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Astro-Photographer Reveals a Cosmic Grinch in a Holiday-Themed Star Cluster
Just in time for the holidays, a new image of the Christmas tree cluster reveals young stars resembling the Grinch. Named NGC 2264, these stars are between one and five million years old. The cluster is located about 2,500 light-years from Earth and was captured by astro-photographer Michael Clow in Arizona last month. Combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, the green-tinged image has sparked joy as it evokes festive cheer with a touch of whimsy reminiscent of everyone's favorite holiday grouch.
Score (98)
Norwegian Curling Team Honors Late Curler With Return Of Iconic Pants
Norway’s men’s curling team stepped onto the ice in Cortina d’Ampezzo on February 17 wearing something fans had been hoping to see again for years, the iconic red, white and blue “fun pants” that became a global hit at past Winter Olympics. The bold trousers were first made famous in 2010 by Thomas Ulsrud’s team, a group whose playful swagger helped turn curling into must-watch entertainment at the Vancouver Games. They wore them again in 2014 and 2018, but after Ulsrud died of cancer in 2022, the tradition stopped. This year, the idea of reviving them lingered as soon as the current squad qualified for the Milan Games. Magnus Ramsfjell, 28, said the thought was “in the back of our minds,” but the team hesitated. “It was Team Ulsrud’s thing,” he said. They wanted to respect that. So they asked Ulsrud’s former teammates directly. The answer came back without hesitation. “Of course, if you want to go for it, go for it.” What followed was a compromise everyone felt good about. One game only. One moment to honor Ulsrud and the entire team that built the tradition. “Wearing the fully Norwegian outfits out there on the ice, that would be just amazing for all parties,” Ramsfjell said. He also acknowledged why the pants mattered beyond tribute. “It’s something about curling being a bit silly, and then people showing up looking a bit silly. I feel like it’s a perfect synergy.” For Ramsfjell, the gesture carried emotional weight too. He called Ulsrud “an incredible guy, incredible curler” whose “passion for curling is something that I wish everyone can try to carry forward.” The night also featured a familiar face on the other side of the sheet. Sweden’s Niklas Edin, who competed against Ulsrud in 2010, could not resist a joke. Seeing the Norwegians step onto the ice, he called them “four clowns coming up and down the ice.” But the affection was real. Ulsrud’s team, he said, were “some of our best friends for the better part of two decades,” and the current Norwegian curlers are “the same to be honest, super nice personalities.” “We always had a good laugh,” Edin added. “Fantastic memories with those teams.” The pants were loud, bright and a little silly, just like they were meant to be. They also said something quieter. A teammate gone too soon is not forgotten, and a curling tradition built on joy still has room to grow.
Score (97)
Orphaned Baby Monkey Found Comfort in a Stuffy After Being Abandoned At Birth — Then He Got His First Hug
Crowds have been lining up outside Ichikawa City Zoo for days, all hoping to catch a glimpse of a baby macaque who refuses to let go of an oversized stuffed orangutan. The six month old monkey, known as Punch kun, has become a national sensation. Photos of him dragging the plush toy around his enclosure, eating next to it and curling up beside it to sleep spread quickly across social media and brought visitors flooding to the small zoo near Tokyo. Zoo staff did not expect any of it. In a statement posted on X on February 15, officials said, “All of our staff were surprised by the unexpected turnout, something we have never experienced before,” and apologized as long entrance lines formed. The sudden attention sits on top of a tougher beginning. According to News.au and the zoo’s own posts, Punch was born in July 2025 but was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth. Keepers stepped in immediately to hand raise him, watching his development closely and easing him into contact with other macaques. Once he joined the group full time, they noticed he was struggling. Baby macaques normally cling to their mothers from the moment they are born. Without that bond, Punch showed signs of anxiety and had trouble connecting with the others. Caretakers tried offering him comfort, eventually giving him the oversized orangutan. He grabbed hold and never let go. Images of the bond travelled fast. Visitors from across Japan began showing up, eager to see him and his orange companion. The reactions have been mixed. “It is cute to see the little monkey dragging the stuffed animal around but it is very sad at the same time,” one person wrote on X. Another visitor said Punch proudly showed off the toy while running and lying down during their trip. Others shared worry about how he is coping, while praising the staff for supporting him. “I really hope Punch finds his place,” one commenter wrote. “Seeing the staff support him through his struggles shows their deep commitment.” The zoo says there are signs he is starting to settle in. In a recent update, staff reported that Punch is “gradually deepening his interactions” with the other macaques. He has begun being groomed, playing, testing boundaries and even getting scolded, all normal parts of social learning for young monkeys. For now the stuffed orangutan remains close at hand. Even with crowds gathered at the glass, Punch can usually be found gripping the plush figure that has become his stand in for the mother he never knew.
