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A Baby Beaver Was Just Born in London for the First Time in 400 Years
A baby beaver has been spotted in London for the first time in many years, marking a significant milestone in the city's efforts to reintroduce beavers as part of a rewilding and natural flood management project. Enfield council initiated the beaver reintroduction program in 2022, and this baby beaver is seen as a sign of success in the effort to bring these animals back to the capital after a 400-year absence. The beavers are expected to help create a natural wetland ecosystem, improve flood defenses, and promote biodiversity in the area.
Score (97)
Kiera Knightley is Sharing Her Creative Technique to Aid Dyslexia in Memorizing Lines
Keira Knightley is offering a rare glimpse into how she manages her acting career while living with dyslexia — and it turns out, her secret weapon is a sketchbook. Appearing on The Graham Norton Show on October 31, the Woman in Cabin 10 star, 40, opened up about the creative process that helps her memorize lines. “I draw a lot, anyway. I am dyslexic, so I find learning lines quite difficult,” she said. Knightley explained that she listens to recordings of her scripts while drawing, as the combination of visual focus and audio repetition helps the words stick. “When I’m listening to them, I’m drawing the whole time,” she said. “I think they have to be quite detailed, otherwise the lines don’t go in my head.” And the drawings themselves? Surprisingly specific. “Normally, and I don’t know why, but I’m drawing pictures of old men with wrinkles.” “Hello,” joked host Graham Norton, prompting a laugh from Knightley: “I’ll do one of you.” Norton quipped back, “Sounds like you’ve done it already.” Knightley’s drawing habit has also made its way into her latest project — a children’s book called I Love You Just the Same, which she illustrated herself. “This was the first time that I’ve had to do something not old men with wrinkles,” she said, noting that she was drawing throughout the filming of Black Doves season one. Knightley has previously shared her experiences growing up with dyslexia. Diagnosed at age six, she said on the Ruthie’s Table 4 podcast that her teachers looked for ways to help motivate her. “The school said, ‘Look, she can’t read at all and we need a carrot to dangle in front of her. Do you know if there’s something that she wants?’” Knightley recalled. “And they said, ‘Well, she wants an agent.’” Getting an agent and landing early roles turned out to be exactly the push she needed. “It did go up though! It was a carrot!” she laughed. Knightley also revealed that one of her daughters is dyslexic too. She shares daughters Edie, 10, and Delilah, 6, with husband James Righton. “We have a dyslexic kid,” she said on the podcast. “Her memory is absolutely amazing.” Righton added that their daughter will often “memorize the book basically — it’s amazing.” Knightley’s creative approach to managing dyslexia — and her openness in sharing it — is resonating with fans and families alike, proving that sometimes learning differently just means learning creatively.
Score (97)
Three African Lion Cubs Born at New Orleans Zoo Boost Species Survival
There’s a new roar at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans — three of them, in fact. African lions Kali and Arnold made history last month when they became the first lion pair at the zoo to successfully raise three cubs in a single litter. The cubs were born on October 19 and are said to be healthy and thriving, the zoo announced on October 29. “Every lion cub birth is vital to the survival of this iconic species,” said Michael J. Sawaya, President and CEO of the Audubon Nature Institute. The milestone comes at a critical time for Africa’s lion population, which has declined by half over the last 25 years due to habitat loss, poaching, and diminishing prey. Lions are currently listed as a “vulnerable” species, and births like this one offer a hopeful sign for conservation efforts. For now, Kali and her cubs will remain behind the scenes for about 12 weeks while they bond and receive vaccinations. In the meantime, their father, Arnold, and his sisters, Nia and Zuri, will continue to roam the public lion habitat at the zoo. This isn’t Kali and Arnold’s first time becoming parents. In 2020, they welcomed two male cubs — the first lions born at the zoo since 1984. “Our dedicated animal care team has worked tirelessly to get this pride ready for these new arrivals,” said Daine Appleberry, the zoo’s senior vice president and managing director. “Watching these cubs grow will inspire our guests to learn more about lions and how to protect them.” The Audubon Zoo is one of many institutions playing an active role in species survival plans, and this latest birth adds a new chapter to their efforts.
