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Entrepreneur And Investor Mark Evans DM Shares His Journey
Mark Evans DM is an entrepreneur and investor. He has taken part in real estate investing, the media space, Ecommerce, the Data space, and many other franchises he partners in. He is passionate in sharing his journey, mindset, and actions that led to where he is today both professionally and mentally.
Score (95)
Startup Unveils Funky-Looking Alternative To Traditional Water Bottles
A new startup is drawing attention — and big backing — for a reusable water bottle designed to offer the portability of single-use plastic with none of the waste. The product, called Elio, is the latest creation from Lumio, a company known for smart design. The bottle features a collapsible, food-grade silicone body wrapped in a silicone-coated aluminum shell. With a quick twist, it compresses down to roughly the size of a hockey puck, making it easy to slip into a pocket or clip to a bag. Despite its compact size, the bottle holds 25.4 ounces (750 ml) of liquid. It’s BPA-free, plastic-free, and designed to be both leak-proof and odor-resistant. It’s dishwasher-safe and fully recyclable, with a wide-mouth cap for easy filling and cleaning. A built-in strap under the lid adds convenience for carrying or attaching to gear. While not insulated, Elio can keep water cold for up to six hours. But the main draw is its portability and sustainability — two things consumers increasingly value as plastic waste piles up. In the U.S. alone, over 60 million plastic bottles are tossed into landfills every day, according to the Container Recycling Institute. The bottle’s Kickstarter campaign set a modest goal of $10,000. It has now raised nearly $95,000, with almost 1,200 backers signing on — a clear sign that there's demand for alternatives to conventional reusable bottles, which can be bulky, heavy, or prone to leaching chemicals over time. Elio’s creators are betting that its mix of convenience and low-impact materials will resonate with eco-conscious consumers looking for something better than plastic, but more practical than stainless steel or glass. One commenter on New Atlas summed up the appeal simply: “Seems like a great product.” With a design that aims to tackle two problems at once — plastic pollution and on-the-go hydration — Elio offers a glimpse of what a more sustainable future might look like: smart, stylish, and waste-free.
Score (98)
Astronomers Discover Thousands Of Hidden Siblings Of The "Seven Sisters
Astronomers have discovered that the famous Pleiades star cluster, long known as the “Seven Sisters,” is only the tip of a cosmic iceberg. A research team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has revealed that the Pleiades is actually the dense core of a vastly larger network of related stars — a stellar family that stretches far across the sky. Dubbed the “Greater Pleiades Complex,” the structure is about 20 times larger than previously thought. “This study changes how we see the Pleiades — not just seven bright stars, but thousands of long-lost siblings scattered across the whole sky,” said Andrew Boyle, lead author and graduate student in physics and astronomy at UNC-Chapel Hill. Using data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the European Space Agency’s Gaia telescope, the researchers identified thousands of stars that appear to share a common origin with the central cluster. Most stars, including our Sun, are born in clusters. Over time, these groups drift apart, making it hard to tell which stars were originally connected. But young stars spin faster than old ones, and astronomers can use their rotation as a sort of “cosmic clock.” Boyle and his colleagues used this method to trace distant stars back to their birthplace — and found many that match the Pleiades. “We’re realizing that many stars near the Sun are part of massive extended stellar families with complex structures,” said co-author Andrew Mann, a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill. “Our work provides a new way to uncover these hidden relationships.” The Pleiades has long been a key benchmark for studying young stars and exoplanets, but its significance also runs deep culturally. It’s mentioned in the Old Testament and the Talmud, celebrated as Matariki in Māori tradition, and even appears in the logo of Japanese carmaker Subaru. By mapping how stars spin, researchers are building a new kind of Galactic map — one that could help uncover the Sun’s own origins and piece together the puzzle of how solar systems like ours form. “By measuring how stars spin, we can identify stellar groups too scattered to detect with traditional methods — opening a new window into the hidden architecture of our Galaxy,” Boyle said. The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal, may reshape our understanding of the Milky Way — and how star clusters like the Pleiades help give rise to planets, solar systems, and perhaps life itself.
