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The First U.S. Woman In Space Is Being Honored With A Historic Monument
A bronze statue of Sally Ride, the first U.S. woman in space, opened at the Cradle of Aviation museum in New York last week. The seven-foot-tall statue is the first public monument dedicated to a female astronaut in the country. Ride was also the youngest American to make the journey into space in 1983 at just 32-years old. At the time of her death in 2012, she also became the first acknowledged LGBTQ2+ NASA astronaut.
Score (97)
Solar And Wind Surge Past Fossil Fuels As Fastest-Growing Energy Sources, Says U.N. Report
The world is moving faster than ever toward a cleaner energy future — and now, there’s data to prove it. A new United Nations report finds that solar and wind power are not only the fastest-growing sources of electricity in history, but that currently announced solar and battery projects are more than enough to meet the 2030 target of tripling global renewable energy capacity. According to the report, clean energy is leaving fossil fuels in the dust. In 2023, 96% of new solar and onshore wind projects offered lower electricity costs than new coal or gas plants. That affordability has turbocharged the shift away from fossil fuels. By 2024, renewables made up nearly 93% of all new electricity capacity added worldwide, and 74% of the increase in actual energy production. Since 2015, solar and wind capacity has surged by around 140%. Fossil fuels, by contrast, have grown just 16% over the same period. "We stand at a unique and defining moment in history," the report stated, highlighting that global fossil fuel and renewable capacities are now nearly equal. Electric vehicle adoption is accelerating in parallel. In 2024, over 17 million EVs were sold, making up more than 20% of the global auto market — another sign that clean technologies have entered a phase of rapid, irreversible growth. The shift is also reshaping global economies. Investments in clean energy hit over $2 trillion in 2024. Jobs in renewables reached nearly 35 million the year before, and the sector added $320 billion to the global economy in 2023, accounting for about 10% of GDP growth. And the benefits go far beyond economics. Health experts have long warned about the dangers of fossil fuel pollution, which is linked to heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, asthma, and other chronic illnesses. As more countries adopt renewables, air quality is expected to improve significantly, particularly in areas heavily dependent on coal and oil. The clean energy transition could also change life for the nearly 800 million people who still live without reliable electricity. The U.N. report notes that 80% of those people live in rural areas, where off-grid solar and small-scale wind systems offer a cheaper, faster alternative to expanding fossil-fuel-based grids. Investor interest is shifting too. As fossil fuel stocks lose momentum, climate-focused funds and clean energy companies are seeing increased backing, driven by falling costs and long-term returns. "This is not just a shift in power. It is a shift in possibility," said U.N. Secretary‑General António Guterres in a statement. “There are no price spikes for sunlight, no embargoes on wind. Renewables mean real energy security, real energy sovereignty, and real freedom from fossil-fuel volatility.” With economics, technology, public health, and climate goals all aligning, the report paints a clear picture: clean energy is no longer a fringe option. It’s the new global standard — and it’s already reshaping the future.
