Whale Poop Power: Scientists Create Synthetic Feces to Boost Ocean Health

Whales are essential for ocean health, but industrial whaling in the 20th century drastically reduced their numbers. Now, scientists are creating synthetic whale poop to restore marine ecosystems and combat climate change. These efforts involve releasing nutrient-rich fake feces into the ocean to stimulate phytoplankton growth and carbon sequestration. While there are challenges ahead, researchers believe that mimicking nature's processes can help revitalize marine life and reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels significantly.

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New Peptide Treatment Shows Promise In Protecting Brain After Traumatic Injury

A four-letter peptide is showing big promise in the race to treat traumatic brain injuries — and it could be heading for human trials. Researchers from a global team led by California-based biotech company Aivocode, working with scientists at Spain’s Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), have reported that a small compound called CAQK helped protect brain tissue and improve recovery in mouse and pig models of brain trauma. The findings were published in EMBO Molecular Medicine and mark a step forward in what has long been one of neurology’s most stubborn challenges: treating brain injuries without risky invasive procedures. CAQK is a short peptide made of just four amino acids. But when injected into mice and pigs with moderate or severe brain injuries, the compound showed a remarkable ability to target damaged tissue, reduce inflammation and cell death, and improve behavioral outcomes — all without obvious side effects. In the study, researchers gave CAQK intravenously shortly after the injury. The peptide appeared to be drawn to a specific protein that becomes unusually abundant in the brain following trauma. It then built up in those areas, where it bound to glycoproteins — sugar-coated proteins in the extracellular matrix — that increase after brain injury. “We observed less cell death and lower expression of inflammatory markers in the injured area, indicating that CAQK alleviated neuroinflammation and its secondary effects,” said Dr. Aman P. Mann, lead author of the study and one of Aivocode’s co-founders. “Behavioral and memory tests conducted after treatment also showed improvement in functional deficits, with no evident toxicity.” The treatment was tested in both mice and pigs, with the latter used to better approximate human brain structure. Across both species, CAQK consistently found its way to the injury site and helped mitigate damage — a rare feat for a compound administered through the bloodstream rather than directly into the brain. That’s part of what makes the results so compelling. Most experimental treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) have to be injected into the brain itself, a highly invasive procedure with major risks. CAQK, on the other hand, is non-invasive and, according to researchers, easy to manufacture at scale. “Peptides with these characteristics show good tissue penetration and are non-immunogenic,” said Dr. Pablo Scodeller, researcher at IQAC-CSIC and co-author of the study. “What’s exciting is that, in addition to proving highly effective, it’s a very simple compound — a short peptide that is easy to synthesize safely at large scale.” TBI remains a major health burden worldwide. Each year, roughly 200 out of every 100,000 people suffer a traumatic brain injury, often from car accidents, falls, or workplace incidents. Current treatment focuses almost entirely on stabilizing patients — reducing intracranial pressure and maintaining blood flow — but does nothing to stop the underlying damage or the wave of inflammation and cell death that follows. There are still no approved drugs that directly treat the injury itself. “The current interventions for treating acute brain injury aim to stabilize the patient,” Scodeller explained. “But there are no approved drugs to stop the damage and secondary effects of these injuries.” CAQK’s story began nearly a decade ago. In 2016, Mann and Scodeller were working in the lab of Erkki Ruoslahti at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute in San Diego when they first identified CAQK using a technique called peptide-phage display. At the time, CAQK was mainly seen as a delivery mechanism — a sort of molecular homing device to ferry other drugs to injured brain regions. This new study suggests the peptide has value on its own. Aivocode, a spin-off from the Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute, was founded by Mann, Scodeller, and Ruoslahti. The company now says it plans to seek permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin Phase I human trials. No timeline has been confirmed yet, but the team says the simplicity and safety profile of CAQK make it an attractive drug candidate. If approved, CAQK would be a rare example of a treatment that doesn’t just stabilize the brain after injury but actually intervenes in the damage process — and does it without a scalpel. For now, it’s just four amino acids. But with the right support, CAQK could be the start of a new chapter in brain injury treatment.

