Did you know that a few years back, many states decided to stop teaching students how to write in cursive?  A big reason for this change was the rise of technology and digital communication. After the pandemic, students used more computers and tablets, so teachers felt it was more important for them to learn typing […]

Science fiction and fantasy are two genres of “speculative fiction” known for provoking readers to think more deeply about many aspects of life. They have a great influence over our culture, and are popular for their creativity, intrigue, and ability to expand one’s imagination. People often lump them together into one category, but despite their […]

Do you have a pet dog? If you do, Im pretty sure youve already wondered about how old your pet is in dog years.  While we measure our age in years, dogs age a bit differently. But before I explain how this works, I want to talk about a common myth that isn’t true. Many […]

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Welcome! This is a group chat for everyone and anyone who is LGBTQ+, Furry, Therian, or an ally. Please respect everyone within this group! This is a safe space for you! We accept you! Here are a few standards that I would like people to follow! – Absolutely no: cussing, racial slurs, bullying, and pretty […]

Hey Bloomies! This is a fan page for all of you people who LOVE electric Bloom (bloomies ofc!) Js chat about electric Bloom!

Hello everyone! Thanksgiving is coming, so I wanted to make a post about a tradition. Now, for those who dont know, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is a parade that takes place in NYC on Thanksgiving Day. The Macy’s parade contains floats, characters, and even Santa! Now, if you think of any floats that you wish […]

When 13-year-old Austin Appelbee went on a beach adventure with his family on January 30, 2026, he expected a fun afternoon on the water. Instead, he was thrown into a life-or-death emergency that would test his courage and endurance.

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Graphene is a wonder. This single layer of carbon atoms is stronger than steel and lighter than aluminum. It conducts electricity better than many other materials. And recent studies now show it can even kill germs. A new graphene-based material is being developed to harness that surprising superpower.



Lets learn about graphene



To turn on this germ killer, all you need is a little light. Exposing graphene to light starts a chemical reaction, says Giacomo Reina. That reaction produces molecules that can take down microbes such as bacteria, viruses or fungi.



A materials scientist, Reina works at EMPA, a research institute in St. Gallen, Switzerland. He was part of a team that unveiled the new material last year in EcoMat.



As a liquid, the substance could one day coat surfaces often rife with germs. Those might include doorknobs or handrails in hospitals. Right now, though, Reinas team wants to use it in the human mouth. Its a particularly germy place. Installing new dental implants can put someone at risk of infection. But coating the implant with this germ-fighting coating should greatly lower that risk.





Graphenes greatness



In the 22 years since graphene was discovered, scientists have probed and explored it in many ways. Theyve even developed different types of useful graphene. It can add strength to concrete and tennis rackets. It can also boost the performance of electronic devices.



Nowadays, Reina says, graphene is more a family of materials. His team used a type called graphene oxide. Its a layer of carbon atoms with oxygen-containing molecules attached. This formula mixes easily with water to form an acid.



To that liquid, the EMPA team added a dash of nitrogen. When scientists place some extra stuff in a material, they call it doping. So this new material is called nitrogen-doped graphene acid.



Making it requires high precision at a small scale. As such, graphene can be difficult to work with. Unplanned defects can make it unusable, Reina notes. The added nitrogen, he explains, helps keep it stable.



When I saw this [material], I fell in love, Reina says. I wanted to try to see if it [would] work as a germ-killer coating.



An acid made from graphene is plated onto the dish held up here by Reina. The black circles mark where bacteria cannot grow. EMPA



Graphene vs. germs



When light strikes it, the doped material responds in two ways. First, it warms enough to kill certain microbes. But that light also triggers a chemical reaction between the doped graphene and oxygen in the air. This now creates a class of microbe-fighting molecules called radicals.



Turning the doped material into a liquid that could be used to coat surfaces took more than a year of trial and error. The scientists had to answer many questions about how the light was interacting with it, Reina says. What happened with oxygen? What happened without oxygen? What kind of reaction are we generating? Does it work many times?



