Euro News

Bordeaux, France just surpassed Paris in a new ranking of the world's most beautiful cities, with Europe dominating nine out of the top 10 spots. The rankings are based on buildings that adhere to the 'golden ratio' for balanced and harmonious structures. Venice takes the lead as the most beautiful city, followed by Rome and Barcelona in second and third place respectively. Despite iconic landmarks, Paris lands at 12th place. In fifth place is the only non-European city to make the top 10: New York City.

9 Out of 10 of the World’s Most Beautiful Cities Are in Europe, Says New Ranking

Gizmodo

A team of researchers in the UK says they've found the earliest known evidence that humans knew how to make fire—by choice, not by chance. And it didn’t happen 50,000 years ago, as previously thought. Try more than 400,000.

The discovery, published in Nature, pushes back the timeline for fire-making by at least 350,000 years. The site in question is a former Paleolithic settlement in Barnham, England, where ancient humans appear to have mastered one of the most powerful tools for survival: creating fire whenever they needed it.

Until now, scientists believed early humans mostly used fire they scavenged from natural sources like lightning strikes or wildfires. But the team behind this study, led by British Museum curator Nick Ashton and project curator Rob Davis, believes the new findings change that picture entirely.

So what did they find? Among the soil layers dating back more than 415,000 years, researchers unearthed heat-shattered flint handaxes, a large patch of burned clay that had been repeatedly exposed to extreme temperatures, and two small pieces of iron pyrite. None of these were random.

The heated clay—burned to over 700 degrees Celsius (1,292 Fahrenheit)—was found in the same spot as the handaxes and pyrite. That’s not just a campfire. It’s repeated use in the same location, likely a hearth, suggesting early humans knew how to keep the fire going—and maybe even how to start it.

Here’s why that matters. Iron pyrite is a mineral that sparks when struck against flint. And it’s not local to Barnham. That means whoever left it there likely carried it in, knowing exactly what it was for. “This rare presence of pyrite in an area where it doesn’t occur naturally suggests intentionality,” the authors wrote.

While the team didn’t find physical wear marks on the pyrite or flint to prove they were used to create sparks, the context makes the case compelling. “Fire-making is a uniquely human innovation,” the researchers wrote. “Controlled fire use provided adaptive opportunities that had profound effects on human evolution.”

The benefits of fire are obvious—warmth, protection, cooking, light. But the ability to make fire is something else entirely. It freed early humans from having to guard a flame for days or weeks on end. It allowed them to set up camp wherever they liked. And it let them eat cooked food on demand, a critical factor in developing larger brains.

The timing is notable. Around 400,000 years ago, humans across Europe were undergoing major changes. Archaeological sites in the UK, France, and Portugal all show signs of intensified fire use from that period. Some experts now believe this is when humans truly started to use fire as a deliberate, daily tool.

Before this discovery, the oldest known evidence of fire-making came from Neanderthal sites in France dating to about 50,000 years ago, where handaxes were believed to have been used to strike pyrite and make sparks. The Barnham site predates that by over 350,000 years.

Ségolène Vandevelde, an archaeologist at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, reviewed the paper and noted that without direct use-wear evidence on the pyrite or handaxes, the claim of intentional fire-making remains just shy of bulletproof. But she agreed the findings were significant.

Even with that caveat, the broader implications are hard to ignore. Being able to make fire on demand could have helped humans colonize colder regions, supported social bonding at night, and even helped lead to innovations like adhesive glue for hafted tools.

And in a detail unlikely to be missed in Britain: the discovery wrestles the fire-making title away from long-time rivals in France. For a certain kind of archaeologist, that’s likely as satisfying as the science itself.

The research adds to growing evidence that fire became a central part of human life much earlier than previously thought—and that the skill of making it wasn’t an accidental discovery, but a deliberate turning point in human evolution.

The Earliest Evidence of Fire-Making was Just Found in England, and Its Rewriting Human History

Artnet

A painting by Pablo Picasso, valued at over $1 million, could be yours this spring — for the price of a single raffle ticket.

That’s the pitch from a French charity aiming to raise millions for Alzheimer’s research by raffling off Tête de Femme, a 1941 portrait by the Spanish artist, through an online draw held by Christie’s Paris on April 14.