Score (96)
Texas Startup Raises $5.5M For Revolutionary Solar Towers That Produce 50% More Energy
A Texas-based startup wants to turn solar energy on its side — literally. Janta Power, based in Dallas, has raised $5.5 million in seed funding to scale up its solar power towers, a vertical, space-saving alternative to traditional solar farms. The funding round was led by MaC Venture Capital, with additional backing from Collab Capital. It’s a sign of growing investor confidence in 3D solar systems that promise to reshape how renewable energy is produced and distributed. Instead of laying out solar panels flat across rooftops or fields, Janta’s system stacks them vertically into compact towers that rotate to track the Sun. The result: more sunlight captured throughout the day, using far less land. “Think of it as the solar version of a skyscraper,” the company says. “More power from less ground space.” Each tower uses smart tracking software to follow the Sun’s movement from sunrise to sunset. That means instead of peaking only at noon like flat-panel systems, the towers maintain a steadier energy output across the entire day — including early mornings and late afternoons, when traditional arrays tend to underperform. The efficiency gains are significant. According to Janta, its towers generate about 50 percent more electricity while using only one-third of the land that flat-panel systems require. They’re also built to endure harsh conditions, with steel frames designed to withstand winds up to 170 miles per hour. Pilot installations are already operating at major airports, including Munich International, Dallas-Fort Worth International, and several facilities managed by Aena, the Spanish airport authority that oversees more than 70 sites worldwide. Beyond the design, the numbers tell a compelling story. Janta says its system achieves a capacity factor of 32 percent — much higher than the roughly 22 percent typical for flat-panel solar. That efficiency helps lower the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) to around $0.05 per kilowatt-hour, well below the global average of $0.15. For industries like data centers, universities, and telecoms — where round-the-clock, stable power is critical — the appeal is clear. But Janta’s pitch extends beyond major infrastructure. Because the towers are compact, they can fit into tight urban spaces, airport perimeters, or industrial zones that can’t accommodate sprawling solar farms. That could help bring cleaner power to local grids and reduce strain on backup systems. Janta isn’t the first company to explore vertical solar, but its combination of pivoting architecture, smart tracking, and durability is gaining traction at a time when land use, cost efficiency, and grid reliability are increasingly urgent concerns. The company’s seed round will fund expansion and new deployments, as well as refine its tracking software and modular tower designs for easier installation in varied environments. With demand for renewable energy soaring — and cities searching for more efficient ways to generate it — Janta’s vertical approach could offer a new blueprint. Its founders believe this is just the beginning. If we can rethink the shape of solar power, what else in energy infrastructure might be redesigned for a smarter, more sustainable future?
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Score (92)
How Africa's Rising Influence is Shining at the Grammys
African music isn’t knocking on the door anymore. It’s inside, center stage, and setting the tone. The 2026 Grammy nominations have made that undeniable, with artists from across the continent grabbing nods in some of the most competitive categories in music. From Burna Boy and Davido to Ayra Starr, Wizkid, Tyla, Eddy Kenzo and Youssou N’Dour, this year’s nominees reflect a creative powerhouse that’s no longer just influencing global pop — it’s actively reshaping it. The African music wave has moved well past novelty or niche; it’s become a dominant force in the mainstream. That’s most visible in the categories themselves. The Grammys introduced the Best African Music Performance category in 2024, a long-overdue recognition of the continent’s output. But this year, the bigger story is how many African artists are also nominated outside of it. They’re showing up in the Global Music Album, Pop, and even General Field categories — a signal that their influence can’t be boxed in. In the last five years, African genres have made a sharp leap from fringe to front page. Amapiano, with its rolling basslines and log drum rhythms, has transformed global dance floors. Afrobeats, already a staple in West Africa, now shapes pop production from Los Angeles to London. East African sounds are rising fast on streaming platforms, and legends from Mali, Benin and Senegal remain fixtures in global music conversations. It’s not just the sound that’s changed — it’s who’s calling the shots behind the scenes. African representation inside the Recording Academy, the body behind the Grammys, is growing. Nigerian superstars like Davido and industry leaders including Ghana’s Richie Mensah, Kenya’s Eric Wainaina and Nigeria’s Samson Jikeme were recently inducted as voting members. That means more African voices are shaping what gets nominated and, ultimately, what wins. Their presence matters. It brings African perspectives into the decision-making process — a space that has often been criticized for being too US-centric. Now, artists from the continent aren’t just guests at the party, they’re helping organize it. The recognition also reflects deeper industry changes. African artists aren’t just exporting singles anymore, they’re exporting entire ecosystems. Local labels are striking international distribution deals. Managers and producers are building global rosters. Streaming platforms have opened new markets, making it easier for African artists to find fans — and stages — far beyond home. The commercial impact is real. A Grammy nomination can lead to headline slots at festivals, brand endorsements, media coverage and a spike in streams. For the artists, it’s visibility. For the industry around them, it’s leverage. What also stands out in 2026 is the mix of veterans and fresh voices. Burna Boy and Wizkid have already carved out space as global icons. But newer artists like Tyla, who broke through with her sultry blend of R&B and Amapiano, and Ayra Starr, whose bold sound and visuals have made her a Gen Z favourite, are expanding the map of what African pop looks like. And fans aren’t waiting for award shows to validate them. African artists routinely top TikTok trends, spark viral dance challenges, and drive YouTube numbers into the millions. The Grammys are only now catching up to what listeners have known for years — Africa is where the future of pop is being written. This moment isn’t a blip. It’s a shift. African artists are no longer asking for a seat at the table; they’re helping redesign it. From Lagos to Nairobi, Johannesburg to Dakar, the sound of the continent is global now — and the world is finally listening.
