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Solar Farms in the Gobi Desert Are Set to Power 1.5 Million Households
China has recently completed a massive solar array in Ningxia Hui capable of powering 1.5 million homes, generating 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours per year. The project is the first of several giant renewable energy projects planned for construction in the arid western areas like the Gobi, Tengger, and Taklamakan deserts. The solar farm is also the first in the country to include an ultrahigh-voltage power transmission channel that will bring the electricity generated there to the central Hunan Province, benefiting the region's 66 million people.
Score (97)
4 Hunters Rescued With Their Dogs After Getting Lost in California Mountains
Four hunters and their dogs were rescued after getting lost in a mountainous area of Placer County, northern California, on Saturday morning, November 8, according to local officials. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said a helicopter crew located the group near Little Grizzly Canyon, outside of Foresthill, and that one of the hunters was injured. “The injured hunter was hoisted out first and transported for medical care. The remaining three hunters and four dogs were then safely hoisted out of the canyon,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post. Everyone was “doing well,” they added. “The dogs – Lilly, Hassle, Crooked Pate, and Reba – were true champs through it all and even made friends with our team!” the sheriff’s office said.
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Insect-Eating Birds in France Show Signs of Recovery After Pesticide Ban
Bird populations in France that rely on insects for food are showing early signs of a comeback, thanks to a European ban on a controversial class of pesticides. But researchers say it could still take decades before numbers fully rebound. A new study has found that insect-eating birds like blackbirds, blackcaps, and chaffinches increased by about 2 to 3 percent between 2019 and 2022 — the first few years after the European Union banned outdoor use of neonicotinoids. These pesticides, once widely used in agriculture, have been linked to dramatic insect losses, including mass die-offs of bees. “Even a few percentage [points’] increase is meaningful – it shows the ban made a difference,” said lead researcher Thomas Perrot from the Fondation pour la recherche sur la biodiversité in Paris. “Our results clearly point to neonicotinoid bans as an effective conservation measure for insectivorous birds.” The findings, published in the journal Environmental Pollution, are the first to directly tie the EU-wide ban to a population shift in wildlife. Researchers looked at long-term data from over 1,900 monitoring sites across France, collected by skilled volunteer birdwatchers. They compared bird populations five years before the ban, from 2013 to 2018, with data from 2019 to 2022. Across those sites, birds that depend on insects had been hit hardest by pesticide use. The study found that numbers were 12 percent lower in areas where neonicotinoids had been used, compared to untreated areas. Birds with more flexible diets, like house sparrows and wood pigeons, were far less affected. While the UK also banned outdoor neonicotinoid use in 2018, the chemicals are still widely used in the United States, which has lost nearly 3 billion insect-eating birds since the 1970s. Perrot said the recovery in France is likely still in its early stages. “Neonicotinoids persist in soils for years and can keep affecting insects,” he said. “It will take several decades for insectivorous bird populations to recover. But we think that’s normal, because studies on other pesticides like DDT show that most bird populations take 10 to 25 years to fully recover.” Other wildlife that depends on insects — including small mammals, bats, and fish — may also be starting to see benefits, though they weren’t included in this study. The modest but promising results were enough to surprise some experts. “I was surprised you could already see recovery,” said Frans van Alebeek, a rural policy officer at BirdLife Netherlands. “It’s extremely difficult to study this – which makes this study so special. The positive message is that it helps to ban pesticides and it will result in the recovery of wildlife.” James Pearce-Higgins, director of science at the British Trust for Ornithology, offered a more cautious take. “It’s a study that shows there may be early signs of weak population recovery but the results are uncertain and could be down to other correlated factors,” he said. Variables like habitat and climate could also be playing a role, he added, and long-term data will be needed to confirm the trend. Neonicotinoids, introduced in the 1990s, quickly became the most widely used insecticides in the world. Because they’re systemic — meaning they spread throughout plant tissues — they made entire plants toxic to insects. Even small traces of the chemicals were shown to impair bees’ ability to forage and navigate, contributing to widespread colony losses reported in the early 2000s. By 2018, amid mounting evidence and public pressure, the EU banned almost all outdoor uses of neonicotinoids, despite strong opposition from agribusiness and chemical manufacturers. That ban, Perrot said, is now showing real ecological dividends, even if the road ahead is long. Birds are especially vulnerable to farming practices, from habitat destruction to pesticide exposure. And while the EU does offer green infrastructure funding to support more sustainable farming, Perrot warned that systemic change will be needed. “If agriculture keeps focusing on maximum yields instead of sustainability, we’ll keep seeing the same declines,” he said. Alebeek agreed, and pointed to a deeper issue: how pesticides are tested in the first place. “Industry is getting better and better at finding chemicals that are extremely effective at low concentrations – you use less but the toxicity is not going down,” he said. “To me, it shows that our system of testing pesticides before they are allowed on the market is not good enough.” While the initial signs are hopeful, both researchers and conservationists agree: meaningful wildlife recovery doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, data, and policies that prioritize biodiversity — not just short-term crop yields.
