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Score (97)
Gingerbread Plushie "Cookie the Ty" Wins Hearts Online
Devin Silva's initial reaction to a brown plushie at CVS was calling it "ugly," but ended up buying it and sharing a photo online. The post went viral, with over 27 million views, turning the toy named Cookie into a cult favorite like Beanie Babies. Fans have been posting about their love for Cookie, leading to sold-out stock and even fan art creations. Silva says he will continue to share photos of Cookie online because it brings joy during challenging times for many people.
Score (92)
Artist Turns Alberta’s Winter Landscape Into Giant, Disappearing Portraits
For artist David Popa, the Earth isn’t just inspiration — it’s the canvas itself. His murals have stretched across sandbanks in Norway, hardened lava fields in Iceland and jutting rock in Finland. Each piece exists only briefly before the landscape reclaims it. That tension — the beauty and the inevitability of loss — is core to his work. His newest series, RENEWAL, took him to Alberta, Canada, where he created three monumental portraits on frozen and snow-covered terrain. The project, done in collaboration with Travel Alberta, followed nearly two weeks of exploring the province’s winter landscapes, from the glassy expanse of Abraham Lake to the dramatic walls of Cline River Canyon. “My time in Alberta was unbelievable,” Popa said. “We really left no stone unturned to be able to go onto Abraham Lake, which is just one of the most beautiful canvases I’ve experienced—especially for my work on the ice. It gave us absolutely everything, from deep cold temperatures, to really warm cracking ice, beautiful deep turquoise, the bubbles were amazing to even the windswept snow.” The paintings — each stretching between 75 and 135 feet long — depict fragments of serene faces with closed eyes, as if savoring a long, restorative inhale. Popa created them by hand, using charcoal in a spraying device to coat ice and snow with subtle depth. The technique allows the portraits to emerge from the surface but still feel woven into the landscape. Working outside always means battling the elements, and Alberta didn’t hold back. Subzero cold, fierce winds and shifting ice conditions shaped every step of the process. But for Popa, the challenges only sharpened the final result. “Overall, it was an absolutely incredible experience,” he said. “I feel like I’m going to need weeks—maybe months—to process what happened. I created everything I could have imagined in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, with some of the most beautiful people. It felt like every time we pushed the envelope, a weather window opened. It honestly felt miraculous.” Like all of Popa’s land murals, the pieces are temporary. The portraits will fade with the sun, snow, wind and melting ice, leaving behind only photographs and video. That ephemerality is part of the point — the art exists in full only for those who encounter it in the moment. But for Popa, that fleeting quality doesn’t diminish the work. It heightens it. He calls the Earth the “ultimate canvas,” a collaborator that shapes, distorts, and eventually erases the art. And in Alberta’s deep turquoise ice, windswept snow and frozen bubbles, he found a canvas as alive and expressive as the faces he painted on it.
Score (96)
This Pharmacologist is Finding a New Passion at 63 Years Old — Stand-Up Comedy
Hosam El Sokkari has never been afraid to tear up his script and start again. Pharmacologist, cartoonist, science writer, BBC broadcaster, digital pioneer, columnist, YouTube salon host — and now, at 63, stand-up comedian. It’s a twist even he didn’t see coming. “Last August, I decided to revive my deep interest in acting,” he told The National in Cairo. He signed up for workshops, dusted off old skills, then woke up one October morning with a sudden urge: he wanted to watch live stand-up. He’d seen plenty in London, where he spent most of his life, but never in Egypt. That single show flipped a switch. “I felt that I had a reservoir of experiences and stories that I could share on a stand-up comedy stage.” Two months later, he was on one. His first solo set, The Finnish Experience, debuted December 19 in Maadi — and sold out. So did the two shows that followed. The material came from his time in Finland in the 1980s, where he worked in his early twenties and first confronted the shock of Nordic life through Arab eyes. Nature, culture, silence, subzero temperatures — all delivered with a self-effacing tone that delighted audiences. “My material is different from what many stand-up comedians use in Egypt, which is often interaction with the audience that's laced with mockery and bullying,” he said. And for some Egyptians, that alone was surprising. Many still don’t consider stand-up a serious art form, he added, a perception shaped by a culture that treats too much laughter as an unsettling omen. This isn’t his first time performing. As a student at Cairo University, he acted on stage and even won a prize in 1984 for his role in The Writer and the Beggar. In Finland, he turned uncomfortable encounters with skinheads into a comic strip that ran in Aamulehti. But stand-up marks a different kind of shift. It comes after decades inside large institutions — the BBC, where he launched the corporation’s first non-English online service in 1999 and later led BBC Arabic; Deutsche Welle; Yahoo!; and his own YouTube talk salon during the pandemic. After so many corporate years, he said, he wanted independence. “I don't want the creative side of me to disappear. It’s like the joy I found in radio after many years in television. Radio offers more leeway and involves less technology. You edit yourself and you select the music.” He plans to take his show on the road, across Egypt and abroad, and has already begun auditioning for film roles. Still, the constraints of Egypt’s comedy scene shape what’s possible. Stand-up performers are required to sign documents promising not to touch politics or religion — a reality for comedians in a country of 108 million where expressive space is tightly policed. That hasn’t slowed him down. For El Sokkari, stand-up isn’t rebellion; it’s rediscovery. Another reinvention in a life full of them, powered by decades of travel, curiosity, and the refusal to let his creative instincts fade. “I really want to enjoy my creative journey,” he said — and at 63, that journey is only getting louder, funnier and far more surprising.