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Meet the Trailblazing Pilot That Inspired Generations as First Woman in Thunderbirds
From bronze armor to carbon fiber, helmets have always done one job: protect the head. But some of them carry stories too, the kind that reveal bursts of imagination and grit. The Gentex HGU 55/P is a standard flight helmet in the United States Air Force. The one on display at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center carries something extra. It belonged to Colonel Nicole Malachowski, the first woman to perform with the Thunderbirds. For Malachowski, the dream began early. In 1979, at age 5, she announced she wanted to be a military pilot. That was impossible for women then. She learned that the hard way in sixth grade, when she told her class, “I’m going to be a fighter pilot,” only to be met with laughter. “My teacher said, ‘Sit down and come back next week when you have something more realistic.’ I did not know that it was against the law, and it would be against the law until 1992 for women to be fighter pilots,” she tells Smithsonian. The setback did not deter her. She started flying lessons at 12, made her first solo flight at 16, and might have drifted toward commercial aviation if not for a family trip to the Smithsonian. That was where she discovered the Women Airforce Service Pilots, the civilian squad who ferried aircraft, transported cargo, and trained male pilots during World War II. The small photo she found had an oversized effect. “Women were flying military aircraft ... they weren’t flying in combat, but they were training men to go to combat. And [that] reinvigorated my goal.” Her timing carried its own stroke of luck. In 1992, the same year she entered the Air Force Academy, the ban on women flying combat missions was lifted. She went on to fly 26 combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, all before earning a place with the Thunderbirds in 2005. Over the next two years, she performed at more than 140 events, often flying mere inches from her teammates in tight formations meant to show off the Air Force at its best. The helmet she wore during that run tells a wider story about flight and the forces that come with it. Alex Spencer, a curator at the National Air and Space Museum, points to how much pilot gear reveals about the changing demands of aviation. Early pilots sat in open cockpits and worried mostly about cold air. “They wore Snoopy helmets,” he says. “Just a little leather cap to keep the wind out of their hair.” By the time supersonic jets like the F 16 arrived in the late 1970s, pilots needed padding, oxygen hookups, radios, and protective visors. By the 1990s, when Malachowski was flying, every part of the helmet served a clear physical purpose. Thunderbirds helmets also serve as calling cards. Each one is custom-painted with names and team logos and polished to a bright shine. When Malachowski received hers at the end of training, it came with a handwritten note from the artist. She remembers it clearly. The artist wrote that his young daughter had never shown interest in the helmets before. But when he told her this one was for the first woman pilot, she wanted to help polish it. That moment stayed with Malachowski. She knew what her presence on the team could mean. “It was never about me,” she says. “It’s that a woman was doing it, and if she can dream big, anyone can dream big. Why not blaze your own trail?” The Thunderbirds are known for their precision flying, but their jets also carry one recognizable trait. They trail dense white smoke. Pilots flip a switch on the throttle to inject paraffin-based smoke oil directly into the exhaust, and when it hits, the oil vaporizes into the billowing streaks that mark each maneuver. For Malachowski, those streaks were more than a spectacle. They were a signal to the crowds below, especially the ones who had been told their dreams were unrealistic. The helmet now sitting in a museum display case is a reminder of that shift. It still reflects the red, white, and blue shine of the Thunderbirds. It also reflects the path of a pilot who refused to sit down when she was told to, and who helped widen the sky for everyone who followed.