Each ticket costs €100 (about $116), and only 120,000 will be sold, capping the total pot at €12 million ($14 million). Most of that will go to the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, with around €1 million ($1.1 million) set aside for Opera Gallery, the current holder of the painting. If the raffle doesn’t sell enough tickets to cover the cost, buyers will be reimbursed.

The painting, which depicts a distorted woman’s head in muted, ghostly tones, dates back to World War II and represents one of Picasso’s lesser-known but still valuable wartime works. The winner will walk away with a piece of 20th-century art history, while everyone else contributes to research into one of the world’s most devastating neurodegenerative diseases.

“This is a way to further Picasso’s own lifelong commitment to the most vulnerable,” Claude Picasso, the artist’s son, said before his death in 2023. “The public’s enthusiasm deeply moved me.”

The raffle is the brainchild of French TV producer Péri Cochin, who launched the first of these high-stakes charity draws over a decade ago, inspired by her mother’s fundraising work. Unlike exclusive art auctions limited to elite buyers, Cochin’s raffles open the door to anyone with an internet connection and a credit card.

Her first raffle, in 2013, offered L’Homme au Gibus, a 1914 Picasso drawing, and raised €5 million ($5.8 million) to preserve Tyre, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Lebanon. The winner? A 25-year-old man from Pennsylvania.

A second raffle in 2020 offered Nature Morte (1921), a still life of a newspaper and a glass of absinthe. That campaign also raised €5 million, which funded clean water and hygiene programs across Africa. The winner was an accountant in Northern Italy who got the ticket as a Christmas gift from her son.

This year’s raffle marks Cochin’s most ambitious target yet. The Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, founded in 2004, is the leading funder of Alzheimer’s studies in France. The group supports clinical trials, postgraduate fellowships, and research teams across Europe. With the funds raised, the foundation plans to launch a major international call for new research projects in Europe, the U.S., and Canada.

Despite decades of research, Alzheimer’s — the most common form of dementia — still has no cure. An estimated 55 million people worldwide are currently living with the disease, with numbers expected to rise sharply in the coming decades.

By turning a rare Picasso into a public fundraiser, Cochin hopes to not only make high art more accessible, but also funnel attention and money into science that could change lives.

Raffle tickets for Tête de Femme are available now through the official website, with the draw set to take place on April 14 at Christie’s in Paris. For someone out there, it might be the best $116 they ever spend.

You could own a $1 million Picasso for $116 — and help Alzheimer’s research at the same time

Suffolk, England — When Daisy Greenwell’s eight-year-old daughter asked for a smartphone because “everyone else has one,” it sparked more than just a family discussion. It launched a global movement.

Together with her partner Joe Riory, Greenwell co-founded Smartphone Free Childhood, a grassroots campaign urging parents to delay giving children smartphones — and social media — until they’re older. What started as a single Instagram post has now grown into a community with chapters in 39 countries.

“That post went viral,” Greenwell told CBS News. “Thousands of parents joined the group overnight.”

The couple’s motivation is simple: they want their kids looking up at the world around them, not down at a screen. And they’re not alone. The group’s core message — “no smartphones before 14, no social media before 16” — is resonating with thousands of families worldwide, especially as concerns about online safety and mental health gain momentum.

“This isn’t an anti-tech movement, it’s a pro-childhood movement,” Riory said. “We’re not saying no smartphones ever. We’re just saying children don’t need unrestricted internet access in their pockets 24/7.”

Greenwell, a mother of three, began researching the issue after her daughter’s request. She found a growing body of evidence linking early smartphone use to mental health struggles in children and teens. The more she read, the more determined she became to help shift the cultural norm.

The movement’s success is in part due to its community-first approach. Parents who join are asked to make a pact: no smartphones for their kids until 14, and no social media until 16. The idea is that when families act together, it removes the pressure of being the “only one” holding out.

“If children know several classmates are also delaying smartphones, the peer pressure dissolves,” Greenwell said. “It becomes easier for families to wait a few years. A brick phone in the meantime isn’t that hard. We can do this.”

