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Over 80 farms in the US and Canada have created "Peanuts"-themed attractions to honor Charles M. Schulz, the creator of beloved characters like Charlie Brown and Snoopy. The first "Peanuts" strip was released 75 years ago by Schulz when he was just 27 years old, eventually becoming syndicated in over 2,600 newspapers worldwide. Jill Schulz, his daughter, expressed gratitude for farmers dedicating their land to her father's legacy while joking about her own lack of a green thumb.

Why Are Farmers Across US and Canada Carving ‘peanuts’ Comic Characters in Corn Mazes?

Science Alert

Scientists say they have moved closer to a treatment for spinal cord injuries after testing a therapy on tiny human spinal cord organoids grown in the lab. The work, led by researchers at Northwestern University, builds on earlier studies that reversed paralysis in mice.

In their latest experiment, the team grew organoids about 3 millimeters wide using stem cells from an adult donor. After several months, the samples had developed key features of the human spinal cord, including neurons, astrocytes, and layered tissue. The researchers then injured the organoids, either by cutting them or applying compression similar to the trauma from a car crash.

Biomedical engineer Samuel Stupp said the goal was to see if the therapy behaved in human tissue the same way it had in animals. “We decided to develop two different injury models in a human spinal cord organoid and test our therapy to see if the results resembled what we previously saw in the animal model,” he said.

As in real spinal cord injuries, the damaged organoids showed immediate nerve cell death, inflammation, and the formation of dense glial scars. Stupp said they could clearly distinguish between normal astrocytes and the large, tightly packed astrocytes in the scar tissue, as well as detect molecules associated with injury responses.

The therapy, called IKVAV-PA, uses supramolecular peptides nicknamed “dancing” molecules. These molecules move rapidly enough to match the motion of receptors on nerve cells, encouraging axons to regrow. Stupp explained this idea in 2021, saying, “Given that cells themselves and their receptors are in constant motion, you can imagine that molecules moving more rapidly would encounter these receptors more often. If the molecules are sluggish and not as ‘social,’ they may never come into contact with the cells.”

Researchers applied the IKVAV-PA liquid to some of the injuries, while others received a control without the active molecules. In treated samples, the liquid quickly formed a gel-like scaffold and the molecules began signaling nerve cells to regenerate.

The results were clear. Organoids receiving the treatment showed far less scarring and inflammation than the control group and significantly more nerve regrowth. “After applying our therapy, the glial scar faded significantly to become barely detectable, and we saw neurites growing, resembling the axon regeneration we saw in animals,” Stupp said. “This is validation that our therapy has a good chance of working in humans.”

Spinal cord injuries often result in paralysis because damaged nerve cells in the central nervous system struggle to regenerate. Scar tissue poses another barrier, making it difficult for new axons to form and reconnect. Mouse studies provided early evidence that the IKVAV-PA material could overcome both problems, but organoids offer a way to test the concept directly in human tissue without risking patient safety.

“One of the most exciting aspects of organoids is that we can use them to test new therapies in human tissue,” Stupp said. “Short of a clinical trial, it’s the only way you can achieve this objective.”

Despite the promising results, the treatment is still years from being ready for human trials. For now, the findings strengthen the case for further development of regenerative therapies that could one day help people with spinal cord injuries. The study appears in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Scientists Achieve Breakthrough in Spinal Cord Injury Treatment, and it Could Be a Big Step to Treating Paralysis

BBC News

A farm in the UK has turned a simple cow move into a community event, swapping out trailers and barriers for human volunteers who line the roads and guide the herd from field to field.

Clairval Organic Dairy Farm began trying this approach two years ago, calling for help every couple of months when it needs to shift its cows across different grazing areas in St Saviour. The idea came from fifth-generation farmer Zoe Marshall, who said they usually rely on 20 to 30 volunteers to block off roads and paths as the cows jog their way to fresh grass.

She said the practice is far from standard in farming but has quickly become essential to making the moves safe and manageable. “One day we tried to do it with just us and it was chaos, cows jumped, you know, field walls, everything,” she said. Without a cattle trailer of their own, she said they decided to test out the volunteer idea and “it worked and we’ve sort of run with it from there.”

Marshall said the volunteers tend to be adults and many return regularly. Some even end up on a waiting list. “They love it, and it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure for them,” she said. Bad weather can thin out the crowd, but on good days there are more hands than the farm can use.