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Canadian Muslims See First Winter Ramadan In 20 Years, a Season Of Reflection, Community And Change
Canadian Muslims welcomed the start of Ramadan on Wednesday, and for the first time in roughly two decades, the entire holy month will fall in winter. With Canada’s 1.8 million Muslims following the lunar calendar, Ramadan shifts earlier each year. “This year, it is coming earlier in winter time after a long time,” said Noor Al Henedy, spokesperson for Edmonton’s Al Rashid Mosque. Shorter days mean shorter fasts, something Al Henedy admits will make the month feel different. “Fasting for me is going to be much more pleasant,” she said with a laugh. “It’ll be easier for my kids, because they’ll be less antsy.” Ramadan centres on fasting from dawn to dusk, acts of charity, and deep spiritual reflection. It is also a time of gathering. Al Rashid, Canada’s first mosque, sees up to 5,000 worshippers a day in the opening stretch of the month. Families cook together, eat together and stand shoulder to shoulder in prayer. The mosque is planning its annual “A Taste of Ramadan” in March, offering halal burgers and hot dogs in partnership with local non profits. The goal is to welcome the wider community. “Celebrating, breaking bread with others and charity are a large component of the holy month,” Al Henedy said. That tradition has deep roots in Canada. When Muslims first arrived in Alberta in the late 1800s and early 1900s, they were a small community. They invited neighbours to join them during Ramadan, and eventually, with help from a Ukrainian builder and Edmonton’s mayor, constructed Al Rashid in 1938. The original building now sits at Fort Edmonton Park. “The women … really led the efforts back then when they were starting to build the first mosque … and that created an opportunity for interfaith exchange,” she said. “We are very proud of that story.” Edmonton’s Muslim population has since grown to about 100,000, bringing new traditions with it. Several mosques now broadcast the sunset call to prayer, the Azaan, during Ramadan. The sound, familiar across Muslim majority countries, was prohibited by noise bylaws until 2021, when exceptions were granted. For many youth, hearing it is a first. For elders, it is a wave of memory. “It’s like a (throwback) experience,” Al Henedy said. “It’s really helped the Muslim community carry forth the pride in our faith … and really help us be very unapologetic about who we are.” But Ramadan in Canada also brings challenges. Sikander Hashmi, executive director of the Canadian Council of Imams, said increased security has become routine. “There’s of course haters, Islamophobes who don’t like the presence of Muslims, that are a primary threat, and can sometimes create challenges,” he said. Incidents have included attempted vehicle attacks, slurs, stones thrown at windows and physical injuries. “At mosques across the country, there’s definitely been a lot of investments in security infrastructure, especially with federal and provincial funding, in recent years,” he said. Still, communities continue to gather, give and celebrate. In Edmonton, the city will light the High Level Bridge on March 20 for Eid, the festival marking the end of Ramadan. “These actions reflect the city’s commitment to recognizing the diversity of Edmonton and supporting meaningful connections with the communities we serve,” city spokeswoman Rae Thygesen said. For many families, this winter Ramadan will be both familiar and new, a reminder of faith rooted in tradition and shaped by the place they now call home.
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A Manatee Rescued From a Florida Storm Drain by SeaWorld is Showing Signs of Recovery
SeaWorld Orlando’s rescue team raced into action on February 9 after getting word that a manatee was trapped inside a storm drain and unable to escape. When crews arrived, they found a juvenile male wedged inside the system, completely exhausted and struggling. To reach him, rescuers had to break through concrete and dig through several feet of soil until they could access the baffle box where he was stuck. Officials believe the manatee likely swam into the drain seeking warmer water during a recent cold snap. The operation lasted several hours before the 410 pound animal was safely lifted out and transported to SeaWorld’s manatee rescue and rehabilitation center. The facility rescued 56 manatees last year, and this young male is already their seventh of the new year. Once at the center, veterinarians discovered he was significantly underweight and had skin lesions consistent with scraping against the concrete walls while trying to free himself. Three days later, the team shared encouraging news. The manatee was breathing on his own, moving independently and showing interest in food. “Our animal care team is awaiting lab results, which will guide the care plan for this manatee and next steps,” SeaWorld Orlando told GNN. “[Our] goal is always to stabilize and rehabilitate rescued manatees so they can ultimately be returned to the wild once deemed healthy and stable by the Zoo teams.” The rescued animal is a West Indian manatee, a species with two recognized subspecies, the Florida manatee and the Antillean manatee. For now, this one is on the mend, thanks to the people who refused to leave him trapped and alone underground.
