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Score (96)
The Sky's Secret: Unraveling the Sun's Mysterious Figure Eight Path
The sun's dance across the sky is more intricate than it seems. While we all know it rises in the east and sets in the west, there's a hidden pattern that reveals itself over a year: the analemma. This celestial figure-eight is a testament to Earth's tilted axis and elliptical orbit. Imagine standing in one spot every day at the same time, capturing the sun's position. Over 365 days, you'd see this lopsided figure eight emerge. The shape results from Earth's 23.5-degree tilt and its not-quite-circular orbit around our star. Phil Plait explains, "If Earth had no axial tilt and orbited in a perfect circle, the sun would trace an identical path daily." But thanks to our planet's tilt, we experience seasons—summer when we're tipped toward the sun and winter when we're angled away. This tilt causes the north-south movement of the analemma. Meanwhile, Earth's elliptical orbit adds an east-west component. As Earth speeds up near its closest point to the sun (perihelion) and slows down at its farthest (aphelion), these motions combine to create that distinctive shape. Other planets have their own unique analemmas due to varying tilts and orbits. Mars has a teardrop-shaped pattern; Jupiter’s is more elliptical; Neptune boasts a nearly symmetrical figure eight. Though complex, these patterns highlight nature's beauty through physics and geometry—a cosmic ballet choreographed by gravity itself. In this celestial dance lies both complexity and elegance—a reminder of our universe’s intricate harmony.
Score (93)
Surprise Airport Reunion Brings Joyful Tears To Best Friends Recently Separated By a Border
A year after moving from Canada to Florida, Amine Elmo’s family has finally settled into their new life — except for one thing. His young son still missed his best friend back home. So the two families came up with a plan. Without telling Amine’s son, they secretly arranged for his best friend to fly down for a surprise reunion. When the Elmos arrived at the airport, Amine’s son had no idea what was about to happen. He almost walked right past his friend without noticing — until a tap on the shoulder stopped him in his tracks. When he turned and saw who it was, the reaction was instant: huge smiles, tears, and a long, emotional hug that said everything words couldn’t. The visit lasted only four days, but the boys made the most of every moment. They were inseparable — exploring a science museum, hanging out on sidewalks, laughing at old jokes, and soaking up every minute together. It was as if no time had passed at all. When it came time to say goodbye, neither wanted to let go. There was one last hug — and then another — before they finally parted ways. Four days just wasn’t enough. But even though their families live far apart now, the boys can still stay connected through FaceTime and messages until the next reunion — hopefully a longer one, whether in Canada or back in sunny Florida. For two best friends like this, distance might separate them, but it clearly hasn’t changed what matters most.
Score (100)
Salvage Team Uncovers 1,000 Gold And Silver Coins From Historic Shipwreck Off Florida Coast
Treasure hunters off Florida’s Atlantic coast have struck gold — literally. More than 1,000 silver and gold coins have been recovered from a 300-year-old Spanish shipwreck, part of a fleet that sank in a hurricane in 1715 while carrying riches from the New World to Spain. Experts estimate the new haul could be worth around $1 million. Among the discoveries are five gold escudos — coins that were already prized by collectors, now made even more valuable with gold prices at record highs. The rest are silver “pieces of eight,” or reales, minted in colonial-era Peru, Bolivia, and Mexico. The fleet, known as the Plate Fleet, was made up of 11 ships that never made it home. They were destroyed in a hurricane off the coast of what is now Florida, sending an estimated $400 million in gold, silver, and jewels to the ocean floor. Every ship and every crew member was lost. Today, that stretch of shoreline is known as the Treasure Coast, and the U.S. District Court for Florida has granted salvage rights to Queen’s Jewels LLC, a historic shipwreck recovery company. Over the summer, divers working with the firm struck a major find at one of the known wreck sites. Captain Levin Shavers and his crew aboard the M/V Just Right brought up coin after coin, unearthing a trove that instantly drew comparisons to pirate legend. “This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells,” said Saul Guttuso, the company’s director of operations. “Each coin is a piece of history, a tangible link to the people who lived, worked, and sailed during the Golden Age of the Spanish Empire. Finding 1,000 of them in a single recovery is both rare and extraordinary.” The coins are being cleaned, catalogued, and appraised under strict state and archaeological oversight. Salvagers also found remnants of a burlap sack that likely once held the coins — a clue suggesting there could be another 2,000 pieces still buried nearby. For the divers, the discovery is just the latest chapter in a decades-long effort to recover what the hurricane scattered in minutes. “I’ll never finish in my lifetime,” said Mike Perna, one of the salvagers and operator of the Mighty Mo, in an earlier interview with McClatchy News. “The storm took 10 minutes to deposit what is taking us years to find.” Three centuries after disaster struck, the Treasure Coast continues to live up to its name — still giving up the riches of a vanished empire, one dive at a time.
