Her App Dating Platform is Ditching Swiping for Love Connections

Finding love in the digital age can be tricky, but Laaleen Sukhera is changing that with Social League. This Dubai-based platform fosters genuine, face-to-face connections among professionals tired of swipe culture. As a lifestyle consultant and matchmaker, Laaleen believes in putting oneself out there to find meaningful relationships. Her events bring together like-minded individuals, helping them form lasting bonds beyond fleeting digital interactions.

Read More

After 7½ Years of Work, the Animated Basketball Epic ‘GOAT’ Finally Reaches the Big Screen

Director Tyree Dillihay marked the moment the way fans mark a long awaited anniversary. After nearly eight years of work on the new animated basketball film “GOAT,” he spoke to ESPN with the same energy as the track playing in his head. “Do you know what today is? It is premiere day,” he said. The project dates back to September 2018, when Dillihay and his team at Sony Pictures began developing a story shaped around underdogs, ambition and the kind of resilience that changes how the sport looks. The idea came together soon after Stephen Curry’s production company, Unanimous Media, reached a multiyear deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment. Curry serves as an executive producer and also voices one of the film’s characters. Several current and former NBA and WNBA stars joined the cast. “They were looking for something that had like an underdog spirit to it,” Dillihay said. The movie follows Will, a young goat played by actor Caleb McLaughlin, who dreams of making it in the top tier of “roarball,” a fictional supercharged version of basketball played by the largest and fiercest animals. Will is constantly overlooked because of his size, a theme drawn directly from Curry’s own path as a 6 foot 2 All Star who changed how smaller guards are viewed in the modern game. “We kind of took [Curry’s journey as a basketball player] and infused it in our hero, Will, for the ultimate underdog story for the next generation,” Dillihay said. Designing a sport played by animals required a complete rewrite of how basketball looks on screen. “You take the sport of basketball and flip it on its head and turn the volume up to 11 and exaggerate it and call it roarball,” Dillihay said. Players can switch between two feet and all fours. They can use claws, paws, hooves, wings and tails. Courts stretch to 120 yards and rims rise to 15 feet. Settings shift from red clay with living roots that grab at players to Arctic ice that cracks under polar bears. Dillihay worked closely with Curry to make sure the game still felt grounded. “We actually sat down one on one and I listened to him talk about the game, different little details, footwork, hand placement, spacing, even momentum, pace,” Dillihay said. Curry’s former teammate Andre Iguodala helped build the playbook. Each play in the film follows real concepts from his experience in the league. Dillihay said they are realistic enough to come from a playbook that won four championships. Dillihay said the message behind the movie is simple. “Dream big. Your dreams have no ceiling, sky’s the limit,” he said. He pointed to the way the main character is lifted by his community. “No, your circumstances and your conditions do not define you.” He tied the message to his own journey. “If you work hard enough, you will exceed your goals. Look, I am proof, I come from Inglewood, California. I am not supposed to be here. I am the fourth Black director in cinematic history to direct a major animated film. If that ain’t proof that dreams do come true, I do not know what is.” The cast of athletes adds another layer. Curry voices Lenny, a giraffe who stands as the tallest defender in the film, a reversal of Curry’s stature in real life. “He is a physical presence, a towering defender. Sometimes focused, sometimes not but he is a great teammate,” Curry said. Dwyane Wade plays Rosette, a nod to the Chicago Bulls and co director Adam Rosette. Gabrielle Union, who plays Jett Filmore, joked at the premiere that she would beat Rosette in a one on one game. “It is not even close,” she said. Iguodala appears as Iggy the Ref, a zebra who now calls the fouls instead of arguing them. “It is funny to put somebody in a position where they have been on the other side of the table and now you bring them over to that other side,” Dillihay said. A’ja Wilson voices Kouyate, a crocodile and the film’s main antagonist. Dillihay said the role was written to showcase her presence. Angel Reese plays Propp, a polar bear named after Sony Animation’s head of story, Keely Propp. Dillihay said Reese surprised him during recording when he asked her to improvise some trash talk. “She was like, ‘I do not talk trash,’ and I was like ‘Whoa,’” he said.

