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Mindfulness With Step Tracking Can Boost Your Exercise Drive, New Study
A groundbreaking study from the Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change at the University of Bath has uncovered an exciting new approach to boosting exercise motivation. By combining step tracking with mindfulness training delivered through a mobile app, researchers have discovered a powerful way to inspire people to move more. Lead researcher Dr Masha Remskar explained, "Our findings show that even short-term mindfulness training combined with step-tracking can make people want to move more, which could have lasting benefits." The study, published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity, involved 109 adults in England who were not meeting recommended activity levels. Over 30 days, participants aimed for 8,000 steps a day using a basic tracker. Half of them also followed a daily mindfulness program via a mobile app. By the end of the month, both groups had increased their physical activity levels. Participants in the mindfulness group showed an average increase of approximately 373 minutes of moderate exercise per week, compared to 297 minutes per week for those in the steps-only group. Dr Remskar highlighted the significance of intentions in driving future behavior change: "Intentions are one of the strongest predictors of future behavior. Adding a mindfulness component to step-tracking seems to help people mentally commit to being more active." The research team is now focused on refining these tools to make them even more engaging and effective for individuals looking to boost their physical activity levels. Future studies will explore whether the motivational benefits observed in this study translate into sustained behavior change over time. This innovative study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and offers promising insights into how combining technology with mindfulness can inspire healthier habits.
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AI Model Hits 100% Accuracy Sorting Plastics — and Could Revolutionize Recycling
A new study suggests that artificial intelligence could finally fix one of recycling’s biggest flaws: misidentifying plastics. Researchers say a deep learning model has now achieved perfect accuracy in sorting some of the most common types of plastic waste — even in tough, real-world conditions. Globally, 496 million tons of plastic are produced each year, and more than half — 267 million tons — is wasted. That’s about the weight of 3.4 million adult blue whales. In the U.S. alone, nearly 40 million tons of plastic are thrown away each year, but only 5% is actually recycled. One of the biggest bottlenecks is sorting. Different plastics — like PET, HDPE, PVC, and polypropylene — can look and feel similar, especially when they’re dirty, dyed, or contain additives. That often leads to “downcycling,” where materials are reused in lower-quality products instead of being fully recycled. To tackle that, researchers from Washington and Puerto Rico combined spectroscopy — a technique that uses light to identify materials — with convolutional neural networks (CNNs), the same kind of AI behind many image recognition tools. The model was trained on Raman scattering spectroscopy data and hit 100% accuracy in identifying six common consumer plastics. When the same model was tested using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, a method more common in industrial settings, it still scored 95% accuracy. Crucially, the AI also worked well on degraded samples and colored or additive-filled plastics, which are typically harder to sort. In real-world recycling conditions, it correctly identified marine debris, deteriorated plastic, and blended materials. "The CNN-based model's ability to effectively identify a wide array of plastic waste types and conditions represents a significant practical advancement for real-world applications," the researchers wrote in the journal Resources, Conservation, and Recycling. Current recycling facilities rely on mechanical sorting methods that are often slow, imprecise, or expensive to scale. But the team’s model requires relatively little computing power, meaning it could be integrated into high-volume sorting operations where speed and cost matter. Better sorting could go a long way. Plastic bottles can take 450 years to degrade. Straws last around 200 years. Most plastic waste ends up in landfills, oceans, or breaks down into microplastics that pollute air and soil — and eventually make their way into the human body. On top of that, the plastic industry relies heavily on fossil fuels. Producing plastic accounts for around 3% of the world’s climate pollution. And the problem keeps growing. While this AI breakthrough is a major step, the study's authors emphasize it's not a silver bullet. Reducing plastic production and use is still essential. But in tandem with other new approaches — like chemical recycling, plastic-eating microbes, and new materials that break down more easily — smarter sorting could help close the loop on the global plastic crisis.