The most recent herding happened because one field had become too muddy. Marshall said the next move will take the cows to their final stop before many of them calve. The farm expects about 30 births in the next year, with four cows already due “any minute now” and eight more expected this summer.

Her family has worked the land since the late 1800s, raising what she describes as a herd of “100 percent original population.” She said the attachment runs deep. “Jersey cows are as magnificent as the rest of the world thinks, and they’re our babies, they’re our absolute world, they’re family to us.”

That connection became especially clear during Storm Goretti in January, which she described as “one of the longest nights” spent looking after the cattle. Bringing in volunteers, she said, helps people understand that sense of responsibility. “I think it’s really very important that we get to share that with other people.”

At the latest gathering, more than 30 volunteers showed up. Among them were Ash and two friends who work corporate jobs and wanted to do something “different” on a Saturday morning. They said they love animals and liked the idea of trying something new.

Karina, another volunteer, called it an “excellent” experience with a strong community feel. “Traffic jams with cows is very Jersey,” she joked.

Neville, who came from local charity Les Amis, said the event was “really exciting.” Carer Sammy said it was a new experience for the group. “A couple of them were quite worried about patting them, but they got stuck in and they really enjoyed it,” she said.

Teacher Michaela Byrne, who spends weekends helping at the farm, said she originally arrived only to feed baby cows. “I never left,” she said. She described the moves as “chaotic but amazing that everyone can come up and help.”

For Byrne, the joy comes from watching people interact with the animals and discover what the farm does. “It’s just a beautiful experience for everybody and it’s exciting and they get to see what we’re all up to.” Her advice for families thinking about joining in was simple: “Get your children in a pair of welly boots, get them out there. It’s just a bit of mud, they’ll be fine, let them experience everything.”

Uk Farm Enlists Volunteers to Move Cows, Creating Unique Community Tradition

Talker News

For more than ten years, the walkway of the Forth Road Bridge has doubled as a place where couples leave small metal declarations of affection. New photos show the stretch of railing now covered in colourful padlocks, each engraved with names, dates or short messages.

The first lock appeared in 2015. Staff at the bridge spotted a single padlock etched with a couple’s name and realised it might be an opportunity to support the RNLI Lifeboat Station. They created a project called Mark Your Spot, inviting people to buy engraved locks and attach them to the bridge. It echoed similar traditions on bridges in Europe and beyond.

More than 5,000 locks were clipped on during the campaign. At £15 each, the project raised over £10,000 for the RNLI, and it also marked the 50th anniversary of the bridge, which opened in 1890.

Photos taken now show how the tradition continued even after the official campaign ended. Heart shaped locks sit beside brass and steel ones, some with proposals, others with anniversaries, many still bright despite years of Scottish weather.

The locks are no longer sold as part of the fundraiser but visitors still add their own. What began as a single engraved token has turned into a long running display of affection suspended above the Firth of Forth.

Couples Flock To Bridge, Attaching 'Love Locks' For Over A Decade

The Guardian

For the first time in years, conservationists in the Scottish Highlands are talking about the capercaillie with something close to optimism. After decades of decline, the species has seen a modest but meaningful rise at one of its most important sites.

At RSPB Abernethy, the population of male capercaillies has increased by 50 percent, moving from 20 males in 2020 to 30 in 2025. It is a small shift, but for a bird whose numbers have collapsed to 532 in the wild, any increase is significant. In the 1970s, more than 20,000 capercaillies lived across Scotland’s pine forests. The drop since then has been severe enough that the bird is often described as being on the edge of local extinction.

The latest count focused on the spring lekking season. A lek, from the Old Norse word for play, is where males gather to perform elaborate displays to attract female birds. For capercaillies, this involves dramatic flutter jumps, puffed out black plumage, and rhythmic popping and clicking sounds meant to impress the smaller, camouflaged females. These gatherings offer conservation teams the most reliable way to track the male population each year.

The challenges pushing the species toward decline remain substantial. Wetter springs and summers make survival harder for chicks. High quality forest habitat continues to shrink. Eggs and chicks face predation. Birds collide with deer fences. Human disturbance, including spikes in foot traffic driven by social media attention, has added new pressure. Researchers also worry that low genetic diversity in the surviving population could affect recovery.

Even so, Abernethy’s increase is linked to hands on efforts to rework the forest floor. Conservationists have been trialling a remote controlled mower that removes dense heather in steep areas. Cutting back the heather allows blaeberry to grow. Blaeberry is a key food source for adult capercaillies and it supports moth caterpillars, which provide essential protein for chicks. Clearing patches of ground also gives chicks places to warm themselves after rain.