Read More

Home Renovation Uncovers 200 Historic Coins Hidden for Decades

Peter Gray was not expecting a life changing phone call when builders began work on his Dorset cottage. They were digging out a parking area during an extension project 22 years ago when they uncovered terracotta tiles and a pottery vessel filled with 213 historic silver coins. Gray, now 79, still remembers the moment. “The cottage dates from the 1500 or 1600s and it was a wonderful surprise when I was told about them, you never expect to find a hoard of coins,” he said. This week he finally sold the collection as he and his wife Jackie prepare to move. A total of 200 coins went to auction at Noonans Mayfair on Tuesday and fetched a hammer price of 61,735 dollars, double the original estimate. Most of the coins date from the reign of Henry VII, between 1485 and 1509. The highest price went to a rare Groat with what experts describe as an excellent portrait of the Tudor king. It sold for 2,600 dollars against a guide of 400 to 500 dollars. Gray, a retired international bank inspector, suspects the hoard may have been hidden by smugglers using a nearby route that once linked the Dorset coast to Dorchester and Salisbury. “Who they belonged to, we do not know, but the cottage is not too far from the Dorset Gap which was a route that linked the South Coast to Dorchester and Salisbury, so it is possible that they were hidden by a smuggler,” he said. After the discovery in 2004, Gray entered the Treasure Trove process. Dorset Museum acquired 13 coins and he bought out the builders who were eligible for half the proceeds under treasure law. The hoard later became known as the Littlebrook Hoard and includes 176 groats and 37 half groats. All are English silver issues and all meet the official sterling standard. Bradley Hopper, Head of the Coin department at Noonans, said the strongest results came from international buyers. “The prices of the top three lots reflected the strength of the world market as they were bought by buyers in the USA, UK and Australia and all well exceeded our expectations,” he said. “This was due to their quality, condition and how well they had been preserved.” He highlighted the Groat that drew the highest figure. “The most exciting coin in the collection was Lot 237 which sold extremely well due to the strength of the portrait, as it is the first Naturalistic depiction on an English coin, and is a wonderful likeness of Henry VII.” Jim Brown, a coin specialist at Noonans, said the hoard provides a clear snapshot of early sixteenth century currency. “The fact that the coins were discovered in a container is clear evidence that they were deposited on a single occasion and they represent a selected body of higher value silver coins from the currency of the early sixteenth century, before the new weight standard of 1526 was introduced.” The earliest coin dates to the reign of Edward III in the mid 1300s. The latest was issued from York after Cardinal Wolsey became bishop in 1514. Brown said the set was probably buried between 1514 and 1520, decades before anyone imagined a mechanical digger would reveal it again.

Read More

Norwegian Ties Record For Golds In Multiple Winter Olympics

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo picked an interesting day to hit a historic milestone. On Friday the 13th, Norway’s biggest cross country star added another gold medal to his collection at the Milan Cortina Olympics, and this one put him in rare company. The 29 year old won the men’s 10 kilometer interval start race, pushing his all time total to eight Olympic titles and tying the Winter Games record. Klaebo now sits beside three retired Norwegian greats, Marit Bjoergen, Bjoern Daehlie and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. All three retired with eight golds. Klaebo arrived at these Games with pressure to match their total, along with plenty of debate about how long he would stay on the circuit. Instead of adding to the noise, he just kept winning. Friday’s title was his third of the 2026 Games and it came in what many athletes consider the most physically demanding race on the program. The field knew the course would decide things on the last hill. Klaebo used that stretch the same way he has for years, by accelerating when everyone else starts to fade. He crossed the line in 20 minutes, 36.2 seconds. It was enough to beat France’s Mathis Desloges by 4.9 seconds and fellow Norwegian Einar Hedegart by 14 seconds. As soon as he finished, Klaebo dropped to the snow. It was one of the few times he has shown visible strain right at the line. “It is a special day,” he said. “This one means a lot for sure. … I am lost for words.” He said the plan was simple. Start steady, avoid burning too much energy early and save everything for the final climb. “It was really hard out there today, so I am very proud,” he said. The race suited him in two ways. It rewarded patience and it rewarded power on a course that many athletes described as punishing. Desloges turned the result into a celebration for the French team. The 23 year old entered the Games without much attention and now leaves the race with two silver medals in his first Olympics. His teammates responded by linking arms and dancing on the snow as soon as the standings became clear. “I trained incredibly hard for these races,” he said. “I told people I was at this level, and now we are delivering.” He said he barely noticed any information coming from coaches on the course. Some athletes thrive on real time updates from staff who shout time checks and split comparisons as the race unfolds. Desloges said he did not hear much of it. “I do not really pay attention to what is being shouted from the sidelines,” he said. “Honestly, I do not listen to them. I just focus on my race. I know what I have to do, and I give it everything.” Norwegian fans dominated the finish area, waving flags and covering the barriers with red, white and blue. Many Norwegians consider cross country skiing a central part of their national identity and a regular prime time feature at home. Messages began filling social media minutes after the result. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere posted, “Another show of strength from Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. What a performance in a thriller of a race. Congratulations on gold number three in these Olympics.” Klaebo’s grandfather, Kare Hoesflot, made the trip to northern Italy to watch in person. He played a central role in Klaebo’s early training and has often been credited with shaping his approach to racing. Family members stood near the mixed zone greeting him as he stepped away from the course. Reporters asked about the significance of tying the record and about the pressure that now follows him into every race. He downplayed both and said the only thing that mattered was executing the plan and leaving everything on the course. The interval start format often shakes up expectations because athletes cannot directly track their rivals on the course. Each racer sets off at timed intervals and learns the final standings only when everyone has finished. Klaebo’s team monitored the splits and knew he had time in hand as he approached the last climb. Hedegart, his nearest challenger, lost pace on that same hill. Desloges held strong and closed slightly in the final stretch, but Klaebo’s early speed and late surge kept him in front. Norway has more medal chances coming up in the next few days, including distance races and relays where Klaebo could add to his total. The discussion around records will follow him straight through the end of the Games, but inside the camp the message has been to focus on each start and avoid turning the chase for golds into a distraction. He still has three more races. The record, for now, is a shared one.