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This Historic Naval Shipwreck Just Emerged in Sweden After 400 Years Underwater
A 17th-century Swedish Navy ship that spent four centuries underwater in central Stockholm is now visible in broad daylight, thanks to unusually low Baltic Sea levels. Since early February, wooden planks from the ship’s remarkably preserved hull have been poking through the surface off the island of Kastellholmen, revealing the vessel’s skeletal outline. “We have a shipwreck here, which was sunk on purpose by the Swedish Navy,” said marine archaeologist Jim Hansson of Stockholm’s Vrak – Museum of Wrecks. Experts believe the vessel served in the navy before being deliberately scuttled around 1640 to form part of a bridge foundation. It is one of five similar ships placed side by side in the same area for the construction project. “This is a solution, instead of using new wood, you can use the hull itself, which is oak,” Hansson said. The Baltic’s unique conditions have helped preserve it. “We don’t have shipworm here in the Baltic that eats the wood, so it lasts, as you see, for 400 years.” Parts of the wreck appeared briefly in 2013, but never at this scale. Hansson said the visibility is a direct result of Baltic Sea levels dropping to their lowest point in roughly a century. “There has been a really long period of high pressure here around our area in the Nordics. So the water from the Baltic has been pushed out to the North Sea and the Atlantic,” he explained. The ship has not yet been definitively identified. Archaeologists are working through “the Lost Navy,” a research program aimed at cataloging and dating the many Swedish naval wrecks scattered across the Baltic seafloor. The region has become a hotspot for discoveries. In April 2024, researchers found artifacts, including a weapons chest and pieces of armor on an ancient wreck off the Swedish coast. Three months later, divers uncovered a trove of champagne and wine aboard another Baltic wreck, though the government later declared the cargo off limits. And in 2022, maritime archaeologists announced the discovery of the long-lost sister ship of the Vasa, the famed 17th-century warship that now stands on display in Stockholm after being raised from the depths in the 1960s. For now, Kastellholmen’s newly exposed wreck offers a rare, fleeting glimpse into centuries of naval history, brought to the surface by a shift in the sea itself.
Score (97)
This Innovative Recycling Program is Turning America’s Discarded Shoes Into a Global Opportunity
More than 300 million people around the world can’t afford shoes, yet in the United States alone, more than 300 million pairs are thrown away every year. Once they reach a landfill, those sneakers can take decades to break down, slowly leaking dyes and adhesives into soil and groundwater. “Most people throw away their athletic shoes and sneakers after 8-12 months of wear without ever considering recycling them,” the global recycling program Sneakers4Good wrote in its mission statement. “Since sneakers are not biodegradable, this can have drastic consequences for the environment.” To meet both the environmental and humanitarian need, Sneakers4Good created a national recycling effort that collects gently used shoes and redirects them to people who can use them. “Our Sneakers4Good program was built for the running community with sustainability in mind,” the organization stated. “It’s a way for runners to give their sneakers a second life and give back to their community. We work specifically with marathons like St. Jude & Boston Marathon, running clubs, gyms, tennis and pickleball facilities, and run specialty stores across the country.” Over the past decade, the program has expanded far beyond the U.S. The shoes are now part of an international network that supports small businesses in more than 20 developing countries. Recycled sneakers end up in shacks, stalls, and shops operated by over 4,000 families across Haiti, Cambodia, Guatemala and other regions, creating income for shop owners while keeping usable shoes out of landfills. Luba Designs Tech, a business partner since 2018, said the program makes a difference both locally and globally. “As a small store, [we] welcome the opportunity to put back into our local community … as well as feeling we are part of a bigger world mission of lifting up individuals in other countries.” It is a simple idea, but one with wide reach. Every pair kept out of the trash is one less source of pollution and one more opportunity for someone who needs sturdy footwear to work, travel, or go to school.
