Pixie dust is a fictional substance, that is pictorially represented as a trail of a sparkling substance that follows mythical creatures such as pixies and fairies. It’s also called fairy dust.

Philematology is the study of kissing, what it means and its place in various cultures. It is the subject of a new book ‘A Compendium of Kisses’ by Lana Citron, an actress and stand-up comic. Citron talks descriptively about the light cheek-brushing to the French smooch to the ‘olfactory kiss’ or the rubbing of noses. The study includes observations by …

Philanthropy etymologically means “the love of humanity”, in the sense of “what it is to be human”, the essence of our humanity. In modern practical terms, it is “private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of life” – balancing the social-scientific aspect emphasized in the twentieth century, with the long-traditional and original humanistic core of the word’s ancient coinage. …

Pansori is a folk art which has lasted since the 17th century in Korea. Singers sing and gesture according to the beats of the traditional Korean drum, tambour. Pansori consists of 12 episodes and is based on classical literature. It typically takes a few hours to complete a Pansori performance. Most young Koreans don’t go out to see it now. …

Thailand zoo officials, in an attempt to get pandas to mate, used videos of other pandas mating and ‘sexercise’ to teach them the ropes. The pandas were an import from China, where officials devised these methods to help its national animal reproduce. Zookeepers are putting pandas, especially males, at the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Centre in Sichuan province through …

Paleolibertarianism is a school of thought within American libertarianism associated with the late economist Murray Rothbard, and the Ludwig von Mises Institute. It is based on a combination of radical libertarianism in politics and cultural conservatism in social thought and opposes a libertarianism which advocates “freedom from bourgeois morality, and social authority.” Austrian economics, anti-federalism, opposition to war, Misesian libertarianism, …

Based in Norfolk, Virginia (USA), Operation Smile is a non-profit medical charity NGO with branches in more than 50 countries, including India, providing remedial surgeries to children with cleft lips and cleft palates. Established in 1982 by Dr William Magee and Kathleen S Magee, Operation Smile organizes international volunteer missions, coordinates training for physicians and helps host countries in treating …

It’s a smoke screen. When threatened, an octopus discharges a thick blackish or brownish inky fluid, which is stored in its body. The ejected ink doesn’t dissolve quickly. It floats in the water in a cloud shaped somewhat like an Octopus. The idea is to confuse its enemies and cover its escape – and it works.

Navaratri is a very special time of honoring the Divine Mother. Navaratri means nine nights. Navaratri happens in Spring and in Autumn of every year. It begins on a New Moon in the month of Ashwini and Chaitra. Both sets of nine days are also connected to Lord Rama. The chaitra shula navaratri is known as Ram navami. I will …

It’s a concept introduced by Vladimir Lenin, who wrote that when capitalism becomes imperialistic, it is moribund capitalism. He describes the height of imperialist capitalism as “ripe and rottenripe capitalism” which will eventually collapse and make way for socialism. The concept was mentioned in his 1916 book, Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism.