SpaceX halted the planned launch Saturday of its unmanned Falcon 9 cargo rocket with just 13 seconds left on the countdown clock because of a technical issue. The company said on Twitter it was “standing down to take a closer look at positioning of the second stage engine nozzle.” The …
your ad hereSoccer Players at Risk of Brain Injury, Study finds
A career of heading a soccer ball may raise the risk of dementia, according to a small new study. Six longtime soccer players who died with dementia were found to have brain injuries from repetitive trauma. The injuries are the same kind found in American football players, boxers and soldiers …
your ad hereBiologists Find 50,000-Year-Old ‘Super Life’ in Mexico Cave
In a Mexican cave system so beautiful and hot that it is called both a fairyland and hell, scientists have discovered life trapped in crystals that could be 50,000 years old. The bizarre and ancient microbes were found dormant in caves in Naica, Mexico, and were able to exist …
your ad hereLightweight Exoskeleton Lets Paraplegic Walk Again
On her website, former acrobat Silke Pan has a quote that says: “You are stronger than you ever expected!” She’s had to be. After working as a professional acrobat for years, she was sidelined in 2007 when a fall left her unable to use her legs. Now she is walking …
your ad hereTrump Celebrates New Boeing Plane; Pledges Focus on Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
President Donald Trump says the U.S. military might buy Boeing fighter planes rather than those of rival Lockheed, which he has called overpriced. As VOA’s Jim Randle reports, the president spoke Friday at a Boeing factory in South Carolina as the company showed off the newest version of its 787 …
your ad hereChinese Industry’s Rapid Robotization
Most experts agree that we are past the dawn of robotic age, and one of the countries strongly pushing to the forefront is China. As the cost of human labor in China is rising, factories are increasingly replacing production line workers with robots. VOA’s George Putic reports. …
your ad hereArctic, Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Hits Record Low
Sea ice normally melts in the summer in the Arctic and Antarctic, and recovers in both poles in their respective winters. But not this year. The World Meteorological Organization reports that sea ice extent in the Arctic and Antarctic was the lowest for the month of January since satellite records …
your ad hereTop 5 Songs for Week Ending Feb. 18
This is the Top Five Countdown! We’re rewarding the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending February 18, 2017. Welcome to our post-Grammy countdown, which sees “nearly” all the artists participating in the big weekend. Number 5: The Chainsmokers Featuring …
your ad hereA Visit to the Island of the Turtles
National parks traveler Mikah Meyer continued his journey in the southeastern state of Florida with a visit to Dry Tortugas — a chain of small islands in the Gulf of Mexico. The remote Dry Tortugas National Park is home to beautiful coral reefs, a vast assortment of bird and marine …
your ad hereResearchers Argue for Eighth Continent: Zealandia
There may be eight continents after all. Researchers say there is a submerged continent in the southwest Pacific Ocean, that should be considered an eighth continent. They’re calling it Zealandia in a nod to the largest part of the continent that is above water, New Zealand. According to a paper …
your ad hereGoogle Makes Internet Balloon ‘Breakthrough’
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, says the company has made a “breakthrough” on its plans to offer Internet access to rural areas via connected balloons through an endeavor called Project Loon. Initially, the idea was to have a steady stream of balloons circling the globe. When one went out of range …
your ad hereUS Allies Optimistic About Political Solution to Syrian Conflict
U.S. allies said after a meeting Friday with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson they were encouraged the United States would support a political solution to the Syrian conflict. “All the participants want a political solution because a military solution alone won’t lead to peace in Syria,” German Foreign Minister Sigmar …
your ad hereOscar-Nominated Documentaries Highlight Refugee Crisis
Two documentaries on the plight of refugees off the Italian coast and the Greek coast have received Oscar nominations this year. “Fire at Sea,” by Gianfranco Rossi has been selected in the Feature Documentary category and “4.1 Miles” by Daphne Matziaraki has been nominated in the Short Documentary category. VOA’s …
your ad hereSoccer May Pose Risk of Repetitive Brain Injury
As evidence mounts of brain injuries in players of American football, new research suggests even lower-impact soccer — the game the rest of the world calls football — may be hard on the brain as well. VOA’s Steve Baragona has more. …
your ad hereZuckerberg’s Goal: Remake а World Facebook Helped Create
Mark Zuckerberg helped create the modern world by connecting nearly a quarter of its citizens to Facebook and giving them a platform to share, well, everything – baby pictures and Pepe memes, social updates and abusive bullying, helpful how-to videos and live-streamed violence. Now he wants to remake it, too, …
your ad hereTanzania Stops Private Health Centers From Offering AIDS Services
Tanzania’s government has stopped 40 privately run health centers from providing AIDS-related services, accusing them of catering to homosexuals in a country where gay sex is criminalized. It is the latest move by this East African country to crack down on the activities of homosexuals. The government believes that non-governmental …
your ad hereIran Needs Billions to Upgrade Gas Fields, But Will Investors Invest?