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Score (95)
B.C. Restores Key Marshland, Protecting Wildlife From an 86% Habitat Loss
A major wetland in southeastern British Columbia has been brought back to life thanks to a $1.3 million restoration project that prevents the marsh from shrinking by more than 80%. Elk Valley Resources, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada, announced the completion of the Suzanne Creek Marsh project, a large-scale effort to repair aging water-control infrastructure first built in 1986. According to 102.9 Rewind Radio, the structures had deteriorated so severely that without intervention, the wetland would have dropped from 10.6 hectares to just 1.47 hectares — an 86% loss. “The Suzanne Creek Marsh provides valuable habitat for a variety of wildlife who call it home, and EVR's investment ensures it remains a productive ecosystem for decades to come,” said EVR CEO Mike Carrucan. The marsh is a haven for waterfowl, songbirds, amphibians like the Columbia spotted frog, reptiles such as the Western painted turtle and mammals including elk and beavers. It’s also designated as an ungulate winter range and critical habitat for the American badger, a species of special concern in the region. Wetlands like Suzanne Creek play an important role in biodiversity and natural water management. The Environmental Protection Agency notes that wetlands help filter water, store floodwaters, maintain surface flow during dry seasons and provide essential habitat for fish and wildlife. That function is especially important now, with Canada experiencing record-low mountain snowpack, which increases drought and wildfire risk, according to CBC reporting. The project fits into a broader pattern of restoration success stories. In January, officials reported that San Francisco’s South Bay South Pond Restoration Project — a $20 million effort dating back to 2009 — is nearing completion. And a 2025 study in Kenya’s Chyulu Hills found that healthier restored grasslands were linked to reduced human conflict. The message from these efforts is clear: restoring nature protects wildlife, strengthens ecosystems and supports the communities that depend on them. With Suzanne Creek Marsh now secured for the long term, southeastern B.C.’s wildlife gets to keep a critical refuge — and the region keeps a powerful natural tool in the fight against drought and climate stress.
Score (98)
This 4th Grader is Balancing College and Elementary School Classes
Most fourth graders are figuring out long division and practicing cursive. Honey Cooper is doing that too — just in between classes at San Bernardino Valley College. The 10-year-old from Kimbark Elementary in California has officially become a dual-enrolled college student, joining a 12-person art course while still tackling her elementary school workload. Her mom, Mia Cooper, says the signs were there early. Honey didn’t babble much as a baby, but by 18 months she was showing advanced abilities and eventually taught herself to read. “Even though she’s in the fourth grade, Honey’s about at a 7th grade math level. With reading, she’s probably at a high 12 grade,” Mia told KTLA 5. Honey has big plans for her future. She told the station she hopes to be “a surgeon, an artist or a fashion designer.” For now, she’s studying with college students twice her age and treating the whole experience like just another assignment to juggle. “It really is a lot, but if you really balance it, it can go really smoothly,” she said. Her teacher at Kimbark, Brittany Zuniga, says Honey is a reminder that students will rise to the expectations set for them. When you “raise the bar,” she said, young learners will “blow your mind.” She describes Honey as “very, very, very brilliant… dedicated, passionate. She loves learning.” As for how Honey’s parents foster her abilities, Mia insists their home life is fairly typical — aside from one rule that sets Honey apart from many kids her age. “We don't allow phone screen time at our home,” she told ABC 7. “It's very limited. So maybe she's not the average fourth grader when it comes to that.” She added that friendships and social time matter just as much as academics. “Spending time with her friends is very important, because you have to work on that social skill.” For now, Honey is proving that childhood and college coursework can coexist — as long as you’re 10, curious, and absolutely love learning.
Score (97)
It’s Not About Cutting Carbs or Fat — It’s About Eating Better Food, Major Study Finds
If you’ve been swearing off pasta or avoiding butter for the sake of your heart, new research suggests you may be worrying about the wrong thing. A massive 30-year study of nearly 200,000 people in the US has found that when it comes to heart health, the real difference isn’t low-carb versus low-fat — it’s the quality of the food itself. Harvard public health researcher Zhiyuan Wu, who led the work, put it bluntly: “Focusing only on nutrient compositions but not food quality may not lead to health benefits.” The study, which followed health professionals for more than 5.2 million person-years, showed that people who ate healthy, varied diets — rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats — had higher levels of good cholesterol and lower levels of fats and inflammatory markers. They also had a significantly lower risk of developing coronary heart disease, the leading cause of heart attacks. What mattered wasn’t whether a diet was technically low-fat or low-carb. Diets that were “low” in one macronutrient but filled with processed foods, animal fats or lacking essential nutrients did not offer the same cardiovascular protection as balanced diets built around whole foods. “These results suggest that healthy low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets may share common biological pathways that improve cardiovascular health,” Wu said. “Focusing on overall diet quality may offer flexibility for individuals to choose eating patterns that align with their preferences while still supporting heart health.” There are limitations — participants were all health professionals, who generally have higher health awareness and better access to care — but the long duration of the study gives the findings weight. The results also strengthen a growing body of evidence that cutting processed foods and prioritizing whole grains, vegetables and healthier fats is beneficial across a wide range of health outcomes. It suggests that strict dieting, whether by calories, carbs or fats, may be far less important than previously thought. Yale cardiologist Harlan Krumholz, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, where the study was published, said the findings advance a debate that’s dragged on for years. “This study helps move the conversation beyond the long-standing debate over low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diets,” he said. “The findings show that what matters most for heart health is the quality of the foods people eat.” In other words: you don’t have to swear off the bread or banish the olive oil. Just eat better food — your heart will thank you.
Score (97)
Long-Lost 1897 Silent Film Depicting Early Robot Rediscovered In Michigan
A 45-second French silent film once thought lost has resurfaced in Michigan, and it may be the earliest depiction of a robot in movie history. The reel, titled “Gugusse and the Automaton,” was created in 1897 by filmmaker Georges Méliès and features a slapstick showdown between a magician and a mechanical man. The plot is simple and very Méliès. Gugusse turns a giant crank to control Pierrot Automate, a child-sized robot who grows into an adult before delivering a whack to Gugusse’s head. The magician retaliates with an oversized mallet, shrinking the robot back down — child-sized, doll-sized, then gone entirely. Fade to black. It’s played for laughs, but it also echoes a pattern that would later define decades of robot-themed storytelling: a machine harms a human, the human destroys the machine. Those stories often surface during economic anxiety — the 1930s, the 1970s — and France in the 1890s wasn’t immune, with a double-dip recession shaping the era. Still, it’s a stretch to assign too much symbolism to something so brief and goofy. The real story is how the film resurfaced at all. Bill McFarland of Grand Rapids, Michigan, inherited two trunks of belongings from his great-grandfather, William Delisle Frisbee. Frisbee had worked as a schoolteacher and potato farmer in Pennsylvania, but at night he transformed into a traveling showman, hauling a projector by horse and buggy from town to town to share some of the world’s first moving pictures. He’d set up in schoolrooms, churches, lodges — anywhere with space — pairing magic lantern slides, short films and music from a phonograph. “It was shocking,” the Library of Congress noted. Frisbee died in 1937, and the trunks passed through the family for generations. McFarland eventually brought the fragile films to the Library of Congress’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Virginia, hoping experts could help. What they found was remarkable. Alongside the newly discovered automaton film were other treasures: another Méliès short from 1900, “The Fat and Lean Wrestling Match,” and fragments of a Thomas Edison production titled “The Burning Stable.” Technicians scanned everything in 4K to preserve it. The Library later posted about the find on Instagram, highlighting how rare such discoveries are. An estimated 90% of films made before 1930 are believed lost — destroyed by decay, fires or time. That’s partly what makes this discovery so striking. The word “robot” wasn’t coined until 1920, for Karel Čapek’s play R.U.R., yet here was a mechanical man on film more than two decades earlier. It’s only 45 seconds, but it’s a glimpse into the dawn of cinema and the dawn of our fascination with artificial life. And it’s a reminder to never assume something is gone forever. Sometimes, history is sitting in a dusty trunk in Michigan, waiting for someone to open the lid.
