'colony' in close-up. In the background, against the wall, an ant 'cemetery' is visible. (Photo Credit: Wojciech Stephan)

Wood ants are known for their ability to adapt to notably suboptimal living conditions, including dark caves, remote islands, and small closed boxes. However, the foragers have always been in charge of the location of the nest. In this case, the millions of worker ants trapped in the bunker have no choice. But instead of despairing, they are making the best of the situation - a classic example of "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

Resources: popularmechanics.com,inverse.com,phys.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ants Trapped Inside Abandoned Nuclear Bunker Develop A Unique Society

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The fact that ants are fascinating insects has been known for some time. The tiny creatures that make their way around using their built-in GPS, survive floods by morphing into living rafts and are even reputed to predict earthquakes.

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Trump and Trudeau: Unbridgeable voids, but some sunny similarities too

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Trump and Trudeau: Unbridgeable voids, but some sunny similarities too

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It's impossible to explain a Donald Trump presidency to my three strong-willed daughters.

They are inconsolable that a highly-experienced glass-shattering woman got trumped by a man who sizes up women for their grabbing potential and groping worthiness.

But, in the spirit of transitional unity, let us pause to view Trump and his future Canadian connection as a glass one-tenth full instead of nine-tenths empty.

There are similarities and possible advantages amid the stark disparities and disadvantages.

Consider why Trump and Justin Trudeau came to lead their respective nations.

They're both agents of real change elected by voters angrily rejecting longevity in the status quo.

They both sell a sunny view of economic revival and share a drive to elevate their countries in a shaken-up world order.

And when you dig down into the rebar and concrete of their economic plans, there are parallels.

For example, Trump plans to build a great wall - and hand the bill to Mexico.

Trudeau plans to build massive infrastructure across Canada - and hand the bill to our grandchildren.

Trump pledges to green light the Keystone XL pipeline. That might do Trudeau a favour, sparing him the fallout of a Canada alternative if Keystone brings on-line enough oilsands export capacity.

On softwood lumber, conventional wisdom has Trump protecting the U.S. lumber lobby. But once consumers realize the cost of new homes will spike if Canadian lumber is whacked with hefty tariffs, my bet is a lowest-cost developer like Trump will tell the American industry to get competitive and stop whining.

It's also doubtful he'll thicken our border. Billions of dollars in car parts ship from Canada to Michigan and his new friends in those auto assembly factories will not tolerate waiting for just-in-time deliveries to penetrate a Windsor-Detroit roadblock.

There are unbridgeable voids in many areas, particularly on the environment. And it's safe to say the two have very different notions of locker room conversation.

But even my daughters would agree there's one piece of advice the incoming president desperately needs from his Canadian counterpart.

Justin Trudeau has the secret to great hair. Donald Trump's is just a cover up.

That's the Last Word.

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Trump and Trudeau: Unbridgeable voids, but some sunny similarities too

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's impossible to explain a Donald Trump presidency to my three strong-willed daughters. They are inconsolable that a highly-experienced glass-shattering woman got trumped by a man who sizes up women for their grabbing potential and groping worthiness.

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Newsela | Pluto is likely home to an ocean deep beneath its surface

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Virtual reality experiences that won't hurt your wallet

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Virtual reality experiences that won't hurt your wallet

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Virtual reality, what's up with that? If you are curious about this highly buzzed high-tech form of entertainment but don't feel like plunking down $1,000 or more on sophisticated hardware, just visit one of a slew of amusement-park-type rides popping up around the world.

These experiences let you shoot aliens while riding a real-life roller coaster , cook a meal with a Japanese heartthrob or cozy up to players and cheerleaders at a baseball game.

One day, home VR systems will likely be common enough to make VR destinations unnecessary, just as video-game arcades are now rare. For now, though, these public attractions offer your best chance at giving you a taste of VR.

-----

ROLLING WITH VR

At Six Flags theme parks in the U.S., the price of regular admission - roughly $50 - gives you access to a roller coaster redone with virtual reality overlaid on top.

At Magic Mountain near Los Angeles, that means strapping on a Samsung Gear VR headset to battle virtual alien invaders while in real life you're hurtling around a 40-year-old track of twisted steel. You don't steer or aim really, but you can look around the world as your ship blasts aliens in foreign spaceships.

It's a mind-blowing experience that combines a fictional futuristic setting with actual sensations you can get only from having your body tossed around. Check it out: https://youtu.be/d-uKEC1JWDk .

Pro tip: Go around twice, once with the headset on and once without, and decide for yourself which scares you more.

- Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer, Santa Clarita, California.

-----

VIRTUAL HEARTTHROB

Fans of Japanese heartthrob actor Kento Yamazaki have to pinch themselves to keep from kissing him when he leans in with lazy machismo at a virtual-reality event in Tokyo.

In one restaurant scene presented by Fuji TV on Sony's PlayStation VR headgear, you've just cooked a pasta dish. Yamazaki, a squeeze from the hit TV show "When There is Someone You Love," condescendingly but lovingly tells you it could use a squeeze of lemon.

He then brings the pasta-wrapped fork to your mouth. Cue melted hearts.

In another scene, you are side by side with him on a balcony, looking up at the moon and stars. It's hokey and predictable, but a must-feel outing for fans.

The experience was part of a summer festival that cost 2,000 yen (about $18). Though you missed this one, Fuji TV is already planning others and has demonstrated VR dating with a TV show announcer.

- Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer, Tokyo

-----

WHO ARE YOU GOING TO CALL?

Madame Tussaud's Ghostbusters.

Experience what it's like to be a Ghostbuster who zaps ghosts.

A $55 ticket gives museum goers entry to the 15-minute VR experience, too (normal admission is about $30). Strap on a "proton pack" - a cleverly hidden VR computer - like Ghostbusters wear in the eponymous movies. Then grab a particle thrower, wear a VR headset and start blasting ghosts.