Score (97)
Farmers are Uncovering a Surprising Advantage Of Solar Panels On Croplands
A growing number of Midwest farmers are planting their crops beneath solar panels, as part of a rising trend called agrivoltaics—a farming model that combines agriculture with solar energy to conserve resources, reduce costs, and boost resilience in a changing climate. In Kearney, Missouri, longtime farmer Linda Hezel has turned to solar to protect her crops from scorching heat. She grows herbs, vegetables, and produce under an array of 18 solar panels raised eight feet off the ground. The shade helps shield the plants from increasingly intense summer temperatures, allowing her to continue supplying fresh ingredients to restaurants in Kansas City. “I have observed over the 30 years here, the heating of this landscape is making it more difficult for some plants to thrive and even survive,” Hezel told KBIA radio. She learned the hard way during the 2012 drought, when a failed harvest forced her to grow crops beneath a pine tree just to keep them alive. Now, with her solar array in place, she’s seeing better results—and fewer crop losses. Hezel’s experience is part of a larger shift. Across the Midwest, farmers and solar companies are teaming up to find creative ways to share land. In many cases, farmers grow food between solar panel rows in exchange for managing the vegetation—saving solar operators from having to pay for mowing and maintenance. For new and small-scale farmers, especially those from underrepresented communities, the model is opening doors. KaZoua Berry, a first-generation farmer in Minnesota, grew up planting food with her family in a rented community garden. Today, she’s the farm director at The Food Group, a nonprofit that supports beginner farmers. One of the biggest hurdles for her trainees: access to land. Partnering with local solar provider US Solar, Berry now oversees a pilot program that allows five farmers to cultivate crops at one of the company’s community solar sites—completely free. They grow between the panels, monitor the land, and check for equipment issues. “That was a really cool moment of like, OK, we're going somewhere with this,” Berry told KBIA, describing how well the crops thrived under the panels. US Solar’s director of project management, Peter Schmitt, believes the model could help shift rural perceptions about solar development. Many towns worry about losing fertile farmland to panels—but agrivoltaics can offer both. The company is also planting native wildflowers and grasses beneath some panels to attract pollinators and boost biodiversity. In other areas, sheep are allowed to graze—eliminating the need for machines while keeping the land productive. Stacie Peterson, executive director of the American Solar Grazing Association, said this kind of dual use—sometimes called “solar grazing”—is gaining popularity as a practical way for farmers to earn income without buying or leasing more land. For Berry, the promise of agrivoltaics goes beyond crops or kilowatts. “It should be a human right to be able to grow food,” she said. “They just need the resources.” With extreme weather on the rise and land access out of reach for many, partnerships like these could become a model for the future of both farming and clean energy—feeding communities while helping protect the planet.
