Goodable

Staff at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs were thrilled to announce the birth of their first baby gorilla in 13 years.

According to the zoo this was mom Asha’s third infant.

While it is not 32-year-old Asha’s first foray into parenthood, it is for the 34-year-old father, Goma, who moved to the zoo in 2016 after living with a bachelor troop.

“Asha is sitting and lying down with the baby and gently patting its back, which is really adorable,” Ashton Asbury, Primate World animal keeper, said. “The baby hangs onto Asha while she’s moving around and she supports it with one hand. They’re bonding really well, and we have seen her licking the baby’s head and grooming it.”

Asbury said Goma is showing interest in the baby as well. “I heard him making happy gorilla grumbles at them, and Asha is doing a good job of showing him the baby while keeping a comfortable distance,” he said.

Staff at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs were thrilled to announce the birth of their first baby gorilla in 13 years. According to the zoo this was mom Asha’s third infant. While it is not 32-year-old Asha’s first foray into parenthood, it is for the 34-year-old father, Goma, who moved to the zoo in 2016 after living with a bachelor troop. “Asha is sitting and lying down with the baby and gently patting its back, which is really adorable,” Ashton Asbury, Primate World animal keeper, said. “The baby hangs onto Asha while she’s moving around and she supports it with one hand. They’re bonding really well, and we have seen her licking the baby’s head and grooming it.” Asbury said Goma is showing interest in the baby as well. “I heard him making happy gorilla grumbles at them, and Asha is doing a good job of showing him the baby while keeping a comfortable distance,” he said.

Colorado Zoo Is Welcoming Their First Baby Gorilla in 13 Years

ABC - Australia

Australia is celebrating its newest surfing star, Molly Picklum, who returned to Sydney on Thursday after clinching her first world title. The 22-year-old from the Central Coast was met with a warm welcome from family and friends, all eager to congratulate her on this significant achievement.

Picklum arrived home just two days after defeating American Caroline Marks in a thrilling showdown at the World Surf League (WSL) finals held in Fiji. Despite an impressive year on the waves, she had to win this final competition to secure her championship title. "I had all my school friends and friends that have seen me from young and just watched it all unfold," Picklum told ABC News upon her arrival.

The journey to becoming the best in the sport didn't come easy. Picklum acknowledged that achieving victory under the WSL's competition structure is no small feat. "The way the system is, it's definitely a big mountain to climb at the end of the year," she said. Reflecting on her success, she noted how this triumph topped off a year filled with career highlights.

This victory marks a significant moment for Australian surfing; it is the first time an Aussie has taken home the world champion title since Stephanie Gilmore earned her eighth crown in 2022. Following her win, both Gilmore and Layne Beachley reached out to offer their congratulations. "Those legends reached out straight away. They're all proud of me," Picklum shared.

Being recognized by such iconic figures in Australian surfing made her achievement even more special. She expressed how joining this exclusive club of champions felt like coming full circle. "It's just such an honour," she said about being part of such esteemed company.

Molly Picklum's Triumphant Return: Australia's New Surfing Sensation is Making Waves at Home

NASA

NASA is preparing for missions that will take astronauts farther than ever before — to the Moon, Mars, and potentially beyond — and one of the biggest challenges isn’t just propulsion or power, but health care. With long communication delays and limited chances to return to Earth, astronauts will need to handle medical issues on their own, including diagnosing injuries like broken bones or dental problems.

To help, scientists at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are testing portable, handheld X-ray systems designed for spacecraft use. These mini devices could give astronauts the ability to immediately assess injuries or even pinpoint problems in equipment, all without the need for bulky hospital machines.

“Technological innovations like that of the mini-X-ray will help keep our astronauts healthy as we endeavor farther into space than ever before,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy.

Testing the options
NASA reviewed over 200 commercial systems, weighing factors like weight, size, image quality, ease of use, and safety. Three finalists — MinXray, Remedi, and Fujifilm — are now undergoing testing.

“These X-rays could be used to detect both clinical and non-clinical diagnostics, meaning they can check an astronaut’s body or identify the location of a tear in an astronaut suit,” explained Dr. Chase Haddix, a senior biomedical engineering researcher working with the Universities Space Research Association at NASA Glenn.