To find out, the scientists compared the radicals produced by the doped material under different conditions. They also mixed the acid with a liquid plastic that could be easily spread on a surface.



The resulting material, Reina says, improves on past anti-germ coatings. For instance, unlike others, this one uses no metals (which may need ultraviolet radiation to activate their germ-killing action).



It can become antimicrobial under just ambient light, says Sara Imani. She calls that a plus point for the new material. Imani is a mechanical engineer in Canada at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She, too, works on new antimicrobial coatings (although not this one).



The Porphyromonas gingivalis bacteria (illustrated above) occur naturally in the mouth and other places in the body. They play a role in gum disease and other oral infections. The new graphene-based material can kill those germs on contact.KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images



Taking down tough microbes



Reinas group combined its material with bacteria in lab experiments and found that it could kill germs when bathed in infrared light. Those wavelengths are present in sunlight and some room lighting. They also tested the doped acid on a chemical that mimics living tissue, such as skin. It triggered no harmful reactions.



Those tests suggest that the new material is safe for the human body, including the mouth. Thats critical for how Reina and his colleagues intend to use it.



Their team is now working with dentists and researchers to develop a splint. Its a type of tray filled with a liquid film that can fit over the teeth. Within a few minutes, the tray could coat teeth with the new graphene-based material. Then, light shined into the mouth would kick on its antimicrobial activity.



The researchers have been testing the material against common infectious agents in gum tissue. One day, after having a dental procedure, someone might wear the splint and expose it to light. Its something the patient can do at home, too, Reina says, to kill harmful germs in their mouth.



He sees the new coating as a potent new tool in the ongoing fight against microbial superbugs. Many harmful germs dont just spread easily. Some also have developed resistance to drugs, such as antibiotics. These infections are now very hard to knock out. In fact, resistant infections kill more than 1.25 million people each year, according to the World Health Organization.



Materials like graphene, which deliver germs a one-two punch, could offer new ways to quash such resistant germs.




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Hiya everyone, this is going to be a blast because I’m going to show you the wonders of our animal kingdom!!!! Basically, I’m going to be posting some animal facts. If you’re interested in another animal and want me to share the facts about it, comment on whatever animal you’d like me to share. If […]

Hello and Merry Christmas! Christmas might not be a time of video games, but it’s a thing to entertain you during the wintertime! Here are some games recommended by me that you should play during Christmas time. 1. Santa Tracker Why not add this to the list? Not only does it include games, but it […]

If you want a glimpse of the future of Antarctica, look at King George Island. It sits at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. This finger of land, which reaches toward South America, is the warmest part of the continent.



Thick ice blankets most of this island. But a rare oasis sits on its western edge. During summer, melting snow reveals rocky ground covered by a mushy green carpet. Its mostly moss and lichens, with a few other plants sprinkled in.



As our climate warms, this islands ice will shrink, expanding the green oasis. This will allow alien species from other parts of the world to take root. Human visitors are already unintentionally bringing in non-native species. These invaders could steamroll native plants and animals, transforming the landscape.



This thick ice sheet on King George island is in danger of melting away.Cyril Gosselin/Moment/Getty Images Plus



Within 200 or 300 years, scientists worry, the northern Antarctic Peninsula will likely look a lot different.



The biggest threat is that well get something that will look like South American [grassland], says Stef Bokhorst. A terrestrial ecologist, he works at Vrije University Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He envisions an open scrubland of miniature trees, like whats found in Patagonia, at the bottom tip of South America.



Since 1850, Earth has warmed by around 1.44 degrees Celsius (2.60 degrees Fahrenheit), on average. But the Antarctic Peninsula is currently warming nearly twice as quickly. Summer snows are slowly turning to rains, says Steven Chown. A biologist, he studies the conservation of polar species at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.



Most of Signy Island, near the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, is covered in thick ice or barren rocks. But vegetation does cover some of the low-lying spots, as seen here.A.P. Taylor & S. Adlard, British Antarctic Survey (CC BY 4.0)



And Antarcticas warmer, wetter climate might not be good for its natives.



Vegetation at the south end of the world is very unique, notes Bokhorst.



