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Uganda's Transplant Revolution is Bringing Hope to Thousands
A new law being considered in Uganda would enable organ transplants to take place in the country for the first time, potentially transforming the lives of thousands of people in need of operations. The law would create a safe framework for organ donation and transplantation, with strict regulation to prevent abuse. It would also establish transplant centres around the country and create organ banks for donors.
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Scientists Recover The Oldest Wooden Tools From A Site In Greece
Two simple wooden objects unearthed in southern Greece are now considered the oldest wooden tools ever found, dating back an estimated 430,000 years. Scientists say the artifacts offer a rare glimpse into the daily lives and survival strategies of early human ancestors, whose technology extended far beyond stone tools. The two items — one a slender digging stick, the other a smaller handheld piece — were found in the Megalopolis basin, an area rich in prehistoric remains. According to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the longer tool, made from either willow or poplar wood, is about 80 centimeters long and may have been used to dig into the muddy lake shore. The other object’s function remains a mystery, but researchers believe it might have been used to shape or craft stone tools. What makes this discovery remarkable isn’t just the age of the tools, but the fact that they survived at all. Wood usually decays quickly unless it’s protected in rare conditions — frozen in ice, sealed in caves, or submerged in waterlogged ground. In this case, researchers believe the Greek site’s wet, muddy environment helped preserve the artifacts. They weren’t directly dated, but sediment layers and surrounding finds suggest they’re around 430,000 years old. “I’ve always just been thrilled to be able to touch these objects,” said Annemieke Milks, one of the study’s authors and a researcher at the University of Reading. The team didn’t find any human remains at the site, so it’s still unclear who exactly used the tools. They could have belonged to early Neanderthals, Homo heidelbergensis, or another unknown hominin group. Still, their survival hints at a much broader range of tool use than the stone tools usually associated with early humans. Other ancient wooden tools have been found elsewhere, such as spears from Germany and 300,000-year-old digging sticks in China, but the Greek finds are now the earliest on record. “These types of discoveries are extremely rare,” said Katerina Harvati of the University of Tübingen, another co-author of the study. The tools help fill a “little known aspect of the technology of early humans,” she said. Despite their historic significance, the tools themselves aren’t especially eye-catching. That makes them easy to overlook or dismiss, even by archaeologists. “It’s difficult to get excited about these because they don’t strike you immediately as wooden tools. And we don’t know what they were used for,” said Jarod Hutson, an archaeologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History who was not involved in the research. But scientists say the Megalopolis site, which has also yielded stone tools and cut-marked elephant bones, still holds plenty of potential. Its thick layers of ancient sediment may contain more surprises — and possibly even the remains of the tool users themselves. For now, these two modest wooden fragments offer a rare and valuable connection to the ingenuity of early humans, preserved not in stone, but in ancient wood.
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This Hiker Survived a Ravine Fall With Help From His Wife's Voice in the Dark
A California man who vanished during a solo hike on Halloween says he was never scared—even after falling into a ravine and spending nearly 12 hours lost in the dark. “I was never afraid,” Grant Gunderson, 67, told PEOPLE. “I knew that God was going to help me get rescued from the ravine. Sooner or later, there would be a search party looking for me.” That confidence proved right. After his wife, Tammy, reported him missing, a 40-person search and rescue team launched a night operation in Marin County’s Mount Tamalpais State Park. Just after 2 a.m. on November 1, rescuers found Gunderson alive and in surprisingly good condition. “I’m just happy to be back home with my wife and family and friends,” he said. “I feel like God has blessed me with a second chance to make a difference for Him in this life.” The ordeal began after Gunderson wrapped up business meetings around 2 p.m. on October 31 and decided to take a short hike along Cataract Trail, a route he’d done more than 20 times before. Hoping to catch a better view of the Bay Area—and a cell signal—he took a steeper, less familiar trail uphill. He managed to text his wife at 5:40 p.m. to say his phone was dying and he was heading back down. But as daylight faded, Gunderson grew disoriented. He came across a lake he didn’t recognize, and then, while walking along a wet path, he slipped. “I lost traction and suddenly found myself careening quickly down a steep ravine feet first in a sitting position,” he said. “I shouted a quick prayer—‘Jesus help and save me!’—as I plummeted down the ravine in the dark.” The fall ended abruptly, sparing him from a potentially fatal head injury. “I came to a dead stop with my head facing downhill,” he said. “I saw two huge granite boulders just below in the creek bed. I knew that if my fall had not stopped, my head would have hit it.” Though bruised and exhausted, he wasn’t seriously hurt. With no cell service and no idea where he was, Gunderson relied on faith and instinct. “At this point, it was just me and God, nature, and the animals in the park,” he said. “I didn’t fear the darkness.” He wandered for hours, eventually reaching a shoreline and spotting what he thought was a drone light overhead. But fatigue set in. After falling multiple times, he rested on a log for nearly 40 minutes—until he saw three beams of light moving along a trail nearby. “Help, I’m Grant and I’ve fallen. I’m over here!” he yelled. Rescuers heard him and brought him safely back to the trailhead. From there, he was driven to his vehicle and reunited with his wife. “I was so glad to drive home and hug and see my wife,” he said. The experience left him grateful—and eager to share some advice. His top tips for fellow hikers: keep your phone fully charged, use a tracking app, and if you ever get lost, “Never give up and never panic.”
