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How Traditional Indigenous Beading Practices Are Helping Kids Learn Math
An elementary school initiative that merges math with Indigenous practices is spreading across Canada, led by Métis knowledge keepers. The project, called First Nations and Métis Math Voices, aims to make math meaningful for all students. Students in Guelph recently created bracelets using loom beading techniques under the guidance of three Métis knowledge keepers. The collaboration not only teaches math concepts but also emphasizes creativity, cultural teachings, and building relationships with community partners.
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Dave Coulier Celebrates Remission After Dual Cancer Battle
Dave Coulier is once again cancer-free. The 66-year-old Full House star shared on Good Morning America that he’s now in remission after a recent battle with tongue cancer — just over a year after overcoming stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “It’s been a roller coaster ride for sure,” Coulier told host Robin Roberts on Feb. 4, which marked World Cancer Day. “What a journey this has been.” Doctors diagnosed him with p16 squamous cell carcinoma, a form of tongue cancer, during a routine checkup last spring — his first following treatment for lymphoma. At first, Coulier thought the two cancers were related. “It was a big shocker,” he told USA TODAY in December. He believed the chemotherapy for lymphoma might have weakened his immune system and caused the second cancer. But doctors assured him the two were unrelated. In October, Coulier underwent surgery to remove the upper layer of his tongue — a procedure he described as painful and emotionally exhausting. “I didn’t want to speak for the first couple of weeks,” he said. Recovery required help from a specialized rehab team, including what he called a “swallow coach.” He had to retrain himself to swallow and eat, a process that involved stretching his throat despite the discomfort. “Your tendency is just to stop eating, stop swallowing, stop drinking, stop doing anything,” he said. Despite the setbacks, he credited his earlier cancer battle for helping catch the second cancer early. “Had I not gone in for that PET scan and gotten an early detection — it saved my life,” he said. Coulier now hopes his story encourages others to prioritize regular checkups and stay vigilant, even after treatment.
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Tiny Lambs at This UK Farm are Staying Warm Thanks to Hundreds of Donated Sweaters
As Cannon Hall Farm kicks off its February lambing season, the barns are bustling — not just with newborns, but with style. Hundreds of knitted sweaters have arrived from across the country to help keep the farm’s tiniest arrivals warm. The outpouring of woolly support came after Farmer Rob Nicholson posted a plea on social media for a lamb named Soldier, who was born a week early and needed extra warmth. The response was overwhelming. “We’ve been sent absolutely hundreds of jumpers — so many in fact that now all our lambs can keep warm in style and still have a fashionable outfit change,” Nicholson said. Located in Barnsley, the family-run visitor attraction is preparing for a busy February, with hundreds of ewes expected to give birth. The cold temperatures can be dangerous for newborn lambs, making the jumpers a practical — and life-saving — gift. “They are toasty warm inside these jumpers,” Nicholson said. “Cold kills lambs, they need to be warm. Whatever the weather does now these lambs are secure, and they’ve got all the different designs and colours they could dream of.” Cannon Hall Farm is no stranger to the spotlight, having hosted Channel 5’s Springtime on the Farm. Their annual lambing festival returns during the February half-term, with visitors able to see the new arrivals — many now sporting handmade knitwear. Nicholson added: “We couldn’t be more grateful. People have really done their best for us and we can’t thank them enough.”