Score (96)
Scientists Discover New Material That Surpasses Diamond's Strength
A group of scientists at the University of Houston says it’s time to rewrite the textbooks on heat transfer. Researchers at the Texas Center for Superconductivity have found that a little-known material, boron arsenide, can conduct heat even better than diamond — long considered the gold standard for thermal conductivity in isotropic materials. Their findings, published in Materials Today, mark what could be a turning point in thermal physics and semiconductor design. The team measured boron arsenide's thermal conductivity at more than 2,100 watts per meter per Kelvin (W/mK) — at room temperature. That’s higher than diamond’s long-accepted value of around 2,000 W/mK, and far above what earlier studies thought was possible for boron arsenide (BAs). “We trust our measurement; our data is correct and that means the theory needs correction,” said Zhifeng Ren, the study’s corresponding author and a physics professor at UH. “I’m not saying the theory is wrong, but an adjustment needs to be made to be consistent with the experimental data.” The breakthrough came from years of cross-institutional work involving UH, the University of California Santa Barbara, and Boston College. And it didn’t come easy. For more than a decade, boron arsenide had remained a promising material on paper, but real-world performance never matched up. The original hype started in 2013 when Boston College physicist David Broido and his colleagues predicted BAs might rival or even surpass diamond in thermal conductivity. But those hopes dimmed in 2017, when researchers updated their models to include a phenomenon known as four-phonon scattering, which reduced BAs’s theoretical conductivity down to roughly 1,360 W/mK. For a while, most researchers moved on. Ren’s team didn’t. They suspected the problem wasn’t the theory — or at least not only the theory — but the material itself. Most BAs crystals used in experiments had imperfections, which are known to block or scatter heat flow. Those defects capped performance around 1,300 W/mK, far below what theory had once promised. So the team went back to basics, developing a cleaner synthesis process using refined arsenic and better growth techniques. The result was a much purer crystal — and record-breaking numbers. Their best samples clocked in at over 2,100 W/mK, beating even the most optimistic projections. "This new material, it's so wonderful," said Ren. “It has the best properties of a good semiconductor, and a good thermal conductor — all sorts of good properties in one material. That has never happened in other semiconducting materials.” Boron arsenide’s value doesn’t stop at heat conduction. It also ticks several key boxes for next-generation electronics: it’s easier and cheaper to manufacture than diamond, works as a wide-bandgap semiconductor, and has a high carrier mobility — all of which are desirable traits for transistors, chips, and power electronics. Its thermal expansion rate also matches well with existing materials, reducing the risk of cracking or warping in composite devices. This makes it a promising candidate for applications that demand serious heat control, like smartphones, high-power electronics, and data centers. The work is part of a larger $2.8 million National Science Foundation project, led by Bolin Liao at UC Santa Barbara, with support from the University of Notre Dame, UC Irvine, and industrial partner Qorvo. Ren’s group at UH plans to keep pushing, refining the synthesis process even further to explore how much more performance can be squeezed out of BAs. More broadly, Ren hopes this discovery encourages scientists to challenge established models, especially when experimental results don't line up neatly with theory. “You shouldn’t let a theory prevent you from discovering something even bigger,” he said. “And this exactly happened in this work.” If the findings hold up under broader testing, boron arsenide could end up changing how devices are designed — and how physicists think about the limits of thermal performance.
Score (97)
American Hiker Completes Epic Journey with Unexpected Help from Canadian Snowmobilers
An American woman hiking nearly 6,000 kilometres from Mexico to northern British Columbia got an unexpected assist near the end of her five-month trek—from a group of longtime snowmobilers hanging out in a remote cabin. Jessica Guo had already walked for more than 150 days through some of North America’s toughest terrain when she arrived at Kakwa Provincial Park, the northern end of her journey. Her route included the entire Continental Divide Trail in the U.S. and the Great Divide Trail through the Canadian Rockies—a feat that only four people are known to have completed in one continuous trip. Guo is the first woman to do it. On Day 152 of her trip, Guo was hoping to meet her parents in Prince George, B.C. She planned to hike toward the city after reaching the northern terminus, but with rough, muddy roads and night approaching, she found herself in a tough spot. That’s when she came across a cabin in the woods. Inside were Greg Redmond and his friends Gary, Bob and Lee, members of the Kakwa Park Snowmobile Club. The group had been exploring the area since the 1980s, and they weren’t planning on leaving that night. “They said we don't really feel comfortable with you going out there in the dark like that. It's not a very good road, it's really rough. It's very muddy,” Guo told CBC's Radio West. “It's a lot of, like, steep banks and you're going to be sliding around in the dark — and then there's grizzly bears.” Instead of sending her off, the men offered Guo dinner and a place to sleep. The group didn’t initially realize how far she had come. Guo, who had started documenting her trip on social media and in a newsletter partway through the hike, showed Redmond some of her videos. “I showed [Greg] a couple of my videos and he said, 'Wow, you know, if I had seen those videos, I would have thought you were crazy. But now I know you, and I know you are definitely crazy,’” she laughed. Over the evening, they traded stories about the mountains, adventures in glaciers and ice caves, and their shared love of the outdoors—despite approaching it in very different ways. “When you are on trail, you realize that all the other people who are out there are out there for the same reasons that you are,” Guo said. “And maybe they might use the trail differently. So, for example, Greg is primarily a snowmobiler, but I'm mostly walking and hiking. But we both love the outdoors in the same way.” Redmond said the cabin had seen plenty of wild moments since he and his friends built it in the early 2000s, using supplies from nearby lumber mills. “It’s seen lots of animals. It’s seen grizzlies try to crawl up the wall of the cabin,” he said. “They come in, eat the gas cans in the spring.” The next morning, two of the men drove Guo as far as they could down the rugged trail, dropping her off 14 kilometres from her final meeting point with her parents. Her story has since inspired thousands. What began as a private challenge soon turned into something more public when Guo started posting updates. “I think it was also very gratifying to know that I had that kind of impact on other people's lives,” she said. “I've had so many people reach out to me saying that they have been inspired to go outside or go for a hike... I think that's been really special.”