Score (98)
Classic Car Fans Bring the Show to an 80-Year-Old Man’s Front Door
When 80-year-old Max Archuleta could no longer make it to his beloved classic car shows, his granddaughter decided the cars should come to him. What happened next left him almost speechless. “I just wanted to do something special for him,” Annaliesse Garcia told KDVR News. She posted a simple request on social media asking if a few car owners might drive by her grandfather’s home in Lakewood so he could see the vehicles he’s loved his entire life. The family figured maybe five or six would show up. Instead, about 50 classic cars rolled down the street in a slow, gleaming parade. Polished chrome, curved fenders, round mirrors, and bright colors filled the block as drivers waved, honked, and carried American flags for Max, who has terminal cancer and no longer has the strength to attend car shows himself. Among the drivers was Butch Souza, who taped a poster of Max’s photo to his 1951 Ford Shoebox. “I had seen him at a show last summer, and I was like, that’s something that you do for your community,” he said. One by one, the cars passed Max’s front yard, giving him a personal car show more spectacular than anything he or his family imagined. “I couldn’t believe everybody,” Max said. “Just all this for me.” It wasn’t just a parade of classic cars. It was a parade of kindness, delivered by strangers who understood exactly what it meant to help someone hold onto something they love, even for a moment.
Score (98)
These Ukrainian Students Are Turning Recycled Plastic Into Medical Tools Amid War
In Ukraine, a group of innovative students has found a way to turn recycled plastic into valuable medical tools using 3D printing technology. Amid the disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict with Russia, these students have not lost their drive for creativity and problem-solving. Anastasiia, now in her third year of medical school, had her education plans upended by the war. "Even then, I did not give up and continued preparing for university," she said. Along with fellow students Olha, Myroslava, Anna, and another Anastasiia, they teamed up with UPSHIFT Start—a UNICEF-backed initiative—to kick off this recycling effort. The group operates under the name Alium. Alium's project tackles both environmental and educational challenges. Plastic waste is a global issue; humans generate about 57 million metric tons annually. Much of it lingers in the environment for decades or even centuries. Recycling efforts often fall short largely because new plastic is cheaper to produce. This team takes common plastic bottles and transforms them into filaments for 3D printers. By doing so, they address another pressing issue: the scarcity of affordable medical equipment in Ukraine. The students have already printed parts for centrifuges and lamps and are now working on anatomical bone models. "We've also created components for a microscope that can be used for research," Anastasiia shared. Their work has piqued interest from dental associations and universities keen to expand the project further. Scaling this concept could make a significant impact on how we handle plastic waste while providing essential tools more affordably. These young innovators are determined to challenge traditional paths within their field. "Medical students often stay within a very narrow circle," Anastasiia noted. "I want to challenge the stereotype that studying medicine limits opportunities." While Alium focuses on utilizing existing materials, other teams worldwide explore alternatives like biodegradable plastics that break down safely after use. The group's proactive stance reflects its desire to shape rather than react to circumstances. As Anastasiia put it: "I am driven by the desire to influence the environment I live in... Projects and research work are my way of making real change possible.
