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Four-year-old's Emotional Intelligence Is Off the Charts and People Are Giving Kudos to His Mom
An incredible bedtime chat between Aldie and his mom goes viral on TikTok with over 17 million views. At barely 4 years old, Aldie impresses viewers with his emotional intelligence and articulate communication skills that surpass many adults. His mom, Jonisa Padernos, shares her parenting approach of encouraging open dialogue and emotional expression to help kids develop similar abilities. This heartwarming interaction highlights the importance of nurturing children's emotional intelligence from a young age for their future well-being.
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Once 'Horrible,' Beijing’s Forbidden City Is Now a Global Model for Historic Restoration
When Ho Puay-peng first stepped into Beijing’s Forbidden City in the late 1980s, what he saw shocked him. Garbage piles filled historic courtyards. Centuries-old wooden structures were blackened by fire or left crumbling in disrepair. Government offices had taken over entire sections of the ancient palace. His verdict? “Horrible.” At the time, the majority of the Forbidden City—China’s former imperial seat—was closed to the public. Today, thanks to decades of steady, detailed restoration, it’s a very different place. Now one of China’s most visited tourist destinations, the Forbidden City is also a case study in how to revive and preserve monumental heritage. “It now owns the whole compound, and they will restore bit by bit to open it up,” said Ho, who now holds the UNESCO Chair on Architectural Heritage Conservation and Management in Asia. “And I think that’s a wonderful effort.” This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Palace Museum, which was founded in 1925 after the last Qing emperor, Pu Yi, was finally forced out of the palace. But real restoration only began much later. It wasn’t until a 2002 meeting of China’s State Council—held on site—that large-scale renovations kicked off. At that point, less than one-third of the vast complex was open to the public. By 2018, that number had jumped to 80%. The latest restoration success is the Qianlong Garden, a once-hidden retreat in the northeastern section of the palace. Closed for nearly a century, the garden officially reopened on September 30—and instantly became a viral sensation on Chinese social media. On the last day of China’s Golden Week holiday, tourists queued up in the rain just to get in. Built in the 1770s under Emperor Qianlong, the garden was originally conceived as a private space for the ruler’s retirement. It covers just 6,000 square meters—smaller than a soccer field—but offers a completely different atmosphere from the vast ceremonial plazas elsewhere in the Forbidden City. “Qianlong took a page from private gardens in southern China,” explained Ho. “The architecture has carved up the very tight space to accommodate many sceneries. When you look at the sceneries from below and up on the inner pavilion, on the artificial hills, you get different perspectives.” Restoring the garden took 25 years—longer than it took to build in the first place—and cost an estimated $15–18 million. The project was a collaboration between the Palace Museum and the World Monuments Fund, under an agreement first signed in 2000. Ho praised the long timeline: “I am happy to see they spent such a long time on this.” The garden's quiet entrance belies its significance. Its design and ornamentation are among the most elaborate in the entire Forbidden City, with intricately painted ceilings, carved wooden screens, and hand-laid stone paths. Of the four connected courtyards that make up the garden, two are now open to the public. The success of Qianlong Garden is only one part of the Palace Museum’s broader strategy. Earlier restoration of Taihedian, the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the largest building in the palace, took less than two years. Next up is Yangxindian, or the Hall of Mental Cultivation, which served as both the residence and administrative office for Qing emperors. Its restoration began in 2018 and is expected to wrap up this year. Even as visitors flood back, the emphasis remains on quality over speed. For Ho, what matters is that China applies these lessons more broadly. “It’s important to professionally and scientifically conserve Qing Dynasty architecture across the country,” he said, referencing not only the Forbidden City, but also a smaller imperial palace in northeastern China and traditional streetscapes elsewhere. For decades, much of China's historic architecture faced neglect, demolition, or insensitive modernization. But that trend appears to be reversing. “By and large,” Ho said, “I think the country has woken up to the very, very important task in protecting historical heritage.” The transformation of the Forbidden City—from dilapidated storage depot to a benchmark of global conservation—shows just how far it’s come. And just how much is still possible.