Plants and animals found in the extreme north the Arctic resemble those elsewhere. The warmest parts of Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard Island (to their east) bustle with grasses, flowers, butterflies and bees. Rodents and foxes creep about.



Why Antarctica and the Arctic are polar opposites



Antarctica, in contrast, has been far more isolated, for 30 million years. It plunged into a far deeper cold than the Arctic. And its simple ecosystems look very different from those in the Arctic.



Across all of Antarctica and its islands, only two species of insects naturally exist. Both are flies, though one of them a midge lacks wings.



Antarctica hosts greenery only in a few places. Most of it is moss and lichens that creep over rocks. Across the whole Antarctic continent, youll find only two native species of vascular plants (those with roots, stems and leaves). One is a wispy hair grass. The other, a pearlwort, resembles a puffy green pincushion with tiny yellow flowers.



Antarctic hair grass and pearlwort (forming a green cushion above the grass) are the only two vascular plants native to Antarctica. These were found growing on Livingston Island, near the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.Gerald Corsi/iStock/Getty Images Plus



You will not find [this sparse ecosystem] anywhere else on the planet, says Bokhorst. And its now threatened by climate change and invasive species. Within two or three centuries, alien species could replace many of the natives. Parts of the Antarctic Peninsula may look lush and green during summer.



Polar biologists dont welcome this.




As this map shows (exploded from globe at lower right), the Antarctic Peninsula and its islands are not far from the southern tip of South America. Many species are poised to hitchhike south on planes and ships as a warming climate melts what had been the Antarctics deep, permanent ice cover. See the full, expandable and navigable map here: South Shetland Islands and the Northern Antarctic Peninsula.Tom Patterson/U.S. Library of Congress (https://lccn.loc.gov/2024586062)




Vanished forests



Today, its hard to imagine parts of Antarctica turning green. After all, ice up to four kilometers (2.5 miles) thick now blankets 98 percent of the continent. Most of the rest is bare gravel and rock a frigid polar desert. Seals, penguins and seabirds (such as skuas and petrels) inhabit only the outer coastal fringes.



But it wasnt always that way.



Forty million years ago, Antarctica was much warmer than today. The Antarctic Peninsula was inhabited by frogs, ponds and forests of southern beech trees. Fossils of extinct frogs, mammals, birds, trees and plants are still found there today.S.P. Barrette & J.G. de Puerto Montt/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), and Mats Wedin/Swedish Museum of Nat. Hist.



Forty million years ago, forests of southern beech trees covered much of Antarctica perhaps even the South Pole. Furry marsupials, similar to modern-day possums and badgers, prowled the undergrowth.



It was a warmer, more pleasant climate, says Byron Adams. A polar biologist, he works at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. That ancient climate, he says, was more like South Americas modern-day Patagonia.



Until 35 million years ago, Antarctica was linked to South America. Then the two continents started drifting apart.



South America still hosts southern beech trees and marsupials. But Antarctica, isolated at the bottom of the world, plunged into permanent cold. Thousands of its species died off, including trees and mammals.



Antarctic rocks hold fossils of beech trees, water lilies, frogs, mammals and other creatures. Only a few types of land animals all quite small have survived.



Turn over a rock and you may find insect-like critters called springtails. Each is no larger than a comma on a page. Some soils harbor microscopic tardigrades, mites and worms. Mosses and lichens sparsely dot rocky sites that get water and direct sunlight in summer. But oases that are lush with native grass, pearlwort and flies exist only on the northern Antarctic Peninsula.



Some moss clumps have grown there for thousands of years. Scientists have studied their layers, like tree rings and discovered something alarming.



Bumpy moss and lichen covers the rocky ground on Ardley Island (next to King George Island), at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. This is the warmest area of Antarctica, where vegetation can grow for two to three months each year, once snow and ice cover has melted.Dan Charman/University of Exeter



An ominous growth spurt



For a long while, the mosses had grown at a slow, even rate. But as the Peninsula started warming around 1950, their growth started to spurt. By 2010, they were growing two to four times faster than before.