Read More

This Man Just Broke a World Record by Skimming a Stone 157 Meters

Phillip Bloxham, a 35-year-old from Cardiff, has become one of the top contenders in the stone-skimming community. His recent feat of skimming a stone 157 meters across Cosmeston Lakes in Wales has surpassed the current Guinness World Record of 121.8 meters set in 2018. Bloxham is now considered one of the best stone skimmers in the sport. He said he spent most of his childhood outdoors in a rural village near Narberth, where skimming stones and climbing trees filled his days. He always knew he was good at it, but it was a single comment in 2022 that pushed him toward competition. While on holiday in Devon, a woman passing by watched him throw and shouted, “champion stone skimmer there.” “I thought nothing of it,” he said, but two weeks later, he found himself wondering if stone skimming competitions actually existed. They did. He entered the Welsh Championships just weeks later and placed second. He repeated that result the following year, then won the title in 2024 with a personal best throw of 140 meters. His unexpected rise in the sport followed a rough period in his life. A serious knee injury a decade ago, followed by six surgeries, left his usual hobbies like snowboarding, climbing and surfing out of reach. Stone skimming was something he could still do, and do well. That made it even more meaningful. “Using nothing but nature and myself to do incredible things,” he said. “It still amazes me every time that stone dances along the water towards the horizon, mesmerizing.” He practices across Wales, including Cosmeston Lakes in Penarth and Carew Castle in Pembrokeshire. Because every stone is different, he said, each throw feels like its own puzzle. He has brought others along for the ride too. His wife, Bethan Bloxham, and her sister, Nerys Wells, both learned the craft from him. Wells is now the current Welsh champion. “In 2024 at the Welsh championships I got 1st and my wife got 3rd,” he said. “She has adapted to the life of living with a stone skimmer. She was not a skimmer before I taught her. She is very supportive of it all, perfect wife.” The community itself is part of the draw. “A whole bunch of adults who never gave up skimming stones,” Bloxham said. “A really lovely bunch of people who I love to see each time we meet up.” Despite the unofficial nature of his new 157 meter throw, Bloxham plans to make it count. He said he wants to take the official records for both distance and the number of skips in the coming year. That means collecting proper evidence and going through the Guinness process, something he admits he needs to “get around to.” Right now, Bloxham is in Argentina, where he is judging the country’s first national stone skimming championship in Patagonia. After that, he plans to return to the competitive circuit in Wales. “It’s about being there and having fun more than winning,” he said. “But we all do like winning. I am aiming for 200 meters one day. I haven’t gotten quite that far yet.”

