237 articles
Researchers are using AI to predict someone's risk of over 1,000 different diseases before symptoms appear, including breast cancer — transforming medicine from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.
On 28 February 2026, India launched a free nationwide HPV vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls, aiming to protect millions and sharply cut its heavy burden of cervical cancer.
IBM has stated that 2026 will be the year a quantum computer first outperforms a classical computer on a practical task, unlocking breakthroughs in drug development, materials science, and financial optimization.
The latest annual count found at least 319 wild Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico, up from 286 the year before — an 11.5 percent rise and another consecutive year of growth. From just 11 wolves released in 1998, North America’s rarest gray wolf keeps climbing.
Once down to just 22 birds, the California condor population has crossed 1,000 thanks to decades of captive breeding and habitat protection.
The International Wheelchair Basketball League draws over 2 million live spectators in its 2025-26 season, a 150% increase fueled by major broadcast deals and social media.
After a lifetime of putting family first, 87-year-old Rosa Domínguez has earned her PhD in History from the University of Buenos Aires, inspiring her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to enroll in school.
Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard built an AI framework that figures out which cell measurements are unique to one technique and which are shared across several, giving scientists a fuller picture of how cells behave.
Toyota and Samsung begin mass-producing solid-state batteries that offer 1,000 km range, 10-minute charging, and a 20-year lifespan.
A UNESCO-led consortium of 600 museums has digitized and published one billion cultural artifacts in a free, searchable global archive.
Pilot programs in low-resource regions reported faster triage, earlier referrals, and improved patient flow using an open clinical AI assistant.
In Milwaukee's 53206 ZIP code, the nonprofit We Got This works with young people aged 10 to 18 to turn vacant lots into thriving gardens. Their newest project, Coaches Corner Garden, opens in June 2026 — part of an effort that logged 7,000 volunteer hours from 375 children in 2025.
A single-dose vaccine targeting a conserved region of the influenza virus provided 88% protection across all strains for at least three years in a 25,000-person trial.
A landmark study shows therapy dog visits reduce patient pain scores by 25% and cut anxiety medication use in half, leading to rapid hospital adoption.
Scientists have made a surprising breakthrough in sodium-ion battery technology by keeping water inside a key battery material instead of removing it, dramatically boosting performance and opening the door to both affordable energy storage and seawater desalination.
Researchers at UC San Diego have developed a novel CRISPR-based genetic cassette that can spread between bacteria to actively dismantle antibiotic resistance genes — offering a powerful new weapon against the growing superbug crisis.
A major new study has identified three familiar medicines — including the shingles vaccine — that could take on an unexpected new role in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, offering hope to the millions of families affected worldwide.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have discovered that natural killer (NK) cells taken from HIV-positive patients can be enhanced in the lab to target and reduce viral reservoirs — a breakthrough that could one day free millions from daily antiretroviral medications.
At 41, American bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor made history at Milano Cortina 2026 by winning gold in the women's monobob — becoming the oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympics history and the most decorated Black Winter Olympian ever. She is also a devoted disability advocate.
Norwegian skiing legend Johannes Høsflot Klæbo cemented his place as the greatest cross-country skier in Olympic history by winning his record-setting sixth gold medal at Milano Cortina 2026 in the grueling men's 50km mass start event.
In a major win for animal welfare, Indonesia has officially banned all elephant riding activities across the entire country, including the popular tourist destinations of Bali and Sumatra, as of January 2026.
In one of Italy's greatest conservation success stories, Sardinia's griffon vulture population has soared from near-extinction at the start of 2010 to over 500 individuals today, thanks to decades of dedicated conservation work.
Stockholm's innovative hydrofoil electric ferry, which appears to "fly" above the water, has been declared a resounding success by the Swedish Transport Administration after a thorough evaluation of its pilot route — offering a glimpse of the future of urban waterway transit.
Scientists in Cambridge, UK have developed a revolutionary system that stores data in glass using lasers, fitting 4.84 terabytes — equivalent to 2 million printed books — into a piece of silica glass just 12 square centimeters in size.
The Paul E. Farmer Maternal Center of Excellence in Sierra Leone, funded by $50 million from content creators John and Hank Green, opened on Valentine's Day 2026 — and its first baby, a girl, was born the same day. In a country where 1 in 52 women died during pregnancy in 2020, this hospital is already saving lives.