We were surprised, says Thomas Roland of these findings. This speedup, he notes, is unprecedented in the last 4,000 years. A paleoecologist, Roland works at the University of Exeter in England.



A more recent study found something similar on Signy Island. It lies 650 kilometers (400 miles) northeast of King George Island. Nicoletta Cannone is a botanist at Insubria University in Italy. Shes studied the expansion of Antarcticas native grass and pearlwort. And between 1960 and 2018, the area covered by these two plants roughly tripled. Her team reported the finding in 2022.



Hair grass (panels A and C-G) and pearlwort (panels B and H-M) are the only vascular plants native to Antarctica. They only grow on the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula or on islands off its coast. Here, theyre seen on King George Island.L. Cavieres, Univ. de Concepcin, Chile



Most recently, Roland and Oliver Bartlett studied satellite images. They used color to analyze extent of vegetation over a wide swath of the Antarctic Peninsula. Bartlett is a remote sensing scientist at the University of Hertfordshire in England. The pairs analysis suggested that green areas on the Peninsula expanded rapidly from 1986 to 2021.



Such data suggest Antarcticas sparse greenery is already responding to a climate-related fever of just 1 to 2 degrees C (1.8 to 3.6 degrees F). By 2100, total warming on the Antarctic Peninsula will likely reach 2.3 to 6.1 degrees C (4.1 to 11 degrees F). Thats according to new projections published February 20 in Frontiers in Environmental Science. Even if warming happens more slowly, its possible that by 2300, the Peninsula could warm by 4 to 8 degrees C (7.2 to 14.4 degrees F). It will depend on how much more greenhouse gases humans produce.



Warmer seas trigger skyrocketing ice loss in 3 Antarctic glaciers



That much warming could have huge effects. Right now, the average summer temperature on King George Island is around 1.5 C (34.7 F). But by 2300, its average summer temperature could hit 5 to 9 C (41 to 48 F). Thats similar to some cities in northern Siberia, in Russia, where trees line the streets.



Warm summers are already causing hundreds of Antarctic glaciers to melt and retreat. One study estimates that within 75 years, ice-free sections of the northern Peninsula could nearly triple to 19,000 square kilometers (7,300 square miles). Thats an area larger than the state of Connecticut.



Even then, ice will still cover most of the Antarctic Peninsula. But retreating glaciers will leave thousands of ice-free patches along coastlines. Green landscapes could take root in these.



Ecology Glacier on King George Island has already retreated 800 meters (half a mile) since 1985. The newly exposed ground is strewn with rocks and sand. Soil will have to form before most plants and animals can easily take hold.



But that can happen in just decades, says Adams at Brigham Young.




Ice-free future

















Even in the relatively warm Antarctic Peninsula, glaciers (seen here in the vicinity of Barilari Bay) still cover most land. Within 75 years, however, the area of ice-free land could nearly triple to about the size of Connecticut. This would provide new areas where plants and animals can take hold, including invasive species.











All: D. Fox






Stinky fish and penguin poo



Adams has studied the return of life in other places where glaciers have retreated.



At first, single-celled microbes chew on rocks. They release nutrients, such as phosphorus, iron and calcium. That allows lichens and moss to move in, followed by Antarctic grass or pearlwort.



Plants accelerate soil-forming, Adams says. Theyre actually physically cracking rocks open with their roots.



Seabirds, penguins or seals may form new summer colonies. This could further speed the arrival of plants, says Juliana Souza-Kasprzyk. She works at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland. A biologist, shes spent several summers studying these colonies on King George Island.



The future of Antarctic mainland could one day resemble this grassy meadow full of king penguins on the subantarctic South Georgia Island.Cindy Kassab/The Image Bank/Getty Images Plus



In these areas, Souza-Kasprzyk says, you have more vegetation. And that makes sense. Birds and seals hunt fish and krill in the ocean, then poop on land. Their wastes ferry tons of fertilizing nutrients from ocean to land each year. They are enriching the soils, she explains.