Read More

AI Just Gave This Musician with ALS His Voice Back For an Emotional Return to the Stage

There were already tears in the room when Patrick Darling’s song began to play. The track was written for his great grandfather, someone he never met. But the emotion ran deeper. It marked the first time the 32 year old musician had appeared on stage with his bandmates in more than two years, since he lost the ability to sing. Darling was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 29. Like other motor neuron diseases, ALS slowly strips away muscle control. Over time, people lose the ability to move, speak and eventually breathe. Darling’s last live show was more than two years ago, when he had already started struggling to stand or play and was beginning to lose his voice. Recently, everything changed. Heading into an event in London on Wednesday, he used a synthetic version of his old voice, reconstructed through an AI tool trained on snippets of past recordings. Another ElevenLabs tool allowed him to compose new songs. For the first time since his diagnosis, Darling could make music again. “Sadly, I have lost the ability to sing and play my instruments,” he said on stage, using the voice clone. “Despite this, most of my time these days is spent still continuing to compose and produce my music. Doing so feels more important than ever to me now.” Darling grew up surrounded by instruments. He said he started composing at 14 and later learned bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, melodica, mandolin and tenor banjo. Singing was his greatest passion. He met bandmate Nick Cocking more than a decade ago, joining Cocking’s Irish folk group, the Ceili House Band, in 2014. As a singer and guitarist, Darling “elevated the musicianship of the band,” Cocking said. Then small changes began to creep in. Darling became unsteady. Cocking remembered one rainy night in Cardiff when Darling kept slipping on pavement. At the time, no one imagined it was the first sign of ALS. His symptoms accelerated. By August 2023, Darling needed to sit during performances. Soon after, he began losing the use of his hands. “Eventually he couldn’t play the guitar or the banjo anymore,” Cocking said. By April 2024, Darling struggled to talk and breathe at the same time. For one performance, the band carried him onto the stage. The next day, Darling called to say he could not continue. “By June 2024, it was done,” Cocking said. It was their last show together. A speech therapist encouraged Darling to “bank” his voice, a process that lets people record speech before they lose it. But by then his voice had already changed. “It felt like we were saving the wrong voice,” he told the audience. A second therapist introduced him to a new option. Richard Cave, a speech and language therapist at University College London and a consultant for ElevenLabs, showed him a tool that could create voice clones using just minutes of audio. The company recently launched a program offering free licenses to people who have lost their voices due to ALS, cancer or stroke. Gabi Leibowitz, a speech therapist who leads the program, said the tools help people hold on to parts of their identity. They do not solve the physical challenges of ALS, she said, but they let users “create again, to thrive.” Some are able to continue working or doing the things that make them feel like themselves. Cave used older recordings to rebuild Darling’s speaking voice. The result stunned him. “It sounded exactly like I had before, and you literally wouldn’t be able to tell the difference,” Darling said. He joked that the first word he generated with the new voice was inappropriate. Rebuilding the singing voice was harder. The system works best with at least 10 minutes of clean audio, and Darling had little more than grainy pub and kitchen recordings. Still, it was enough to create what Cave called a “synthetic version” of Darling’s singing voice. It mirrored the original, right down to the slight rasp and uneven notes. Cave said those imperfections made it sound human. ElevenLabs also created an AI music generator, Eleven Music, which can compose songs from text prompts. Darling leaned on it to shape his new track. Although the tool can spit out music in a minute, Darling and Cave spent around six weeks refining the arrangement. Last month, Cave sent the finished track to Cocking. “I heard the first two or three words he sang, and I had to turn it off,” Cocking said. “I was just in bits, in tears. It took me a good half a dozen times to make it to the end of the track.” Darling planned to debut the song live at the ElevenLabs summit in London. Cocking and fellow bandmate Hari Ma prepared mandolin and fiddle parts to accompany the music. After two years apart, they rolled Darling out onto the stage. “I wheeled him out on stage, and neither of us could believe it was happening,” Cave said. Darling stayed on stage while the track played, and the band performed live beside him. Cocking said Darling wants to keep making music with the tools. He hopes they can perform together again, though ALS makes every future plan uncertain. “It’s so bittersweet,” Cocking said. “But getting up on stage and seeing Patrick there filled me with absolute joy. I know Patrick really enjoyed it as well. We’ve been talking about it. He was really, really proud.”