Juan Leon, a Minnesota tow truck driver, noticed abandoned cars throughout the Twin Cities belonging to people arrested by ICE. He began tracking down the families and returning their vehicles for free — an act of everyday heroism that has touched hearts across America.
Following a devastating personal loss, a Philadelphia-area teacher has inspired her students to launch a kindness movement that has spread far beyond her classroom walls, demonstrating the transformative power of compassion in education.
Thanks to tireless human rights campaigners who discovered an overlooked legal stipulation, more than 700 children born in Bangladeshi brothels and streets have received birth certificates for the first time — unlocking access to school, healthcare, and protection from trafficking.
Ireland has made its pandemic-era basic income scheme for artists permanent, providing thousands of creative workers with a guaranteed income to sustain their practice — a groundbreaking model that countries worldwide are watching closely.
The European Union has introduced groundbreaking new rules banning companies from destroying unsold textiles and footwear, as part of a sweeping push toward a circular economy. With 92 million tonnes of textiles ending up in landfills globally each year, this regulation could transform the fashion industry.
Portugal has surged to the top of the EU renewable energy leaderboard, with a staggering 80.7% of its electricity in January 2026 coming from renewable sources — the country's best result in nine months and a powerful demonstration of what the clean energy transition looks like in practice.
Ten European nations have signed the Hamburg Declaration, committing €9.5 billion to deliver 100 gigawatts of offshore wind energy across the North Sea by 2050 — enough electricity to power approximately 143 million homes and a decisive step off the "fossil fuel rollercoaster."
Researchers have discovered that AI systems learn significantly better when given the ability to engage in internal "mumbling" — a form of self-talk combined with short-term memory that helps them adapt to new tasks, switch goals, and handle complex challenges more easily.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 highlighted AI's transformative positive impact on healthcare in underserved regions, where AI tools are helping diagnose diseases, recommend treatments, and save lives in communities that lack specialist doctors. World leaders called for inclusive, cooperative AI development.
Argentine researchers at CONICET and the University of Buenos Aires modified low-cost activated carbon to remove arsenic from water, cutting it from 100 to under 10 parts per billion over 2,000-plus gallons without power or chemicals.
In new mirror experiments, cleaner wrasse spotted and removed fake parasites within an hour and even “tested” their reflections by dropping food, hints of a self-awareness once thought limited to a few brainy mammals.
The Waves of Change initiative has taught 50,000 young people to surf while providing mentorship and education, dramatically reducing youth crime in participating areas.
Ahmad Khalil, who arrived in Chicago as a refugee in 2018, has served over 10,000 free meals to homeless people from his restaurant's kitchen and has been honored with the James Beard Humanitarian of the Year award.
Brazil reaches a historic milestone by planting one billion native trees across degraded Amazon land since 2023, restoring an area the size of Belgium.
Education networks reported better inclusion for deaf and hard-of-hearing students after deploying open multilingual captioning and sign-language support tools.
On 22 February 2026, Eileen Gu defended her freeski halfpipe title at Milano Cortina 2026, taking her sixth career Olympic medal and becoming the most decorated Olympic freeskier in history.
What began as a single tool-lending library in a Detroit garage has grown into a network of 200 community sharing hubs across 35 US states.
Spotify and Apple Music report a 400% increase in traditional and folk music streams worldwide, driven by Gen Z listeners and viral social-media collaborations.
Norway cross-country skier Johannes Hosflot Klaebo won all six of his events at Milano Cortina 2026, becoming the first athlete to claim six gold medals at a single Winter Olympics and breaking a record that had stood since 1980.
An international research cruise has catalogued over 120 previously unknown deep-sea organisms that produce their own light, reshaping our understanding of ocean ecosystems.
The gene-editing therapy Casgevy is now accessible in 30 nations including Nigeria and India, where sickle-cell disease is most prevalent.
Cultivated beef now costs the same as traditional ground beef at major US grocery chains, a milestone that industry analysts predicted would not arrive until 2030.
Community pilots combining weather AI alerts and soil recommendations showed lower losses and better harvest planning for smallholder families.
An anonymous donor gave the city of Osaka 21 gold bars weighing 21 kilograms, worth $3.6 million, with the specific request that they be used to repair the city's aging water infrastructure.
The Ocean Cleanup and partner organizations announce they have removed 100,000 tonnes of plastic from the world's oceans, halfway to their 2030 target.
On 19 February 2026, Alysa Liu won the women figure skating gold at Milano Cortina 2026, becoming the first American woman to win the singles title in 24 years, after stepping away from the sport and launching a comeback.
