Cats Show Self-Awareness Through 'Liquid' Behavior, Study Suggests

Cats are known for their ability to squeeze through tight spaces, leading researchers to investigate their body awareness. A study by Péter Pongrácz found that cats understand their size in certain situations, similar to dogs. Cats showed hesitation when faced with smaller openings but breezed through wider ones, indicating a unique approach to navigating space compared to other animals. The study sheds light on how different species perceive and interact with their surroundings based on individual characteristics.

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Flashback Friday: Lunch Lady Builds Custom 'Cafeteria Cart' For First Grader To Ease Mealtime Struggles

Cafeteria workers aren’t usually the ones making headlines — but in Beaverton, Oregon, one school food professional went far beyond her job description to help a student feel seen, supported, and independent. Endelia Mottram has been serving lunch in the Beaverton School District for 18 years. This year, she turned her attention to a 6-year-old named Julian Worsham, a student with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. “My bones grow slower,” Julian explained in an interview with WHAS11 News. “I’m a little person.” To help him navigate the school cafeteria, Julian had been using a makeshift cart built from milk crates and duct tape. It worked — barely — but Endelia saw a chance to do better. “I thought we could do so much more for him, you know,” said her husband, James Mottram, a custom metal builder. “I wanted to make something cool that he would be happy to push around and be proud of.” Working with his colleagues, James crafted a custom metal lunch cart designed just for Julian. It has handlebar grips, sleek detailing, and a matching stool so Julian can see over the lunch counter on his own. And, for a touch of flair, the cart features flame decals and personalized license plates. Julian was thrilled. “I got this cart for lunch, and my favorite part was that it had my license plates, and it had flames on it,” he said in a video shared by the school district. “He’s independent now,” Endelia said. “Before, a staff member [would] have to be there to help him.” Julian’s parents, Heather and Aaron Worsham, were deeply moved by the gesture. “There’s just wonderful people in this world that, you know, they have their eyes open,” Heather said. “They’re seeing needs that need to be met, and they’re meeting them. I hope that other kids can get their needs met, too, through this.” The custom cart may seem small, but for Julian, it represents something much bigger — freedom, confidence, and the knowledge that someone cared enough to build something just for him.

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Teen Who Once Feared Leaving the House Wins National Award Thanks to Horses

An 18-year-old from Herefordshire who once struggled to make eye contact or leave the house has received a national award after finding confidence through horses. Kaden Wilson, a student at Shropshire Adventure Academy, was honoured with the Pamela Almond Changing Lives Through Horses Achieve Award at the British Horse Society’s annual ceremony. The award, presented by BHS president and actor Martin Clunes, recognises Kaden’s progress in overcoming severe social anxiety and building new life skills. “I thought I was in trouble, because I had a private chat about it,” Kaden joked about the surprise announcement. Kaden joined the BHS’s Changing Lives Through Horses programme, which offers young people an alternative path to education through working with horses. For Kaden, who was home-schooled and largely housebound before starting at the academy in Stottesdon, Shropshire, the change was profound. “I wasn’t leaving the house or anything,” he said. “My mum wanted me to get into horses because my mum’s dad used to live at a house in Leominster with horses.” At first, even approaching the animals felt impossible. “I refused to get on, I was scared to get on [the horses],” he said. “I couldn’t make eye contact at first, eye contact was a big no. I’ve started speaking a lot more, telling lots of jokes.” Asked what helped him open up, Kaden said the horses themselves were a big part of the breakthrough. “They go at your pace,” he said. “When you want to do something, they’ll do it. They’re friendly. They’ll never judge you.” The equine programme is one of several unique offerings at the Shropshire Adventure Academy, which provides outdoor learning and support for students with special educational needs and those seeking post-16 education. Other activities include forest school, caving, laser tag, and badminton — though Kaden is quick to point out caving wasn’t his favourite. Academy director Daniel Eddies-Davies said Kaden’s transformation has been remarkable. “When Kaden first started, he wouldn’t get out of the car,” he said. “Eventually he built up the confidence to go down to the yard. Initially, he was just walking with the horses.” But things changed the day he met a horse named Flash. “His first time when he got on a horse called Flash… this smile that came from Kaden — we knew we had conquered something,” Eddies-Davies said. “From that young person to then shaking hands with Martin Clunes, it just shows that horses work.” The BHS programme is designed to support children and young people who may not thrive in traditional classrooms. For Kaden, it’s done more than that — it’s helped him reconnect with the world.