In 200 years, the Antarctic Peninsula will be significantly greener, Peter Convey predicts. A polar ecologist, he works for the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, England.



Invading species may contribute to that greening.



Already, thousands of scientists and tourists visit Antarctica every year. Stray seeds, insects and other critters hitchhike along on their ships and planes.



Lets learn about Antarctica



There are already quite a lot of [species] that could survive [here] year-round, says Convey. At least 18 non-native species now live in Antarctica. Three are spreading quite quickly on the Peninsula.



An invasive grass, Poa annua, is growing on King George Island, Signy Island and a dozen other places. In experiments, it outcompetes the native grass and pearlwort. On King George, it is already taking hold in the bare rocky spaces that emerge as Ecology Glacier retreats.



Poa annua is hardly some special, rugged pioneer. This annual bluegrass is the same turf sometimes used on golf courses, notes Chown. You find it in the cracks of the pavement in cities across Europe and North America.



The winter crane fly, shown here, is native to Europe. Now its spreading on King George Island, off the Antarctic Peninsula.O. Volonterio/Sec. Zoologa de Invertebrados/Univ. de la Repblica, Uruguay



Boom town growth



Two species of fast-growing invasive flies are also spreading on King George Island: the winter crane fly and the moth fly. Both took hold in the sewage systems at research stations on the island. The flies are now spreading, gorging on stinky seal carcasses, penguin poo and rotting plants.



These invaders exhibit a fast-growing, boom town lifestyle. And that makes them a threat to Antarctic natives.



At first glance, Antarcticas native plants and creepy-crawlies seem tough. You can send them to space, you can put them in liquid nitrogen at -196 C (-320 F), and they survive, says Claudia Colesie. Shes a polar plant ecologist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. In some cases, retreating glaciers have revealed mosses buried under ice for 600 years that can revive and grow.



But Antarctic species are also surprisingly vulnerable. Many of these mosses, springtails, worms and other critters spend most of their time dried out, in suspended animation. They only wake to grow when conditions are good. But the growth rates of the local species are very, very slow, explains Colesie. That allows them to survive in soils with few nutrients.



Coming warmer, wetter summers might favor the invaders. Species that live and grow faster, says Colesie, can outcompete some of the local species.



Worst of all, those invaders could change the environment in ways that give them an even greater advantage.



Invasive species could enrich the nutrient-poor soils. For instance, an invasive midge has been spreading on Signy Island. Its larval maggots live in soil. They have strong mouthparts and can eat tough, dead plant matter that native critters cannot. As they poop out digested material, the nutrients in it will fertilize plant growth.



Antarctica and its neighboring islands have only two native species of insects but are increasingly hosting invaders. One is a wingless fly, called a midge (left), seen on Signy Island. Its young maggots (right) are fertilizing the soils with nitrogen, which could pave the way for more invasive species to arrive.British Antarctic Survey (CC BY 4.0)



On Signy Island, Convey and Jesamine Bartlett have found that soils with this invasive midge have three to five times more nitrogen (a fertilizer) than normal. Bartlett is a polar biologist at the Equinor Research Center in Trondheim, Norway.



Bokhorst at Vrije University has done experiments showing that one species of wood louse (often called a roly-poly, or pill bug) would have similar effects if it took hold in Antarctica. (So far it has not.) But the invasive moth fly on King George Island might enrich soils there. If it does, these invasive insects could pave the way for fast-growing invasive plants to take over.



Invaders on a sugar high



My biggest concern, says Bokhorst, is that a new insect and plant invade as a team. As the insect enriches the soil, the invading plant will grow taller and faster. These traits would let them start enhancing each other, he says. In short order, he worries, their changes could spiral out of control.



Enriched soils would allow even more invasive plants to take hold. Bokhorst believes this could occur more easily than most people realize.



Several years ago, Bokhorst ran some lab experiments. These looked at how 26 non-native plant species would do if their seeds landed on a typical Antarctic soil.



After six months of simulated winter at -5 C (23 F), he warmed them to a summer temperature of 2 C (36 F). Eighteen species sprouted and grew. After a second winter and summer, 15 were still growing. Concludes Bokhorst, Antarcticas current climate conditions are already suitable for a lot of plants from other places.