Sales data suggests the message is landing. In the United States, purchases of basic “brick phones” — which allow calls and texts but not social media apps — have jumped 150% among 18 to 24 year olds, according to a study published in the Partners Universal Innovative Research Publication journal.

The shift reflects a growing unease about digital dependency among both parents and young adults. The movement’s message has even inspired a viral U.S. advertisement, where a parent tells a child: “There’s a box in the corner with all the pornographic material ever made. I’m trusting you not to look in there, okay?” The punchline is clear — giving a child unfiltered internet access is a gamble many parents are rethinking.

Governments are beginning to take notice. This week, Australia became the first country to ban social media accounts for anyone under 16. The law forces companies like Meta and TikTok to enforce age limits or face major fines. In the UK, Culture Minister Lisa Nandy said the government is monitoring Australia’s move, though there are no current plans to adopt similar legislation.

At the local level, though, parents like Greenwell say change is already happening — not through mandates, but through collective action.

“It’s really tough,” Greenwell admitted, when asked what she’d say to working parents who rely on smartphones for convenience. “But delaying the smartphone is free, it’s simple, and it gives your child the best chance to thrive.”

According to Ofcom, one in four British children between the ages of 5 and 7 already own a smartphone. But Greenwell believes that with enough local momentum, those numbers can change.

“There’s still a cultural norm to disrupt,” she said. “But we’ve seen what happens when communities come together. If you want to delay the phone, you don’t have to do it alone.”

For now, she and Riory are focused on growing the movement, one town and one school at a time — encouraging parents to reclaim childhood for what it used to be: time outdoors, with real friends, and fewer screens.

These UK Parents are Leading a Global Push for Smartphone-Free Childhoods

BBC News

Comedian Ricky Gervais has donated nearly £2.5 million to 22 animal charities across the UK and beyond, including two in Kent and one in West Sussex, using profits from his most recent stand-up tour.

Gervais, 64, known for The Office, Extras, and After Life, announced the donations in a Facebook post this week, writing: “These are the lovely charities I’ve chosen. Merry Xmas, critters.” He called the donation a way to “celebrate the spirit of Christmas.”

Among the beneficiaries is Flori’s Friends Animal Rescue in Chartham Hatch, Kent, which received £100,000. The organisation specialises in rescuing paralysed dogs and fitting them with custom wheelchairs.

“This is absolutely incredible news,” said founder Natalia George, speaking to BBC Radio Kent. “I think Ricky was looking for an up-and-coming charity carrying out specialist work. Our mission is to normalise disabilities in dogs. Ricky has made such a difference to so many paralysed dogs.”

Another Kent-based group, Retreat Animal Rescue in High Halden, also received a share of the funds. And in West Sussex, Safe Haven for Donkeys in Haywards Heath was given a boost, with CEO Andy Foxcroft highlighting the donation’s impact on their work in the Middle East.

“Ricky’s generosity comes at a time of exceptional pressure for our teams supporting donkeys in Gaza and the West Bank,” Foxcroft said. “With demand for urgent veterinary care continuing to rise, this donation will help us keep our life-saving work going in extremely challenging conditions.”

In total, four charities received £150,000 each, 17 were given £100,000, and the final £132,000 was donated to Nowzad, a UK charity supporting animal welfare in war zones.

Gervais took a typically irreverent tone when explaining the gesture: “My mum always used to say ‘you can’t take it with you’. No I can’t mum. But I could’ve bought 30 speedboats and raced them round the Med with my mates. Anyway. Too late now.”

This is not Gervais’ first major donation to animal charities. In 2023, he gave away £1.9 million from a previous tour. A long-time animal rights advocate, Gervais has frequently used his platform to campaign against trophy hunting, animal testing, and cruelty in farming.

The donations come at a time when many small and medium-sized animal charities are struggling with rising costs and growing demand. Gervais’ contribution offers a lifeline, especially for groups doing specialist or emergency work.

Ricky Gervais Just Donated £2.5m To Animal Charities

GoodGoodGood

Giving to charity doesn’t always require opening your wallet. Sometimes, it’s as easy as opening a new browser tab.