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Daily Coffee May Slow Biological Aging In Mental Illness

Drinking three to four cups of coffee a day may help slow biological aging in people living with severe mental illness, according to a new study published in BMJ Mental Health. The research found that moderate coffee consumption was linked to longer telomeres — the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes — suggesting a biological age up to five years younger than those who didn’t drink coffee at all. The findings were based on data from 436 adults who took part in the Norwegian Thematically Organised Psychosis (TOP) study between 2007 and 2018. Among the participants, 259 had schizophrenia and 177 had affective disorders such as bipolar disorder or major depression with psychotic features. Participants were divided into four groups based on self-reported coffee intake: no coffee, 1–2 cups, 3–4 cups, and 5 or more cups per day. The group that consumed 3–4 cups — the same amount recommended as a maximum by health agencies like the NHS and FDA — had significantly longer telomeres. Those who drank 5 or more cups did not see the same benefit. Telomeres, often compared to the plastic tips of shoelaces, prevent chromosome fraying and are known to shorten as people age. In individuals with major psychiatric disorders, previous studies have shown that telomeres may wear down faster, contributing to premature aging. Because telomere length responds to environmental factors, the researchers investigated whether coffee — known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties — might help offset this acceleration. They found a J-shaped relationship: no benefit at zero or very high consumption, but a clear link to longer telomeres in the middle group. "Telomeres are highly sensitive to both oxidative stress and inflammation, further highlighting how coffee intake could help preserve cellular aging in a population whose pathophysiology may be predisposing them to an accelerated rate of aging," the authors wrote. The study also factored in age, sex, ethnicity, tobacco use, diagnosis type, and medication use. Smoking, which can impact caffeine metabolism, was common in the study population — 77% of participants were smokers, with an average history of nine years. Notably, the group that drank the most coffee also had the longest smoking history. While the findings are promising, the researchers were careful to note the study’s limits. It was observational, meaning it cannot prove cause and effect. The team also lacked data on coffee type, caffeine content, other caffeinated drinks, and time of consumption. Still, the results support growing evidence that moderate coffee intake may offer health benefits, particularly in populations vulnerable to faster biological aging. Globally, coffee is a staple. In 2021–2022, over 10.5 billion kilos were consumed worldwide. But more isn’t necessarily better. The researchers warned that drinking beyond the daily 400 mg caffeine threshold — roughly four cups — could generate reactive oxygen species that actually accelerate telomere shortening. In other words: when it comes to coffee and cellular aging, moderation matters.

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How Wimbledon's Tennis Balls are Finding a New Purpose — As Homes For Mice