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Score (98)
7-Year-Old Scout Hero Saves Choking Friend With Quick-Thinking Action
A seven-year-old boy from Wiltshire is being celebrated as a hero after using first aid skills he learned at Scouts to save a choking classmate during lunch. Harry, a member of the 1st Aldbourne Beavers, acted quickly when he saw another child struggling with a piece of sausage lodged in his throat during a meal at school. "A boy was choking at lunch and I back-slapped him," Harry said. "I went to the teacher and said 'the boy's choking'. I feel thankful for myself that I listened [in Beavers.]" Thanks to his fast thinking, the boy recovered. Harry’s actions earned him a commendation for Meritorious Conduct — a rare recognition — which was presented to him during the village’s Remembrance Parade. He received a framed certificate, a cloth badge, and a medal with the Beavers' emblem. “I couldn’t believe that I [got an award],” Harry said. “I feel really proud.” His mother, Sarah, said she took Harry to a local first aid course in Aldbourne where he was the only child in the room. She hopes his story encourages other families to introduce their children to basic emergency training. “I’m really proud of him,” she said. “I’m really pleased he’s done something good, and I think it’s really important for kids to learn first aid.” Al Hogan, a leader with the 1st Aldbourne Beavers, praised Harry’s calm under pressure. “He was such a superstar and so calm,” she said. “When we are talking about it after, we refer to him as ‘Harry the hero’.” For Harry, it was just about doing the right thing. For the rest of the community, it was a life-saving reminder of the power of preparation — even at age seven.
Score (98)
Cyprus Schoolchildren Lead Green Initiative, Inspiring Global Environmental Efforts
In Cyprus, schoolchildren are leading the charge in a grassroots push for a greener planet — and their efforts are finally starting to pay off. A national programme called “I Go Green” has taken root in 44 schools across the island, encouraging students, families, and neighbourhoods to turn schoolyards into thriving green spaces. It’s part of a broader effort to tackle climate change through education and community action. Launched by the Cyprus Environment and Sustainable Development Education Unit (CSEU), the programme is designed to do more than just plant trees. It aims to create climate-resilient spaces where students can learn, play, and grow — while helping the environment at the same time. “We want our schools to deliver climate resilient conditions that will improve both the learning performance and achievement of students,” said Aravella Zachariou, who heads the initiative. “But at the same time, we want to provide them with interactive learning and entertainment.” The results are visible. Dozens of schools now feature gardens and planted areas that not only reduce heat but also bring people together. In many neighbourhoods, the project has bridged generations, with parents and grandparents pitching in to help. Schools are selected based on how well they can sustain the green areas long-term. That means developing detailed maintenance plans and selecting native or climate-suitable plants to ensure they thrive. “After the first two years of operation, the programme is operating through national funds,” said Zachariou. “It helps create communities that are more sustainable, more equitable, and healthier.” This month, one of the participating schools, Agrokipia Primary, hosted students from Catalonia, Spain, as part of Erasmus Week. The visit sparked a cross-border exchange of ideas — and even inspired a song. “I think these activities are very good for environmental protection and help the children involved to learn things from other schools and other countries,” said Arnaud Arxe, a visiting student. Maria Soler, a music teacher from Catalonia, said the impact goes beyond planting trees. “It is important to go beyond the boundaries of local communities so that other countries and schools can see your goals and be inspired by such ideas and movements,” she said. The students marked the moment by writing and performing a song together — “Together for the Earth” — with lyrics about planting, protecting the planet, and how even small steps can lead to big change. The movement has drawn attention from major organisations including the United Nations, UNESCO, and governments in Greece, Serbia, and the Netherlands. The programme costs around €500,000 per year and is largely supported by EU funding, along with volunteers who provide expertise in sustainable construction. Organisers hope that “I Go Green” will soon spread beyond Cyprus, supported by international partners eager to replicate its community-driven model elsewhere. For now, the students in Cyprus are showing what’s possible — one tree, one school, one neighbourhood at a time.
