Goodable

New York is making headlines as it becomes the latest state to roll out a universal free school meals program. Starting this fall, over 2.7 million students across the state will receive free breakfast and lunch each day at their schools. This initiative was made official when Governor Kathy Hochul signed New York’s FY 2026 budget into law earlier today.

Governor Hochul shared her vision for this program, saying, “The research is clear: good food in the lunchroom creates good grades in the classroom."

The benefits of these types of programs are backed by research. A 2021 study conducted by the Urban Institute revealed that students attending schools with universal free meals felt safer both inside and outside their classrooms. The same study noted a reduction in bullying and fighting incidents after implementing free meal programs universally. Additionally, students who previously qualified for reduced-price or free meals showed greater enthusiasm toward participating when all students received meals at no cost.

As these changes take effect, New York's bold step reflects a growing trend among states aiming to make school environments more inclusive while lightening financial burdens on families.

New York Rolls Out Free School Meals for 2.7 Million Students: A Game-Changer for Families

Khaleej Times - Culture

Mariam Al Mansoori isn’t just a chef; she’s a culinary ambassador for the UAE, bringing Emirati cuisine to the forefront. Her passion for food started at home with her six children and evolved into an award-winning career that has seen her break new ground in the culinary arts. Mariam became the first Emirati to win the Gold Award for ‘Best in Culinary Art’ from France, and she heads Montauk Boutique Café and Restaurant in Abu Dhabi. Recently, she opened Kashtat Amina in Sharjah, a restaurant named after her mother that draws on family recipes to offer authentic Emirati dishes.

As a child, Mariam dreamed of becoming a doctor or an engineer. She even earned a degree as a petroleum and water development engineer before shifting her focus to cooking. The idea of owning her own space took shape after marriage and starting her family. "I had begun reading up more about healthy food and Emirati cuisine," Mariam said. "There is a lot of transfer of knowledge, culture, habits, and hospitality that can be communicated through food."

Her curiosity took her across borders into commercial kitchens where she learned various cooking techniques by observing and sometimes even paying to cook alongside chefs from other cultures. Her children’s appreciation pushed her further toward professional cooking. "My kids and my husband would say complimentary things about the food I made," she shared.

At Kashtat Amina, Mariam aims to clarify distinctions between Arabic and Emirati cuisines. "We have a lot of dishes that maybe have the same ingredients," she explained, noting differences in technique, presentation, dish names, and serving occasions.

The restaurant serves as more than just an eatery; it’s an educational hub where visitors can engage in conversations about Emirati culinary traditions. Cooking classes are also part of this initiative. "Kashtat Amina will be like a landmark where we will teach visitors and the younger generation about our food," Mariam stated.

Mariam emphasizes using locally grown ingredients not due to trends but as part of her responsibility to support local farmers and sustainability efforts within the UAE. She is also keen on minimizing waste with eco-friendly packaging solutions.

Balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship requires sharp focus for Mariam. "You need to prioritize the things that are important to you," she said while describing how she involves her children in her business activities—two of them are already junior chefs at home.

For Mariam Al Mansoori, every dish carries the essence of cultural storytelling—a way to share heritage through flavors while contributing positively to her community and environment.

Meet The Emirati Chef Bringing UAE Cuisine To Global Tables

Mongabay

Mark Erdmann has spent more than 30 years doing what few others could: convincing fishing villages across Indonesia to stop using bombs and cyanide on their reefs—and helping them build community-run marine sanctuaries instead.

The result? A revival of ecosystems once considered on the brink. Sharks returned. Manta rays flourished. Tourism boomed. But new threats are testing the model Erdmann helped pioneer.

“I moved to Indonesia in 1991 to do my Ph.D. research,” said Erdmann, now the Executive Director of ReShark and Shark Conservation Director for Re:wild. “I soon realized that many of my neighbors were bomb fishers and shark finners. This realization had a profound impact on me… it was clear that more than science was needed; active protection was critical.”

That moment shifted his focus from pure research to hands-on conservation. Since then, Erdmann has helped discover more than 220 species, built a network of marine protected areas (MPAs), and launched shark rewilding programs that are now expanding internationally.

But he’s also seen setbacks.

In Raja Ampat—an Indonesian archipelago known for having some of the richest marine biodiversity on Earth—Erdmann helped local communities establish MPAs in the early 2000s. They were governed at the village level, with community members setting rules and conducting patrols. “We would help fund the infrastructure to make it happen,” he said.

The model worked. Reef health improved. Fish came back. Tourism followed. But today, Raja Ampat is struggling with a different kind of pressure: over-tourism.