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Quantum Technology Reaches Its Transistor Moment, Say Scientists
Quantum technology is entering a new chapter—one that looks a lot like the earliest days of classical computing. A new paper published in Science says the field has officially moved beyond lab experiments and is now facing the challenge of making quantum systems usable, scalable, and practical. "This transformative moment in quantum technology is reminiscent of the transistor's earliest days," said lead author David Awschalom, a physicist at the University of Chicago and director of both the Chicago Quantum Exchange and the Chicago Quantum Institute. Awschalom and colleagues from MIT, Stanford, the University of Innsbruck, and Delft University of Technology say quantum devices are starting to resemble complete systems, capable of supporting early applications in communication, sensing, and computation. But as with early silicon chips, functionality is still limited and large-scale impact is a long way off. The paper reviews six major hardware platforms—superconducting qubits, trapped ions, spin defects, semiconductor quantum dots, neutral atoms, and optical photonic qubits—and uses AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to estimate their technology readiness levels (TRL). These levels, ranging from 1 to 9, are commonly used to gauge how close a technology is to practical deployment. In the analysis, superconducting qubits came out on top for computing, neutral atoms led in simulation, photonic qubits ranked highest for networking, and spin defects were best for sensing. But a high TRL doesn’t mean the tech is ready to change the world. "While semiconductor chips in the 1970s were TLR-9 for that time, they could do very little compared with today's advanced integrated circuits," said coauthor William D. Oliver, director of the Center for Quantum Engineering at MIT. “A high TRL for quantum technologies today does not indicate that the end goal has been achieved.” Many of the most anticipated uses—like accurate quantum chemistry simulations that could change medicine or materials science—will require millions of qubits, ultra-low error rates, and far more coordination between system components than what’s possible today. Some platforms already support limited public access via cloud-based tools, but the systems are still fragile and error-prone. Building a version that runs reliably and scales to meet real-world demands is the next frontier—and it's a tough one. Among the challenges: today’s quantum systems still rely on dedicated control wiring for each qubit. That approach quickly breaks down as systems grow, echoing a problem that stumped classical engineers in the 1960s, known as the “tyranny of numbers.” Power consumption, cooling, automated calibration, and efficient signal routing are all pressure points as systems scale up. Improvements in materials and chip design are critical, but so are bigger-picture design changes and smarter collaboration across the field. The authors say the quantum field now faces a choice—whether to prioritize open science and interoperability, or splinter too early into incompatible commercial approaches. They argue for lessons from classical computing, where public-private partnerships and patient, long-term investments drove progress. “We must nurture the partnerships and coordinated efforts necessary to achieve the technology’s full, utility-scale potential,” Awschalom said. And expectations should be managed, the paper warns. Breakthroughs in computing often took decades to mature into real-world products. Quantum is likely no different. “Patience has been a key element in many landmark developments,” the authors write. “And points to the importance of tempering timeline expectations in quantum technologies.”
