Here's how to see rare triple conjunction, when 2 planets form a cosmic 'smiley face' with the moon
23 April 2025 - If you look up to the sky in the early hours of April 25 you might just see it smiling back at you, NASA skywatchers have forecast. That's when a rare celestial spectacle called a triple conjunction will occur. On the morning of Friday, April 25, Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon will appear close together in the predawn sky, forming a triangular formation reminiscent of a smiley face. (more)

Teenagers who go to bed early and sleep longer have sharper brains, study finds
22 April 2025 - Teenagers who go to bed earlier and sleep for longer than their peers tend to have sharper mental skills and score better on cognitive tests, researchers have said. ...The researchers expected teenagers with healthy sleeping habits to score better than those who slept poorly, but were surprised at the impact that even small differences in sleep made. (more)

Older people who use smartphones 'have lower rates of cognitive decline'
19 April 2025 - Fears that smartphones, tablets, and other devices could drive dementia in later life have been challenged by research that found lower rates of cognitive decline in older people who used the technology. (more)

A Russian bucket brigade helps toads and frogs cross the road to get to a spawning site
18 April 2025 - It happens every spring along a section of road north of Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg: Volunteers, many in yellow vests, patrol near the Sestroretsk Bog nature reserve. They serve as crossing guards for thousands of toads and frogs, who are trying to navigate toward their spawning sites. (more)

Endangered sea turtle populations show signs of recovery in more than half the world, survey finds
17 April 2025 - Endangered sea turtles show signs of recovery in a majority of places where they're found worldwide, according to a new global survey released Thursday [17 April]. (more)

A colossal squid is caught on camera for the first time in the deep sea
16 April 2025 - A colossal squid has been caught on camera for the first time in the deep sea by an international team of researchers steering a remotely operated submersible. The sighting was announced Tuesday [15 April] by the Schmidt Ocean Institute. ...The squid was spied last month near the South Sandwich Islands during an expedition to search for new sea life. (more)

Millions tune in for 24-hour live coverage of Sweden's epic moose migration
15 April 2025 - 'The Great Moose Migration' is inspiring fans to follow the unlikely hit Swedish TV show. The show ... began in 2019 with nearly a million people watching. In 2024, the production hit 9 million viewers on SVT Play, the streaming platform for national broadcaster SVT. ...From now until May 4, the livestream's remote cameras will capture dozens of moose as they swim across the Angerman River, some 300 kilometers (187 miles) northwest of Stockholm, in the annual spring migration toward summer grazing pastures. (more)

Q100: A Quantum List of 100 for 100 years of quantum exclusives
14 April 2025 - To celebrate World Quantum Day during the International Year of Quantum, The Quantum Insider has compiled a non-exhaustive list and in no particular order of 100 Quantum-related activities, games, events, arts, articles, insights, tools, and research to make everyday a Quantum Day. (more)

Crows can recognize geometric regularity
14 April 2025 - A trio of animal physiologists at the University of Tubingen, in Germany, has found that at least one species of crow has the ability to recognize geometric regularity. ...Recognizing regularity in geometric shapes means being able to pick out one shape that is different from others in a group -- picking out a plastic star, for example, when it is placed among several plastic moons. Testing for the ability to recognize geometric regularity has been done with many animals, including chimps and bonobos. Until now, this ability has never been observed in any creature except for humans. (more)

A crow's math skills include geometry
12 April 2025 - Crows are able to look at a handful of four-sided shapes and correctly distinguish those that exhibit geometric regularity from those that don't, according to a new study. (more)

US: When to see the pink moon, spring's first full moon, rise in a blaze of color
10 April 2025 - The first full moon of spring -- the pink moon -- will light up the night sky on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Although it won't actually appear pink, this full moon is named after the early blooming pink phlox flowers, which signal the arrival of springtime. The pink moon will reach its full phase at 8:23 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 12, 2025. That almost coincides with the rising of the full moon in eastern North America just an hour before, a relatively rare occurrence. (more)

UK: Beavers back in river for first time in 400 years
9 April 2025 - Beavers have returned to a Shropshire river for the first time in 400 years. The Severn Rivers Trust introduce a pair to the River Clun in the south of the county on Monday afternoon [31 March]. It hopes the pair will have offspring and can help transform the natural environment through their dam building. Another pair of beavers was introduced to an area in Shrewsbury earlier in the month and the trust said they have settled in well. (more)

UK: Volunteers plant record number of trees in woodland
9 April 2025 - Volunteers say they have broken their record for the number of trees planted in a single day in a bid to restore woodland and enhance biodiversity. Great Avon Wood, situated in the Chew Valley near Bristol, is a 113-acre (46-hectare) partnership project involving the Avon Needs Trees and the Forest of Avon Trust. On 23 February, the team planted 1,100 trees to help create new hedgerows and expand the landmark woodland between Bristol and Bath. (more)