A hydrogen-rich compound maintains zero electrical resistance at 22 °C and near-ambient pressure, confirmed by independent teams across five countries.
Emergency agencies used open AI mapping pipelines to process satellite and drone imagery in near real time, improving rescue prioritization after floods.
In a study published in Nature, the agentic AI system DeepRare reached 79 percent diagnostic accuracy versus 66 percent for rare-disease experts, while providing traceable, evidence-linked reasoning to help shorten the years-long diagnostic odyssey.
On 18 February 2026, Mikaela Shiffrin won the women slalom at Milano Cortina 2026, her first Olympic gold since 2018 and a record third career Olympic title, an emotional victory she dedicated to her late father Jeff.
When Shyenique Wilkins suffered a seizure and her car flipped into a Florida canal with her three children inside, a passing stranger named Casey Curtis pulled all four to safety from a road where “there was nobody around.”
Satellite data from Brazil's space agency show Amazon forest clearing from August 2025 to January 2026 fell to its lowest for that period since 2014. Environment Minister Marina Silva says the country could record its lowest deforestation since monitoring began in 1988 if the trend holds.
A network of 150 communal refrigerators across Melbourne has diverted over 800 tonnes of food from landfill while feeding thousands of residents.
A study of nearly 200,000 adults, presented via the American College of Cardiology in February 2026, found that the quality of foods — not whether a diet is low-carb or low-fat — is what most shapes heart-disease risk.
In Blagdon, North Somerset, residents have become citizen naturalists, tracking dung beetles, skylarks, adders and dormice across a regenerative farm. Coordinated by ecologist Patrick Hancock through a WhatsApp group and the iNaturalist app, the survey turned neighbours into "extra eyes and ears" for nature.
On 17 February 2026, Compass Pathways reported that its second Phase 3 trial of COMP360 psilocybin met its primary endpoint, with a single 25 mg dose significantly reducing symptoms of treatment-resistant depression and rapid onset from the next day.
Neuromorphic computers modeled after the human brain can now solve the complex equations behind physics simulations — something once thought possible only with energy-hungry supercomputers. This breakthrough could revolutionize scientific computing while dramatically reducing energy consumption.
UK doctors have reported a breakthrough in treating Huntington's disease, with a new gene therapy able to slow its progression by 75 percent. The treatment targets the faulty gene responsible for the devastating neurodegenerative condition that affects around 30,000 people in the UK alone.
A landmark Stanford study found that heart attack deaths in the US have plummeted by nearly 90% over five decades, and heart disease-related deaths overall have fallen 66%. Researchers called it a "medical miracle" driven by advances in science, medicine, and public health.
The US Food and Drug Administration has been gradually reducing its dependence on animal testing, embracing advanced alternatives like organ-on-a-chip technology and AI-powered simulations. This marks a historic shift toward more humane and often more accurate methods of testing drug safety.
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League, backed by Major League Baseball, launched in 2025 as the first sustainable professional women's softball league. With former MLB executive Kim Ng as commissioner — the first woman to hold such a position for a US major league — the league played across 10 cities to enthusiastic crowds.
The public debut of giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao at the Smithsonian National Zoo in January 2025 drew record-breaking crowds, with Washington D.C. celebrating a city-wide "District of Panda Party" that united the community through joy, diplomacy, and conservation awareness.
In a feat once thought improbable, the green sea turtle has been removed from the endangered species list in 2025, marking one of the greatest conservation success stories of our time. Decades of beach protection, fishing regulation changes, and international cooperation have brought the species back from the brink.
The share of cage-free eggs in the US jumped from 38.7% to 45.3% in just nine months of 2025, saving approximately 20 million hens from life in a cage. This represents the fastest shift since animal advocates began campaigning to ban battery cages.
Brazil and partners launched the Tropical Forest Forever Facility ahead of COP30 — a multibillion-dollar initiative that rewards countries for keeping forests standing and channels funding directly to Indigenous Peoples and local communities who are the true stewards of forest landscapes.
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science have developed tiny molecular devices whose behavior can be tuned in multiple ways, bridging chemistry and computing. These shape-shifting molecules could lead to AI hardware that naturally learns, rather than merely imitating learning.
Despite a tumultuous geopolitical landscape, 196 nations agreed at COP16 in Rome to mobilize at least $200 billion per year by 2030 to help developing countries conserve biodiversity. The deal was hailed as a win for multilateralism in uncertain times.