Return of rodents … and trees?



A few islands north of King George Island show how this might play out. These subantarctic islands are cold, rocky, treeless and weather-beaten. They have penguin colonies. Some host glaciers. All are warmer than the Antarctic Peninsula but colder than Patagonia.



People have visited them since the 1800s, initially to hunt seals and whales. Dozens of non-native species now inhabit these islands. On South Georgia and Kerguelen islands, entire hillsides shimmer in summer with dandelions yellow blooms. Its the same weed that pops up in U.S. lawns and playgrounds. Bokhorst found that this flower can already grow and survive winters in Antarctic soils.




Make a wish?



Ashley Cooper/Corbis/Getty Images Plus
Dandelions growing on South Georgia, a subantarctic island. The non-native weed has spread rapidly and begun outcompeting native species. Dandelions arrived when Norwegian whalers insisted on putting soil from Norway atop the grave of a shipmate who had died on the island.





Anything that is already established in the subantarctic, we could plausibly regard as a risk [for invading the Antarctic Peninsula], says the British Antarctic Surveys Convey.



This is why Chown at Monash University worries about mice. A lot.



While working on subantarctic Marion Island, he saw evidence of house mice. After arriving from Europe in the 1800s, these rodents devoured native insects. By the 1980s, when Chown was there, they were preying on local seabirds called wandering albatross. They killed chicks and chewed on the heads of adult birds.



These wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) stand near their nest South Georgia Island. This bird naturally inhabits several of the subantarctic islands. It is threatened on at least one of them (Marion Island) by invasive mice, which kill chicks and injure the adult birds.Paul Souders/Stone/Getty Images Plus



Says Chown, that would just be a nightmare on the Antarctic Peninsula. Rodents could attack local seabirds, including penguins.



At least one dead rat has been found on King George Island. It probably hitchhiked there in a shipment of lumber. The little buck-toothed fellow didnt survive the cold. But by the 2080s, parts of the Peninsula might be warm enough for mice or rats. And thats not far off, Chown notes.



Some invading species on the Peninsula might be returnees. Fossil wood, leaves and pollen from southern beech trees have been found across Antarctica. Beeches may have grown on King George Island as recently as 20 million years ago. Forests of them still live close by, in Patagonia.




The past could be the future













This fossil (above, left) shows the leaf of a southern beech tree that grew on the Antarctic Peninsula 20 million years ago. Closely related trees (right) still live at the tip of South America, which was once connected to Antarctica. These trees grow in cold, mountainous areas of South America (below).



Top left: M. Leppe, H. Mansilla, C. Trevisan/Antarctic and Patagonia Paleobiology Laboratory/Chilean Antarctic Institute-INACH/Punta Arenas, Chile (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0); Top right: Goddard Photography/iStock/Getty Images Plus; Bottom: emicristea/iStock/Getty Images Plus




On the Antarctic Peninsula, there are probably some sweet spots where they will already be able to grow, says Bokhorst. He imagines a rare north-facing cove with summer sunlight and water melting off a nearby glacier. The trees would be small and stunted, like bushes. And at first, they wouldnt easily spread beyond these isolated spots.



But if rapid warming continues for centuries, says Convey, all bets are off.



A return of southern beech forests to the Antarctic Peninsula would not restore the continent to its distant, lush past. These trees would lack the other species that filled those ancient ecosystems. They would mingle instead with many of the weeds and pests inhabiting cities and farms across the globe. Moth flies and mice might flit around penguin colonies. Dandelions and bluegrass could sprout from rocky meadows.



That mishmash of weeds and wildlife would replace current landscapes. And that would be a real shame, says Bokhorst. The unique ecosystem that took 30 million years to evolve could vanish in a few short centuries.

Every year, Muslims around the world observe Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is the holiest month in Islam. During this month, archangel Jibril revealed the first five verses of the Quran Islams holy text to Prophet Muhammad. Ramadan begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon. This year, it is expected to start at sundown on or around February 17, 2026.