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Score (97)
After 40 Years and $84 Million, This Lake is Flourishing Free from Pollution and Sawdust
Lake Muskegon has officially made its comeback. In late September, the Michigan lake was removed from the US-Canada list of polluted “Areas of Concern” in the Great Lakes region, marking the end of a 40-year effort to undo more than a century of industrial damage. Once surrounded by foundries, paper mills, petroleum tanks, and sewage plants, Lake Muskegon was so choked with waste and debris that it was effectively dead. Now, after decades of cleanup work and nearly $100 million in investment, it’s a thriving recreation hub — home to parks, festivals, cruise ships, and fishing once again. “This location — which is now home to parks, festivals, cruise ship docks, fishing and recreational enjoyment — was once an industrial scrap yard as recently as the 1980s,” Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson said. “After decades of collaborative efforts and nearly $100 million invested, we’ve arrived at this momentous occasion.” The restoration was one of the largest in Michigan’s history. Crews removed 190,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment — enough to fill about 58 Olympic swimming pools — along with 110,000 tons of sawmill debris. The effort took more than four decades and $84 million in cleanup operations, with $67 million coming from the bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the rest from state, local, and private sources. The results go far beyond cleaner water. According to a 2020 study cited by Michigan Live, tourism around Lake Muskegon has grown by $27 million, with annual visitors soaring to around 400,000 — up dramatically from a decade ago. Property values near the water have risen by roughly $7.4 million, helped by new businesses and recreational projects that emerged from the lake’s transformation. It’s a stunning reversal for a place once written off as an environmental lost cause. The damage began in the 1800s, when Muskegon’s booming logging industry dumped wood chips, sawdust, and debris into the lake, suffocating fish and depleting oxygen. Chemical pollution from factories and sewage added to the decline, turning the lake into a toxic mix of sludge and algae blooms. By 1980, the US Environmental Protection Agency officially listed Muskegon as an Area of Concern. Local nonprofits, backed by state and federal agencies, began the long process of restoring what had been destroyed. Four decades later, that effort has paid off. The lake that once symbolized Michigan’s industrial excess has become a model of recovery — a rare environmental success story showing what’s possible when communities and governments work together. As Mayor Johnson put it, the lake’s rebirth is more than a cleanup. It’s proof that when nature is given the chance to heal, the rewards ripple far beyond the shoreline.
Score (92)
London Unveils Groundbreaking Statue Celebrating the Raw Reality of Motherhood
London is about to make history with a statue that redefines what public monuments can look like — and who they celebrate. This October, a seven-foot bronze sculpture titled Mother Vérité will be unveiled outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital, the same place famous for royal birth announcements. The placement is intentional. Instead of polished perfection, this piece by British artist Rayvenn Shaleigha D’Clark and Frida founder Chelsea Hirschhorn captures the unfiltered truth of motherhood — the exhaustion, the beauty, and the physical reality that usually stays hidden. The following day, the statue will move to Portman Square, where it will stay on semi-permanent display during Frieze London Art Fair. Women remain drastically underrepresented in public art. In London, only 4 percent of statues depict women, and even fewer portray them as mothers. The experiences of childbirth and postpartum life — shared by billions around the world — have been almost entirely erased from cultural spaces. Mother Vérité confronts that silence head-on. The bronze figure stands tall, holding her newborn with calm strength. Her body bears every mark of new motherhood: veiny, uneven breasts, cracked nipples, enlarged areolas, soft postpartum curves, and a pair of Frida’s now-iconic disposable underwear. Her hair is tied up in a messy bun — the kind worn by countless mothers running on too little sleep. What might once have been hidden or edited away is shown here as powerful proof of endurance and creation. D’Clark, a self-taught digital sculptor, based the work on real women’s bodies. She interviewed and scanned a diverse group of mothers to capture their forms in exacting detail, using a mix of live casting and 3D rendering before transforming the data into bronze. The result combines ancient craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology — a modern tribute rendered in one of history’s most traditional materials. “Motherhood is at once everyday and extraordinary,” D’Clark said. “By honouring the postpartum body, we’re recognising the courage of women everywhere.” For Hirschhorn, a mother of four, the project continues Frida’s mission to normalize the realities of maternal health. The company has repeatedly clashed with media censors for showing bleeding, scarring, and breastfeeding in its ads. This time, she says, they wanted to go further: “This is about putting mothers on the pedestal they deserve.” The choice of London also carries weight. The UK is Frida’s largest market outside the US, and the city’s deep sculptural tradition has long celebrated power and transformation — but rarely motherhood. By casting a postpartum woman in bronze, D’Clark and Hirschhorn are reshaping the definition of heroism itself. For London, Mother Vérité marks a cultural first. For mothers everywhere, it’s long overdue recognition — a bold statement that their strength belongs not in the background, but in the heart of public life.