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Chill Meets Warmth: Striking Cloud “Streets” Appear Over Florida Waters
As a surge of Arctic air swept into the southeastern U.S. last weekend, skies off Florida’s coast delivered a stunning visual treat: long, perfectly aligned rows of clouds streaming over the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. The pattern, captured on satellite, is known as “cloud streets” — a series of narrow, parallel cloud bands that form under very specific weather conditions. And this weekend’s frigid temperatures set the stage perfectly. Cloud streets, or horizontal convective rolls as scientists call them, appear when cold, dry air flows over much warmer ocean water. In this case, the cold front plunged southward into typically balmy Florida, setting up a dramatic temperature contrast with the warm surface waters below. As the cold air passes over the sea, it picks up moisture and begins to rise. That rising air eventually cools, and the water vapor condenses into clouds. But it doesn’t just float straight up — a layer of warmer air higher up acts like a ceiling, forcing the moist air to roll back down in rotating cylinders. The result: neat, evenly spaced lines of clouds, each one separated by clear skies where dry air is sinking. NASA described the process in 2019 as forming “parallel cylinders of rotating air.” You can see where each cylinder draws up moist air and where it sends cooled, dry air back down — and that contrast creates the signature streaks in the sky. There’s often a noticeable gap between the coastline and the start of the clouds. That’s because the cold air needs time to absorb enough moisture from the ocean surface before cloud formation can begin. These cloud formations also tend to line up with the prevailing wind direction. In this case, the wind helped stretch the patterns dramatically offshore, offering a mesmerizing view on satellite imagery. Though they’re not uncommon during winter cold snaps, cloud streets still manage to spark fascination — both for their orderly beauty and for what they reveal about the interaction between ocean, air, and atmosphere. So while temperatures plummeted and wind chills dropped across the East Coast, the skies off Florida quietly reminded us just how elegant and complex nature can be when conditions align just right.
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This Year’s Puppy Bowl Is Giving Older Dogs Their Moment to Shine
The 22nd edition of the Puppy Bowl isn’t just about puppies anymore. This year, senior dogs are taking the field too — and stealing hearts while they’re at it. For the first time, the Puppy Bowl will feature a special halftime showdown between Team Oldies and Team Goldies, shining a spotlight on older dogs who are often passed over for adoption. “Everyone wants the puppy and, unfortunately, the reality of puppyhood is it’s tough,” said Victoria Schade, the show’s lead dog trainer. “That’s the beauty of an older dog, an adult dog, a senior dog: They bring a different sort of calm.” The annual event airs Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. Eastern and will be simulcast across six platforms including Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, HBO Max, and discovery+. It will repeat throughout the day on those channels. As always, the Puppy Bowl brings together dozens of adoptable dogs from shelters and rescue groups across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands — 150 dogs from 72 organizations in total. The dogs are divided into two teams, Fluff and Ruff, and compete on a miniature football field made of turf, scoring touchdowns whenever they cross the goal line with a toy. Every pup gets a nickname and a goofy profile (“Slick Rick,” “J-Paw,” “Epic End Zone Dance”), but the message behind the wagging tails and chaotic play is serious: adopt, don’t shop. “The message of Puppy Bowl is about helping animals who would otherwise not have a great chance in life,” said Joseph Boyle, head of content at Discovery. “Especially even more acute in some cases with older dogs because they are often overlooked.” That’s why this year’s focus on seniors is significant. Many of them have advantages over their younger counterparts. They’re often house-trained, better at being alone, and may already know basic commands. “They really make great dogs for people who don’t want to be home every two hours checking in on an eight-week-old puppy,” said Mallory Kerley of Muddy Paws Rescue in New York City. Schade, who adopted a Puppy Bowl alum last year, said the senior dogs bring “a different energy to the field.” While puppies are all wild enthusiasm, the older dogs bring strategy — and a lot of heart. “They’ve been through a lot and they’re going to strategize a little harder than those puppies are,” she said. The Puppy Bowl has grown into a major TV event since it first aired in 2005 as counter-programming to the Super Bowl. Last year, it drew nearly 13 million viewers — more than the Golden Globes. Discovery says it’s now one of their biggest annual events, and shelters say the exposure is a lifeline. “It’s a godsend to animal shelters and rescue groups that don’t have the resources to advertise,” Kerley said. But this year’s message comes during a tough time for rescues. The spike in adoptions during the pandemic has dropped off, and the cost of living crisis has made it harder for many families to take in a new pet. “When you can’t afford to put food on your own table, you can’t even think about feeding or adopting a dog,” Kerley said. That’s why the Puppy Bowl matters. Beyond the cute factor, it challenges assumptions about shelter dogs — especially older ones. “There’s the expression, ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,’ which is not true,” said Schade. “Dogs love learning for their entire lives… there’s no reason why an older dog can’t learn anything and everything.” She also cautions not to judge a shelter dog by its behavior in the kennel. “It’s loud, it’s crowded, it’s unfamiliar,” she said. “Once they have the opportunity to have that very important decompression period — typically about three months — you start to see the real dog.” Kerley echoed that sentiment, adding that rescue dogs often have “incredible devotion, love and gratitude” once they settle into their new homes. This year, Muddy Paws Rescue has two puppies playing — one on each team — so they’ll be cheering for everyone. “It’s definitely the cutest day on television,” said Kerley. “Even my dog loves watching along.”
