Science Daily

A shimmering textile once worn exclusively by emperors and popes has been successfully recreated by researchers in South Korea, reviving a rare luxury material long thought to be lost to history.

Using byssus threads from Atrina pectinata, a species of pen shell clam farmed in Korean coastal waters, a team led by Professor Dong Soo Hwang and Professor Jimin Choi at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has reproduced what’s known as sea silk — a luminous golden fiber famed for its strength, lightness, and royal exclusivity.

Sea silk, often called the “golden fiber of the sea,” dates back more than 2,000 years. In the ancient Roman era, garments made from it were so rare and valued that only the most powerful figures in society — emperors, popes, and nobility — could wear it. Its origin lies in the Mediterranean Pinna nobilis, a large clam now critically endangered due to pollution and habitat loss. With harvesting banned in the EU, authentic sea silk had faded into legend, preserved only in a few religious relics and artisanal workshops.

The POSTECH team’s breakthrough offers a sustainable alternative. By studying Atrina pectinata, a close cousin of the original clam that’s widely available in East Asia, they discovered its byssus threads share similar structural and chemical properties with those of Pinna nobilis. From that starting point, they developed a new method to spin the threads into a fabric nearly identical to the historical sea silk.

But the achievement goes beyond replication. The researchers also unlocked the centuries-old mystery behind sea silk’s enduring golden glow.

It turns out that the signature brilliance doesn’t come from dye or metallic treatments, but from structural coloration — an optical effect created when nanoscale structures interact with light, much like the iridescence in soap bubbles or butterfly wings. The team found that this effect comes from protein spheres called photonins that form precisely ordered layers within the fiber. The more uniform the arrangement, the richer and more durable the golden hue becomes.

Because the color is embedded in the material’s microscopic architecture, not applied on the surface, it doesn’t fade over time — even after centuries. That property makes it not just beautiful but incredibly stable and sustainable, according to the team.

“Structurally colored textiles are inherently resistant to fading,” said Professor Hwang. “Our technology enables long-lasting color without the use of dyes or metals, opening new possibilities for sustainable fashion and advanced materials.”

The project also adds an environmental benefit. The pen shell’s byssus threads, once discarded as marine waste, can now be transformed into a high-value textile. That shift from waste to wearable luxury aligns with global efforts to reduce pollution and create sustainable alternatives in fashion and materials science.

The findings were published in Advanced Materials, and researchers believe the new method could eventually lead to scalable production of sea silk — reviving one of history’s most exclusive textiles for a new generation, with none of the ecological cost.

Scientists are Reviving This Legendary Golden Fabric Lost For 2,000 Years

BBC News

Sam Stables, a Herefordshire farmer and mental health campaigner, has begun a 142-mile walk to London in a powerful bid to raise awareness about the mental health crisis facing Britain’s farming community.

Stables, who co-founded the support charity We Are Farming Minds, set off from Ross on Wye Market early Monday morning. Over the next five days, he plans to walk roughly 30 miles a day before reaching The Farmers Club in central London on Friday.

“It’s really important to me, not just because of my own personal struggles with mental health, but because I’m also aware British farming is in crisis,” he said before starting the journey. “A farmer a week takes their own life, and certainly, it’s really, really important to raise awareness — but it’s also a message of hope.”

The trek is part of the Mind Your Head campaign, led by the Farm Safety Foundation — also known as Yellow Wellies — which focuses on highlighting mental health challenges in agriculture. Their research shows that 95 percent of farmers under 40 believe mental health is the biggest hidden issue in the industry today.

Stables will complete the walk alone to represent the deep sense of isolation that many farmers face.

“Farming families are facing something unprecedented,” he said. “This walk is to make the general public aware of what farmers are going through — often in silence.”

To deepen the symbolism, he’s carrying a heavy backpack throughout the journey.

“It portrays all the different things farmers carry on their back, often on their own in isolation,” he explained.

At the same time, he’s relying on farming families to host him each night — a reflection of the strong but often unseen solidarity within rural communities.

“This part is about showing the togetherness of the community,” he said. “There are some incredible charities and some amazing people to talk to if you are in that dark place.”