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Scientists Unveil 'Zap-And-Freeze' Brain Imaging to Unlock Parkinson's Mysteries
Scientists have developed a new technique that captures the split-second workings of brain cells—by freezing them in action. The method, dubbed zap-and-freeze, jolts brain tissue with an electrical signal and then rapidly freezes it under high pressure, preserving neurons at the exact moment they’re sending messages. The result is a microscopic snapshot of brain activity in unprecedented detail, and it could open new doors in understanding neurological diseases like Parkinson’s. The research, led by a team at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, was published this week in Neuron. The team used brain slices from both mice and humans—donated by patients who had brain lesions surgically removed—and found remarkable similarities between the two. “This approach has the potential to reveal dynamic, high-resolution information about synaptic membrane trafficking in intact human brain slices,” wrote lead author Chelsy Eddings and her colleagues. Synapses are the tiny gaps between neurons where signals get passed from one cell to the next. These signals are carried by vesicles, microscopic sacs that release chemicals to transmit information. Once emptied, the vesicles are recycled through a process called endocytosis, allowing new vesicles to form and keep the messaging going. Using the zap-and-freeze technique, the researchers were able to capture ultrafast endocytosis in action—happening in under 100 milliseconds. That’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it event, far too quick for most imaging techniques to catch. And it’s not just speed. The team identified a specific protein, dynamin1xA, as a key player in the recycling process. That protein could prove vital in understanding how synapses break down in neurodegenerative diseases. “Our findings indicate that the molecular mechanism of ultrafast endocytosis is conserved between mice and human brain tissues,” said cell biologist Shigeki Watanabe, one of the study’s senior authors. That’s encouraging news for researchers who rely on mouse models to study the human brain. This kind of cellular-level detail is especially relevant in conditions like Parkinson’s, where neurons gradually die off. Scientists have long suspected that faulty synapses contribute to the damage, but it's been hard to study in real time. By revealing how vesicle activity and recycling operate in healthy tissue, researchers can better understand what goes wrong in disease states. The next step? Applying the technique to brain samples from Parkinson’s patients who undergo neurosurgery. Those tissues could show how vesicle function is altered in affected brains—and possibly identify early warning signs or intervention points. While there’s still a long road ahead, the potential is significant. Parkinson’s affects more than 10 million people worldwide, and cases are expected to rise as populations age. Treatments currently focus on managing symptoms, but understanding what drives the disease could one day lead to ways of slowing or even preventing it. “We hope this new technique of visualizing synaptic membrane dynamics in live brain tissue samples can help us understand similarities and differences in nonheritable and heritable forms of the condition,” Watanabe said. Zap-and-freeze is one of several advanced methods neuroscientists are developing to study the brain at faster and finer scales. But few offer such a direct window into the heartbeat of brain activity—where a signal starts, a vesicle moves, and a message is sent, all in the blink of an eye.
