International Space Station Crew Finds a Long-lost Tomato

Guess what? Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli made an exciting discovery on the International Space Station! She found a tomato that had been lost by fellow astronaut Frank Rubio after a year-long mission. The crew located the missing veggie from their harvest, bringing some unexpected joy to their space journey. This happy news shows how teamwork and perseverance can lead to surprising and delightful results in outer space.

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Teen Raises Funds To Help Families Struggling Without SNAP Benefits During Shutdown

When the government shutdown halted food assistance programs for more than a million Georgians, 16-year-old Jaeleon Hawkins-Jones didn’t wait for someone else to take action. He stepped in. The high school junior from Gwinnett County, Georgia, has been raising money and delivering food to families impacted by the suspended SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. So far, he’s helped feed dozens of households in his community. “If leadership isn’t going to do it, we as citizens have to step up for each other,” he told 11Alive. “And I knew that if I wasn’t going to do it, who was?” Hawkins-Jones started a GoFundMe and has raised over $3,400. He teamed up with the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op Ministry to put that money to work. Last week, they delivered 40 boxes of groceries to families who had suddenly found themselves without federal food assistance. “I saw the smile on their face and I thought, ‘Wow, I’m actually doing something. I’m making a difference,’” he said. The food insecurity crisis caused by the government shutdown has stretched local food banks thin. In Lawrenceville, the number of people seeking help from the Lawrenceville Co-Op jumped by about 25%, according to executive director Lisa Engberg. The center usually serves around 60 to 80 people on Fridays. Last week, they saw 100. A third of them had just lost access to SNAP. The Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op, Hawkins-Jones’ partner in the food drive, is one of several nonprofits trying to meet the rising demand. Hawkins-Jones says he doesn’t want his actions to be a one-time effort. He’s already planning another food drive with Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op next week and hopes more young people will get involved in helping their communities. “If you see a problem in your community and you want to fix it, don’t think that you just have to sit back and wait for it to be fixed,” he said. “You can act now and you can do it.” For those looking to help or in need of food support, tools like FoodFinder can connect users with local food banks and pantries across the country. Until federal aid resumes, volunteers like Hawkins-Jones are filling in the gap—one food box at a time.

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Can This Revolutionary Engine Harnesses Energy From Deep Space Without Leaving Earth?

Two engineers in California may have found a surprising new way to power buildings—by using the chill of deep space. The experimental device, developed by researchers at the University of California, Davis, doesn’t require solar panels or batteries. Instead, it pulls energy from the temperature difference between the Earth’s surface and the cold of outer space. In their words, it works by “interacting radiatively with space.” The engine itself is simple, based on a long-established model called a Stirling engine. Unlike conventional engines that rely on combustion or electricity, Stirling engines convert heat differences into mechanical motion. “They’re surprisingly efficient even when only small temperature differences exist,” said senior author Jeremy Munday, an electrical and computer engineer at UC Davis. What’s new here is the source of that temperature gap. One side of the device absorbs warmth from the Earth using a basic aluminum mount. The other side is painted with a special coating designed to radiate heat toward the sky—essentially “connecting” to the cold of space without physically touching it. This passive cooling technique lets the device shed heat by sending infrared radiation straight into the void. “For us, we have the warm Earth that’s nearby, but the cold of space is very, very far,” Munday said in a video released by the university. “And the leap we’ve taken is that, well, even though these things are separated far away, we can radiatively couple them.” Their prototype—about the size of a laptop—sat outdoors for over a year, operating entirely without active power input. At night, the temperature difference between its two sides routinely hit 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit). That was enough to generate around 400 milliwatts of mechanical power per square meter—just enough to run a fan or small electric motor. The researchers then took their project one step further. In a small greenhouse, they removed the Stirling engine’s flywheel and attached a custom fan blade. The idea was to see whether the engine could provide natural nighttime ventilation for indoor plants without electricity. It worked. The fan provided enough airflow to cool the greenhouse and keep conditions stable. “This could provide an entirely passive method of ensuring healthy breathing air in public places and promoting plant growth by regulating humidity and CO₂ levels in greenhouses and growhouses,” the team wrote in their paper, published November 12 in Science Advances. While the current power output is small, the researchers say the concept could be scaled up. The eventual goal isn’t to send spacecraft into the stars, but to create self-sustaining, low-energy ventilation systems—particularly useful in remote or off-grid locations. UC Davis has already filed a provisional patent for the design. For now, the idea of powering spaceships with dark matter might remain science fiction. But harvesting the cold of space to grow lettuce? That’s already happening.

