How Schools Are Stepping Up To Help Students Affected By Floods

Principals in northern NSW will be responsible for distributing new support measures to help teachers and students return to school after the devastating floods. The state’s education minister, Sarah Mitchell, said principals had the knowledge and were best placed to ensure support went to those who needed it. The premier, Dominic Perrottet, on Tuesday visited the flood-hit town of Wardell – where he said teachers had relocated the school to allow learning to continue.

Read More

SOHO Celebrates 30 Years Of Sun Observation With Stunning Photo

Launched nearly 30 years ago, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory — better known as SOHO — has quietly become one of the most successful and longest-running missions in space science. A joint project between NASA and the European Space Agency, SOHO lifted off on December 2, 1995, with a bold mission: study the sun “from the inside out.” It was only meant to last three years. Instead, it’s still going strong today — three decades, three solar cycles, and more than 5,000 comet discoveries later. From its vantage point 1.5 million kilometers closer to the sun than Earth — at the L1 Lagrange point — SOHO enjoys an uninterrupted view of our star. This unique orbital position allows it to continuously monitor the sun’s activity, from solar flares to massive eruptions known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), the kind that can mess with satellites, power grids, and GPS systems back on Earth. SOHO carries 12 instruments, including tools to study the sun’s interior via helioseismology — the rippling sound waves that travel through the sun’s hot plasma. It’s also equipped to observe the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, which remains one of the solar system’s biggest mysteries. The corona is far hotter than the sun’s surface, a counterintuitive phenomenon that still puzzles scientists. SOHO’s detailed observations have helped bring researchers closer to understanding it. “It has transformed helioseismology,” scientists have said of the spacecraft’s contribution to our understanding of the sun’s structure and behavior. But SOHO’s story hasn’t been without drama. In 1998, it nearly went dark permanently after engineers lost contact with it for several months. The spacecraft had begun to spin out of control and was freezing in the cold of space. NASA and ESA teams used ground-based radar to locate it, slowly regaining control and resuscitating its systems. Against the odds, they brought it back online — and SOHO hasn’t looked back since. Over time, the mission’s value kept growing. SOHO began discovering comets — not a planned function — using a special coronagraph camera that blocks the sun’s bright face, making it easier to see faint objects nearby. As of early 2025, SOHO has discovered over 5,000 comets, more than any other observatory in history. “SOHO has overcome nail-biting challenges to become one of the longest-operating space missions of all time,” said Prof. Carole Mundell, ESA’s Director of Science. Even now, as the sun approaches the peak of its current solar cycle, SOHO continues to deliver daily data that scientists use to track space weather, monitor solar storms, and study long-term changes in solar activity. That data supports everything from climate science to protecting astronauts and satellites from radiation. From saving the spacecraft in 1998 to extending its mission again and again, SOHO has quietly become a pillar of solar science. It’s seen solar flares, sunspots, and shimmering auroras. And as the sun continues to change, SOHO will likely be watching.

Read More

Scientists Just Figured Out How to “Recharge” Human Cells—No Drugs or Surgery Required