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Firefighters Rescue Swan Stuck In Frozen Connecticut River
Firefighters in Norwalk, Connecticut, pulled off a chilly rescue this week — saving a swan that had become frozen into the ice on the Norwalk River. Crews from the Norwalk Fire Department responded on Tuesday, suiting up in cold-water rescue gear and using ropes to carefully make their way onto the ice. They found the bird’s feet stuck fast in the frozen surface. It took them about 30 minutes to safely free the swan and bring it to shore. Initially, firefighters weren’t sure if the bird had survived. “We were concerned it might have died,” said Deputy Chief Jonathan Maggio. But as they got closer, the swan moved — a hopeful sign. Maggio said the swan seemed “just happy to be out of the ice.” The bird was taken to a veterinary center for evaluation. Staff there say it’s doing well and is expected to fully recover. Once it regains its strength, it will be released back into the wild. This isn’t the department’s first rescue during the recent stretch of freezing temperatures. Firefighters also helped save a duck and a dog earlier in the week. Crews said the swan rescue also served as a valuable hands-on training opportunity for future ice rescues.
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A New Brain Network Discovery Could Redefine Parkinson’s Disease Treatment
For decades, Parkinson’s disease has been labelled a movement disorder. But a new study is challenging that idea — and it could change how doctors treat it. Published in Nature, the study pinpoints a little-known brain network, called the somato-cognitive action network (SCAN), as a key player in the disease. The discovery helps explain not just the tremors and muscle rigidity Parkinson’s is known for, but also its lesser understood symptoms — like disrupted sleep, cognitive decline, and even digestive problems. “Parkinson’s is not just a movement problem involving one body part,” said Dr. Michael Okun, medical director of the Parkinson’s Foundation, who was not involved in the research. “This study shows it is a whole-body brain network disorder that links movement, thinking, arousal and internal body control.” The SCAN network, first identified in 2023, is essentially a bridge between thought and action. It helps translate decisions and plans into coordinated body movements. But the new study reveals Parkinson’s hijacks this system — and that the more disrupted the SCAN, the worse a person’s symptoms. “It’s an extraordinary set of findings,” said Dr. Todd Herrington, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. The breakthrough came from a cross-continental collaboration. Neuroscientist Nico Dosenbach, at Washington University in St. Louis, had noticed something odd while scanning brains: When someone moved their mouth, multiple areas of the brain’s primary motor cortex lit up, not just the section responsible for the mouth. It didn’t fit with the classic view of the motor cortex as a simple body map. Further investigation showed that hidden among these body-part-specific zones were nodes of a broader network — the SCAN — involved in planning and coordinating movement. It’s more like a high-level control hub than a foot soldier taking orders. Meanwhile in Beijing, neuroscientist Hesheng Liu had been studying deep-brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s. When he came across Dosenbach’s SCAN findings, something clicked. His team had seen similar activation patterns in people with Parkinson’s but didn’t know what to make of them — until now. “Probably, that region is behind Parkinson’s disease,” Liu thought. Using brain imaging data from 863 people — including healthy individuals and Parkinson’s patients — Liu’s team found that SCAN regions were overly connected to deep-brain areas in those with Parkinson’s. This over-connectivity wasn’t seen in people with other movement disorders. And the more disrupted the SCAN, the more severe the symptoms. They also found that existing treatments, including levodopa (L-DOPA) and brain stimulation, lowered SCAN connectivity — and that improvement in symptoms tracked closely with those reductions. This raises a new question: Are SCAN disruptions a result of damage in other brain areas like the substantia nigra, where dopamine-producing neurons die off in Parkinson’s? Or are SCAN problems part of the root cause? It’s too early to say for sure, said Dr. Michael Fox, a neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who was not part of the study. “Neurons begin dying decades before symptoms appear, so it seems likely that the former may cause the