Another intervention involves virtual fence collars on cattle, a way to direct grazing without installing physical fences that could threaten flying birds. The controlled grazing helps reshape the forest in ways that benefit capercaillie habitat.

Abernethy holds more than 20 percent of the 143 lekking males recorded in the 2025 national count. The site is now a central part of efforts to keep the species from sliding further.

Richard Mason, conservation manager at RSPB Abernethy, said: “The increase in the number of lekking male capercaillie is thanks to the huge amount of work we are undertaking to improve habitat quality. The combination of cutting and extensive cattle grazing has dramatically improved conditions in the forest. We are seeing many chicks reaching full size and whilst the future of capercaillie remains in the balance, we are hopeful that these techniques can support their recovery in Scotland.”

He added: “There is still a lot of work to be done for capercaillie, not just at RSPB Abernethy, but across all capercaillie sites in Scotland. By enhancing these native pinewood forests, we can collectively work towards the recovery of this incredible bird.”

Other forests are starting to show encouraging signs too. Strathspey reported an increase in males during its 2023 count, suggesting that targeted habitat work may be paying off across parts of the Highlands.

For now, experts see a fragile but real lifeline for a species that has been inching toward disappearance for decades.

Endangered Capercaillie Shows Rare Signs of Recovery in the Scottish Highlands

Chester Zoo has been recognised as an internationally important botanic garden, becoming the first zoo in the UK to receive accreditation from Botanic Gardens Conservation International. The endorsement highlights the zoo’s growing role in protecting rare and threatened plants from across the world.

The accreditation follows a detailed assessment of the zoo’s education work, sustainability efforts, research and hands on conservation. Hundreds of plant species are cared for on site, from UK natives to rare tropical flora, many of which are at risk in the wild.

Head of plants Philip Esseen said the recognition will help the zoo expand its conservation impact. “We are caring for species that are threatened with extinction in the wild, and that carries a responsibility to protect them, propagate them and share our expertise with others,” he said.

Chester Zoo’s plant collection spans public gardens and behind the scenes nurseries where thousands of specimens are housed for research and long term conservation. The zoo also maintains five National Plant Collections through a UK wide scheme aimed at preventing the loss of important cultivated plants.

“In some cases, we are caring for plants that barely exist anywhere else,” said Richard Hewitt from the zoo’s plant nursery. He pointed to three species from the Madeiran archipelago that have all but vanished from botanical gardens. The Madeiran government has entrusted the zoo with their seeds in an effort to stop them disappearing entirely.

One of those species, Musschia isambertoi, is critically endangered after losing much of its natural habitat. “As we know it has never successfully produced seed outside its natural habitat,” Hewitt said, stressing how precarious the species’ future remains.

The zoo’s conservation work also includes threatened UK species such as the black poplar, an endangered timber tree being propagated and replanted through restoration programmes.

Patricia Malcolm from BGCI said the zoo’s contributions made it one of only two zoos in Europe to achieve Conservation Practitioner status.

For the staff at Chester Zoo, the new accreditation is both recognition and responsibility. It marks a step forward in efforts to protect plants that, in some cases, survive in only a handful of places on Earth.

UK Zoo Earns Prestigious Botanic Garden Status for Plant Conservation Efforts

ABC News

A quiet Milan church swapped its usual hymns for cheers on February 9, using the excitement around the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics to teach children that the meaning of sport goes far beyond competition. Inside the Church of Sant’Antonio, just steps from Milan’s Duomo, dozens of kids received snowflake shaped medals, a small reminder that they are champions in their own lives.

“This is not about changing lives through elite performance,” said Valentina Piazza, project manager for CSI for the World, an organization that brings sports programs to children in developing countries. “It’s about how sport helps young people learn from being together.”

The ceremony marked the launch of the Tour of Sports Values, an initiative led by the Catholic Archdiocese of Milan during the Winter Games. Through workshops, exhibitions, athlete talks and hands on sports activities, the program highlights the values of excellence, friendship and respect. Letters written by Archbishop Mario Delpini anchor the effort, building on themes he has shared in recent years as the region prepares for the Olympics.

Organizers expect the initiative to reach about 13,000 young people across schools, parish youth centers and local sports clubs through February 20.