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40 Years, $3 Billion Later: This Nonprofit Is Turning Surplus Into Support
Delivering Good, a nonprofit celebrating its 40th year, has made an impressive impact by distributing over $3 billion worth of new merchandise to families in need since its inception in 1985. Originally founded as Kids In Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) by Karen Bromley, Barbara Toback, and Ezra Dabah, the organization has grown into a powerhouse for philanthropy. The founders asked nonprofits if they preferred money or products. The unanimous response was for new products. This simple question led to a mission that has touched countless lives. Karen Bromley, who spent time in foster care during her early years, understood how much receiving something new could mean to children living in poverty or difficult situations. "I knew that giving a child a brand-new coat or a toy could make them feel special," she said. In 2005, after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated communities across the Gulf Coast, Allan Ellinger stepped up with his industry expertise. He realized that while monetary donations were helpful, people needed immediate support through tangible goods like clothing and home essentials. This led to the creation of Fashion Delivers, which focused on providing relief through new products for adults affected by disasters. The organization distributed $6 million worth of goods in its first year. Eventually, K.I.D.S. and Fashion Delivers merged under the name Delivering Good. Their shared belief in restoring dignity through new products solidified their partnership and expanded their reach nationwide. "Delivering Good has always been fueled by heart and passion," Bromley remarked about their efforts. The nonprofit's work extends beyond just addressing disaster relief; it also helps alleviate poverty by redirecting surplus inventory from retailers to those who need it most. Over the years, Delivering Good has partnered with thousands of brands and manufacturers to distribute essential items from clothing to toys. Allan Ellinger reflected on their journey: "We started to solve a problem; we never imagined we’d still be here 40 years later—more vibrant and needed than ever." As they look toward the future, Matthew Fasciano, President & CEO of Delivering Good, noted that they are scaling up operations with plans to improve 50 million lives in the coming years. For those interested in supporting this cause or learning more about their initiatives, visiting their website offers opportunities for involvement and donation options.
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Rescue Team Saves Dog After 100-Foot Cliff Plunge, Found Remarkably Unscathed
A two-year-old Collie named Whisp is back on solid ground after a dramatic fall off a 30-metre cliff in Shetland—and somehow walked away without a scratch. The dog plunged down a steep cliff face on the Northmavine peninsula Thursday morning, landing on a narrow rocky ledge about halfway down. His owner couldn’t safely reach him and called for help. By 11am, the Coastguard launched a rescue operation, but conditions made the job anything but simple. The cliff was too steep for a sea rescue, so the team had to scale the rocks from above using rope equipment. “The two-year-old Collie was about 30 metres down the cliff, on a rocky ledge, making access from the seaward side impossible,” a spokesperson from HM Coastguard Orkney and Shetland said. Over the course of three hours, rescue crews carefully worked their way down the cliff and brought Whisp to safety. By 2pm, he was reunited with his owner—“remarkably unscathed,” according to the Coastguard team. Photos released by the Coastguard show a relieved-looking Whisp back in his owner's arms after the ordeal. “From our picture, he looks very happy to be back,” the spokesperson said. “Thankfully, a happy ending for Whisp.”
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Smithsonian Zoo Welcomes Four New Cheetah Cubs
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) is celebrating a rare and exciting milestone: the birth of four cheetah cubs to a first-time mother named Amabala, at its facility in Fort Royal, Virginia. The cubs were born between October 17 and 18 and can now be viewed in real-time via the Zoo’s Cheetah Cub Cam. Amabala, a 5-year-old cheetah, delivered the litter as part of the Zoo’s cheetah Species Survival Plan, a program designed to support the vulnerable species. Their father, Flash, is 8 years old and has sired three other cubs — though, like all male cheetahs, he won’t participate in raising them. “Cheetahs can be challenging to breed, in part because female reproductive cycles can be sporadic and their behavior is often very difficult to interpret,” said Adrienne Crosier, a carnivore biologist at NZCBI. “It’s taken our team thousands of man-hours to produce 20 litters. For that 20th litter to be Amabala’s is an exciting, full-circle moment.” Cheetahs are listed as vulnerable, just one step away from endangered. In the wild, they typically live 8 to 10 years, but under human care can reach 12 to 15 years, according to the Zoo.