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Fan's Generous Gesture Captures Hearts at This AHL Hockey Game

A minor league hockey team captured the heartwarming moment one of its fans caught a shirt shot out of a T-shirt cannon and immediately handed it to a younger fan during a home game. Footage posted to TikTok by the Norfolk Admirals shows the team’s mascot, Salty the Dog, using a T-shirt cannon on the crowd at Norfolk Scope Arena during a breast cancer awareness night game on November 4. A spectator wearing pink is seen catching a rolled-up shirt and momentarily celebrating. He then walks a few rows down and hands it to a young boy, who raises it above his head and jumps excitedly. “Pink shirt guy is our hero,” the Admirals wrote on TikTok.

Rescued Girls in Ghana Are Now Entrepreneurs, Students and Cycle Breakers

Warning ⚠️ This story discusses human trafficking and may be difficult for some readers. But it also highlights courage, resilience, and the power of rebuilding — together. In a quiet corner of Ghana, a group of young women is rewriting their futures — together. At the Max Steinbeck Women’s Empowerment Center, 54 girls and their 12 children live, learn, and rebuild after surviving human trafficking. Many were forced into labor or sexual exploitation, a harsh reality that remains widespread in Ghana. But here, they’re charting a new course. Founded in 2021 by the nonprofits Many Hopes and Challenging Heights, the center offers a two-year residential program where survivors can choose between beauty school, a fashion program, or a university prep track. And the results have been life-changing. “Most of these girls come from situations of extreme poverty,” said Madeline Pahr, creative director at Many Hopes. “Learning a trade gives them a skill where they can earn a stable income after graduation.” That stability can ripple outward. Graduates often become the highest earners in their families, breaking cycles of generational poverty. Many go on to launch their own businesses — helped along by donors who provide microloans and a curriculum that includes business training and financial literacy. For many, it’s their first time opening a bank account. One student, whose name is withheld for privacy, shared how transformative the experience has been. “When I got here I was alone. I thought my life was over. I was 13 and a mum. I don't even know how to be a mum. My mum was never around. I had no future,” she said. “But coming here I am not alone. We are raising our babies together. We are building futures together.” That sense of community is essential. Not only do the girls train side by side, but they also support each other through motherhood. And that support may go even further than they realize. “There is a high probability that those children will become the most educated in their families because their mom learned a trade,” Pahr explained. Globally, an estimated 27.6 million people are victims of human trafficking at any given time, according to the latest figures from the International Labour Organization. Programs like this one are a direct challenge to those numbers — not just rescuing survivors, but equipping them with the tools to thrive. It’s not just about hair and nails or fashion design. It’s about ownership. Dignity. Choice. And hope. At the Max Steinbeck Center, young women who once had none of those things are now building lives — and businesses — with all three.