Back in 2009, local officials capped the number of liveaboard dive boats at 40. Today, there are more than 100. “It’s not that Raja Ampat can’t handle that many boats,” Erdmann said. “It’s that they’re not being managed or distributed properly.”

Congestion and pollution are now real concerns. And the issue is made worse by a shift in governance. Local regents used to have control over MPAs, but since 2014, that authority has moved to the provincial and national levels—forcing conservationists to retrain new officials from scratch.

Mining has also re-emerged as a threat. Nickel extraction had been banned in Raja Ampat, but resurfaced during the pandemic. A Greenpeace report brought widespread public backlash, especially among younger Indonesians. Their response was so strong that the Indonesian president revoked four mining licenses in the region.

“It showed that the Indonesian public doesn’t want to see Raja Ampat destroyed by mining,” Erdmann said.

That public pressure is now matched by a growing use of technology. Erdmann’s ReShark initiative is using acoustic tags to track rewilded leopard sharks, which had all but vanished from Raja Ampat. Nearly 50 sharks have been released so far, and the goal is to reach 500.

“We’ve installed a network of acoustic receivers across Raja Ampat,” Erdmann explained. “Anytime a tagged shark comes within about 700 metres, it logs the encounter. That tells us they’re surviving and, based on the data, thriving.”

The program is expanding to Thailand and may soon include other threatened species like the bowmouth guitarfish and short-tailed nurse shark.

That kind of innovation is needed, Erdmann says, because MPAs alone aren’t enough for species that have been decimated. In those cases, rewilding is the only viable path to recovery.

But for all the complexity, Erdmann insists the foundation of successful conservation remains the same: community buy-in.

“When we began in Raja Ampat, we made a conscious decision: instead of walking in and pitching MPAs, we started by asking communities what they cared about,” he said.

They talked about food security. With outside fleets depleting local waters, people were having to paddle kilometres just to find fish. That opened the door to marine protection.

Almost immediately, six large MPAs were declared under adat, or traditional law. They were later given formal legal status, and communities were hired as park managers and rangers. Today, entrance fees generate around $2.3 million a year to fund patrols and operations.

The impact was made clear during the pandemic. With tourism halted, locals returned to fishing—and found the waters teeming again. Even more importantly, they continued respecting no-take zones. “That wasn’t the case back in 2003,” said Erdmann. “In a strange way, the pandemic became proof of concept.”

That mindset has taken hold. When outside shark-finners entered Raja Ampat after COVID, locals acted swiftly. The fishers were arrested. It was a sign of how deeply conservation values have taken root.

Erdmann’s optimism isn’t blind. He acknowledges the setbacks—whether it’s the loss of local control or the surge in tourism—but he still believes recovery is possible. Some of that hope lies in the reefs themselves. Raja Ampat’s corals are unusually resilient, withstanding temperatures from 19 to 36°C in some areas. Even after the global bleaching event of 2023–24, many reefs are showing signs of recovery.

“The ocean can come back if we let it,” he said.

And much of his hope lies in Indonesia’s next generation. “They’re smart, passionate, and skilled. Every week I hear about some 23-year-old starting a new conservation project.”

Asked what advice he’d give to aspiring conservationists, Erdmann’s answer is simple: “Follow your passion… but get out there. Be present in the places where the work needs to happen.”

After decades of diving with crocodiles and documenting new species at 70 metres deep, Erdmann hasn’t lost the sense of wonder that drew him in. “There’s so much left to discover,” he said. “It’s the cradle of life and home to the most biodiversity on Earth. You simply can’t get bored studying the ocean.”

Meet The Scientist On A Mission To Rewild The Ocean With Sharks

Chimpanzees in an African sanctuary have picked up a quirky habit that resembles a fashion statement. At the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust in Zambia, these chimps are dangling blades of grass or sticks from their ears and even inserting them into their rectums. Ed van Leeuwen, a behavioral biology assistant professor at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, led the study revealing this eccentric trend.

Back in 2010, researchers noticed a female chimp adopting this ear-dangling behavior. It didn't take long before others in her group followed suit. Van Leeuwen noted that there was no indication these objects were used for itching or pain relief; instead, it seemed to be more about social interaction and tradition.

Interestingly enough, over a decade later, another group of chimpanzees at the sanctuary began exhibiting similar behaviors. This time, they also included inserting objects into their rectums. These groups lived about 14 kilometers apart, so direct imitation was unlikely. Instead, Van Leeuwen suspects human influence played a part. Caregivers were seen cleaning their ears with matchsticks or twigs in one area of the reserve but not on the other side.