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Norway Secures First World Cup Spot In 27 Years, Emerges As One Of Europe's Best
After a 4–1 win over Estonia followed by another 4–1 victory against Italy, Norway has officially qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 27 years. For a nation boasting generational talents like Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, many fans are asking: what took so long? The answer lies not just in tactics, but in a transformation led by manager Ståle Solbakken, who played in Norway’s last World Cup appearance in 1998. This time, he’s guided a young, dynamic squad through skepticism, tactical overhauls, and cultural rebuilding to become one of the most feared teams in Europe. “Everyone believes in the project and wants the best for one another,” Solbakken said. “You can talk endlessly about tactics, but it means little if you don’t generate that team spirit.” From Doubt to Dominance Norway’s turnaround began during last year’s UEFA Nations League campaign. A 5–1 thrashing by Austria nearly cost Solbakken his job. But a late rally saw them top their group and gain promotion to League A — a turning point that sparked belief. Since then, Norway has won 11 consecutive competitive games, including a stunning 3–0 win over Italy in June, a 5–0 rout of Israel, and a jaw-dropping 11–1 demolition of Moldova. The team leads Europe’s qualifiers in goals (37), assists (29), and one-vs-one take-ons. “Norway are one of the two best teams in Europe, together with Spain,” said Israel’s coach Ran Ben-Shimon. Tactical Evolution Solbakken’s biggest shift has been structural. Moving from a reactive setup to a possession-based, high-pressing style, Norway now plays with confidence and clarity. Their flexible 4-3-3 morphs into a pressing diamond, with wingers Oscar Bobb and Antonio Nusa isolating defenders while midfielders Sander Berge, Patrick Berg, and Ødegaard orchestrate the tempo. Their defense, led by Kristoffer Ajer and Torbjørn Heggem, uses zonal principles to stay compact and intercept rather than engage in risky duels. “Perhaps I was too ambitious at the start,” Solbakken admitted. “But now, with the players we have, we’ve embraced a more front-foot, attacking approach.” Haaland and Ødegaard: Stars Who Serve the System While Erling Haaland’s 16 goals in eight qualifiers have drawn headlines, his off-ball work has been just as vital. Martin Ødegaard, meanwhile, has gone from promising talent to world-class playmaker and inspirational captain. “Scoring week in, week out for Manchester City is one thing,” said former keeper Erik Thorstvedt, “but doing it for Norway is something else entirely.” Shared Leadership, Strong Identity Solbakken has built more than a system — he’s built a culture. Leadership is distributed, egos are in check, and players clearly enjoy playing together. Even with international superstars in the mix, the team remains grounded. “Distances,” Solbakken said when asked what holds it together. “They’re fundamental — for defending, for possession, and for keeping options open.” What’s Next As they look ahead to next year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, Norway’s ambitions are no longer about participation — they’re about competing. “I don’t think there could ever be a more wonderful night in my life,” Solbakken said. “It’s simply surreal … and I think I’ll get happier and happier as the evening goes on.” For Norway, this is more than just a return to the world stage. It’s the beginning of a new era.