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Middle Schoolers Open 25-Year-Old Time Capsule — and Get a Crash Course in the Year 2000
Students at Wendover Middle School in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, got a blast from the past when they opened a time capsule sealed shut since the year 2000. Inside? A collection of magazines, toys, tech gadgets, and pop culture relics that left today's students both fascinated and a little confused. "I'm seeing a lot of magazines, especially Britney Spears. That's what I'm most interested in," said Charlotte Airgood, a student in the class of 2030. The time capsule was originally tucked behind a wall for safekeeping, surviving multiple school renovations along the way. Now, 25 years later, it’s giving today’s kids a chance to experience a completely different era. One item that especially stood out? A floppy disk. “My parents have told me about it. They ask me trivia questions about it sometimes,” student Rylan Steininger told WTAE. “This is my first time seeing it in real life.” Other throwback finds included a cassette player and stacks of early-2000s magazines — all reminders of how much has changed over a single generation. The capsule was organized by Bobbi Springer, an eighth-grade special education teacher who was on staff when it was originally created. She said the project serves a bigger purpose than just showing off old tech. “Everyone leaves something behind — and everyone matters,” she told WTAE. School officials echoed the message in a statement after the unveiling. “The time capsule brought pieces of history to life and inspired today’s students to think about how they can leave their own mark in time,” they said, calling the experience “a truly special moment for our school.”
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Scientists Discover Enzyme That Could Be Key to Slowing Brain Aging and Alzheimer’s
A new study has identified an enzyme that may hold the key to stopping the brain’s aging process and halting the progression of Alzheimer’s disease — without damaging healthy brain cells. Researchers from the University of New Mexico and the University of Tennessee say that the enzyme, known as OTULIN, not only regulates inflammation across the body but also appears to control genes linked to neurodegeneration. Their findings, recently published in Genomic Psychiatry, suggest that blocking OTULIN could completely shut off production of tau, a protein widely believed to drive Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. “Pathological tau is the main player for both brain aging and neurodegenerative disease,” said molecular geneticist Karthikeyan Tangavelou of the University of New Mexico. “If you stop tau synthesis by targeting OTULIN in neurons, you can restore a healthy brain and prevent brain aging.” The team conducted experiments on human tissue cultures, including neurons derived from healthy stem cells and those from donors with Alzheimer’s. In both cases, OTULIN and tau were more active in the Alzheimer’s-affected neurons. When OTULIN was blocked, tau levels dropped. When OTULIN was removed entirely, tau disappeared — with no apparent harm to the neurons. That last part is key. Many proposed Alzheimer’s treatments run into problems when trying to eliminate tau or beta-amyloid buildup, because the treatments either fail to reach their target or damage healthy cells in the process. But in this study, removing OTULIN didn’t appear to negatively affect neuron health. Still, it’s not quite ready for clinical trials. Both OTULIN and tau serve important functions elsewhere in the body, and researchers say any potential therapy would need to be carefully managed to avoid unintended effects. “We discovered OTULIN’s function in neurons,” said Tangavelou. “We don’t know how OTULIN functions in other cell types in the brain.” In addition to its role in tau production, OTULIN seems to affect dozens of other genes related to inflammation, suggesting it could also be influencing neuron stress and wear-and-tear that come with aging. The team used RNA sequencing to track these broader effects. When OTULIN was silenced, many of the genes tied to inflammation also shifted their behavior — another sign that this enzyme may be a master regulator of brain health. Scientists have long known that OTULIN helps manage cellular waste, including excess proteins like tau. But until now, its role in controlling tau production directly wasn't clear. When OTULIN malfunctions, these waste systems break down, and the toxic protein buildup associated with Alzheimer's begins to pile up. “This is a great opportunity to develop many projects for further research to reverse brain aging and have a healthy brain,” Tangavelou said. While the idea of targeting OTULIN as a therapy is still in its early days, the discovery opens a new and unexpected door in the search for more effective Alzheimer’s treatments — one that could eventually lead to interventions that prevent the disease before it starts.