The kickoff event mixed reverence with playful energy. Children sat in the pews of the 16th century church before meeting Giordano Bortolani, a professional basketball player who came through the youth system of Olimpia Milano and has played in both of Italy’s top divisions. He also volunteers in programs for people with disabilities through Milan’s Catholic network.

“Since becoming a professional athlete, I often go around talking to kids,” Bortolani said. “With the Winter Olympics happening here in Milan, it’s all about Olympic values. The values of sport, and of life as well.”

Behind him hung banners designed by high school seniors, each reflecting Olympic inspired themes connecting past and present. Matilde Napoli, deputy head of the school, said the project encourages students to see sport “not only as competition or performance, but also as a vehicle for ethical principles such as cooperation, respect, solidarity and inclusion.”

Much of the program unfolds in oratories, the parish based spaces that are central to youth life in Italy. After school, they serve as gathering spots for sports, games and community activities. The foundation that supports these oratories, FOM, is coordinating efforts across the archdiocese. According to Massimo Aquino, president of CSI, the archdiocese oversees nearly 1,000 oratories.

“The most beautiful thing is that, for generations, Italians have grown up learning the values of life in oratories, chasing after a ball,” Aquino said. He noted that several major Italian athletes began in these settings, including Olympic canoe champion Antonio Rossi and sprinter Filippo Tortu, part of Italy’s gold winning 4x100 meter relay team in Tokyo.

Bortolani is one of those athletes shaped by oratory life. His first experience with sport was at age five, playing in a parish courtyard. “Church was part of it,” he said. “Sometimes, between training sessions, they would take us to pray.” Even after turning professional, he has stayed connected to the places that helped raise him. “There is a beauty in sport itself, but sometimes a young person may be interested in hearing the point of view of an athlete. That’s how it was for me when I was younger.”

During the Winter Games, organizers hope these everyday spaces can bring the Olympic spirit down to earth, turning familiar parish halls into simple classrooms for reflection, play and community. The medals handed out in Sant’Antonio may not come with international fanfare, but the message behind them is clear. For the kids in the pews, the values they practice together matter just as much as anything that happens in an arena.

Milan Churches are Swapping Hymns for Cheers, Teaching Olympic Values To Kids During the Winter Games

People

A family of six, including four young children, was pulled from the Pacific Ocean after their boat capsized off the Santa Cruz coast on February 7. Local surfers and the Santa Cruz Fire Department worked together to reach the family in rough waters near Steamer Lane, a popular spot for experienced surfers.

The small fishing boat began to sink near the Surfing Museum lighthouse on West Cliff Drive. Darryl “Flea” Virostko, a former Mavericks big wave champion, happened to be nearby and joined the rescue with 14 year old Ian Anderson and another young surfer identified as Emilio.

“Crazy. Unbelievable these small children made it out of this boat wreck,” Virostko told KRON4. Anderson said he spotted one of the children drifting in the water and yelling for help. “The surfing community is a pretty tight knit community. When someone’s in trouble, we always come together to help that person,” he told KSBW.

All four children, ages 3 to 9, were wearing life vests. The parents, who were not, were also brought to safety. Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey praised the surfers for stepping in. “It’s not common or everyday that people want to get involved,” he told KSBW. “So it’s huge that we have people in the community who are willing to take that step and become involved in an emergency situation.”

Witnesses said the boat capsized after the operator should have turned sharply but continued straight into powerful surf. Swells were reaching between 8 and 12 feet at the time. One witness, Stephen, said the waves “picked him up, curled him over and threw the boat down, tumbling with the wave at the same time, because he chose to go straight ahead.”

Another bystander, Blake, said the outcome could have been far worse. “This could have been a tragedy of the worst kind. Fortunately, it wasn't. Everybody survived. But it's a really scary thought, looking at this boat and thinking what could have happened,” he told KSBW.

The family was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and sustained only minor injuries.

These Surfers Rescued a Family of Six After a Boat Capsized off the Coast of California

For Gabriel Enyi and Uloma Igwe, romance began quietly on the number 88 Stagecoach bus that runs from Northampton Bus Station to Silverstone. What started as shy glances during their daily commute has grown into a relationship they describe as joyful, loving and unexpectedly life changing.

Enyi first noticed Igwe in September 2024. Each morning, he saw her arrive at the bus station and sit on the same service. For months he kept silent. “There was a kind of fear or uncertainty, is she married or not, so I wasn't brave enough to approach her,” he said.

Igwe noticed him too. At one point she almost confronted him, half amused and half curious. “There was a day I nearly spoke to him: is there a problem, why are you always staring at me?” she said. She wondered whether he knew her from somewhere, but decided she would have recognised him.