Up to three people can go through the experience together. Through the headset, your friends become (white, male) avatars of Ghostbusters. A dingy New York apartment is soon teeming with ghosts. Firing your particle thrower wraps a stream of protons around them, just like in the movie. After entering a dim elevator, Slimer rushes toward you, and before you know it, you've been slimed.

And as you and your teammates vanquish the Stay Puft marshmallow man, the smell of burnt marshmallow hangs in the air.

- Mae Anderson, AP Technology Writer, New York

-----

PLAY BALL

With 10 VR cameras near first and third bases, fans of the KT Wiz baseball team can get up close to the players and cheerleaders.

The technology isn't perfect. The camera placements don't make you feel as though you're on the mound, while fuzzy resolution masks which way the ball is headed and makes the scoreboard difficult to see. And a transmission delay means seeing plays on the Samsung Gear VR some 15 seconds after everyone else around you.

"It was good to see the players close," said Choi Eun-young, 40, clad in a Wiz uniform and black wizard hat. "But baseball games are the best when you come in person."

It's worth a try, though, if you want to experience South Korean baseball's festive culture and see the live K-pop dance up-close. Baseball in Korea is the equivalent of a live outdoor concert; cheerleaders perform to K-pop songs on stage, and the rest of the stadium becomes a giant picnic with family and friends.

There's no charge beyond the regular admission to the game, which starts at 10,000 won (about $8.50). But the experience is by invitation only and is meant for local, Korean-speaking fans. KT Corp., which owns the team, selects four or five families based on their messages about why they want a seat there.

Though the baseball season is over, KT says VR will likely return next year.

- Youkyung Lee, AP Technology Writer, Suwon, South Korea

-----

NOT IF YOU'RE AFRAID OF HEIGHTS ...

You can display your virtual courage in Tokyo by rescuing a mewling cat perched on a wooden plank that balances from the edge of a skyscraper.

Walking out on the plank includes one heart-stopping moment where the wood appears to bend slightly beneath your feet with the virtual sky stretching in all directions. Some participants were so freaked out they got on their hands and knees - for real - to keep going.

A fuzzy object that feels like a dead dog gets placed in your hands if you make it to the end. That's the extent of the illusion. If you're not convinced, you may feel like dropping the thing into the virtual abyss below.

The cat rescue is one of eight VR experiences created by game-maker Bandai Namco for HTC's Vive headset. Another entails shooting flying robotic spaceships with a manga-like female character as your co-pilot.

Each experience in VR Zone: Project I Can cost 700 yen (about $6.30) to 1,000 yen ($9). This one's over, but expect more like it to come.

- Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer, Tokyo

-----

TAKING A DIVE

At London's Natural History Museum, visitors can travel beneath the waves and explore the breathtaking Great Barrier Reef through virtual reality.

The museum's reef dive VR experience sits headset wearers next to British nature broadcaster Sir David Attenborough in a state-of-the-art submersible as it slowly descends to the ocean floor off the coast of Australia. There are vibrant coral reefs, darting fish and silhouetted scuba divers against the blue ocean.

Museum officials say they aren't worried these experiences might one day replace traditional museums.

"We see this as a real opportunity to show specimens in a new way, and we don't see it as replacing the amazing immersive experience you have when you come," says Celena Bretton, the museum's digital media strategy manager.

The 15-minute David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef Dive experience costs 6.50 British pounds ($8). The museum admission is free.

- James Brooks, AP Writer, London

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Virtual reality experiences that won't hurt your wallet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Virtual reality, what's up with that? If you are curious about this highly buzzed high-tech form of entertainment but don't feel like plunking down $1,000 or more on sophisticated hardware, just visit one of a slew of amusement-park-type rides popping up around the world.

# data[].attributes.headline
Video Of The Week — Have You Taken The Mannequin Challenge?

# data[].attributes.subject
Video Of The Week — Have You Taken The Mannequin Challenge?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
First Lady Michelle Obama and LeBron James doing the Mannequin Challenge. (Photo Credit: Cleveland Cavaliers via Twitter)

The Mannequin Challenge is the latest viral Internet video trend that is taking the world by storm. As the name indicates, it involves being frozen in action for about a minute while the video is being recorded, usually with a catchy tune playing in the background.

It is believed that #MannequinChallenge was started by students from Edward H. White School in Jacksonville, Florida on October 26. Since then, everyone from Hollywood celebrities like Kevin Hart, to tennis star Novak Djokovic to First Lady Michelle Obama, have joined in the fun. The challenge even reunited Destiny's Child singers Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams!

Hillary Clinton and Bon Jovi participate in the Mannequin Challenge (Photo Credit: YouTube screen capture)

How long the craze lasts remains to be seen. Given that it requires very little talent, the fad may stick around longer than most. However, you never know, so be sure to complete your Mannequin Challenge before it's too late!

Resources: NPR.com,wikipedia.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Video Of The Week - Have You Taken The Mannequin Challenge?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Mannequin Challenge is the latest viral Internet video trend that is taking the world by storm. As the name indicates, it involves being frozen in action for about a minute while the video is being recorded, usually with a catchy tune playing in the background.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ants Trapped Inside Abandoned Nuclear Bunker Develop A Unique Society

# data[].attributes.subject
Ants Trapped Inside Abandoned Nuclear Bunker Develop A Unique Society

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Wood ants at work inside the abandoned bunker (Photo Credit: Wojciech Stephan)

The fact that ants are fascinating insects has been known for some time. The tiny creatures that make their way around using their built-in GPS, survive floods by morphing into living rafts and are even reputed to predict earthquakes. Now, scientists have discovered a colony of wood ants living in a dark underground barren bunker despite having no apparent source of food.

Built by the Soviet Union to store nuclear weapons, the bunker located in in Templewo, Poland, was abandoned after the end of the Cold War. Eventually, a large colony of wood ants took up residence in the soil above, building a 60-cm high nest directly over the bunker's vertical ventilation pipe. As years passed, the metal covering on the pipe eroded, leaving behind a gaping hole that thousands of worker ants accidentally slip into each day, as they go about their daily chores.