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UK Sees Record-Breaking Sunshine in 2025, and it Even Boosted Solar Power
Britain has officially had its sunniest year on record, according to the Met Office, with more than 1,600 hours of sunshine logged so far—despite the current gloom of December. As of December 15, the UK had recorded 1,622 hours of sunshine, surpassing the previous high set in 2003. It’s the most sunshine ever recorded in a calendar year since records began in 1910. Most of the record was driven by a remarkable spring and a string of high-pressure systems that cleared skies across the country. England saw its sunniest year ever, while Scotland recorded its second sunniest and Wales its sixth. Northern Ireland didn’t make the top 10 overall, but still had a historic moment: Magilligan in County Derry recorded 301.3 hours of sunshine in May, the highest monthly total ever recorded in any month for Northern Ireland. “Spring was exceptional,” said Mike Kendon, senior scientist at the Met Office. “Many will remember the long spells of days with largely unbroken sunshine.” March was the third sunniest on record, followed by a record-breaking April and the second sunniest May. That stretch made spring 2025 not only the sunniest spring on record but the fourth sunniest season overall—trailing only the summers of 1911, 1976 and 1995. All three summer months this year also saw above-average sunshine, contributing to what Kendon called “a notably sunnier than average” year overall. January brought a bright start, though February was duller. Autumn also underperformed on sunshine, with October joining February as the only months so far to register below-average sunshine totals. While this year’s high-pressure systems played a major role in reducing cloud cover, the Met Office says the UK has generally become sunnier since the 1980s. Scientists suspect falling levels of aerosols in the atmosphere may be part of the explanation, but say there’s currently no clear link to climate change in terms of long-term sunshine trends. That said, the extra sun has had some tangible effects. Solar power surged in 2025, with solar farms meeting more than 6% of the UK’s energy needs—up more than 50% compared to recent years. It was also the hottest summer on record in the UK, and the Met Office says it expects to release more details soon about what has been, overall, a very warm year. Rainfall was lower than usual across much of the country, with some regions recording their driest year on record. While December has been cloudier, the year’s earlier extremes have already secured its place in the books. For a country known for grey skies and drizzle, 2025 will be remembered as the year the sun came out—and stayed.
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Top Philanthropists Donate $5 Billion in 2025, Led by Nike's Phil Knight
The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual list of the year’s biggest individual charitable donations reached a total of $5 billion in 2025, with contributions supporting everything from cancer research to children’s nutrition and university sports. At the top of the list: Phil and Penny Knight, who gave a $2 billion donation to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in August. The gift—representing nearly 40% of the list’s total—will support cancer research and expand services for patients and families at the Knight Cancer Institute. “Every patient deserves access to the best care and the best science,” the couple said in a statement when the gift was announced. Their donation is the latest in a long relationship with the university; the Knights have now given at least $2.7 billion to OHSU since 2008. Second on the list is Warren Buffett, who donated 1.5 million shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock worth $746.7 million to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, the grantmaker named for his late wife. The foundation supports reproductive health programs and scholarships in Nebraska. Buffett’s gift is part of a special set of donations announced in November, separate from his ongoing multi-billion-dollar giving commitments first pledged in 2006. In third place: a $500 million pledge from the late Jackie Bezos and her husband, Mike Bezos, to UNICEF USA. The gift will fund the organization’s Child Nutrition Fund, aimed at improving access to nutritious food for women and children globally. The couple made the pledge just months before Jackie Bezos died in August at age 78. While Jackie and Mike Bezos are not household names, their early investment in Amazon—$245,000 in 1995—has grown into an enormous fortune. The couple previously launched the Bezos Family Foundation and created several education initiatives, including the Bezos Scholars Program and Students Rebuild. Other major gifts in 2025 included: • $600 million across two donations to university athletic programs. • $300 million to build a hospital and expand the healthcare workforce in South Dakota. • About $200 million to a U.S. art museum for an expansion project. Five of the donors on this year’s list are multibillionaires with a comZbined net worth of approximately $190 billion, according to Forbes. Michael and Susan Dell’s announced pledge of $6.25 billion to fund investment accounts for 25 million American children was not included in the list, as it hasn’t yet been directed through a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Dell Foundation said the funds will be handled by the U.S. Treasury, but details are still being finalized. The Chronicle’s list only includes publicly announced cash gifts made to nonprofit organizations. It excludes gifts of art or donations from anonymous sources. A broader ranking of donors based on total giving throughout 2025, the Philanthropy 50, is scheduled for release in March. For more information or to explore other million-dollar gifts, visit philanthropy.com or browse the Chronicle’s real-time database of large charitable donations.
