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The aurora borealis, often referred to as the Northern Lights, is a natural light-show that appears in the sky around the north magnetic pole. Auroras can sometimes be seen in other places of the world, but not as clearly. In the southern hemisphere, the phenomenon is called "aurora australis".

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher, teacher, and political figure. His teachings have profoundly influenced Asian thought and life. The impact of his life and intellectual ideas have changed human history and it can be argued that he is the most influential philosopher who ever lived.

The Spanish Steps are one of the most visited destinations in the Eternal City of Rome. This graceful staircase sits like the tiers to a great amphitheatre. But rather than a stage to watch, those seated here can watch the drama and intrigue of Italian life from the safe distance of an inconspicuous spectator. People-watching is a great Italian pastime and these steps form the prime place for it in the buzzing capital of Rome.

Uluru is the indigenous Australian name for an enormous rock formation found in central Australia. Made from sandstone, Uluru is a rock monolith or an ‘island mountain’, a formation that geologists refer to as a monadnock. It stands 318 m (986 ft) high and has a circumference of 8 km (5 miles). It is located 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest rural centre, the large town of Alice Springs.

Learn about Financial Regulation with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Financial regulation, simply put, is the supervision and control of the financial system and entities within it by a government body. It is deemed necessary to prevent abuses or failures within financial systems that affect the public or the stability of the system itself. Regulation is carried out differently in countries around the world....

Learn about Antitrust Laws with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Competition is an essential part of the free market. The competition between participants in the market promotes efficiency. This occurs as the supply of a product is improved to provide more attractive prices than a competitor can offer. Competition also drives innovation, as producers develop superior products and services to gain the favour of buyers.

Learn about the development of burlesque performance with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. Burlesque is a theatrical performance concerned with parody and exaggeration. But it didn't originate in the theatre. In fact, the term 'burlesque' is believed to have originally come from the Spanish word for joke, which was "burla". The term "burlesque" was used for satirical literary works from medieval times up until the 18th century.

Want your general knowledge to cross all boundaries? Start becoming a "polymath" (a person of great learning in several fields of study) with iMinds Polymath collections. Polymath, Volume 1, is a collection of 36 iMinds knowledge titles, each a self contained grab of engaging information.

It was another cold night in Boston on the 16th of December 1773. But this was no ordinary night. This night would ignite the flames of injustice within many an American colonist. And it would eventually lead to the American Revolution. That night, three British ships - the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver - were moored in the Boston harbor....

A meteorite is a mass of stone or metal which has reached the earth's surface from outer space. There are various names for a meteorite depending on where it is situated. While it is traveling in space, it is referred to as a "meteoroid". When it passes through the earth's atmosphere and produces a fiery streak in the sky, known as a "shooting star", it is called a "meteor".

Imagine a sea of sparkling, clear blue water speckled with multicoloured coral. Imagine crabs, turtles, dugongs, sea snakes and hundreds of species of fish swimming among this coral. Now imagine this scene stretching out for more than two thousand kilometres, or 1240 miles! This is the Great Barrier Reef, which is so expansive it is said that if you dived along it every day of your life you would not see it all.

Learn about the Eurozone with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. The Eurozone, known officially as the Euro-area and sometimes as Euroland, is a collection of countries that have adopted the Euro as their national currency. As of 2010, 16 countries replaced their national currency with the Euro. As members of the European Union and the European Monetary Union, they have ceded control of their monetary systems to Central European Bank.

Which country separates the United States of America from Central America? Where, on average, do people eat half a kilo of tortillas every day? And, where is home to the cactus and the Chihuahua? Mexico, of course! Mexico, or the United States of Mexico, is a federation of 31 sovereign states. Its land mass is almost three times that of Texas, which it borders. In fact, Mexico is the world’s 14th largest nation.

Learn about investment traps with an insight into fraudulent Ponzi Schemes with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. A Ponzi scheme is an illegal business practice. Investors are recruited into a Ponzi scheme and offered excellent returns over time for little or no risk. The operator of a Ponzi scheme relies on further recruitment of investors to accumulate funds. Earlier investors are repaid with later investor's money. They have also been described as Pyramid Schemes.

Learn about the story behind rogue traders with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. A rogue trader is an employee of a company who makes unauthorised trades on behalf of their employer. It is a way employees use their job to make fraudulent trades. Regardless of the economic climate, rogue traders work illegally to make up for company losses they have incurred while trading for their company.

The story of the Internet begins in the early 1960s, when Russia launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial earth satellite. Afraid of the technological potential of the Russians, the United States Department of Defense formed the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), in order to develop US science and technology, and in particular its application in the military.

Learn about the history of the Dalai Lama with iMinds insightful knowledge series. The term ‘Dalai Lama’ refers to a lineage of religious leaders in Tibetan Buddhism in the region of Tibet. ‘Lama’ is a word which refers to a Tibetan Buddhist teacher; while ‘Dalai’ comes from the Tibetan word for ocean. So the term Dalai Lama can be interrupted as “ocean of wisdom”; which shows the confidence Tibetan Buddhists have in their leader.

Imagine more than a million litres of water dropping each second from cliffs up to 80 metres, or 262 feet, high. Such an image may seem like an impossibility, but such is the majesty of South America’s Iguazu Falls. More expansive than both the Niagara Falls in North America and the Victoria Falls in Africa, The Iguazu Falls is a network of more than 275 falls covering many acres.

The Rockefeller family has been one of the most influential in American history. Universities, halls and parks all bear the name of and are dedicated to members of this prominent New York family. Over the last hundred years, the Rockefellers have spent billions of dollars in acts of philanthropy or charity. They have had a hand in moulding the modern-day New York City. And the Rockefeller Centre stands as the Rockefellers’ greatest and most influential real estate contribution to this city.

Learn about the story of the Sundance Kid with iMinds insightful knowledge series. The last scene of George Ray Hill’s 1969 film, ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ depicts the two titular outlaws running out from a building surrounded by Bolivian officers, into a frenzied gun-battle in which they are drastically, and hopelessly, out-numbered. The final shot freezes on Sundance, played by Robert Redford, and Butch, played by Paul Newman, as they run, injured, but with their guns ready, into the fire.