Colony of free ants provide a constant supply of worker ants to the bunker below (Photo Credit: Wojciech Stephan)

Polish Academy of Sciences zoologist Wojciech Czechowski and his team began studying the underground colony in 2013, after they were discovered by colleagues researching the population of bats in the bunker. The scientists, who published their observations in the Journal of Hymenoptera in late August, say that besides the bats and mites that feed on the dead ants, there are no other visible sources of food in the bunker. This means that the insects live in a state of near starvation and are probably dying at a rate faster than they would at the surface.

In July 2015, the researchers disturbed part of the ant mound in search of larvae, pupae, empty cocoons, and queens.They found nothing, leading them to suspect that the lack of food and cold temperatures made reproduction impossible and that the group tending the nest is entirely composed of non-reproductive female workers. Their population is replenished every year, by a new rain of unfortunate ants, that slide down the ventilation shaft, never to see the light of day again.

Wood ants repair the mound disturbed by researchers looking for offspring (Photo Credit: Wojciech Stephan)

The researchers say that when they returned in January 2016, the mound had been repaired. It appears that despite the inhospitable conditions and having no queen or ant brood to care for, the worker ants do not stop constructing and maintaining their nest.

The tidy insects have also created a cemetery on the flat area of the bunker to put their perished companions to rest. Czechowski estimates that layer, a few centimeters thick, comprised over two million dead ants. Interestingly enough, while many ants were seen scaling the 2.3-meter high bunker walls, none were observed on the ceiling. This means that the ants never get near the ventilation pipe that would enable them to return home.

The mound of the bunker 'colony' in close-up. In the background, against the wall, an ant 'cemetery' is visible. (Photo Credit: Wojciech Stephan)

Wood ants are known for their ability to adapt to notably suboptimal living conditions, including dark caves, remote islands, and small closed boxes. However, the foragers have always been in charge of the location of the nest. In this case, the millions of worker ants trapped in the bunker have no choice. But instead of despairing, they are making the best of the situation - a classic example of "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

Resources: popularmechanics.com,inverse.com,phys.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ants Trapped Inside Abandoned Nuclear Bunker Develop A Unique Society

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The fact that ants are fascinating insects has been known for some time. The tiny creatures that make their way around using their built-in GPS, survive floods by morphing into living rafts and are even reputed to predict earthquakes.

# data[].attributes.headline
Video Of The Week — Have You Taken The Mannequin Challenge?

# data[].attributes.subject
Video Of The Week — Have You Taken The Mannequin Challenge?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
First Lady Michelle Obama and LeBron James doing the Mannequin Challenge. (Photo Credit: Cleveland Cavaliers via Twitter)

The Mannequin Challenge is the latest viral Internet video trend that is taking the world by storm. As the name indicates, it involves being frozen in action for about a minute while the video is being recorded, usually with a catchy tune playing in the background.

It is believed that #MannequinChallenge was started by students from Edward H. White School in Jacksonville, Florida on October 26. Since then, everyone from Hollywood celebrities like Kevin Hart, to tennis star Novak Djokovic to First Lady Michelle Obama, have joined in the fun. The challenge even reunited Destiny's Child singers Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams!

Hillary Clinton and Bon Jovi participate in the Mannequin Challenge (Photo Credit: YouTube screen capture)

How long the craze lasts remains to be seen. Given that it requires very little talent, the fad may stick around longer than most. However, you never know, so be sure to complete your Mannequin Challenge before it's too late!

Resources: NPR.com,wikipedia.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Video Of The Week - Have You Taken The Mannequin Challenge?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Mannequin Challenge is the latest viral Internet video trend that is taking the world by storm. As the name indicates, it involves being frozen in action for about a minute while the video is being recorded, usually with a catchy tune playing in the background.

# data[].attributes.headline
Video of the week  Whale calf nudges mother to deeper water

# data[].attributes.subject
Video of the week  Whale calf nudges mother to deeper water

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.dogonews.com/2016/10/24/video-of-the-week-humpback-whale-calf-nudges-its-stranded-mom-to-deeper-waters

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Photo Credit: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

In a reversal of roles, a humpback whale calf was recently seen nudging its stranded mother to safer, deeper waters off the east coast of Australia. The chain of events leading to the heartwarming rescue unfolded near North Stradbroke Island, 62 miles southwest of Brisbane, on Friday, October 7.

The adult humpback whale became inadvertently stuck on a sandbank after the tide went out. Luckily, she was accompanied by a caring offspring. A team of rescuers from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services (QPWS) sent to help the whales watched as the calf persistently nudged its mother towards deeper waters. It took about 40 minutes and some help from the incoming tide, but the determined baby whale succeeded without any human assistance. Shortly after, the distressed-looking adult and its savior swam away to safety.

Photo Credit: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

The QPWS rescuers are not sure how the adult managed to get stuck on the sandbar. However, it is not unusual to see humpbacks along the Queensland coast during this time of the year. The mammals come to give birth before heading off to spend the summer in the Antarctica with their newly-born calves swimming alongside.

Resources: us.whales.org,sciencealert.org

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Video Of The Week - Humpback Whale Calf Nudges Its Stranded Mom To Deeper Waters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In a reversal of roles, a humpback whale calf was recently seen nudging its stranded mother to safer, deeper waters off the east coast of Australia. The chain of events leading to the heartwarming rescue unfolded near North Stradbroke Island, 62 miles southwest of Brisbane, on Friday, October 7.

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Supermoon will be the largest since 1948

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scientists virtually unwrapping ancient scrolls

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scientists virtually unwrapping ancient scrolls

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.dogonews.com/2016/11/5/virtual-unwrapping-allows-scientists-to-unlock-secrets-of-1500-year-old-scroll

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Charred Scroll from Ein Gedi (Photo Credit: B Seales)

While ancient scrolls hold many secrets, opening the delicate manuscripts is always a tricky endeavor. The situation becomes even worse when they are charred, as was the case with the Ein Gedi scroll, discovered by archeologists at the site of an ancient synagogue in Israel in the 1970's. The animal skin document that resembled a lump of coal was extremely fragile, and therefore, never opened. However, the curators of the Israel Antiques Authority (IAA) preserved it in the hopes that some day, advances in technology would allow them to read what lay inside. Now thanks to a team led by University of Kentucky professor Brian Seales, that has become a reality.

