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In Pictures: This Traditional Autumn Fair is Bringing Colorful Joy to Romania
The Titu Fair in Romania, a centuries-old tradition, is back to bring joy and unity to the community after being suspended during the pandemic. Families and visitors flocked to the fairground, with children enjoying rides, games, and toys. For many, the fair also provides an opportunity to earn and save money by selling goods and supplies for the upcoming winter, offering a glimpse of happiness amid everyday hardships for some of Romania's residents.
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Why Thousands Are Lining Up for Free Tattoos at This Unexpected Coffee Pop-Up
Would you consider getting a tattoo while sipping your favorite latte? Across the UK, cafes are blending coffee culture with body art to draw in more customers. With over 11,000 cafes nationwide, according to the World Coffee Portal, this trend is gaining traction. Some believe it’s fueled by TikTok's notion that tattooed baristas brew better coffee, while others see it as Gen Z's quest for authentic experiences. Sisters Maia and Luna Omar are fans of spontaneous tattoos as a form of self-expression. They recently visited Nexus Cafe in Digbeth, Birmingham for a pop-up tattoo event. "It makes coffee shops more fun," Maia said. "We're sisters and we like tattoos and it's something that we're doing together," Luna added. International chain Blank Street has hosted free pop-up tattoo events in Manchester and London, attracting thousands. Meanwhile, Think+ Coffee and Ink in London has been offering coffee alongside tattoos and haircuts since 2019. Founded by tattoo artist and pastor Christian Vargas, the cafe features an open-view tattoo studio through a glass partition. "[The shop] gets rid of taboos and secrecy around tattoos and provides an inclusive space for everyone," Vargas said. He noted society's growing acceptance of body art compared to two decades ago. A YouGov poll from 2022 found that one in four people have a tattoo, with women slightly more likely than men to be inked. Psychologist Natasha Sharma from Wolverhampton describes tattoos as "a powerful statement of personal identity." She notes that young people seek real experiences amid their digital lives. "Tattoos act as an experience and a story wrapped into one," she said. As this trend continues to grow, it seems coffee shops might just become the new go-to spot for both caffeine fixes and creative expression.
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Why This Rare Moth is Sparking Celebration Among Wildlife Enthusiasts
A rare discovery in Essex, England, has wildlife enthusiasts buzzing with excitement. Fiona Hutchings, 47, was conducting surveys with the Essex Field Club at a farm in Alphamstone when she spotted a flash of green that turned out to be an extremely rare forester moth. This species had not been seen since 1974. "To find something so rare was just amazing," Hutchings said. She described the moment: "I was walking along a footpath area and I saw this green flash go past. I caught it in a net and when I looked in the net, I knew what it was the moment I saw it." The forester moth, known for its wingspan of up to 2.9 centimeters, typically inhabits damp grasslands and woodlands. Hutchings took her find to fellow club member Rob Smith, who confirmed the identification with wide-eyed amazement. The duo photographed the moth before releasing it back into its natural habitat and logged their discovery in a database. To their surprise, they encountered another forester during subsequent surveys. Hutchings celebrated the occasion by opening a bottle of bubbly she had saved for something special. "After finding the forester, I thought 'You know what, this is a special occasion' and I had a glass of bubbly," she said. This remarkable find has brought renewed hope and excitement to local conservation efforts as enthusiasts continue their work preserving these delicate ecosystems.
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Score (95)
Australia's Senior Rowers Take on the World Championships with a Scottish Twist
As the sun rises over Perth, a unique group of rowers sets out on the Swan River from the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. These athletes are not your typical competitors; they are Australia's representatives for the World Championships in Scotland this July. Their vessels? St Ayle's skiffs—155-kilogram wooden boats with roots tracing back to 19th-century Fife, Scotland. Mark Endersby, the club's skiff race director, shared their excitement: "We're now taking 16 rowers over to Scotland. We are all over 50 and the age range goes up to 79." The teams include male, female, and mixed crews competing in categories like over-40s and even a combined age group averaging 70 years. The journey to this international stage began serendipitously over coffee after a morning row. John Longley, renowned for his role in Australia II’s historic America’s Cup win in 1983, played a pivotal part in introducing skiffs to Western Australia. After discovering these boats at a festival in Hobart in 2013, he saw their potential for community building at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. Despite initial resistance, "There was a little bit of a 'well, you know, John, we're a sailing club,'" Longley recalled. The club embraced skiff racing. Today, it thrives across Western Australia with community-built boats. For Endersby, who moved from England amid personal challenges post-COVID-19 pandemic, joining the club was transformative. "If I hadn't have got involved with the skiffs," he said, "I'd be a loner in Perth." The team is also using their championship participation to support mental health charity Youth Focus through their Row for Youth initiative.