latter,” he said. “But it’s not impossible that the SCAN dysfunction could start early, too.” Either way, the findings could lead to better treatments. Liu’s team tested a noninvasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which uses a magnetic wand placed over the scalp. In the past, TMS had shown modest benefits for Parkinson’s, but it wasn’t more effective than medication. As a result, it’s not widely used in treatment. But Liu’s group found that when TMS specifically targeted the SCAN areas of the motor cortex, patients responded better. “This, in my mind, elevates the potential of noninvasive brain stimulation for helping patients with Parkinson’s in a way that wasn’t there before,” Fox said. That could open the door to safer, more accessible therapies. Unlike deep-brain stimulation, which involves surgery and implanted electrodes, TMS is noninvasive and outpatient. Researchers still have questions to answer. But if the SCAN network really does sit at the heart of Parkinson’s — coordinating movement, thought, and internal body control — then treating it directly could be a game-changer. The study not only reframes how we understand Parkinson’s, it points to a future where treatments are more precise, more personal, and maybe, more effective.
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83-Year-Old Scout Awarded British Empire Medal In King's Birthday Honours List
An 83-year-old man from Somerset who has dedicated nearly his entire life to scouting has been recognised with a British Empire Medal in the King's Birthday Honours List. Geoff Pinney, of Creech St Michael near Taunton, has been part of the Scouts for more than 75 years, starting at age eight with the West Hatch Scout Group. Today, he serves as the group’s president. “I made my [scout] promise to King George VI so that shows how ancient I am,” he said with a laugh. Pinney’s award recognises his lifelong contribution to young people in Somerset. His journey in scouting began in 1950 and has included nearly every role imaginable, from assistant scout leader to assistant district commissioner. “Most of my enjoyment came from the many adventures our scout leader set for us,” he said. “We cooked on open fires, we had the range of Huish Woods which was about 20-odd acres in those days. I got to know virtually every square inch — every flower, every tree, every bird. That’s what really kept me in scouting.” By 18, he had already become an assistant leader. Later, he found himself responsible for dozens of boys on fortnight-long camping trips. “We used to go off to camps for a fortnight, taking 20 boys — quite a responsibility,” he recalled. Scouting also became a family affair. Pinney and his wife raised three daughters and a son, often bringing the whole family to scout camps. “My wife used to say, ‘It’s just not fair dragging the girls off to camp,’ but they’ve often said it was some of the happiest times they had.” Over the years, Pinney has earned numerous accolades for his service. He was awarded the prestigious Silver Wolf — the highest honour in scouting for exceptional service — and even met former chief scout Bear Grylls. "[Scouting has] taught me loads of life skills," he said. "And of course we have girls in scouting now, but it's all the adventure that goes with it and all the activities. There's now a badge for virtually everything. I think cooking was my first badge — although my wife wouldn't agree." Despite the time commitment, Pinney says the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices. He admits scouting sometimes pulled him away from his family, but the impact on generations of young people has been worth it. “Lots of my ex-scouts have said they had some great times in scouting and that to me sums it all up,” he said. Today, he still finds joy in seeing kids immersed in outdoor activities — even in a digital age. “If you saw the scouts — the youngsters running around, going in the artificial cave, going down the zip wire, lighting fires, trekking, building backwoods huts and all this sort of thing — you’d realise that they’re glad they’ve left their iPads at home.” Peter Bawler, chair of the West Hatch Scout Group, said Pinney has been “an inspiration to countless young people and adult volunteers” over the past 75 years. “I first met Geoff when I joined West Hatch Scouts aged 10 in 1973,” Bawler said. “I remember those early days in the 1970s were full of fun and adventure.” For Pinney, the King’s Honour is a recognition of a lifetime spent in service — but the real reward, he says, has always been the same: helping young people find their confidence through outdoor adventure.