The virtual unwrapping process that Seales has been trying to perfect since 2009 begins with a CAT scan of the damaged scroll. This enables the researchers to identify the number of rolled layers and determine exactly where the text is located so that it can be enhanced. They then digitally flatten the scrolls, making the content easier to read.

Virtually unwrapping the Ein Gedi Scroll (Photo Credit: Seth Parker, University of Kentucky)

The technology was first put to the test in January 2015 to peek inside the Herculaneum scrolls scorched by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy. However, while it allowed researchers to discern the letters and even a few words, they appeared as 'floating images' and were out of order, making it difficult to read. The University of Kentucky team has since worked on improving the software.

The new technique, which solves the 'floating image' issue by digitally aligning the words with the internal structure of the scroll, was recently tested to unwrap five pages of the Ein Gedi manuscript. To Seales' delight, the text was visible and intact, albeit unfamiliar to the researcher. To identify the words, he sent the images to the IAA team in Jerusalem. It turns out that the scroll is written in Hebrew and is the earliest known copy of Leviticus, one of the five books of Moses - the first books of the Old Testament of the Bible. Since the text specified no vowels, just consonants, researchers estimate that the scroll is at least 1,500 years old!

Image of the completed virtual unwrapping of the En-Gedi scroll (Photo Credit: Brian Seales)

Seales, who published the findings in Science Advances on September 21, says the success of this project has enabled the team to create a systematic scientific blueprint that will make it easier to 'virtually unwrap' other, similarly damaged scrolls.

Resources: zmescience.com, uknow.uky.edu.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Virtual Unwrapping' Allows Scientists To Unlock Secrets Of 1,500-Year-Old Scroll

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
While ancient scrolls hold many secrets, opening the delicate manuscripts is always a tricky endeavor. The situation becomes even worse when they are charred as was the case with the Ein Gedi scroll discovered by archeologists at the site of an ancient synagogue in Israel in the 1970's.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The 1906 Cubs won a record 116 of 154 games. They then won back-to-back World Series titles in 1907-08 (Photo Credit: George Lawrence Company Public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The last time Chicago Cubs fans had something to celebrate about was in 1908 when the baseball team won the World Series for the second consecutive year against the Detroit Tigers. Though the Cubs went on to appear in seven World Series thereafter, they came up empty each time. The 108-year drought, the longest by any major American sports team, finally came to an end after an 8-7, 10-inning victory over the Cleveland Indians in a thrilling Game 7 that began Wednesday night (Nov 2) and ended early Thursday morning (Nov 3).

En route to the championship, the Cubs became the first team in 31 years to recover from a 3-1 deficit. The last team to do that was the Kansas City Royals in 1985. Additionally, they also won the final two games on the road. It has been 37-years since the Pittsburgh Pirates had a similar World Series victory against the Baltimore Orioles in 1979.

But most important of all, the win indicates that the Cubs have finally buried the Curse of the Billy Goat, which has been tormenting the team for over 70 years. According to the legend, in 1945, William Sianis, the owner of Chicago's famous Billy Goat Tavern, decided to bring the bar's mascot, a goat named Murphy, to the Cubs' fourth World Series game against the Detroit Tigers. However, animals were not allowed in the field. Hence despite having a ticket, Murphy who also smelled bad, was denied access to the game.

Photo Credit: By Patient Man (Own work) GFDL CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikipedia Commons

The upset Sianis allegedly declared, "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more!" He then continued his rant in a telegram to team owner Philip K. Wrigley, saying, "The Cubs ain't gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field." The Cubs not only lost the 1945 World Series but also finished in 5 th place or lower for the next 20 years until the death of "Billy Goat" Sianis.

Over the years, there have been numerous attempts to lift the curse. Sianis's nephew has shown up at Chicago's Wrigley Field with a goat several times on Opening Day for good luck. In 2009, a Greek Orthodox priest was brought in to bless the Cubs' dugout with holy water. In 2012, five Cub fans, who dubbed themselves "Crack the Curse," walked all the way from the team's training camp in Mesa, Arizona to Chicago's Wrigley Field, a distance of 1,700-miles, with a goat named Wrigley in tow!

But the team never quite recovered from the curse until 2011, when Theo Epstein became President of Baseball Operations. Under his management, the Cubs went from being dead last in the league to making the playoffs in 2015. This year, they are champions. Though the world may be surprised by the turnaround, especially given the famed curse, Epstein is not. The 37-year-old knows that a solid roster of players can break any curse.

Photo Credit: Chicago Cubs via Google Plus

That is, after all, exactly what Epstein did after joining the Boston Red Sox in 2002. The team had been plagued by a similar curse that came about when Babe Ruth was traded to the New York Yankees in 1919. In 2004, under Epstein's guidance, the Red Sox were finally able to overcome the "Curse of the Bambino" and win the World Series.

This year's disappointing loss means that the Cleveland Indians, who last won the World Series in 1948, are now the team with the longest dry spell between championships. Hopefully, they too will be able to break the streak of bad luck in 2017.

Resources: cnn.com, nbcnews.com, wikipedia.org.

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Chicago Cubs End 108-Year Championship Drought With World Series Win

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The last time Chicago Cubs fans had something to celebrate about was in 1908 when the baseball team won the World Series for the second consecutive year against the Detroit Tigers. Though the Cubs went on to appear in seven World Series thereafter, they came up empty each time.