Iran sits on what are thought to be the world’s largest gas reserves, yet can barely supply its own domestic demand. Since the United Nations-backed deal over Tehran’s nuclear program spurred the lifting of international sanctions, the country has strived to attract foreign investment in developing oil fields and upgrading …
your ad hereEnergy Giants Say Iran Needs $100 Billion for Gas Upgrade
Iran sits on what are thought to be the world’s largest gas reserves, yet can barely supply its own domestic demand. Since the nuclear deal lifted sanctions, the country has sought foreign investment in exploration and infrastructure. But will the hawkish stance of U.S. President Donald Trump put them off? …
your ad hereImagine a Day Without Immigrants in a Country Full of Immigrants
Immigrants in the United States have had a bad rap through a divisive presidential election. Now, with a new administration in the White House, there seems to be real consequences, ranging from travel bans to deportations. But immigrants are fighting back, and on Thursday in Washington, some businesses gladly suffered …
your ad hereLego Builds Giant Brick House in its Hometown
Danish toymaker Lego is building a playhouse in its hometown designed to look like 21 giant versions of its bricks stacked on top of each other, the company said on Thursday. The Lego House is due to open in September near the company’s headquarters in Billund, Denmark. “Lego House will …
your ad herePink Floyd’s Waters, Mason Hope to Delight Fans, Honor Crews in Exhibit
Pink Floyd co-founders Roger Waters and Nick Mason hope an exhibition in May documenting the rock band’s 50 years in music will give fans a sense of their live work as well as honor those who helped fulfill their artistic vision. “The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains” opens at …
your ad hereDeveloping Countries Tackle Mother, Infant Mortality
Too many women die in childbirth, and too many babies die during delivery. Dr. Flavia Bustreo at the World Health Organization (WHO) says it’s hard to believe that in 2015, almost 6 million children under age 5 and more than 300,000 mothers died from complications of childbirth. Bustreo heads a …
your ad hereDeveloping Countries Tackle Mother and Infant Mortality
Nine countries where giving birth is dangerous for both mothers and their babies have decided to improve the odds of survival. VOA’s Carol Pearson reports that these countries, two in Asia and seven in sub-Saharan Africa, have plans for improving the care pregnant women and their babies get, as well …
your ad hereExperimental Vaccines Offer Promise in War on Malaria
Two vaccine candidates have been shown to be effective — in one case, 100 percent effective — in preventing malaria. The biotech firm Sanaria Inc. of Rockville, Maryland, developed the vaccines. They prime the immune system against the malaria parasite by introducing live but weakened sporozoites — the earliest …
your ad hereTrump Visits Boeing Plant Where Workers Rejected Union
President Donald Trump is visiting a Boeing aircraft factory in South Carolina on Friday, just days after workers there rejected a bid to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Trump will see the rollout of a new version of a wide-body jetliner, the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. Boeing …
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