What Enyi saw was someone he considered “a classy lady,” and eventually that pushed him to act. Their first conversation in late June was brief, a simple hello, but Igwe said she smiled because she had already noticed him. They exchanged numbers that day and soon went on their first date.

Igwe, who works as a customer service adviser for West Northamptonshire Council, said her now fiancé is “a loving gentleman.” She added, “I've never been this loved and appreciated. I'm really happy, it's such a beautiful relationship.”

The couple burst into laughter as they described the surprise proposal Enyi staged at Igwe’s sister’s house, surrounded by friends and family. For Enyi, the journey from shy commuter to future husband still feels surreal. “The bus gave me the love of my life and I'm so happy about it,” he said.

They even reached out to Stagecoach to ask if they could use one of its buses for pre wedding photos, a nod to the route that brought them together.

The pair plan to marry later this year, grateful that a simple commute turned into something far greater than either expected.

Valentine's Day Love Story: This Couple Who Exchanged Months of Shy Bus Glances is Now Set to Marry

The Cool Down

A small, spotted marsupial that had not been seen in more than eight decades has unexpectedly reappeared in northern Australia. A trail camera at Piccaninny Plains Wildlife Sanctuary captured new images of a northern quoll, an endangered species whose numbers have collapsed due to habitat loss and feral predators.

The footage came after Nick Stock, the sanctuary’s manager, followed a hunch that the species might still be present. He set up a camera, and within days it caught the animal moving through the area. Researchers consider the find significant, since northern quolls, with their long tails and distinctive white spots, have been increasingly difficult to document in recent decades.

“It was a fantastic surprise!” said Dr. Helena Stokes from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. “After years of no sightings, to finally confirm a northern quoll on the sanctuary is hugely uplifting for our team.” The group later posted the news on Instagram and wrote, “It’s an exciting sign that targeted, science-led conservation is helping keep one of Australia’s most threatened marsupials hanging on.”

The sighting highlights the value of trail cameras in monitoring fragile wildlife populations. Conservation teams rely on this technology to confirm species that are disappearing from their historic ranges, especially when field sightings have become rare or impossible. These moments also serve as reminders of why continued habitat protection matters, since even small and elusive creatures help regulate ecosystems.

Similar camera traps around the globe have recently captured other elusive species like the Canada lynx, the Allegheny woodrat, and the Javan rhinoceros. Each instance offers a bit of optimism that some vulnerable animals can still persist despite environmental pressures and human activity.

Social media users welcomed the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s update. “Remarkable capture!” one person wrote. Another added, “So awesome!!”

A Trail Camera Just Caught an Endangered Marsupial Thought Missing for 80 Years

For years, a smooth white stone dug up in the Netherlands puzzled researchers. The circular piece of Roman era limestone is carved with straight and diagonal lines, but no one could say what it was for. Now, a mix of old fashioned archaeology and artificial intelligence has produced a compelling answer. Scientists think it was a board game, and they have even proposed a set of rules.

The key breakthrough came from analysing the stone’s surface. Using 3D imaging, researchers noticed that some carved lines were deeper than others. That pattern pointed to repeated movement along specific paths.

"We can see wear along the lines on the stone, exactly where you would slide a piece," said Walter Crist, an archaeologist at Leiden University who specialises in ancient games. That wear pattern became the foundation for reconstructing how the game might have been played.

Researchers at Maastricht University then turned to an AI system called Ludii. The program is designed to identify likely rule sets for ancient games by learning from existing examples. They trained it with rules from about 100 historic games found in the same region.

Dennis Soemers, from Maastricht University, said the computer "produced dozens of possible rule sets. It then played the game against itself and identified a few variants that are enjoyable for humans to play." After that, the team compared those possible versions against the stone’s wear marks to narrow down which movements made the most sense.

Soemers urged caution despite the excitement. "If you present Ludii with a line pattern like the one on the stone, it will always find game rules. Therefore, we cannot be sure that the Romans played it in precisely that way," he said.

Even with the uncertainty, the findings point toward a "deceptively simple but thrilling strategy game" where players tried to trap their opponent’s pieces in as few moves as possible. The proposed rules and the full research have been published in the journal Antiquity.

The discovery adds to a growing list of ancient artefacts that may have been early board games. It also shows how AI is becoming a useful tool for archaeologists as they revisit old mysteries and test new interpretations.

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