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November's supermoon will be the largest since 1948

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November's supermoon will be the largest since 1948

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A Supemoon can appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than during micromoon (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

While full moons are always a delight to watch, the one scheduled to make an appearance on November 14 will be even more so. That's because it is no ordinary full moon, but the brightest and biggest "supermoon" since 1948. The next time you will encounter this glorious a sight, will be on November 25, 2034.

The phenomenon is a result of the moon's elliptical orbit around the Earth. When a full moon coincides with perigee, the closest distance to Earth, it can appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than during apogee, when it is the furthest away from our planet.

The moon's distance from the Earth ranges from 221,208 miles to 252,989 miles; on November 14, it will get as near as 221,524 miles, or just 316 miles shy of the closest possible distance. This degree of proximity will not happen again for 18 years.

Supermoon (Photo Credit: Andrew C /CC-BY-SA 2.0 /Wikimedia Commons)

The November full moon, regardless of whether it is a supermoon, is often referred to as the Beaver Moon. According to ancient folklore, it was named by the Algonquin people who set their beaver traps around this time to obtain fur to survive the cold winters.

NASA scientists say that while the Beaver Moon will peak at 8:52 am EST, or after moonset for most of the US, it will look as spectacular on Sunday and Monday night. And in case inclement weather causes you to miss seeing it altogether, do not fret. There will be another, albeit slightly smaller, supermoon on December 14. While it will also be spectacular, it may not be as popular. That's because the supermoon's brightness will make it hard to observe the spectacular Geminid meteor showers, which will be at their peak on December 13. Stargazers will, therefore, have to seek out darker areas and pay closer attention to see the shooting stars!

Resources: NASA.gov, space.com

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November's Supermoon Will Be The Largest Since 1948

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While full moons are always a delight to watch, the one scheduled to make an appearance on November 14 will be even more so. That's because it is no ordinary full moon, but the brightest and biggest "supermoon" since 1948. The next time you will encounter this glorious a sight, will be on November 25, 2034.

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Donald Trump Elected 45th President Of The United States Of America

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Donald Trump Elected 45th President Of The United States Of America

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Eric

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President-elect Donald Trump ( Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr CC)

The fact that Donald Trump was unlike other candidates has been apparent since he announced his bid for the US Presidency in January. The real-estate mogul and businessman promised to "Make America Great Again" with radical suggestions like building a wall to stop illegal immigrants and imposing tariffs to discourage imports. While many of his ideas were not 'politically correct,' and even bordered on being unconstitutional, they struck a chord with the American public. On November 8, much to the surprise of experts, it was not the politically astute Hillary Clinton, but the business savvy Trump who was elected the 45 th President of the United States.

Trump's prospects looked promising from the moment the election results started rolling in. However, the first indication that he may be heading to the White House came after the Republican Presidential nominee won Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, both of which have traditionally been Democratic strongholds. To make matters worse, Michigan, the third of the so-called "blue wall" states, also showed Trump in the lead. Trump also won key swing states like Ohio and North Carolina and even eked out a narrow but crucial margin of victory in Florida. While Clinton managed to win key states like California, Nevada, Colorado, Virginia, and New Hampshire it was not enough.

Photo Credit: YouTube (screen capture)

Trump swept the race with 279 electoral votes. While Hillary won the popular vote, she garnered just 228 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election. While that may sound strange, it is the way the American Electoral College system works.

Each state has a fixed number of electoral votes, equal to its representation in Congress. California, for example, has 55 thanks to its 53 House members and two senators. When the general public votes for their choice of president, they are indirectly voting for their "elector." The representative then casts his or her electoral vote for the most popular candidate. Hence, the candidates don't need to win by a landslide to garner all the electoral votes. For instance, in Florida, Trump received all 29 electoral votes, despite winning just 49% of the popular votes. Hillary also won all of New York's 29 electoral votes, when she received 64% of the popular votes. Unfortunately, the resounding support from the state's residents did not earn her extra electoral votes.

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore via Wikipedia.org CC 2.0

In addition to having their candidate elected to the highest office in the country, the Republican Party also won the majority of seats in both houses of Congress, giving them firm control over government policies for the next four years.

Whether the President-elect follows through on his campaign promises remains to be seen. However, his acceptance speech, where he asked "America to come together as one united people" was a surprising departure from his typical rhetoric. He also thanked Clinton "for her service to our country."

Clinton and President Barack Obama have been equally gracious. In her concession speech this morning, Clinton asked her supporters to accept Trump and give him a chance to lead with an open mind. Barack Obama has not only promised to ensure a smooth transition to a Trump administration, but also to set aside all their differences and "root for his success." Hopefully, all parties will keep their pledges and focus their energies on issues that matter to all Americans.

Resources: cnn.com, wired.com, Forbes.com,ft.com

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Donald Trump Elected 45th President Of The United States Of America

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The fact that Donald Trump was unlike other candidates has been apparent since he announced his bid for the US Presidency in January. The real-estate mogul and businessman promised to "Make America Great Again" with radical suggestions like building a wall to stop illegal immigrants and imposing tariffs to discourage imports.

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https://www.dogonews.com/2016/11/3/chicago-cubs-end-108-year-championship-drought-with-world-series-win

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Study reveals that spiders can hear you from 10 ft away!

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Adult male Phidippus audax spider (Photo Credit: By Opoterser (Own work) CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

The next time you shriek at the sight of a spider, be aware that the arachnid can hear you loud and clear from as far as away as 10-feet! The surprising discovery by Cornell University researchers adds to the already impressive list of arachnid attributes that includes superior vision and ability to weave intricate webs.

Right about now, you are probably wondering how this is even possible given that spiders do not have ears. It turns out they do not need them. The arachnids use the minuscule hair on their legs to perceive vibrations through the air, or via the ground and walls, and convert them into neural activity. While this has been known for some time, scientists had always believed that the hearing capability extended to vibrations just a few centimeters, or a "spider's length" away.