Human cells might soon get a second wind, thanks to a new method that teaches them how to "swap batteries" and help each other recharge. Scientists at Texas A&M University have developed a technique that boosts the power supply of human stem cells and allows them to share that energy with weaker, aging cells. The work could lead to a new way of rejuvenating tissues affected by age or disease—without relying on drugs or genetic engineering. At the centre of the study are mitochondria, the tiny structures inside cells that act as power plants. As we age, our mitochondria degrade. Their numbers fall, their performance dips, and when that happens, everything from our hearts to our brains can suffer. The researchers figured out a way to give those aging mitochondria a jolt. Using particles called nanoflowers, they scavenged harmful oxygen molecules—also known as reactive oxygen species—that build up in cells and damage their internal machinery. In doing so, they flipped a biological switch that triggered stem cells to produce more mitochondria. “We have trained healthy cells to share their spare batteries with weaker ones,” said Akhilesh Gaharwar, a biomedical engineer at Texas A&M. “By increasing the number of mitochondria inside donor cells, we can help aging or damaged cells regain their vitality – without any genetic modification or drugs.” Those stem cells then acted like mobile charging stations, transferring the newly made mitochondria to neighboring cells that were struggling. And it worked—at least in lab experiments. Recipient cells, marked in green in video footage from the lab, were shown to absorb new mitochondria (in red) donated by the energy-rich stem cells. In some cases, about twice as many mitochondria were shared than normal. That boost had dramatic effects. Smooth muscle cells, which are key for heart and vascular function, increased by three to four times. In another test, heart cells that had been damaged by chemotherapy showed significantly higher survival rates after receiving the donated mitochondria. “It’s pretty promising in terms of being able to be used for a whole wide variety of cases, and this is just kind of the start,” said geneticist John Soukar, who was part of the research team. “We could work on this forever and find new things and new disease treatments every day.” The nanoflowers that powered the whole process are made from molybdenum disulfide, a compound with tiny holes that allow them to act like molecular sponges. By soaking up stress-inducing oxygen molecules in damaged tissue, they help reset the cellular environment—paving the way for stem cells to step in and start the energy transfer. In theory, the approach could be targeted to specific areas of the body: injecting the stem cells near the heart for cardiovascular disease, or into weakened muscles in patients with muscular dystrophy. The method bypasses more invasive or risky procedures like gene editing, offering what Gaharwar called a “natural power-sharing system” already built into our biology. But the research is still in its early days. So far, the technique has only been tested in lab conditions. The next step is to study how well it works in animals—and eventually, humans. Scientists will need to answer important questions about how and where these stem cells should be implanted, what dosage is safe, and what long-term effects the treatment might have. “This is an early but exciting step toward recharging aging tissues using their own biological machinery,” said Gaharwar. The findings were published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Read More

Why Drones Are Collecting Breath Samples To Monitor the Health Of North Atlantic Right Whales

Scientists may have found a new way to check in on the health of one of the ocean’s most endangered animals — by analyzing what’s in their breath. Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts have discovered that bacteria found in the blowhole spray of North Atlantic right whales can offer clues about the animals' condition. Their findings, published in the journal International Society for Microbial Ecology, could provide a valuable, noninvasive tool for monitoring a species with fewer than 400 individuals left in the wild. “This is really exciting because we may have just found another way to conduct health checkups of these critically endangered whales,” said Carolyn Miller, a WHOI research associate and the study’s lead author. Since 2016, Miller and her team have used drones to collect breath samples from whales in Cape Cod Bay. The technique involves flying a drone with a petri dish above a whale until it exhales through its blowhole. The spray lands on the dish, and the drone returns to the boat, where researchers preserve the sample for analysis. While drone sampling isn’t new, the breakthrough came when scientists matched the breath bacteria to a whale’s physical characteristics. Using a long-running dataset that tracks things like body condition, length, skin lesions, and whale lice, they found distinct patterns. Thin whales tended to carry microbes linked to infections in mammals. In contrast, robust whales — the ones in better condition — had microbes associated with oily, fat-rich environments. “It’s kind of like a biomarker,” said Miller. “We're still understanding what it means, but we think this might be another way to assess the health of these animals and how fat or thin they are.” For a species under constant threat from ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements, even subtle insights like these could be critical. The drone method is not only safer but also less stressful for the whales. Earlier techniques involved getting dangerously close to the animals in boats, using long poles to collect breath samples. Miller said the old approach was both risky and invasive. “To get to the nostrils or the blowholes of the animal, you actually have to get quite close,” she said. “It’s very, very stressful for the animal.” Drones changed all that. “They don’t seem to notice the drone at all,” Miller added. “It’s quiet, it’s stable, and it’s a really easy method to do.” So far, the WHOI team has collected 103 samples from 85 individual whales. Sean Brillant, a senior conservation biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, called the study “surprising and a really novel approach.” “What a great opportunity this tool is providing for advancing knowledge around this animal,” he said. “We have a very hard time approaching these animals, and if they don’t want to be approached, they outpace most boats and just disappear.” Brillant noted that many right whales carry long-term injuries from entanglements or collisions. Being able to monitor their health from a distance — without adding more stress — could be a game changer. As scientists continue to explore what these microbes can reveal, the hope is that each puff of whale breath could become another piece of a much-needed survival strategy.