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Score (95)
Researcher Accidentally Discovers Material Stronger And Cheaper Than Concrete, With Dizzying Potential
A material born from a lab mishap in the Arizona desert is quietly gaining momentum as a cleaner, tougher replacement for concrete — and it’s made almost entirely from industrial waste. It’s called Ferrock, and it was invented more than a decade ago by David Stone, a doctoral student at the University of Arizona. At the time, he was experimenting with steel waste in the lab and stumbled onto a chemical reaction that hardened into something remarkably strong. That chance discovery led to a patent in 2013 and the founding of a company, Iron Shell, to commercialize the product. “This all started from an accidental discovery in a lab, which is actually the way it usually goes,” Stone said at the time. Now, scientists and engineers are paying attention. With the global construction industry under pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, Ferrock is emerging as one of the most promising sustainable alternatives to cement. By the numbers, Ferrock outperforms concrete on several fronts. Lab tests show it's about 13.5% stronger in compressive strength, 20% stronger in split tensile strength, and 18% stronger in flexural strength — all within 28 days of setting, according to data published in ScienceDirect. But strength is only part of the story. What sets Ferrock apart is its eco-profile. It's made using 95% recycled materials, including waste steel dust and finely ground glass — two industrial byproducts that often end up in landfills. Even more remarkably, the chemical process that causes Ferrock to harden absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, making it carbon-negative. In contrast, traditional cement production emits vast amounts of CO₂ — up to 8% of global emissions, according to Reuters. That gives Ferrock a serious edge in the race to decarbonize construction. With more than 4 billion tons of cement produced globally every year, the environmental stakes are massive. "The search to find sustainable … alternatives to current construction systems is causing many new materials to emerge," wrote Ilvy Bonnefin for Certified Energy, noting Ferrock's potential as a scalable, low-cost solution. Photos in the Certified Energy report show the material being used in small-scale applications like pavers and structural walls. For now, sourcing enough waste steel dust remains a hurdle to scaling up production. But researchers and builders alike are exploring ways to deploy it more widely. Other experimental materials, from mushroom-based insulation to straw bales, are also gaining traction, but Ferrock’s durability gives it a rare combination of performance and sustainability. And Stone isn’t giving up. “I am into this for the long haul,” he said in a 2014 interview. “Time is on our side, since in this era of global warming, unsustainable processes like cement manufacture will have to give way to greener alternatives.” That future may be closer than it seems — and Ferrock, once an accident in the lab, is ready to take its place.
Score (92)
A Humanoid Robot Just Joined a Historic Torch Relay For China's National Games
China’s National Games torch relay just got a futuristic twist — with a humanoid robot carrying the flame through the streets of Shenzhen. For the first time in the event’s history, the torch relay crossed regional boundaries, taking place simultaneously on Sunday in four cities across the Greater Bay Area: Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. But it was in Shenzhen that the relay’s most eye-catching moment unfolded. Kuavo, an open-source humanoid robot developed by Shenzhen-based Leju Robotics, served as a special torchbearer, completing the baton handover between the second and third legs of the relay. Weighing 1.6 kilograms, the torch was securely gripped by Kuavo’s robotic hands as it jogged along the course — marking a milestone for both robotics and sporting ceremonies. A robot dog also joined in, assisting in handing off the event mascots to torchbearers. Kuavo is no ordinary machine. It’s the world’s first humanoid robot powered by 5G-Advanced (5G-A) technology, which enabled operators to remotely control the robot with real-time precision, streaming live video from its perspective with almost zero delay. No human operator was needed on-site. To prepare for the torch relay, engineers fine-tuned Kuavo’s motion control algorithms, boosting its ability to maintain balance, resist disruptions, and handle complex terrain. The result: smooth, natural running — even with a flaming torch in hand. The robot made its public debut in December 2023 and has already built an impressive resume. Earlier this year, Kuavo served as a virtual assistant to reporters during China’s annual Two Sessions in March. It also cheered on athletes at the Asian Cup table tennis tournament in Shenzhen and even walked the runway at the 2025 Shenzhen (Longhua) – Milan Lifestyle Week, dressed in traditional Miao ethnic clothing. Designed for use in everything from households to industrial environments, Kuavo represents China’s growing ambition in humanoid robotics — and its ability to integrate those technologies into everyday life and national celebrations. This year’s torch relay not only signaled the beginning of the National Games, but also a symbolic handoff between tradition and innovation — with a robot leading the charge.