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This Artist Recreates Picasso’s Famous Painting Inside the Eye Of A Needle
An artist in the UK has just created what might be one of the smallest tributes to Pablo Picasso ever made — and you’ll need a microscope to see it. David A. Lindon, a 56-year-old micro artist from Bournemouth, Dorset, has painstakingly recreated Picasso’s The Weeping Woman on a canvas smaller than a flea. Measuring just 1 millimetre tall and 0.8 millimetres wide, the artwork is so tiny it fits inside the eye of a needle. “Standing next to Picasso’s masterpiece, I couldn’t help wondering what he would have thought,” Lindon said, after visiting the original at the Tate Modern. Lindon is known for sculpting minuscule masterpieces, and his latest creation stays remarkably true to the original painting’s vivid colours and cubist detail. It’s displayed inside a custom-made metal case with a clear window and has already earned attention for its near-impossible scale. He estimates that it would take more than 381,000 copies of his miniature painting to cover the surface area of Picasso’s original. The project took months to complete — and almost didn’t survive. While working late one night, Lindon said he was startled when a ladybird landed on his easel. The sudden movement made his fingers twitch, tearing the delicate painting into invisible fragments. “It was shredded — like Banksy’s Love Is in the Bin,” he said. The insect was safely released, but Lindon spent hours afterwards searching for the scattered remains under the microscope. Bit by bit, he began to reassemble the artwork like “a microscopic jigsaw,” describing the process as “microscopic brain surgery.” The final result, he says, is one of the finest paintings he’s ever made. Lindon has previously created tiny zoo animals, a miniature Mickey Mouse, and microscopic recreations of Banksy’s most famous works. But the Picasso replica pushed the limits of what he thought was possible. To create his micro masterpieces, Lindon makes his own tools. Commercial brushes and instruments are simply too big. Instead, he turns to nature: a dragonfly leg hair serves as a paintbrush for fine detail like eyes, and a stag beetle antenna is used to texture hair. His micro toolbox includes custom-made tweezers, saws, drills, and lifting tools with ultra-fine attachments. He also paints with custom pigments and works exclusively at night to avoid traffic vibrations, often timing his brush strokes between heartbeats. “If I don't concentrate all the time my fingers can accidentally flick weeks of work off from under the microscope,” he said. “When it disappears from my sight, it will probably never be seen again.” Despite the risks and the extreme precision required, Lindon says it’s worth it for the reaction he gets. “What keeps me going through the long hours is seeing the look of wonder and astonishment on people's faces,” he said. “I get a huge sense of achievement having created something so special despite the many challenges.” And he’s not finished yet. Lindon is already looking ahead to what’s next. “I’m always looking to improve,” he said. “And I’m always looking to see just how small I can go.”
