In 1993, Barbra Streisand gave her $15 million Malibu estate to conservation; the 24-acre property was planned as an environmental research centre | World News

In 1993, Barbra Streisand gave her $15 million Malibu estate to conservation; the 24-acre property was planned as an environmental research centre | World News

For years, Barbra Streisand’s Ramirez Canyon estate had been a private Malibu retreat, complete with five houses, landscaped grounds and interiors reflecting her fascination with Art Deco.The property had proved difficult to sell, remaining on the market from 1987 until 1993, while its listing price fell from $18 million to $11.5 million. Then Streisand chose…

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In 2003, China planted small islands of native trees along a degraded river; 20 years later they held only 19–30% of an intact forest’s diversity and biomass

In 2003, China planted small islands of native trees along a degraded river; 20 years later they held only 19–30% of an intact forest’s diversity and biomass

Tropical forests have been heavily degraded because of human activities. (Representational photo) Planting trees across vast areas may not be the only way to restore damaged tropical forests, according to a new study. Instead, small patches of native trees can gradually help degraded forests recover.The study was carried out by Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG)…

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In 1938, a dockside sorting project took a bizarre turn when a worker pulled a 66-million-year-old ‘extinct’ legend from the daily catch

In 1938, a dockside sorting project took a bizarre turn when a worker pulled a 66-million-year-old ‘extinct’ legend from the daily catch

A routine fishing trip in 1938 yielded an astonishing discovery: a living coelacanth, a fish thought extinct for 66 million years. This ‘living fossil’ challenged scientific understanding of evolution and extinction. Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons Some of the greatest scientific findings indeed tend to occur when people least expect them to. For example, on one…

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Scientists found a surprising use for apple waste. It removed up to 100% of toxic lead from water in lab tests |

Scientists found a surprising use for apple waste. It removed up to 100% of toxic lead from water in lab tests |

Lead contamination in water is being studied through different approaches, including the use of waste materials that can help remove metal ions from water. Apple pomace, the residue left after juice production, was among the waste materials researchers examined for its ability to remove lead ions from water in laboratory experiments.Researchers compared untreated raw apple…

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'Every man is sociable until a cow invades his garden': Irish proverb of the day on how principles often collapse under pressure

‘Every man is sociable until a cow invades his garden’: Irish proverb of the day on how principles often collapse under pressure

Every man is sociable until a cow invades his garden: Irish proverb of the day Picture a quiet village in rural Ireland. Neighbors exchange greetings across stone walls. Doors remain unlocked. People borrow tools, share news, and gather at the local pub. Then one morning, a farmer wakes to discover a neighbor’s cow trampling his…

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Zebra mussel DNA detected in Utah’s Colorado River for first time, raising alarm over invasive species threat across the Upper Colorado River basin |

Zebra mussel DNA detected in Utah’s Colorado River for first time, raising alarm over invasive species threat across the Upper Colorado River basin |

An invasive species threat has reached a new stretch of the Colorado River, after scientists detected zebra mussel DNA in Utah’s portion of the river for the first time. The discovery has raised concerns among wildlife officials because zebra mussels can spread rapidly once established, potentially damaging infrastructure, disrupting recreation and altering freshwater ecosystems. The…

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World’s most powerful: Indian Railways eyes 35 hydrogen trains; looks at cheaper green fuel

World’s most powerful: Indian Railways eyes 35 hydrogen trains; looks at cheaper green fuel

PM Narendra Modi had last month flagged off India’s first hydrogen-powered train. Within a month of launching its first hydrogen-powered train, Indian Railways is now looking for cheaper green hydrogen options to expand operations. Indian Railways is considering several measures to expand the pool of green hydrogen suppliers and bring down procurement expenses, including providing…

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