Because astronauts won’t have medical training, the system must be compact and easy to operate in cramped quarters. Data from current tests will help NASA decide which system can withstand the demands of space travel.

Partnerships on Earth
NASA Glenn is collaborating with Johnson Space Center in Houston, Langley Research Center in Virginia, and local Cleveland partners, including University Hospitals and Cuyahoga Community College.

Cuyahoga students and faculty have contributed anatomical phantoms — lifelike body models — and shared expertise on patient positioning and image quality. Meanwhile, University Hospitals is running a study with real patients to compare the performance of the portable systems against hospital-grade machines.

“Astronauts live and work in small quarters, much smaller spaces than in a hospital,” Haddix noted. “The system must be easy to use since astronauts may not be experienced in radiography.”

Lessons from Earth to space
Portable X-rays aren’t entirely new; they’ve already been used in hard-to-reach places such as Himalayan base camps and remote African villages. NASA researchers believe that if these devices perform well in extreme conditions on Earth, they may be durable enough for space.

In fact, SpaceX has already helped test the idea. During its Fram2 mission in April, the crew captured the first-ever human X-ray images in space using a commercial portable system.

What’s next
NASA plans to select a device by late 2025. The chosen system will then be tested aboard the International Space Station in 2026 or early 2027, with the aim of becoming standard equipment for future exploration missions.

For the teams at NASA Glenn, the work is about more than just machines. “Their knowledge and experience are invaluable as we work to test medical technologies that could significantly improve management of astronaut health on future missions to the Moon or Mars,” said Dr. Cy Peverill, project task lead.

As NASA pushes outward into deep space, the hope is that these small, portable X-rays will give astronauts a critical edge: the ability to look inside the body — and inside their gear — wherever their mission takes them.

NASA's New Handheld X-Ray Tech Could Revolutionize Astronaut Health on Moon and Mars Missions

Sunny Skyz

For most college athletes, getting to practice is just another part of the routine. However, for Tamara Humphries, better known as "The Firefly," this was a daily challenge. The 18-year-old wrestler at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown had the talent and a full-ride scholarship but lacked one crucial element: reliable transportation.

Tamara’s determination shone through as she spent her summer working shifts at a local restaurant, saving up for her first car. Without it, she faced difficulties reaching practices and tournaments on time. Her story caught the attention of someone unexpected: NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.

After coming across her story on social media, Shaq reached out to Tamara and her family. Instead of letting her continue struggling with transportation issues, he surprised her with a brand-new SUV. This generous gesture left Tamara in disbelief.

“I’ve never had a car, ever,” she shared. “Unreal. That’s how it was. That’s amazing. Those are the only words I can use for it.”

Shaq didn’t just stop at gifting a car; he also sent a video message filled with encouragement and some playful advice: “You keep body slamming people, you keep listening, and you keep your grades up. I love you. And no boys. Stay away from them boys.”

Tamara’s wrestling career began in high school where she competed against boys and endured significant challenges early on. Her persistence paid off as she emerged as one of Pittsburgh's promising young wrestling talents with dreams of competing in the Olympics.

Her gratitude extends beyond just receiving the vehicle; it's about what it represents for her future endeavors in wrestling.

“I’m going to keep the journey going, live for everybody, and we’re all going to do this together and get some Olympic titles,” Tamara said.

With Shaq’s support now propelling her forward, Tamara Humphries has one less obstacle on her path to success in wrestling.

Shaquille O’Neal Just Surprised This College Wrestler With a New Car So She Never Misses Practice Again

Talker News

Firefighters in Essex were called out to an unusual rescue after a deer got itself tangled in a football net.

The animal was discovered on the morning of September 4 in Brentwood, with netting wrapped tightly around its antlers and neck. Crews from Brentwood Fire Station lowered the goalpost before carefully untangling the deer.

Fortunately, the animal was unharmed and bolted back into nearby woodland once freed.

An Essex Fire and Rescue spokesperson couldn’t resist a few football puns when describing the callout. “Talk about a game of two halves,” they said. “Luckily, our team was on hand to tackle the situation, carefully freeing the deer so it could make a quick run up the wing back to safety. As you can see, it was soon off and running — a real hat-trick ending.”

The RSPCA has repeatedly urged people to store football nets safely after use, warning that wildlife often becomes trapped in them with potentially fatal consequences.