Score (97)
This Adventurer is Aiming To Break the South Pole World Record
A British adventurer paralysed from the chest down is gearing up for a record-breaking journey to the South Pole, hoping to redefine the limits of disability and raise thousands for spinal cord injury research. Darren Edwards, 32, from Shrewsbury, will attempt to sit-ski 222 kilometres across Antarctica this December, aiming to become the first person to reach the South Pole using a sit-ski over such a distance. The current record stands at 111 kilometres. If successful, it will mark the latest in a series of extreme challenges for Edwards, who was paralysed nine years ago in a rock climbing accident in North Wales. Since then, he has crossed Europe’s largest ice cap, completed seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, and led adaptive expeditions around the world. This latest feat, however, may be his most ambitious yet. “The thing that really kept me mentally strong and physically strong was just trying to challenge what I thought I could achieve with my injury,” Edwards said. He will be joined on the expedition by a high-profile support team, including explorer Lucy Shepherd, Chief Scout Dwayne Fields, and filmmaker Matthew Biggar, who will document the journey. The expedition is expected to take 20 days, covering roughly 11 kilometres each day in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Along the way, Edwards hopes to raise £100,000 for Wings for Life, a charity dedicated to funding research into spinal cord injury cures. “I've tried to take adversity and turn it into something positive,” he said. “For me, adventure became that kind of saving grace.” The challenge is as much about changing perceptions as it is about distance or endurance. Edwards has spoken openly about his desire to push back against assumptions around disability — and to show what’s possible when people are given the chance to adapt and keep moving forward. This time, he’s aiming for the bottom of the world.
Score (97)
Strangers Save Woman's Lost Purse In Chicago With A Daring Rescue
Lavonne Schaafsma was visiting Chicago from Michigan when a brief moment of panic turned into a powerful reminder of kindness from complete strangers. After spending time people-watching in Millennium Park, she reached for her car keys — and realized her purse was gone. Inside were her ID, credit cards, medications, and several hundred dollars in cash. As the realization set in, so did the anxiety. “I started to feel anxiety, first in my legs, then in my gut and then right on top of my chest,” she said. “I couldn’t think straight.” For the next hour, she retraced her steps. Just before giving up, she walked into a nearby gift shop on a hunch. When she asked the cashier if anyone had turned in a black purse, the woman’s eyes widened. “At that moment, all of the tears and sobs came out,” Schaafsma said. “All of my anxiety came out.” The cashier then shared the story: about 30 minutes earlier, two women had spotted a man going through the purse on a park bench. When they questioned him, he mumbled that it belonged to his wife. The women didn’t buy it. Instead, they pretended it was theirs and took it from him, then rushed to the gift shop to hand it over to a security guard. They waited for a while to see if the owner would return, but eventually had to leave. Just five minutes later, Schaafsma walked in. “These women who I don’t know saved me hours and hours of work canceling credit cards,” she said. “They rescued me from massive anxiety.” Schaafsma never got the chance to thank them. But their decision to step in and help a stranger stayed with her. “What act of kindness am I willing to do on behalf of someone I don’t know?” she now often asks herself. “Would I have noticed something wasn’t right and stepped up?” To the two women she never got to meet, Schaafsma had one final message: “Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Score (94)
Ancient Snack Bar Reveals Egyptian Secret Buried For Nearly 2,000 Years
Archaeologists have unearthed an Egyptian vase inside the kitchen of an ancient fast-food joint in Pompeii — a rare find that sheds new light on everyday life in the Roman Empire. In a post shared on November 6, Italy’s Pompeii Archaeological Park announced that the ceramic vessel was discovered during recent excavations at a thermopolium, or snack bar, in the Regio V section of the city. Though the dig happened in 2023, the find was only revealed publicly this month. The vase, known as a situla, stood out for its origin and function. Typically a prized garden decoration in the Vesuvian area, this particular one had been repurposed as a kitchen container. “The glazed vessel, usually found in the Vesuvian area as a prized decorative object in gardens or representative spaces, was evidently reused here as a kitchen container,” park officials said. They added that restoration work is still underway and could eventually reveal what it once held. The thermopolium — essentially an ancient Roman street food spot — was destroyed in 79 AD along with the rest of Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted. But it’s provided archaeologists with a detailed look into the lives of working-class Romans. Alongside the situla, the excavation uncovered a host of kitchenware, including mortars, pans, and wine amphorae from across the Mediterranean. Even the upstairs apartment where the owners likely lived has been partially restored. Park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said the discovery highlights the eclectic and surprisingly refined taste of people who ran modest businesses. “We see here a certain creativity in decorating both sacred and everyday spaces — that is, the household altar and the kitchen — using objects that reflect the permeability and mobility of tastes, styles and likely also religious ideas within the Roman Empire,” Zuchtriegel said. “And we see this phenomenon not at an elite level, but in the backroom of a popina, a street food outlet of Pompeii — in other words, at a middle- or lower-class level of local society.” He noted that such spaces played an important role in spreading Eastern cultural and religious influences, including Egyptian beliefs and, later, Christianity. Officials described the reused Egyptian vase as a “testament to the commercial and cultural exchanges that characterized Pompeii.” It’s one more detail in a city that continues to yield fresh discoveries despite being buried in ash for nearly 2,000 years. The announcement follows a string of recent developments at the park. In summer, archaeologists unveiled a reconstructed Roman garden, complete with thousands of historically accurate plants. Earlier in the year, new evidence emerged of a family’s attempt to flee during the eruption — offering a more intimate look at the tragedy that destroyed the city. As for the vase in the ancient kitchen, it’s a reminder that even in a bustling street food stall, beauty and cross-cultural connection still had a place.
