On April 23, 2025, the Philadelphia Zoo introduced four female hatchlings of the critically endangered Western Santa Cruz Galápagos tortoises to the public. The new arrivals were named Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia — after characters from the iconic television series The Golden Girls. They are the first of their kind to be born at the zoo in its 150-year history. Prior to this, there were only 44 Western Santa Cruz tortoises in US zoos, including three at Philadelphia....
Read news articleJust when it seemed every color under the sun had been named, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have identified a new one. Called “olo,” this shade lies outside the normal range of human vision. It can only be seen under specific conditions using a laser. The five people who have seen "olo" describe it as a "blue-green of unprecedented saturation."...
Read news articleSharks have always been considered silent swimmers. Unlike most fish, these top ocean predators lack sound-producing organs. But recent research suggests this might not be true for all sharks. At least one species produces noise, challenging our understanding of these stealthy hunters....
Read news articleThe Vatican announced that Pope Francis died in the early hours of April 21, 2025. The 88-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church suffered a stroke and heart failure. The pope had faced several health challenges in the past few years. Most recently, he was hospitalized for five weeks with double pneumonia. Fittingly, his final public address came on Easter Sunday (April 20, 2025), one of the most sacred days in the Christian faith....
Read news articlePassover, or "Pesach" in Hebrew, is one of the most important Jewish holidays. It celebrates the freedom of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt over 3,000 years ago. The holiday lasts for seven or eight days and usually occurs in March or April. In 2025, Passover will be observed from April 12 to April 20....
Read news articleA glowing green comet is captivating skywatchers across the Northern Hemisphere. Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN) was first spotted by amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo on March 29, 2025. He discovered it while looking through images from the Solar Wind Anisotropies camera aboard NASA's Solar Heliospheric Observatory. Since then, the comet has been seen multiple times with the help of telescopes....
Read news articleSpanish archeologists have recovered a largely intact shipwreck dating back nearly 2,600 years. The 27-foot (8 m) long trading vessel was carrying lead ingots to an unknown destination when it sank off the coast of Mazarrón, Spain. It remained hidden in the sand just six feet (1.8 m) below the ocean surface until divers finally found it in 1994....
Read news articleA powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar on March 28, 2025. The magnitude 7.7 tremor devastated Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city. As of March 31, officials have confirmed more than 1,700 deaths. Over 3,400 are injured, and 139 people are still missing....
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