Photo: waitandshoot/Depositphotos

Earlier this year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) shared trail cam footage of a gray wolf letting out a remarkable howl. The video, uploaded on January 23, 2024, shows what appears to be a lone gray wolf howling at the moon and then cuts to it with the rest of its pack. It is believed that these wolves belong to the Yowlumni Pack, which was found in summer 2023 in “the Sequoia National Forest in proximity to the Tule River Tribe of California’s reservation and ancestral lands.” This particular pack has the distinct honor of being the first wolves spotted in Southern California in more than 150 years. They are also one of four new wolf packs discovered in the state of California in 2023.

Currently, gray wolves are considered a recovering endangered species, after they were almost hunted to extinction by settlers in the western United States. Interestingly, gray wolves were never formally reintroduced in California—researchers say that they made their way back on their own. It is believed that gray wolves naturally roamed towards areas burned by wildfires across the Golden State. (Wolves are known to create dens for birthing in burn scars, as the open area allows them to survey their surroundings better to spot other predators.) According to the CDFW, there are at least 44 gray wolves and seven active wolf packs in the state.

While many people in the state view the wolves' return as a good thing, it does pose concerns for ranchers and farmers. As an endangered species, it is illegal to injure or kill a gray wolf, even if it is attacking one's livestock. The same rules apply to pet owners, as wolves sometimes view domesticated dogs as competitors or prey. Fortunately, the CDFW is tracking the wolf populations in the region, and continuing to learn more about their habits. They write: “The key overarching objectives includes monitoring wolf populations, expanding scope of conservation, management and research focus, and manage and mitigate wolf-livestock interactions to minimize loss.”

A howling wolf captured on a California trail cam is believed to be part of the first pack of wolves found in California in over 150 years.

h/t: [PetaPixel]

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READ: Howling Wolf Captured on Trail Cam Footage Is Proof of Wolves’ Return to California

Photo: racorn/Depositphotos

Teachers are often some of the most influential people in their students' lives. They can encourage and support a child in a way that few others can. However, teachers routinely need to pay for their own classroom supplies, which cuts into their already limited paycheck. According to a recent report, educators in the United States spent approximately $3.24 billion of their own money on school supplies in 2023, with the average teacher spending $853.90.

These staggering numbers set a record for the highest amount ever reported. They could be partially linked to the increased prices due to inflation, but could also be related to the fact that salaries haven't increased to mitigate its effects. These factors, coupled with the after effects of COVID-19, has led to many educators leaving the industry and seeking other careers.

This information has made its way to Reddit, and the comment sections is full of current and former educators sharing their experiences. A top comment states, “My wife is a teacher here in the U.S. The amount of money we've spent on school supplies and snacks for these kids so they have stuff to eat each year would amaze.” Another comment reads, “The fact that teachers can only deduct 600 buck[s] on their taxes from what they spend is criminal. Teachers have to spend so freaking much of their own money, just to keep the schools running.”

The data is extremely revealing about the selfless spending of caring teachers and how budget cuts in education leads to more strain on teachers and, by extension, can lead to a poorer quality of learning for young minds. It is certainly something that requires more attention and needs to be addressed by the local and federal government.

A recent report discovered that teachers spent $3.24 billion dollars of their own money in 2023 on school supplies for their classrooms. Redditors chimed in to share their own experiences.

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h/t: [My eLearning World]

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READ: Teachers in the United States Spent $3.24 Billion of Their Own Money in 2023

 

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Driving over frozen bodies of water are always impressive feats, due to the skill and care needed to cross ice. In cold conditions, people have also gotten good at switching out their tires to match the frozen ground. But recently, a YouTube channel decided to swap out their dirt bike tires for an unusual replacement—saw blades.

CboysTV is a popular YouTube channel with approximately 3.25 million subscribers. Most of their videos involve modifying vehicles in new and inventive ways to see what is possible, or doing wild stunts with existing motorcycles and cars. Their latest invention features a bright red Honda dirt bike with circular saw blades instead of tires. In a previous video, they already rode a dirt bike over a frozen lake, but they seem to have wanted a new challenge, which inspired them to remove tires from the equation entirely.