The behavior appears to have been passed on by caregivers first to one group and then to another as they moved around the reserve. “This is a trend that goes viral by means of social learning,” explained Van Leeuwen.

Van Leeuwen compared this to an instance at a zoo in the Netherlands where one female chimp started walking as if carrying a baby without actually having one. All females soon adopted this style. Newcomers who copied it integrated quickly into the group while those who didn’t took longer to be accepted.

For Van Leeuwen, these behaviors are about fitting in and smoothing social relationships among chimps much like humans do. The grass-dangling behavior was mostly observed during leisure time when chimps gathered to groom and play together.

Unlike their wild counterparts, who must be vigilant against predators and competitors, sanctuary chimps have ample leisure time, allowing such behaviors to develop freely. “They have a lot of time just hanging out,” said Van Leeuwen.

While wild chimps likely possess similar capabilities for developing new behaviors, documentation might still be lacking, according to Van Leeuwen's observations.

Next up on his research agenda is studying whether chimpanzees can repeatedly create innovative foraging techniques akin to cumulative culture seen in humans.

Chimps Mimic Human "Fashion Trends" in Surprising Cultural Twist

Joe Doucet, a designer and inventor, recently faced an interesting challenge after buying a house in Katonah, New York. He wanted to make his new home as green as possible, and that got him thinking about the role of exterior paint colors in climate control. Building color is more than just aesthetics; it can significantly impact heating and cooling. Light-colored buildings reflect heat while dark ones absorb it. This concept is widely seen across various climates—Scandinavia's homes are often dark to retain warmth, while Mediterranean houses are usually white to stay cool.

Doucet wondered which color would be best for New York’s climate, with its hot summers and snowy winters. To find out, he 3D-printed small models of his house painted in different colors. In winter, the inside temperature of the black model was generally about 3.9 degrees Celsius warmer than the white one. Conversely, during summer, the white model was cooler by approximately 6.7 degrees Celsius.

Painting a house twice a year isn’t practical, so Doucet thought about alternatives. His eureka moment came from childhood memories of mood rings that change color based on temperature through a process called thermochromic response—liquid crystals reacting to heat.

He developed a thermochromic pigment with these crystals and mixed them into standard house paint. Initially, his paint changed color by absorbing ultraviolet light at certain temperatures, but degraded under sunlight over time. After another year of work and with some protective additives, Doucet created what he calls "climate-responsive paint." At temperatures below 25 degrees Celsius, it appears very dark gray; as temperatures rise above this point, it gradually becomes lighter.

This innovation could be particularly useful in temperate zones like parts of North America, Europe and Asia where seasonal temperature variations are significant. An International Energy Agency report states that building operations account for 30 percent of global energy use. Therefore, better thermal management can lead to reduced energy consumption for heating and cooling.

Doucet believes his invention could help homeowners save between 15 percent to 30 percent on their energy bills through improved thermal control. Beyond practical benefits, Doucet sees aesthetic potential: "There’s something poetic about seeing the built environment and the built world change with the seasons in the way nature does."

The technology isn't limited to changing from white to black; almost any color variation is possible. For instance, a house might turn light blue when warm and dark blue when cold.

So, when will this innovative paint hit the market? Doucet estimates it will take five to ten years, depending on public reception and market conditions. Political factors also play a role; President Donald Trump's vow to undo Joe Biden's clean energy policies has introduced uncertainty into eco-investment landscapes.

Despite these hurdles, Doucet remains optimistic about finding partners like paint or chemical companies interested in bringing his idea to consumers. While no single innovation will solve climate change entirely, he believes this step could contribute meaningfully alongside other efforts.

"There is no single solution to climate change," says Doucet. "It's a series of steps and small actions.""

Meet the Inventor Who Created a Paint That Changes Color with the Seasons to Save Energy

James Gunn's "Superman" reboot soared to the top of the box office, pulling in $122 million over its opening weekend. This impressive debut exceeded early estimates of around $90 million and easily overtook last weekend’s leader, "Jurassic World Rebirth," which earned $40 million.

Warner Bros. Pictures is celebrating this success, as the parent company Warner Bros. Discovery also owns CNN. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, noted, “Superman is on the Mount Rushmore of superheroes. All eyes were on this movie.” He added that this success could be a boon for DC Studios.

Historically, DC Studios has struggled compared to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For instance, DC’s "Justice League" grossed $229 million domestically in 2017, while Marvel’s "Avengers: Infinity War" raked in $678.8 million domestically the following year. Recently, however, some experts have pointed to "superhero fatigue" affecting audience interest in Marvel films.

Dergarabedian believes that "Superman's" performance dispels these concerns about superhero fatigue because it highlights the importance of individual movies rather than trends across genres.