Firefighters Save Tangled Deer from Football Net in Daring Rescue

CTV News

London’s most famous clocktower has a fresh claim to fame: its restoration has been shortlisted for Britain’s top architecture prize.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced Thursday that the five-year refurbishment of Big Ben — formally the Elizabeth Tower at Parliament — is a contender for the 2024 Stirling Prize. The jury called the project “a veritable masterclass in conservation and craftsmanship” that preserves “a defining symbol of British heritage.”

The 96-metre tower, completed in 1859, houses the giant bell whose familiar chimes have marked the hours for more than 160 years. The bongs fell silent in 2017 when scaffolding went up for essential repairs. What was initially budgeted at £29 million (US\$39 million) more than doubled in cost, but the results unveiled in 2022 drew widespread praise.

Work included repairing corroded cast-iron roofing, fixing damaged stonework, and carefully restoring the clock’s original Victorian blue and gold color scheme, which had been hidden for decades under layers of black paint. Craftspeople relied on traditional skills in stonemasonry, gilding, glass cutting, and clockmaking, while adding modern touches such as LED bulbs behind the clock faces and a new elevator to complement the 334-step climb to the belfry.

The Stirling Prize, typically awarded to striking new buildings, has increasingly recognized infrastructure and conservation projects. Last year’s winner was the Elizabeth Line, London’s vast cross-city railway.

Big Ben faces competition this year from AstraZeneca’s Discovery Center in Cambridge, the London College of Fashion’s new campus, and three housing developments. The winner will be revealed on October 16.

Why London's Iconic Big Ben Is Up For A Major Architecture Award

GoodGoodGood

For nearly six decades, the butter sculpture at the New York State Fair has been a must-see attraction. This year’s 800-pound creation, celebrating the 125th anniversary of *The Wonderful Wizard of Oz* and titled *“Dairy For Good: Nourish. Grow. Thrive,”* dazzled crowds for 13 days. But its story didn’t end when the fair closed.

Instead, the butter block made a second transformation — into electricity.

After being dismantled and packed into bags, the sculpture was sent less than 15 miles away to Noblehurst Farms, a working dairy farm in Western New York. There, co-owners Jack Klapper and Chris Noble recycled it using an anaerobic digester, a system that converts food waste and manure into renewable energy.

“It goes into [an] anaerobic digester, and it sits in there for about 28 days,” Klapper told CNY Central. “Over that period of time it releases methane and the methane gets converted into electricity.”

The process, which Noblehurst has used for a decade, combines the butter with cow manure and other food waste from local stores, cafeterias, and manufacturers. The mix creates enough energy to power the farm, its creamery, and more than 600 homes for a year. On its own, the sculpture generates enough electricity to power a single home for about three days.

“We are extremely honored to be the 'official' recycler of the New York State Fair's butter sculpture,” Klapper said. “Recycling 800 pounds of butter is just another opportunity to showcase how we are sustainable by diverting food waste from landfills and creating renewable energy.”

When Noblehurst first began its program, the farm processed about 500 tons of food waste each month. Today, it handles more than 100 tons every day. What once powered 300 homes now powers more than double that, with electricity also feeding into the local grid.

Over the past 10 years, the farm has recycled four tons of State Fair butter and built a national reputation for sustainability. Its food recycling initiative, launched in 2015, has become a model for what the future of farming could look like.

“It’s really important to focus on the whole life cycle of the cow and the products it’s making,” Noble said. “We’re not just producing milk. We’re also managing manure, recycling food waste from our communities, and generating renewable energy that’s used to power the farm and surrounding homes.”

For Klapper, the butter’s afterlife represents something bigger than tradition. “What we’re able to do on farms today is incredible,” he said. “Over the last 20 years, there’s been a lot of technology introduced to the agricultural sector, and this is just one highlight of it. And we’re proud to be recyclers.”

As he put it, once the 57th annual butter sculpture comes down, “the real transformation begins.” Ten years in, Noblehurst Farms says it’s only getting started.

How an 800-Pound Butter Sculpture Is Powering 600 Homes for a Year

Upworthy

Most people struggle to recall what they ate for dinner last week, let alone what happened on a random summer day years ago. But for a tiny number of people with *hypermnesia*, memory works very differently.