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UPS Driver Reads Author’s Book, Comes Back to Say Thank You — Now It’s Gone Viral
What started as a routine book delivery in New Jersey has turned into a viral moment of kindness, and it’s reshaping lives in the process. A Ring doorbell video showing UPS driver Kyle Thurkauf dropping off several boxes to author Damian Lewis has now been viewed more than 33 million times on TikTok. But it’s what happened after the delivery that caught people’s attention. Lewis, author of Call Me First: A Man’s Blueprint to True Leadership at Home, offered Thurkauf a copy of his book while unloading the shipment. Thurkauf took the book — and actually read it. A few days later, despite not having a scheduled delivery, Thurkauf came back. He wanted to thank Lewis in person and ask where he could buy more copies. “For him not to have a delivery for me that day, when he came back to tell me how good the book was and to ask me where to get it,” Lewis said, “it was like, I feel like I made it at that point.” That unexpected return turned a quiet moment into a viral wave. As the video spread across social media, Lewis says the response was immediate — and overwhelming. Since the video took off, more than 9,000 copies of Call Me First have been sold. “I feel blessed beyond anything I could ever expect,” he said. “I almost feel like I don’t deserve it, but I’m so welcoming of everything that has happened.” For Thurkauf, going viral wasn’t the point. “Provide a close, meaningful relationship with each and every one of them with respect and kindness and gratitude,” he said. “That’s exactly the kind of service that I hope to provide when I’m at work.” The short clip is still spreading, and the story behind it is reminding people how something as simple as a thank you can have lasting impact.
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AI-Assisted Mammograms Could Spot Breast Cancer Sooner, Study Finds
A new study out of Sweden suggests artificial intelligence could help catch breast cancer earlier — and reduce the number of deadly cases that slip through the cracks. Involving more than 100,000 women, the study found that A.I.-assisted mammography screenings led to fewer missed cancers and earlier diagnoses compared to the standard approach of having two radiologists examine breast X-rays. The results, published January 29 in The Lancet, are raising hopes that A.I. could improve detection while easing the workload on medical staff. Breast cancer deaths have already dropped significantly over the past few decades, largely thanks to more widespread screening and better treatment. In the U.S., mortality rates have fallen by 44 percent since 1989. But experts say there's still room for improvement — particularly when it comes to interval cancers, which are diagnosed between regular screenings and tend to be more aggressive. That’s where A.I. could help. In the Swedish trial, about half the participants followed the country’s usual protocol: having two radiologists interpret each mammogram. The rest had their images reviewed by a commercially available A.I. program, which flagged high-risk cases for additional review while clearing low-risk ones for a single human reader. The results were promising. Women in the A.I.-assisted group had 12 percent fewer interval cancers compared to those in the traditional group. More significantly, there was a 16 percent drop in interval cancers that had already started invading healthy tissue. Overall, about 81 percent of cancers in the A.I. group were caught during routine screenings, compared to 74 percent in the control group. “Widely rolling out A.I.-supported mammography in breast cancer screening programs could help reduce workload pressures among radiologists, as well as helping to detect more cancers at an early stage, including those with aggressive subtypes,” said Kristina Lång, a breast radiologist at Lund University and one of the study’s authors, in a comment to The Guardian. In addition to catching more cancers, A.I. also appeared to make screening more efficient. Previous research from the same clinical trial suggested a 44 percent reduction in the time radiologists spent reading scans, without lowering the overall cancer detection rate. Globally, breast cancer remains a huge concern. According to the World Health Organization, 2.3 million women were diagnosed with it in 2022, making it the most common cancer in 157 countries. Still, experts caution that more research is needed before A.I. becomes a standard part of screening programs. “Using A.I. to assist in reading mammograms can be more efficient, but there’s a concern that it can lead to missing some cancers,” said Sowmiya Moorthie, a senior strategic evidence manager at Cancer Research UK, who was not involved in the study. “This study helps to address concerns, but the results are from a single center, so more research will be needed to know for sure if this will help save lives.” Cost is another factor. Interval cancers are often diagnosed at later stages, which makes them much more expensive to treat. In Canada, the cost can hit $100,000 per patient, according to Jean Seely, a breast imaging specialist at the Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa. “This is something that is not only saving lives, but saving public health dollars,” Seely told CBC News, referring to A.I.-supported screening. She’s already been using A.I. tools in her own practice and sees the technology as a helpful ally for overburdened radiologists. While the idea of using artificial intelligence in medical settings still raises concerns, this study adds weight to the argument that it could become a reliable and effective support system — not a replacement — for doctors in the fight against breast cancer.