Score (98)
Eight-Year-Old With Rare Condition Becomes Firefighter For A Day
An eight-year-old boy from Chesterfield had his biggest dream come true when he became a firefighter for a day — complete with a fire engine ride, a mock rescue, and even his own “emergency call.” Elliott, who lives with an ultra-rare genetic condition called molybdenum cofactor deficiency (MoCD) type A, spent the day with Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service thanks to Make-A-Wish UK. The experience was tailored just for him — a devoted fan of Fireman Sam and all things firefighting. “I don’t think ‘thank you’ is enough for what they’ve done for him,” said his mother, Lucy. “It was personalised and tailored to him and was an absolute dream come true.” Elliott, who is non-verbal, uses a communication device to speak and requires daily medication through a central line. But none of that stopped him from jumping right into his role. “He got to go on a ride in a fire engine, he got to break open a car that was like a mock-up of a road traffic accident — it was just phenomenal,” Lucy said. “He talks about it non-stop on his talker. It’s just made his dream come true.” For Elliott, the local connection made it even more special. “He goes past [the fire station] every single day,” Lucy said. “He goes to their open days and everything. It made it even more personal.” Firefighter Paul Hudson, who helped make the day happen, said it was unforgettable for everyone involved. “We got to make Elliott’s wish come true really,” he said. “He got to get off the truck, get a hose reel off and spray water on real flames. The smile on his face was unbelievable. It’s a privilege to be able to create that experience and memory for him.” Hudson added, “The strength and courage he demonstrated was amazing. He showed us all what a real hero is, really, for a little lad of his age.” Elliott’s condition, MoCD-A, is extremely rare — only three children in the UK currently live with it, according to Metabolic Support UK. The condition affects the brain and nervous system, and most children with the disorder don’t survive beyond early childhood. “Current care focuses only on managing symptoms,” the charity said. “A targeted treatment, Fosdenopterin (Nulibry), exists but isn’t available in England, as the company sadly decided to withdraw their application.” Elliott was diagnosed just three days after birth. “He cannot break down the sulphur in his body and it accumulates in his brain and causes issues,” Lucy explained. “For the future, we don’t know. We will never be able to answer that until we actually get there.” Jason Suckley, chief executive of Make-A-Wish UK, said Elliott’s joy lit up the entire station. “An ‘emergency’ occurred on site at the fire station in their training facility, and he was on hand to point the hose there,” he said. “Every wish has its moments where you can just see the power of it — and that was it. He was absolutely beaming.” For one day, Elliott wasn’t a patient — he was a firefighter, saving the day just like his hero Fireman Sam. And for his family, that memory will last a lifetime.
Score (95)
Ed Sheeran Surprises New York Commuters with Impromptu Subway Performance
Ed Sheeran is taking over New York — one song, one street, and one shot at a time. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is stepping in front of the camera again, this time for a new Netflix special titled One Shot with Ed Sheeran, premiering Friday, November 21. The project captures Sheeran performing across New York City, from subway cars to crowded sidewalks, all filmed in a single, continuous take. Directed by Philip Barantini (Adolescence) and produced by Barantini, Sheeran, and Emmy-winner Ben Winston, the one-shot special aims to bottle the unpredictable magic of the city and the spontaneous joy of live music. Netflix describes it as “a groundbreaking, one-shot music experience,” following Sheeran “through the streets of New York City, performing his greatest hits, captured in a single take.” First-look photos released Tuesday show Sheeran strumming his guitar inside a packed subway car as surprised commuters look on. Another black-and-white image features Barantini gazing toward the Empire State Building, hinting at the film’s cinematic tone and sense of place. The hour-long special unfolds in real time, tracking Sheeran over a single afternoon as he brings impromptu performances to life and interacts with fans and passersby. The concept, according to Netflix, is to immerse viewers in “the pandemonium and excitement” that naturally follows one of the world’s most recognizable musicians. The project comes on the heels of Sheeran’s latest album, Play, released in September. Known for pairing his music with imaginative visuals, the artist recently appeared in two ambitious music videos from the record. In “Azizam,” Sheeran plays a musician who escapes his writer’s block by being transported to a Persian wedding, celebrating with guests before finding inspiration back in the studio. “He wanted to make it like other non-Persians would experience a wedding for the first time — how full on, but fun it is,” Sheeran said in April, praising director Saman Kesh. Another video, “A Little Bit More,” reunites Sheeran with actor Rupert Grint, more than a decade after the pair first teamed up for the 2011 “Lego House” video. This time, Grint’s character — once an obsessive fan — finds himself unable to escape Sheeran instead. “I had this wild idea after writing the song, and thankfully Rupert was up for it,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram. “It’s an utterly bonkers video for a very upbeat, fun, but angry song.” With Play out now and One Shot soon to premiere, Sheeran continues to blur the line between live performance and storytelling — taking his music to where it first began: the streets. One Shot with Ed Sheeran streams on Netflix starting November 21.