Tab for a Cause, a free web browser extension that turns your internet habits into donations, has now raised more than $2 million for nonprofit organizations around the world. The milestone, announced this week, shows how small, everyday actions can add up to a powerful force for good.

“The milestone reflects a simple goal: lowering the barrier to charitable giving so more people can participate,” the organization said in a statement.

Built by Gladly, a company that creates digital tools to support nonprofits through online activity, Tab for a Cause has become one of its most impactful products. It’s part of a suite that includes other tools like Search for a Cause and Shop for a Cause.

Here’s how it works: once installed, every time a user opens a new tab on their browser, they’re shown a customizable landing page. It looks like any normal “new tab” screen, with options to add bookmarks, write to-do lists, and even change the background image. But it also includes a few unobtrusive banner ads. The ad revenue generated from those views goes directly to charity.

It costs users nothing, and they don’t need to change how they browse. Yet collectively, it’s made a measurable global impact.

Some of the nonprofits that benefit include Action Against Hunger, The Humane League, Conservation International, Room to Read, GiveDirectly, and Water.org. Gladly released figures showing what the $2 million in ad revenue has helped accomplish:

• 20,000 pounds of ocean plastic removed via the Ocean Cleanup Project
• 100,000 trees planted through Eden Reforestation Project
• 8,000 acres of land preserved with Conservation International
• 150,000 vaccines administered by Save the Children
• 450,000 emergency nutrition packets distributed through Action Against Hunger
• 18,000 people provided with access to clean water, thanks to Water.org

“We built Tab for a Cause so that anyone, regardless of their available income or time, can contribute to important causes,” said Alex Groth, Co-Founder and CEO of Gladly. “Crossing the $2 million raised mark shows how those small actions add up, and can represent a powerful force for good in the world.”

The browser extension works on Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers like Brave and Epic. Installation takes just a couple of clicks, and users can choose which causes they want their tab activity to support.

Gladly says the idea behind the extension is to give users more control over how the value of their online activity is used.

“Online platforms generate enormous value from people’s time and attention, often without users having any say in where that value goes,” the company said in a statement. “Gladly’s tools give users a small measure of agency within that system: They allow people to direct a portion of the ad and affiliate revenue they generate every day toward causes they care about.”

The team is already looking ahead to the next milestone and hopes more users will join the platform in the coming months.

“By integrating charitable giving into browsing and shopping,” Gladly said, “Tab for a Cause offers a way for users to reclaim a bit of that value and put it to work for good.”

Interested users can download the extension for free on TabForACause.org.

A Simple Click for Good: This Free Browser Tool Has Raised $2 Million for Charity

The National Climate

An extraordinary fossil site in Qatar has revealed one of the richest collections of ancient marine mammal remains in the world, shedding light on the crucial ecological role sea cows played over 20 million years ago—and still do today.

The site, located in Al Maszhabiya in south-western Qatar, contains hundreds of fossil deposits belonging to extinct relatives of dugongs, the modern-day marine mammals that graze on seagrass in shallow coastal waters. Researchers say the dense fossil “bone bed” not only offers a glimpse into the region’s biodiversity millions of years ago, but could also hold answers to the Gulf’s future as climate change and human activity put increasing pressure on marine ecosystems.

In a paper published in the journal PeerJ, researchers from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, in collaboration with Qatar Museums, identified a new species of ancient sea cow, naming it Salwasiren qatarensis after the nearby Bay of Salwa. The animal was roughly the size of a panda—about one-eighth the size of a modern dugong—but played a similar ecological role.

“We discovered a distant relative of dugongs in rocks less than 10 miles [16km] away from a bay with seagrass meadows that make up their prime habitat today,” said Nicholas Pyenson, curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian. “This part of the world has been prime sea cow habitat for the past 21 million years—it’s just that the sea cow role has been occupied by different species over time.”

Dugongs today are found along coastal waters from western Africa through the Indo-Pacific and into northern Australia. The Arabian Gulf is home to the largest known individual herd. As they feed on seagrass, they leave behind feeding trails that release nutrients into the water, boosting surrounding marine life.