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This Australian Athlete Just Became the First Female Winner Of the Antarctic Ice Marathon
History was made at the bottom of the world, as Australia’s Catherine Drysdale became the first woman ever to win the Antarctic Ice Marathon outright—beating every runner, male and female, in the grueling 42.2K race. Braving brutal conditions of –8°C with wind chills plunging to –18°C, Drysdale crossed the finish line in 3:48:43, more than six minutes ahead of Russia’s Denis Nazarov, who took the men’s title and overall runner-up spot (3:54:49). Poland’s Joanna Drewnicka-Ogrodnik placed third overall in 4:18:05, marking a rare podium dominated by women. This year marked the 20th edition of the Guinness World Record–recognized “Southernmost Marathon on Earth,” held on Union Glacier in Antarctica. The event saw 53 participants—23 women and 30 men—navigate deep snow and icy winds in one of the most extreme races on the planet. Other notable finishes included Canada’s Victoria Grahn (B.C.), who placed fifth overall and was the third woman to finish (4:25:22). Portugal’s Domitilia Dos Santos, at age 70, also set a milestone by becoming the oldest woman ever to complete the race, finishing in 7:43:14. While Drysdale’s time didn’t surpass the women's course record (3:29:16, set by Liesl Muehlhauser in 2023), her overall win cements her place in Antarctic marathon history—and in a landscape defined by extremes, it was a performance that rose above them all.
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Nine-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Stuns Competitors at UK Open Blitz Championship
Nine-year-old Tara from Leicester is used to turning heads at the chessboard—but not just because of her size. At 4ft 2in (130cm), the quietly confident primary schooler is now one of the top young chess talents in the UK, regularly facing off against seasoned players many times her age. “I play much older people—they get a bit nervous,” she says. “In big tournaments, when we play very fast, they ask, ‘how can this girl play like this?’ And I just keep playing my game and don’t worry about others.” That mindset is working. Tara recently competed in the 2025 UK Open Blitz Championship qualifier, finishing as the top-performing girl in the tournament. She earned a spot in the Women's Final, where she held her own against some of the country’s strongest female players. “People are a bit annoyed when I beat them,” she says, “and maybe a bit sad because they lost to a child.” Tara’s interest in chess started when she was just four, playing casual games with her parents, who are both software engineers. “When I was playing them I was jumping up and down because I was getting excited about what they will do,” she recalls. “I saw a piece—a knight—which can go in an L shape, and I thought they all could go like they’re in an army.” She started attending chess clubs by Year 2 and now trains with a private coach. At home, she frequently discusses tactics and strategies with her dad. “She would sit with her dad and talk about tricks and tactics,” says her mother, Shalini Sathiyaseelan. “She is very quiet and calm. Whenever she goes to tournaments, she prepares for them because every game is different.” While her rise in the chess world may seem meteoric, her family didn’t see it coming at first. “We thought we could support her, get her a coach, and get her to the next level,” says Sathiyaseelan. “But as she kept playing, we could see something grow inside her.” That “something” has already taken her a long way. Tara trains constantly, plays online matches, and has even competed against Masters. “When I played online games against a Master I was getting nervous,” she admits. “But then I started playing and I stopped being nervous.” “Sometimes emotion comes into it,” she adds. “Especially when you make a big move, it can feel emotional. Or when you miscalculate something, it can feel a bit sad. But if you keep playing confidently, you can win. Chess is like a mind game.” Her school, Fairfield Prep in Loughborough, is closely following her journey. Headteacher Andrew Earnshaw called her progress “truly amazing.” “To qualify for the Women’s Final at such a young age is extraordinary,” he said. “To hold her own against some of the strongest female players in the country speaks volumes about her talent, determination and composure.” Despite her success, Tara still has big goals ahead. She’s aiming to be the best chess player in the world for her age—and then some. But her dreams aren’t limited to the board. “I want to be a psychiatrist,” she says, with a grin. “I want to be able to read people’s minds so I can find out my opponent’s next move.” Until then, she’s keeping her moves sharp and her focus steady. And she’s not slowing down.