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Adorable Amur Leopards Make Public Debut at Brookfield Zoo Chicago

A pair of Amur leopard cub sisters prepared to make their official public debut and come face-to-face with visitors at Brookfield Zoo Chicago on Friday, November 14. The cubs had spent the previous weeks growing and bonding with their mother, Mina, behind the scenes. This footage shows the sisters’ brief introduction to the enclosure on Thursday morning, which gave them a chance to acclimate ahead of their official move into the habitat the following day, a representative for the zoo told Storyful. According to Brookfield animal care experts, Amur leopards are the world’s rarest big cat, and are agile, stealthy climbers, able to climb rocky ledges and trees to hunt prey and keep an eye on potential threats. “The cubs are bold, curious and love to climb, already getting comfortable on the upper rocks in their new habitat,” Racquel Ardisana, associate director of carnivore care and conservation at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, said. “There are a lot of new sights, sounds and scents for them to take in. When one initially came to explore the habitat’s ground level, she hissed while pawing at the grass – a texture she’s seeing for the first time!” The zoo said “fans won’t have to wait long” to find out the sisters’ names, which would be revealed on social media.

These Adorable Terns are Making a Historic Comeback in the UK With a Record Breeding Season

A rare seabird is making a big comeback on England’s coast — and conservationists are thrilled. The little tern, one of the UK’s smallest and most threatened seabirds, has seen a record-breaking breeding season at the Beacon Lagoons nature reserve in Yorkshire. According to the BBC, the number of breeding pairs at the site soared from 59 last year to 105 in 2025 — the highest count since the 1970s. The dramatic increase marks a major win for conservationists and local volunteers who have spent years protecting the fragile population. “This year’s success gives us real hope that we can continue to grow the population and see little terns recolonise other beaches around the Humber where they haven’t nested for decades,” said Mike Pilsworth, conservation officer for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). He credited the growth to young adult birds returning to nest after maturing elsewhere. Weighing about as much as a tennis ball, little terns migrate thousands of kilometres from Africa each spring to breed along the UK’s coasts. But over the years, their numbers have dwindled due to habitat loss, coastal erosion, human disturbance, and predation. They’ve all but vanished from some parts of England. Groups like the RSPB and the Little Tern Project have been racing to reverse that decline. Climate change, they note, has only made things worse, with rising sea levels and stronger storms washing away nests. That’s why this year’s rebound is especially encouraging. The turnaround is the result of painstaking, hands-on work by staff and community members who built barriers to protect nesting sites and monitored the beaches during breeding season. “The local community here has helped us to protect these precious birds too,” one volunteer told the BBC. “Everyone is proud of what’s been achieved.” With renewed momentum and a hopeful outlook, conservationists now have a blueprint for helping the little tern return to other sites where it hasn’t bred in decades. It’s a reminder of how local action — and a bit of patience — can bring a species back from the brink.

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California Implements Single-Use Plastics Ban to Combat Pollution Starting January

California shoppers are about to see a big change at the checkout line. Starting January 1, 2026, grocery stores across the state will be banned from handing out most single-use plastic bags, including the thicker “reusable” ones that have become common in recent years. The new law, Senate Bill 1053, builds on earlier plastic bag restrictions but goes further by closing a loophole that let stores offer thicker plastic bags as a workaround. That ends next year. Instead, customers will be offered recycled paper bags — likely for a small fee — or they’ll need to bring their own reusable ones. The change means higher costs for some shoppers, with recycled paper bags expected to cost at least 10 cents each. But supporters of the law say it’s a necessary step to reduce the state’s mounting plastic waste problem. “Instead of being asked, ‘Do you want paper or plastic at checkout,’ consumers will simply be asked if they want a paper bag if they haven't brought a reusable bag,” said California Senator Catherine Blakespear, who co-authored the bill. “This straightforward approach is easy to follow and will help dramatically reduce plastic bag pollution.” Retailers and environmental groups have long known that most “reusable” plastic bags — even the thicker ones — weren’t getting reused enough to make a difference. Many ended up in landfills or scattered across streets, parks, and beaches. Under SB 1053, that option will no longer be on the table. Plastic pollution remains a major global issue. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, over 5 trillion plastic bags are used each year worldwide, but less than 13% are recycled. Because plastic doesn’t biodegrade, these bags often break down into microplastics, which have been found in everything from drinking water to human bloodstreams. “We deserve a cleaner future for our communities, our children, and our Earth,” said Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, another backer of the bill. “It's time for us to get rid of these plastic bags and continue to move forward with a more pollution-free environment.” The law is part of a broader push by California to tackle plastic waste, which includes restrictions on polystyrene containers, plastic utensils, and other hard-to-recycle products. Environmental advocates hope other states will follow suit, pointing to California’s history of leading on green policy. For now, shoppers have about six weeks to get ready. That may mean digging out old canvas totes or getting used to carrying groceries by hand. Either way, the plastic option is going away for good.