The ancient sea cows of Al Maszhabiya had a straighter snout, smaller tusks, and still retained hind limb bones—features that modern dugongs and manatees have lost through evolution. But their role in the marine ecosystem was similar.

“The density of the Al Maszhabiya bone bed gives us a big clue that Salwasiren played the role of a seagrass ecosystem engineer the way that dugongs do today,” said Pyenson. “There’s been a full replacement of the evolutionary actors but not their ecological roles.”

The fossil site includes more than 170 distinct locations across Al Maszhabiya, filled with bones that were initially misidentified as reptiles when first discovered during oil and mining surveys in the 1970s. “The area was called ‘dugong cemetery’ among the members of our authority,” said Ferhan Sakal, head of excavation and site management at Qatar Museums. “But at the time, we had no idea just how rich and vast the bone bed actually was.”

It wasn’t until the early 2000s that paleontologists confirmed the fossils belonged to ancient dugong relatives. The team dated the site to approximately 21 million years ago, when the region was covered by a shallow sea teeming with prehistoric sharks, dolphins, barracuda-like fish, and turtles.

“The fossils formed from the sturdier bones of ancient herbivores offer researchers insights into past marine ecosystems,” said Sakal. “If we can learn from past records how the seagrass communities survived climate stress or other major disturbances like sea-level changes and salinity shifts, we might set goals for a better future of the Arabian Gulf.”

Today, dugongs and their habitats face growing threats. Rising sea temperatures, increased salinity, and coastal development have all put pressure on seagrass meadows. Dugongs can also become accidental bycatch in local fisheries.

Despite these challenges, researchers believe that studying the fossil record could help guide conservation efforts. Sakal and his team are now working to nominate the Al Maszhabiya site as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

“The most important part of our collaboration is ensuring that we provide the best possible protection and management for these sites, so we can preserve them for future generations,” he said.

The discovery adds Qatar to a shortlist of globally significant marine fossil sites, including Cerro Ballena in Chile’s Atacama Desert, where a graveyard of ancient whales was found. In terms of richness, researchers believe Al Maszhabiya is on par.

What makes the find especially compelling is how little has changed in terms of marine ecology. Dugongs today continue to shape seagrass environments in much the same way their extinct relatives did millions of years ago—proof, scientists say, of the enduring relationship between these creatures and the shallow seas they call home.

Fossil ‘Bone Bed’ in Qatar Reveals Ancient Sea Cows That Shaped Marine Ecosystems for Millions of Years

A one-eyed, flightless African Grey parrot named Monica has been given a specially designed aviary to help her live more comfortably — and stay close to her flock.

Monica, a longtime resident at Hoo Zoo in Telford, recently lost one of her eyes after falling ill. She also can’t fly, as her wings were pinioned by previous owners before she arrived at the zoo. But despite those challenges, keepers say she’s adapted remarkably well — and now, she’s got a new home built just for her.

“She’s got some low-down perches in there, and she has even got her own little cat flap in and out of the house,” said keeper Sarah Holt. “So that she can still get in and still get nice and toasty warm when she wants to.”

The aviary includes ground-level food and water dishes so Monica doesn’t have to climb, and a floor layered with deep bark mulch to allow her to scratch, dig, and explore naturally — just like her flying friends.

“After losing her eye earlier this year, she’s adapted brilliantly,” said zoo owner Will Dorrell. “We wanted her to have a space that meets her needs while also giving her friends a fantastic new environment to fly and play.”

While the enclosure was tailored to Monica’s needs, it also benefits the rest of the flock, with expanded space and more opportunities for free flight.

“Monica has been part of our family here for years, and she’s an incredible little character,” Dorrell said. “She’s a real favourite with the team, so this feels like a well-deserved early Christmas gift for her and the rest of the parrots.”

A Zoo Built a Special Aviary For This One-Eyed Parrot To Thrive

Science Daily

A team of U.S. scientists has unveiled a groundbreaking brain implant that may reshape the future of medicine, offering new hope for patients with epilepsy, ALS, spinal cord injuries, stroke, and vision loss — while also laying the groundwork for seamless communication between the brain and AI systems.