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Archaeologists Discover Lost Iron City of the Silk Road in Uzbekistan Highlands
In the remote mountains of Uzbekistan, a team of archaeologists has uncovered a lost city that may rewrite the history of the Silk Road — and reshape how we understand the role of nomads in Central Asia’s past. Perched nearly 7,000 feet above sea level in a rugged valley once thought too harsh for permanent settlement, the newly excavated site known as Tugunbulak is believed to be the long-lost city of Marsmanda, a medieval industrial hub known from sparse 10th-century Arab texts for its iron production. For centuries, its location remained a mystery — until now. “This place doesn’t make any sense,” said archaeologist Michael Frachetti of Washington University in St. Louis, co-director of the project alongside Farhod Maksudov of Uzbekistan’s National Center of Archaeology and Sanjyot Mehendale of UC Berkeley. “The whole valley is one big archaeological site.” The city they’ve uncovered is vast — about 300 acres, twice the size of Pompeii. High-resolution drone-based lidar mapping revealed traces of walls, streets, kilns, and fortified structures spread across four distinct districts. Aerial surveys and traditional digs uncovered slag heaps, furnaces, smelting kilns, and a mound thought to be the city’s administrative center. Even more surprising than its scale is its location. Tugunbulak lies in a highland region that experiences snowpack for more than half the year, where few people live today. Yet around A.D. 550, just as the First Turkic Khaganate was expanding, the site began to thrive — producing iron weapons, tools, and possibly even crucible steel, used in making some of the finest metalwork in the ancient world. A Nomadic City, Hidden in the Highlands The discovery challenges the long-standing narrative that pastoral nomads were little more than raiders preying on sedentary civilizations. Instead, Tugunbulak paints a picture of a hybrid society — mobile yet urban, rugged yet technologically advanced. “This overturns the old idea of nomads preying on civilization,” said historian Henry Misa of Ohio State University. “I see instead a hybrid society of farmers, pastoralists, miners, and metallurgists.” The city appears to have operated for at least 500 years, serving as a seasonal meeting ground and industrial center. At nearby Tashbulak, a smaller, previously excavated site three miles away, archaeologists found glass beads, fine-glazed pottery, silver rings, and spindle whorls — signs of long-distance trade and textile production. The two sites may have represented different facets of a single regional hub, with Tashbulak possibly home to a community that had embraced Islam earlier. Evidence of a Warrior Elite The team’s most stunning find came from a trench inside a rammed-earth building believed to be a metallurgy center. Inside, they uncovered the grave of a Turkic warrior buried with a horse and a trove of personal items — arrowheads, a pipe possibly used for smoking cannabis, bronze earrings, coins inscribed in Sogdian, and a button stamped with a wolf’s head, believed to be a Turkic clan symbol. Only three such high-altitude warrior burials have ever been found in this part of Central Asia. “We have an individual buried in a Turkic way,” said Maksudov. Though the warrior stood just 5-foot-4, the presence of weapons and armor-piercing arrowheads suggests elite status. The skeleton may belong to a young man or possibly a woman — more testing is needed. A Center of Trade and Technology Fragments of kaolin-lined kilns, used in the production of high-heat ceramics or low-grade steel, hint at industrial-scale ironworking. The amount of slag recovered is astonishing. “We can now say with assurance that nomadic people were fully capable of large-scale iron smelting,” said metallurgist Thilo Rehren of the Cyprus Institute. Researchers believe Marsmanda supplied iron and possibly steel to cities like Samarkand, a six-day journey away. Remnants of apricot pits, grape seeds, and peach stones at Tashbulak also suggest trade with fertile lowlands. “There wasn’t necessarily an antagonistic relationship between lowland and highland groups,” said Frachetti. “There is a symbiosis, and they are doing it in a unique way.” A Vanished City, Rediscovered Marsmanda seems to have been largely abandoned by A.D. 1050, perhaps due to deforestation, drought, or competition from other iron sources. “Some combination may have turned this into the medieval version of an American Rust Belt city,” Frachetti said. Scholars outside the project now widely agree that the team has found the lost city. “There is no disputing this is Marsmanda,” said Sören Stark of New York University. Others, like Søren Michael Sindbæk of Aarhus University, say the site has “the potential to rewrite the history of Central Asia.” The archaeologists plan to return in 2026 to excavate what may be the city’s administrative center. Until then, they’re sifting through the finds, analyzing what the artifacts and architecture can reveal about one of the Silk Road’s most unexpected cities — a nomadic metropolis hidden in the mountains.
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French Man Finds Gold Treasure Worth Over $800,000 While Digging a Pool in His Yard
In a find that seems straight out of a treasure hunter's dream, a man in Neuville-sur-Saône, France, stumbled upon an unexpected fortune while digging in his backyard. Preparing to install a swimming pool earlier this year, he unearthed gold bars and coins with an estimated value of 700,000 euros (about $812,000). The treasure was concealed in plastic bags and buried underground. After the discovery, the man promptly reported it to local authorities. This led to the involvement of DRAC, the regional arm of France's Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Their job was to determine if the gold held any archaeological significance. If it did, the French state could potentially claim ownership. However, investigations revealed that the gold was relatively recent—only about 15 to 20 years old. Each piece bore unique identifiers traceable back to a legal origin; they were melted down by a refinery in Lyon and had no ties to any local crimes or thefts. Given these findings and according to French civil law dating back to the 19th century, treasures found on one's property belong to the finder if no one else can prove ownership. The previous owner of the house passed away without leaving any indication as to why this valuable stash was buried there. For now, this anonymous homeowner gets to keep his surprising windfall—an event that's sure to make him view his backyard with newfound appreciation.