Score (97)
Woman Accidentally Buys Emu Egg on eBay, Hatches Lifelong Dream
What started as a late-night online shopping spree turned into a prehistoric surprise for one woman in the UK—after she accidentally bought an emu egg on eBay and successfully hatched it. Rhi Evans from Gloucestershire says she has no memory of purchasing the £37 egg but woke up to an email confirmation. Unable to get a refund, and driven by a lifelong fascination with large birds, she decided to incubate it on her three-acre farm. “It looked like a dragon egg,” Evans said, describing the moment it arrived. She turned it daily for weeks, gave up when the due date passed—only to hear chirping from inside just as she was about to throw it out. Out hatched “Jonathan,” later revealed to be female. Now three years old and six feet tall, the emu lives on Evans’ land, cozying up under a heat lamp and roaming the fields. But Evans and experts alike warn that emus aren’t casual pets. “They can live up to 40 years, need tons of space, and can run up to 30 mph,” said Helen Goldman of West Country Emu Services. Evans has since banned herself from late-night shopping: “I dread to think what else I might buy. But I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Score (97)
Boston Mayor Joins Nova Scotia Tree-Cutting Ceremony, Says Tradition Stronger Than Politics
Wearing bright orange safety gear and gripping a chainsaw, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu helped cut down a 42-year-old white spruce in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia — a tree that will soon stand at the heart of Boston’s holiday celebrations. The tree, planted over four decades ago by Nova Scotians Ronald and Claire Feener, is the latest gift in a long-standing tradition that dates back more than a century. Every year, Nova Scotia sends a Christmas tree to Boston as thanks for the city’s rapid response to the 1917 Halifax Explosion — a devastating wartime blast that killed 2,000 people and injured thousands more. Wu is the first Boston mayor to attend the ceremonial tree cutting in person. “I wanted to be here to personally give thanks to the people of Nova Scotia,” she told reporters. “To keep this friendship and keep our relationship going strong.” Standing beside Cape Breton tree-felling instructor Waddie Long, Wu made the first cut into the 13.7-metre tree, which was then hoisted by crane onto a flatbed truck. The spruce will soon travel to Halifax for a parade before heading to Boston Common for a lighting ceremony on December 4. A tradition tested by politics The mood at the ceremony was warm and celebratory, but the backdrop wasn’t without tension. Wu admitted she had feared the tradition might not continue, citing strained relations between Canada and the United States in recent years. During his time in office, President Donald Trump imposed harsh tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and lumber, and repeatedly floated the idea of annexing Canada outright. “There were multiple moments where… I wondered if Nova Scotia was still going to want to continue this tradition,” Wu said. To clear the air, she called Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. “We had a lovely conversation and reaffirmed that this friendship dates back over a century and will continue on long after a particular presidential administration or regime.” That sentiment was echoed by many who gathered to watch the ceremony. “This is about the people of Boston who responded in mere hours and loaded a train for Halifax,” said Susan Corkum-Greek, MLA for Lunenburg. “There are always people beyond politics and ultimately the strength of people, I believe, prevails.” A deeply personal connection For Susan Calkins, a former Bostonian now living in Lunenburg, the tree’s journey has personal meaning. “For the past 20 years plus, I’ve been buying Christmas trees from Nova Scotia in the Boston area,” she said. “So now this is very special.” Her partner, Phil Hopfe, also originally from Boston, joked about the political divide, offering an open invitation: “I’d like to extend an invitation for New England to separate and join us here in the Maritimes,” he said. “It’s a wonderful province to be in.” As the tree was secured for transport, Waddie Long reminded everyone that the tradition is older and stronger than any current headlines. “We’ve been through many trying times,” he said. “This too will pass. It’s been 108 years. And we’re still saying thank you, Boston.” Mayor Wu closed her speech with a message that drew loud applause: “Boston refuses to bow down to chaos and cruelty, even when it’s coming from our own federal government.” Her message, like the tree itself, was clear: Some relationships aren’t about politics. They’re about people. And this one, rooted in gratitude and goodwill, keeps growing stronger.