Gil Menda, the co-author of the study published in Current Biology on October 13, says the team stumbled upon the spider's hearing prowess accidentally. The researchers were studying the Phidippus audax, a type of jumping spider they thought relied completely on sight and vibrations felt through objects like leaves or floorboards. However, when Menda's chair squeaked, the metal microelectrodes implanted in the spider's poppy-seed-sized brain registered the firing of its neurons, indicating that the arachnid had "heard" the sound.

Jumping spider. Photo Credit: Gil Menda and the Hoy lab)

To test if that was the case, Menda and his colleague Paul Shamble, now at Harvard, clapped right next to the spider, and then further and further out. Sure enough, its neurons kept firing until they were about 10-feet away! To confirm the spider was responding to the claps and not other air vibrations, the researchers conducted the experiment in an echo-free chamber and obtained similar results. "We were very surprised," says Menda, "Our studies extended the range of auditory sensitivity to more than 3 meters - over 350 body lengths - for our spiders."

The team then explored whether the leg hairs were indeed related to hearing by putting a water droplet on the spider's legs. Sure enough, the moisture blocked the tiny hairs from sensing the vibrations, causing the spider to temporarily lose its "hearing" ability.

Jumping Spider (Photo Credit: Gil Menda and the Hoy lab)

Menda and his team also discovered that the spiders "froze" when exposed to low-frequency sounds that resembled a hum or buzz (80 to 130 hertz). Further investigation revealed that this is the wingbeat frequency of their biggest predators - parasitoid wasps and flies. This means that spiders did not evolve this acute sense of hearing to eavesdrop on humans. They were just trying to stay alive!

While the research was conducted on jumping spiders, the team has since found that other spider species have the same "hearing" capabilities. Whether you think this is creepy or cool, one thing is for sure: there's a lot more to the eight-legged creatures than spinning webs and featuring in Halloween decorations.

Resources: Newscientist.com, mirror.co.uk, npr.org

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Scary Study Reveals Spiders Can Hear You Shrieking From Across The Room!

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The next time you shriek at the sight of a spider, be aware that the arachnid can hear you loud and clear from as far away as 10-feet! The surprising discovery by Cornell University researchers adds to the already impressive list of arachnid attributes that includes superior vision and ability to weave intricate webs.

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Chicago Cubs first team in 31 years to come back and win from a 3-1 deficate

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The 1906 Cubs won a record 116 of 154 games. They then won back-to-back World Series titles in 1907-08 (Photo Credit: George Lawrence Company Public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The last time Chicago Cubs fans had something to celebrate about was in 1908 when the baseball team won the World Series for the second consecutive year against the Detroit Tigers. Though the Cubs went on to appear in seven World Series thereafter, they came up empty each time. The 108-year drought, the longest by any major American sports team, finally came to an end after an 8-7, 10-inning victory over the Cleveland Indians in a thrilling Game 7 that began Wednesday night (Nov 2) and ended early Thursday morning (Nov 3).

En route to the championship, the Cubs became the first team in 31 years to recover from a 3-1 deficit. The last team to do that was the Kansas City Royals in 1985. Additionally, they also won the final two games on the road. It has been 37-years since the Pittsburgh Pirates had a similar World Series victory against the Baltimore Orioles in 1979.

But most important of all, the win indicates that the Cubs have finally buried the Curse of the Billy Goat, which has been tormenting the team for over 70 years. According to the legend, in 1945, William Sianis, the owner of Chicago's famous Billy Goat Tavern, decided to bring the bar's mascot, a goat named Murphy, to the Cubs' fourth World Series game against the Detroit Tigers. However, animals were not allowed in the field. Hence despite having a ticket, Murphy who also smelled bad, was denied access to the game.

Photo Credit: By Patient Man (Own work) GFDL CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikipedia Commons

The upset Sianis allegedly declared, "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more!" He then continued his rant in a telegram to team owner Philip K. Wrigley, saying, "The Cubs ain't gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field." The Cubs not only lost the 1945 World Series but also finished in 5 th place or lower for the next 20 years until the death of "Billy Goat" Sianis.

Over the years, there have been numerous attempts to lift the curse. Sianis's nephew has shown up at Chicago's Wrigley Field with a goat several times on Opening Day for good luck. In 2009, a Greek Orthodox priest was brought in to bless the Cubs' dugout with holy water. In 2012, five Cub fans, who dubbed themselves "Crack the Curse," walked all the way from the team's training camp in Mesa, Arizona to Chicago's Wrigley Field, a distance of 1,700-miles, with a goat named Wrigley in tow!

But the team never quite recovered from the curse until 2011, when Theo Epstein became President of Baseball Operations. Under his management, the Cubs went from being dead last in the league to making the playoffs in 2015. This year, they are champions. Though the world may be surprised by the turnaround, especially given the famed curse, Epstein is not. The 37-year-old knows that a solid roster of players can break any curse.

Photo Credit: Chicago Cubs via Google Plus

That is, after all, exactly what Epstein did after joining the Boston Red Sox in 2002. The team had been plagued by a similar curse that came about when Babe Ruth was traded to the New York Yankees in 1919. In 2004, under Epstein's guidance, the Red Sox were finally able to overcome the "Curse of the Bambino" and win the World Series.

This year's disappointing loss means that the Cleveland Indians, who last won the World Series in 1948, are now the team with the longest dry spell between championships. Hopefully, they too will be able to break the streak of bad luck in 2017.

Resources: cnn.com, nbcnews.com, wikipedia.org.

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Chicago Cubs End 108-Year Championship Drought With World Series Win

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The last time Chicago Cubs fans had something to celebrate about was in 1908 when the baseball team won the World Series for the second consecutive year against the Detroit Tigers. Though the Cubs went on to appear in seven World Series thereafter, they came up empty each time.

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Nations Come Together To Create The World's Largest Marine Sanctuary

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Nations Come Together To Create The World's Largest Marine Sanctuary

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Adelie Penguins on iceberg (By Jason Auch CC 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

The world is finally uniting to save the environment. On October 5, the United Nations announced that the threshold to enforce the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement had been met, paving the way for its implementation starting November 4. On Friday, October 28 came additional good news. After five years of negotiations, representatives of 24 nations and the European Union agreed on a landmark deal to establish the world's largest marine protected area (MPA) in Antarctica.