Stables hopes his walk will not only bring attention to the mental burden on farmers but also encourage more open conversations and greater public support. For him, the walk is not just a challenge — it’s a lifeline for others in crisis.

Farmer Begins 142-Mile Walk to London to Highlight Rural Mental Health Crisis

In Chatham, Kent, taking out the trash just got a whole lot cooler.

Three talking, beatboxing bins have been installed along Luton Road — and every time someone uses one properly, it responds with a thank-you and a beat. The goal? Use sound and fun to tackle a persistent local litter problem.

The bins are part of a creative anti-litter campaign by Medway Council, in collaboration with artist Thor McIntyre-Burnie and Ideas Test, a local arts agency. They feature 40 unique sounds recorded by world champion beatboxer Rupert Oldridge and students from Luton and Phoenix Primary Schools.

“When you put something in the bin, you get a little message of thank you for using the bin and for not littering from the young people in the primary schools,” explained Wayne Parsons of Ideas Test. “Some of those messages are spoken, and some are beatboxed.”

The “talking bins” are designed to encourage responsible waste disposal while making the act rewarding — literally. Each interaction triggers a random sound: from a quick burst of beatboxing to a shout-out from one of the local pupils.

Councillor Simon Curry, Medway’s portfolio holder for climate change and strategic regeneration, said the initiative addresses a real concern. “A lot of people complain about it a lot of the time and they should do because it’s a real problem,” he said. But he added the bins were “fantastic” and had the potential “to do a lot of good.”

The project is part of a larger Medway Council health campaign, which focuses not only on environmental responsibility but also on improving physical and mental wellbeing.

In addition to the musical bins, the campaign includes litter-picking walks and surprise beatboxing lessons offered to pedestrians along the street. Passers-by can scan QR codes on the bins to hear the full library of messages created by the kids and artists.

The bins will remain on Luton Road for two months — and judging by the community’s reaction so far, they’re already making noise in more ways than one.

Beatboxer Teams Up With Schoolchildren To Spread Anti-Litter Message Through Musical Bins

Nearly 4,000 pipes from the historic organ at Wells Cathedral have been sent on a 300-mile journey to Durham as part of a major £3 million restoration project.

The 19th-century organ — a centrepiece of worship and music at the Somerset cathedral — had become increasingly unreliable in recent months. Mechanical faults were threatening the entire instrument, raising fears it could soon become unplayable.

“Our cathedral organ has become less and less reliable in recent months, and leading up to Christmas the problems became worse,” said Timothy Parsons, Director of Music at Wells Cathedral. “Unfortunately it was reaching the point where the instrument wouldn’t have been playable at all.”

To prevent that, workers began carefully dismantling the instrument. Pipes, wind reservoirs, electrical systems, and the console have been removed and packed into 60 crates, now en route to the renowned organ builders Harrison & Harrison in Durham. The parts are expected to return in summer 2027.

Some of the organ’s largest components will be restored on-site at the cathedral, while the majority will be repaired at the specialist workshop in the North East.

A temporary organ has been installed at Wells to maintain services and musical programming during the multi-year restoration. Parsons said the timing of the project’s start “could not have come at a better moment.”

The organ’s current structure dates back to a rebuild in the 1970s, but its roots go much further — with foundations laid in the 1850s. Over time, wear and aging systems created increasing maintenance challenges.

Funding for the restoration has come in part from The Friends of Wells Cathedral, which has committed to covering two-thirds of the total cost.

Arnold Wills, chair of the group, said they’ve played a central role in moving the project forward. “The Friends has committed to two-thirds of the total cost and has been lead partners in getting this project initiated,” he said. “I can’t wait to play the organ when it’s returned.”

Cathedral's Organ Pipes Travel 300 Miles For Repairs

The Cool Down

Conservationists in Saudi Arabia are celebrating a breakthrough in efforts to bring the threatened Asian houbara bird back from the edge of extinction. Once pushed out of its natural habitat by overhunting and land degradation, the bird is now returning to the wild thanks to reintroduction programs and habitat restoration initiatives.