Score (97)
A Rare California Plant Reappears After Nearly 70 Years — and it's a Big Win for Conservation
Botanists in California are celebrating the return of a plant many believed had vanished for good. The caper-fruited tropidocarpum, a rare mustard-family plant native to California, was recently rediscovered in the Vasco Hills Regional Preserve in Contra Costa County — nearly seven decades after it was last seen in its natural habitat. The find was made by a park botanist conducting a routine vegetation survey. Among the usual grasses, something unusual caught their eye. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a species many thought had been lost to development and invasive species. "It's the first of this species that has been found in a long time and specifically on conservancy property," said Michele Hammond, wildland botanist for the East Bay Regional Park District, in an interview with SFGate. "It says we're doing something right." The plant’s reappearance is more than a botanical curiosity — it’s a hopeful sign that conservation efforts are working. Long threatened by habitat loss and aggressive non-native grasses, the caper-fruited tropidocarpum had all but disappeared. Its sudden return suggests that efforts to protect and restore local grasslands are helping native species rebound. This particular plant isn’t just rare; it also plays a role in supporting local biodiversity, including pollinators and healthy soils. When a species like this returns, it signals a recovering ecosystem — and benefits everything else living there, from insects to birds to neighboring plants. For Hammond and her colleagues, the rediscovery is a reminder of California’s ecological richness — and its fragility. "California is a global hotspot of biodiversity," she said. "So it makes sense that the more we look at the East Bay, the more we keep discovering, or rediscovering." The find also serves as a broader lesson: Planting and protecting native species matters. Native plants are adapted to local conditions, require less water, and help push back against invasive species that crowd out native ecosystems. In a state where land use and climate pressures continue to grow, stories like this one are a hopeful sign that the right actions can still make space for nature to heal — and sometimes surprise us.
Score (98)
Middle Schoolers in Mississippi Build Their First Community Garden—and Grow More Than Just Food
Students at Byram Middle School in Mississippi have just finished planting their school’s very first community garden, thanks to a project led by the school’s Beta Club. The garden, which now features cabbage, carrots, lettuce, green beans, and even ornamental plants, is already being recognized for growing more than just vegetables. “This garden gives people the opportunity to come together, put their hands in the soil and actually work together for a common goal,” said assistant principal George Jones, speaking to WJTV. The project is part of the broader mission of the National Beta Club, a youth organization that promotes academic achievement, character, leadership, and service. Other chapters across the U.S. have taken on environmental projects like beach cleanups, pollinator gardens, and tree planting. For the students in Byram, a garden made perfect sense. Kenneth Brown, one of the organizers, said the idea was rooted in family. “My grandma and grandpa would grow their own things,” he told WJTV. “It really inspired me because I wanted to do the same thing.” Community gardening is gaining traction in schools and neighborhoods across the country, and for good reason. Research has shown that gardening offers physical and mental health benefits, from reducing stress to promoting physical activity. And the food grown is often healthier too, free from the synthetic pesticides commonly found on grocery store produce. Homegrown vegetables also come with a smaller carbon footprint. Store-bought produce travels long distances, and about 20% of the pollution tied to consumer goods comes from transportation alone. That pollution contributes to climate change and increasingly unpredictable weather, which in turn drives up food prices and strains local ecosystems. By growing food locally, projects like this help break that cycle—while also teaching young people valuable lessons about sustainability, food systems, and teamwork. Byram’s new garden is a small patch of land, but it’s already yielding something big: a deeper connection to the environment and to each other.