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Scientists Solve Mystery Of 500-Million-Year-Old Magnetic Anomaly
For decades, geologists have puzzled over a chaotic chapter in Earth’s magnetic history — a period some 600 million years ago when the usual rules seemed to break down. Now, thanks to volcanic rocks buried deep in the Moroccan mountains, scientists think they’ve finally figured out why. During the Ediacaran period, roughly 630 to 540 million years ago, the fossil record shows an explosion of life. But the magnetic record — the data locked in rocks that helps scientists reconstruct the planet’s magnetic field and the movement of tectonic plates — looked like nonsense. It showed wild shifts, as if the continents had started sprinting unnaturally fast across the globe. That always seemed unlikely. And now, an international team led by researchers at Yale University says the problem wasn’t with the continents — it was with Earth’s magnetic field itself. By analyzing layers of volcanic rock in Morocco’s Anti-Atlas mountains, the team uncovered a more detailed, high-resolution snapshot of the magnetic field’s direction and intensity during the Ediacaran. Their results suggest that the magnetic field was undergoing erratic, rapid shifts — not over millions of years, but over mere thousands. “We are proposing a new model for the Earth's magnetic field that finds structure in its variability rather than simply dismissing it as randomly chaotic,” said David Evans, a Yale geologist and lead author on the study. Previous theories tried to explain the magnetic mayhem by suggesting the continents themselves were moving in unusual ways — possibly even undergoing what's known as "true polar wander," where the entire outer shell of the Earth shifts. But this new data rules that out. Instead, the team’s models show that the average position of the magnetic poles didn’t move that much over the Ediacaran period. In other words, the surface wasn't the problem. It was what was happening inside the planet. The study, published in Science Advances, proposes that the still-forming inner core may have caused the instability. Earth’s magnetic field is generated by movement in the molten iron of its outer core. If the inner core was still solidifying and finding its shape during the Ediacaran, that could easily explain a magnetic field that was unusually unstable. This matters because the magnetic field isn’t just a navigational tool — it protects Earth from solar radiation and cosmic rays. If it was behaving unpredictably during the Ediacaran, that could have shaped conditions on the surface and even played a role in the development of early life. To reach these conclusions, the researchers used a novel statistical method to analyze paleomagnetic data. “We have developed a new method of statistical analysis of Ediacaran paleomagnetic data that we think will hold the key to producing robust maps of the continents and oceans from that period,” said Evans. By cross-referencing the data from volcanic rocks — which record brief, intense moments in geological time — with sedimentary rocks, which form more gradually, the team was able to identify trends in the movement of magnetic poles. And while individual rock layers might show wild swings, the longer-term average showed a more stable pattern, reinforcing the idea that the field itself was fluctuating rather than the landmasses. The implications are wide-reaching. If this method holds up, it could allow scientists to extend detailed models of tectonic movements far deeper into Earth’s history, connecting ancient rock records to modern plate maps. “If our proposed, new statistical methods prove to be robust,” Evans added, “we can bridge the gap between older and younger time periods to produce a consistent visualization of plate tectonics spanning billions of years, from the earliest rock record to the present day.” Ultimately, it’s another reminder that Earth’s past is far from static. Even the magnetic field — something we tend to think of as constant — has had its moments of unpredictability. Thanks to smarter analysis and well-preserved rocks, researchers are getting better at reading its signals, even from half a billion years ago.
Score (98)
City Strolls Boost Well-Being Just Like Nature Walks, Experts Say
A stroll through the woods, with leaves crunching underfoot and a stream babbling nearby, is widely known to calm the mind. But what if you’re surrounded by concrete instead of trees? New research suggests city walks can be just as good for you — if you know where (and how) to walk. While nature has long been seen as the gold standard for restorative walks, researchers are now challenging the idea that urban environments are inherently stressful. The key, they say, is paying attention to your surroundings and choosing paths that engage the senses. “Look at the green,” said Whitney Fleming, an environmental psychology researcher at Bangor University in Wales. “Most cities have greenery. No matter where you are, you can find a nice tree.” Fleming’s research shows that even a little nature can go a long way. In one study, people asked to focus on plant life while walking in the city felt significantly less anxious and more positive afterward compared to those who focused on man-made features. Walking itself — nature or not — already brings a host of health benefits. It’s considered moderate exercise and has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, depression, and some cancers. But Fleming says nature taps into something deeper: “Humans have an innate, evolutionary tendency to like nature.” That doesn’t mean the city is off-limits. Cesar San Juan Guillen, a social psychology professor in Spain, said early environmental studies often compared natural spaces to the most stressful parts of cities — like noisy, traffic-heavy streets. But more recent work is revealing a fuller picture. San Juan Guillen studied people who spent time in two urban spaces: a green park, and a lively plaza with a historic church, playground and bars. Both groups reported better attention and mood afterward. But the group in the busier plaza actually felt more energized and less stressed. Spaces like historic plazas, cemeteries, or scenic overlooks often spark “soft fascination,” he said — a gentle kind of attention that’s ideal for mental recovery. “This type of involuntary attention may be more effective at recovering the kind of attention we deplete through work or study.” Urban planners are paying attention too. Tristan Cleveland, a planning consultant with the Canadian firm Happy Cities, said research now shows how people interact with different streetscapes. “With blank walls, people actually walk past them faster, as if they’re trying to escape,” he said. “And they’re less likely to stop and talk if they see a friend.” Cleveland suggests choosing routes that stir the senses and the imagination — what he calls the “first kiss test.” “Would you bring someone on a date there?” he said. If the answer’s yes, chances are it’ll lift your mood. Author Annabel Abbs-Streets, who’s written extensively about the therapeutic power of walking, says she finds that sense of calm in both wild landscapes and urban ones. She recommends cities like Boston, Taos, or Dubrovnik for their walkability, or even a local historic cemetery. London’s Victorian “Magnificent Seven” are among her favourites. “It’s not that green is good and gray is terrible,” Abbs-Streets said. “The truth is that green and gray are just very different. Sometimes the difference is good.” So if you can’t make it to the forest, take heart: your city may already have everything you need to restore your mind — one step at a time.
