Florida sixth grader Naboshree Santra developed biodegradable soilshade balls designed to reduce evaporation and retain moisture; the 11-year-old is now competing for a $25,000 science prize

Naboshree Santra developed biodegradable soilshade balls that reduce evaporation and help soil retain more moisture, offering a simple solution for drought-affected agriculture An 11-year-old schoolgirl from Oviedo, Florida, has created a simple tool to help farmers save water during dry weather. Naboshree Santra, a sixth grader at Jackson Heights Middle School, made special soilshade balls…

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Half of England declared in drought as July records near-zero rainfall | World News

7 regions officially declared in drought across England/Image: Getty Images Drought has been declared in half of England after months of unusually dry conditions, as officials warn that sustained low rainfall is straining water supplies, rivers and the wider environment.The Environment Agency announced that seven areas are now officially in drought: East Anglia, Hertfordshire and…

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Beneath the ocean lie 8,500 forgotten WWII shipwrecks. Many are still filled with oil | World News

Scattered across the ocean floor worldwide are more than 8,500 shipwrecks classified as potentially polluting, most dating back to World War I and World War II, still carrying an estimated 6 billion gallons of heavy fuel oil within their corroding hulls. As these vessels approach or pass the century mark since sinking, their steel structures…

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Inside China’s fake Paris: The $1 billion replica with an Eiffel Tower and French streets that fooled the internet | World News

China’s Tianducheng is unlike any other residential development in the world. Built for more than US$1 billion on the outskirts of Hangzhou, the neighbourhood recreates the look and feel of Paris with its own Eiffel Tower, French-style boulevards and elegant European architecture. Over the years, viral videos and social media posts have repeatedly portrayed it…

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In 1999, an Oregon engineer spent $100,000 on a retired Boeing 727 and turned it into a home deep in the forest | World News

In 1999, retired electrical engineer Bruce Campbell paid 100,000 dollars for a decommissioned Boeing 727-200 that had spent its working life flying for Olympic Airways in Greece, then had the aircraft flown to Oregon and hauled in pieces to a wooded property near Hillsboro, where it was reassembled and slowly converted into his home. More…

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A former The North Face founder’s historic land donation turned Patagonia’s wilderness into one of the world’s largest national parks | World News

In 1991, American businessman Douglas Tompkins, who had co-founded the outdoor clothing companies The North Face and Esprit, bought a semi-abandoned plot of land in the Renihue River Valley in southern Chile, drawn by the region’s ancient, untouched temperate rainforest. What began as a personal effort to protect one threatened valley grew, over the following…

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Often called Japan’s Titanic, the 1954 sinking of Toya Maru claimed more than 1,500 lives and reshaped ferry safety | World News

On the evening of 26 September 1954, the Japanese passenger ferry Toya Maru prepared to cross the Tsugaru Strait, the narrow but often treacherous stretch of water separating the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. Thousands of passengers relied on ferries to make the crossing long before the construction of the Seikan Tunnel, and despite worsening…

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A 13-year-old Texas girl was bitten by a barracuda in Turks and Caicos; after a tourniquet and tendon damage, she still plans to become a marine biologist

Claire Macdonel who was attacked by a barracuda on her 13th birthday (Photo credit: FOX26) A 13-year-old girl from Sugar Land, Texas, is recovering after a rare barracuda attack during a family vacation in Turks and Caicos. Claire Macdonel is now back home in the Houston area and is preparing to undergo tendon repair surgery…

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China has built a 582-ton giant magnet to help its ‘Artificial Sun’ confine plasma hotter than 100 million°C | World News

China has achieved a major milestone in its pursuit of commercial nuclear fusion by completing the construction and testing of a colossal 582-ton superconducting magnet designed for its next-generation “Artificial Sun” programme, according to Xinhua News Agency. Measuring 21 metres in length, the toroidal-field magnet is the largest of its kind ever built for a…

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