Goodable

Dozens of endangered rat-kanagroos were released into the wild in a conservation milestone, according to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).

AWC transferred 140 of the marsupials, known as woylies, outside of “a feral-predator-free fenced area,” where they were initially reintroduced in 2015 after an absence from Western Australia’s Wheatbelt of more than 100 years.

In 2015, 162 woylies were introduced to a fenced-in area “cleared of all foxes and cats.” Over the next decade, the population flourished, surpassing 1,000, the group said.

Foxes and cats are “the primary driver of native mammal extinctions and ongoing declines in Australia,” AWC said.

“While it is risky to release a predator-prone species such as the woylie into an area where cats are present, we sometimes have to take well-considered risks to advance conservation,” AWC chief executive Tim Allard said.

“We have evidence from previous releases of other species, and from monitoring the outcomes of predator control on the release site, to suggest that woylies have a good chance of establishing outside the fence.”

Footage released by AWC shows woylies being released outside the fenced area.

Dozens of endangered rat-kanagroos were released into the wild in a conservation milestone, Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) said on July 7.AWC transferred 140 of the marsupials, known as woylies, outside of “a feral-predator-free fenced area,” where they were initially reintroduced in 2015 after an absence from Western Australia’s Wheatbelt of more than 100 years.In 2015, 162 woylies were introduced to a fenced-in area “cleared of all foxes and cats.” Over the next decade, the population flourished, surpassing 1,000, the group said.Foxes and cats are “the primary driver of native mammal extinctions and ongoing declines in Australia,” AWC said.“While it is risky to release a predator-prone species such as the woylie into an area where cats are present, we sometimes have to take well-considered risks to advance conservation,” AWC chief executive Tim Allard said.“We have evidence from previous releases of other species, and from monitoring the outcomes of predator control on the release site, to suggest that woylies have a good chance of establishing outside the fence.”Footage released by AWC shows woylies being released outside the fenced area.

This Bouncing Rat-Kangaroos Was Just Released Into the Wild in a Conservation Milestone

Science Daily

For more than 300 years, astronomers have struggled to explain how globular clusters — some of the oldest and most tightly packed stellar systems in the universe — came to be. Now, researchers at the University of Surrey say they’ve solved the mystery, thanks to ultra-high-resolution simulations that traced the entire 13.8-billion-year history of the cosmos.

In the process, they may have found something entirely new hiding in plain sight in our own galaxy.

Globular clusters are dense, spherical collections of stars that orbit the outer regions of galaxies, including the Milky Way. These systems typically contain hundreds of thousands to millions of stars, all roughly the same age and chemical makeup — a uniformity that has long puzzled scientists.

“Globular clusters show no evidence of dark matter and their stars are unusually similar,” said Dr Ethan Taylor, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Surrey and lead author of the new study, published in Nature. “That’s made it hard to understand how they formed.”

Taylor and his colleagues tackled the problem using a cutting-edge virtual universe they call EDGE, designed to simulate the universe in extreme detail. Developed in collaboration with researchers from Durham, Bath, Hertfordshire, Carnegie Observatories, the American Museum of Natural History, Lund University, and the University of Barcelona, the EDGE simulations run on the UK’s DiRAC National Supercomputer.

To give a sense of scale: running the largest of these simulations on a regular laptop would take decades to complete.

At a resolution of just 10 light-years — fine enough to capture the impact of a single exploding star — EDGE allowed the team to watch globular clusters form in real-time inside their digital universe. They found that the clusters can form in at least two distinct ways, and crucially, none required dark matter.

“The formation of globular clusters has been a mystery for hundreds of years,” said Taylor. “Being able to add additional context surrounding how they form is amazing.”

But the biggest surprise was what came next.

In addition to solving how globular clusters form, the team also stumbled upon a previously unknown kind of object. These “globular cluster-like dwarfs” resemble traditional globular clusters when observed, but simulations show they actually contain significant amounts of dark matter — more in line with what’s found in dwarf galaxies.

That subtle but important distinction has big implications.

Because these dark matter-rich objects look like ordinary star clusters, some may have already been spotted by telescopes and misclassified. If confirmed, they could offer new opportunities to study dark matter — one of the most elusive substances in the universe — as well as the very first stars ever formed.

Professor Justin Read, Chair of Astrophysics at the University of Surrey, said the discovery was made possible by EDGE’s unmatched detail.

“The EDGE project set out to build the most realistic simulation of the very smallest galaxies in the Universe,” he said. “It took years to run, but the payoff has been extraordinary.”

The simulations revealed that conventional globular clusters can form both in the early stages of galaxy formation and during later galactic mergers. In both cases, the clusters formed without needing dark matter — a major finding in itself.