Score (97)
NASA Spots ‘Jack-O'-Lantern Nebula’ — a Cosmic Pumpkin Glowing in Space
Just in time for spooky season, NASA has revealed a striking image of a distant cloud of gas and dust carved out by a powerful star, earning it the nickname the “Jack-o’-lantern Nebula.” Captured in infrared light by NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope, the nebula resembles a glowing, hollowed-out pumpkin in space. At its heart is an O-type star — a rare, massive stellar powerhouse estimated to be 15 to 20 times heavier than our Sun. Its intense radiation and stellar winds have blown out large portions of the surrounding dust and gas, creating dramatic voids and gouges in the cloud. The eerie glow comes from infrared wavelengths, which are invisible to the human eye but can be detected by Spitzer. The nebula’s colors in the image are based on three infrared wavelengths: red and green highlight warm dust at different temperatures, while blue reveals stars and especially hot areas of the nebula. Areas that shine in all three wavelengths appear white, including the bright O-type star sitting in the center of the carved-out shell. NASA released multiple views of the nebula. In one (Figure 2), the red wavelength is enhanced to bring out the orange hues and emphasize the dense contours of the cloud — making the celestial "pumpkin" even more recognizable. A third image overlays a simple artist’s sketch to show why astronomers gave the nebula its festive nickname. The nebula is a vivid example of how massive stars can sculpt their environments — blowing bubbles, carving cavities, and shaping the structure of galaxies. The Spitzer Space Telescope mission was managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, with science operations based at the Spitzer Science Center at Caltech. Though Spitzer was retired in 2020, its observations continue to offer dazzling glimpses of the universe — and, occasionally, a cosmic jack-o’-lantern.
Score (98)
Entrepreneur Secures All Five Dragons' Backing for Disability App, Calls Response "Humbling"
An entrepreneur from Leicestershire who created an accessibility-focused app after becoming paralysed has said he’s been “humbled” by the overwhelming response following his appearance on Dragons’ Den. Simon Sansome, founder of the Snowball Community app, secured backing from all five Dragons during his pitch—a rare feat in the show’s 22-year history. He was offered £80,000 in investment and has seen tens of thousands of downloads within 24 hours of the episode airing. “The filming took place a year-and-a-half ago and keeping it a secret for so long has been absolutely killing me,” Sansome said. While formal agreements with the Dragons are still pending, he said the support from their teams, particularly Sara Davies’ PR and business consultants, has already been invaluable. Snowball Community allows users to rate and review restaurants, shops, and public spaces based on their accessibility—something Sansome became acutely aware of after a devastating injury in 2014 left him paralysed from the waist down. He had slipped a disc while playing rugby, and a chiropractor’s treatment worsened the injury, leading to Cauda Equina Syndrome—a rare condition caused by compression of the nerves at the base of the spine. He was misdiagnosed and did not receive the surgery needed within the critical 48-hour window. After months in hospital and a year in recovery, Sansome and his wife returned to their favourite restaurant in Leicester, where he encountered severe access issues. “I couldn't get through the door,” he said. “I ended up urinating in the restaurant because the toilet was upstairs and I couldn't get to it.” That moment sparked a shift. He started a Facebook page called Ability Access in 2016 to raise awareness of access issues in Leicester. “There wasn’t any grand scheme behind it,” he said. “It was just about raising the level of discussion.” The page quickly gained traction, and the idea for Snowball Community began to take shape. When he finally pitched the app to the Dragons, they immediately recognised its potential—particularly its possible integration with major services like Google Maps. “It’s been absolutely fantastic,” Sansome said. “But it has also been a humbling experience. We’ve had emails saying, ‘Thank you so much for creating this app. I have a stoma bag and need to find toilets quickly—this is going to really change my life.’” Looking ahead, Sansome has ambitious plans for expansion. His team has been working with Transport for London to create an accessible Tube map, and they’re now aiming to add a live navigation feed for users travelling through the capital. There’s also talk of developing a dedicated chatbot. For Sansome, the mission is personal—but it’s also universal. “Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought,” he said. “This app is about giving people the dignity and freedom to move through the world like everyone else.”
