The grisly spray is the skunk’s best defense. No Creature, human or animal, can stand being near a skunk with that odour. It comes from a fluid called musk which is produced and stored in a pair of glands under the animal’s tail. A skunk can propel the spray about 10 feet.

‘Dralion’ is an entertainment show produced by Montreal-based company Cirque du Soleil Inc, well known for its circus-based dance dramas. The show ‘Dralion’, which has already toured different parts of the world, is currently located at Sydney and been seen by seven million people. It’s main theme is to project human life as an integral part of nature, and, specifically, …

A homo erectus species, Peking Man fossils were discovered between 1929 and 1937 in the Lower Cave at the Peking Man site at Zhoukoudian, near Beijing, in China. They included 14 partial craniums, 11 lower jaws, teeth, some skeletal bones and many stone tools. Archaeologists date them between 500,000 and 300,000 years old. A number of fossils of modern humans …

The gene revolution is the application of bio-technology in food production. It is of great potential to farmers as it provides them with disease-free planting material and develops crops that resist pests and diseases, reducing use of chemicals that harm the environment and human health. It can provide diagnostic tools and vaccines that help control devastating animal diseases. It can …

The devil or ‘evil quartet’ is a sobriquet used to describe the four major causes that have led to the accelerated rate of extinction of species. These causes have been attributed mainly to human activities like extensive deforestation and poaching. These cause habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation, alien species invasion and co-extinction. In the context of music, the word quartet …

Doomsday is also known as the Day of Last Judgment, as pronounced by God. According to the New Testament, the Armageddon is the decisive battle between God and Satan, at the end of which a destructive effect will fall on Earth. The world will not be the same again, and the human race may not survive. There will be a …

The Antarctica Treaty, signed in 1959, was a path-breaking agreement among countries of the world. There are certain regions located beyond the sovereign jurisdiction of any country of the world. Therefore, they require common governance by the international community. These are known as ‘res communis humanitatis’ or Global Commons. It includes not only Antarctica but also the ocean floor and …

Deepika Padukone’s decision to come out in open about her battle with depression offers hope to millions of Indians suffering from it We are one of the most depressed countries in the world. We have one of the highest suicide rates too. Yet, like the three monkeys of Mahatma’s talisman, we don’t see, hear or speak about it. More than …

The art of moving’ or Parkour involves moving from one point to another as quickly and efficiently as possible. It entails overcoming obstacles using the power of the human body and is practised in several urban areas the world over. Recently, members of the Du Yize Parkour Club of Beijing showed their prowess at the Forbidden City.

Reindeer moss is a species of lichen so called because it is the staple winter food of reindeer (and caribou) in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. The animals reach the plant by scraping away the snow with their feet. But plant growth in those cold northern lands is so slow that the lichen can take more than 30 years to recover …