But it’s the new class of objects — these “globular cluster-like dwarfs” — that could change the game.

Typical dwarf galaxies have around a thousand times more dark matter than regular matter. These newly identified objects, however, sit somewhere in between. They behave like globular clusters but carry dark matter signatures like dwarf galaxies. That makes them unique candidates for follow-up studies, especially with powerful new instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope.

Several objects already known to astronomers — including Reticulum II, an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way — may fit the profile.

“Being able to find a new class of object in the simulations is very exciting,” said Taylor. “Especially since we have already identified a handful of candidates which exist in our very own Milky Way.”

The next step is confirming whether these dark matter-rich imposters are real. Targeted observations and deep spectroscopic surveys could tell astronomers whether some of the clusters already catalogued in the night sky are actually something new.

If confirmed, the implications could be far-reaching — offering fresh clues about dark matter, the nature of galaxy formation, and even the search for ancient, metal-free stars from the earliest days of the universe.

Astronomers Solve Century-Old Mystery Of Stellar Systems And Discover New Cosmic Class

Science Alert

Running has long been praised for its health benefits. It can lower disease risk, boost mental health, and even slow the ageing process. But many people say they don’t have enough time to fit it in.

That is where interval running comes in. This approach applies the principles of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to running, offering many of the same benefits in less time.

HIIT isn’t new. Versions of it, like Tabata or CrossFit, gained popularity in the 1990s and 2000s. The core idea is simple: alternate short bursts of intense activity with rest or lighter movement. For running, that might mean 30 seconds of sprinting followed by 30 seconds of walking.

One popular version, known as the “10-20-30 method,” breaks activity into 30 seconds of jogging, 20 seconds of moderate running, and 10 seconds of all-out sprinting. Another, called “fartlek” training (Swedish for “speed play”), mixes short sprints into a steady jog.

Research suggests interval running has strong effects on cardiovascular health, metabolism, and body composition. In overweight people, sprint intervals have been shown to improve V̇O₂ max — the amount of oxygen the body can use during exercise — more than steady runs. Even experienced runners saw bigger gains in fitness when they added HIIT sessions to their weekly training.

HIIT also improves how the body regulates blood sugar, reducing diabetes risk, and stimulates mitochondria, the energy-producing structures in cells, boosting stamina. Studies have found it lowers blood pressure, cuts “bad” cholesterol, and reduces dangerous visceral fat — all in a time-efficient way.

As little as 18 minutes of sprint intervals, three times a week, can make a difference.

Getting started can be simple. Outdoors, sprint between lamp posts, then jog or walk to recover. In gyms, treadmills often have preset interval programs. Sprints can last from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, but the key is reaching about 90% of your maximum heart rate during the high-intensity bursts.

Experts advise easing into it. If you’ve been inactive, don’t launch straight into full HIIT. Build up gradually and, if you have health conditions, consult a doctor first. For some people with diabetes, HIIT can briefly raise blood sugar levels, so medical advice is especially important.

The good news is you don’t need to overhaul your routine to see results. Adding just a few sprints into your normal run — or trying structured methods like 10-20-30 or even run-walk intervals — can bring meaningful health benefits in just a few months.

As Christopher Gaffney of Lancaster University notes, even small increases in intensity can pay off: push yourself a little harder now and then, and your body will thank you.

How to Reap the Benefits of Running in Just 18 Minutes a Day

ABC News

When Bobby Zokaites first moved to Phoenix in 2011, he quickly learned how punishing the desert heat could be. Walking to class at Arizona State University, he would cling to scraps of shade — a stoplight pole, the side of a building — to escape the triple-digit sun.

Those experiences shaped his art. This year, Zokaites was one of nine artists commissioned to create shade structures across Phoenix, part of a growing national effort to use art as both protection from extreme heat and a way to teach people about climate risks.

“It was pretty crazy,” he said of those first summers.

Cities across the United States are turning to projects that merge art, science, and community involvement to help people cope with rising temperatures. As climate change drives hotter summers and urban areas grapple with the heat-island effect, shade has become more than a comfort. It can save lives.

“Shade can be much more than functional,” said David Hondula, Phoenix’s director of heat response and mitigation. “It can enrich our public spaces.”

In Phoenix parks, new installations include canopies painted with colorful Mexican folk art and fitted with solar-powered misting systems, as well as awnings covered with reflective paint and UV-resistant canvas. Each project was unveiled at a community event where residents learned about heat safety and received cooling towels and sunscreen.

“The more you know and the more you can recognize your own body’s response, the better you can take care of yourself,” said Carrie Brown, deputy director for Phoenix’s office of art and culture.