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Wayback Wednesday: How Happy Days Boosted the Popularity of the Heimlich Maneuver
Anson Williams, best known for playing Potsie Weber on Happy Days, says the iconic sitcom didn’t just deliver laughs — it helped save lives. In a Facebook post shared earlier this month, the 76-year-old actor credited the show’s success with bringing national attention to the Heimlich maneuver, the now-famous first aid technique used to help choking victims. "My Uncle, Dr. Heimlich, created the Heimlich Maneuver," Williams wrote. "Happy Days is a major reason for its success. It’s a long story, but the creators and cast of Happy Days have helped save more lives than any other program in history!" The life-saving technique was developed in 1974 by thoracic surgeon Dr. Henry J. Heimlich, Williams’ second cousin — though the actor affectionately refers to him as “uncle.” It uses abdominal thrusts to clear the airway and has become a standard part of emergency training around the world. While the medical breakthrough came from Dr. Heimlich, it was Williams who played a key role in helping to get the word out. During the show’s peak popularity in the 1970s, Williams used his Hollywood connections to help secure Heimlich an appearance on The Merv Griffin Show, bringing the maneuver into millions of American households. Williams starred on Happy Days for all 11 seasons, alongside castmates Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, and Don Most. The show, which aired from 1974 to 1984, followed a tight-knit group of friends in 1950s and 60s Midwest America and became a cultural touchstone. In a 2025 episode of the 9021OMG podcast, Williams opened up about the lifelong friendships formed during filming, crediting much of that to the late creator and producer Garry Marshall. “It's just been a wonderful friendship. And just to have that kind of friendship that many years? It's pretty unique,” Williams said. “But that has a lot to do with Garry Marshall, our mentor… he really cared about us, not just as a showrunner, but as young people because we didn't know much.” Dr. Heimlich passed away in 2016 at the age of 96. At the time of his invention, he was serving as the director of surgery at Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati. Today, the Heimlich maneuver remains one of the most well-known emergency responses in the world. As for Williams, he’s proud of how Happy Days played a part — even indirectly — in making that possible.
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America’s Favorite Eagle Pair Lays Second Egg in Closely Watched California Nest
Millions of eagle watchers got something new to cheer about this week after Jackie the bald eagle laid a second egg at her Southern California nest — a key moment in the now-famous nesting season that’s playing out live on camera. The egg, laid Monday evening at 5:09 p.m., was announced by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley, who operate a livestream of Jackie and her mate Shadow’s nest. The group gave a precise breakdown of the timeline: “Egg #2 is here! Jackie laid the 2nd egg of the season at 17:09:24,” the organization wrote. “The process started at approximately 16:57:08.” Located in Big Bear Valley, the nest has become one of the most closely followed bald eagle habitats in the country. Thousands tune in each day to watch the birds eat, rest, defend their nest, and now, incubate eggs. But incubation doesn’t start right away. As the nonprofit explained, “Bald Eagles practice delayed incubation,” a strategy that helps the eggs hatch closer together. “Since Jackie consistently lays eggs 3 days apart, this process slows the development of the first egg(s) laid, so hatching will occur closer together,” they added. That means a third egg could still be on the way. “Only Jackie knows for sure, so we will continue to observe and see what unfolds,” the group said. The nesting season began with the first egg’s arrival on January 23. According to the livestream update, “At 16:22 cam time, Jackie showed the first signs she was in labor with her first egg. She stood up at 16:27 and laid the egg at 16:32:24 cam time.” Her mate, Shadow, returned to the nest a few minutes later. “Shadow came in briefly at 16:41:30 and saw the egg!” Since then, the pair has shared duties at the nest, including nest maintenance and food deliveries. In one update posted earlier this week, the group described how Shadow returned with food. “Shadow landed just inches from Jackie’s beak with the fish in his talons,” they wrote. “As she was thanking him with her softer vocals, she sweetly accepted it and happily ate every bite.” There have also been tense moments. “A hawk came swooping down at Jackie, in a possible attempt to knock her off the branch,” the nonprofit reported. “She fended it off using her wings and vocals and the hawk flew away.” These kinds of interactions are part of why the livestream has built such a loyal following. Viewers not only get a rare, up-close look at a bald eagle nest, but also witness the highs and lows of nesting season in real time. And for fans of Jackie and Shadow, there’s more to come. “Jackie and Shadow will take turns caring for the eggs and they should continue with nest deliveries such as fish, sticks and fluff,” Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote in an email to Fox News Digital. “We will see if Jackie lays another egg this week.” Even when the parents aren’t on the nest, there’s no need to worry. “In the coming days, you may see Jackie and Shadow stand next to or over the eggs, and they may even leave them tucked snug and safe in their nest bowls while they look on from another tree close by. It is all normal.” Jackie and Shadow’s growing fame comes as public interest in bald eagles continues to rise. Long seen as a symbol of strength and freedom, the bald eagle has been America’s national emblem since 1782. But in 2024, Congress formally codified it as the official national bird — a move that has brought even more attention to eagle conservation and nesting behavior. According to the American Eagle Foundation, bald eagles usually lay one to three eggs per year. The eggs hatch roughly 34 to 40 days after incubation begins, and both parents help keep them warm and safe. For now, eagle fans across the country — and the world — will be keeping a close watch on Jackie and Shadow’s next moves. “Thank you for being a part of Jackie & Shadow’s adventure!” Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote. “We will continue to observe and see what unfolds.”