The summer box office has seen a lift of 16 percent compared to last year, thanks to hits like "Superman." According to Comscore data, total earnings for 2025 are approaching $5 billion, with summer takings currently at approximately $2.35 billion. Shawn Robbins from Fandango and Box Office Theory notes it's still possible for summer revenues to hit $4 billion despite underperformers like Disney’s "Elio," which opened with only $20 million despite favorable reviews.

Robbins remarked that big successes such as "Superman" can help close gaps left by less successful films. “This is kind of the nature of the box office nowadays,” he said. “We see so much feast or famine-type of weekends."

So far this year, three movies have managed to earn over $100 million during their three-day openings: Warner Bros.' earlier release "A Minecraft Movie," Disney’s adaptation of “Lilo & Stitch," and now Gunn's latest superhero venture.

“Lilo & Stitch” has been especially popular since Memorial Day weekend with earnings exceeding $414 million; it edges closer to becoming this year's highest-grossing film behind “A Minecraft Movie,” which pulled in $423 million and helped revive early-year box office numbers.

Looking ahead, superhero fans won't have long before another potential blockbuster hits theaters; Disney's “Fantastic Four” is set for release on July 25th while August might see unexpected success from Disney's sequel “Freakier Friday.”

Robbins emphasized Hollywood's reliance on major hits during July; hence, both titles' performances will be watched closely by industry insiders hoping for strong returns at cinemas nationwide.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Box Office Triumph: $122 Million Reboot Shakes Off Superhero Fatigue

BBC News

In an unexpected twist for wildlife enthusiasts, a short-eared owl turned up in a Derbyshire garden far from its usual moorland habitat. Oliver Booth, a wildlife photographer and falconer based in Glossop, received a call from a friend about the bird found unable to move. This location is not where one would expect to find this rare species.

Booth shared his surprise at the discovery, noting that short-eared owls typically reside in moorlands across the Peak District. The Wildlife Trusts charity further confirms that these birds usually breed in Scotland and northern England, making this sighting quite unusual for the area.

The young owl had some rough luck. Booth speculated it got lost during the night before suffering injuries. When he arrived, he saw it was in need of immediate help. He managed to pick up the bird with assistance from a bird ringer and get it to a vet.

At the veterinary clinic, they determined that the owl had burst air sacs and a destabilized coracoid bone, which is essential for flight. Despite these serious-sounding injuries, Mr. Booth remains optimistic about his recovery. "It should make a full recovery," he stated confidently.

Booth's expertise with birds made him the go-to person for this rescue operation even though wildlife photography isn't his full-time gig. Known around town for his work with birds, Booth has built quite a reputation over time.

Short-eared owls are considered rare in the UK, so finding one injured in Glossop is newsworthy on its own. While it’s uncertain how exactly this young owl ended up so far off course, what matters now is its path to recovery under professional care.

For now, it's back to familiar skies for this owl once it's fully healed.

Rare Owl Rescued From Unexpected Backyard Adventure Miles Away From Home

A massive Martian meteorite, known as NWA 16788, is making headlines as it heads to auction at Sotheby’s in New York. Weighing in at a hefty 24.5 kilograms, this space rock is the largest known piece of Mars on Earth and could fetch up to $4 million. Unlike most Martian meteorites that are typically small, NWA 16788 stands out due to its size and distinct red hue.

The meteorite was discovered in November 2023 in Niger's remote Agadez region. According to Sotheby’s statement released Tuesday, it's about 70 percent larger than any other Martian meteorite found on Earth so far. Only around 400 such meteorites have been discovered globally, making this find exceptionally rare.

Cassandra Hatton from Sotheby’s describes NWA 16788 as a "discovery of extraordinary significance." She highlights its "immense size and unmistakable red color" as factors that make it a remarkable specimen from Mars that offers a tangible link to our neighboring planet.

Scientists' analysis suggests the meteorite was likely blasted off Mars by an asteroid impact powerful enough to turn parts of it into glass. As it entered Earth's atmosphere, it developed a glassy crust—a testament to its tumultuous journey through space.

However, the forthcoming auction has sparked concerns among some experts who believe the meteorite should be preserved for scientific study rather than private ownership. Steve Brusatte from Scotland’s University of Edinburgh expressed worry about the potential for the rock to end up hidden away from public view. “It belongs in a museum, where it can be studied and enjoyed by children and families,” he told CNN.

On the other hand, Julia Cartwright from England's University of Leicester offers a different perspective. She argues that the market for collecting and selling meteorites actually benefits scientific research by providing more specimens for study. She points out that collectors often contribute significantly to the availability of samples for scientific examination.