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Farmers are Embracing These Tiny, Adorable Hawks for Natural Pest Control in Cherry Orchards
A small falcon with striking plumage may be offering a big solution to cherry farmers. The American kestrel—rusty-backed, slate-winged, and fierce-eyed—is turning heads not just for its beauty, but for its ability to keep fruit crops safer and cleaner. New research out of Michigan State University has found that encouraging these birds to nest in cherry orchards can significantly reduce crop damage and even lower the risk of foodborne illness. “Kestrels are not very expensive to bring into orchards, but they work pretty well,” said Olivia Smith, lead author of the study and assistant professor of horticulture at Michigan State. “And people just like kestrels a lot, so I think it’s an attractive strategy.” The study, conducted in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, showed that orchards with kestrel nest boxes experienced 81 percent less visible crop damage—such as missing cherries or bite marks—and 66 percent less bird feces on trees. The presence of kestrels also correlated with lower levels of Campylobacter, a common pathogen spread by birds, on the orchard branches. That connection between kestrels and cleaner fruit wasn’t accidental. Smith and her team hypothesized that if kestrels kept smaller fruit-eating birds away, fewer droppings—and thus fewer pathogens—would end up on the fruit. The data backed that up. Just under 1 percent of branches in kestrel-guarded orchards tested positive for Campylobacter, compared to around 10 percent in orchards without kestrels. For Brad Thatcher, a farmer in Washington state, the difference is noticeable. He’s hosted kestrels on his April Joy Farm for over 13 years. “I’ve noticed a difference having the kestrels around, hovering over the spring crops,” Thatcher told Inside Climate News. “There’s very little fecal damage from small songbirds at that time of year versus the fall.” The research comes at a time when fruit farmers are battling everything from unpredictable weather to labor shortages. Perching birds alone are responsible for an estimated $85 million in annual losses across top cherry-producing states like Michigan and California. Traditional methods of deterring birds are costly and often controversial: shooting, trapping, netting, chemical repellents, and even cutting down nearby forest to eliminate roosting options. Compared to that, a nesting box for a raptor seems simple—and much more sustainable. It’s not the only example of birds of prey being used as natural pest control. Vineyards in California and South Africa have turned to nesting owls to protect grapes from rodents, and a famed flock of ducks has been defending South African vineyards for over 50 years. But kestrels may offer an especially elegant solution for orchard growers. They’re native, they’re efficient hunters of small birds and rodents, and they’re beloved by birdwatchers.
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12-Year-Old's Heartfelt Shout-Out to Mom at School Assembly Goes Viral
A proud mom’s simple shout-out at a school assembly has turned into a viral moment—and a lesson in expressing love out loud. Erica Carillo was filming her 12-year-old son Kyle receiving an Honor Roll certificate when she called out from the crowd, “Love you, son!” Without hesitation, Kyle shouted back, “Love you too, Mom!”—drawing a loud and collective “aww” from the gymnasium. Carillo, 39, captured the moment on video and posted it online with the caption, “When your son is not afraid to love you out loud.” The video quickly gained millions of views and likes, as viewers were struck by the boy’s openhearted response. “I was only expecting a smile or a wave,” Carillo told PEOPLE. “It was a genuine moment that caught me off guard in the best way.” While Carillo says “I love you” is common in their household, hearing Kyle say it so proudly in front of his peers wasn’t something she saw coming. “[Kyle] shouting it across a crowded room in front of his peers was not typical, which is what made it so special,” she said. “It reflected his genuine, openhearted nature.” The moment struck a chord online, where comments poured in celebrating both Kyle’s response and the parenting behind it. “He said: ‘Love you too mom,’ and set the bar for the other boys 😂,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “Both y’all are goals. I love it.” “Aww she raised him well 🥹 A true man indeed,” read another. Carillo said she originally shared the video just because it meant something to her as a mom. “I never expected it to resonate with so many people,” she said. Now, she hopes the clip encourages others to be more open with their emotions. “I hope it reminds people that expressing love openly is something to be celebrated,” she said. “You can’t get back lost time, so it’s important to say how you feel while you can.”