The impact of shade is clear. A recent test at one Phoenix installation showed that moving from direct sun to shade dropped the mean radiant temperature from 63 C to 31 C. Skin temperature fell almost immediately.

Research backs up what people feel. Studies show shade can reduce air and surface temperatures significantly, lowering heat-related deaths by up to 25 percent in Los Angeles and cutting emergency room visits by two-thirds in some neighborhoods. People also perceive shaded spaces as cooler if they are visually appealing, such as bus stops decorated with art.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, a project called “Shade is Social Justice” is using creative designs to raise awareness. One installation features hanging flowers that open when the temperature passes 29 C, signaling passersby to seek water and shelter.

In Los Angeles, an exhibition called “Roots of Cool” explores the role of shade through textiles, paintings, interactive maps, and multicolored umbrellas. One installation by artist Leslie K. Gray depicts three bus stops — one bare, one partly covered, one with full shade — alongside facts about heat and inequities in access to cooling. Visitors are invited to leave messages on postcards about how they would add shade to their communities.

One note left earlier this month read: “Dear people from the past. Take care of others among you. Take care of mother earth or we will be at fault for its destruction and ours.”

For Zokaites, the work comes full circle. What once felt like a struggle to endure Phoenix’s heat is now part of an effort to help others cope with it, and maybe even find beauty in the shade.

Cities Across America are Blending Art, Shade and Learning to Beat the Heat

CTV News

When Alex Babich looks up at the giant sunflower towering over his Indiana backyard, he doesn’t just see a plant. For him, it is family, memory, and legacy all rolled into one.

The 47-year-old Ukrainian immigrant’s flower, nicknamed Clover, has just been confirmed by Guinness World Records as the tallest sunflower ever grown. At 35 feet and 9 inches (11.2 metres), it stands higher than a telephone pole and more than 1.5 metres taller than the previous record holder in Germany.

“It’s one of my kids,” Babich said. “You’re out there every day taking care of it.”

For Babich, the accomplishment carries special weight. Sunflowers are Ukraine’s national flower. Born in Ukraine, he immigrated to the United States at 14 in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster. Seven years ago, he started growing sunflowers as a way of staying connected to his homeland. His first reached 4 metres, then 4.5, then nearly 6. Each year the challenge grew. “How far can we take this?” he asked himself. The answer, it turned out, was record-breaking.

Clover’s name came from Babich’s 10-year-old son, who climbed scaffolding to place four-leaf clovers on its leaves for luck. On Sept. 3, the official measurement drew a crowd of about 85 people, including master gardeners, local officials, a Guinness representative on video call, and even the Fort Wayne Komets’ mascot, Icy D. Eagle. A cherry picker was used to confirm the towering height.

“It’s very emotional,” Babich said after hearing the result. “It’s as good as it gets for someone who grows giants.”

Growing up in Ukraine during food shortages sparked Babich’s love of gardening. That connection deepened after Russia’s invasion in 2022. “We just pray that the war will end, that the killing will stop,” he said. “We just hope this inspires some people in the right places. It’s been long enough.”

The sunflower has long been a symbol of peace in Ukraine. In 1996, it was planted at a former missile base to mark nuclear disarmament. After Chernobyl, scientists planted sunflowers to help cleanse the soil. And in 2022, it became an emblem of solidarity when a viral video showed a Ukrainian woman telling a Russian soldier to carry sunflower seeds so they would grow when he died.

Babich sees his record-breaker as part of that story. “I’m going to die someday, but the stories of this flower will live on,” he said. “My kids will be telling this story to the grandkids.”

His work is already reaching beyond his backyard. Clover will be featured in a documentary called Bloom, due out this summer. Babich has also started planting sunflowers at family campsites and handing out seed packets at festivals, each labeled with a simple message: “Spread the love — sunflower seeds.”

Indiana Gardener Sets World Record With 35-Foot Sunflower, Honoring Ukrainian Roots

At most weddings, the person walking a bride down the aisle is her father, a close relative, or a dear friend. For Shacole Fox of Cincinnati, Ohio, it was her landlord.

“I wouldn’t have thought in a million years,” Fox told CBS News, recalling her decision to ask 79-year-old Gil Pulliam to take on the role.

Fox, a makeup artist, rents studio space from Pulliam, a man she describes as tough but deeply compassionate. She never knew her father and thought she had made peace with that absence. But as her August wedding approached, she began to feel the weight of what she was missing.

“When I thought about who would walk me down the aisle, trying to figure out what that looks like, the thought of it was like…surprisingly painful,” Fox said.