Score (97)
British Surgeon Saves Baby's Life by Removing Massive Tumor Aboard Hospital Ship
A baby girl in Sierra Leone is alive today thanks to a life-saving surgery performed by a British surgeon aboard a floating hospital. Ten-month-old Memunatu had been living with a tumor so large it nearly covered her entire face. It started growing when she was just five months old. Her mother, Aminata, first brought her to a local hospital, but doctors told her Memunatu was too young to operate on. As the lump grew, the family feared the worst. Then came an unexpected encounter. Aminata met a volunteer from Mercy Ships, a nonprofit that runs fully equipped hospital ships offering free medical care in regions with limited access. At the time, the group’s vessel, Global Mercy, was docked in Freetown. When staff saw Memunatu’s condition, they immediately offered to help—free of charge. “I was very worried for my child,” Aminata said. “She’s so little for such a condition.” Doctors onboard realized that the tumor was pressing on the baby’s airway. If left untreated, it would have eventually prevented her from eating, speaking, swallowing, or even breathing. Dr. Leo Cheng, a Maxillofacial Head and Neck Surgeon from Royal London Hospital, performed the delicate surgery. “With every single millimeter I was estimating, calculating, and trying to prevent any bleeding,” he said. “It went very slowly but very positively—thank God.” The operation took nearly four hours. The hardest part? Managing the baby’s airway during intubation, given how close the tumor was to her windpipe. Memunatu recovered onboard the ship with her mother by her side. Once the swelling subsided and she was cleared to go home, the change was dramatic. “The tumor had grown so fast, almost the size of her head, hiding her beautiful face,” said Anne-Marie Van Tonder, the South African Mercy Ships volunteer who first flagged her case. “Her eyes were so full of light and joy.” Aminata still can’t believe it. “If not for this surgery that Mercy Ships did for my child, she would have lost her life,” she said. Mercy Ships has been providing free surgeries to people in need for decades. Since docking Global Mercy in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, they’ve completed more than 3,600 procedures—treating people with conditions that are easily fixed in countries with proper medical infrastructure, but often go untreated elsewhere for years. Memunatu’s story is one of many. Mercy Ships has helped a boy walk in shoes again after 13 years of going barefoot due to injury, and given a toddler—whose arms were fused from burns—the ability to hug her parents for the first time. Each case is a reminder of what’s possible with access to skilled care, no matter where you live.
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Startup Unveils Funky-Looking Alternative To Traditional Water Bottles
A new startup is drawing attention — and big backing — for a reusable water bottle designed to offer the portability of single-use plastic with none of the waste. The product, called Elio, is the latest creation from Lumio, a company known for smart design. The bottle features a collapsible, food-grade silicone body wrapped in a silicone-coated aluminum shell. With a quick twist, it compresses down to roughly the size of a hockey puck, making it easy to slip into a pocket or clip to a bag. Despite its compact size, the bottle holds 25.4 ounces (750 ml) of liquid. It’s BPA-free, plastic-free, and designed to be both leak-proof and odor-resistant. It’s dishwasher-safe and fully recyclable, with a wide-mouth cap for easy filling and cleaning. A built-in strap under the lid adds convenience for carrying or attaching to gear. While not insulated, Elio can keep water cold for up to six hours. But the main draw is its portability and sustainability — two things consumers increasingly value as plastic waste piles up. In the U.S. alone, over 60 million plastic bottles are tossed into landfills every day, according to the Container Recycling Institute. The bottle’s Kickstarter campaign set a modest goal of $10,000. It has now raised nearly $95,000, with almost 1,200 backers signing on — a clear sign that there's demand for alternatives to conventional reusable bottles, which can be bulky, heavy, or prone to leaching chemicals over time. Elio’s creators are betting that its mix of convenience and low-impact materials will resonate with eco-conscious consumers looking for something better than plastic, but more practical than stainless steel or glass. One commenter on New Atlas summed up the appeal simply: “Seems like a great product.” With a design that aims to tackle two problems at once — plastic pollution and on-the-go hydration — Elio offers a glimpse of what a more sustainable future might look like: smart, stylish, and waste-free.