Science and Technology, Stuff You Should Know, World

Nov 1, 2024

India’s Farmers Struggle with Climate Change

Climate change is altering weather patterns around the world and conditions like rainstorms and dry periods are becoming more extreme. These sudden and dramatic shifts are affecting many industries, especially farming. Farmers in the Asian nation of India have been especially hard hit. Too Much Rain, Too Little Weather in the southern regions of India […]

Stuff You Should Know, World

Nov 1, 2024

Sri Lanka’s New President

The people of Sri Lanka, the island country located southeast of India, elected a new president: Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dissanayake has vowed to end government corruption and strengthen the country’s economy. Who Is Anura Kumara Dissanayake? Dissanayake was born in 1968 in Galewela, a town in central Sri Lanka. Dissanayake attended college and acquired a […]

Economics, Stuff You Should Know, World

Oct 25, 2024

China Increases Worker Retirement Ages

China’s legislature recently approved a policy that raises the retirement age for workers. The new policy raises the retirement age of men from 60 to 63. The retirement age changes for women are based upon the type of work they do. The retirement age for women with professional careers will change from age 55 to […]

Stuff You Should Know, United States History

Oct 17, 2024

Former President Jimmy Carter Turns 100

In October 2024, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter achieved a milestone. Carter became the first president to celebrate his 100th birthday. Families and friends gathered with him at his home in Plains, Georgia, to honor the occasion. They ate cupcakes and watched antique World War II airplanes fly over his home in his honor. Carter’s […]

People and Culture, Stuff You Should Know, World

Oct 17, 2024

The Annual Replastering of the Great Mosque of Djenné

The city of Djenné is located in the Inland Niger River Delta of West Africa. This small city is one of the most culturally significant locations in the nation of Mali. It has long been a center of trade and Islamic learning, closely connected to the famous city of Timbuktu. At the heart of Djenné […]

Economics, Stuff You Should Know

Oct 10, 2024

Longshoreman’s Strike Deal Prevents a Major Economic Ripple Effect

Nearly 50,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) reached an agreement to end their strike on Friday, October 4, 2024. These union members are dockworkers at the cargo ports on the nation’s East Coast and Gulf Coast. The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) which represents ocean shipping companies and port operators offered 62 percent […]

People and Culture, Stuff You Should Know, United States History

Oct 10, 2024

The History of Pachuco Subculture

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15. These weeks provide an opportunity to explore significant cultural movements of the Hispanic and Latino communities. One such cultural movement is the Pachuco subculture. This subculture emerged during the early twentieth century and became a symbol of Mexican American youth resisting discrimination. Learning about […]

Stuff You Should Know, World History

Oct 10, 2024

Viking Burial Ground Discovered

A major archaeological find of over fifty skeletons from a Viking burial site may provide new information about Viking culture. The site is estimated to date back to between 900 to 1000 CE. Archaeologists from the Museum Odense discovered the burial site in the village of Åsum, east of Odense, Denmark. The skeletal remains are […]

Economics, Stuff You Should Know

Oct 2, 2024

Japan’s New Currency

For the first time in 20 years, Japan has new banknotes (paper currency). On July 3, 2024, the Bank of Japan introduced new 10,000-yen, 5,000-yen, and 1,000-yen bills. They showcase three important figures in Japan’s history. They also include new features to limit counterfeiting, or illegally making fake money. Another new feature of the banknotes […]

Stuff You Should Know, World

Sep 26, 2024

Mexico’s New Government

Mexico’s first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, will be sworn in on October 1, 2024. She is expected to continue the policies of outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Sheinbaum will serve through 2030, as Mexico’s president serves one six-year term. A Background in Science and Government Service Sheinbaum has a background as a scientist, teacher, […]