Read More

Family Invites Strangers On Disney Vacation After Hearing Baby's Heartbreaking Story

In the middle of a dream vacation at Walt Disney World, one family made another dream come true — not for themselves, but for a baby they’d never met. Kelly Shotwell, a retired firefighter and paramedic from Carlisle, Ohio, was scrolling through his phone during a break in his family’s Disney getaway when he came across a story that stopped him cold: a baby boy named Xaiden, fighting for his life. Xaiden had been born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare condition where the left side of the heart is underdeveloped. At just six days old, he underwent open-heart surgery. Then came a stroke, and a string of serious complications including hydrocephalus and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy — a type of brain injury caused by lack of oxygen. Recently, doctors told the Stauder family that their time with Xaiden was limited. The advice was devastating: take him home, hold him close, and make memories while they still could. That’s when Shotwell reached out. “I had a message on my Facebook and it just said, ‘Hey we're down here at Disney. If I can get you down here would that be doable for you guys?’” said Xaiden’s mother, Alexis Stauder, in an interview with WXIX. Shotwell and his family didn’t just make the offer — they handled everything. Flights, park tickets, accommodations, even a rental car. “It just worked out,” Shotwell said simply. For the Stauders, a Disney vacation had always felt out of reach, something they imagined doing years down the line when their kids were older. Suddenly, through the kindness of strangers, that wish became real. There was no fanfare, no big fundraiser, no strings attached — just one family offering a moment of joy to another in the hardest time of their lives. A chance to give Xaiden the magic of Disney, even if just for a few days. And in a place built on fantasy, it was a very real act of love.

Read More

Scientists are Planning a Mission To Saturn's Moon In Search For Alien Life

Europe is gearing up for its boldest alien hunt yet — and it’s heading straight for one of the most intriguing moons in the solar system. The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced plans to send a spacecraft to Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus, in search of life. Enceladus is no ordinary moon. Though just 500 kilometers wide, it’s known for shooting massive geysers of water into space from its south pole — plumes that are believed to come from a salty subsurface ocean beneath its frozen crust. ESA scientists now believe it has all the right conditions to support life. “It checks all the boxes when it comes to conditions for a ‘habitable environment’ to potentially support life as we know it,” the agency said in a statement. Their plan? Fly a spacecraft through those jets of water and, eventually, land directly on Enceladus’s southern polar terrain to collect samples. If life is lurking in that underground ocean, this mission could find the evidence. “No space agency has ever landed on Enceladus,” ESA noted. “And yet this moon has enormous potential for new science, particularly in the realm of habitability.” The mission is part of ESA’s Voyage2050 roadmap — a long-term vision for European space science that outlines priorities for the 2040s. Enceladus is described as a “top target” due to its rare combination of ingredients needed for life: liquid water, energy, and key chemical elements. While the timeline is ambitious, ESA said preliminary studies are already underway. If approved at the agency’s upcoming Council of Ministers meeting, the mission would not only push the boundaries of planetary science but also develop critical technology. ESA says it would advance Europe's capabilities in fields like in-orbit spacecraft assembly, operating in extreme environments, and precision landing — skills that could shape the future of space exploration across the continent. “The impact of such a mission could be enormous for Europe and beyond,” ESA said. With NASA focused on Mars and other deep space goals, a successful landing on Enceladus would place Europe at the forefront of the search for extraterrestrial life.