Everything about The wizard of oz or wicked! Simple as that.

Hey friends, this is part 2 of the Christmas gift ideas. 1. Electronics: I would definitely recommend getting an Apple iPhone or an Apple iPad. I just got an iPad, and it’s working great so far! 2. Lip products: Some of the lip products that I recommend are actually on my Wishlist this year. […]

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Did you know that experts have uncovered more than 700 different species of dinosaurs so far? From the famous T. rex and Velociraptor to Brontosaurus and Spinosaurus, these dinosaurs roamed the Earth millions of years ago. Now, heres another cool fact: experts recently discovered a new dome-headed dinosaur in Montana. Amazing, right? This dinosaur is […]

One Yksi, kaksi, kolme, nelj, I whispered to myself while skating laps around the rink. The ice beneath my skates felt like home, but this time, home felt different. I was alone on the rink; none of my teammates or school friends, like Helmi or Juhani, were there. It was just me, skating endless laps, […]

If you like winter, this is the perfect post for you! 1) How Snow Really Works When it hits below freezing (0C or 32F), that doesn’t mean it can snow. There must be Precipitation in the air. If you don’t know, Precipitation is the scientific word for rain. So when there is precipitation, and it […]

Hi everyone! I’m not sure if all of you know me, cuz I see that so many new members have come to KN, while the old users left for a while since we all got busy with studies and life… Hehe! Ok, I’m Jase, a really old user, and you may see my name at […]

On February 19, 2026, American figure skater Alysa Liu delivered a flawless routine to win the womens individual title at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Her victory ended a 24-year gold medal drought in the event for the United States (US). The last American woman to win was Sarah Hughes in 2002.

Hello everyone! I know a big storm is almost here. So I ask myself, what’s the coldest it can reach? Have no fear, FunNews is here! The Russian R Stands For Rigid Weather Back in the 80’s, (Which probably none of us were even born in), Russia faced some freezing temps, I didn’t even know […]

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Last time, I shared a post about famous logos with hidden meanings. If you havent read it, you can check it out here. Now, lets talk about brand names. Its all around us, too. Think about it: when you ride in your parents’ car, you probably see signs for fast food places like KFC or […]

For years, 3D printing has become popular, and adults and even kids are excited about it.  It’s no surprise that many children are adding 3D printers to their wish lists. With 3D printing, you can create all sorts of stuff like toys, jewelry, action figures, and even tools.  But did you know that you can […]

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Dogs are amazing helpers for people in many ways. They can be trained for important jobs, like police dogs that find bombs or lost people. They have keen noses to smell things humans cant. Some dogs even help solve cold cases or unsolved criminal investigations. Heres a cool story: A former police dog called Maple […]

Symptom (noun, SIMP-tum)







A symptom is a clue that something is wrong.



In medicine and psychology, a symptom is an effect of an illness or condition that a person feels. For example, imagine you wake up with a runny nose, fatigue and a fever. Telling a doctor about these symptoms can help them develop theories about whats wrong. Perhaps you have the flu or COVID-19.



But symptoms are not the disease or condition itself. For a diagnosis confirmation of a particular disease or condition a doctor often runs tests. The doctor chooses tests based on your symptoms. For instance, they might swab your nose or throat to test for the presence of a flu or COVID-19 virus. Experts might describe the results of such tests as signs of illness rather than symptoms since they are measured, not felt.



Other fields use the word symptom as well. Symptoms do not always refer to physical feelings in these fields. But they do refer to evidence that something is wrong. In engineering, a symptom may be a hint that a structure is not working properly. A strange rattling in a cars engine, for instance, might be a symptom of engine malfunction.



In a sentence



Teens who sleep in two hours or less on weekends report the lowest symptoms of anxiety.



Check out the full list of Scientists Say.

Hello everyone! Welcome to Candies Cool Group! We will talk about candy for the holidays, to a tier list, and to your favorite candies! Hope everyone likes candy, ’cause FunNews is ready to write! (And eat!)