Cartwright also notes that while public display would be ideal for NWA 16788, a reference sample has been saved at China's Purple Mountain Observatory. This means researchers will still have access to study part of this extraordinary find, no matter who wins the auction.

This isn't the first time Martian rocks have captured attention at auctions; back in February 2021, another Martian meteorite sold at Christie’s for $200,000—far surpassing initial estimates. The fate of NWA 16788 will likely continue to stir interest until its new owner is revealed after July 16th, when Sotheby’s holds its auction.

The World’s biggest Mars rock could sell for $4 million at auction

Simon Parker, a 59-year-old cricketer from Calverhall Cricket Club in Shropshire, had an unexpected brush with mortality while playing a match in June. While batting, he collapsed due to cardiac arrest and was clinically dead for over ten minutes. What happened next can only be described as a lifesaving team effort.

Parker's son, Alex, quickly began CPR. Meanwhile, Matt Wilson, an off-duty firefighter who happened to be at the game, used the club’s defibrillator to revive him. This defibrillator had never been used since its installation by Paul Carter, a former club cricketer who passionately advocated for having such life-saving equipment on-site before his passing.

“I remember starting to walk down the wicket, going dizzy,” Simon Parker recalled of the traumatic event. “Then I remember them putting me in the helicopter.” His memory of the incident is fragmented; he also remembers briefly waking up during resuscitation. 

Alex Parker has long been his father’s rock and demonstrated immense resolve during this crisis. “He’s very strong-willed,” Simon said of his son. “I suppose he wouldn’t have cared if he’d hurt me or not; he was determined.” Despite still bearing bruises from the experience, Simon is grateful for his son’s quick actions.

Oliver Griffiths, captain of Calverhall’s first team, witnessed the harrowing scene unfold on that fateful day. "Watching a son trying to save his dad's life was quite emotional," Griffiths admitted. He emphasized the importance of having defibrillators readily accessible at sports venues. "These defibs... they save people's lives," he added.

The incident spurred Wellington Cricket Club, their opponents that day, into action. They organized free resuscitation training sessions for both CPR and defibrillator use shortly afterward. It underscored a growing awareness about emergency preparedness within sporting communities.

Although Simon Parker finds it challenging to reconcile with what happened—“It’s just so unreal”—the event has significantly impacted his daily life and mindset. Now reliant on multiple medications and needing to take things slowly, he's also contemplating returning to cricket someday: "I think it's just the actual standing in the middle and batting" that will test him most. Reflecting on this near-death experience has given him perspective: "Like they say... if you get two [chances], make the best of it."

Defibrillator Miracle: Cricketer's "Second Innings" After Heart Stopping Mid-Game

Science Alert

NASA's Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, is making headlines as it continues its mission to "touch the Sun." Its purpose? To get up close and personal with our star's coronal plasma and magnetic fields. And it's not just a metaphorical touch—on December 24, 2024, the spacecraft flew an astonishingly close 6.1 million kilometers from the Sun's surface. Traveling at a blistering speed of 692,000 kilometers per hour during this flyby, the probe didn't linger long near its fiery target.

Of course, approaching something as intense as the Sun requires serious protection. The probe is equipped with multiple layers of defense to withstand extreme conditions. Among its four main instruments is WISPR (Wide-field Imager for Solar Probe), which offers a new view of the solar corona and solar wind. According to Nicky Fox from NASA Headquarters in Washington, this technology lets us observe where space weather begins directly rather than relying solely on models.

Understanding these solar phenomena is more important than ever. The solar wind—a stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun—creates beautiful auroras but can also wreak havoc on power grids and satellites. As we send more missions into space and increase satellite presence in low-Earth orbit, comprehending these forces becomes critical.

The Parker Solar Probe is diving deeper into these mysteries named after Eugene Parker, who first introduced us to the concept of solar wind back in 1958. While many spacecraft have studied these aspects before, none have ventured as close or been equipped with such advanced technology as PSP.

One intriguing discovery involves "switchbacks," zig-zagging magnetic fields that are more chaotic closer to the Sun than when measured near Earth. These switchbacks appear to be more common than previously thought and come in clumps. This finding adds another layer to understanding how solar winds behave.

Nour Rawafi from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory explains that figuring out how solar wind generates and escapes the Sun's immense gravitational pull has always been a mystery. The variations between fast and slow solar winds further complicate this puzzle.

Adam Szabo from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center notes that while there's no final consensus yet on some aspects like slow solar wind origins, they have gathered plenty of intriguing data thanks to Parker Solar Probe’s efforts.

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