Score (82)
Rescue Teams Save Trekkers From Blizzard-Struck Mount Everest
Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a fierce blizzard on the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet have been rescued after one of the region’s largest-ever search-and-rescue operations, Chinese authorities said. Nearly 900 people—including 580 hikers and more than 300 local guides and yak herders—were led to safety after being trapped for days in freezing temperatures in the remote Karma Valley, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency. The final group of around 200 stranded hikers was evacuated on Tuesday, following the rescue of about 350 others on Sunday. The storm hit late last week, dumping heavy snow and cutting off access to the isolated valley, which sits at an altitude of roughly 4,200 metres (13,800 feet) at the base of Everest. Rescue teams carrying food, medicine, oxygen supplies, and thermal blankets trekked through deep snow to reach the stranded group. Photos released by local media showed villagers leading oxen and horses loaded with supplies up the mountain to assist with the evacuation. “All the trekkers have now reached safety,” Xinhua reported, adding that officials in Dingri county, part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, were coordinating the return of the rescued hikers to their homes “in an orderly manner.” The rescue coincided with China’s National Day holiday week, an eight-day period beginning October 1, which saw an influx of tourists to the country’s scenic interior. Many of those stranded were outdoor enthusiasts drawn to the relatively untouched Karma Valley, first explored by Western travelers in the early 20th century. While the north face of Everest—accessible by road—sees far more visitors, the east face and the Karma Valley remain rugged and less developed, known for their pristine landscapes and sudden weather shifts. Some hikers described harrowing escapes. “Thankfully, some people ahead of us were breaking trail, leaving footprints we could follow,” said Eric Wen, a 41-year-old trekker who hiked nearly 19 kilometers (12 miles) through heavy snow. “Otherwise, it would’ve been impossible for us to make it out on our own.” On Chinese social media platforms WeChat and Douyin, the rescue sparked heated debate. Some users criticized what they saw as reckless adventuring by wealthy tourists, while others marveled at the scale and speed of the operation. One commenter asked if the hikers would be charged for the cost of the rescue, while another wrote, “Even when I have enough money, I still want to bury myself at the foot of Mount Everest.” The Tibetan Plateau—spanning from Nepal’s border through western China—is home to some of the world’s highest and most dramatic landscapes. It feeds the Yangtze, Mekong, and other major rivers across Asia. But as this week’s storm showed, it’s also a place where beauty and danger coexist—and where nature can still command the upper hand.
Score (94)
Grand Central Terminal Transformed by Massive Art Installation from 'Humans of New York' Creator
For the first time in its 111-year history, New York City’s Grand Central Terminal has been completely cleared of advertisements — replaced instead with a massive photographic love letter to the city itself. The project, titled Dear New York, is the latest work from Brandon Stanton, creator of the beloved Humans of New York series. Known for his portraits and interviews that capture the spirit of everyday New Yorkers, Stanton has spent the past 15 years photographing more than 10,000 people across the city. “I had 15 years of photos and stories of people from all over New York City,” Stanton told ABC News. “And I thought to myself, ‘You know, I could just about recreate the humanity of New York City in a single building.’” The installation transforms Grand Central’s main concourse into a sprawling exhibition of human connection. Fifty-foot-tall photographs and interview excerpts are projected onto the station’s marble walls, while every one of its 150 digital screens — normally used for ads and transit updates — now displays portraits of New Yorkers. Additional images cover the walls of the terminal’s subway level. In a statement, Stanton described the project as “a love letter to the people of this city,” staged in the one place “where the entire city comes together.” Designer David Korins, best known for his work on Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen, served as the installation’s creative director. “We’ve intentionally captured every single square inch of advertisement—plus much, much more surface area—not to bombard people, but to engulf them,” he told ARTnews. “We want this to wash over you like a meditation. For some, it’ll be a mirror; for others, a portal into deep empathy.” Korins called Dear New York the largest public artwork in the city since Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Gates, which filled Central Park with orange arches in 2005. During the two-week exhibition, Juilliard School students, faculty, and alumni will perform piano music in the main concourse, while a companion community art showcase in Vanderbilt Hall features works from local artists and more than 600 New York City public school students. The installation grew out of Stanton’s upcoming book of the same name, a nearly 500-page collection of portraits and stories capturing the full sweep of New York life. “I took two years and covered every inch of this city, photographing and interviewing every type of person,” he told NY1. “That book was really the inspiration for what’s going on in Grand Central right now.” Stanton personally funded the installation using proceeds from the book, and says any additional profits will be donated to local charities. “It’s designed to be an artistic and financial gift to the city,” he said. Opened in 1913, Grand Central Terminal remains one of the busiest transit hubs in the world — connecting the subway, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad, with roughly 750,000 people passing through each day. For Stanton, that makes it the perfect canvas. “I just want to create as many of these little intersections and interventions in the lives of the people streaming through here,” he told ARTnews. “I can’t change anyone’s life, but if even one person pauses and feels something — connection, solitude, a thought they’ve never had before — that’s my artistic goal.”
