Deborah Block

Glass Harpist Awes Tourists With Sassy Tunes

Glass Harpist Awes Tourists With Sassy Tunes

Musician Jamey Turner chose an unconventional career path by becoming a glass harpist. He plays music with glasses filled with water. He uses his fingertips to rub the rim of the glasses to create a range of musical tones. VOA's Deborah Block watched Turner play the glass harp in Alexandria, Virginia, where people seemed to be awestruck by the sounds he created.

River Exploring Without Getting Wet

Inspired by Google Street View, Ryan Abrahamsen creates 360-degree virtual tours of some rivers in the United States from the perspective of a canoe

'See' a River Without Getting Wet

Some 400 years ago, English explorer Captain John Smith traveled around the Chesapeake Bay in the eastern United States, the country's largest estuary. Smith mapped about 4,800 kilometers of the bay and nearby rivers. Now, 11 of those rivers can be seen in an entirely new way through a unique virtual online tour. VOA's Deborah Block got on board a small raft in the Patuxent River loaded with camera and computer equipment to find out how it is done.

Africa’s Iconic Baobab Trees are Dying

The ancient, iconic Baobab tree, with its distinctive swollen trunk, grows in many parts of Africa. But the trees rising out of the savannah in southern Africa today are dying at an alarming rate. Scientists are not sure why, but many suspect climate change is to blame. According to a study published in the scientific journal "Nature Plants" -- 9 of the 13 baobabs between 1,000 and 2,500 years old have died over the past dozen years. VOA’s Deborah Block reports.

Museum of Natural History Provides Glimpse of New Dinosaur Display

The fossilized skeleton of a ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur will be on exhibit next year in the new fossil hall at the Museum of Natural History in Washington. Excavated in Montana, it is one of the largest and most complete T-rex skeletons ever discovered. The dinosaur, called the Nation’s T-rex, will become part of a larger showcase that explores billions of years of life on earth. VOAs Deborah Block takes us on a sneak peak.

Tiny, Noisy Rooms Draw Customers to Japan Hostel

Simple, tiny, noisy rooms in a hostel would seem like a place most people would rather not stay in overnight. But rooms just like that are drawing in guests as a tourist attraction in Japan. VOAs Deborah Block explains what makes Tiny’s Hostel so popular.

What Fat Dogs May Tell Us About Overweight Humans

Fat dogs may have more in common with obese humans than we think. Hungarian researchers have discovered that overweight dogs were interested only in top quality food and would not settle for second best. The study suggests that dogs could be used as models into the causes and psychological impact of human obesity. VOA's Deborah Block has a report.

First Test-Tube Baby Born 40 Years Ago This Month

Forty years ago this month, the first test-tube baby was born in what is now called in vitro fertilization. British baby Louise Brown was born July 25, 1978. She's married now with two children who were born naturally. A new exhibition at the Science Museum in London is showcasing the anniversary and the technological advances achieved through in vitro fertilization. VOA's Deborah Block has more.

Students Learn About Science by Building Guitars

Some students in Virginia who play the guitar are also learning how to build them. It's part of an after-school program where middle and high school students learn about science and music through the design and function of an electric guitar. The workshops, sponsored by the nonprofit Music for Life, are free for those who cannot afford to participate. VOA's Deborah Block takes us to a high school in Manassas, Virginia, where the students are learning the challenges of making an electric guitar.

Exhibit Showcases Delicate Beauty of US Botanical Art

Among 25 countries highlighting botanical art and the diversity of plants worldwide

Washington Exhibit Showcases Beauty of Botanical Art

Botanical art illustrates the delicate beauty of plant species, frequently in watercolor paintings. A series of botanical art exhibits featuring native plants is being showcased in 25 countries around the world. The idea is to highlight botanical art and the diversity of plants worldwide. In the United States, 46 pieces are on display at the United States Botanic Garden in Washington. VOA's Deborah Block spoke with some of the artists about their exquisite artwork.

World Giraffe Day Brings Attention to Their Declining Numbers

June 21st is World Giraffe Day, celebrating the iconic long-necked African animal. But giraffe populations have been decreasing at a rapid pace, and researchers warn they could become extinct in the near future. In northern Kenya, a conservation program is working to protect the native reticulated giraffe, known for its distinctive striped patterns. VOA's Deborah Block has more.

Salvation Army's First Grocery Store Helps Baltimore's Disadvantaged

Charity group's store provides healthy, low-priced food to some of city’s poorest people

Salvation Army's First Grocery Store Helps Baltimore's Disadvantaged

Many disadvantaged neighborhoods in cities across the United States do not have a nearby grocery store. And many people who live in those neighborhoods have to take public transportation to get to the nearest store, which may be several kilometers away. So the Salvation Army opened a grocery store in a low income neighborhood that doesn't have one in Baltimore, Maryland. As we hear from VOA's Deborah Block, people in the area can walk to the converted warehouse and buy low cost, quality food.

Muslims Give Millions to Islam Charity Organizations in US During Ramadan

Islam stipulates that Muslims must donate 2.5 percent of their wealth each year to help the needy

People of Different Faiths Unite for Muslim Ramadan Meal

For Muslims, the month of Ramadan is a time for self-reflection and prayer — and fasting from sunrise to sunset. After sunset, families and friends enjoy a meal called Iftar. At a mosque in Virginia, outside Washington, people of various faiths came to Iftar one evening and to join Muslims in prayer. VOA's Deborah Block has the story.

Thousands of Flags Honor the Fallen at Arlington National Cemetery

Thousands of flags wave proudly this weekend at tombstones in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, just outside Washington. For more than 60 years, the army's ceremonial unit, known as the Old Guard, has been placing the flags at graves in the huge military cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day. The national holiday, observed the last Monday in May, honors the men and women who died while serving in the military. VOA's Deborah Block takes us to the annual tradition known as "Flags in."

Food Packages Help Families in Need During Ramadan

The food is donated by Islamic Relief USA, an Alexandria, Virginia, nonprofit that for 25 years has been providing food and humanitarian assistance worldwide

Food Packages Help Families in Need During Ramadan

For Muslims, the month of Ramadan (May 15-June 15) is a time of reaching out to people who are less fortunate. Islamic Relief USA is providing thousands of special Ramadan food packages to people in need in several cities in the United States. The nonprofit in Alexandria, VA, is contributing humanitarian aid to more than 40 countries around the world. VOA’s Deborah Block takes us to the Washington area where the Ramadan food packages are making the lives of some local families a little easier.