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Buddhist Monks Surpass Halfway Mark Of 'Peace Walk' Despite Snow And Freezing Temps
In late October, a group of 19 Buddhist monks and their canine companion set off from Fort Worth, Texas, on a 2,300-mile journey to Washington, D.C., carrying a simple message: peace, unity, and healing. They’re calling it the Peace Walk. Now more than halfway through, the monks recently crossed into North Carolina — just in time to be greeted by a powerful winter storm that blanketed the region in snow and subzero wind chills. Still, the group pressed forward. “Our walk takes us through sun and rain, dry roads and wet, through snow and heat, through noise and silence,” the monks wrote on social media. “Some days are gentle. Some days test us. Some days surprise us with unexpected beauty or unexpected difficulty.” The group’s message isn’t just something they share — it’s something they live with every step. Most days they walk barefoot or with minimal footwear. They travel light. They sleep in churches and community centers. And they move slowly, pausing for conversation, reflection, and connection wherever they go. As the storm rolled through the Southeast, the monks adjusted. Though not barefoot in the snow, they were still walking. Photos show them bundled in scarves and hats, while their dog, Aloka — recovering from surgery — was kept warm and indoors as much as possible. Local supporters provided medical care, food, and shelter. Flowers, warm meals, and even reverent bows greeted them in towns large and small. Still, the storm forced them to pause their usual lunchtime visiting hours with the public. But their presence, and message, continued to ripple outward. In Raleigh, North Carolina, Governor Josh Stein declared January 24 as “Walk For Peace Day” in their honor. “We live in a time of partisan rancor and political discord,” Stein said at the Capitol. “In our heart of hearts, we don't want to feel on guard against our neighbors. We want to come together. Thank you for reminding us of that.” The monks responded with their own account of the day, reflecting on the contrast between the biting cold and the warmth of human kindness: “Today, in these harsh conditions, surrounded by white snow and biting cold, we saw something even more clearly: the warm faces of people who care,” they wrote. “Their kindness stood out against the frozen landscape like light in the darkness, reminding us why we walk, why it matters, why we keep going.” Their reflections often feel more like poetry than blog posts, reminding readers that peace is something found not in perfect conditions, but in presence and awareness. “This is the peace that lives beneath all circumstances — steady, quiet, unshakeable,” they wrote. “It doesn’t depend on perfect weather or smooth roads. It simply asks that we show up, breathe consciously, and meet whatever comes.” The monks plan to walk through at least 10 states before reaching Washington, D.C., where they’ll gather at the U.S. Capitol and share reflections with the public. Until then, they continue — one quiet step at a time — with Aloka by their side and thousands of supporters tracking their journey online. “This journey began with hope,” they wrote, “but you have given us something greater: The lived experience of human kindness.”
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She Got Rear-Ended by a 97-Year-Old — and Gained a Best Friend
What began as a fender bender turned into one of the sweetest friendships the internet has seen. Destiny Smith was leaving church in September 2024 when a car rear-ended her. When she got out to check, she found a 97-year-old man named Jim behind the wheel — and immediately sensed something was off. Jim had no insurance, no driver’s license, and had clearly been struggling on the road. “But honestly, I was just really worried because he was swerving everywhere,” Smith shared on TikTok. “And then after he hit me, I got out and asked him if he was okay.” He told her he was — just trying to get home. After they talked more, Smith learned Jim lived alone, with no nearby family and no one regularly checking in on him. “Who helps you?” she asked. His answer: “Nobody.” That stuck with her. So she made him a promise: she’d come by and check up on him. And she did. The accident sparked a series of TikTok updates on Smith’s account (@iamdonshay) that quickly went viral. As more people followed the story, many pitched in to help. Thanks to donations, Jim received essentials like a more comfortable mattress topper, and Smith coordinated with a local social worker to ensure he’d get regular in-home care. Nurses were soon assigned to visit Jim, and Destiny remained a steady presence — taking him to lunch, celebrating his birthday, and just showing up to say hi. “He’s 97,” Smith explained in one video. “He’s outlived a lot of his family members. His brother and wife recently passed, and they never had kids. He’s really sweet.” Viewers have embraced the unlikely friendship, calling her Jim’s “new granddaughter” and “heaven-sent.” One person wrote, “You are such a kind person 🥺❤️this has me tearing up,” while another added, “You are literally changing his life.” Their connection became a source of joy online, with viewers hooked on their hilarious, heartwarming exchanges — like the time Smith visited to share that she had moved just two minutes away. Jim’s sleepy response? “Okay… some other time,” before flashing a big smile and telling her he loved her. But by the end of last year, Smith shared a new update: Jim had been temporarily moved into a nursing home. Although she hasn’t been able to visit him directly, she stays in close contact with his sister-in-law and checks in regularly. They're hopeful Jim will return to his home soon. “I try to visit her at least once a week to check on her,” Smith told her followers. “We believe Jim will be home soon! 🥰” From a minor accident to an unforgettable bond, Destiny and Jim’s friendship is a reminder of what can happen when someone chooses compassion over frustration — and follows through.
