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Scientists at South Dakota State University have created a new material that looks and feels like plastic but breaks dow...
09/27/2025

Scientists at South Dakota State University have created a new material that looks and feels like plastic but breaks down in only 17 days.

They used waste from grapevines, which are usually thrown away or burned. These woody stems contain cellulose, a natural substance perfect for making safe packaging films.

The new material is strong, clear, and flexible, but unlike normal plastics, it leaves no toxic residue when it decomposes. Traditional plastics can last for hundreds of years, but this eco-friendly version disappears quickly.

The discovery turns farm waste into a useful product while reducing pollution and protecting the planet.

After spending 178 days aboard the ISS, astronaut Ron Garan came back with a powerful realization: we’re living a lie. F...
09/27/2025

After spending 178 days aboard the ISS, astronaut Ron Garan came back with a powerful realization: we’re living a lie. From space, Earth looks united—one glowing blue sphere with no borders, no divisions, just one fragile home floating in the darkness. Yet down here, we live as if we are separate, divided by politics, nations, and conflicts. From orbit, he saw the fragile atmosphere, a thin blue veil protecting life, lightning storms flashing like strobe lights, and auroras dancing across the poles. That perspective changed everything for him.

Garan argues humanity has its priorities upside down—we put the economy first, when it should be planet → society → economy. His message is clear: Earth is our shared spaceship, and every one of us is crew, not passengers. Humanity’s survival depends on recognizing that what divides us on the ground is invisible from space.

At 82 years old, billionaire Judy Faulkner, founder and CEO of Epic Systems, has pledged to give away 99% of her $7.8 bi...
09/27/2025

At 82 years old, billionaire Judy Faulkner, founder and CEO of Epic Systems, has pledged to give away 99% of her $7.8 billion fortune, following the lead of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett with the Giving Pledge.
This commitment reflects a growing trend among the world’s wealthiest to focus on philanthropy and social impact rather than personal accumulation.

Judy signed the Giving Pledge in 2015 and is actively fulfilling it by selling her nonvoting shares in Epic Systems. The proceeds are directed to her charitable foundation, Roots & Wings, which supports a wide range of initiatives. In 2024 alone, the foundation reportedly donated $67 million to 305 organizations and aims to increase that to $100 million annually by 2027.

Her philanthropic efforts are not just about giving money, they are about making a lasting difference in healthcare, education, and other vital sectors.
By dedicating nearly her entire fortune to charitable causes, Judy sets an inspiring example for billionaires worldwide.

Her story proves that wealth can be a powerful tool for good, and that true legacy is measured by the lives we touch, not the wealth we keep.

Many people think turtles hide inside a shell like snails. But that’s not true!A turtle’s shell is part of its body, mad...
09/27/2025

Many people think turtles hide inside a shell like snails. But that’s not true!

A turtle’s shell is part of its body, made from more than 50 fused bones, including its ribs and spine. 🦴

👉 This means:
• The shell grows with the turtle
• It feels touch and pain
• It can never be removed

The outside is covered in keratin (like fingernails), but underneath is living bone with nerves and blood vessels.

Hurting a shell is like breaking human ribs — painful and dangerous.

So remember: a turtle isn’t carrying a home. The shell is the turtle.

No, diet soda isn’t the “safe” choice many believe.A long-term study following more than 36,000 people for nearly 14 yea...
09/27/2025

No, diet soda isn’t the “safe” choice many believe.

A long-term study following more than 36,000 people for nearly 14 years has revealed a surprising risk: drinking just one artificially sweetened soft drink a day was linked to a 36% higher risk of type 2 diabetes—even higher than the 23% increase tied to regular sugary sodas.

What’s striking is that this risk persisted even after accounting for age, body weight, fat levels, and lifestyle. Unlike sugary drinks, the diet soda-diabetes connection can’t be explained by weight gain alone.

Researchers suggest artificial sweeteners may interfere with the body in several ways—by disrupting the gut microbiome, confusing insulin responses, or altering how blood sugar is regulated. Popular sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin have already been shown in earlier studies to affect gut bacteria and even trigger insulin spikes.

While more research is needed to pin down the exact biological mechanisms, the takeaway is clear: switching from sugary to diet drinks may not reduce your diabetes risk—and could make it worse.

📖 Source: Diabetes and Metabolism — “The association of sweetened beverage intake with risk of type 2 diabetes in an Australian population: A longitudinal study.”

In an extraordinary act of compassion, an aquarium manager built a tiny underwater “wheelchair” for a goldfish unable to...
09/27/2025

In an extraordinary act of compassion, an aquarium manager built a tiny underwater “wheelchair” for a goldfish unable to swim upright. Using zip ties, tubing, and small pieces of Styrofoam for buoyancy, he created a supportive device that allowed the goldfish to float normally and move around again. This story touched millions online, showing how innovation and empathy can change lives—even for the smallest creatures.
Goldfish with swim bladder disease often lose control over their buoyancy, causing them to sink or float uncontrollably. In most cases, such fish cannot survive long, but this inventive solution gave the goldfish a second chance at life. Videos of the fish swimming with its custom device quickly went viral, sparking admiration worldwide.
This simple invention also highlights broader possibilities in animal rehabilitation. With creativity and care, even low-cost solutions can improve animal welfare. It reminds us that technology does not have to be complex to make a meaningful impact—it only needs compassion and ingenuity.