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Two Girls Named Hollie Had Lung Transplants the Same Week — Now They’re Best Friends for Life
Two girls named Hollie, both recovering from double lung transplants performed in the same hospital during the same week, have formed a rare and powerful friendship rooted in shared experience—and the same first name. Hollie M, 13, from Daventry, Northamptonshire, had been waiting three years for a transplant. Hollie B, 12, from Bangor in County Down, had been on the urgent list for just 24 hours. They met in 2023 at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London, where both underwent life-saving surgeries within days of each other. Today, the two message every day, attend clinic appointments together, and meet up socially whenever they can. Their families even celebrate the anniversary of their transplants together. “She wrote me a note. It said, ‘PS wanna be friends,’” said Hollie M, smiling at the memory. Hollie B recalled being nervous about a procedure and how her new friend helped calm her down. “She was worried about a procedure and I was telling her she didn't need to be worried about it,” she said. Both girls had been living with serious health conditions that affected their day-to-day lives. Hollie B was the first to receive a double lung transplant. Shortly after, Hollie M received a double lung transplant and a heart transplant at the same time. For them, the connection runs deeper than just shared circumstances. “They get everything the other has been through,” said Andrea, Hollie M’s mum. “The stars aligned… we’ll be friends for life.” Marion, Hollie B’s mother, agreed. “There’s something really special about having friends that have been through those same things.” The friendship has helped both families as well. “In the same way that Hollie B gets Hollie, Marion and Gary completely understand what Bazz and I have been through. We all just click,” Andrea said. Dr Rossa Brugha, a consultant respiratory paediatrician at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said the friendship was “quite rare,” explaining that only about six paediatric lung transplants are performed at the hospital each year. “I think it's fantastic that both these girls have made such a good recovery and that they appear to be really good friends for life,” he said.
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Two Christmas World Records Set for Snow Globes and Sky-High Tree in 2025
Two festive Guinness World Records have been officially smashed just in time for the holidays—one in Germany, the other in the UK—bringing seasonal cheer on a global scale. In Nuremberg, Josef Kardinal secured his place in the record books with a staggering collection of 11,017 snow globes, making it the largest in the world. His obsession began back in 1984 with a single gift. By 2002, his collection had reached 6,100 globes. Now, it’s nearly doubled. “Snow globes capture memories, places and feelings,” Josef said. “Every one of them tells a story. I never expected that a small gift in 1984 would grow into something recognized around the world.” Kardinal stores and displays his record-breaking collection in a multi-room basement, showcasing an enormous range of styles—from classic European landmarks to rare Disney-themed globes and global city editions. Each globe is carefully maintained so that, decades later, they still “snow” as intended. Meanwhile, up in Northumberland, England, a Giant Redwood Wellingtonia on the Cragside estate has earned the title of the tallest bedded Christmas tree in the world. Planted in the 19th century, the living tree stands at a jaw-dropping 44.7 meters (146 feet 7 inches). To celebrate, Cragside adorned the towering evergreen with 1,000 multicolored lights and oversized bows, creating a spectacular display that draws festive visitors from across the region. “It’s been quite the year of planning,” said Steve Howard, Visitor Operations Manager at Cragside. “Last year we presented the UK’s Tallest Living Christmas Tree, and we kept wondering if we could go one giant leap further and secure a Guinness World Records title… and we made it!” Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief at Guinness World Records, praised both achievements as standout moments in a season known for joyful creativity. “This time of year often brings some of the most memorable and imaginative record attempts, and these two titles are no exception,” he said. “From a towering living Christmas tree to an extraordinary snow globe collection, both achievements show the passion and creativity behind record-breaking. It’s a pleasure to recognize them as part of this year’s record-breaking highlights — and to mark them, as ever, as officially amazing.”