While the unanimous agreement that covers 600,000 square miles (twice the size of the state of Texas) of Antarctica's Ross Sea, is less than the 875,000 square miles proposed by the USA and New Zealand in 2011, it is being hailed as a victory by environmentalists. That's because the protected region often called the 'Garden of Eden', is considered by experts to be the least altered marine environments on Earth. Ross Sea's nutrient-rich waters that are abundant with plankton and krill, support over 16,000 species of marine animals, including the Ross Sea orcas, Adélie penguins, emperor penguins, and Antarctic minke whales.

World's largest marine protected area (Photo Credit: WWF)

Under the terms of the agreement, starting December 2017, about 72% of the Ross Sea will be a "no-take" zone, which means everything from mineral mining to fishing is prohibited. The remaining 28% has been designated as a research area and will be open for fishing provided it is for scientific research.

Officials of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), say this will allow researchers to compare the impact on marine life between the protected and open zones. They believe the results will enable scientists to understand the different factors that affect the status and health of the marine ecosystems.

Blue Ice on Lake Fryexel (Photo Credit: Joe Mastroianni, National Science Foundation via Wikimedia Commons)

What makes this deal even more historic is that this is only the second time the world has come together to create an MPA. The first, signed in 2009, covers about 17,000 square miles of Antarctica's South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf. A recent inspection of the area by an international team led by the British Antarctic Survey revealed that the protection measures are working. The scientists reported many new species of coral and anemones and also a vast increase in the population of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME), both in the MPA and surrounding areas.

Environmentalists believe that the same will be the case for the Ross Sea. While there is some concern that the deal is valid for just 35 years, experts hope that it will be extended indefinitely once there is evidence of its success. Though the two MPA's are a great start, there is more to be done. The Antarctic Ocean Alliance, a coalition of environmental groups and individuals formed to campaign the creation of marine protected areas, believes that 40 percent of the Southern Ocean should be designated a "no-take" zone.

Adélie penguin shortly after a dip in the Ross Sea. (Photo Credit John Weller/Antarctic Ocean Alliance)

While protecting the waters around the Antarctica can only be done with consensus from the member nations that monitor the region, countries are free to designate MPA's in their territorial waters. In August, President Obama increased the size of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands from 140,000 square miles to 582,578 square miles of land and sea, making it the second-largest MPA in the world. Hopefully, more nations will follow his lead and help protect our increasingly fragile environment.

Resources: asoc.org,wired.co.uk, zmescience.com, CCAMLR.

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Nations Come Together To Create The World's Largest Marine Sanctuary

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The world is finally uniting to save the environment. On October 5, the United Nations announced that the threshold to enforce the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement had been met, paving the way for its implementation starting November 4. On Friday, October 28 came additional good news.

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Nasa is sending a robot to college before going to mars

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Newsela | NASA wants robots to build base on Mars; first they must go to college

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NASA hopes its Valkyrie robots will one day travel to Mars and set up a base for humans to live in. University robot labs are working to improve the robots so one day they can do these jobs.

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You don't know french or spanish or any other language but you want to go where that language is spoken.  Spoken in one language heard in another.

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Pilot (Image Credit: Waverly Labs)

Imagine being able to visit any foreign country without having to worry about the language barrier. Until recently, universal translating devices only existed in science fiction movies and TV shows. But technology is finally catching up with human imagination, and companies worldwide, are feverishly working to introduce universal translators. Among them is New York-based startup Waverly Labs.

Their solution, dubbed the Pilot, is a smart earpiece that instantly translates spoken language, allowing the user to have a seamless conversation, despite not knowing the speaker's language. Waverly Labs founder and CEO, Andrew Ochoa, says he came up with the idea after being unable to converse with a French girl he liked.

The Pilot, which will debut in the spring of 2017, fits comfortably in the ear, just as an earbud might. The company provides two earpieces, one for each user. When either talk, the device in their ear picks up the sound of the speech, which then goes through a smartphone app that converts it into text, translates it into a spoken form, and then "whispers" it back to the listener in his or her language. As a result, the user is able the understand the other person despite not knowing the language.

Image Credit: Waverly Labs

The smart device also keeps out ambient noise, allowing users to focus on the conversation. When not needed for translation, the earpieces double as earbuds that can be used to listen to music. The Pilot smartphone app can also be used as a translation phrasebook and even for conference calls allowing participants speaking different languages to converse. Like all machine-based translators, the Pilot is not perfect. However, Waverly Labs asserts that it is much more accurate than the products currently available on the market.

Currently, the device is dependent on having a data connection and can only translate one-on-one conversations. Developers hope future generations of the Pilot will be able to translate all that is going on around a person, and function offline. They also hope to decrease the few second delays between speech and translation. The first version of the Pilot available on iOS and Android phones will come equipped with English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. More languages will be available as premium downloads during the latter half of 2017.

Image Credit: Waverly Labs

Although several tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, and Apple, are developing real-time translation programs, the Pilot is unique in that it is the first wearable translator. While the company has yet to ship the smart earpieces, thousands of people have contributed over $3mm USD to the company's crowdfunding campaign for a chance to get them at a discounted rate. For those that missed out, Waverly Labs estimates that the Pilot will be available in retail stores by the end of 2017 and will cost about $299 USD.

Resources: smallbiztrends.com,cnet,com, indiegogo.com, gizmag.com

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Smart Earpiece Translates Foreign Languages In Real-Time

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Imagine being able to visit any foreign country without having to worry about the language barrier. Until recently, universal translating devices only existed in science fiction movies and TV shows. But technology is finally catching up with human imagination, and companies worldwide, are feverishly working to introduce universal translators.

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Check this one out if you want to learn more about Serena Williams and her life.

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Read this one, it is neat. Finally built a sanctuary to help save underwater animals from climate change.