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'Miracle' Cat Returns Home After Five Years Missing

A family in Cambridgeshire is celebrating what they’re calling a “Christmas miracle” after their missing cat returned home—five years after vanishing during the pandemic. Bindi, a sleek black cat with a glossy coat and a quiet personality, went missing in 2020 from her home in Somersham, shortly after the first COVID-19 lockdowns began. Her disappearance left owner Jilly Fretwell devastated. “She’s been missing for five years and we got a call on Thursday from the lovely vets in Witchford to say they had scanned her microchip and she was coming back home to us,” Jilly, 29, said. That call came after a woman in nearby Haddenham found Bindi and brought her to a local veterinary clinic. Staff scanned her microchip and traced her back to Jilly. Despite a few small scratches, the now ten-year-old cat was healthy, well-fed, and had clearly been cared for. “She had a couple of little scratches on her that the vet wanted to see to, but other than that, she looks great,” Jilly said. “She’s lovely and glossy, well-fed and has been looked after somewhere. But we have absolutely no idea where she has been the last five years.” Back in 2020, Jilly had spent her government-permitted daily walks searching for Bindi, posting appeals on social media and checking in with locals in Haddenham. But as the months passed with no sightings, hope faded. “We were devastated, as they’re part of your family,” Jilly said. “They’re part of your routine, you wake up, you feed them, give them attention, wait for them to come home to give them their dinner. It was a complete change of routine.” By 2021, she had come to terms with the loss. “I’d given up hope,” she admitted. That’s why the call from the vet caught her completely off guard. “We were just in disbelief, and then you just get this little ball of light in your chest,” she said. “We were so excited to see her.” And the reunion didn’t disappoint. “We picked her up from the vets, and it’s like she recognised us. She was instantly on our lap, giving us snuggles, and it was the best feeling. A real Christmas miracle.” Though Bindi can’t tell her side of the story, Jilly suspects someone nearby may have taken her in. “She’s never been much of a hunter. I think someone has potentially taken her in, and they think they’re doing a kind thing, and she’s been living with them the last few years,” she said. “She’s in really good shape; someone has cared for her.” Now back at home, Bindi has wasted no time settling in—curling up in laps and soaking up affection like nothing ever happened. For Jilly and her family, it's the kind of ending they had once stopped dreaming about. “She was instantly on our lap,” Jilly said. “It was the best feeling.”

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Winnie-The-Pooh Celebrates 100 Years Of Fame In The Forest on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, one of the world’s most beloved bears turns 100. It was December 24, 1925, when Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared in print, starring in a short story called The Wrong Sort of Bees in the London Evening News. The tale marked the debut of a honey-loving bear whose adventures with Christopher Robin would soon enchant children and parents across generations and continents. A century later, Pooh’s influence shows no sign of fading. In fact, his birthplace in the English countryside is marking the milestone with fanfare—and funding. Officials in East Sussex have allocated £450,000 of public money to help commemorate Pooh’s centenary in Ashdown Forest, the very landscape that inspired the fictional Hundred Acre Wood. Back in 1925, Winnie-the-Pooh’s creator, AA Milne, had just bought Cotchford Farm, a country home near the village of Hartfield, about a mile from Ashdown Forest. The forest, a stretch of heathland perched on the sandy ridges of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, soon became the backdrop for tales of stuffed animals, gentle adventures, and a game called Pooh Sticks. That game, created by Milne and his son Christopher Robin, was played on a wooden bridge that became a pilgrimage site for fans. When the original structure became unsafe in the late 1990s, it was dismantled and replaced with a replica. The original bridge later sold at auction in 2021 for £131,000. Winnie-the-Pooh’s popularity soared even further when Disney acquired the rights in 1961, transforming the hand-drawn bear into a global icon with an unmistakable voice and red shirt. But long before the animated adaptations, it was Milne’s simple, whimsical prose—and the heartfelt bond between a boy and his bear—that gave the stories their staying power. The 100-year anniversary isn’t just a literary celebration; it’s also a tourism magnet. At Pooh Corner, a gift shop and tea room in Hartfield that opened in 1978, visitors from around the globe come to sip tea, buy memorabilia, and retrace Pooh’s fictional footsteps. Neil Reed, who runs the shop, says the character’s emotional pull still surprises him. “It’s amazing to have people travel to our little village hidden in the English countryside from all over the world to celebrate Winnie-the-Pooh,” he said. “We love hearing from visitors about why he is special to them and the reasons behind them travelling so far to come to the Ashdown Forest.” The area has become a bucket-list stop for fans, especially from North America. Gerry Manser, who founded Pooh Trek Tours in 2018, says around 90 percent of his clients are international visitors. “The 100th anniversary is an extremely important event for the forest,” he said. “Without Pooh one of the most remarkable landscapes in the UK wouldn’t be as well-known.” To mark the centenary, Ashdown Forest is planning a series of events throughout the coming year. One highlight will be an immersive installation that transforms the forest’s visitor centre into a life-sized pop-up book. There are also plans for new walking trails to accommodate the influx of tourists while protecting sensitive conservation areas. For many, the stories of Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore are not just about a bear with a craving for honey. They are about friendship, imagination, and the quiet magic of childhood. Milne captured those feelings in Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and its sequel The House at Pooh Corner (1928), as well as in two poetry collections that helped round out the gentle world he built for his son. Today, that world still draws crowds, inspires nostalgia, and helps generate a steady stream of income for the local community. One hundred years later, Pooh’s charm remains as timeless as the forest that first brought him to life.

