Super spy tool: invisible ink
Invisible ink has been around for centuries and even featured prominently in America's biggest battles -- George Washington's army used it to send secret messages during the Revolutionary War. In fact, it is still used, and not just by super spies. Businesses use...
American bison by the numbers
(National Bison Association and U.S. Dept of Interior) * Estimated size of the North American herd: 385,000. * Estimated size prior to 1600: 30 million to 60 million * Estimated number in mid-1880s: 700 to 1,000. * Bison on tribal land today: 20,000 * 2025 Bison herd...
A fair sampling of the best state fair fare
August is state fair time and while we might care who has the best lamb, and we might want to hit the free concert, we will definitely buy fair food -- an outrageous culinary category unto itself. And it's really not always on a stick and not always fried. Case in...
Bunny Care 101: Plan Before You Get A Bunny For Easter
'Tis the season: bunny fever will soon be upon us. And, Easter traditions notwithstanding, bunnies ARE pretty cute. Plus they seem like a low-maintenance pet É a little lettuce and a few carrots, and they're good to go, happily twitching their adorable little noses in...
April Showers: Ignore The Cat, But Not The Peacock
You can be fairly sure that April showers will bring May flowers, but is there any way to tell when the showers are going to come? Probably not but there are a lot of superstitions that try to predict them. Here are some: * A cat washing herself while looking out the...
Earth Day 2020: The Tweeting Tree
This is where things stand now: when someone mentions "tweet" and "tree," they're not necessarily referring to birds in branches. A 110-year-old Red Oak at Harvard Forest in Massachusetts has an actual Twitter account and posts updates regularly. The social media...
Spring Break Should Be Fun, Not Dangerous
Spring break is almost here again and for many college and university students, a weeklong vacation will not only mean a break from their studies but also a chance to get warm. Far from being about sunbathing retreats, though, spring break has evolved into a ritual of...
March is Disability Awareness Month – A Child Breaks All The Rules And Everyone Dances: A True Story By Cecelia L. Smith
A very lively and curious 3-year-old was running through Starbucks, making her sparkly neon shoes blink. She nearly landed in my lap when she overshot the spot where she planned to turn. As she backed away, she noticed that I don't have feet … Her eyes got wide and...
March Is National Kidney Month
Some painkillers may harm kidneys If you regularly take over-the-counter painkillers, especially for a long period of time, consider checking with your doctor about a kidney function test. OTC pain and fever reducers are not dangerous. But, over time, some painkillers...
St. Patrick’s Day: Wearin’ The Green Brings Us Together
People still say "everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day." Not that most people are really interested in whether or not their forbearers actually came from the emerald isle. We all just want to be part of the celebration. The touch of the Irish positively spans the...