Researchers Are A Step Closer To Developing An Electric Eye

Researchers developed the unique stacking technique which offers a novel approach to the hardware design. Georgia State's Office of Technology Transfer & Commercialization anticipates this new design will be of high interest to certain industry partners. Researchers believe the discovery could even spawn advancements to help the vision-impaired one day.

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Yorkshire Man Completes 51-Mile Christmas Run to Raise Mental Health Awareness

On Christmas Day, while most people were unwrapping gifts or preparing dinner, 21-year-old Kacper Bilengrek was running 51 miles through the cold and dark of Yorkshire — alone, and carrying a 25kg backpack. The ultramarathon effort wasn’t just a test of endurance. For Bilengrek, who set off from his hometown of Beverley at 2 a.m. and reached Conisbrough in South Yorkshire around 11 a.m., it was deeply personal. He called it “The Weight of Love,” with the heavy backpack representing the invisible burdens so many people silently carry, especially around the holidays. “It was just myself in the cold and dark, just really thinking about everything. There was a lot of reflection,” he told the BBC. “It felt like a rebirth.” The idea came to him after what he describes as a life-changing moment — undergoing major surgery last Christmas Eve following a serious workplace injury. One year later, he wanted to mark the anniversary by doing something meaningful, not just for himself but for others facing mental health struggles. He ran the first 20 miles without much difficulty, but the strain of the backpack began to set in. His shoulders and back ached, and his legs started to go numb. Still, he pressed on. “I was inspired to keep going knowing I was doing the run not just for myself but for everyone struggling with mental health,” he said. “The moment I finished, I just threw my bag on the ground and laid there for a bit.” Waiting for him at the finish line was his sister, Paulina, who had been anxiously tracking his journey from Hull. “I couldn’t be prouder of him — not just for the physical challenge, but for using it to raise awareness for such an important cause,” she said. As of December 30, Bilengrek had raised £600 for the Mental Health Foundation. But he says the real goal wasn’t the money — it was the message. “If someone sees what I’ve done and it makes them reach out to a family member, friend, or professional to talk about mental health, I believe that’s the biggest victory,” he said. Born in Poland and raised in East Yorkshire since the age of four, Bilengrek wants people to know they don’t have to face their battles alone. “Humans can relate to each other,” he said. “We have all dealt with difficult things, and we are not alone.” He hopes his story encourages others to get outside, take a walk or a run, and start conversations — especially when things feel heavy.

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Spectacular Northern Lights Set to Illuminate New Year's Eve Skies

This New Year’s Eve might come with more than fireworks and champagne — it could also bring a rare natural light show. Thanks to a burst of solar activity, the northern lights may be visible across parts of the United States from late on December 31 into the early hours of January 1. Forecasters say aurora sightings could stretch across 10 states, offering a dazzling, if unpredictable, way to ring in 2026. The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is triggered by geomagnetic storms. These happen when charged solar particles collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere, creating waves of light that ripple across the sky — usually in shades of green, but sometimes pink or red. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), increased solar wind activity could push those lights farther south than usual. States with a potential view include Alaska, Washington, Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maine. Timing is everything. The best window to see the lights is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, when skies are darkest and solar activity tends to peak. If conditions are right, stepping outside around midnight might deliver something more lasting than fireworks. There’s no guarantee, though. Cloud cover, light pollution, and solar intensity all factor in. Still, the ingredients are there — and for many in the U.S., this is one of the most widespread aurora forecasts in months. To boost your chances, head somewhere dark, away from city lights. Open landscapes and lakeshores are ideal. Face north, let your eyes adjust for about 20 minutes, and stay patient. What starts as a faint glow could suddenly bloom into streaks of dancing light. And yes, you can photograph it — even with a phone. Turn on Night Mode (on iPhones) or Pro Mode (on Android), turn off the flash, and hold steady. A tripod helps, but isn’t required. If you're using a DSLR, go for longer exposures with a wide-angle lens to capture the full sweep of color. So before you call it a night on New Year’s Eve, take a moment to look up. If the skies are clear and you’re lucky, the first moments of 2026 could be lit by something far more magical than fireworks.