On building sites in Australia, rows of sunflowers are doing more than looking pretty—they are cleaning the soil. Their ...
09/27/2025

On building sites in Australia, rows of sunflowers are doing more than looking pretty—they are cleaning the soil. Their long roots pull up heavy metals like lead, zinc, and cadmium from disturbed ground. The leaves help keep dust down, cool bare soil, and stop erosion. This method is called phytoremediation.

Workers plant thick strips of sunflowers, sometimes with microbes and soil helpers, to move metals toward the roots. After a few growth cycles, the plants—now full of pollutants—are harvested and safely removed.

This approach is cheaper than trucking soil away and gives quick results in a season. Sunflowers also attract pollinators, act as windbreaks, filter rainwater, and soften the look of busy work zones.

Is it possible to build a device that acts like a giant, silent sieve to clean plastic from our oceans?This isn't scienc...
09/27/2025

Is it possible to build a device that acts like a giant, silent sieve to clean plastic from our oceans?

This isn't science fiction—it's a real-world innovation from Dutch engineers. However, the term "ocean vacuum" is a bit of a simplification of how the technology works. The most famous project of this kind is The Ocean Cleanup, founded by Boyan Slat. Their system is designed to passively collect plastic, not actively suck it up like a vacuum cleaner.

Here's the detailed breakdown of this remarkable technology:

The System:
The current version of their technology, known as System 03, is a massive, U-shaped floating barrier that spans over 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) in length. It's the largest system of its kind ever deployed. It floats on the surface and is designed to passively capture plastic.

How it Works:
The system works by mimicking a coastline. It's a long, screen-like barrier that is held in the shape of a "U" by two support vessels. As ocean currents, wind, and waves naturally push the plastic into the U-shaped opening, the floating barrier traps it. A submerged screen hanging below the surface directs the plastic into a central collection zone, allowing marine life to safely swim underneath.

The "Tons of Plastic" Part:
The system has been proven to work. Its predecessor, System 002 "Jenny," successfully extracted tens of thousands of kilograms of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The new and larger System 03 is designed to be even more efficient and capable of collecting plastic at a much faster rate.

The Goal:
The ultimate goal of The Ocean Cleanup is to deploy a fleet of these systems to remove 90% of floating plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It's a powerful and ambitious project that is demonstrating a tangible way to clean up the monumental mess humans have created in our oceans.

This innovative, passive technology is a game-changer in the fight against ocean plastic, offering a beacon of hope for a cleaner and healthier planet.

Researchers at Princeton have uncovered evidence that the human brain emits ultra-low-frequency electromagnetic waves ca...
09/27/2025

Researchers at Princeton have uncovered evidence that the human brain emits ultra-low-frequency electromagnetic waves capable of linking into a kind of global neural network.

These faint signals appear able to influence other people’s brain activity from as far as 10,000 kilometers away, raising the possibility that human consciousness is subtly interconnected on a planetary scale.

The discovery adds to growing research showing that the brain communicates not only through neurons but also through weak electromagnetic fields. Scientists believe these fields may help explain phenomena like empathy, intuition, and synchronized group behavior.

Experiments even suggest that when one person meditates or focuses deeply, others—nearby or far away—can experience slight shifts in their brainwave patterns, pointing to a hidden layer of human connection that science is only beginning to uncover.

Stem cell grafts help rebuild damaged myelin in brain affected by progressive multiple sclerosis.Scientists have found t...
09/27/2025

Stem cell grafts help rebuild damaged myelin in brain affected by progressive multiple sclerosis.

Scientists have found that grafting neural stem cells into the central nervous system could help restore myelin—the protective coating around nerves—in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Myelin is essential for fast, smooth communication between the brain and body, but in MS, the immune system attacks and damages it, leading to disability. Current treatments mostly manage symptoms, while this approach aims to repair the actual damage.

In mouse models with MS-like symptoms, human-induced neural stem cells were transplanted into the brain. These cells matured into oligodendrocytes, the type of cells that make myelin, and successfully rebuilt the coating in damaged areas. The treatment appeared safe in animals, raising hopes for a therapy that addresses the root cause of MS instead of just controlling its effects.

This research supports an international effort called RESTORE, which is moving toward human clinical trials. The ultimate goal is to create treatments that protect and repair the nervous system, potentially slowing or stopping disease progression. While still early, these findings mark a big step toward regenerative therapies for MS.

Did you know that the sunflower hides a beautiful mathematical secret?The seeds inside a sunflower follow the Fibonacci ...
09/27/2025

Did you know that the sunflower hides a beautiful mathematical secret?

The seeds inside a sunflower follow the Fibonacci spiral, arranging themselves at a precise angle that gives the most efficient use of space. This allows the plant to fit the maximum number of seeds without overcrowding, while also absorbing light and nutrients in the best possible way.

But this pattern is not limited to sunflowers. You can see the same Fibonacci ratio in pinecones, pineapples, seashells, and even the arms of galaxies. Nature seems to love this harmonious design, repeating it across plants, animals, and even the universe itself.

Next time you look at a sunflower, a shell, or a spiral galaxy, you are also looking at the timeless language of mathematics written into nature.

Believe It, Become It – The Science of Mind Over BodyA Stanford study found that simply telling someone they had a “bad ...
09/27/2025

Believe It, Become It – The Science of Mind Over Body

A Stanford study found that simply telling someone they had a “bad gene” could change how their body worked—without any actual genetic difference.

People told they had low fitness performed worse on an exercise test, and those told they had a gene for obesity felt less full after eating. This shows that belief alone can impact physical reactions in real time, beyond just feeling differently.

While the experiment involved negative messages, it demonstrates the mind’s powerful influence on our body. It highlights how our thoughts can shape health outcomes—even if the biology stays the same.

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