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Adelie Penguins on iceberg (By Jason Auch CC 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

The world is finally uniting to save the environment. On October 5, the United Nations announced that the threshold to enforce the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement had been met, paving the way for its implementation starting November 4. On Friday, October 28 came additional good news. After five years of negotiations, representatives of 24 nations and the European Union agreed on a landmark deal to establish the world's largest marine protected area (MPA) in Antarctica.

While the unanimous agreement that covers 600,000 square miles (twice the size of the state of Texas) of Antarctica's Ross Sea, is less than the 875,000 square miles proposed by the USA and New Zealand in 2011, it is being hailed as a victory by environmentalists. That's because the protected region often called the 'Garden of Eden', is considered by experts to be the least altered marine environments on Earth. Ross Sea's nutrient-rich waters that are abundant with plankton and krill, support over 16,000 species of marine animals, including the Ross Sea orcas, Adélie penguins, emperor penguins, and Antarctic minke whales.

World's largest marine protected area (Photo Credit: WWF)

Under the terms of the agreement, starting December 2017, about 72% of the Ross Sea will be a "no-take" zone, which means everything from mineral mining to fishing is prohibited. The remaining 28% has been designated as a research area and will be open for fishing provided it is for scientific research.

Officials of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), say this will allow researchers to compare the impact on marine life between the protected and open zones. They believe the results will enable scientists to understand the different factors that affect the status and health of the marine ecosystems.

Blue Ice on Lake Fryexel (Photo Credit: Joe Mastroianni, National Science Foundation via Wikimedia Commons)

What makes this deal even more historic is that this is only the second time the world has come together to create an MPA. The first, signed in 2009, covers about 17,000 square miles of Antarctica's South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf. A recent inspection of the area by an international team led by the British Antarctic Survey revealed that the protection measures are working. The scientists reported many new species of coral and anemones and also a vast increase in the population of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME), both in the MPA and surrounding areas.

Environmentalists believe that the same will be the case for the Ross Sea. While there is some concern that the deal is valid for just 35 years, experts hope that it will be extended indefinitely once there is evidence of its success. Though the two MPA's are a great start, there is more to be done. The Antarctic Ocean Alliance, a coalition of environmental groups and individuals formed to campaign the creation of marine protected areas, believes that 40 percent of the Southern Ocean should be designated a "no-take" zone.

Adélie penguin shortly after a dip in the Ross Sea. (Photo Credit John Weller/Antarctic Ocean Alliance)

While protecting the waters around the Antarctica can only be done with consensus from the member nations that monitor the region, countries are free to designate MPA's in their territorial waters. In August, President Obama increased the size of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands from 140,000 square miles to 582,578 square miles of land and sea, making it the second-largest MPA in the world. Hopefully, more nations will follow his lead and help protect our increasingly fragile environment.

Resources: asoc.org,wired.co.uk, zmescience.com, CCAMLR.

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Nations Come Together To Create The World's Largest Marine Sanctuary

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The world is finally uniting to save the environment. On October 5, the United Nations announced that the threshold to enforce the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement had been met, paving the way for its implementation starting November 4. On Friday, October 28 came additional good news.

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Snowballs in Siberia......So cool check it out.

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Giant snowballs (Photo Credit: Sergei Bychenkov)

Imagine going to the beach and finding thousands of perfectly shaped snowballs scattered around. That is exactly what the lucky residents of Nyda in Siberia's Yamal Peninsula have encountered since late October.

The snowballs that cover an 11-mile stretch of the beach range from the size of a tennis ball to almost 3ft across, or about as big as a basketball. According to the village administrator, the balls were created after water from the Gulf of Orb rose up onto the land and covered the sandy beach. The area's freezing temperatures caused it to partially turn to ice.

Melting spheres form a 'snowball wall' (Photo Credit: Alexei Primak)

As the rest of the water retreated, the ice chunks rolled over in the moist sand and with a little help from the wind and temperature, created a beautiful winter wonderland of snowballs. The residents of Glen Harbor in Michigan experienced a similar phenomenon in 2014, except in their case, the snowballs were as big as boulders!

Resources: bbc.co.uk, dailymail.co.uk

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Video Of The Week - Giant Snowballs Delight Locals In Siberia

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Imagine going to the beach and finding thousands of perfectly shaped snowballs scattered around. That is exactly what the lucky residents of Nyda in Siberia's Yamal Peninsula have encountered since late October. The snowballs that cover an 11-mile stretch of the beach range from the size of a tennis ball to almost 3ft across, or about as big as a basketball.

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THERE ALL SNOW BALLS!
For 11-Miles!

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Giant snowballs (Photo Credit: Sergei Bychenkov)

Imagine going to the beach and finding thousands of perfectly shaped snowballs scattered around. That is exactly what the lucky residents of Nyda in Siberia's Yamal Peninsula have encountered since late October.

The snowballs that cover an 11-mile stretch of the beach range from the size of a tennis ball to almost 3ft across, or about as big as a basketball. According to the village administrator, the balls were created after water from the Gulf of Orb rose up onto the land and covered the sandy beach. The area's freezing temperatures caused it to partially turn to ice.

Melting spheres form a 'snowball wall' (Photo Credit: Alexei Primak)

As the rest of the water retreated, the ice chunks rolled over in the moist sand and with a little help from the wind and temperature, created a beautiful winter wonderland of snowballs. The residents of Glen Harbor in Michigan experienced a similar phenomenon in 2014, except in their case, the snowballs were as big as boulders!

Resources: bbc.co.uk, dailymail.co.uk

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Video Of The Week - Giant Snowballs Delight Locals In Siberia

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Imagine going to the beach and finding thousands of perfectly shaped snowballs scattered around. That is exactly what the lucky residents of Nyda in Siberia's Yamal Peninsula have encountered since late October. The snowballs that cover an 11-mile stretch of the beach range from the size of a tennis ball to almost 3ft across, or about as big as a basketball.