The device, called the Biological Interface System to Cortex (BISC), is a wireless brain-computer interface (BCI) about the size of a grain of rice. Despite its tiny size, it delivers data speeds at least 100 times faster than any other wireless BCI available today.

“This is a fundamentally different way of building BCI devices,” said Dr. Nanyu Zeng, one of the lead engineers and co-founder of Kampto Neurotech, the startup advancing the device toward real-world use. “BISC has technological capabilities that exceed those of competing devices by many orders of magnitude.”

A high-speed, ultra-thin portal to the brain

The core of BISC is a single silicon chip that slides between the brain and skull like “a piece of wet tissue paper,” according to Dr. Ken Shepard, a senior author on the project and professor of electrical engineering and neurological sciences at Columbia University. The entire system is just 3 cubic millimetres in volume — 1/1000th the size of traditional implants.

Unlike older brain implants that rely on bulky electronics stored in chest cavities or under the skull — often connected by wires — BISC is entirely self-contained and fully wireless. It includes 65,536 electrodes, capable of both recording and stimulating brain activity, and sends data through a custom ultrawideband radio link to a wearable relay station at speeds of 100 megabits per second.

Shepard, along with collaborators from Columbia, Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, says this high-throughput link allows BISC to deliver brain signals directly to external computers or AI systems — in real time.

Rethinking how brain disorders are treated

“This high-resolution, high-data-throughput device has the potential to revolutionize the management of neurological conditions from epilepsy to paralysis,” said Dr. Brett Youngerman, a neurosurgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia who is already using the device in early intraoperative testing.

The implant is currently being evaluated for use in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. In future applications, it could help restore movement or speech in people with spinal cord injuries or neurodegenerative diseases by decoding brain activity and relaying it to assistive technologies.

BISC also avoids one of the biggest issues with current implants: long-term tissue reactivity. Because it rests on the surface of the brain and doesn’t penetrate tissue or require tethering wires, it reduces the risk of inflammation and signal loss over time.

Building a direct link between the brain and AI

What makes BISC especially promising is its ability to combine massive data bandwidth with machine learning and AI. In tests, the chip's high-resolution recordings enabled researchers to decode complex neural signals with algorithms capable of identifying movement intentions, perceptual states, and even speech.

“BISC turns the cortical surface into an effective portal,” said Dr. Andreas Tolias, a Stanford neuroscientist and AI expert who co-led the study. “It paves the way for adaptive neuroprosthetics and brain-AI interfaces to treat many neuropsychiatric disorders.”

By linking high-speed brain data to intelligent systems, BISC could one day enable people to interact with computers using only their thoughts — not just for medical reasons, but potentially for everyday tasks.

“We are moving toward a future where the brain and AI systems can interact seamlessly — not just for research, but for human benefit,” said Shepard.

From lab to life: What comes next

BISC was developed under the Neural Engineering System Design program funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). It uses cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication to combine analog, digital, and power components on one chip — the same manufacturing approach used for smartphones, now miniaturized for the human brain.

To bring the technology into wider clinical use, the team has partnered with Kampto Neurotech, which is producing research-ready versions of the device and seeking funding for human trials. Short-term studies in surgical settings are already underway.

Beyond treatment, the implant’s small size and powerful capabilities make it a versatile platform for future advances — including BCIs that interface with the brain using light or sound, as well as entirely new forms of communication between humans and machines.

“Semiconductor technology allowed us to shrink room-sized computers into smartphones,” Shepard said. “We’re now doing the same with brain implants — creating devices that are smaller, safer, and far more powerful than ever before.”

Whether used to restore lost abilities or unlock new ones, BISC signals a turning point in how we connect to the brain — and what might be possible when we do.

New Brain Implant Could Alter Treatment for Epilepsy, Paralysis and How We Interact With Computers

Sunny Skyz

At Louisa County High School in Virginia, auto shop class is doing more than teaching students how to fix cars — it’s helping change lives in the community.

Through the school’s automotive technology program, 11th-grade students are gaining hands-on experience repairing vehicles, learning everything from basic maintenance to complex electrical systems. But their biggest impact isn’t found in textbooks or test scores — it’s parked in the school garage.

