World

Under the sperm donor agreement, the mother was the child’s only intended legal parent. (AI image) A Florida appeals court on Wednesday,upheld an earlier decision denying a young girl’s claim to a house owned by a deceased man who had named her in his will. The case involved Melissa Azrack, who gave birth to the…

Isabel enjoys working through equations and mathematical proofs in her spare time (Photo: Society for science) A 14-year-old student from Williamsburg, Virginia, has earned her a place among 30 finalists in the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge for finding a new way to position earthquake sensors.Earthquake sensors can help detect seismic activity and…

In Florida’s Mosquito Lagoon, the return of oyster reefs began with a relatively simple idea: give young oysters somewhere stable to settle. In 2004, researchers started testing small mats fitted with recycled oyster shells, placing them in areas where boat traffic had damaged existing reefs. Each mat carried 36 shells, held in place by plastic…

California strengthened Pyramid Point protections to aid declining fish populations while preserving tribal harvesting rights. Along California’s vast coastline, some of the ocean’s most valuable real estate now has a new layer of protection. From kelp forests off Malibu to biologically rich waters near Santa Barbara and Point Sal, the state has expanded its marine…

An 86-year-old Texas man has spent nearly four decades building a 62-foot steel boat in his front yard, hoping to one day sail it to Alaska. Now, after three visitors discovered his long-standing dream, strangers have come together to help him finish the vessel and move it to a launch site. According to a report…

The fossilised mastodon molar protruding from a creek bed in a Midpen preserve in California. A California geomorphologist surveying a creek for a habitat restoration project noticed an unusual object lying half in and half out of the water. Unsure what she had found, she turned to Google’s reverse image search for clues. The search…

An ancient residence believed to be the grandest in the Pompeii archaeological site is being restored with a $1.6 million budget (1.4 million euros), entirely covered by a private sponsor, officials announced on Tuesday. Part of it is expected to open to guided groups by Christmas, said officials of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. House…

The inscription confirms Lincoln donated the signed portrait to support Union soldiers’ families during the Civil War. Some historical treasures spend decades behind glass, carefully catalogued and admired. Others wait quietly in forgotten corners of family homes, their significance hidden until an unexpected discovery brings the past back to life. A signed photograph of Abraham…

Four years after researchers began studying the restoration of oyster reefs in China’s Bohai Bay, the newly created habitats are showing signs of recovery. A survey conducted in March 2026 found an average of 286 oysters per square metre on artificial reefs. The amount of suspended material in the surrounding water was also about 62%…