Score (88)
How Embracing The 'Empty Boat Theory' Helps Keep Anger And Anxiety In Check
A centuries-old Taoist parable is getting a modern revival on TikTok — and it’s teaching millions of people a surprisingly simple way to find peace. The story, known as The Empty Boat, has resurfaced as a kind of viral mindfulness hack. TikTok creator @sean.of.the.living summed it up like this: imagine you’re out on a calm lake, minding your own business, when another boat drifts straight toward you. As it nears, you feel your frustration rising. You brace for impact, ready to curse out whoever’s steering so carelessly — until you realize the other boat is empty. “There was never anybody to be angry with in the first place,” he says in his video. “That’s life, isn’t it? We assume everything’s about us. ‘They’re just doing that to screw me, to piss me off.’ Most of the time, nobody’s thinking about you.” The lesson is simple but profound: not everything that bumps into us in life is personal. In the original Taoist version, a young monk sets out on a lake to meditate in peace. When another boat collides with his, he lashes out — only to find that it’s empty. With no one to blame, his anger instantly dissolves. The story became a metaphor for one of life’s hardest truths: we create much of our own suffering by assuming other people’s actions are directed at us. In modern psychology, that idea overlaps with what’s known as the spotlight effect — our tendency to overestimate how much other people notice or judge us. It’s a form of everyday egocentrism, not narcissism, but it can quietly drive anxiety and resentment. “Sometimes a bump is just a bump,” as the saying goes. The Empty Boat Theory encourages a mental shift from blame to mindfulness — to pause before reacting, and to question whether an “offense” was ever about us in the first place. It’s a deceptively simple perspective that can diffuse anger, cool ego-driven reactions, and even make daily life a little lighter. Call it ancient wisdom or a psychological insight, the takeaway is the same: we all move through waters full of empty boats. Recognizing that can make every collision a little less personal — and the journey a lot more peaceful.
Score (97)
Sir Gary Oldman Joins Storyline Online to Promote Childhood Literacy
Sir Gary Oldman is lending his voice to inspire a new generation of readers. In honor of National Book Month, the Oscar-winning actor has joined Storyline Online, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emmy-winning children’s literacy program, to read a retelling of The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen. The program, which features celebrities reading beloved children’s books aloud, aims to spark kids’ imaginations while improving reading and communication skills. More than 90 stars — including Viola Davis, Meryl Streep, and Michelle Yeoh — have participated. “Gary Oldman is one of the most transformative actors of our time, and he brings that same versatility and passion to his reading of The Three Billy Goats Gruff,” said Courtney B. Vance, President and Chairman of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. “We’re thrilled to share his performance with young audiences everywhere, and we know children will be spellbound.” For Oldman, storytelling has always been central to his work. “The written word has always been a central part of my life,” he said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “When reading and selecting scripts, it is always the imagination and beauty of the written word that grabs me. The stories contained in the written word shape the way I see stories and characters to this very day.” He added that joining Storyline Online felt like a natural way to give back. “It’s my way of sharing, and hopefully promoting, that love of reading with the next generation — encouraging children to discover, to see, to imagine the possibilities that live between the covers of every book.” Oldman’s reading comes with a free activity guide for parents and teachers, aligned with Common Core Standards, to help build lessons around the story. His video is available now at storylineonline.net and on the organization’s social media platforms — a fitting reminder that even one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors started his journey with a good story.