Score (97)
Bison are Reawakening The World's Oldest National Park
Yellowstone National Park is undergoing a quiet transformation — one led not by bulldozers or scientists in lab coats, but by bison hooves. A study published in Science in August reveals how the return of roughly 5,000 wild bison is triggering a large-scale ecological revival across Yellowstone’s sweeping grasslands. As the massive herbivores graze, trample, and fertilize their way through the park, they’re not just feeding themselves — they’re reshaping the land. “It truly is a reawakening of what had been there in the past,” said ecologist Bill Hamilton of Washington and Lee University, who led the research. Hamilton’s team compared grazed areas to fenced-off control plots and found that, despite the heavy grazing, plant life in bison-access zones was just as robust — and 150% higher in protein content. The grazing also led to a patchwork of microhabitats, supporting a wider range of species, from insects and small mammals to predators. In short: more bison, more biodiversity. The Yellowstone herd descends from the last surviving wild bison in the U.S. After coming close to extinction in the 19th century, they now migrate across a roughly 50-mile corridor, covering nearly 1,000 miles a year — a rare modern example of long-range herbivore movement in North America. The ecological benefits are vast. Bison grazing creates a dynamic mix of grazed and untouched areas, which fosters diversity in plants, soil microbes, and wildlife. Their movement patterns help maintain soil health, recycle nutrients, and increase forage quality for other species. The study shows that Yellowstone’s grasslands are now functioning more effectively than they were in the absence of bison, Hamilton said. “It offers a glimpse of what was lost.” This recovery wasn’t accidental. It’s the result of decades of conservation work, including habitat protection and a complex, multi-agency management strategy that seeks to balance restoration with disease control and agricultural concerns. Currently, Yellowstone’s bison population ranges from 2,400 to 5,500. With support from tribal trusts and wildlife groups, policymakers are now exploring options to expand their range beyond the park’s boundaries. One goal is to connect herds from different regions, boosting genetic diversity and improving the long-term health of the species. Doing so would also reconnect fragmented ecosystems, allowing more natural migrations — the kind that shaped North American landscapes for millennia before borders and fences broke them apart. But challenges remain. Movement is still constrained by park boundaries, concerns about brucellosis (a disease that bison can transmit to cattle), and ongoing tension between wildlife advocates and ranching interests. These hurdles continue to limit large-scale rewilding efforts, even as the benefits become harder to ignore. Still, Yellowstone’s bison offer a rare glimpse of what a more connected, ecologically intact future could look like — one where natural systems are restored not just in isolated patches, but across whole landscapes. And in that future, the hoofbeats of bison might again echo across the plains.