Score (98)
'Dracula's Bride' Donates 100th Pint Of Blood
Carol Verney isn’t your typical blood donor. On Halloween, the 80-year-old from Blandford in Dorset walked into the NHS blood donor centre in Poole dressed as Dracula’s bride. At her side was her husband Malcolm, dressed as Dracula himself. The occasion? Her 100th pint of blood donation. “I just can't believe I've got here,” Verney told BBC Radio Solent. “It’s been such a fantastic journey and everyone’s been so helpful, including my husband.” She started giving blood 61 years ago and never imagined she’d make it to triple digits. “I keep giving, and they keep taking, and we got to 100 – it's only taken 61 years, but hey,” she said. Verney made her milestone donation at a donor centre inside a Boots shop in Poole, where she was met with smiles and cheers. “Everybody was smiling as I walked down [to the donor centre] and I said, ‘I'm giving my hundredth pint of blood, why don’t you come and join me?’” The fancy dress was her idea. She wanted to bring some fun to the milestone and encourage others to get involved. “We all need to give blood,” she said. “You’re helping somebody, you’re giving life to somebody, they might need it – you might need it yourself.” Despite her age, she’s not stopping any time soon. “I have no plans to stop,” she said. “I might get to 102, that’s about it,” she joked. For Verney, the appeal is simple: helping others feels good. “It’s such a nice feeling, knowing you're doing something that might save someone’s life,” she said. And after 100 pints, she’s still encouraging others to try it. “It doesn’t hurt,” she added, “and you never know when you or someone you love might need it.” As for Halloween? She says it was the perfect day to celebrate giving blood – with a costume to match.
Score (71)
Scientists Discover "Living Fossil" Fish Hidden In Museums For 150 Years
Long-misidentified fossils sitting in British museum collections for more than 150 years have now been confirmed as ancient coelacanths—deep-sea fish often described as "living fossils" due to their remarkable evolutionary stability. In a new study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Jacob Quinn of the University of Bristol and colleagues from the University of Uruguay have reclassified dozens of fossils previously thought to belong to marine reptiles. The fossils date back roughly 200 million years to the late Triassic, a time when modern-day Britain sat in tropical latitudes. “During his Masters in Palaeobiology at Bristol, Jacob realized that many fossils previously assigned to the small marine reptile Pachystropheus actually came from coelacanth fishes,” said Professor Mike Benton, one of Quinn’s supervisors. “Jacob then went off to look at collections around the country, and he found the same mistake had been made many times.” The findings significantly expand the known fossil record of Triassic coelacanths in the UK. Previously, only four reports of coelacanths from that time and region existed. The new study identifies more than 50. “It is remarkable that some of these specimens had been sat in museum storage facilities, and even on public display, since the late 1800s,” Quinn said. “They’ve been variously mistaken for bones of lizards, mammals, and everything in between.” Quinn confirmed the fossils’ true identity using X-ray imaging, revealing that most belonged to an extinct family of coelacanths called Mawsoniidae—closely related to the species still living today. The modern coelacanth was famously rediscovered off the coast of South Africa in 1938, after being thought extinct for over 65 million years. The fossils were uncovered primarily in the Bristol and Mendip Hills area, which during the Triassic Period was a tropical island chain surrounded by shallow seas. Coelacanths likely patrolled these waters as opportunistic predators, preying on whatever they could find. “The material occurs as isolated specimens, but we can see they come from individuals of varying ages, sizes, and species,” said co-author Pablo Toriño, a coelacanth specialist based in Uruguay. “Some of them were up to a metre long, suggesting a complex underwater community at the time.” Dr. David Whiteside, a co-supervisor on the project, noted the irony of the find. “These large fishes were probably eating small marine reptiles like Pachystropheus—whose bones they’ve now been confused with for decades.” The study not only sheds new light on the diversity of prehistoric coelacanths in Britain but also highlights how reexamining old collections can lead to major scientific discoveries hiding in plain sight.