The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve recently released 20 Asian houbaras into the wild — the first time the species has returned to this part of the country in 35 years. The release is part of a broader conservation strategy tied to the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030, which aim to revive native biodiversity and protect fragile ecosystems.

“Habitat restoration across the reserve is re-establishing suitable conditions for the species to survive and disperse,” said Andrew Zaloumis, CEO of the reserve, in a statement to Arab News. “At the same time, our advanced ranger program and community engagement initiatives provide the capacity needed to monitor wildlife effectively and counter the risk of illegal hunting.”

Houbara bustards, particularly the Asian subspecies, have long been under pressure across the Arabian Peninsula. Their decline accelerated after the 1950s due to unregulated hunting and habitat loss. Despite decades of breeding programs, the bird struggled to reestablish itself in the wild — until now.

The Royal Reserve’s success with the houbara is part of a larger rewilding push. Thirteen native species have already been reintroduced to the area, and plans are in place to restore at least ten more. Conservationists have used a combination of long-term monitoring, genetic management, and scientific expertise to improve survival odds for the birds. Key to the effort: ensuring reintroduced animals face limited human disturbance, sufficient food sources, and strong protection from poaching.

The houbara holds cultural significance in the region, especially through its historic link to falconry. In 2021, UNESCO recognized Arabian falconry as an element of Intangible Cultural Heritage, adding further symbolic weight to the bird’s return.

On social media, the news drew widespread praise. One media group called the reintroduction “a major step for wildlife conservation and biodiversity restoration,” and SceneNow Saudi wrote on Instagram, “The Asian houbara holds cultural significance in the region as a traditional quarry in Arabian falconry.”

The reserve’s model builds on conservation successes seen elsewhere. Countries like New Zealand, the UK, and the United States have reestablished vulnerable birds including the takahē, bittern, and common loon through targeted habitat work and public support.

Zaloumis says the Saudi project shows what’s possible when science, political will, and community engagement align. “This is conservation done right,” he said.

With more species lined up for reintroduction and a newly restored habitat to receive them, the reserve is positioning itself as a regional leader in ecological recovery — and giving threatened species like the houbara a real shot at survival.

This Iconic Bird is Staging a Remarkable Comeback After Near-Extinction

Madeline Schizas didn’t have a dog eat her homework. She had the Olympics.

The 22-year-old Canadian figure skater and McMaster University student went viral over the weekend after posting a screenshot of her very real, very relatable request for a sociology assignment extension — sent just hours after skating for Team Canada at the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

“Wondering if I could get a short extension on this week’s reflection,” she wrote in the email to her professor. “I was competing in the Olympic Games yesterday and thought it was due on Sunday, not Friday.”

She even included a link to the Canadian Olympic Committee’s press release to prove it.

The request, posted with her signature deadpan humour on Instagram — “LOLLLL I (heart) being a student athlete” — quickly took off online, drawing cheers from fellow students and Olympic fans alike. The verdict? Extension granted.

“Since it seems everyone was quite invested, I did get my extension lol,” Schizas wrote in a follow-up post on Sunday, hours before taking the ice again for the team event’s free program. “I can’t believe anyone cared so much,” she added, with a crying emoji.

“Good learning lesson about the spotlight of the Olympics.”

The Oakville, Ontario skater is known not just for her performances on the ice, but also for her wit and unfiltered charm off it. She’s scheduled to graduate in May with a degree in Environment and Society — a program she says is similar to environmental studies.

Between essays and edgework, Schizas has made balancing school and sport look almost graceful. But even Olympians get deadlines wrong sometimes. Fortunately, this time, going viral might’ve been her best move yet.

Olympic Excuse Wins Over McMaster University Prof — And the Internet

A trail camera in Ohio’s Five Rivers MetroParks has captured a rare sight: a bobcat quietly padding through the Twin Valley area. The image, released by park officials, set off a wave of celebration across social media and conservation circles.

“If not friend, then why friend-shaped?” joked MetroParks CFO Emily Foote, reflecting the delight many locals felt at seeing the elusive predator.

The sighting is more than just cute. It’s a sign the local ecosystem is thriving.