Surprisingly, the blades double incredibly well as wheels, allowing the rider to drive across the lake and turn with ease. Later on in the video, they trade the icy terrain for the traditional dirt of a course, and the bike does equally well here. It's effective but also extremely dangerous, as falling off of the bike could have more severe consequences for the rider. Still, it is a thoroughly entertaining watch and an impressive feat of engineering.

Some of CboysTV other inventions include installing a set of wheels on a jet ski, creating a 6-foot-tall dirt bike, and building the world's fastest toilet (yes, you read that correctly). You can watch the rest of their videos on their YouTube channel.

The creative team at CboysTV recently posted a video where they swapped out of the wheels on a dirt bike for circular saw blades.

 

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The tire substitutes work surprisingly well, first on ice and then on dirt.

CboysTV: YouTube | Instagram
h/t: [The Awesomer]

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READ: Dirt Bike With Saw Blade Wheels Seamlessly Drives Across Frozen Lake

Actors Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, and Kate Winslet are all stars of the 2022 hit film Avatar: The Way of Water. Recently, they posed for photographer Christy Lee Rogers in an underwater photo series that celebrated our oceans while also raising money for a good cause.

The director of the Avatar series, James Cameron, and Disney commissioned the photos as a way to raise money for The Nature Conservancy. The organization has the goal of conserving 10% of the world’s oceans by 2030, and some of the proceeds from the sale of Rogers’ prints will go toward supporting that mission.

In addition to being for a good cause, the photos are also gorgeous in their own right. The actors are dressed in eye-catching blue and purple fabric that swirls and blends in with their equally beautiful surroundings. They are shot to look like they are floating, weightlessly, with closed eyes and spread arms, effortlessly in harmony with the world around them.

On her website, Rogers states, “Water is healing—it’s life itself. And as the provider of life—oxygen to all through tiny phytoplankton, our oceans need our care more than ever right now. It is a great honor to be able to help James Cameron, Jon Landau, and the ‘Avatar’ and Disney teams in realizing that dream of clean and protected world oceans—through the release of these images for The Nature Conservancy.”

Those interested in purchasing Rogers’ prints can do so through her website.

In a recent series, Christy Lee Rogers photographed stars Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, and Kate Winslet in an Avatar-themed underwater photoshoot.

James Cameron and Disney commissioned the photo series to raise money for The Nature Conservancy, which has the goal of conserving 10% of oceans by 2030.

The actors float harmoniously in the photos, illustrating how connected humanity is with the water around us.

Christy Lee Rogers: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Christy Lee Rogers.

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READ: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Stars Pose in Underwater Photos To Raise Money for Conservation

Photo: Lihana111/Depositphotos

There are approximately 15,500 golf courses located in the United States, and they tend to have negative effects on the environment. Between land being cleared for the fairway and the excessive amount of water and pesticides needed to keep the grass looking green and lush, it is no surprise that golf courses have come under increasing scrutiny from environmental agencies and activists in recent years. However, in certain locations, there may be a silver lining, as abandoned golf courses are being reclaimed by nature.

The number of golf course closures have outweighed openings every year since 2006. Conservation agencies have a vested interest in acquiring these abandoned golf courses and restoring them to their original landscapes to combat the effects of climate change. From locations on the west coast in California to places in the Midwest such as Ohio, these efforts are nationwide. Some former golf courses in the United Kingdom and Australia have also been part of the revitalization process as well.

Some of the strategies that conservationists have employed involve reintroducing native plants and animals to the golf courses, combining golf courses with already existing parks, and restoring wetlands and swamps. All of this is part of an effort to restore biodiversity and, hopefully, restore these swaths of land to what they looked like before they were cleared.

Abandoned golf courses in the United States are being reclaimed by nature, thanks to the efforts of conservationists.