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Scottish Couple Celebrates 50th Anniversary by Raising Over £1,000 for Alzheimer's Charity

For their 50th wedding anniversary, Marion and Sandy Ironside didn’t just throw a party—they gave back. The couple from Gamrie, Scotland marked their golden milestone in October 2024 by dancing the night away with friends and family in the very same venue where they tied the knot half a century earlier. But instead of receiving gifts, they asked guests to donate to Alzheimer Scotland, a nonprofit that supports people affected by dementia across the country. With about 75 people attending, the Ironsides raised £1,005 for the organization. They revealed the donation on the night with a giant ceremonial cheque, presented to Alzheimer Scotland’s local dementia advisor for north Aberdeenshire, Laura Crockatt. “It was an amazing night, and it was made even better when we realized how much we had raised,” the couple told Grampian Online. “We are grateful to everyone who came and donated on the night and for helping us celebrate our 50 years together.” Crockatt, who collected the donation in person, said the funds will go a long way. “What a massive amount to have raised, so generous and very much needed,” she said. “Thank you Marion, Sandy, and to all who donated.” Alzheimer Scotland operates 25 Dementia Resource Centres across the country and offers vital support services to those living with dementia and their families. For the Ironsides, the night was a way to reflect not just on their marriage, but on the importance of community, memory, and giving back.

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How You Can Embrace New Year's Resolutions With Hope (And Realistic Goals)

On January 1st, millions of people around the world will wake up with fresh determination and a list of new goals—everything from saving more money to eating better, moving more, or simply trying to be a better person. Not all of those goals will stick. And that’s okay. Registered psychologist Lisa Rowbottom says people are naturally hopeful, especially when a new year begins. “Human beings are hopeful by nature, and we tend to pursue wanting to better ourselves somehow,” she said in an interview this week. “For some reason, when the clock turns over from one year to the next, it feels like, ‘Well, I should be a new me,’ or ‘This should be a sign something’s changed.’” That pressure to start fresh and succeed immediately can backfire. Research shows many resolutions are dropped within a month or two, but Rowbottom says slipping up doesn’t mean you’ve failed. “I think we assume that we have a lot more intent and a lot more planning around how our world goes around us than we actually do,” she said. “And we tend to assume a lot of things are just willpower.” But change, she says, is rarely about willpower alone. Often, the desire for change comes from being overwhelmed by a combination of life events. “You adapted the best you could, using the tools you had,” she said. “But they’ve gotten you to a place where there’s something now you’d like to change. And if you suddenly say, ‘OK, I’m just going to use my willpower and I’m going to make this different,’ but you don’t look at the ‘why’ underneath it all, it’s exhausting.” That’s why she encourages people to think of resolutions as long-term efforts—not instant makeovers. “Our world is so demanding now, people don’t have a lot of extra resources, so if you’re trying to make a life change, that is going to take time,” she said. “Every little step that you make is a success.” Instead of aiming for huge, sweeping changes, Rowbottom suggests breaking big goals into small, manageable steps that fit into your everyday life. That makes it easier to stay consistent—and to restart if you fall off track. She compares it to slipping on the edge of a cliff. “If you’re walking along the edge of a cliff and you slip and you manage to grab the top of the cliff, and you’re hanging there, and you have to decide: Are you going to let go and slide all the way back down to the bottom? Or are you going to pull yourself back up and keep going?” Either choice eventually gets you back on the path, she says. One just takes a little longer. “Every day is a new day,” she adds. “It doesn’t matter what happened the day before, because your goal is not perfection.”

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Airman Leads Daring Christmas Day Rescue After SUV Hangs Off California Cliff