Students in the program restore donated cars and give them away to single mothers who are struggling with transportation. The project, a partnership with the local nonprofit Giving Words, has already provided over 60 vehicles to families in need and repaired more than 260 others.

“These are unforgettable moments,” said auto tech teacher Shane Robertson. “When the garage door opens and the mom realizes the car is hers, it hits everyone.”

The program turns the high school’s auto lab into a working shop, offering discounted services for teachers, students, and local residents. But it’s the car giveaways that leave the deepest mark on the students — and the families who receive the keys.

“Students working on that car, and he’s putting forth all that effort,” said Giving Words founder Eddie Brown, “but he doesn’t know the emotion that’s going to come when he sees that mom come in in tears.”

For the recipients, those tears often come after months of feeling stuck — unable to get to work, take their kids to appointments, or manage daily life without reliable transportation. For many, a car is the turning point.

And for the students, seeing that firsthand adds meaning that goes far beyond a grade.

School officials say the program is a powerful example of real-world learning. Students gain not only technical know-how, but also perseverance, empathy, and the experience of using their skills to help others.

“They’re not just learning how to fix a car,” said Robertson. “They’re learning how to change a life.”

These High School Students are Repairing Cars and Gifting Them To Single Mothers In Need

Talker News

An electronics engineer has created a fully functional home battery system using lithium batteries salvaged from discarded vapes. It's enough to power his entire house for eight hours.

Chris Doel, 26, collected hundreds of the so-called "disposable" vape pens, removed their rechargeable batteries, and wired them together into a massive 2.5 kWh battery pack. He then connected it to his home in Warwickshire via an inverter, successfully running household appliances like the microwave, kettle, and lighting — all completely off-grid.

“Some of my mates were puffing on them. But as soon as they were empty, they’d have a little blinking light, and they’d throw it straight in the bin,” Doel said. “The engineer in me was thinking, ‘that is just absolutely ridiculous.’”

Despite being sold as single-use, most vapes contain rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. It was that contradiction that sparked Doel’s project — and his frustration.

“None of these components are disposable. They should never really be thrown just straight in the bin,” he said. “It seems the industry is pushing people to use these as single-use devices despite having reusable parts in them, just so you have to throw them away and buy more.”

Doel first got the idea while volunteering at Leeds Festival, where he noticed piles of discarded vape pens. Inside each one, he found a battery still capable of being recharged. What started with a small experiment — a portable charger built from 35 batteries — quickly turned into something far more ambitious.

“People just wanted to see bigger and better stuff,” he said. “So I thought, ‘surely as big as I can physically get is powering my entire house?’”

In May, Doel approached his local vape shop to see if they’d hand over any returned stock. He walked away with bags containing 2,000 used devices. “It’s really awkward for them,” he explained. “They still have to pay for them to be recycled. They were extremely happy for me to just load up thousands of them in a big bag and walk away.”

Over six months, Doel extracted and sorted the batteries, soldered a fuse to each one for safety, and used 3D-printed casings to assemble them into a single pack. The finished system contains 500 batteries wired in parallel into groups, then linked in series to generate the needed power.

He now plans to recharge the unit using solar panels — or at night when grid electricity is cheapest — with the aim of running the house off his battery more often.

A YouTube video he posted documenting the process has already passed 3.5 million views.

His invention arrives as the UK continues to wrestle with vape-related waste. Although a ban on the sale of single-use vapes came into effect in June, the market has left a lingering environmental mess. Waste firm Suez says there have been 339 fires caused by exploding batteries at its sites this year — many suspected to be from vapes thrown out with general waste.

Doel hopes his project can raise awareness about just how much value is being trashed.

“There’s no argument we are throwing away super valuable stuff if I can literally power my entire house for eight hours with it,” he said.

He believes the solution lies not just in bans, but in shifting back to longer-lasting vape kits that people maintain — not toss.

“I think it would make more sense for it to be how it started out, with bigger, more expensive vape kits — about £25 — and you buy the liquid and top it up and maintain it,” he said. “These things last for years and years… and there is essentially no wastage.”

For now, he's hoping to show just how far a little engineering — and a lot of discarded plastic — can go.

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