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How Spain is Leading The Way In Community Energy, Sparking a Revolution

Across Spain, community-driven energy projects are transforming how people power their homes — and who gets left behind. What began as a small environmental initiative in the Catalan town of Taradell has grown into a grassroots energy movement that’s tackling fuel poverty while delivering clean, affordable electricity. The local cooperative behind it, Taradell Sostenible, now supplies power to more than 100 households, including many low-income families who would otherwise struggle to afford energy. “The question was how could people with few resources join the coop when membership costs €100?” said Eugeni Vila, president of the cooperative. “We agreed that people designated as poor by the local authority could join for only €25 and thus benefit from the cheap electricity we generate.” Using rooftop solar panels installed on public buildings like a sports centre and a cultural centre, the cooperative generates local power with funding from Spain’s Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE). That backing includes grants from the EU’s Next Generation fund, and IDAE now sees Taradell as a model for community energy across the country. “We’re very proud of the fact that IDAE describes us as pioneers,” Vila said. The cooperative’s success has already spurred regional partnerships. In 2022, Taradell joined forces with nearby energy groups in Balenyà and La Tonenca to improve management and expand support for struggling families. Through EU-backed programs like Sun4All, the network now has systems to identify and assist not just those facing fuel poverty, but broader social vulnerability. Spain, once hobbled by a so-called “sunshine tax” that penalised small-scale solar producers, is now one of Europe’s fastest-growing renewable markets. Since the tax was scrapped in 2018, energy self-sufficiency — especially solar — has surged 17-fold, according to IDAE. The government is now prioritising collective energy projects like Taradell’s over individual home installations. With €148.5 million in initial funding for 200 projects, IDAE is focusing on solar installations in public spaces that can provide power to neighbourhoods within a 2,000-metre radius — up from the previous 500-metre limit. This model is particularly important in Spain, where about 65% of people live in apartment blocks, making rooftop solar more difficult for individual households. It’s also proving essential for reaching remote and vulnerable populations. On Ons Island, off Spain’s Atlantic coast, the local population of just 92 residents — many of them elderly — still relies on a diesel generator for power. But that’s about to change. “With these subsidies, we’re going to install solar panels on the local authority buildings to supply energy to the islanders,” said José Antonio Fernández Bouzas, who heads the Atlantic Islands national park. Nearby, the Cíes Islands have already adopted solar, replacing diesel generators used by local businesses. “These are protected areas and we want them to be self-sufficient in energy,” Bouzas said. As well as cutting emissions, these local energy systems offer practical benefits. They reduce transmission costs and avoid the environmental impact of large-scale solar or wind farms. They may also help prevent large outages like the blackout that hit Spain and Portugal in April, when both countries lost power for most of the day. Vila sees energy communities as more than a technical solution — they’re a way to build equity and resilience. “We’ve developed a formula to help people who are struggling to get by,” he said. “We’re incorporating them into a network that helps them improve their situation.” With government support and EU funding now backing this community-first approach, Spain’s energy future may increasingly rest not with massive infrastructure projects — but with neighbours working together on their rooftops.