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A Robotics Pioneer is Championing Tech Solutions for Childhood Loneliness — Here's How

When Karen Dolva co-founded the Norwegian tech company No Isolation in 2015, her mission was clear: tackle loneliness using technology — starting with some of the most isolated people of all, children too ill to attend school. The result was AV1, a small robot designed not to replace teachers or classmates, but to help children stay connected when illness keeps them at home, in hospital, or physically apart from their peers. Controlled remotely by the child, AV1 sits in the classroom, offering a set of “eyes” and a voice that allows them to see, hear, and even speak to their friends and teachers in real time. "The idea was sparked by a friend of mine who had worked as a nurse on a children’s ward," Dolva told Euronews Next. "She mentioned these kids didn’t get nearly enough visitors." That conversation lit a spark. Since then, AV1 has been deployed in classrooms across Europe, giving children with long-term illnesses or mental health challenges a way to attend school virtually — and more importantly, to feel included. Dolva emphasized that AV1 is not a substitute for in-person education, but a bridge for those who can’t yet return. “They are not lazy, they’re ill,” she said. “There’s always the intent of going back [to school].” The robot itself is simple and deliberately neutral. With just a head and torso, AV1 doesn't try to mimic human appearance — a conscious design choice. “We’ve followed a lot of the design principles by Pixar,” Dolva explained. “We wanted something with a lot of human feeling and expression, but without the humanoid elements.” That neutrality matters. “We’re going to try to fit a six-year-old boy and a seventeen-year-old girl and everyone in between [in AV1], so it needs to be quite neutral,” she added. Though AV1’s appearance is robotic, its impact is deeply human. Children can raise their hand in class via the robot, whisper to a classmate through its speaker, or simply observe — quietly included in the rhythm of school life. Its camera eyes transmit live classroom footage back to the student’s device, and the robot’s head can turn to help them follow the action. Most AV1 units aren’t bought by families. Instead, they’re provided through partnerships between No Isolation and local governments, schools, or healthcare providers. That model helps ensure broader access and keeps the technology focused on inclusion, not profit. Dolva’s work has taken on renewed relevance in recent years, especially as global attention around loneliness has grown. In 2023, the World Health Organization officially recognised loneliness as a global health threat. According to a 2025 WHO report, around 16 percent of people worldwide say they feel lonely — a number that’s even higher among adolescents. Technology is emerging as a potential tool in that fight. Online gaming, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and robotic companions are increasingly seen as interventions worth exploring. Dolva, who stepped down as CEO but remains closely connected to the company’s vision, believes strongly in what she calls “hard first impact” companies — those that take on social problems from day one. “My personal goal with all of this has been to prove that this kind of company can become very successful,” she said. AV1 may be small and unassuming, but for the children who use it, the robot represents something enormous: connection, belonging, and the chance to be part of a world they might otherwise be missing.

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Santa Delights Gorilla Family With Early Christmas Gifts

Santa Claus made an early stop in southern Spain this year — not for children, but for gorillas. At Bioparc Fuengirola, a group of critically endangered western lowland gorillas, including a newborn, got a special Christmas delivery as part of the park’s enrichment program. Dressed in full holiday gear, Santa entered the gorilla enclosure with a sack full of wrapped gifts, much to the curiosity of the resident primates. Footage released by the park shows the gorillas approaching the colorful boxes, sniffing and unwrapping them with care. Inside were treats and toys, carefully selected to stimulate their senses and encourage natural behaviors like foraging and exploration. The festive visit is part of the zoo's efforts to keep the animals engaged and mentally stimulated — and to spread a little seasonal cheer in the process. According to staff, the gorillas responded with fascination, and the youngest member of the group stayed close to its mother while watching the action unfold. No wrapping paper was spared.