Photo: ejkrouse/Depositphotos

h/t: [Reddit]

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READ: Abandoned Golf Courses Are Being Reclaimed by Nature Thanks to Conservation Groups

 

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In 2018, when Hemesh Chadalavada was 12 years old, his grandmother forgot to turn off the gas after she made herself a cup of tea. This experience caused Hemesh to spend hours on YouTube learning about robotics in order to figure out if he could create a device that would detect these accidents in case he wasn't there. The research ultimately led the teenager to invent the ALpha Monitor, a badge-like device designed for dementia patients that sends out an alert if the person wearing it falls or wanders off.

Hemesh developed the device with information from a care center run by the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India. In 2022, he beat 18,000 other entries and won a $120,000 grant in a Samsung-sponsored science fair. This resulted in the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, posting on X (formerly Twitter) that he “really admired” Hemesh.

Even though Hemesh's grandmother, Jayasree, passed away in 2023 from Alzheimer's, the young inventor's ALpha Monitor has the potential to improve the lives of the more than 55 million people living with dementia today. The teenager will finish the exam season in March and then will devote all of his time to getting the ALpha Monitor on the market by September. After the device is for sale, Hemesh plans to go abroad to study robotics.

Those interested in keeping up with the ALpha Monitor's production and Hemesh's career can visit his website and follow him on Instagram.

A teenager named Hemesh Chadalavada has invented a badge-like device for dementia patients that will send out an alert if the patient falls or wanders off.

 

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A post shared by Hemesh Chadalavada (@hemeshch)

Here he is in 2020, introducing the ALpha Monitor.

His innovative prototype made him a top 10 finalist of the competitive Samsung's Solve for Tomorrow Challenge

 

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A post shared by Hemesh Chadalavada (@hemeshch)

In fact, Hemesh beat out 18,000 applicants and won the whole competition.

 

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A post shared by Hemesh Chadalavada (@hemeshch)

Hemesh Chadalavada: Website | Instagram | YouTube
h/t: [Good News Network]

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READ: Teen Invents Gadget To Help Dementia Patients Like His Grandmother

Photo: isanbar/Depositphotos

On March 1, a whale was spotted swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Spotting whales around this time of year isn't unusual for New England Aquarium scientists, but something about this creature gave them pause. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that they were looking at a gray whale, which is a species thought to have been extinct in the Atlantic for nearly 200 years.

The gray whale is routinely found in the North Pacific, but has not been seen in the Atlantic Ocean since the 18th century, making the researchers' find extremely unique. Experts are not entirely sure why the animal disappeared from the region, but whaling could be a factor. Now, researchers say that the whale's sighting in the region is due to climate change, as the ice that normally dots the region hasn't been forming, allowing for easy travel.

According to researchers, there have been five spottings of gray whales in the Atlantic over the last 15 years, with the most recent being seen off the coast of Florida in December. The New England Aquarium believes that this is the same whale that was just spotted around Nantucket.

Gray whales are identifiable by blotchy coloration and lack of a dorsal fin. They are also expert migrators, traveling between feeding and breeding grounds every year. Like many other whales, a healthy gray whale has a particularly long lifespan for a wild animal, estimated to live between 50 to 70 years.

Earlier this month, a gray whale that was previously thought to be extinct in the Atlantic Ocean, was spotted about 30 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Photo: isanbar/Depositphotos

h/t: [Bored Panda]

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READ: Whale Thought To Have Gone Extinct Nearly 200 Years Ago Spotted off Coast of Massachusetts

Photo: (Background image) NASA/USGS Mars globe. Geologic interpretation and annotations by Pascal Lee and Sourabh Shubham 2024.

According to recent findings, there is a huge volcano the size of Mount Everest on the surface of Mars with a thick layer of glacial ice at its base. It is located near the Martian equator, in the rocky terrain of the Tharsis volcanic province. As its name might suggest, the area is rife with volcanic activity, and this newly discovered volcano is one of three that have already been identified in the region.

The volcano has an elevation of 29,600 feet, making it taller than Mount Everest, which stands at 29,032 feet. It is also approximately 280 miles wide, which is about as long as the state of Colorado is from North to South. Because of its size, the volcano has likely been active for a long time.