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Researchers Capture First-Ever Footage of a Humpback Whale Calf Nursing

Researchers captured what they believed was the first-ever footage of a humpback whale calf nursing from its mother underwater, taken off the eastern coast of Australia in September. This footage released by Stephanie Stack/Griffith University shows researchers attaching a camera-equipped suction tag to the humpback whale mother in Moreton Bay, Australia, in October 2024. Later footage, taken from the suction tag camera, shows the calf nursing from its mother and swimming alongside her in late September. The footage provides important evidence of Moreton Bay being a “key nursery and rest area for humpbacks,” the university said. “To our knowledge, this is the first documented use of camera-equipped suction cup tags on humpback whale calves in Australia, and one of few datasets globally that combines video, fine scale movement, and acoustic data for humpback whale calves,” said Stack, a Griffith University researcher and PhD candidate. The study was a collaboration between Griffith University and the University of Hawaii, in partnership with Quandamooka Traditional Owners and industry partners including Port of Brisbane, DHI, Stradbroke Flyer, and Healthy Land & Water.

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Mathematicians Just Unveiled a New Prediction Method to Boost Accuracy in Scientific Research

A new statistical tool developed by an international team of researchers may reshape how scientists make predictions — especially in fields where getting the closest possible match to real-world outcomes matters most. Led by Taeho Kim, a statistician at Lehigh University, the team has introduced the Maximum Agreement Linear Predictor (MALP), a method designed to boost how well predicted values line up with actual observations. Unlike traditional techniques that focus on minimizing average error, MALP zeroes in on maximizing agreement — and that distinction could have wide implications for research in medicine, biology, and the social sciences. “Sometimes, we don't just want our predictions to be close — we want them to have the highest agreement with the real values,” Kim said. That idea of "agreement" goes beyond the typical use of correlation. Most people are taught to think in terms of Pearson’s correlation coefficient, which measures the strength of a linear relationship. But Pearson’s r doesn’t care if your predictions are consistently high or low, as long as they follow the same trend. MALP, on the other hand, specifically aims to match predicted and observed values along the 45-degree line of perfect agreement on a scatter plot. To do that, MALP maximizes the Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC) — a statistical measure introduced in 1989 by Lin that captures both precision (tightness of the data points) and accuracy (how close they fall to the 45-degree line). In Kim’s words, “If the scatter plot shows a strong alignment with this 45-degree line, then we could say there is a good level of agreement between these two.” The team tested MALP using both simulated and real-world data. One case study involved eye scans from 56 eyes — 26 left, 30 right — collected as part of an ophthalmology project comparing readings from two types of optical coherence tomography (OCT) machines: the older Stratus and the newer Cirrus. As clinics transition to newer equipment, doctors need a way to ensure the data remains comparable. MALP delivered predictions of Stratus readings from Cirrus measurements that more closely matched the actual Stratus values, though the traditional least-squares method performed slightly better in terms of average error. In a second test, researchers used MALP to estimate body fat percentages from standard body measurements in a dataset of 252 adults. Underwater weighing is a reliable way to assess body fat but isn’t practical for wide use, so finding dependable proxies is valuable. Once again, MALP provided estimates that aligned better with the true values than least squares, even though the latter produced slightly smaller average errors. The results suggest a tradeoff: least squares offers smaller overall error, but MALP gives predictions that track closer to the real numbers — a useful distinction depending on the goals of a study. “For researchers, it’s about choosing the right tool for the right task,” Kim said. “If your main concern is reducing overall error, least squares is still a strong choice. But if you're looking for predictions that most closely match real-world outcomes, MALP may be the better option.” The researchers believe the method could help in a range of disciplines where accurate alignment matters more than error reduction — from converting medical readings across instruments to predicting disease risk or tracking social science indicators. MALP is currently limited to linear predictions, but Kim and his team are already looking ahead. “We wish to extend this to the general class,” he said, “so that our goal is to remove the linear part and it becomes the Maximum Agreement Predictor.” In other words, the work is far from done. But for scientists who care not just about getting close — but getting it right — this could be a step forward.

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