Pulliam knew her family history. Even without her asking, he trusted his instinct. “So I went back up to ask Shacole if I could escort her down the aisle,” he said. “And she said, ‘Yes, yes, yes! And on and on and on.’”

On the day itself, Fox said she felt something shift. “The music is playing — and I’m getting ready to walk down the aisle — and he grabbed my hand so tight,” she said. “And it was a really good feeling… Yeah, it still is. Like a wound had been healed in my heart.”

Fox married her husband, Victor, that day. But she also gained something unexpected — a father figure. “I added another family member on my wedding day,” she said, describing Pulliam as the man who stepped up to stand beside her the way all good fathers do.

Bride's Unlikely Aisle Companion: How Her Landlord Became Family

A 385-pound lion got a tooth capped at a zoo in Melbourne, Australia, recently, in a procedure that required a team of 10 just to lift him onto the operating table.

According to a press release from the Melbourne Zoo, eight-year-old lion Zuberi needed a pulp capping to fix a chipped “big fang” that likely broke on a bone.

In footage provided by the zoo, specialist animal dentist Dr David Clarke said it was a “privilege” to perform the 30-minute operation on Zuberi, noting that it was easier to work on lions than house cats because of the size of their teeth – 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length compared to one centimeter for a domestic cat.

The blue mittens sported by Zuberi during the operation were knitted by volunteers to help keep him warm during the operation, Laura Weiner, the life science manager of the zoo added in the video.

The damaged tooth had been discovered by zookeepers during a training session, the press release said.

A 385-pound lion got a tooth capped at a zoo in Melbourne, Australia, recently, in a procedure that required a team of 10 just to lift him onto the operating table.According to a press release from the Melbourne Zoo, eight-year-old lion Zuberi needed a pulp capping to fix a chipped “big fang” that likely broke on a bone.In footage provided by the zoo, specialist animal dentist Dr David Clarke said it was a “privilege” to perform the 30-minute operation on Zuberi, noting that it was easier to work on lions than house cats because of the size of their teeth – 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length compared to one centimeter for a domestic cat.The blue mittens sported by Zuberi during the operation were knitted by volunteers to help keep him warm during the operation, Laura Weiner, the life science manager of the zoo added in the video.The damaged tooth had been discovered by zookeepers during a training session, the press release said.

A Lion Just Got a New Tooth From a Local Dentist After His Fang Chipped

Yahoo

Astronomers have their eyes on an intriguing cosmic visitor, 3I/ATLAS, as it approaches the Sun. This interstellar object, believed to be a comet from beyond our solar system, has made quite an impression with its evolving appearance and perplexing characteristics.

Recent observations by comet hunter Michael Jäger and his team in Namibia during a total lunar eclipse revealed something unexpected: the comet's coma has shifted from red to green. This change could indicate a "steep rise in the production of cyanide," according to Avi Loeb, a Harvard astronomer known for his work on extraterrestrial phenomena.

As 3I/ATLAS races towards the Sun, scientists hypothesize that both cyanide and nickel production are increasing significantly. The ATLAS telescope team, which first identified the object, suggests that this "anomalous evolution" is due to changes in how sunlight scatters off the comet's surface. They believe small icy grains are altering the opacity of materials being shed by 3I/ATLAS.

While Loeb has speculated about the possibility of 3I/ATLAS being an "extraterrestrial artifact," current evidence leans more towards it being a comet, though one with unusual features. Loeb points out that carbon dioxide dominates its composition, accounting for 87 percent of its mass.

The object's orbital path adds another layer to its mystery. It ventures relatively close to Mars, Jupiter, and Venus—a trajectory not typically seen in familiar icy rocks from our solar system. For now, scientists continue to study this enigmatic visitor as it makes its way past our celestial neighborhood.

A Mysterious Object Entering Our Star System Is Changing Color

Fox News

Archaeologists digging in Oslo’s port district have unearthed thousands of leather artifacts that reveal rare details about medieval life — from the fashions of the city’s elite to the everyday shoes of its children.

The Norwegian Maritime Museum announced the discovery after teams excavated the Bjørvika area over the past winter and spring. Once underwater, the district gradually became dry land through centuries of landfill, preserving what was left behind.

In total, archaeologists recovered 2,900 objects — including about 2,700 leather items — along with roughly 3,000 animal bones that had been discarded as food waste.

“From some of the layers we investigated, we were just continuously picking bone and leather pieces,” said archaeologist Marja-Liisa P. Grue of the Norwegian Maritime Museum, speaking to Fox News Digital.

Leather rarely survives for centuries, but Oslo’s clay soil created an oxygen-poor environment that helped protect the artifacts. “The result is really well-preserved leather objects, some with clear traces of decorations, extensive repairs and so on,” Grue explained.