Read More

Researchers Say Famous Ketton Mosaic Shows a Forgotten Version of the Trojan War

Researchers examining one of the most important mosaics ever discovered in the UK say the artwork tells a version of the Trojan War that rarely appears in history books. A new study from the University of Leicester shows that the well known Ketton mosaic in Rutland does not follow the story from Homer’s Iliad, as originally believed. Instead, it appears to illustrate a now lost tragedy by the Greek playwright Aeschylus. The mosaic, uncovered in 2020 after local resident Jim Irvine spotted it on his family farm during the COVID lockdown, has been described as one of the most remarkable Roman era finds in Britain in a century. The discovery led to major excavations by University of Leicester Archaeological Services, funded by Historic England. The villa and mosaic have since been granted Scheduled Monument status because of their national importance. The artwork includes three dramatic scenes involving Achilles and Hector. It shows their duel, Achilles dragging Hector’s body, and King Priam weighing out gold to retrieve his son’s remains. Those scenes appear in Homer’s narrative, but the details on the mosaic do not match the famous poem. The research team found that the composition aligns instead with Phrygians, a tragedy by Aeschylus that survives only in fragments. Choosing this version would have marked the villa’s owner as someone with refined literary taste. Romans were familiar with many tellings of the Trojan War, but this one was rarely depicted. Dr. Jane Masséglia, lead author of the study, said the mosaic draws on artistic designs that had circulated around the Mediterranean for centuries. “In the Ketton Mosaic, not only have we got scenes telling the Aeschylus version of the story, but the top panel is actually based on a design used on a Greek pot that dates from the time of Aeschylus, 800 years before the mosaic was laid,” she said. She added that other sections echo patterns found on older silverware, coins and pottery from Greece, Turkey and Gaul. “Romano British craftspeople were not isolated from the rest of the ancient world, but were part of this wider network of trades passing their pattern catalogues down the generations.” The findings give a broader view of Roman Britain as connected to international artistic traditions rather than operating at the margins of empire. Irvine, who first uncovered the mosaic, said the research “reveals a level of cultural integration across the Roman world that we are only just beginning to appreciate.” Historic England welcomed the study for deepening the understanding of life at the villa. Post excavation coordinator Rachel Cubitt said the work “offers a more nuanced picture of the interests and influences of those who may have lived there, and of people living across Roman Britain at this time.” Scholars outside the project have also praised the findings. Prof. Hella Eckhardt of the University of Reading said the study shows how stories of Achilles and Hector travelled not only through literature but through imagery crafted in many materials, from pottery to mosaics. ULAS and Historic England are preparing a full publication of the excavation, which is expected to add even more detail about the mosaic, the villa and the people who once lived there.