A potentially deadly Christmas Day crash on a snowy Northern California highway turned into a remarkable act of bravery when an Air Force staff sergeant and a group of strangers rushed to save a couple and their dogs from an SUV teetering on the edge of a steep embankment. The dramatic rescue happened on Dec. 25 along U.S. Route 50, a winding mountain pass east of Sacramento known for dangerous winter conditions. As a powerful storm swept through the region, an SUV lost control on the slick road, spun out, and skidded off the highway — coming to a stop against a fallen tree, its front end hanging over a steep slope hundreds of feet high. Among the drivers who witnessed the crash was Staff Sgt. Ruben Tala, stationed at Travis Air Force Base. He had been traveling with his family toward Lake Tahoe when the vehicle spun out just ahead of them. “When I saw the car spin out, I thought about my wife and my daughter,” Tala told KCRA. “What if there’s a family in that car? Somebody has to help.” Dashcam and bystander footage captured the tense moments as Tala ran toward the dangling SUV, shouting for help and assessing the situation. With no time to waste and no emergency services yet on the scene, Tala quickly called on others who had stopped to assist. “I yelled, ‘Do you have any rope? I need some rope,’” he told reporters. One driver sprinted back to his vehicle to retrieve one, while others helped Tala stabilize the SUV by forming a human chain. “The only thing I had in mind was to rescue those passengers,” Tala said. “I saw, ‘I’ve got to get the car stabilized first before extracting the passengers.’” Together, the small group managed to keep the vehicle from shifting further, using their combined strength and the rope to brace the SUV against further movement. Tala clung to the driver’s side door, anchored by others holding onto him from behind. “One wrong move, he can be with that car tumbling all the way down the slope,” said Tala’s wife, Yvette Bañares-Tala, who watched the rescue unfold. After securing the vehicle, the group was able to pull the driver and his wife to safety. The couple was reportedly unharmed, though shaken, and held onto their two small dogs throughout the ordeal. “The driver is really thankful,” Tala said. “His wife was still in a state of shock. She was holding her two dogs.” In a moment of quiet coincidence, Tala later discovered that one of the dogs was named Luna — the same name as his own daughter. Tala, hailed as a hero by bystanders and media alike, was quick to downplay his role. “I’m just doing my part to help somebody else,” he said. “That’s how we’re trained in the Air Force. We help somebody when they need help, no matter the situation.” The rescued couple declined to speak publicly, but according to NBC News, they expressed deep gratitude for the actions that saved their lives. While the winter storm caused widespread travel disruption across Northern California that day, the human chain of strangers who came together on a snow-slick mountain road offered a reminder of something else — the instinct to help, even when the stakes are high.

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World Traveler Shares Top Lesson On Happiness After 27 Years Of Walking

In 1998, Karl Bushby left Hull, England with $500, some survival gear, and a bold idea: walk around the entire planet and return home on foot, without using any form of transportation. Twenty-seven years later, he's nearly there. The former British paratrooper has crossed 36,000 miles, six continents, and countless borders in what's become the longest continuous walk in human history — the Goliath Expedition. From the southern tip of South America to the icy stretches of Siberia, through jungles, deserts, and war zones, Bushby has kept to two self-imposed rules: no transport of any kind, and no returning home until he arrives entirely on foot. What began as a dream drawn in pen on a world map has become a decades-long test of grit, resolve, and survival. “You’re further than a manned mission to Jupiter” “The objective was simply to get home unassisted by any form of transport,” Bushby told CNBC Make It. But simple rules don’t stay simple when they meet real-world complications: border politics, visa restrictions, and dangerous terrain. On his first day in Punta Arenas, Chile — the official start of his journey — Bushby felt the weight of what he had committed to. “That first day you step onto the road is a memorable one,” he said. “You're on a road that is about 36,000 miles long, with very little idea of what's coming… you're further than a manned mission to Jupiter at that point.” Since then, he’s crossed the Darién Gap, been jailed in Panama, detained in Russia, and nearly died in Alaska. At one point, he swam across the Caspian Sea over the course of 31 days. He's gone hungry, hallucinated from starvation, and relied on strangers to patch him up or offer shelter. His stories are full of survival — and generosity. “This world is a hell of a lot friendlier and nicer than it might appear,” he said. “Pain is easy. Suffering is different.” Bushby grew up in a military family and joined the British army at 16. But despite years of service, he found himself restless. “We happened to be living through one of the most peaceful times in history… So we got bored and tired and became wondrous and mischievous.” That wanderlust eventually turned into a single, ambitious idea: draw a line around the globe — and walk it. But the physical journey, while grueling, wasn’t the hardest part. “If you ask me, what was the hardest thing you’ve done over the last 27 years – that is losing the women that you fall in love with, hands down,” he said. “Pain is easy. Suffering is different.” For all the miles he’s walked, Bushby says his happiest moments weren’t in remote mountain ranges or jungle crossings — they were the times he was in love, in relationships that couldn’t survive the road. A world full of strangers and kindness Bushby credits much of his survival to the generosity of strangers. “Many times throughout the journey, I’ve been taken in, fed and cared for by people who asked for nothing in return,” he said. Most of these encounters happened without a shared language — just smiles, gestures, and food. His story also reflects how the world has changed during his walk. Visas and geopolitics have complicated some parts of his path, especially through Russia. Still, he’s kept moving, even when the journey stalled for months or years. Now in Europe, Bushby is within striking distance of home — though he still refuses to set foot in Hull until the final step is walked. He expects to finish in 2026. What 27 years on foot teaches you Bushby’s story isn’t just about endurance. It’s about patience, loss, connection, and finding meaning across a lifetime spent moving forward. “You got like 500 U.S. dollars in your pocket, no support, no idea how it is going to work out, just absolute faith that you can somehow make it work,” he said. “And you keep walking.” From the southern tip of Chile to the edge of England, Karl Bushby has walked for nearly three decades — not just around the world, but toward home.