These rare individuals, known as *hyperthymesics*, can recall in extraordinary detail the events of any given day in their lives, as if flipping through a personal calendar. “Some will be able to describe in detail what they did on July 6, 2002, and experience again the emotions and sensations of that day,” explained Valentina La Corte, a research professor at the Memory, Brain, and Cognition Laboratory at Paris Cité University.

The case of TL, a teenage “time traveler”
Researchers at the Paris Brain Institute recently studied a 17-year-old French girl, identified only as TL, whose hypermnesia offers a striking example of this ability. TL organizes her memories as if moving through rooms in a house.

"White room”: a chronological archive of her autobiographical memories, where she can access family events, childhood vacations, and even specific objects.
“Dark memories”: factual knowledge from school, with little emotional weight.
"Emotional spaces": she envisions a “pack ice” room to cool her anger, a “problems” room to reflect on difficulties, and a chest where she stores the painful memory of her grandfather’s death.

This unique mental architecture allows TL not only to revisit her past but also to vividly imagine her future. When researchers asked her to picture future events, she described them with unusually rich sensory and spatial detail, far beyond the average person’s capacity.

A gift with complications
Such mental “time travel” can make people with hypermnesia seem like they live simultaneously in the past, present, and future. But this ability comes with risks. Painful memories can resurface with overwhelming intensity, bringing back grief, anger, or fear as if the event just happened.

Researchers caution that little is known about the long-term effects of hypermnesia. “It is difficult to generalize findings about hyperthymesia, since they rely on only a few cases,” La Corte said. “Does ageing affect the memories of these individuals? Do their mental time-travel abilities depend on age? Can they learn to control the accumulation of memories? We have many questions, and everything remains to be discovered.”

Unlocking the mystery
For now, TL is one of only a handful of documented cases worldwide, and her mind provides scientists with a living map of how memory can be organized and navigated. Studying her abilities could open new windows into how the brain encodes, stores, and recalls experiences — and how imagination and memory intertwine to shape both the past and the future.

For TL, memory isn’t just a record. It’s a place she can walk through, room by room, like a traveler in time.

A 17-Year-Old French Girl Has A Memory So Exceptional, Scientists Call Her A 'Time-Traveler'

In an unusual rescue effort at the Milwaukee County Zoo, staff employed a front-end loader to help Ruth, a "geriatric" African savanna elephant, get back on her feet after a tumble. On Tuesday, September 2, around 11 am, Ruth lost her footing on a log when aggressive behavior from another elephant in the herd caused her to fall onto her side. Despite her efforts to right herself, Ruth's age and position made it difficult for her to stand up unaided.

Ruth is part of the zoo’s elephant herd, all members of which are in their 40s—a stage considered geriatric for elephants. The zoo quickly implemented its protocol for lifting a downed animal. This plan includes alerting both the Milwaukee Fire Department’s Heavy Urban Rescue Team (HURT) and Dawes Rigging and Crane.

Zoo staff used a front-load vehicle to assist Ruth. One of the zoo's vehicle operators maneuvered the machine while being carefully guided by the elephant care coordinator. This assistance allowed Ruth to regain her footing and walk back into her indoor habitat.

The heartwarming moment was captured in video footage released by the zoo. In the clip, supporters can be heard cheering Ruth on with encouraging shouts like "Let’s go Ruth!" and "Come on Ruth!"

As of Wednesday, zoo officials confirmed that Ruth was doing well. Both animal care specialists and veterinary teams are monitoring her closely as she recovers from the incident.

Zoo staff at the Milwaukee County Zoo employed the use of a front-end loader to assist a “geriatric” elephant stand back up after she took a tumble on Tuesday, September 2.The Milwaukee County Zoo provided this footage and posted a photo of the African savanna elephant, named Ruth, with an update regarding the incident.According to the Wisconsin zoo, around 11 am on Tuesday, Ruth “lost her footing on a log in the outdoor habitat due to aggressive behavior from a herd-mate, and she fell on her side. Ruth remained down but continued actively trying to get back up on her own, although her age and position made that difficult.”The zoo wrote that all three members of the zoo’s elephant herd are in their 40s, which is considered geriatric.In a statement to Storyful, the zoo said when Ruth was unable to rise, the zoo began “implementing its planned protocol to lift a down animal, which includes alerting the Milwaukee Fire Department’s Heavy Urban Rescue Team (HURT) as well as Dawes Rigging and Crane.”“A front-load vehicle, operated by one of the zoo’s vehicle machine operators and carefully guided by our elephant care coordinator, provided leverage for Ruth to ultimately be able to get up on her own and walk into the indoor habitat,” the zoo wrote in the statement.As of Wednesday, Ruth was doing well and the zoo’s animal care and vet teams were expected to continue to monitor her to ensure she was recovering.In the video, people can be heard encouraging the toppled elephant, shouting, “Let’s go Ruth!” and “Come on Ruth!”