Score (96)
Scientists develop tiny robots that can swim through your blood to fight strokes
Researchers at ETH Zurich have unveiled a new microrobot designed to navigate through blood vessels and deliver targeted medication — a development that could revolutionize how certain diseases are treated from the inside out. The device, which measures less than two millimetres wide, has already been successfully tested in pigs and a sheep, according to findings published in the journal Science on Thursday. While human trials have yet to begin, early results suggest the robot could become a powerful tool for delivering drugs directly to affected areas, minimizing side effects and improving treatment outcomes. The microrobot is essentially a spherical gel capsule that can carry embedded medication. What makes it unique is how it’s guided: scientists use magnetic fields to move the capsule through the bloodstream — including through complex artery networks in the brain. “It’s incredible how much blood is pumped through our vessels and at what speed,” said Fabian Landers, lead researcher at ETH Zurich. “Our navigation system has to be able to withstand all of this.” The capsule contains iron oxide nanoparticles that respond to magnetic fields, allowing researchers to steer it precisely. Once the capsule reaches its destination — such as a tumor or clot — it is heated using a high-frequency magnetic field. That heat causes the gel to dissolve, releasing the medication exactly where it’s needed. This kind of precision drug delivery could significantly reduce the need for high-dose treatments, which are currently used to ensure drugs reach affected tissues but often come with harmful side effects. The ETH Zurich team says the microrobot approach could be particularly useful for hard-to-reach conditions like strokes or brain tumors. To track the capsule in real time, the team also added tantalum nanoparticles, a commonly used medical contrast agent. While tantalum makes it easier to see the capsule inside the body, its heavy weight poses challenges for navigation — something the team continues to refine. The research marks a significant step forward in micro-scale medical robotics, a field that’s been pursuing targeted drug delivery for years. Though more testing and regulatory approval are still ahead, ETH Zurich’s work hints at a future where treatments travel directly to where they’re needed — and nowhere else.
Score (96)
Can a Floating Device Transform Raindrops Into Electricity?
Raindrops aren’t just for filling reservoirs — they’re also tiny packets of energy, and scientists have been chasing ways to turn that energy into electricity for years. Now, a research team in China has developed a breakthrough device that could do just that more efficiently, using water not just as the source of energy, but as part of the power system itself. The new invention, created by researchers at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is a floating droplet electricity generator. Unlike traditional systems that rely on heavy, rigid materials, this one floats on a body of water and uses the water as both a structural support and a key electrical component. The result: a device that’s 80 percent lighter, 50 percent cheaper, and just as powerful. Their findings were recently published in National Science Review. How It Works Conventional raindrop generators typically involve a solid dielectric surface placed over a metal electrode. When raindrops hit the surface, they create a small electrical charge — sometimes hundreds of volts — but the setup is bulky and expensive. This new device, called a water-based droplet electricity generator (W-DEG), ditches the solid platform. It floats on water, which acts as a base and also serves as the conductive electrode. The water’s surface tension and incompressibility help absorb the impact of falling raindrops, allowing them to spread more efficiently across the dielectric film on top. The ions naturally found in the water carry the charge generated by the raindrop’s impact. The result: high peak voltages of up to 250 volts per droplet — similar to what traditional systems can achieve, but with much simpler and cheaper materials. Built to Withstand the Elements Durability is one of the W-DEG’s key advantages. The researchers tested the generator in a range of conditions, including temperature swings, varying salt levels, and even lake water with biological contaminants. Unlike many energy-harvesting devices that degrade under such stress, the W-DEG kept working. Part of the resilience comes from clever design. The team added drainage holes that allow water to flow down but not back up, helping the generator shed excess water and avoid performance loss from droplet buildup. Big Enough to Light a Room While most droplet generators built in labs have been limited in size, the team behind the W-DEG scaled their device up to 0.3 square meters — a record for this type of technology. That was enough to power 50 LEDs simultaneously and charge capacitors to useful levels within minutes. With future upgrades, the researchers say, floating generators could be deployed on lakes, reservoirs, or coastal waters, where they’d collect clean energy during rainfall — all without taking up any land. “By letting water itself play both structural and electrical roles, we’ve unlocked a new strategy for droplet electricity generation that is lightweight, cost-effective, and scalable,” said Professor Wanlin Guo, a corresponding author of the study. What Comes Next The implications go beyond powering small devices. The floating design could support water-based environmental sensors that monitor pollution, salinity, or temperature — especially in remote or off-grid locations. There are still engineering challenges ahead. Outdoor raindrops vary in size and speed, which may affect power output. Scaling up the dielectric films while keeping them stable in real-world environments will also require more work. But the concept itself — using natural water as both a support and an electrical element — opens the door to a new class of renewable technologies. “This opens the door to land-free hydrovoltaic systems that can complement other renewable technologies like solar and wind,” Guo said. In short, we may be one step closer to turning rainy days into a reliable, sustainable source of electricity.