Scientists built a wood-based sponge that pulls water from air as dry as 15% humidity; it produced up to 1.72 litres per kg per day

Image: AI-generated representation of a wood-based sponge that pulls water from air as dry as 15% humidity Water vapour is present almost everywhere, even in places where rivers, lakes and groundwater are scarce. The challenge has always been turning that invisible moisture into usable freshwater efficiently enough to make atmospheric water harvesting practical. Now, researchers…

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Australia switched on a $7.8 million wastewater plant that can process 700 megalitres a year; its inventor says it breaks down stubborn pollutants 16 times more efficiently

An average Australian household generates about 350 litres of wastewater daily. Combined across the country, this leads to hundreds of gigalitres of wastewater that is managed in the country by more than 720 sewage treatment plants. While the country turns a major portion of this water into recycled water for agriculture, industry and other fields,…

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Scientists develop a starch-based wash that removes pesticide residues and keeps fruits and vegetables fresh for 15 days |

Fruits and vegetables can retain pesticide residues on their surfaces after they are harvested, while their quality can gradually decline during storage. Researchers have developed a wash that aims to tackle both the problems together. The study, published in ACS Nano, describes a starch-based wash that uses a protective material made with tannic acid and…

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Super Mario Bros: In 1986, someone bought Super Mario Bros. as a Christmas gift and left it sealed in a desk drawer; 35 years later, the forgotten game sold for $660,000

Heritage Auctions said the copy was a pristine example of a particular Super Mario Bros. variant that was produced for an extraordinarily short period. A copy of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. bought as a Christmas gift in late 1986 was placed inside a desk drawer and forgotten for 35 years. It remained sealed and untouched…

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Priscilla Chan helped protect a Hawaiian beach preserve and wetland habitat; 17 acres are now protected for the public | World News

A 17-acre stretch of coastline on Kauaʻi’s North Shore is now protected for public access and long-term conservation, with philanthropic support from Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg helping fund its ongoing stewardship. Kāhili Beach Preserve, also known locally as Rock Quarry, includes a windswept beach, the mouth of Kīlauea Stream and important riparian areas. The…

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In 1996, England began moving Scottish osprey chicks to Rutland after the species vanished as a breeder in 1847; 30 years later, 300 have fledged and the population is self-sustaining

Thirty years ago, conservationists began an experiment at Rutland Water that was intended to bring a vanished bird back to England. Three decades later, the osprey has not only returned, it is breeding, spreading and producing new generations without the need for further translocations. According to the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT), which runs…

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A 2026 study found abandoned US mine pools could cool AI data centres; one Pennsylvania site could handle 30.6 MW of heat |

Image Credit: AI generated Scientists found that abandoned mine pools could potentially be reused to cool data centres. They developed a model to estimate how much heat these pools could absorb while maintaining suitable cooling conditions. Their detailed analysis of the Morea mine in eastern Pennsylvania found that its pool could support at least 9.5…

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In 1985, Andy Warhol created digital art on an Amiga computer; nearly 30 years later, researchers recovered 28 never-before-seen images from his floppy disks

Warhol used the Amiga to explore how his familiar artistic style could work in a new digital medium. In 1985, Andy Warhol experimented with digital art on an Amiga computer as part of a commission from Commodore International. Nearly 30 years later, researchers recovered 28 previously unseen digital images created by the artist from floppy…

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