Bobcats are solitary animals that need large, connected natural areas to survive — think unbroken forest, healthy wetlands, and clean waterways. Seeing one in Twin Valley suggests the area’s habitat is in excellent condition. It also highlights the success of long-term conservation efforts to restore and protect land across the region.

“This kind of sighting tells us the landscape is working,” said park officials. “Healthy wildlife corridors support species like bobcats, but also countless others.”

Trail cameras, like the one that caught the bobcat, are a key part of modern conservation. They let researchers observe wildlife without interfering, providing valuable data on species presence, recovery, and ecosystem health.

In another part of Ohio, a different species that hadn’t been seen in over a century was recently captured on a trail cam, reinforcing just how useful the tools are in tracking nature’s comeback.

Predators like bobcats play a vital role in ecosystems. They help control rodent populations, which in turn supports cleaner water, richer soil, and more stable food webs. So when wildlife recovers, local communities benefit too — not just emotionally, but ecologically.

Five Rivers MetroParks sees the bobcat’s return as a broader climate and conservation success. The park system has prioritized habitat protection as part of its climate strategy, restoring floodplains, forests, and wetland corridors to give wildlife space to move and adapt.

That long-term focus is paying off.

Across Ohio, the news of the bobcat sparked joy.

“So excited! Nature can heal and prosper… I am proud to live here,” one local wrote.

“Oh my, how exciting for our area!” another added.

And a third: “Kudos once again to the amazing team at Five Rivers MetroParks, who are protecting our nature spaces!”

The bobcat may have stayed hidden for years, but for residents and park staff alike, it was worth the wait.

Trail Camera Captures Rare Creature in US Wilderness, Experts Thrilled

Science Alert

In a world-first achievement, U.S. researchers successfully teleported a quantum state of light across more than 30 kilometers of standard fiber optic cable — while that cable was also transmitting high-speed internet traffic.

The feat, led by Prem Kumar and his team at Northwestern University, pushes quantum communication technology one major step closer to practical, real-world use. Until now, most quantum teleportation experiments happened in isolated labs or under tightly controlled conditions. Kumar’s team managed it in the wild — with 400 gigabits per second of typical internet traffic buzzing alongside their delicate quantum signal.

“This is incredibly exciting because nobody thought it was possible,” said Kumar.

While it won’t help commuters beam to work or speed up YouTube videos anytime soon, this kind of quantum teleportation opens a potential future of highly secure communications, next-gen sensing systems, and a global “quantum internet” that could work over existing infrastructure.

Quantum teleportation isn’t like science fiction transporters. Nothing physical is moved. Instead, a quantum state — essentially, the set of all possibilities that define a photon — is destroyed in one place and recreated in another using a phenomenon called entanglement. But preserving that fragile quantum state through noisy, everyday fiber optic cables is no small feat.

“Think of it like trying to send fairy floss down a firehose without it getting wet,” Kumar said, describing the delicate balance. The quantum state is a haze of potential outcomes, vulnerable to disruption from other light waves, heat, and movement in the system — a phenomenon known as decoherence.

To protect their “quantum fairy floss,” the researchers used advanced techniques to reduce interference and isolate their photons from the traffic-packed internet lines. They identified a narrow spectral window — a kind of quiet zone within the busy cable — where their quantum particles could travel undisturbed.

“We carefully studied how light is scattered and placed our photons at a judicious point where that scattering mechanism is minimized,” said Kumar. “We found we could perform quantum communication without interference from the classical channels that are simultaneously present.”

Others had tested this concept in simulated environments. But Kumar’s team was the first to show it working on a live data stream — not a lab model, not a placeholder, but a functioning chunk of the real internet.

The experiment marks a key milestone toward building a quantum internet: a future network where quantum computers, sensors, and communication devices are linked by quantum-entangled connections.

“Quantum teleportation has the ability to provide quantum connectivity securely between geographically distant nodes,” Kumar explained. And crucially, his team’s work shows that we may not need to build entirely new infrastructure to get there. With the right wavelengths, quantum and classical data could share the same cables.

The findings were published in the journal Optica.

If successfully scaled, quantum teleportation could allow encrypted messages to be sent over vast distances without risk of interception, enable powerful new distributed computing tools, and unlock advances in fields ranging from materials science to navigation.