Watch Construction Equipment Help This Geriatric Zoo Elephant Stand Up After a Fall

Gizmodo

Canada is taking a significant step forward in lunar exploration. The country's first-ever Moon rover will hitch a ride aboard Firefly Aerospace's fourth Blue Ghost mission, set for 2029. This Canadian rover aims to explore the Moon's south pole, searching for water in permanently shadowed regions and providing insights into the lunar geological makeup.

NASA recently awarded Texas-based Firefly $176.7 million to land two rovers and three scientific instruments on the Moon. This collaboration is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which aims to use commercial companies for lunar exploration. "Through CLPS, NASA is embracing a new era of lunar exploration, with commercial companies leading the way," said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

The Toronto-based company Canadensys Aerospace designed Canada's four-wheeled rover. It has been years in development and was greenlit by the Canadian Space Agency with a $1.2 billion contract in November 2022. Built to withstand harsh lunar nights where temperatures can drop to minus 133 degrees Celsius, the rover will operate for an hour on the surface.

Firefly Aerospace successfully landed on the Moon earlier this year with its first mission, becoming only the second company to do so after Intuitive Machines’ lander tipped over during their February 2024 landing attempt. While other companies like Japan’s ispace have struggled with unsuccessful landings, Firefly looks to repeat its success with future missions slated for 2026 and 2028 before Canada's rover makes its journey in 2029.

The data gathered by Canada's rover will support global efforts to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon by identifying resources that could aid future habitats there. Canadensys will also test technologies such as surface mobility, telecommunications, dust mitigation, navigation, and remote semi-autonomous control through this mission.

Mars may be capturing imaginations lately, but it seems like our nearest celestial neighbor is getting plenty of attention, too. With each successful mission, we're inching closer to making a permanent presence on the Moon a reality.

Canada's First Moon Mission Set to Launch on Firefly Spacecraft

Kerragan Johnson trains like any other elite high school athlete: five days a week, 10 to 12 hours on the track, with early bedtimes and little room for late nights with friends. But the 17-year-old senior at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas, isn’t just chasing medals—she’s chasing history.

Born with a limb difference caused by an amniotic band that cut off circulation to her arm before birth, Johnson adapted quickly to life with one hand. “As I grew up, I only knew one hand, so I just kind of adapted to life,” she said. “I never really looked at myself and thought, ‘I’m so different.’”

That resilience has carried her all the way to the *World Para Athletics Championships in India this September*, where she’ll represent the United States in the 200- and 400-meter races. She qualified after taking second place in the 400 and third in the 200 at the USA Outdoor and Para National Championships in Oregon.

“I want to get first place,” Johnson said. “I want to drop my time, and I want to inspire others. I want to make a difference, and I want to be a good character.”

Her coach, Dawnshae Evans, describes her with three words: “Grit. Ambitious. Unstoppable.” Evans adds, “It’s hard to go to the trials and run against people that are four, five, six years older than you and still make the team. That is just extreme ambition, courage.”

Johnson’s determination goes beyond medals. She hopes to be a role model for young athletes with and without physical differences. “Life is so short, and you don’t have enough time in the day to be looking at yourself and feeling sorry,” she said. “Instead, just embrace who you are as a person because God doesn’t make mistakes. Make your own way, make your own path, and others will follow.”

Her long-term goal? The Paralympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. In the meantime, she’s balancing her senior year, world-class training, and dreams of becoming a pediatric occupational therapist to help children facing challenges similar to her own.

“I guess the only word that I can think of is amazing,” Evans said. “There is no limitation to her. She did make a dream come true, so I’m super proud of her.”

For Johnson, the next race is just one step toward an even bigger finish line: proving that nothing—not even the starting blocks life gave her—can keep her from the path she’s determined to run.

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