Ireland announced in October 2025 that its basic income scheme for artists will be made permanent, offering participants a weekly stipend of €325 to support grassroots culture. Originally introduced during the pandemic, the program has proven so successful that the government decided to institutionalize it.
The iconic children's literacy show Reading Rainbow returned in 2025 with original host LeVar Burton, bringing its mission to inspire a love of reading to a new generation of children. The revival sparked joy among millions of adults who grew up with the show and their kids discovering it for the first time.
The smartphone-free childhood movement caught on globally in 2025, with parents forming local groups, schools implementing phone-free policies, and governments exploring legislation. The movement reflects growing awareness that children's wellbeing improves significantly when screen time is moderated.
New research in 2025 declared 70 "the new 60," with studies showing that today's 70-year-olds are significantly healthier, more cognitively sharp, and more physically active than previous generations at the same age. The findings reflect decades of improvements in healthcare, nutrition, and lifestyle.
Chinook salmon were spotted swimming in Oregon's Chiloquin Basin for the first time in 100 years, following a historic dam removal and river restoration project. The return of these iconic fish represents the culmination of decades of environmental advocacy by Indigenous communities and conservationists.
The Global Ocean Treaty became reality in 2025 after 79 nations ratified the agreement, far exceeding the 60 required. The treaty protects marine biodiversity in international waters covering nearly half the planet.
The International Energy Agency confirmed that solar power is now the fastest-growing source of electricity generation ever recorded, with costs dropping 90% in the past decade and installations surging worldwide.
Multiple studies confirm that AI-powered mammography screening can detect breast cancer up to 5 years before it becomes visible to human radiologists, with free open-source tools now being deployed in public hospitals worldwide.
Meta's release of Llama 3 as a completely free and open-source AI model has democratized access to cutting-edge artificial intelligence, enabling startups, researchers, and developing nations to build powerful AI applications without billion-dollar budgets.
Every day at 3 PM, construction workers building Cleveland Clinic's new neurological institute stop to wave, make heart shapes, and hold up signs for Brinley, a 4-year-old waiting for a heart transplant across the way.
After nearly three decades of research, Brazilian scientists have developed polylaminin — a stabilized form of a natural human protein that acts as a scaffold for nerve regeneration. ANVISA has approved Phase 1 clinical trials, and early results, including a tetraplegic woman regaining arm movement within days, have been described as unprecedented.
On 15 February 2026, Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale won the mixed team snowboard cross at Milano Cortina 2026, becoming Great Britain first ever Olympic gold medallists on snow with a 0.43 second win over Italy.
Robert Miller and Willard Smith, both around 100, only discovered they had each survived the WWII Battle of Luzon after moving into the same Illinois care facility eight decades later, where they became friends.
On 14 February 2026, Brazil Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the men giant slalom at Milano Cortina 2026, beating defending champion Marco Odermatt to claim South America first ever Olympic Winter Games medal in 102 years.
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After losing her mother as a tiny cub, an endangered red panda named Asha — meaning “hope” in Nepali and Sanskrit — was hand-reared by keepers at Bristol Zoo Project and has now taken her first confident steps in her outdoor habitat, part of a European breeding program for the species.
Portugal generated 80.7% of its electricity from renewable sources in January 2026, topping the EU leaderboard and saving an estimated €703 million compared to natural gas production.
Northwestern University scientists reported in Science Translational Medicine that the widely used epilepsy drug levetiracetam blocks the formation of amyloid plaques, suggesting a new path to prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Analysis by Carbon Brief finds China's CO2 emissions fell 0.3% in 2025 and have been "flat or falling" for 21 months since March 2024. A surge in solar (+43%), wind (+14%) and nuclear (+8%) generation met all of the country's electricity demand growth — a potential turning point for the world's largest emitter.
The Global Ocean Treaty became law in September 2025 after 79 nations ratified it — far exceeding the 60 required. The treaty gives governments a legal framework to protect international waters, where currently only 1% is protected.
A 37-year study published in Nature Communications found that Indigenous lands delivered the strongest long-term forest restoration in Brazil's Atlantic Forest, outperforming private properties. Across 1.9 million territories, restoration gains outweighed losses roughly tenfold — a hopeful sign for one of Earth's most threatened biomes.