The items span a wide range of history. While the top layers contained goods from the 1900s, researchers found an unexpected gap of several centuries before artifacts reappeared from the 13th to 15th centuries. They are now studying why the 1600s through 1800s appear to be missing from this part of the city.

Among the most striking finds were medieval shoes, including 68 made for children. Some were as small as those worn by toddlers, yet crafted in the same styles as adult footwear. “The cutest stories are the small kids’ shoes … where we see the tiny shoes made in the same styles as the grownups, and then the shoes are refitted for use by new children as long as possible,” Grue said.

Other leather items included decorated purses, sword sheaths, belts, and bags — essential since medieval clothing lacked pockets. Many pieces showed multiple rounds of repair, a sign that medieval Osloans rarely discarded items before they were worn out.

Grue noted that the discoveries appear to have belonged to wealthier residents of the city, but they also provide insights into daily habits and resourcefulness. “This can help shed light on the fashion in the city at the time,” she said. “Yet, more interesting is the everyday material that sheds light on everyday people and their habits.”

Medieval Treasures Unearthed: Rare Shoes And Bags Found Beneath Capital City

Mongabay

Scientists in the western Brazilian Amazon have recorded the largest nesting aggregation of giant South American river turtles ever documented — a major win for conservation efforts.

Using drones to survey the Guaporé River, which forms part of the border between Brazil and Bolivia, researchers counted an estimated 41,000 adult female Podocnemis expansa nesting on a vast sandbank. The species, which can grow nearly a meter in length, is considered endangered.

“We knew it was an important area, but we didn’t have the full picture of the size,” Camila Ferrara, a turtle specialist with the Wildlife Conservation Society and co-author of the study, told Mongabay.

The count, she explained, is conservative. Five smaller nearby beaches weren’t included, and young or male turtles were not counted.

The population has been steadily rising since at least 2014, a trend Ferrara credits to Brazil’s decades-old Amazon River Turtle conservation program, which works alongside local communities.

To reach their findings, scientists tested three survey methods. On-the-ground counting produced a tally of 16,000 turtles. Drone-only counts topped 79,000, though many individuals were likely double- or triple-counted as they moved across the sand. The most reliable estimate came from a hybrid approach that combined drone surveys, on-the-ground tracking, and mathematical models accounting for turtle movement, resulting in the 41,000 figure.

The research provides vital data to track fluctuations in turtle populations, helping scientists measure threats and evaluate conservation progress.

“These populations are highly threatened by illegal commerce,” Ferrara said, noting two recent police operations in Amazonas state that seized more than 450 trafficked turtles in August 2025. “There is a huge difference between removing one or two turtles from the river to eat, and the illegal commerce.”

For Amazonian communities, turtles are more than wildlife — they are food security. Archaeological studies show turtle meat has been part of local diets for thousands of years, second only to fish some 7,000 years ago.

Ferrara warned that despite this conservation success, the threat remains urgent. “We know that if we don’t do something, these animals will disappear because in many areas their numbers are already diminishing,” she said.

The sight of tens of thousands of turtles converging on the Guaporé sandbank shows what’s possible when long-term conservation meets community partnership — but also underscores how fragile those gains remain.

Scientists Discover a Record-Breaking Nest of 41,000 Giant River Turtles in the Amazon

BBC News

Kate Jones from Plymouth has taken the powerlifting scene by storm, clinching a world championship title in Idaho, USA, after less than two years in the sport. The 49-year-old personal trainer became the Amateur World Powerlifting Congress (AWPC) champion in her age and weight class during a family vacation last August.

Jones competed in the Masters 2 under 56 kilograms category and impressed with her remarkable lifts: a 92.5-kilogram squat, a 50-kilogram bench press, and a 125-kilogram deadlift. Her journey into this competitive arena began somewhat unintentionally; she entered the U.S. competition to gain experience while enjoying time with her family.

Jones's transition from serving as a Royal Navy logistician for 22 years to becoming a personal trainer marked a significant career change. “I started getting a bit more serious about weightlifting a couple of years ago,” she shared. As her interest grew, so did her strength. "I suppose I just started lifting heavier and heavier and looking at comps and then I just went for it."

Her training regime involves four sessions a week, focusing on both physical strength and mental discipline. According to Jones, powerlifting is as much about mindset as it is about muscle. “It’s really good for the mind and mental health,” she emphasized.

For many women, especially mothers seeking their own pursuits, Jones offers some advice: "A lot of mums think of everybody else and they need something for themselves." She encourages them to explore powerlifting if they wish to feel strong—a feeling that can be transformative.

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