A senior U.S diplomat in Myanmar said Wednesday that the death toll from Tropical Cyclone Nargis could reach 100,000, as disease outbreaks remain a threat and some aid groups face difficulty gaining access to the country.

Morgan Sparks, who, at Bell Labs, came up with the first practical version of the transistor, passed away this week at the age of 91. See more about Sparks and the history of the transistor.

Ten years ago, Religion & Ethics ran three episodes of their weekly show devoted to Israel at 50 years. What is different now?
Episode 1: Israel’s role over the past 50 years
Episode 2: Israel: A State for the Jews or a Jewish State?
Episode 3: Israel through the eyes of it’s Non-Jewish Citizens

Christie’s International has put one of Andy Warhol’s famous paintings of Mao Zedong on sale for $120 million. The sale would look to set a record for an American Pop artist.
We in New York are blessed to have so many original Warhols in our midst at the Met, MoMA and elsewhere, but how much would [...]

While Jews make up just 2 percent of the U.S. population, they are geographically concentrated and typically vote in very high percentages, according to a U.S. News & World Report.
The U.S. presidential candidates can gain favor with American Jews, who make up large voting blocs in key states like California, Florida, New York and [...]

Perhaps a little more politicized, and with a few different characters…Sesame Street was relaunched in Israel at the end of 2006. It’s called Sippuray Sumsum, and the characters featured are Noah and Brosh.
(sample of Israeli Sesame Street below, apologies if it’s not working)

Sesame Street launched their U.S. video website in January…there are hundreds of [...]

It’s not the size of the antlers, it’s the resonance of the mating call. Last year, a study conducted by the University of Sussex discovered that ovulating red deer hinds (females) are attracted by louder male roars because they announce the presence of a larger male.
Ben Charlton, one of the authors of the study, [...]

Parking on the street is one of the least pleasant aspects of living in New York, and it’s not even a fair sport: 142,000 drivers with special permits can occupy parking spaces where most of us would get a ticket. Recently, the city started a major initiative to cut back on parking permits.

A happiness poll reveals that only half of Americans feel they are thriving, a women’s softball team helps an opponent score a homerun, a student from the Virgin Islands wins a national poetry competition (pictured), fossilized dinosaur poop sells in a NYC auction, and the Chinese crack down on child labor.

Composer David Lang, one of the co-founders of New York’s Bang on a Can, has been a prolific presence on the city’s contemporary music scene for more than twenty years. Lang sat down with SundayArts blogger Adam Wasserman for a chat about his work shortly after he won the Pulitzer Prize in Music. Listen to [...]