Stanford researchers created miniature optical cavities that efficiently collect light from individual atoms, enabling many qubits to be read simultaneously. This light-based approach could solve one of the biggest barriers to building large-scale quantum computers.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have created Prima, an AI system that interprets brain MRI scans in seconds with up to 97.5% accuracy across 50+ neurological conditions, trained on 200,000+ studies and 5.6 million imaging sequences.
A global trial led by Wake Forest, published in The Lancet Haematology in February 2026, found that ropeginterferon alfa-2b outperformed standard therapy for high-risk essential thrombocythemia patients who cannot tolerate hydroxyurea.
The UK’s Twycross Zoo has welcomed its first baby of 2026: an endangered pileated gibbon. Keepers called it a hugely important birth for the entire European population of these long-armed, tree-swinging apes, which are threatened by habitat loss across Southeast Asia.
Stanford's Prakash Lab built Octopi, an affordable AI-powered microscope that autonomously scans blood for malaria, screening up to a million cells per minute and running on batteries or solar in off-grid clinics.
When asked if he believed in God, Einstein gave an answer that changed how millions think about the divine. His inspiration? A 17th-century philosopher named Baruch Spinoza, whose vision of God as nature itself produced one of the most profound and liberating texts ever written.
In the lead-up to COP30, Brazil and partners launched the Tropical Forest Forever Facility — a multibillion-dollar initiative that rewards countries for keeping forests standing and channels funding directly to Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
A quantum computer has discovered a promising new antibiotic compound in just 48 hours, a process that traditionally takes years of laboratory work.
When environmental disasters strike, live fungi are helping to quickly clean up everything from oil spills to toxic runoff through mycoremediation.
The groundbreaking malaria vaccine has now been administered to 10 million children across Africa, dramatically reducing deaths from one of humanity oldest killers.
A comprehensive study shows that personalized music therapy can reduce chronic pain perception by up to 50%, offering a drug-free alternative for millions of sufferers.
Wheelchair basketball is experiencing unprecedented growth, with participation doubling in five years as the sport gains mainstream recognition.
As the 2026 Winter Games launch, former Team GB Olympic snowboarder and TNT presenter Aimee Fuller reflects on what shaped her life beyond the slopes.
France's Savoir Rouler à Vélo program has taught over 500,000 children to cycle safely, aiming to have every child know how to ride by age 11.
The first lynx reintroduced to Scotland in 500 years are thriving, with the pilot population successfully establishing territories and producing cubs.
The largest oyster reef restoration project in the world has planted 10 billion oysters in Chesapeake Bay, reviving ecosystems and cleaning billions of gallons of water daily.
A new solar-powered desalination system can produce fresh water at a fraction of traditional costs, bringing clean drinking water to water-scarce coastal regions.
Atmospheric water generators — devices that extract humidity from air to create drinking water — are now providing clean water to communities in arid regions worldwide.
Community tool libraries are popping up in cities worldwide, allowing residents to borrow power tools and equipment instead of buying items they rarely use.
A Hamburg program matches refugees with local volunteers who introduce them to German culture through shared activities — from football matches to museum visits.
A doctor who arrived as a refugee with nothing but his medical knowledge now leads a major hospital department, having saved thousands of lives in his new country.
A school in Assam, India accepts plastic waste instead of money for tuition, educating 110 students while keeping tons of plastic out of the environment.
Vinyl records have outsold CDs for the first time in nearly 40 years, as listeners rediscover the joy of physical music and the ritual of putting on a record.
Cherokee language immersion schools in Oklahoma have produced hundreds of fluent young speakers, reversing decades of language decline.
The largest seagrass restoration project in history is creating vast underwater meadows that capture carbon 35 times faster than tropical rainforests.
A nature-based approach using willow trees to stabilize riverbanks is proving more effective and cheaper than traditional concrete solutions.
In February 2026, Natural England licensed two new wild beaver release projects in the south-west, joining the National Trust’s release in Dorset. With around 100 beavers set for release this year and 30 projects in the pipeline, the once-extinct mammal is returning to English rivers.
Artificial intelligence has discovered a revolutionary new superconductor material that works at much higher temperatures, potentially transforming energy transmission and electronics.
Researchers have finally confirmed with DNA evidence that a 146,000-year-old skull known as "Dragon Man" belonged to a Denisovan, putting a face to one of our long-lost human relatives.
A trailblazing attempt to repopulate the ocean with sharks born from surplus aquarium eggs is expanding marine conservation.