Score (90)
Meet The New Dad: How Millennial Fathers Are Transforming Parenthood And Society
In the evolving landscape of fatherhood, modern dads are stepping up in ways that were once unimaginable. Millennial fathers now spend three times more hours with their children than dads did in the 1960s, marking a significant shift in parenting roles. This transformation is not just beneficial for families but also for society at large. Anna Machin, an evolutionary anthropologist and author of "The Life of Dad: The Making of the Modern Father," has been studying this evolution closely. She notes that today's fathers are more involved than ever before, breaking away from traditional roles as mere breadwinners or disciplinarians. “Investing fathers – which is basically fathers who stick around – is very, very rare in the animal kingdom,” Machin says. Machin explains that practical factors like dual-income households and less available grandparental support have contributed to this change. However, she emphasizes that human males are biologically predisposed to co-parenting, a trait shared by only 5 percent of mammals. Interestingly, new research shows that men experience physiological changes similar to those seen in new mothers. Testosterone levels drop while hormones like oxytocin increase after childbirth, aiding bonding with their children. Despite these advances, challenges remain. Cultural norms still lag behind biological readiness for co-parenting. In countries where policies support paternal involvement, such as Sweden and Norway, the benefits extend across generations. Machin concludes that when men fully engage in parenting roles, it leads to positive outcomes for both children and society: “With this model of more involved dads,” she asserts, “the effects are cross-generational.”
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Indonesia's Micro-Libraries: How Playful Design Is Inspiring Young Readers
SHAU, a Dutch-German architecture firm, is transforming the island of Java in Indonesia with its innovative microlibraries. These structures are not just about books; they are vibrant spaces designed to spark imagination and creativity among children while providing a cool escape from the tropical heat. Since 2012, SHAU has completed eight microlibraries across Indonesia. The firm employs local materials and traditional passive cooling techniques to reduce temperatures inside these reading havens. Shading, cross ventilation, and strategic airflow through small openings help maintain a comfortable environment for young readers. One standout project is the Bima microlibrary in Bandung. Its facade features 2,000 recycled ice cream tubs with cut-out bottoms, allowing light and air to filter through while offering shade—a perfect blend of sustainability and functionality. In central Java, the Warak Kayu microlibrary sits on stilts to let breezes flow underneath. Inside, a rope net floor adds an element of playfulness while enhancing ventilation. "We're committed to building 100 microlibraries over the next two decades," said a SHAU representative. "Our goal is to create spaces that inspire learning and foster community."
Score (96)
Inside Sweden’s Vätternrundan: The World’s Largest Recreational Bike Ride
Every June, the small city of Motala, Sweden, becomes a bustling hub for cyclists from around the globe. They gather for the Vätternrundan, the world's largest recreational bike ride. This event is not about competition; it's about completing a 196-mile journey around Lake Vättern, Sweden's second-largest lake. Mattias Rundgren, a cyclist and YouTuber who participated in 2022, captures its essence: “In Sweden, you can’t call yourself a cyclist if you haven’t done the Vätternrundan.” The ride encourages participants to embrace cycling year-round by showcasing Sweden’s extensive bike infrastructure. The event spans two weekends with various races leading up to the main 196-mile challenge. In 2025, as it celebrates its 60th anniversary, riders will enjoy special talks and activities commemorating its history. The Vätternrundan began in 1964 when physician Sten-Otto Liljedahl and local bike shop owner Ewert Rydell cycled around Lake Vättern to study biking's health benefits. Their adventure inspired an annual tradition that has grown significantly over the decades. Today, approximately 25 percent of participants come from abroad. In recent years, numbers have rebounded post-pandemic with increasing international interest. Riders experience breathtaking views of Lake Vättern during their overnight journey while enjoying Swedish delicacies at rest stops along the way. The event also promotes cycling as a healthy lifestyle choice in Sweden. Oskar Sundblad, CEO of Vätternrundan, emphasizes this mission: “We look at it as part of promoting Swedish health.” As more young people join each year, Sundblad hopes cycling becomes a lasting part of their lives beyond just this iconic event.