Airstream's new all-electric travel trailer lets you take your adventure to even the most remote locations
8 April 2025 - The Airstream Basecamp 20Xe ... is the first travel trailer of its kind focused on delivering an electric-first, eco-friendly experience. ...The new and improved travel trailer comes with a 3000W inverter, a 10.3 kWh lithium battery pack, and 600W of roof solar panels to help power the battery. ...The trailer can operate air conditioning, lights, and appliances no matter the location. (more)

Clean energy powered 40 percent of global electricity in 2024, report finds
7 April 2025 - The world used clean power sources to meet more than 40 percent of its electricity demand last year for the first time since the 1940s, figures show. A report by the energy think tank Ember said the milestone was powered by a boom in solar power capacity, which has doubled in the last three years. (more)

Eastern monarch butterfly population nearly doubles in 2025
6 April 2025 - In encouraging news, the eastern monarch butterfly population nearly doubled in 2025, according to a new report announced in Mexico. The population wintering in central Mexico's forests occupied 4.42 acres, up from 2.22 acres during the previous winter. Scientists attribute much of this year's population growth to better weather conditions in 2024 -- with less severe drought than in previous years -- along the butterflies' migration route from the United States and Canada to Mexico. (more)

Paris's rewilded railway line: the disused track turned into a green space for wildlife and walkers
5 April 2025 - Inside the French capital's ring road, the Petite Ceinture, a disused circular rail line, now abounds with nature trails, shared gardens -- and even urban farms. Like the city's different arrondissements, each section of walkable track has its own personality and has been approached differently. In some places, paths, nature trails and shared gardens have been created, while others have been left to rewild. (more)

For delivery workers in Latin America, affordable e-bikes are a superpower
4 April 2025 - In Colombia, riding an e-bike instead of a regular bike has multiple benefits for delivery drivers (and the planet): They can ride faster, which translates into more orders, which means more money. E-bikes produce virtually no greenhouse emissions after manufacturing. (more)

April is Citizen Science Month at NASA
3 April 2025 - In April, volunteers around the world help the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) solve the mysteries of the Universe, address practical problems, and protect life here on Earth. You're invited to join this impactful effort. Join NASA researchers and discover the secrets of the universe, search for life elsewhere, and protect and improve life on Earth and in space. Let's prove what's possible when we come together! (more)

US: Bringing the Indigenous flavor
2 April 2025 - One Indigenous chef has become part of the fabric of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Renetto-Mario Etsitty, commonly referred to as Mario, is a citizen of the Navajo. Etsitty is the business owner of The REZ an Urban Eatery, a catering and popup of traditional, vegan, and world-fusion Navajo cuisine in Phoenix, Arizona. Etsitty has extensive training and work experience with Indigenous food. He started from an early age and has led him to where he is now. (more)

US: ''Accomplishing a little something.'' Cape rescuers learn released turtles return to Cape
1 April 2025 - Researchers at New England Aquarium are using acoustic tags to track movements of loggerhead sea turtles that were rescued from Cape Cod beaches and rehabilitated at the aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy. Data from the tags shows that the turtles are not only surviving, but they are also returning to local waters to feed. (more)

''Wellness rooms'' are claiming space in many homes
31 March 2025 - ''Small sophisticated home gyms, music rooms, meditation rooms, and Zen gardens are some of the wellness spaces we've designed recently,'' says designer Gonzalo Bueno, who owns the firm Ten Plus Three in Dallas, Texas. ''Spaces for wellness, retreat, and recharging are all really popular right now.'' (more)

International Day of Zero Waste 30 March
30 March 2025 - This year's International Day of Zero Waste emphasizes the need for action in the fashion and textile sector to reduce waste and advance circular solutions with the theme Towards zero waste in fashion and textiles. Consumers can significantly reduce environmental harm by adopting practices like reuse, repair, and recycling. Shifting away from fast fashion and investing in durable, high-quality clothing not only conserves resources but also honors traditional sustainability approaches (more)

Jane Goodall reaches the heart with storytelling about chimps and conservation
30 March 2025 - World-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has spent the last 40 years of her life traveling the world, sharing her experiences with chimpanzees in an effort to save them from extinction. Goodall said, ''It's really, really important as we move forward, that people begin to understand that we who are not the only thinking, feeling beings on the planet, and because chimpanzees, logically, are so like us, we share 98.7% of our DNA with them, it became obvious that we're part of -- and not separate from -- the amazing animal kingdom.'' (more)