A groundbreaking NHS weight-loss program has put 46% of participants with type 2 diabetes into remission, proving that lifestyle changes can reverse the condition.
A Yorkshire therapist has discovered her intuitive flock of sheep has an unexpected ability to help people unload their worries and find emotional healing.
The new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline handled over 5 million calls, texts, and chats in its first year, with teens being the fastest-growing group seeking help.
The global Cycling Without Age movement now operates in 52 countries, giving nursing home residents the joy of bike rides through trishaw rides piloted by volunteers.
After being absent for 140 years, wolves have naturally returned to the Netherlands and are now successfully breeding, marking a remarkable wildlife comeback.
Conservation efforts to let hedgerows grow wild have led to record numbers of rare butterfly eggs being recorded across the UK.
A group of women in rural India known as the Stork Sisters have become guardians of the endangered greater adjutant stork, saving hundreds of chicks and changing local attitudes toward wildlife.
New research reveals that great apes can engage in imaginative play, pretending to pour and drink invisible tea, demonstrating cognitive abilities previously thought to be uniquely human.
Indoor vertical farms are bringing fresh produce to urban food deserts, growing vegetables year-round with 95% less water than traditional agriculture.
Little Break in Ann Arbor offers affordable on-site childcare while parents work nearby, creating a supportive community for working families.
Plug-in balcony solar panels are booming across Europe, allowing renters and apartment dwellers to generate clean energy without rooftop access or landlord permission.
A grassroots distribution network of donated diapers, breastmilk, and food is finding its way to families in need, powered by local mothers helping each other.
When Bristol's iconic ferry service went bust, 900 residents bought shares to revive it. Now it carries 50,000 passengers a year and runs free tours for those facing financial barriers.
A unique Kentucky initiative brings together city dwellers and rural farmers to tackle climate change together, discovering they have more in common than they thought.
A deaf actor has made Broadway history as the first deaf performer to play a lead role in a major musical, inspiring a new generation of performers with disabilities.
After receiving a terminal diagnosis, 27-year-old sailor Jazz Turner decided to pursue her dream of sailing unassisted around the world.
On Dal Lake in Kashmir, floating schools on boats bring education to children living in houseboats who couldn't access traditional schools.
Independent bookstores are experiencing a surprising revival as communities seek the personal connections and curated selections that online retailers cannot offer.
In the birthplace of Lego and Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark is showcasing play as a national virtue and an antidote to screen-saturated childhoods.
After years of budget cuts, school theater programs are experiencing a renaissance as research confirms their powerful impact on student mental health and social skills.
Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has dropped to its lowest level in 15 years, thanks to stronger enforcement and Indigenous-led conservation efforts.
New research shows that lead pollution in the United States has decreased by a factor of 100 over the past century, marking a major environmental health victory.
Large-scale seagrass restoration projects are succeeding worldwide, reviving underwater meadows that capture carbon 35 times faster than tropical rainforests.
A major longevity study published in 2025 found that today's 70-year-olds are physically and cognitively comparable to 60-year-olds from a generation ago, thanks to improvements in healthcare, nutrition, and lifestyle habits.
The reproductive spores of a moss species were able to survive the vacuum of space during a 9-month stint outside the International Space Station, returning with an 86% germination rate.
Researchers have created a revolutionary self-healing road surface inspired by nature, using plant-based spores packed with recycled oils that seal fractures when compressed.
Scientists have achieved a sustained net energy gain from nuclear fusion for the first time, marking a historic milestone toward unlimited clean energy.
A study of nearly 14 million children in England reveals that Covid infection carries a substantially higher risk of heart complications than vaccination.
A visually impaired athlete has set a new world record for blind marathon runners, finishing in under 2 hours 45 minutes with the help of a dedicated team of guide runners.
The reintroduction of bison to Yellowstone National Park has sparked a striking ecological recovery, demonstrating the powerful ripple effects of rewilding keystone species.
The Great Barrier Reef has experienced its largest coral spawning event in decades, a sign that conservation efforts are helping the ecosystem recover.
The Knepp rewilding estate in Sussex has recorded a 900% increase in breeding birds over 20 years, proving what's possible when nature is given space to recover.
Energy companies are repurposing retired wind turbine blades into sustainable tiny homes, addressing both the renewable energy waste problem and the housing crisis.
The global Repair Café movement, where volunteers fix broken items for free, has expanded to 3,000 locations, saving thousands of tons of waste from landfills.