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A Nova Scotia Animal Shelter is Celebrating After an Unprecedented Surge In Pet Adoptions
It’s not often you walk into an animal shelter and find nothing but empty cages. But at Bide Awhile Animal Shelter in Nova Scotia, that’s exactly what’s happening — and it’s a problem they’re more than happy to have. “It’s crazy to say but today we actually have no one available for adoption,” said Sam Cole, the shelter’s communications and marketing coordinator, in an interview with CTV News. “Everyone is either adopted and waiting for their veterinary health certificate.” In just the first few weeks of January, the shelter has adopted out 30 animals — and demand isn’t slowing down. Listings for available pets are getting scooped up so quickly that many don’t even last a full day on the shelter’s website. “The majority are adopted the same day they’re posted,” said Cole. What’s even more remarkable is that it’s not just the typical kittens or puppies flying out the door. Older animals, those with medical issues, and even senior pets — who traditionally stay longer in shelters — are getting adopted within hours of being made available. “Last year around this time, adult cats and senior cats or cats with medical complications were staying in the shelter a little bit longer than your average kitten that is quickly scooped up by a fun-loving family,” Cole explained. “But this year we are not even seeing that.” The shelter saw strong demand last year as well, with over 500 pets adopted in 2023 — an average of more than 40 a month. At one point, the waitlist just for the next available kitten hit 300 people. In response, Bide Awhile switched from an online waitlist system to walk-in visits to better handle the volume. Now, staff are encouraging hopeful adopters to check the shelter’s website before heading over, just to be sure there’s still someone available. For three days in a row, the line has reportedly stretched out the door before they’ve even opened at 9 a.m. “There aren’t many businesses that look good with barren shelves,” one staffer joked, “but this shelter is certainly an exception.” With no animals currently available and a community eager to welcome them into their homes, Bide Awhile is celebrating what it hopes is a long-lasting trend — one where every animal finds a family.
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Mom Who Gave Birth at 24 Weeks and Survived Double Lung Transplant Returns to Thank Hospital Staff
Aimee, a 37-year-old mother from Rotherham, has returned to Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge with her daughter to thank the staff who saved both their lives after a traumatic year that saw her give birth at 24 weeks, suffer a cardiac arrest, and undergo a double lung transplant. “It was a real breath-taking moment,” Aimee said of the first time she held her daughter Jessica. “Having that spark between us, I think, was the turning point for me.” Just a year earlier, Aimee had been living an active life as a professional dancer. But in February, she went to A&E in Nottingham struggling to breathe. She assumed it was a mild illness. Doctors initially treated her for pneumonia, but further scans revealed significant abnormalities in her lungs. She also learned she was three weeks pregnant. Because of the pregnancy, some of the testing and treatment was delayed — and her condition worsened. Eventually, she was transferred to Royal Papworth Hospital, where specialist teams from both Papworth and the Rosie Maternity Hospital in Cambridge coordinated her care. Doctors aimed to carry the pregnancy as long as possible, but while Aimee was in critical care at 24 weeks, she went into premature labour. Jessica was born weighing just 705 grams — about the same as two cans of soup. “It was an emergency in the sense of we needed to deliver baby Jessica in a safe way and making sure we had everybody together,” said Catherine Barlow, lead midwife for maternal medicine in the East of England. “Once the decision had been made, we had the appropriate people and equipment here within two hours.” Aimee said the aftermath of the emergency Caesarean was terrifying. “I knew I had a baby but I did not know where she was,” she said. Days later, her condition took a sharp turn. Aimee went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated. She was placed on ECMO — the most advanced form of life support — and added urgently to the transplant list. She received a double lung transplant shortly after. Recovery was slow and intense. Aimee had to relearn how to eat and walk