A soggy field in Leicestershire sparked a simple idea that's still making a difference more than a decade later — with a little help from Wimbledon. Back in 2013, park ranger Dale Osborne was battling rising floodwaters at Watermead Country Park North in England. Torrential rain had turned the floodplains into pools, and local harvest mice were struggling to stay afloat. "I was picking mice up swimming around in the water and putting them on dry land because some had been washed out of their homes,” Osborne told the BBC. The tiny rodents had lost their grassy nests. So Osborne and a colleague turned to a surprisingly effective solution: used tennis balls. They cut holes in the rubber casings, mounted them on stakes to keep them above water level, and gave the mice new homes. Warm, dry, and out of reach of predators, the repurposed tennis balls became safe havens where the mice could raise their young. "They will lay their young in there and they are so small you could probably get 10 in a tennis ball,” Osborne said. Word spread, and that summer the team received more than 500 tennis balls from the public. Since then, the project hasn’t just survived — it’s grown, thanks to an unlikely partner. The Wimbledon Championships, which goes through more than 50,000 balls each year, now donates used balls to the conservation effort. It’s part of the tournament’s wider push to reduce waste and hit net-zero emissions by 2030. “What I try to demonstrate in a holistic way is that there is something that every single one of us can do to be part of the solution to help the environment,” said Hattie Park, sustainability manager at Wimbledon’s All England Club. “Ultimately, we want to build a community of environment-positive champions and get everyone involved.” The harvest mouse is Britain’s smallest rodent and an important part of the local ecosystem. But habitat loss and heavy flooding have put pressure on the species. These tennis ball homes — scattered across meadows and fields — offer a simple, low-cost way to help keep their populations stable. Wimbledon’s balls have also gone to other causes over the years, but the harvest mouse project is one of the most enduring. What started with a flooded field and a bit of improvisation now serves as a quirky but effective model of sustainability in action. And it’s not just about tennis balls or mice. It's a reminder that even small ideas — when supported and scaled — can have a lasting impact.

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Grain-Sized Robot Revolutionizes Drug Delivery In Medicine

Scientists in Switzerland have built a robot as small as a grain of sand. Surgeons can control it with magnets, guiding it through blood vessels to deliver medicine directly where it’s needed. Bradley J. Nelson, an author of the paper in Science and a professor of robotics at ETH Zurich, said the team has only just begun to understand what this technology can do. “He expects surgeons will find many new uses once they see how precise the tool becomes inside the body,” he said. The robot sits inside a tiny capsule made from materials already used in medical devices, including tantalum, which makes it visible on X-rays. Inside, the capsule contains iron oxide nanoparticles and medication, all held together with gelatin. Surgeons steer it using a handheld controller while six electromagnetic coils surrounding the patient generate magnetic forces to push or pull the capsule in any direction—even against the flow of blood. By combining these forces, doctors can navigate through blood vessels or cerebrospinal fluid with a high degree of control. When the capsule reaches its target, it can be dissolved on command, releasing the medication precisely where needed. Real-time X-ray imaging lets surgeons monitor every movement. Many drugs fail in development because they spread throughout the body rather than staying in the target area, causing harmful side effects. Even something as simple as aspirin affects the whole body. A microrobot like this could solve that problem by delivering medicine directly to a tumor, blood vessel, or specific tissue. ETH Zurich researchers believe this capsule could help treat conditions such as aneurysms, aggressive brain cancers, and arteriovenous malformations. Early tests in pigs and silicone models have shown promising results. The team says human clinical trials could begin within three to five years. If it works, this approach could change how patients receive treatment. Rather than broad, body-wide therapies, patients may one day receive ultra-precise interventions that reduce side effects and speed recovery. It also opens the door to using drugs that were previously considered too risky to administer systemically. This kind of precision medicine could be especially important for patients who can’t tolerate invasive procedures. For families dealing with aggressive cancers or complex vascular conditions, the ability to use targeted microrobots might eventually offer new treatment options with fewer complications. The research is still in early stages, but it represents a major step forward in medical robotics. The capsule moves with precision, works under imaging, and dissolves safely. If the momentum continues, we could soon be entering a new era in how medicine is delivered.