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Lost Class Ring Found in Thrift Store Pocket Returns Home After 30 Years

A Fargo man got an unexpected Christmas gift this year — the return of a class ring he lost three decades ago. The surprise unfolded after a Facebook post in the New Rockford friends group on Dec. 21 caught the attention of local users. “I am looking for a person who graduated in 1989,” the post read. “I bought a piece of clothing years ago at a Fargo thrift store, and found a class ring in the pocket. Looks to be a man's ring, with Enochson etched inside.” That small inscription — “Enochson” — turned out to be the only clue needed. Facebook users quickly jumped in to help and soon identified the likely owner: Mike Enochson. His partner, Tasha Joern, was tagged in the thread and confirmed the backstory. Enochson, it turns out, had donated a pair of pants about 30 years ago — and the ring had been in the pocket all along. “My phone blew up, I was getting messages like crazy,” Joern said. The person who found the ring worked quickly to get it back where it belonged. They coordinated with Joern and shipped the ring overnight so that Enochson could open it on Christmas Day. In the comments under the original post, dozens of users chimed in with support and stories of their own lost-and-found thrift store discoveries. One user wrote, “This is so amazing that you are trying to return this ring. I found one a while back and was able to return it. The owner was so thankful to get it back.” Stories like this are increasingly common thanks to the unique nature of secondhand stores — where deeply personal items, from family heirlooms to forgotten notes, sometimes resurface years later. Class rings in particular are often inscribed with names, initials, or graduation years, making them surprisingly traceable if they fall into the right hands. According to a Capital One survey, regular thrifters save nearly $1,800 per year, and in the process, help keep clothing and household goods out of landfills — a small but meaningful step toward reducing textile waste, which accounts for roughly 10% of global pollution. In this case, a $1.79 pair of thrift store pants held something priceless — and just in time for Christmas.

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Yale Researchers Develop Breakthrough Method to Turn Plastic Waste Into Jet Fuel

A team at Yale University may have found a powerful new way to tackle two major global problems at once: plastic waste and the search for cleaner fuel. Researchers have discovered a method to convert discarded plastic into a key ingredient for jet fuel — using electricity instead of expensive chemical catalysts. The technique, detailed in a recent study and reported by the New Haven Register, could mark a turning point in both recycling and sustainable aviation. "Instead of trying to re-melt it, re-mold it into another shape using the plastic waste, we convert them into one high-end product,” said lead researcher Liangbing Hu. “That is the jet fuel.” The process relies on electrolysis, where an electrical current generates intense heat — around 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit — to break down the long hydrocarbon chains in plastic. The resulting product is a chemical building block that can be refined into jet fuel, a resource in growing demand as the aviation industry searches for lower-emission alternatives. Hu and his team believe their approach has a major advantage over previous plastic-to-fuel attempts, which often used unstable or costly catalysts. Electrolysis not only cuts costs but also avoids many of the risks and inefficiencies that plagued earlier experiments. The potential impact is significant. Plastic pollution continues to choke oceans, harm wildlife, and leach microplastics into human food and water sources. At the same time, traditional jet fuel production is one of the dirtiest in the energy sector, producing vast amounts of carbon emissions. “This is not like gold, like a diamond,” co-author Qi Dong told the Register. “Here we’re talking about volumes.” The researchers are now looking to scale their work beyond the lab. Hu and Dong have co-founded a startup, Polymer-X, with the goal of commercializing the technology within the next five to 10 years. If successful, their innovation could shift how industries think about plastic waste — not just as an environmental hazard, but as a valuable resource. In the meantime, the researchers emphasized that individual action still matters. Reducing plastic use when possible remains the most effective way to prevent pollution. But for the plastics already in circulation, giving them a second life — perhaps as jet fuel — might soon become a real, scalable solution.