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A Photographer Just Discovered Thousands Of Dinosaur Footprints High In The Italian Alps
A chance hike in the Italian Alps has revealed one of the richest collections of Triassic era dinosaur tracks ever found. Last September, photographer Elio Della Ferrera was in the Fraele Valley of Stelvio National Park when he spotted what looked like enormous footprints running straight up vertical rock faces. Thousands of them. Some prints measure up to 40 centimeters, and early analysis shows they date back roughly 210 million years. The discovery stunned paleontologists. “It took me a few seconds to realize the photos were real,” said Cristiano Dal Sasso of the Natural History Museum of Milan, who is leading the investigation. “Now we can go back in time and study the evolution of dinosaurs in this place.” In their preliminary study, Dal Sasso’s team determined the tracks were made by herds of large herbivores, most likely prosauropods, the ancestors of the later giant sauropods such as Brontosaurus. At the time these animals crossed the site, the landscape would have been muddy tidal flats on the edge of the ancient Tethys Ocean. The Alps had not yet risen, so the footprints were horizontal when they formed. Plate tectonics later tilted the rock layers upright, leaving the tracks climbing the cliffs. Scientists have named the site “Triassic Park,” but studying it will not be simple. The tracks sit on steep, remote terrain that is difficult and risky to reach. Dal Sasso said the research team will rely heavily on drones and remote sensing to document the prints and create detailed digital models for future study. For paleontologists, the discovery opens a rare window into a moment when dinosaurs were beginning to flourish. And for anyone else picturing herds of early giants marching across ancient tidal flats, it is a reminder of how much history can be hiding in plain sight, waiting for the right person to look up.
Score (97)
Inspired By Manta Rays, Young Inventors Create A Filter To Capture Microplastics From Laundry
Three young innovators in Ohio have taken a surprisingly simple cue from the ocean to fix a growing problem coming from our own homes. Each time a synthetic garment goes through the wash, it can shed up to 1.5 million fibres. Researchers say household laundry is now the biggest source of microplastics entering rivers and oceans. That irony was not lost on a group of Case Western Reserve University students who set out to rethink how laundry filters work. Existing filters clog easily, which means many people stop using them. So the team studied manta rays, whose cone shaped mouths create swirling currents that pull in plankton without getting jammed. They built a device that mimics that design. The result is the Vortx filter. Instead of collecting fibres on a flat screen, it traps them inside tiny rotating vortices and funnels them into a small disposable pod. The team says this method is 300 percent more effective than traditional filters. CEO Max Pennington and co founders Chip Miller and David Dillman have since launched a startup called Cleanr to bring the device to market. Their filter sits on top of a standard washing machine and sells in the US for $359. It is not cheap, and disposable pods raise their own environmental questions, but Pennington hopes the momentum will push manufacturers and lawmakers toward a bigger shift. “Legislators are starting to realise that we really need to cut this off at the source,” he said. Six US states, including Pennsylvania, Oregon and California, are already discussing rules that would require microfibre filters in new washing machines. The idea that began with watching manta rays now sits at the intersection of engineering, policy, and everyday life. And it shows how a small change, multiplied across millions of loads of laundry, could make a measurable difference for the oceans the inventors looked to for inspiration.
Score (98)
Therapy Penguins Pringle And Widget are Delighting Residents At This UK Care Home
Two unexpected visitors shuffled into The Grand Care Home in West Bridgford, and they were an instant hit. Pringle and Widget, a pair of Humboldt penguins, arrived ready to be petted, held, and admired as part of an animal-assisted therapy session for residents. The birds quickly became the center of the room. Residents reached out to stroke their smooth feathers, surprised by how calm the penguins were in their arms. “It was very comfortable and never murmured, so it was quite nice. I enjoyed it,” said 89-year-old Les Clarkstone. Pringle and Widget live at Heythrop Zoological Gardens in Oxfordshire, a privately owned zoo focused on animal welfare education. The penguins regularly travel to care homes and hospices around the country to bring comfort to people who may not otherwise get close to wildlife. Their handler, 21-year-old head bird keeper Luke Fillary, guided residents on how to gently interact with the birds. He said both penguins have spent their entire lives preparing for days like this. “They both have been born at our zoo, so they have been in training their whole life,” he said. “Officially, they have been doing it for the past six years. Both are very well behaved.” For families, the visit offered something special to share. Jackie Kirkham came from Clifton to join her 91-year-old father, Derek. “It’s just something new for them, something that they probably won’t be doing,” she said. “He enjoys it, and we do; it’s comforting.” The Grand Care Home has welcomed all kinds of therapy animals over the years. Dogs are common, but residents have also met donkeys, ponies, ducks, and chickens. Penguins felt like a natural next step for wellbeing coordinator Bridget Peck. “I think animals play an important role for everybody’s wellbeing,” she said. “Not just dogs, we have donkeys, ponies, every Easter we have the ducks and chickens come in. So, penguins, why not? It was great.” For a few hours, the home was filled with laughter, feathers, and wide smiles. Pringle and Widget did exactly what therapy animals do best. They made the day brighter.