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The Weekend Sleep Trick: How 2 Extra Hours Could Transform Teen Anxiety
A recent study set to be unveiled at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting reveals that teenagers who enjoy a moderate amount of extra sleep on weekends experience fewer anxiety symptoms. The research, conducted by Sojeong Kim, a doctoral candidate at the University of Oregon, highlights the benefits of catching up on sleep without overindulging. The findings indicate that teens who extend their weekend sleep by up to two hours compared to weekdays show reduced anxiety levels. However, those who indulge in longer catch-up sleep tend to exhibit slightly more internalizing symptoms. "The results show that both sleeping less on weekends than weekdays and sleeping substantially more on weekends were associated with higher anxiety symptoms," Kim explained. "In contrast, moderate catch-up sleep -- defined as less than two hours -- was associated with lower anxiety symptoms." Despite recommendations from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine for teenagers aged 13 to 18 to get 8 to 10 hours of sleep nightly, only 23% manage this during school nights, according to CDC data. Many teens attempt to compensate by sleeping in on weekends. Kim's study involved 1,877 adolescents with an average age of 13.5 years. Sleep patterns were tracked using Fitbit devices and assessed alongside internalizing symptoms via the Child Behavior Checklist survey. Identifying the optimal amount of weekend catch-up sleep is crucial for teens limiting their weekday rest. "Too little or too much sleep variability from weekday to weekend may contribute to the symptoms someone is trying to combat," Kim noted. The research abstract will be presented June 11 during SLEEP 2025 in Seattle and has been published online in the journal Sleep's supplement.
Score (96)
How a Subway Sketchbook Turned This Artist Into an Online Sensation
Devon Rodriguez wasn’t groomed for the art world. He didn’t grow up wandering museum halls or dreaming of gallery openings. He grew up in the Bronx, dodging chaos at home, passing through metal detectors at school, and learning to draw on the subway. But today, with more than 60 million followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, he’s arguably the most-watched artist working today. On the day we spoke, Rodriguez was sitting inside a Starbucks, earbuds in, tattoos peeking above his collar, escaping the noise of his Murray Hill studio. His team was preparing materials for his next big move: a Paris print release. His days rarely look the same. One might involve sketching a stranger on the subway. Another might bring him face to face with Oprah Winfrey, Ben Affleck, or even Joe Biden. But for all the celebrity and travel, Rodriguez’s story starts with a pencil and a difficult childhood. “I didn’t even really understand how poor I really was,” he told Observer. “I just thought that was normal, because that’s what I lived in.” He came home from school to a toxic household led by an abusive mother. His father, a well-known tattoo artist and former Marine, was absent, and searching for him became a kind of obsession. After years of searching online, Rodriguez finally made contact. They spoke on the phone for years before finally meeting in San Diego, where his father gave him a tattoo — a Japanese mask — before dying two months later from alcoholism. Rodriguez doesn't talk about his past with bitterness. There’s sadness, yes, but also a strong undercurrent of determination. Art, he said, was the one thing that made him feel proud. After an arrest for graffiti at 14, he shifted to portraits. His high school art teacher, Jeremy Harper, encouraged him to sketch commuters on the subway to sharpen his skills. He never imagined those subway sessions would one day transform his life. In August 2020, Rodriguez filmed himself quietly sketching a fellow passenger, then showed the drawing to its unsuspecting subject. That video went viral almost instantly: five million views on TikTok in one day. The next video pulled in 21 million. Rodriguez understood immediately what was happening. This wasn’t luck. It was timing, strategy, and years of practice. “I went from no followers to 100,000 from that one video,” he said. He spent hours studying social media algorithms, listening to podcasts, and learning how to capture and hold attention. He started ending each video with a reveal: “I drew you.” The combination of talent, surprise, and human connection made the videos irresistible. “These were ordinary people,” Rodriguez said. “It could be any one of us… being seen.” As millions watched and followed, Rodriguez kept refining his technique. He had been working toward this for years, through long days painting live models, two attempts to get into the High School of Art and Design, and feelings of alienation at Chelsea gallery openings where he felt