“Each test further suggests the quantum internet is inevitable,” the researchers wrote. And this time, the future didn’t need a new network to get started — just a smarter way of using the one we already have.

Scientists Achieve Quantum Teleportation Over The Internet For First Time

Good News Network

A button-sized snail once presumed extinct is officially back — and thriving — after conservationists bred and released more than 100,000 into the wild.

The greater Bermuda snail (Poecilozonites bermudensis), once believed to be lost forever, was rediscovered a decade ago in a Hamilton alleyway. That small group sparked an international rescue effort involving the government of Bermuda, Canada-based Biolinx Environmental Research, and England’s Chester Zoo.

Now, experts say the species is safe from extinction — a “once in a career” moment for the scientists involved.

“It’s every conservationist’s dream to help save a whole species – and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” said Tamas Papp, invertebrates manager at Chester Zoo. “The greater Bermuda snail is tiny, but this is one of the biggest success stories in conservation.”

The snails were bred at Chester Zoo in specially designed pods, then gradually reintroduced to protected woodland habitats across Bermuda. Six of those new colonies are now confirmed to be thriving.

“It is remarkable to think we only began with less than 200 snails and have now released over 100,000,” said Dr. Mark Outerbridge, wildlife ecologist with Bermuda’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Gerardo Garcia, Chester Zoo’s Animal & Plant Director, said establishing six growing colonies marks a turning point for the species. “That itself is really important information, because not much was known about P. bermudensis,” he noted. The team’s breeding methods were adapted and refined to create the world’s first conservation guide for the species.

“They nearly vanished, so being able to say the snails are now safe from extinction is amazing,” Garcia said. “It’s an incredibly good feeling to make a huge difference for a species.”

The snails, endemic to Bermuda, play a vital ecological role — breaking down live and decaying vegetation, and providing food for larger animals. But over time, their numbers plummeted due to habitat loss, climate change, and invasive predators like the carnivorous ‘wolf snail’ and flatworms.

Dr. Kristiina Ovaska of Biolinx said the impact went beyond just one species. “They are vital for turning over nutrients within their habitat,” she explained.

While climate change remains a future threat, scientists now have the tools and knowledge to rapidly reinforce the population if needed. And for conservationists, this is proof of what’s possible when experts work across borders to reverse biodiversity loss.

As Garcia put it: “It’s something conservationists might get to say only once in their whole career.”

Tiny Snail, Huge Comeback: Greater Bermuda Snail Saved from Extinction

GoodGoodGood

In Melbourne, Australia, trees don’t just stand around. They listen, respond, and — in a way — read their email.

Thanks to the city’s Urban Forest and Ecology team, more than 70,000 trees across Melbourne have been assigned their own email addresses. What started as a way for residents to report damage or declining health has unexpectedly turned into something far more heartwarming: tree fan mail.

“Hi Tree,” one sender wrote. “Keep growing and keep on treeing!”

The city created the email system as part of its Urban Forest Strategy, which includes an interactive map called the Urban Forest Visual. Click on any tree in the city and you’ll see its species, approximate age, and a dedicated email address to reach out — whether with concerns or compliments.

And people have been using it. More than 10,000 emails have been sent so far, ranging from playful notes to deeply personal tributes. One cyclist wrote to a large Rose Gum:
“Over the past year I have cycled by you each day and want you to know how much joy you give me. No matter the weather or what is happening around you, you are strong, elegant and beautiful. I wanted you to know.”

The initiative began as a practical tool: giving the public an easy way to notify the city of fallen branches, storm damage, or signs of disease. But it also served a larger mission — to involve residents in the future of Melbourne’s green spaces, especially as the city braces for the effects of climate change.

Under the Urban Forest Strategy, Melbourne aims to nearly double its tree canopy from 22% to 40% by 2040. That means a lot more future trees — and inboxes — to manage.

In the meantime, the current digital forest is thriving, and so is the community’s unexpected relationship with it. Some messages are poetic. Others are short and sweet. But nearly all reflect something rare: gratitude for something quiet, constant, and rooted in place.

You can find the map — and maybe your own tree pen pal — on the City of Melbourne’s website.

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