Read More

This Bookstore Singles Night Draws New Yorkers Tired of Dating Apps

Valentine’s Day arrived early at Book Club Bar in lower Manhattan. A singles event built around books, conversation and zero pressure drew a sold out crowd. The gathering was hosted by Bored of Dating Apps, a group trying to shift people away from swiping and back toward meeting face to face. “We’re about rom-com culture,” said on-site host Grace Clark Delgado. “Dating culture feels like we can’t have that. But when you come to this, you absolutely can.” Five days before the holiday, organizers made one thing clear. There would be no speed dating setups or glowing red décor. Just mingling in a bar lined with bookshelves, a place where you could meet a future Valentine or simply make a new friend. Some guests flirt a little and leave with a number. Others go home with only a book. Either outcome is considered a win, Clark Delgado said. When the event began, the back room reserved for singles was still empty while the early crowd of readers lingered at the bar. Less than 10 minutes later, the space was full, with people spilling into the main room as hosts handed out drink tickets. Some attendees looked comfortable, others nervous. Many arrived alone. All were greeted by hosts acting as wingpeople and conversation starters, weaving through the crowd to help match guests or break the ice. The location is a major draw. Bored of Dating Apps hosts on rooftops and dance floors, but the Book Club Bar sessions sell out every time. Founder Jess Evans said both time slots that night, one at 6 p.m. and another at 9 p.m., sold out at 200 tickets total. For many, being surrounded by books takes the pressure off. “I might be willing to try something newer, potentially out of my comfort zone in a place that already feels really familiar,” Clark Delgado said. She said the shelves often spark easy conversation. People point to titles they love or ask simple questions like “If you were a book, what would you be?” Guests said the bookish setting mattered. Ava Mattox, 32, came specifically to meet other readers. She worries that fewer people read for enjoyment and hopes to find a partner who reads with curiosity and empathy. “How you gain empathy and learn about people outside of yourself is by reading fiction,” she said. Konstantinos Karagiannis, 53, who loves horror and sci fi, said he has tried many singles events but thought this one gave him the best chance of meeting someone who shares his interests. He travels to Salem, Massachusetts every Halloween and hopes a future partner will join him. “Because this is Book Club Bar, I figured I’d have a better chance of meeting a smart woman,” he said. Across the room, a shared frustration surfaced. Nearly everyone said they were exhausted with dating apps. A 2025 Forbes survey reported that 80 percent of millennials and 79 percent of Gen Z feel burnt out from digital dating. Guests described the apps as transactional and slow to lead to real life meetings. Many said they miss the spontaneity and charm of a meet cute. “(Dating apps) feel so clinical to me. I read a lot of romance books as well, that magic doesn’t exist anymore,” said Shreyas Seethalla, 24. He discovered the bookstore during an earlier visit and thought it would be a good spot to meet people who read as much as he does. A small incentive warmed up the night. Hosts picked one pair who seemed to hit it off and gave them tickets to the Metropolitan Opera. Neha Nidamarti, 36, was one of the winners along with 30 year old Jason Berk. Both said they are tired of dating apps and both read fantasy, including Sarah J. Maas’ “Throne of Glass.” “Everyone’s like, ‘There’s so many fish’ and I’m like, it’s a cesspool, not the fish you want on the dating apps,” Nidamarti said. “I do better when I meet people organically. I just don’t do well on the apps. I don’t think people get my humor. Or it’s like pen pals and you just want to talk forever. I’m not your wife, you’re not at sea at war. Why are we writing to each other for two weeks?” Bored of Dating Apps started in London and now regularly fills venues in New York. Its mixers have sparked friendships, relationships, proposals, weddings and what hosts lovingly call “BODA babies.” Host Samantha Rutter, 31, said attending the events gave her a sense of confidence she had lost. Many hosts, like her, started as attendees before stepping into volunteer roles. She said she tries to be a steady, friendly presence for anyone feeling anxious. “Someone did the bravest thing they could tonight,” she said.

Read More

Sheep Form Massive Heart-Shaped Formation In Adorable Display Of Affection

Cannon Hall Farm in Cawthorne found a playful way to share affection ahead of Valentine’s Day. A flock of sheep arranged themselves into a giant heart shape, thanks to some well placed feed and a bit of patience from the farmers. The family run attraction has just passed 700,000 followers on Facebook and wanted a light hearted way to acknowledge the milestone. Drone footage filmed by farmers Dale Lavender and Charlie Winship captures the moment the sheep trot across the field, pause, then settle neatly into the large heart outline. The farm, which has built a big online audience through livestreams and behind the scenes videos, is days away from opening its half term lambing festival. Staff said the heart was created by laying out feed in just the right spots, then waiting for the animals to follow the trail. The video shows the flock bunching together and then spreading into the curved shape, creating a clear heart symbol visible from above. It’s a simple gesture but one that landed well with the farm’s audience, many of whom have followed the animals for years. Cannon Hall Farm is preparing for a busy season as visitors arrive to meet newborn lambs and watch daily farm demonstrations. The Valentine’s message from the sheep offered a warm preview.

Read More

Scientists Achieve Breakthrough in Spinal Cord Injury Treatment, and it Could Be a Big Step to Treating Paralysis