The Christmas Biscuits Soldiers Sent Instead of Letters

They were made to be eaten in emergencies, but some World War I soldiers used Army-issue biscuits for something far more human — sending messages of love and humour from the trenches. One of the most poignant examples now sits in the Leeds Discovery Centre: a rock-hard ration biscuit from 1914, inscribed by Pte William Maxwell of the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers. Addressed to his mother, Margaret Maxwell of Meanwood in Leeds, it carries a simple but heartfelt message. “Christmas dinner in the Army,” he wrote. “Give us this day our daily bread and please put a bit of butter on. From Max.” It may have been the last message he ever sent. Pte Maxwell was killed in action in May 1915. His younger brother Arthur had already died months earlier, in the war’s opening weeks. William’s grave lies in Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery in northern France. The biscuit, still wrapped in its original packaging, has outlasted the war, the soldier who wrote on it, and even the company that made it. Produced by Huntley & Palmers — the world’s largest biscuit manufacturer at the time — the biscuit was designed to be indestructible. Made of whole wheat flour and no sugar, it was part of the standard rations issued to British soldiers and could endure months in storage or transit without rotting. According to the Imperial War Museum, these biscuits were “notoriously hard” and could “crack teeth if not first soaked in tea or water.” Which may explain why some soldiers preferred to write on them instead. Another biscuit from the same era, also housed in Leeds, features a drawing of a battleship and a seasonal message: “Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a bright new year.” Kitty Ross, curator of social history at Leeds Museums and Galleries, said the biscuits offer a “very real and thought-provoking insight into life in the trenches of the First World War.” “That they would seemingly rather have used these biscuits to share a joke with their loved ones than eat them speaks volumes about both the quality of the food and how much they must have wanted to stay in touch at a time of year when they would doubtless have felt the distance between them more keenly than ever,” she said. The Leeds Discovery Centre allows visitors to view the biscuits on request, giving people a rare look at some of the more personal — and unusual — artefacts of the war. Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council's executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, called them a touching reminder of how people found ways to connect even during the harshest times. "It's fascinating to see these different generations and their experiences of the festive season represented in our collection,” she said.

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'Ginger Cleaner' Captivates TikTok With Road Sign Washing Videos

A window cleaner from Northamptonshire has found an unlikely route to internet fame — scrubbing grime off road signs. Sam Brown, who works for his uncle’s window cleaning business in Wellingborough, has built a growing audience on TikTok under the name The Ginger Cleaner. In between his regular jobs, Brown films himself washing filthy road signs, and viewers can’t seem to get enough. “People might enjoy watching it — and I enjoy recording it anyway,” he told BBC Radio Northampton. Some of his videos have pulled in over 500,000 views, with users now suggesting new signs for him to clean. What started as a side bit of content quickly outperformed the videos of his regular day job. “I was posting clips of my window cleaning, but I thought I’ll do the [road] signs and for some reason that got way more views,” he said. Brown said he took inspiration from creators like The Pool Guy, who gained a following online for satisfying pool cleaning videos. Brown’s twist? Bringing that same sense of oddly satisfying cleanliness to everyday street corners. He works across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, and so far, the latter has earned the title of dirtiest signs. “I try and make sure I find some [signs to clean] because I think people enjoy seeing where they’re from,” he said. As long as it doesn’t interfere with his main job, Brown’s happy to keep going. “As long as it was me doing it and it wasn't affecting my actual work,” he added. He’s already cleaned most of the signs in his local area and is now thinking about branching out. “I might have to venture out [of the area] soon anyway as I've most probably cleaned them all.” And he has no plans to stop. “I enjoy it,” he said.

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Al Michaels Celebrates 40 Years of Calling NFL Games with Unwavering Passion

