World

Nishi Bhatia and her husband, Jyoti P. Bhatia, start fellowships for students at the University of Texas. Indian-American philanthropists made headlines this year through their generous contributions, especially to American universities. A few months ago, textile industry executive Anil Kochhar and his wife Marilyn announced they would pay the education loan of the graduating students…

Achievements today tend to get measured by whatever ends up visible, a headline, an award, a viral post. Amal Clooney, the international human rights lawyer, pointed at something rather different. “There is lots of my work that takes place behind closed doors that is not ever seen,” she said. Most of what actually goes into…

For centuries, flamingos were recognised by their vivid pink feathers, yet the reason behind that striking colour remained uncertain. Early naturalists could describe what they saw, but they could not explain why young flamingos emerged from the nest in muted shades before gradually becoming brighter as they matured. The answer only began to take shape…

A book published in 1888, Sandusky of To-Day, called lake whitefish Sandusky’s pride. For centuries, lake whitefish has beem more than just a fish in the Great Lakes region of North America. It was a source of food, income and tradition for Indigenous communities. Towns along the lakes built their economies around the demand for…

Science has answered questions that once seemed impossible from explaining how galaxies evolve to revealing the structure of DNA. Yet with every discovery comes the realisation that there is still so much we do not know. Many of history’s greatest scientists believed that knowledge does not take away the mystery of the universe; instead, it…

New Zealand has launched one of the largest ecological restoration projects in its history along with the Maori natives of the country. It is attempting to eliminate invasive mammals from three islands in order to revive the native birds, marine animals and land.The project will be taking place in Maukahuka/Auckland Island, Rakiura/Stewart Island and the…

Ryder Williams with his father, Shane Williams. What began as an ordinary summer shift on a California beach quickly turned into a life-or-death rescue that has captured national attention. On July 25, 16-year-old rookie lifeguard Ryder Williams plunged into towering waves at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz to save a 10-year-old boy who was…

For more than 160 million years, dinosaurs dominated life on Earth. They survived shifting continents, volcanic eruptions, changing climates and countless evolutionary challenges, becoming the planet’s undisputed apex animals. Then, around 66 million years ago, their reign ended with astonishing speed in geological terms. Today, scientists overwhelmingly agree that the extinction was triggered by a…

In the autumn of 1898, visitors at Madison Square Garden witnessed something that looked impossible. A small metal boat moved across a pool without a visible person guiding it. It changed direction, responded to commands, and appeared to act with a mind of its own. The demonstration came from Nikola Tesla, an inventor already known…

A school portrait of Michelle Louise Collier, who vanished from Fresno at the age of 15 in February 1978. Nearly five decades after a teenage girl was discovered buried in a shallow grave beneath a California vineyard, investigators have finally restored her identity through advances in forensic DNA technology. The victim, known only as “Arvin…