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MIT scientists developed a way to turn discarded plastic into strong building materials, with recycled composites already used in a 40-foot bridge

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MIT scientists developed a way to turn discarded plastic into strong building materials, with recycled composites already used in a 40-foot bridge

A new MIT-backed company is turning discarded plastic into structural parts for buildings and infrastructure. Atlas Building Composites has developed an AI-powered robotic manufacturing platform that shreds single-use plastic, melts it, and fuses it with American-made fiberglass. The resulting composite is then formed into parts such as foundations, decks, and trusses using large-scale 3D printing. … Read more

Israel is planning to surround prisons with crocodile-filled moats inspired by Trump’s Alligator Alcatraz; now people are debating wildlife protection and land use

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Israel is planning to surround prisons with crocodile-filled moats inspired by Trump's Alligator Alcatraz; now people are debating wildlife protection and land use

A proposal to use crocodile-filled moats around Israeli prison facilities has brought an unusual environmental question into focus: what happens when wildlife conservation, security and land management intersect? The plan, which was first proposed in December 2025 by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, involves using crocodiles around maximum-security prison wings. The idea was reportedly … Read more

In 1928, Bel-Air founder Alphonzo Bell built this Los Angeles mansion; bought for $5.5 million in 2010, it underwent a five-year restoration and is now asking $32.5 million

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In 1928, Bel-Air founder Alphonzo Bell built this Los Angeles mansion; bought for $5.5 million in 2010, it underwent a five-year restoration and is now asking $32.5 million

The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael Wexler for $5.5 million in 2010 and has since undergone a yearslong restoration. A nearly 100-year-old mansion in Los Angeles, built in 1928 for Alphonzo Bell, the oil businessman who helped create Bel-Air, is now on the market for $32.5 million. The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael … Read more

In 2013, California began removing millions of purple urchins from barren reefs; seven years later, more than 55 acres of kelp forest had returned

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In 2013, California began removing millions of purple urchins from barren reefs; seven years later, more than 55 acres of kelp forest had returned

Kelp forests are among the most productive ecosystems in the ocean. They provide habitat for fish and invertebrates while supporting marine mammals and other wildlife. [Photo credit: Enric Sala, National Geographic] Beneath the waves off Southern California, a once-lush underwater forest had been reduced to something resembling a desert. Kelp that had provided shelter and … Read more

A Texas farmer stopped planting cotton and sent his sheep to solar farms; the switch turned a potential $200,000 loss into $300,000 profit

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A Texas farmer stopped planting cotton and sent his sheep to solar farms; the switch turned a potential $200,000 loss into $300,000 profit

Sheep under solar panels in Lanai, Hawaii. Images Credit: Wikipedia Chad Raines, a fourth-generation Texas cotton farmer, stopped planting cotton after years of losses and found a very different way to make a living from his land and livestock. Instead of relying on crops, he began moving sheep between solar farms, where the animals graze … Read more

Meet Indian-origin Avtar Nanrey: The Brampton shooter who became only the second Canadian to win two major national rifle titles at the same championship

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Meet Indian-origin Avtar Nanrey: The Brampton shooter who became only the second Canadian to win two major national rifle titles at the same championship

Attar NanreyPhoto: The Australia Today/ Instagram Avtar Nanrey’s journey to the top of Canadian rifle shooting began far from the ranges where he now competes. He first discovered the sport through the Army Cadets in India, winning a cadet championship in his first competition, then stepped away for more than a decade before returning to … Read more

Athens is transforming its old airport into Europe’s second-largest city park, with 70% green cover, on-site wastewater treatment and furniture made from demolished airport concrete and asphalt

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Athens is transforming its old airport into Europe's second-largest city park, with 70% green cover, on-site wastewater treatment and furniture made from demolished airport concrete and asphalt

A former airport in Athens is now the site of one of the continent’s most ambitious urban greening projects. Called the Ellinikon Park, the planned project will not only add an unforgettable attraction to the city but also provide a shaded refuge for residents of the continent’s hottest city. The park will stretch over 400 … Read more

Meet Indian-origin scientist Sethuraman Panchanathan, the first Indian American named for the National Academy of Engineering’s Arthur M. Bueche Award

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Meet Indian-origin scientist Sethuraman Panchanathan, the first Indian American named for the National Academy of Engineering's Arthur M. Bueche Award

He is the first Indian American to receive the Arthur M. Bueche Award in its more than 40-year history In 1969, eight-year-old Sethuraman Panchanathan stood in a queue outside the American Center in Chennai with his father and hundreds of others. They had come to see rocks brought back from the Moon during the Apollo … Read more

A UK farmer started with 20 sheep on 18 acres; free grazing beneath solar panels helped her expand to more than 200 sheep and 250 acres

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A UK farmer started with 20 sheep on 18 acres; free grazing beneath solar panels helped her expand to more than 200 sheep and 250 acres

For first-generation sheep farmer Hannah Thorogood, gaining access to land beneath solar panels has opened a new chapter in her farming journey. She began with just 20 sheep on 18 acres in Lincolnshire, a scale she says was all she could afford at the time. Today, her flock has grown to more than 200 sheep, … Read more

Children in China’s Nizhuhe village trekked three hours up and down an 800 metre cliff to go to school; now two elevators and a cable car ride have reduced the journey to half hour

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Children in China's Nizhuhe village trekked three hours up and down an 800 metre cliff to go to school; now two elevators and a cable car ride have reduced the journey to half hour

For years, going to school was a daily test of endurance for children living in Nizhuhe village in southwest China. Their route to the classroom involved steep mountain paths, narrow trails and an exhausting climb along the side of an 800-metre cliff. The journey could take nearly three hours, with children leaving home before sunrise … Read more