out of place and undereducated. “I didn’t really get it,” he said of the art world. Traditional realism wasn’t fashionable, and he was told time and again that his style was outdated. Still, he stuck with what he loved. “It was all me not being in tune with the gallery world, and being so in tune with the social media world and dedicated to my art.” By 2015, he was earning income through portrait commissions. By 2018, media outlets began to take notice. And by 2020, he had built a following that would make even the most established artists jealous. Despite his fame, Rodriguez hasn’t abandoned the street. Many of his videos still feature him sketching strangers — sometimes artists, sometimes activists, sometimes just someone with a great outfit. He often asks sitters about their dreams, later incorporating elements of their stories into the background of the portraits. When asked about his own dreams, he paused. “Honestly, I don’t even know,” he said, smiling. “Because I feel like I already kind of surpassed all my dreams. I’ve been too busy to even think of new ones.” Rodriguez didn’t get here by following the usual rules. He carved his own path with pencils, portraits and a camera phone. He never found belonging in the art world’s elite circles. He didn’t need to. He found it on the internet, and millions followed.
Score (96)
Meet the Clever Cockatoos That Mastered Drinking Fountains—and Changed Our View on Bird Intelligence
A group of sulfur-crested cockatoos in Western Sydney has discovered a new way to quench their thirst—by mastering the use of park water fountains. Known for their intelligence, these birds have previously demonstrated their problem-solving skills by opening wheely bin lids to access food. When humans attempted to secure the bins, the cockatoos simply adapted. Now, they've taken on a new challenge: twist-handle water fountains. This task requires a series of complex actions that humans might take for granted. Initial sightings of this behavior were reported in 2018 and 2019, prompting Barbara Klump and her team at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany to investigate further. The researchers set up motion-triggered wildlife cameras at one park fountain over 44 days. During this period, the cockatoos made 525 attempts to drink from the fountain, achieving success 41 percent of the time by using their feet, bills, and body weight to operate it. These clever birds typically visited the fountain at dawn and dusk, lining up like schoolchildren after gym class for a refreshing drink. The researchers noted several possible reasons for this behavior: "Alternative hypotheses could include that drinking-fountain water tastes better than alternatives, that its use represents contrafreeloading behavior, or that the placement of drinking fountains in open areas provides anti-predator benefits." The study suggests that this innovative behavior has spread through social learning among local cockatoo populations. The findings are published in Biology Letters.
Score (89)
Meet The New Ultra-Stable Leds That Could Revolutionize Lighting Forever
Chinese researchers say they've made a significant advancement in the field of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), potentially revolutionizing high-end displays and lighting. A team from the University of Science and Technology of China, led by Professor Xiao Zhengguo, has developed a new method for creating all-inorganic perovskite films. These films feature larger crystal grains and improved heat resistance, boosting LED brightness to over 1.16 million nits and extending their lifespan beyond 180,000 hours. This innovation addresses a long-standing challenge where perovskite LEDs struggled to achieve both high efficiency and stability simultaneously. "Our breakthrough holds significant promise for future widespread application," Xiao said. Perovskite is known for its high luminous efficiency, low cost, and processing flexibility, making it ideal for solar cells, LEDs, and photodetectors. However, traditional perovskite materials faced issues with charge carriers not colliding efficiently to produce light. Previous attempts involved using small nanoparticles or ultra-thin layers to enhance luminous efficiency but resulted in short lifespans. To tackle this issue, the research team introduced specific compounds into the perovskite material and used a high-temperature annealing process. This approach produced a new type of film with larger crystal grains and fewer defects. The study published in Nature reveals that this novel material achieves a luminous efficiency exceeding 22%, comparable to commercial display products. With an extreme brightness reaching 1.16 million nits—far surpassing typical display levels—the new perovskite LED meets commercial standards with its extended lifespan. This breakthrough could pave the way for more efficient and durable LED technology in various applications worldwide.