Once synonymous with mining, Loos-en-Gohelle in northern France has become a model for how to sustainably transition away from fossil fuels through citizen participation.
A woman discovered that her OB/GYN who delivered both her children was actually her childhood pen pal from 30 years ago: 'My mouth dropped.'
After 20 years in the far right, a former neo-Nazi leader has formed an organization of reformed extremists dedicated to helping others leave hate movements.
A dedicated teacher took over a failing school and, through innovative methods and unwavering belief in her students, turned it into one of the top-performing schools in the region.
From ferry companies to shopping centres, communities are buying up local assets to run for themselves as big retailers and the state retreat.
A landmark global treaty to protect the high seas has entered into force after 79 nations ratified the agreement, potentially creating the largest network of ocean sanctuaries in history.
Renewable energy sources now generate 35% of global electricity, a new record that puts the world on track to meet key climate goals.
Solar energy was confirmed as the fastest growing source of electricity in history in 2025, growing from 1% to 9% of global electricity in just a decade. Combined with wind, renewables overtook coal as the world's leading electricity source for the first time.
A Global Voices report describes African-built AI tools tackling the health-care gap: a Kenyan malaria-microscopy app reading blood smears at 98.5 percent accuracy, Ghanaian AI chest X-ray reports in hours, fetal-ultrasound aids in Uganda and faster drone medical delivery in Rwanda.
A newly confirmed galaxy, MoM-z14, pushes the observable universe record even closer to the beginning — and challenges what astronomers expected to see so early.
Marine biologists have developed heat-resistant coral varieties that can survive in waters up to 3°C warmer, offering hope for reef conservation as oceans warm.
NASA announces the discovery of vivianite and greigite on Mars, minerals that form in the presence of water and could provide clues about the planet's wet past.
Being an involved grandparent is good for the brain — caring for grandchildren may serve as a buffer against cognitive decline and dementia in older adults.
A groundbreaking eye implant has enabled blind people to read again, with 84% of participants regaining the ability to read after receiving the revolutionary technology.
A new treatment has shown remarkable success in slowing the progression of Parkinson's disease by 50%, offering hope to millions of patients worldwide.
Schools that have banned smartphones are reporting significant increases in physical activity and sports participation among students, as children rediscover outdoor play.
Local chess clubs across India are providing education and helping communities turn the game of kings into a route out of poverty.
Across Iowa, a tiny endangered fish has inspired an enormous conservation program that has restored hundreds of oxbow ponds, bringing back 57 fish species, 81 bird species, and many other animals.
Scientists have engineered a super enzyme that can break down plastic bottles in just hours, offering a potential solution to the global plastic pollution crisis.
Cities using AI-optimized traffic light systems are seeing dramatic reductions in vehicle emissions and commute times, proving smart infrastructure can tackle climate change.
UK doctors report a breakthrough in treating Huntington's disease, with a new gene therapy able to slow its progression by 75 percent.
Home Kitchen, a buzzing new fine-dining restaurant in London, is breaking barriers by employing nearly all staff members who have experienced homelessness.
Community skill-sharing platforms are connecting neighbors to exchange services — from language lessons to home repairs — building connections while saving money.
An innovative project using humble public telephones is helping Democrats and Republicans find common ground through unexpected conversations.
In the birthplace of Lego and Hans Christian Andersen, play is in the country's DNA. Denmark is now inviting visitors to put down devices and rediscover the joy of hands-on play.
New research shows that viewing art in galleries actually reduces stress hormones and inflammation in the body, proving that cultural experiences benefit both mind and body.
A new generation of language learning apps is helping Indigenous communities revive endangered languages, with some seeing a 300% increase in young speakers.
Museums are recreating ancient scents from 3,500 years ago, allowing visitors to experience history through smell for the first time.
A global coalition of cities has planted 100 million trees to combat rising urban temperatures, reducing heat island effects and improving air quality.
A revolutionary plastic recycling technology is moving from demonstration to commercial-scale operations, targeting 100,000 tons annually by the end of the decade.
Target team members volunteered 1 million hours in 2025 for the tenth consecutive year, and in 2026 the company's Bullseye Builds program will invest $1m to reimagine shared community spaces — parks, schools and resource centers — in 13 neighborhoods nationwide, based on what residents say they need.
A volunteer scanning NASA data discovered a potentially habitable exoplanet that professional astronomers had missed, and now the world's most powerful telescopes will investigate it.