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A Magnetic Breakthrough Could Make EV Batteries Safer and Last 4x Longer
A research team in South Korea may have found a way to make electric vehicle batteries both safer and longer-lasting, potentially addressing two of the biggest hurdles facing EV adoption: fire risk and range anxiety. The breakthrough comes from POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology), where a team led by professor Won Bae Kim has developed a method to regulate lithium-ion movement in batteries using a magnetic field. The innovation tackles a well-known and dangerous issue in battery design—dendrites. Dendrites are tiny, needle-like structures that can grow inside lithium-metal batteries as they’re repeatedly charged. Over time, they can pierce the battery’s separator, causing short circuits that may lead to fires or explosions. It’s why the EV industry has long relied on graphite anodes, which are safer but have lower capacity. The POSTECH team’s solution could eliminate that trade-off. According to the research, applying an external magnetic field to a ferromagnetic manganese ferrite anode changes how lithium deposits form. The magnetic field creates nanoparticles that behave like miniature magnets, guiding lithium ions into a dense, even layer. This prevents the dangerous clumping that leads to dendrites. In lab testing, the new battery setup lasted for over 300 charge cycles while maintaining more than 99 percent Coulombic efficiency—the ratio of charge in versus charge out. It also offers up to four times the energy storage of conventional graphite-based systems. In a statement reported by Interesting Engineering, the team said the system “delivers significantly higher energy storage—enough to alleviate EV range concerns—while lowering the risk of thermal runaway and explosion.” That combination could make a significant difference, especially for EV owners who are hesitant to install at-home solar panels or who rely on traditional power grids. With longer-lasting batteries, drivers would spend less on charging and get more out of each charge—no matter the source. As for real-world application, it’s still early days. But Kim sees the development as a stepping stone. “It represents a new pathway toward safer and more reliable lithium-metal batteries,” he said. “We expect this technology to serve as a foundation for improving capacity, cycle life, and charging speed in next-generation batteries.” The work joins a growing push from researchers and manufacturers to create better EV batteries. Other efforts include StoreDot’s silicon-anode battery research, which could drastically increase energy density, and Raytron’s advanced imaging tools to detect and prevent battery fires. Together, these developments point to an EV future that’s not just more efficient, but safer and more affordable, too.
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This University Of Michigan Flint Police Officer Just Rescued a Man Buried In Snow
An anonymous tipster is being praised by police at the University of Michigan Flint after their early morning call likely saved a man’s life during dangerous subzero weather conditions. Shortly after midnight on Friday, as wind chills in Flint plunged well below freezing, the caller alerted dispatch about a person possibly lying on the ground near the intersection of Harrison and 2nd Street. Officers responded around 12:37 a.m., canvassing the area in the dark and snow. According to a report from the U of M Flint Department of Public Safety, Sergeant Thrower initially spotted what looked like a snow-covered traffic cone or discarded debris on the sidewalk. But when he approached, he realized it was a man, partially buried by snow and unable to move. The man told police he had suffered seizures and collapsed on the sidewalk. With wind chills far below zero, he had been unable to get up. Thrower and Officer Fray quickly coordinated with EMS. The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and is expected to recover. Police say that without the tip, the man might not have survived the night. “Given the extreme cold at the time,” the department said in a statement, “this caller may have saved a life.”
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Dad's Emotional Reaction Captured As He Sees Colors For First Time At Age 61
A South Carolina father was overcome with emotion after seeing the full spectrum of color for the first time in his life, thanks to a Christmas gift from his son. Jim Gogan, 61, has spent his entire life unable to distinguish between reds and greens. The colorblindness had real-world consequences—in the Air Force, he was ruled out from becoming a pilot because he couldn’t read radar screens. But this December, his son Kyle finally gave him the chance to see what he’d been missing. “He’s never been able to tell color,” said Kyle, 39. “He’ll say things like, ‘grab my blue shirt,’ and it’s green.” The family had talked for years about getting him special colorblindness-correcting glasses, but the price made it difficult. Then Kyle got a work bonus and decided to make it happen. Before giving his dad the glasses, Kyle had printed out color vision tests for the family to try. Jim got almost every answer wrong. But as soon as he put on the glasses and looked at a color drawing of a Christmas tree, the effect was immediate. He broke down in tears. “It was very emotional watching my dad react,” Kyle told SWNS. Once he composed himself, Jim took the test again. This time, he got every answer right. The color that struck him most? Red. “He kept commenting on how beautiful the bricks on houses were,” Kyle said. The following day, the family took Jim for a drive to soak in the colors of nature—trees, skies, houses, and landscapes he had never truly seen before. He was especially stunned by the green of the trees and the blue of the sky. Now, Jim wears the glasses often, including when he’s playing golf. “He’s seeing ‘the green’ better than ever,” Kyle said. The moment was caught on video and shared by the family, showing Jim’s emotional reaction as he took in the colors of the world for the first time.