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5 Endangered Species are Making a Remarkable Comeback Across the Globe

In a year filled with alarming news about vanishing species and shrinking ecosystems, a few hopeful stories stood out — reminders that with enough time, protection, and persistence, recovery is possible. Here are five species that Mongabay reported on in 2025 whose resurgence is offering rare but real optimism. Cape vulture Once on the brink, the Cape vulture (Gyps coprotheres) — southern Africa’s largest vulture — is inching its way back. In 2021, the bird’s status was upgraded from endangered to vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, thanks to decades-long efforts that included tackling landowner conflicts, protecting power lines to prevent electrocution, and rehabilitation work. Captive breeding also played a role. Still, the job isn’t done. Some breeding colonies continue to disappear, showing how localized threats remain even as broader trends improve. Green turtle The green turtle (Chelonia mydas), long imperiled by hunting, fishing gear, and shrinking nesting beaches, has made one of the most visible recoveries of any marine species. After years of international protections and the rollout of turtle-friendly fishing gear, populations in some regions are bouncing back. So much so that the IUCN this year reclassified the species from endangered to least concern. It’s a rare shift in the right direction — and one that conservationists say should be a model for other sea turtle species still in decline. Campbell’s keeled glass-snail For years, Advena campbelli — the Campbell’s keeled glass-snail — was presumed extinct. Then came a surprise: a small surviving population was found on Norfolk Island, east of Australia. Conservation groups quickly launched a breeding program at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo. This July, 340 tagged snails were released back into Norfolk Island National Park. Follow-up monitoring has found the snails are not only surviving, but reproducing. The population now tops 800 individuals — a huge leap for a species that had vanished from scientific records for decades. Bali starling The Bali starling (Leucopsar rothschildi), a striking white songbird native to Indonesia, nearly vanished from the wild due to poaching and habitat loss. At one point, only six individuals remained. But an Indigenous-led conservation effort on Nusa Penida Island changed the story. In 2006, local villages adopted a set of customary laws to protect 64 captive-bred starlings released into the wild. By 2009, that population had climbed to around 100. As of 2021, another 420 Bali starlings live in Bali Barat National Park. With cultural support and community involvement, this once-doomed bird is now finding its voice again. Siberian crane One of the world’s most endangered birds, the Siberian crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) has seen its population grow by nearly 50% in the past 10 years. Conservation efforts along the eastern flyway between Russia and China have secured crucial stopover habitats, giving the snowy-white cranes safer ground during migration. The long-term focus on protecting these key sites, experts say, is turning the tide for a species that was once facing near-total collapse. These stories don’t erase the scale of the biodiversity crisis. But they do offer proof that when species are given a fighting chance — through habitat protection, community involvement, and long-term commitment — recovery isn’t just possible. It’s already happening.

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New Year 2026: New Zealand kicks off celebrations with dazzling fireworks

Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain. Around 3,500 fireworks were then launched during a five-minute display from various floors of the Sky Tower, local media reported. South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks strike midnight in Auckland, a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball drops in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from various floors of the 240-meter (787-foot) Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand’s North Island on Wednesday due to forecasts of rain and possible thunderstorms. Australia’s east coast welcomes 2026 two hours after New Zealand. In Indonesia, one of Australia’s nearest neighbors, cities scaled back New Year’s Eve festivities as a gesture of solidarity with communities devastated by catastrophic floods and landslides that struck parts of Sumatra island a month ago, claiming more than 1,100 lives. In Japan, crowds will gather at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo for a bell striking at midnight. In the South Korean capital Seoul, a bell tolling and countdown ceremony will be held at the Bosingak Pavilion.