Scientists say they have moved closer to a treatment for spinal cord injuries after testing a therapy on tiny human spinal cord organoids grown in the lab. The work, led by researchers at Northwestern University, builds on earlier studies that reversed paralysis in mice. In their latest experiment, the team grew organoids about 3 millimeters wide using stem cells from an adult donor. After several months, the samples had developed key features of the human spinal cord, including neurons, astrocytes, and layered tissue. The researchers then injured the organoids, either by cutting them or applying compression similar to the trauma from a car crash. Biomedical engineer Samuel Stupp said the goal was to see if the therapy behaved in human tissue the same way it had in animals. “We decided to develop two different injury models in a human spinal cord organoid and test our therapy to see if the results resembled what we previously saw in the animal model,” he said. As in real spinal cord injuries, the damaged organoids showed immediate nerve cell death, inflammation, and the formation of dense glial scars. Stupp said they could clearly distinguish between normal astrocytes and the large, tightly packed astrocytes in the scar tissue, as well as detect molecules associated with injury responses. The therapy, called IKVAV-PA, uses supramolecular peptides nicknamed “dancing” molecules. These molecules move rapidly enough to match the motion of receptors on nerve cells, encouraging axons to regrow. Stupp explained this idea in 2021, saying, “Given that cells themselves and their receptors are in constant motion, you can imagine that molecules moving more rapidly would encounter these receptors more often. If the molecules are sluggish and not as ‘social,’ they may never come into contact with the cells.” Researchers applied the IKVAV-PA liquid to some of the injuries, while others received a control without the active molecules. In treated samples, the liquid quickly formed a gel-like scaffold and the molecules began signaling nerve cells to regenerate. The results were clear. Organoids receiving the treatment showed far less scarring and inflammation than the control group and significantly more nerve regrowth. “After applying our therapy, the glial scar faded significantly to become barely detectable, and we saw neurites growing, resembling the axon regeneration we saw in animals,” Stupp said. “This is validation that our therapy has a good chance of working in humans.” Spinal cord injuries often result in paralysis because damaged nerve cells in the central nervous system struggle to regenerate. Scar tissue poses another barrier, making it difficult for new axons to form and reconnect. Mouse studies provided early evidence that the IKVAV-PA material could overcome both problems, but organoids offer a way to test the concept directly in human tissue without risking patient safety. “One of the most exciting aspects of organoids is that we can use them to test new therapies in human tissue,” Stupp said. “Short of a clinical trial, it’s the only way you can achieve this objective.” Despite the promising results, the treatment is still years from being ready for human trials. For now, the findings strengthen the case for further development of regenerative therapies that could one day help people with spinal cord injuries. The study appears in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Read More

Uk Farm Enlists Volunteers to Move Cows, Creating Unique Community Tradition

A farm in the UK has turned a simple cow move into a community event, swapping out trailers and barriers for human volunteers who line the roads and guide the herd from field to field. Clairval Organic Dairy Farm began trying this approach two years ago, calling for help every couple of months when it needs to shift its cows across different grazing areas in St Saviour. The idea came from fifth-generation farmer Zoe Marshall, who said they usually rely on 20 to 30 volunteers to block off roads and paths as the cows jog their way to fresh grass. She said the practice is far from standard in farming but has quickly become essential to making the moves safe and manageable. “One day we tried to do it with just us and it was chaos, cows jumped, you know, field walls, everything,” she said. Without a cattle trailer of their own, she said they decided to test out the volunteer idea and “it worked and we’ve sort of run with it from there.” Marshall said the volunteers tend to be adults and many return regularly. Some even end up on a waiting list. “They love it, and it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure for them,” she said. Bad weather can thin out the crowd, but on good days there are more hands than the farm can use. The most recent herding happened because one field had become too muddy. Marshall said the next move will take the cows to their final stop before many of them calve. The farm expects about 30 births in the next year, with four cows already due “any minute now” and eight more expected this summer. Her family has worked the land since the late 1800s, raising what she describes as a herd of “100 percent original population.” She said the attachment runs deep. “Jersey cows are as magnificent as the rest of the world thinks, and they’re our babies, they’re our absolute world, they’re family to us.” That connection became especially clear during Storm Goretti in January, which she described as “one of the longest nights” spent looking after the cattle. Bringing in volunteers, she said, helps people understand that sense of responsibility. “I think it’s really very important that we get to share that with other people.” At the latest gathering, more than 30 volunteers showed up. Among them were Ash and two friends who work corporate jobs and wanted to do something “different” on a Saturday morning. They said they love animals and liked the idea of trying something new. Karina, another volunteer, called it an “excellent” experience with a strong community feel. “Traffic jams with cows is very Jersey,” she joked. Neville, who came from local charity Les Amis, said the event was “really exciting.” Carer Sammy said it was a new experience for the group. “A couple of them were quite worried about patting them, but they got stuck in and they really enjoyed it,” she said. Teacher Michaela Byrne, who spends weekends helping at the farm, said she originally arrived only to feed baby cows. “I never left,” she said. She described the moves as “chaotic but amazing that everyone can come up and help.” For Byrne, the joy comes from watching people interact with the animals and discover what the farm does. “It’s just a beautiful experience for everybody and it’s exciting and they get to see what we’re all up to.” Her advice for families thinking about joining in was simple: “Get your children in a pair of welly boots, get them out there. It’s just a bit of mud, they’ll be fine, let them experience everything.”

Read More