Score (97)
This 104-Year-Old Says Her Secret to a Long Life is Simple: Veggies (and Chocolate)
At 104 years old, Elizabeth Milner is still going strong—and she says the secret to her longevity might just be a mix of vegetables and chocolate. Milner, who was born in 1921 in Dundee, Scotland, celebrated her milestone birthday in December at Care UK's Kentford Manor in Newmarket, Suffolk, surrounded by family, tea, and plenty of bubbly. “Spending the day with my whole family and enjoying a lovely afternoon tea party with plenty of bubbles made it especially memorable,” she told the BBC. When asked how she’s managed to live such a long life, Milner didn’t hesitate. “Veggies and chocolate,” she said with a smile. She married her husband, Alfred, in 1944, and the couple had two children together. Decades later, she remains active in the care home, still enjoying baking, knitting, and tapestry-making. Staff at Kentford Manor said Milner is a beloved member of the community. “We were so excited to celebrate such a joyous day with Elizabeth,” said home manager Hannah Nurse. “It was wonderful to mark this tremendous milestone with her and her family.” After more than a century of living through world wars, cultural shifts, and technological revolutions, Milner’s advice for life is simple: eat your vegetables—and don’t forget to treat yourself.
Score (97)
Biologists are Reviving Thousands Of American Chestnut Trees On Maine Land — Here's Why
In a surprising twist for American chestnut enthusiasts, wild trees once thought to be “functionally extinct” are showing signs of a resurgence in Maine, USA. This unexpected revival challenges the long-held belief that genetic engineering was the only path to saving this iconic species. The American chestnut tree, which was decimated by an Asian blight introduced in 1904, used to dominate forests along the U.S. East Coast and Canada. The devastation left noticeable gaps in these ecosystems, and many assumed the species could not recover naturally. However, new evidence suggests otherwise. Renowned biologist Dr. Bernd Heinrich has discovered thousands of robust chestnuts thriving on his Maine property. Over forty years ago, he purchased 25 saplings from a nursery for just $10. These trees flourished and multiplied as local wildlife spread their seeds across fields up to 1.6 kilometers away. Remarkably, none of them have shown signs of the fatal blight. “These chestnuts are really taking off,” said Heinrich, who is also a professor emeritus at the University of Vermont's Biology Department. At 85 years old, he still actively studies these trees and collected fruit samples for a recent documentary film crew. He speculates that these specimens might be resistant to the blight that devastated their ancestors. Heinrich's findings suggest natural regeneration is occurring on a larger scale than previously believed. His team has documented over a thousand healthy chestnut trees spanning three generations using GPS mapping in long-term field studies. The new short film "The Wild American Chestnut," produced by Global Justice Ecology Project, highlights Heinrich’s groundbreaking observations and discusses how climate change might be shifting the trees' viable range northward. This potential adaptation opens new possibilities for survival beyond traditional geographic limits. This development challenges efforts focused solely on genetic engineering as a solution to restoring the American chestnut population. In fact, in December 2023, The American Chestnut Foundation withdrew support for genetically engineered chestnuts after realizing the trees were genetically defective due to research errors and performed poorly in field tests. Anne Petermann, Executive Director of Global Justice Ecology Project, noted that seeing multiple generations of naturally growing robust trees contrasts with claims that biotechnology is necessary for restoration efforts. “It was stunning to see so many robust trees—three full generations growing naturally—while the efforts to engineer blight-resistant chestnuts have produced nothing but failures,” she said. As researchers continue exploring various methods for aiding this iconic tree’s recovery, Dr. Heinrich's discovery offers hope for those interested in ecological conservation through natural processes rather than relying solely on technological interventions.