Score (95)
Scientists Say They've Developed 'Supraballs' to Boost Solar Energy Capture by 90%
If you’ve ever wished the sun came with a “turbo” button, scientists in South Korea may have just built one. They’re called supraballs, and despite the playful name, these nanoscale golden spheres are shaping up to be a serious energy innovation. Created by researchers at Korea University, the tiny structures are designed to grab almost everything the sun throws at them, soaking up most wavelengths in sunlight, from visible rays to near-infrared. In a news release, the team said their goal is to boost solar-thermal systems, which turn sunlight into heat and then electricity. “This coating technology could significantly lower the barrier for high-efficiency solar-thermal and photothermal systems in real-world energy applications,” researcher Seungwoo Lee said. In testing, the scientists paired supraball films with a thermoelectric generator, a device often used in extreme environments like space missions or radioactive facilities. The idea is simple: if the spheres can collect more light, the generator should produce more energy. And that’s exactly what happened. The spheres look a bit like miniature suns themselves. They’re made by clustering gold nanoparticles into small orbs, then adjusting their diameter to capture as much solar energy as possible. Computer models guided the design, predicting that the structure should absorb over 90% of sunlight’s wavelengths. The team’s own measurements under an LED solar simulator came in at about 89%, putting the early results right in line with expectations. Just as notable is the simplicity. The researchers created the films by drying a liquid solution of supraballs directly onto a commercially available thermoelectric generator. No specialized lab, no extreme temperatures. Just room-temperature assembly. The abstract published by ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces called the work “paradigm-shifting … offering a scalable route toward next-generation solar thermoelectric, photothermal, and thermal management technologies.” The broader solar industry has been on a steady climb, with new breakthroughs arriving every few months. Homeowners already rely on rooftop solar panels to cut electricity bills as prices soar, and improvements in storage and efficiency keep pushing the technology forward. Even without generators, rooftop systems convert sunlight directly into electricity and can often pay for themselves through long-term savings. The push for better solar tech isn’t just about innovation. It’s about reducing reliance on burning fossil fuels, which creates harmful pollution. Every improvement that helps the sun do more work means less coal, oil, and gas doing it instead. Gold supraballs won’t replace rooftop panels anytime soon, but they may give solar-thermal systems a major efficiency bump. And with solar power expanding into everything from home batteries to electric vehicle charging, a material that captures nearly the entire solar spectrum could influence technologies far beyond the lab. As Lee put it, “Our … supraballs offer a simple route to harvesting the full solar spectrum.” If the researchers succeed, the future of renewable energy might shine just a little brighter — one tiny golden sphere at a time.
Score (97)
Costa Rica Doubles Down On Its No-Hunting Rule
Costa Rica has decided that wildlife should be watched, not chased, and certainly not hunted for sport. The country has now made its nationwide ban on recreational and sport hunting permanent, strengthening a rule that first made headlines back in 2012. As World Animal News reported, the updated policy reinforces Costa Rica’s Wildlife Conservation Law, which originally passed after a citizen-led campaign gathered tens of thousands of signatures calling for stronger protections. It cemented Costa Rica as the first country in Latin America to outlaw sport hunting. The renewed attention means tougher enforcement. Conservation officers are cracking down on illegal hunting, and Costa Rica Immigration Experts said violators can face up to three years in prison or fines of up to $3,000. Keeping wildlife as pets is also prohibited, with fines ranging from $400 to $2,000. For a country that often gets held up as the poster child for biodiversity, the move fits the national brand. The Costa Rica Tourism Board notes the small nation holds nearly half a million species, which accounts for about 6% of the planet’s biodiversity. A full quarter of its territory is protected land. The stakes go well beyond the rainforest postcard image. Biodiversity underpins clean water, food systems, and the quality of soil and air, according to the World Health Organization. Pollinators are part of that picture too, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture says about 35% of the planet’s food crops and 75% of flowering plants depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. The World Wildlife Fund lists the illegal wildlife trade as one of the biggest threats facing species today, with poachers and traffickers targeting everything from elephants to sea turtles. Costa Rica’s strengthened ban adds another layer of protection for both common and endangered species. There are economic angles as well. Tourism is a major driver in Costa Rica, and many visitors arrive hoping to see the country’s wildlife in its natural habitat. Keeping populations healthy supports that industry and the jobs tied to it, from guides to hospitality workers. The law does include carve-outs. Subsistence hunting remains allowed for certain Indigenous and rural communities, and exceptions can also be made for scientific research or government-approved population control. Similar rules in other countries have raised concerns among groups that rely on bushmeat for income or food, showing how policies need to be tailored to local realities. Still, the bigger story is the long-term view. Efforts to protect wildlife don’t stop at national policy; small community actions matter too, like supporting animal welfare and planting pollinator-friendly gardens. As World Animal News noted, the country’s renewed focus on wildlife protection reinforces Costa Rica’s role as a conservation leader.