Al Michaels has called nearly every kind of moment an NFL game can offer. Now, at 81, he’s hit a milestone that might never be matched: 40 seasons as the play-by-play voice of the league’s prime-time games. When the Denver Broncos faced the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas night, it marked Michaels’ 779th NFL broadcast, according to the 506 Sports Archive. “I mean, it’s been a fantastic ride. I mean, it’s unbelievable because it came out of nowhere back in 1986,” Michaels said. “I’m thinking 40 years, you don’t think in those terms when you’re 40 years old, but here we are. It’s hard to believe, but I am blessed and thankful.” Except for a two-year stretch in the mid-1970s, Michaels’ career has unfolded almost entirely under the bright lights of prime time. From Monday Night Football on ABC to Sunday Night Football on NBC and now Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, he has become the voice of football in the biggest moments. He has called 11 Super Bowls, tying Pat Summerall for the most by a play-by-play announcer. Despite his age, Michaels hasn’t hinted at retirement. His Thursday night broadcasts with analyst Kirk Herbstreit still average nearly 15 million viewers — the highest Thursday night ratings since a regular package began in 2006. It’s also up 13% from last year and a major jump from Prime Video’s debut in 2022. “There’s a pretty good chance if it’s a game you remember, Al called that game,” said Mark Teitelman, lead game producer for Thursday Night Football. Teitelman helped launch the “Al-Manac” segment this season, where Michaels shares personal memories from iconic games he’s called. For Michaels, the thrill hasn’t worn off. “We’ve all done so many big games at this point, but he truly gets excited when he has the opportunity to do a big game,” said longtime producer Fred Gaudelli, who worked with Michaels for 23 seasons. “And you can’t say that for a lot of people in our business. After a certain amount of time, you lose that fire in your belly to really do it, and he’s never lost that.” Herbstreit, now in his fourth season beside Michaels, says he’s learned from watching him operate. “I’ve always noticed that the bigger the moment, when you really feel urgency as a broadcaster, Al gets calmer and just waits for the right time to bring his voice to that crescendo,” he said. “I’ve just been blown away by how he does his job, how organized and prepared he is, and how much he loves it.” Michaels has worked with eight different analysts over the years, from John Madden and Cris Collinsworth to Dan Dierdorf and Dennis Miller. His longest stretch was with Collinsworth (13 seasons), but he’s equally fond of his seven years alongside Madden — including their run from Monday Night Football into NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Their chemistry, Michaels said, clicked right away. “By the second commercial break [of our first game], I felt it was already natural.” He’s even nostalgic about the more unusual pairings, like the two seasons he worked with Dan Fouts and comedian Dennis Miller in the early 2000s. “It was so different than anything else I’ve done in my entire 50-year career,” Michaels said. “It was not easy because my biggest problem was Dennis had a lot of really good lines, but if I laughed too much, I would sound like a hyena. And if I didn’t laugh, then people would say, Al hates him.” He recalled one moment in particular from a 2000 Jets-Dolphins game, when Jets tackle Jumbo Elliott caught a touchdown pass. Miller immediately chimed in, “Couldn’t keep him down forever.” “That was Dennis at his best,” Michaels said. “You’re just capturing a moment, saying something pithy like that. It is funny.” Michaels started at ABC in 1976 and made his mark with baseball and Olympic coverage, including the iconic 1980 “Miracle on Ice” hockey game. He was brought to Monday Night Football in 1986, when ABC moved Frank Gifford to the analyst chair and replaced him with a more traditional play-by-play voice. The transition to a three-man booth came in 1987 with the addition of Dierdorf, leading to an 11-season run that included three Super Bowls. His hardest season, he said, was 2005 — the final year ABC held rights to Monday Night Football. After that year’s Super Bowl, Madden and much of the production team moved to NBC. Michaels eventually joined them, but only after a quirky trade: Disney sent him to NBC in exchange for the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, an early Walt Disney character. Through all of it, Michaels has remained the benchmark. CBS’s Kevin Harlan, the next most prolific active announcer, sits more than 230 games behind him and would need another 13 seasons to catch up. Asked to name a favorite game, Michaels pointed to Super Bowl 43, where the Steelers edged the Cardinals in the final seconds. Santonio Holmes’ toe-tap touchdown and James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return made for a drama-filled night — and it turned out to be Madden’s last broadcast before retirement. As for what keeps him going, Michaels says it’s the love of the game and the people around it. “I don’t know how [Herbstreit] does it,” he said. “He’s got gigantic energy, and he’s tremendously well prepared. We have a lot of fun. I think we have a great back-and-forth, give-and-take. It’s natural. It took a little while to become natural, but it does with anybody. And once we got going, great.” For now, Michaels is still at the mic — steady, sharp, and showing no signs of stepping away.