Read More

This American Poet, Activist and Model Just Became Unicef's Newest Ambassador: 'It Is An Honor'

Amanda Gorman is adding a new role to her already impressive resume: UNICEF ambassador. The 27-year-old poet and activist has been formally named the latest goodwill ambassador for the global children’s rights organization, UNICEF announced ahead of its 20th annual gala. The announcement comes just days before Gorman is set to perform an original poem at the 2025 UNICEF Gala on Tuesday, December 2 — a piece dedicated to children’s rights and support for young people in crisis. Gorman began collaborating with UNICEF in 2021, the same year she rose to international fame after performing “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Since then, she’s been using her platform to advocate for vulnerable children around the world. “Working with UNICEF has shown me that when we choose to uplift children, we are choosing to uplift our shared future,” Gorman said in a statement. “It is an honor to become a UNICEF Ambassador and to stand with an organization that turns possibility into action every single day, especially for children living through crisis.” UNICEF highlighted Gorman’s work in emergency settings and her commitment to global equity, noting that she has consistently educated, fundraised, and advocated for the organization’s mission. “Throughout her tenure, she has used her platform to educate, advocate and fundraise on behalf of the world’s children,” UNICEF stated. “She has worked relentlessly to ensure that every child is healthy, educated, protected and respected.” Michael J. Nyenhuis, President and CEO of UNICEF USA, praised Gorman for her ability to communicate urgency and hope. “Amanda has a singular talent for communicating the weight of a moment in a way that invites conversation and enacts change,” Nyenhuis said. “We are thrilled for Amanda to formally join UNICEF’s mission of relentlessly pursuing a more equitable world for every child and look forward to watching her inspire the next generation of philanthropists.” This isn’t the first time Gorman has used poetry to advocate for change. At the 2022 United Nations General Assembly, she recited An Ode We Owe, a piece calling for action on global poverty and inequality. Her upcoming UNICEF gala performance will continue that theme, with a focus on children affected by crisis. The ambassador role is one more milestone in what’s already been a banner year for Gorman. In January, she published her fourth book, Girls on the Rise, a picture book celebrating community and solidarity among young girls. “Being a young girl in these times can be very difficult, very challenging,” she said on the Book of the Day podcast earlier this year. “Unless there's a systemic change that makes sure that girls feel safe and protected... there’s going to continue to be this feeling of being alone. And the more that we can stand with them and amongst them, as allies and as me, as a woman myself, then there's no longer this feeling of being alone but being part of a community that shares your value.” Gorman says she “couldn’t be prouder” to take on her new ambassador role and plans to continue using her voice — and her verse — to bring attention to the world’s most vulnerable children.

Read More

Arizona Dad Makes It to Son's Birth Moments After Emergency Surgery

Matt Sharp didn’t expect to end up in a hospital bed just hours before becoming a father. But a burst of appendicitis nearly made him miss the birth of his son — until everything came together at the last possible moment. Sharp, who lives in Arizona, was rushed to HonorHealth Sonoran Hospital in Phoenix on Saturday, November 1, after falling seriously ill. Doctors quickly diagnosed appendicitis and told him he’d need emergency surgery that day. The operation went smoothly, but while Sharp was still recovering in his hospital bed, he got another surprise: a call from his pregnant wife, Steffanie Diercks. “She said, ‘I’m on my way in,’” Sharp recalled. She was going into labor — and headed to the exact same hospital. That’s when Sharp decided he couldn’t let a little thing like fresh stitches keep him from being there for the birth. “Hey, I need you guys to break me out of here ASAP,” he told a nurse, according to CBS affiliate KTVK. With the help of hospital staff, he was able to make it upstairs to the labor and delivery floor, just in time. His son, Colton, was born the next morning, on Sunday, November 2, at just after 10 a.m. He weighed 3.2 kilograms (7 pounds, 2 ounces). “He was there at the nick of time,” Diercks said. “It was perfect. It was really perfect.” Now back at home with their newborn, the couple is laughing about the timing. “The timing was good,” Sharp said. Diercks agreed: “It was good.”

Read More

Spotify Unveils 2025 Wrapped: Everything You Need To Know About This Year's Music Recap

Spotify Wrapped 2025 is expected to drop soon — and all signs point to it arriving the week of December 2, likely on Wednesday, December 3 if past years are any indication. Here's a quick summary of what to expect: • What it is: A personalized recap of your listening habits from the past year — top songs, artists, genres, podcasts, minutes listened, and more. • Where to find it: On your Spotify mobile app’s home screen banner, or by searching “Wrapped.” A desktop version is also available at spotify.com/wrapped once it's live. How to prepare: • Update your app to the latest version via the App Store or Google Play to ensure full functionality. • Listen until the end of the year — contrary to earlier reports of an October 31 cut-off, Spotify says it continues counting data past that date. • New features: Expect some interactive twists. In recent years, these have included things like “music auras,” personality types, and even cities that match your music taste. And yes, artist messages are likely returning — with big names like Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny often showing up in fans’ recaps. Want help finding your top songs or making a playlist once Wrapped drops? I can help you create a Spotify playlist from your results. Just let me know!