Revolutionary gene therapy treatment has successfully helped people born with genetic hearing loss to recover some of their hearing, marking a new era in treating hereditary deafness.
A baby girl with a rare and fatal genetic disorder became the first person to receive a personalized CRISPR-based gene therapy, and is now thriving months after treatment.
A comprehensive study has found that well-designed mental health apps can be as effective as traditional therapy for treating mild to moderate depression and anxiety.
An Irish golfer celebrated his first ever hole-in-one after learning to play the sport following an accident that left him with only one arm. He credits golf with saving his life.
Surf therapy programs for military veterans are showing remarkable mental health improvements, with participants reporting significant reductions in PTSD symptoms.
In a conservation success story decades in the making, the green turtle has been removed from the endangered species list, proving that dedicated protection efforts can save species from extinction.
Kenya's elephant population has more than doubled over the past three decades, reaching over 36,000 animals thanks to anti-poaching efforts and habitat protection.
AI-powered robotic trash sorters are becoming common in recycling facilities, making thousands of decisions per minute to recover valuable materials from waste streams.
A 93-year-old woman has earned her PhD, becoming the world's oldest doctoral graduate and proving that it's never too late to pursue your dreams.
Museums offering free admission days are seeing record attendance, with data showing significant increases in visitors from underserved communities.
Four million native oysters are being returned to an artificial reef off Norfolk, England, creating what will become Europe's largest oyster reef and potentially transforming local marine ecosystems.
The UK government announced a comprehensive plan in late 2025 to phase out animal testing for scientific and cosmetic purposes, with campaigners welcoming it as a significant step forward for both science and animal welfare.
Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City is using the community land trust model to build affordable neighborhoods in Olathe and Lenexa. By keeping the land in trust and capping resale gains, homes stay within reach of working families — the first resident bought hers for about half the county average.
On February 2, 2026, a healthy female Asian elephant calf was born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo to first-time mother Nhi Linh — the first elephant born there in nearly a quarter century. Because her parents’ genes are rare in zoos, the calf strengthens the genetic diversity of an endangered species.
Berkeley Lab is leading a 10-million-dollar effort to build FORUM-AI, an open-source assistant that uses generative, reasoning and agentic AI plus supercomputers and robotic labs to speed the discovery of materials for batteries and other energy technologies.
Engineers have created metal tubes that cannot sink by mimicking the water-repelling hairs on spider legs, potentially revolutionizing ship safety.
A major report reveals that cancer survival rates have doubled over the past 50 years, with experts declaring we are now in a 'golden age' for cancer research and treatment.
A program providing free sports equipment and coaching to underserved youth has expanded to 500 cities, giving 2 million children access to organized athletics.
Scientists have captured audio of jaguars making a surprising sound — meowing like house cats. The discovery adds new understanding to how these big cats communicate.
Conservation organizations are using drones to plant trees in hard-to-reach areas, potentially revolutionizing the expansion and restoration of temperate rainforests.
A network of community fridges where people can share surplus food has saved over 1 million meals from going to waste while helping those in need.
London has unveiled a striking new statue celebrating the unseen strength of mothers, challenging the underrepresentation of women in public monuments.
An artist is turning a two-hectare field into a giant image using different wheat varieties — and the harvest will be shared locally as flour.
The PacWave South test site off Oregon is set to host its first grid-connected wave energy converters in summer 2026, backed by the first U.S. mainland wave-power purchase agreement, a milestone for tapping the ocean's vast energy.
Two decades of dedicated cancer research have paid off: national survival rates have climbed to 70%, a remarkable achievement in the fight against the disease.
After learning to row just a few years ago, a Nebraska woman made history by becoming the first female to complete a solo crossing of the Atlantic in the prestigious Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
Youth sports leagues and community athletic programs are experiencing their highest enrollment numbers in decades, signaling a renewed interest in organized sports.
A new study shows that vaporizing electronic waste makes it easy to recover precious metals like gold, silver, and copper at costs 13 times lower than traditional methods.
A pioneering shared wardrobe scheme in UK libraries allows people to borrow stylish outfits like books, offering a sustainable alternative to fast fashion.
Thousands of musical instruments are thrown away every year. Growing UK schemes are rescuing them and giving both the instruments and the children who play them a second chance.
Mexico reported a significant increase in its jaguar population in 2025, the result of expanded protected corridors, community-led conservation programs, and reduced human-wildlife conflict across the Yucatán Peninsula and beyond.
