Showing results by author "iMinds" in All Categories

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".

Learn about the history of the Railroads with iMinds insightful knowledge series. They are the fastest paths to travel on land and in many places they are the most convenient way to travel from country to country. Railroads are a cornerstone of the modern world! The story of railroads really begins with a look at transport. The wheel has been called one of the greatest inventions in the history of the world.

Learn about landing a man on the Moon with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. When the Cold War was at its height in the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. and Russia were fierce rivals. So, with burgeoning technology making flying safer and easier, these two world powers embarked on a "space race" to see who could be the first to launch a man into space - and eventually to put a man on the Moon.

Learn about the science of Wind Power with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. Wind power is a limitless, non-polluting resource that currently contributes almost 2% of the world's energy supply. It's the fastest-growing resource market in the world and has become one of the biggest issues in the green movement. Importantly, there is enough of it in the atmosphere to meet the daily global energy demand five times over!

Learn about the science of astronomy with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The human desire to know what we see when we look in the sky is so great that a branch of science has been dedicated to it: astronomy. Astronomy is the study of the material universe outside the earth's atmosphere. Astronomers research and make estimations about our universe and outer space in general.Human beings have been gazing up at the sky since before written history began.

Learn about the life and times of Saint Francis of Assisi with iMindsJNR audio-learning series for younger minds. The story of Saint Francis is particularly famous among Catholics. The story of his simple, peaceful life has transcended religious borders to become an inspiration to many.

Learn about the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The Bermuda Triangle is a large stretch of ocean in the Caribbean. It is infamous for numerous unexplained disappearances of boats and aircraft. What goes on in the Bermuda Triangle is one of the world's greatest mysteries. Many believe supernatural phenomena or extra-terrestrial activity occurs there.

Learn about the U.S. Federal Reserve with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The Federal Reserve is stirring more excitement these days than is probably recommended for a central bank just shy of its 100th birthday. The Fed, tasked with fostering economic growth and price stability in the US, was ratified by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913.

Learn about short selling with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Short selling is the practice of selling borrowed stock at a high price and then buying back the stock at a lower price. A short seller expects to profit from the fall in a stock's price. The more common investment practice is to “go long”, that is, to buy stock with the expectation of the price rising in the future. Simply, a short transaction sells high and buys low, while a long transaction buys low and sells high.

Learn about the life and inventions of Thomas Edison with the iMindsJNR audio-learning series for younger minds. Imagine a world where you couldn't phone your friends, listen to music, or watch movies. This was the world before Thomas Edison's inventions. Edison is one of the greatest inventors in history. He was born in Ohio in 1847, the youngest of seven children. By the time he died in 1931, aged 84, the world had benefited from so many of his inventions that now make our lives easier and more enjoyable.

The House of Plantagenet was a royal house of 15 monarchs who ruled England from 1154-1485. The Plantagenets originally came from France, where they ruled a county called Anjou. They were a strange and powerful family, complex and prone to insanity. Their founder, Count Fulk III (known as "The Black"), had his wife burned at the stake in her wedding dress when he discovered she was sleeping with a goatherd.

Learn about the crimes of Jack the Ripper with iMinds insightful audio-knowledge series.

In late 1888, a series of brutal murders took place in the impoverished Whitechapel district of London. At least five women were attacked. The killer liked slitting the throats of the victims. The victims' abdomens were then sliced and several organs were removed. This serial killer became known as Jack the Ripper.

Learn about the intricacies of sharia law with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series.

Sharia law is the law of the religion of Islam. The "sharia" means the "path" Muslims should follow if they are to lead good lives. Sharia law regulates not only human relationships between individuals, like other legal systems, but also human relationships with God. Therefore, sharia is much more than a law as Westerners know it. It is an entire way of life for Muslims.

Learn about securitization with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Securitization as a financial term has evolved over the decades, as different methods and products have developed from the process. At a basic level, securitization is the process of taking an illiquid asset, or a group of relatively homogenous assets, and through financial engineering, transforming them into a security. The assets are pooled together and repackaged into a single security, which is then sold to investors.

Learn about the Nazca Lines with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The Nazca Lines have been called the eighth wonder of the world. They are a series of large drawings on the ground - called geoglyphs - located in the Nazca desert, in Peru. The Nazca desert is a high plateau situated between the towns of Palpa and Nazca, which is 400 kilometres south of the Peruvian capital of Lima.

Learn about Mutual Funds with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. A mutual fund is an investment vehicle that allows a group of investors to pool their money, allowing a professional to collectively trade securities on their behalf in exchange for a small fee. The pooled funds are used to purchase a diverse range of assets and provide a return to the investor.

Learn the history of the Spanish Inquisition with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The Spanish Inquisition was a governing authority started by the crown in the late-15th century. It included a network of spies who worked across the state to ensure Spaniards conformed to the accepted behaviour of traditional Catholic subjects. t was relentless in ensuring Catholic orthodoxy within Spain. But why was Spain so self-conscious in ensuring a singular religious identity?

Learn about the fascinating life of Henry VIII with iMindsJNR audio learning series for younger minds. Henry VIII has gone down in history as a powerful, passionate English king. In his life, he married six times and fathered three future monarchs. But perhaps most incredibly of all, he changed religion in England forever by establishing the Church of England. Henry was born the second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York in 1491.

Learn about the Seven Archangels with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The history of Angels rests predominantly in the Middle East. Other cultures had gods, goddesses or faeries, but in the Middle East they worshiped angels as their gods. Once the idea of a single all powerful God evolved, however, it was necessary to create another space for angels. And so, they became known as mediators between the newly created all powerful God and his servants - humankind- on Earth.

Learn about the beauty of Yellowstone National Park with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series.

Steaming rivers, stone forests, and bubbling lava are a daily occurrence at Yellowstone National Park. It's the oldest national park in the world and is renowned for its pristine nature and extreme climates. Nowhere else in America can you take a vacation where you drive by a herd of buffalo, watch boiling water shoot into the sky, and feel the slight tremour of earthquakes below your feet.