The history of the inauguration goes back to April 30, 1789 when George Washington was sworn in for the first time on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City. Since that time there have been many inauguration firsts.

Archaeology Magazine names its top 10 discoveries of 2008. They are diverse and from all over the globe. Here is a brief overview of each.

There is a shortage of brains being donated to medical science. This shortage lengthens the time it will take to learn all there is to know about the hundred billion nerve cells in our brain.

Time Magazine has announced the Times’ Person of the Year for the year 2008 recently. Choosing a Person of the Year must be a huge task. In today’s world with so many contributions people make in the world, narrowing it down can be difficult.

This July a notice was sent out by a group called the International Earth Rotation and Reference System Service (IERS) to announce the addition of a leap second. Adding the leap second to the end of 2008 makes it the longest year since 1992. Find out why.

Scientists in New Zealand report that obesity is not the direct result of “bad genes.” While many have been led to believe that weight problems had much to do with a genetic pre-disposition, it is more possible that our bodies are sent messages as early as in the womb telling us how to eat.

Texting technology is helping animal conservation in Kenya. The Kenya Wildlife Service is making efforts to save Kimani, an African elephant, whose species is on the “near threatened” portion of the Red List.

Conservation efforts are being discussed in Barcelona Spain where the IUCN World Conservation Congress is meeting. Nature seems to be a top priority as they focus on protecting nature in the belief that the outcome of the existence of animal and plant life directly reflects on the life of man.

It seems to be a busy week for some space news. Two favorite topics for many are the Hubble Space Telescope and the discussion of life on Mars. Both of our news stories come from data being transmitted from outer space.

It is debate time for the 2008 presidential election. At least three 90-minute debates are scheduled for the major party candidates. Over 40 million people are expected to watch the debates on television. Let’s look back at the origins of the presidential debate.