Valentine's Day may be about love, but it also comes with a hefty price tag. The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that Americans will spend a record $29.1 billion on February 14 in 2026. That is up from $27.5 billion last year. It is no wonder retailers look forward to the holiday each year.

Danish toymaker LEGO is entering a new era with Smart Play. The groundbreaking system brings LEGO bricks to life with lights, sounds, and interactive features. It aims to transform how kids build, explore, and play.

Before we had paintings, sculptures, drawings, and the incredible 3D art we see today, did you know that prehistoric people were creating art too?  Yep, you read that right!  Way back in prehistoric times, people used sticks, rocks, and natural things like berries and charcoal to make pictures on cave walls. They drew animals, their […]

Have you ever heard of the Michelin Guide or Michelin Star? You might have come across it online or in the news, especially when restaurants receive a Michelin star or are aiming to get one.  You mightve recently eaten at a place with a Michelin star or have heard friends talk about it. If not, […]

Cryogenic (adjective, Cry-oh-JEN-ick)



Cryogenic refers to technology that works in or relies on very low temperatures. Typically, cryogenic tech involves temperatures lower than 150 Celsius (238 Fahrenheit). The word cryogenic also refers to fields that build systems for achieving and using these cold temps.



Cryogenic tech is often useful because it alters a substances state. For instance, cooling can change something from a liquid into a solid. Or a gas into a liquid.



Heres an example. Cryogenics can cool rocket fuels, such as hydrogen and methane. This turns the fuels which would be gases at room temperature into liquids. Those liquids can then be stored in tanks and burned, granting rockets the thrust needed to lift off into space.



Cryogenic tools might also be used during surgery. This is called cryosurgery. It allows doctors to freeze off diseased tissue, such as cancerous cells.





In other cases, cryogenic tech is used to preserve cells, such as egg cells. Say someone wants to have a child in the future. But they arent sure if the egg cells in their body will still be viable at that time. (Viable means the cell can still be fertilized.) That person could have some of their egg cells frozen in their current state. Think of this as pressing the pause button on life. The eggs can be reawakened and fertilized later.



Biologists might also freeze lab samples to keep them from decaying. In conservation biology, scientists might preserve the DNA of an endangered species. That way, scientists might be able to clone new members of that species in the future. (To clone means to grow a genetic copy of another individual.)



This field is even useful for preserving food. Quick-freezing can often better retain foods qualities than just putting it in a freezer. In the freezer, teeny-tiny ice shards form in food, which can change its taste. Cryogenics allows for flash-freezing. This process quickly freezes food before these shards can form. 



In a sentence



By turning fuels from gas into liquid, cryogenics can create high-density rocket propellant.



Check out the full list of Scientists Say.

From February 22 through February 23, 2026, the northeastern United States was hit by a historic winter storm. Meteorologists say it began as a regular noreaster but quickly intensified into a bomb cyclone. This occurs when warm air from the Atlantic Ocean meets the freezing Arctic air. The warm air rises rapidly, causing the storm to spin faster and grow much stronger.

We should have a Pirates of the Caribbean fan club because it is the best series of movies anyone has ever seen. Here, we can tell funny jokes about the movies and share our favorite parts. Pirates of the Caribbean 4 ever!  

Hi! I have been on KN before, and some of you may remember me if you have been here long enough. My username on KN is DancerGirl887, but on KT it’s CatholicGirly887. As you probably saw from my username for KT, my religion is Catholicism, which is the major and first branch of Christianity. Just […]

Skywatchers are in for a treat. On March 3, 2026, a spectacular total lunar eclipse will turn the Moon a deep reddish color, creating what is known as a "Blood Moon." The eclipse will be visible wherever the Moon is above the horizon during the event. This includes much of the Americas, Australia and East Asia. This will be the last total lunar eclipse until late 2028.

For many years, astronomers and scientists have been searching for and studying objects in space.  They’ve been using powerful telescopes and advanced technology to look for hidden stars, distant galaxies, and even asteroids that could come close to Earth.  Experts have also been searching through millions of pieces of data to find new discoveries that […]