Read More

This HBCU Student Just Made History As a Triple-Threat Scholar and Rhodes Recipient

Aniaba Jean-Baptiste N’guessan, a senior at Morehouse College in Atlanta, has been named a 2026 Rhodes Scholar — one of the most prestigious academic honors in the world. Born in Côte d’Ivoire and now a U.S. citizen, N’guessan is triple majoring in economics, mathematics, and computer science at Morehouse, a historically Black college. His academic achievements are matched by a strong record of leadership and community service, qualities that helped him earn the scholarship, which will fund graduate studies at the University of Oxford in England. He’s the sixth student from Morehouse to receive the Rhodes Scholarship. N’guessan’s leadership journey began at the African Leadership Academy in South Africa before coming to the U.S. to attend Morehouse. On campus, he served two terms as president of the International Students Organization, working to foster inclusion and mentorship among the college’s global student body. His research has taken him far beyond campus. At Stanford University, he worked on AI-driven economic models. At Emory, he contributed to computational projects. He also co-founded Viridis AI, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to support life management. The project attracted backing from major institutions, including the Mastercard Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, and Blackstone. Beyond the accolades, N’guessan is committed to service. His volunteer work promotes financial equity and student success, tied closely to what he calls “45-Degree Leadership” — a philosophy that connects excellence with service to others. “Our achievements are never for us alone but to serve God and serve humanity,” he said, crediting Morehouse for shaping his view of leadership and purpose. The announcement of his selection was met with cheers, banners, and applause at the airport, where classmates, faculty, and friends gathered to celebrate. It was a moment that highlighted not just his success, but the community that helped nurture it. As he heads to Oxford, N’guessan represents not just academic excellence, but a broader story of resilience, ambition, and global leadership — one that inspires far beyond the walls of Morehouse.

Read More

This WPHL Hockey Team is Rallying Behind Their Coach Amid Her Breast Cancer Battle

Carla MacLeod, head coach of the Ottawa PWHL team, has been diagnosed with breast cancer — but the outpouring of support from across the hockey community is helping fuel her fight. Speaking to reporters Monday, MacLeod said she’s been “humbled” by the response since making her diagnosis public a day earlier. “The overwhelming outpouring of kindness... has really humbled me,” she said at a post-practice news conference. “It was something I couldn't have imagined, so I'm very, very grateful to the hockey community and all the people that have been able to help me in this moment." A two-time Olympic gold medalist as a player for Team Canada, MacLeod has been behind the Ottawa bench since the PWHL’s inaugural season began. She’ll miss Tuesday’s home game against the Minnesota Frost as she travels to Calgary to meet with doctors, but said she expects to return later in the week. Despite the diagnosis, MacLeod emphasized that she feels healthy, is grateful the cancer was caught early, and urged others to stay on top of their medical checkups. “I’m looking forward to the next step in treatment,” she said, “and getting back to being healthy and continuing to do what I love.” Assistant coach Haley Irwin will lead the team in her absence. Players learned the news in a team meeting on Sunday afternoon. According to MacLeod, their response felt like “the biggest, warmest hug I could ever get.” Forward Emily Clark said the news came as a shock. “It hit us hard, as it hit everyone,” she said. “She’s been so brave and courageous, and you wouldn’t know because she shows up with the same energy, positivity, charisma every day.” Veteran forward Brianne Jenner, who leads the PWHL points race just two games into the season, said the team plans to rally around their coach. “Our whole team is behind her and we’re going to miss her,” Jenner said. “We’re a family and we want her to be OK.” MacLeod is also set to coach the Czech national women’s hockey team at the upcoming Winter Olympics in February. For now, though, her focus is on her health — and the massive community standing behind her.

Read More