before she was discharged in September. Jessica, meanwhile, stayed in the NICU at The Rosie before being moved to Doncaster Royal Infirmary to be closer to her mum. “She was such a fighter,” Aimee said. “You could tell she had the fight to survive. She still has that fight now.” Doctors later discovered that Aimee carries a gene variant that may have been triggered by the pneumonia, contributing to her lung failure. On Tuesday, Aimee and Jessica returned to Royal Papworth to reunite with the staff who had cared for them through their ordeal. “Even in the scariest moments, I always felt safe,” Aimee said. “When I couldn’t speak or move, the nurses still made me feel human – washing my hair, putting on moisturiser, talking to me, reassuring me.” For Barlow, seeing Jessica again was emotional. “When I last saw her, she was absolutely tiny and would have fitted into my hands,” she said. “It’s really nice to see her looking so healthy and well.” Now back home, Aimee says both she and her daughter are doing well — and she’s deeply thankful to the team who gave them both a second chance.
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Scientists Create a New Type of Ice — at Room Temperature
When most people think of ice, they picture cubes in a drink or the frozen sheets of Antarctica. But in the lab, frozen water is far more complex — with researchers now identifying more than 20 different forms of ice. The latest addition is called Ice XXI, and it’s unlike anything most of us have ever seen. Created by a team of scientists under intense pressure using a high-tech device known as a dynamic diamond anvil cell (dDAC), Ice XXI can form at room temperature — a remarkable twist in how we usually understand water’s behavior. At the heart of the experiment was a deceptively simple goal: squeeze water until something new happens. The team used two diamonds to exert more than 2 gigapascals of pressure on liquid water (that’s about 20,000 times atmospheric pressure), forcing it to stay liquid at room temperature. Then, by slowly releasing that pressure while monitoring the changes with ultra-fast X-ray lasers, they witnessed the water crystallize into a new phase: Ice XXI. The X-rays snapped images a million times per second, capturing what researchers described as a complex and previously unknown crystallization pathway. Ice XXI appeared briefly during the transformation into a known phase called Ice VI. “Ice behaves in fantastical ways under pressure compared with the water we’re used to,” wrote physicist Jonas Sellberg of Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Nature Materials. Though not involved in the study, Sellberg noted the new research uncovers “hidden valleys” in water’s phase diagram — pathways that may hold clues to the behavior of water across the solar system. While Ice XXI is unlikely to form naturally on Earth, it may exist on other worlds. Some of our solar system’s icy moons — including Jupiter’s Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, as well as Saturn’s Titan and Enceladus — are thought to have deep layers of high-pressure ice beneath their frozen crusts. According to Yun-Hee Lee, lead author of the study, the density of Ice XXI matches what’s predicted in these extreme environments. “This discovery may provide new clues for exploring the origins of life under extreme conditions in space,” Lee said. Water is known to behave strangely under pressure, taking on different crystalline forms depending on the surrounding environment. Ice VI, for example, forms at pressures over 0.96 GPa, even at room temperature. But the route it takes to get there — the precise steps as molecules rearrange themselves — is still an active area of research. Physicist Ashkan Salamat of the University of Nevada, who wasn’t involved in the project, said the research shows how important high-speed observation can be. “Looking at things at a very, very fast rate allows us to observe weird and wonderful phenomena,” he told Scientific American. Ice XXI’s internal structure, based on X-ray images, is surprisingly complex. Its repeating unit cell — the smallest structural building block of a crystal — is shaped like a rectangular prism with a square base, larger and more intricate than typical ice. For now, Ice XXI is a fleeting visitor, created only under the controlled pressures of a lab. But in the search for life and habitability beyond Earth, even brief glimpses of what water can become are valuable. After all, when it comes to the building blocks of life, few things are as deceptively simple — or as full of surprises — as H₂O.