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Scientists Uncover Hundreds Of New Species In A Golden Age Of Discovery

Three centuries after Carl Linnaeus set out to name every species he could find, the pace of discovery is not slowing down — it’s speeding up. A new study led by researchers at the University of Arizona and published in Science Advances shows that scientists are now identifying more than 16,000 new species every year, the highest rate ever recorded. That includes everything from insects and fungi to plants, fish, and even new vertebrates. “Some scientists have suggested that the pace of new species descriptions has slowed down and that this indicates that we are running out of new species to discover, but our results show the opposite,” said John Wiens, senior author of the study. “We’re finding new species at a faster rate than ever before.” Between 2015 and 2020, researchers catalogued an average of 16,000 new species per year. Most of them were animals — especially insects and other arthropods — but also included roughly 2,500 plants and 2,000 fungi. These numbers far exceed the current estimated global extinction rate of around 10 species per year, according to a related study Wiens led earlier in 2025. The research team analyzed data on nearly two million formally described species from all major life groups. They found that the annual discovery rate has been increasing steadily, and if current trends continue, we’re nowhere near the end of the biodiversity map. For example, while around 42,000 fish species are currently described, the study projects there could be as many as 115,000. For amphibians, the number could jump from 9,000 to more than 41,000. And for plants, the total number of species could top half a million. The insect world, in particular, remains largely unexplored. Scientists have formally described about 1.1 million insect species, but estimates suggest the real number could be closer to 6 million — or as high as 20 million, according to earlier work by Wiens. “Right now, most new species are identified by visible traits,” he said. But advances in molecular biology are changing that. Genetic analysis is helping uncover "cryptic" species that look alike on the outside but differ on the DNA level. This is especially promising for microorganisms like bacteria and fungi, which are harder to distinguish by sight alone. “Right now, we know of about 2.5 million species, but the true number may be in the tens or hundreds of millions or even the low billions,” Wiens said. Finding new species isn’t just about filling in the biological record — it’s also the first step in protecting them. “These species can’t be protected until they’re scientifically described,” Wiens said. “Documentation is the first step in conservation.” Some discoveries also come with direct benefits for people. Medicines, biotech tools, and even materials science have all been shaped by natural products found in newly studied organisms. Weight-loss drugs like GLP-1 agonists were inspired by hormones found in Gila monsters. Painkillers and anti-cancer compounds are being developed from spider venom, snake toxins, and plant chemicals. Gecko feet have even inspired adhesive technologies. “We’re still just scratching the surface of what these species can do for humanity,” Wiens said. Next, the researchers aim to map where new species are being found most often — and who’s doing the discovering. One goal is to see whether biological exploration is becoming more locally driven, as researchers in biodiversity-rich countries take on a bigger role. Even though Linnaeus launched the project 300 years ago, 15 percent of all known species have been discovered in just the last two decades. “So much remains unknown,” said Wiens, “and each new discovery brings us closer to understanding and protecting the incredible biodiversity of life on our planet.”

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Family And Volunteers Deliver Over 700 Christmas Meals To Those In Need Across Surrey

A Surrey family has delivered more than 700 Christmas meals to people across the region — all cooked, packed, and sent out with the help of dozens of volunteers and a lot of heart. Matt Gaskin and his family have been running the operation for eight years, driven by a simple goal: to “make a difference” during the holidays for people who are struggling. This year, the effort reached its biggest milestone yet — 700 meals, up from 560 in 2024. “There are so many people out there that are struggling at the moment and it seems to be getting worse,” Gaskin told the BBC. “It’s about giving back.” The food was donated by local businesses in Woking and Guildford, and the numbers are impressive: 40 turkeys, 1,500 pigs in blankets, 4,000 roast potatoes, and 100 kilograms each of Brussels sprouts and carrots. About 30 volunteers helped with the preparation, chopping vegetables and boxing up meals. “There are all sorts of different people from all walks of life, which is great because it’s a real community affair,” Gaskin said. “People sit down and they talk and they chat and they get to know each other and that’s what’s great to see.” His wife, Marta, described the atmosphere in the kitchen as emotional. “When you look at the volunteers peeling veggies today and chatting away and creating friendships — it’s very emotional,” she said. The meals were delivered by 60 drivers to homes across Surrey, as well as Windsor, Maidenhead, and Aldershot. Each meal included Christmas crackers and a handmade card, created by students from St Thomas of Canterbury Primary School in Guildford. Miki, the couple’s son, said the early mornings and long hours are worth it. “I don’t think anyone knows truly how many people this helps and what an impact it has on their life,” he said. “Not everyone has an opportunity to have a good Christmas, so just to make it a little bit brighter makes it all worthwhile.” The family woke up at 2:30am on Tuesday and 3:30am on Christmas Eve to get everything ready. “Being able to see the difference it makes and seeing people smile and come together, it makes it all worthwhile in an instant,” Miki said.

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