Even though several rovers have been exploring Mars in both the past and present, this volcano wasn't discovered until earlier this year. This may be due to the severe erosion on the volcano's surface, which has made it beyond easy recognition over the years. NASA’s SETI team states, “Imaged repeatedly by orbiting spacecraft around Mars since Mariner 9 in 1971—but deeply eroded beyond easy recognition, the giant volcano had been hiding in plain sight for decades in one of Mars’ most iconic regions, at the boundary between the heavily fractured maze-like Noctis Labyrinthus (Labyrinth of the Night) and the monumental canyons of Valles Marineris (Valleys of Mariner)”

The discovery of this volcano, especially the thick layer of ice at its base, could hold exciting truths for researchers and others interested in the history of the Red Planet. “Its discovery points to an exciting new place to search for life,” the SETI team explains, “and a potential destination for future robotic and human exploration.”

A giant active volcano has been discovered on the surface of Mars that is taller than Mount Everest.

Photo: Background image: NASA Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) digital elevation model. Geologic interpretation & annotations by Pascal Lee and Sourabh Shubham 2024.

Photo: Background images: NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Context Camera (CTX) mosaic and Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) digital elevation model. Geologic interpretation & annotations by Pascal Lee & Sourabh Shubham 2024.

h/t: [Interesting Engineering]

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READ: Giant Volcano the Size of Mount Everest Is Discovered on Mars

Last year, a video of construction workers filling a boy's toy truck with dirt from their excavator went viral. The internet absolutely adored the video because of its wholesome nature and the attitude of the adults involved, as they played along with the boy and performed a good deed that absolutely made his day. Recently, another video has surfaced of a separate set of outdoor laborers doing the same thing for a little boy.

The video starts with a young boy excitedly running up to a pair of construction workers with his yellow toy dump truck. The working men wave at him before a woman, who is presumably his mother, comes into the frame and pulls him back from the construction zone. Then, the boy waits with him mom on the sidelines as the construction workers carefully scoop up some dirt with their excavator and deposit it in the back of the toy dump truck. The boy watches, visibly overjoyed, as he gestures at the workers and jumps happily.

The video ends with the construction workers pushing the toy truck back towards the boy, as one of them bends down and shakes his hand. The boy's joy is contagious, and it's hard not to be filled with the same level of happiness as you watch the video. As one Redditor put it, “That kid will be on his deathbed telling that story to anyone who’ll listen. He will never forget that memory.”

A construction crew taking a break from their work decided to fill a little boy's toy dump truck with dirt from an excavator. Redditors were delighted by the wholesome video.

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h/t: [Reddit]

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READ: Construction Workers Bring a Smile to a Boy’s Face by Filling His Dump Truck With Dirt From an Excavator

From Pedro Pascal's confession of being “a little drunk” at the SAG Awards to Emma Stone pointing out the broken zipper on her dress while accepting her Oscar, the 2024 awards season has been filled with hilariously candid speeches. And after Robert Downey Jr. won his first Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Oppenheimer, he combined humor and humility as he delivered his own speech.

“I'd like to thank my terrible childhood, and the Academy, in that order,” Downey joked after thanking the presenters. “I’d like to thank my veterinarian—I meant wife, Susan Downey—over there. She found me a snarling rescue pet and you loved me back to life. That’s why I’m here. Thank you.”

Downey's early acting career was unfortunately marred by controversy as he struggled with a drug addiction and was often in trouble with the law. In April 2001, Downey committed to getting clean, and has been sober since 2003. Several years later, he was cast as Tony Stark in Iron Man, which propelled him to the international fame that he has been enjoying ever since.

“Here’s my little secret,” Downey confessed in his speech. “I needed this job more than it needed me. Chris [Nolan] knew it. Emma [Thomas] made sure that she surrounded me with one of the great casts and crews of all time—Emily [Blunt], Cillian [Murphy]. It was fantastic. And I stand here before you a better man because of it.”

In addition to being the actor's first Oscar, Downey also made history for being the first former Saturday Night Live cast member to win the award.

Robert Downey Jr.: Instagram
h/t: [Do You Remember?]

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READ: Watch as Robert Downey Jr. Wins His First Oscar and Thanks His “Terrible Childhood”