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A Girl Who Spent Christmas Waiting for a Heart Transplant Returns to Hospital With 1,000 Gifts
Two years ago, Amelia spent Christmas in a hospital bed, waiting for a new heart. This year, the 10-year-old from Kingswinford is back on the wards—but now she’s delivering gifts, not receiving treatment. Amelia, who underwent a life-saving heart transplant in April 2023, has returned to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and The Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, where she once stayed as a patient. This time, she’s leading what she calls a “Santa drop off,” handing out hundreds of toys, chocolates, and festive treats to children who will spend the holidays in hospital. “The reason why I wanted to do the Christmas Santa drop off is to put a smile on all the children who are in at the moment,” Amelia said. “As we all know, Christmas is a special time and it’s hard for everyone who is in there.” Amelia was born with a congenital heart defect and spent Christmas 2023 at Birmingham Children’s Hospital before being airlifted by helicopter to Newcastle for surgery. Now recovered, she’s made it her mission to give back. Along with her family, she’s dropped off presents at several sites across the West Midlands and Tyneside, including Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham and New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton. The final stop is Russell’s Hall Hospital in Dudley, where the family plans to deliver the last batch of gifts on Wednesday. By then, the total number of presents will surpass 1,000. Some of the gifts are being delivered early to children too sick to leave their beds. Others will be held back for Santa to hand out on Christmas Day. Nurses have also received chocolates and festive socks, and Amelia surprised her own surgeon with a box of chocolates during an emotional reunion. Messages from proud family and friends have poured in, according to her dad, Justin. “They’re coming in left, right and centre,” he said. “Some nurses have even been left in tears.” “I’m so proud of her,” he added. “We just know how hard it is. You adjust when you’re in there, but no time is easy—especially Christmas. You’re supposed to be around your family. It’s just nice to do something to put a smile on their face and help them get through it.”
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This Polar Bear Adopted an Orphaned Cub in a Rare Act of Compassion
Scientists tracking polar bears near Churchill, Manitoba, got an unexpected surprise this fall: a polar bear mother, previously seen with one cub, had adopted a second. The sighting, which occurred in mid-November in the western Hudson Bay region, marks only the 13th recorded case of cub adoption in more than four decades of research in the area. “When we got confirmation that this was an adoption, I had a lot of mixed feelings, but mostly good,” said Alysa McCall, staff scientist and director of conservation outreach with Polar Bears International. “It gives you a lot of hope when you realize that polar bears may be looking out for each other out there.” Dr. Evan Richardson, a polar bear research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, first saw the mother in March as she emerged from a denning area in Wapusk National Park with a single cub. Both were fitted with GPS-tracking collars. When he spotted the same bear again in November, she had two cubs by her side. Only one of them wore a collar — the other, a new addition, did not. With over 4,600 individual bears documented and hundreds of litters tracked over the past 45 years, cub adoptions like this are rare. “It’s not that frequent,” Richardson said. “We really think it’s just because [polar bears are] so maternally charged and such good mothers, and they just can’t leave a cub crying on the tundra.” Researchers estimate the mother is around five years old, and both cubs are approximately 10 to 11 months. Richardson said they’re not sure what happened to the adopted cub’s biological mother, but his team collected a genetic sample that may help answer that question. The adoption is more than just a touching moment — it could be life-saving. Polar bear cubs typically stay with their mothers for two to two-and-a-half years and depend on that time to learn the skills necessary for survival. Without a mother, their odds of reaching adulthood are almost zero. “It’s not a lot of time to learn how to be a polar bear,” McCall said. “But they do soak up a lot of lessons during that time.” She noted that only about half of cubs survive to adulthood. With a new adoptive mother, this cub now has a real chance. Scientists say GPS collars, deployed in collaboration with Polar Bears International and the University of Alberta, have made it possible to track polar bear movements in detail. Each year, about 10 females are collared in the western Hudson Bay area. While rare, cases like this show just how much remains to be discovered about polar bear behaviour. “The bears need all the help they can get these days with climate change,” Richardson said. “Females have the opportunity to pick up another cub and care for it, and successfully wean it. That’s a good thing for bears in Churchill.”