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Phoenix Open Leads the Way in Zero-Waste Golf Tournament Initiatives

When most people think of golf courses, environmental innovation probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. In places like California, the average 18-hole course soaks up 90 million gallons of water per year — that’s enough to fill 136 Olympic-sized pools. But at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Arizona, sustainability is front and center. For the past 12 years, the PGA Tour event has earned the rare distinction of being zero waste, diverting 100 percent of its trash away from landfills through recycling, composting, and converting waste to energy. The tournament is backed by Waste Management, one of the largest environmental services companies in North America, and it's become a test site for bold ideas. “It’s very much our lab,” said Lee Spivak, who leads WM’s advisory services team. “We’ll try an idea, try an approach to a customer. Then we’ll scale it up here and take it to other customers.” Those experiments include composting bins placed across the course, turf made from recycled material, and temporary structures built with reused scaffolding. Even water — one of the most contentious issues in golf — is handled differently. At the Phoenix Open, WM recycles greywater from kitchens and hospitality bars near the tournament’s most raucous hole, the par-3 16th, where fans pack into stadium-style seating to cheer and jeer. By creating a reliable blueprint for running a large-scale sporting event without sending waste to landfills, WM has found other takers. The company has begun working with Major League Baseball to help 15 ballparks reduce their environmental footprint using lessons learned from the Phoenix Open. “When they start to care, the ripple effect of the influence doesn’t really end,” Spivak said. “It just keeps getting bigger and bigger. That’s the pride I feel in this tournament.” What started as an experiment is now being used to help shift the culture around sports and sustainability. And in a world where golf courses often make headlines for excessive water use and waste, the Phoenix Open is proving that with the right approach, sports venues can be part of the solution — not the problem.

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UPDATE: Over $1.7 Million Raised For This 88-Year-Old Veteran To Retire From a Supermarket Job

After decades of hard work and personal loss, 88-year-old Ed Bambas was still bagging groceries at a Michigan Meijer supermarket — until a viral video changed everything. Bambas, a U.S. Army veteran and former General Motors employee, became an internet sensation after Australian influencer Sam Weidenhofer and Detroit-based creator Mike McKinstry tracked him down and shared his story online. Inspired by a comment left on one of Weidenhofer’s videos, the pair spent two hours searching the Brighton, Michigan, Meijer store until they found Bambas smiling behind a checkout counter. What followed was an outpouring of support: a GoFundMe campaign raised an astonishing $1.7 million to support Bambas’ long-overdue retirement. A Life of Service and Strength Bambas retired from GM in 1999, but in 2012, the company’s bankruptcy wiped out his pension. Then, in 2018, he lost his wife Joan after a long illness — along with the savings he had spent on her medical care. With bills piling up, he returned to work. “I didn't have enough income to pay for this place or all the other bills,” he told local outlet WXYZ. “It wasn’t hard for me to do it because I knew I had to. I’m fortunate God gave me a good enough body to stand for eight, eight and a half hours a day.” Even now, he visits his wife’s grave almost every day. “I think my wife sits on my shoulder and helps me do the right thing,” he said. A Viral Moment with a Massive Impact The moment Bambas’ story hit social media, it resonated deeply. “No 88-year-old in America should work because they have to,” Weidenhofer said. “That breaks my heart.” The GoFundMe page, which Bambas has yet to fully grasp, reads: “Despite everything, Ed shows up every day with quiet dignity, strength, and perseverance. His story is a stark reminder that too many of our seniors, especially veterans, face incredible challenges just to survive.” For now, Bambas is still adjusting to his sudden fame — and to the possibility that his working days may finally be over. As McKinstry put it, “I just wanted to give him a chance to retire. At least have some comfort.” Mission accomplished.

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Baby Seal Surprises Pub Patrons With Unexpected Visit

A bar in Richmond, New Zealand had an unexpected visitor that turned heads and tickled funny bones. Sprig + Fern The Meadows found itself in the spotlight after a seal pup casually wandered into the establishment, much to the amusement of patrons. The whole episode was captured on surveillance footage and shared on social media, quickly going viral. The video starts with the seal entering the bar and ducking under a table. A patron spots it and approaches, prompting the seal to scamper through more tables. Co-owner Bella Evans initially thought it was a dog since her bar is pet-friendly. But upon closer inspection, she realized it was a seal pup making itself at home. The patron who first noticed the seal tried his best to guide it towards the exit but struggled to do so as the seal hid next to a toilet in a restroom before finding refuge under a dishwasher. Eventually, someone managed to catch it by coaxing it into a dog crate. Evans recounted that another customer fetched the crate from their home and used pizza toppings from the pub's special menu as bait. "I just went to my fiancé, I said, 'grab the salmon! Grab the salmon,'" Evans recalled humorously. Later in the video, viewers see staff carrying the caged seal into a vehicle belonging to New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DOC). According to Evans and information from DOC, they were already on alert for this particular seal after receiving several reports earlier that day. The DOC safely relocated it back to Rabbit Island. "There’s been this running joke that we’ve got the seal of approval," Evans quipped about their unusual guest visit. The video not only provided entertainment but also highlighted effective community response and coordination with wildlife authorities when dealing with unexpected animal encounters.

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Lost at Sea: Sadie the Dog Rescued After Being Swept Half a Mile Offshore

A Labrador-mix named Sadie is lucky to be alive after a rip current carried her out to sea off the coast of San Diego — prompting a dramatic rescue that ended in tears, cheers, and tail wags. Sadie slipped away from her family during a football game last month, and thanks to an AirTag on her collar, her owners were able to track her general location. But as surfers spotted a dog being pulled into the ocean near the Ocean Beach jetty, the situation turned critical. Lifeguards and a U.S. Coast Guard crew sprang into action, launching boats and personal watercraft to search for the missing dog. After more than an hour, lifeguards Garrett Smerdon and Jack Alldredge were told they had just 10 minutes left to search. “At that point, I kind of just said, ‘Please let us find this dog,’” Alldredge recalled. Then, against the odds, they spotted something bobbing far offshore — it was Sadie, nearly a half-mile out near South Mission Beach. Exhausted but alive, she paddled toward her rescuers. “She was super happy to see us,” said Smerdon. “She was tired.” Back on shore, her owners, Alexis Barcellos and Brandon Valdez, were overwhelmed with emotion. “We kind of just started crying right away,” Barcellos said after hearing the words: “The dog is alive.” Sadie suffered some injuries to her paws and nails while trying to escape the rocky jetty, but after a week of rest — and being carried everywhere — she’s on the mend. This week, she took a trip to the pet store and even managed her first post-rescue walk. “We are just beyond grateful she is home safe with us,” Barcellos said.

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This Artist Just Transformed Her Entire House: 'I Let Loose'

Devon-based artist Emily Powell has transformed her family home in Brixham into a full-blown, immersive art installation — where every wall, floor, switch, and surface is hand-painted in her signature joyful style. Dubbed The Art of the Living, the house recently opened for a limited run of public viewings, with tickets in such high demand that the event quickly sold out and amassed a 500-person waiting list. “It started off as just trying things out in our first home,” Powell said. “We were finally out of rented accommodation — I could suddenly let loose.” And let loose she did. Over the past decade, Powell has painted every corner of the terraced house: birds soar up stairwell walls, Parisian skylines give way to Scottish flower fields, and circus animals in party hats cavort in her daughter’s playroom. Even the fridge, toilet, and light switches have become part of the canvas. “It’s all about the colour,” she explained. “I chose the colour to balance out how I’m feeling and how I want the family to feel in certain rooms.” Powell, known for her bold and vibrant canvases, has exhibited at London’s Portland Gallery and recently spoke at the Royal Academy of Arts. But this open house, with its merging of domestic life and artistic imagination, is unlike anything in a gallery. Her husband, Jack Powell, admits the house’s technicolour personality has its quirks — like accidentally leaning on wet paint or struggling to spot toys against a painted floor. “There’s not a single item of clothing I own that doesn’t have paint on it,” he joked. With every surface now covered, Powell says she’s preparing to sell the home and begin a new artistic adventure somewhere else — proving that, for her, creativity doesn’t stop at the canvas. It starts where you live.

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