Betty “Legend” Kellenberger, an 80-year-old woman from Michigan who completed the nearly 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail, becoming the oldest woman ever to finish the trek across 14 states. Despite facing setbacks like Lyme disease, severe dehydration, and even a knee replacement, Betty persevered through rugged terrain, harsh weather, and personal challenges to reach the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine — a dream she had held since childhood. Her achievement showed that determination, resilience, and a willingness to keep trying can help us accomplish remarkable goals at any age.

In the heart of London outside Charing Cross station, a local charity set up a “Tree of Kindness” as part of its Festival of Kindness campaign to support people experiencing homelessness. Passersby were invited to bring warm clothes, toys, winter essentials, and small gifts from a specially created wishlist to hang on the tree. These donations were then given directly to those in need, helping ensure that people without shelter felt cared for, remembered, and connected during the cold winter months and Christmas season.

First complete laboratory synthesis of Verticillin A is an important advance in medicinal chemistry because it’s a rare and powerful natural compound now reliably accessible for research. Verticillin A, originally isolated from fungi, has shown strong anticancer activity, but its scarcity in nature and complex structure had long limited detailed study. By successfully building the molecule step by step in the lab, scientists not only confirmed its precise chemical structure but also opened the door to creating safer or more effective variants. This breakthrough allows researchers to test Verticillin A more thoroughly against different cancers, study how it works at the molecular level, and explore whether modified versions could become practical drugs.

DNA from well-preserved woolly mammoth remains found in the Arctic permafrost has allowed researchers to decode large parts of the mammoth genome, revealing how these Ice Age giants were adapted to extreme cold and how closely they were related to modern elephants. The DNA discoveries are not only helping scientists understand mammoth evolution and extinction, but they have also sparked discussions about the possibility of reviving certain mammoth traits in living elephants through advanced genetic techniques.

LightGen all-optical chip, unveiled by a Chinese research team in December 2025, represents a major leap in computing technology. Unlike traditional electronic chips, LightGen uses photons instead of electrons to process information, allowing data to move at the speed of light and dramatically reducing energy loss from heat. With roughly two million photonic elements on a single chip, it can perform complex computations far faster and more efficiently than conventional silicon-based processors. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize high-speed data centers, telecommunications, and scientific simulations, paving the way for a new generation of ultra-fast, energy-efficient computing systems.

World’s smallest fully programmable autonomous robots, measuring just 200 × 300 × 50 µm - roughly the size of a grain of sand, were unveiled by researches at the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania. Despite their tiny dimensions, these robots can be precisely programmed to perform coordinated movements and simple tasks, making them a groundbreaking step in micro‑robotics. Their potential applications are wide-ranging: they could navigate the human body to deliver drugs directly to specific tissues, assemble microscopic devices, or perform delicate lab‑on-a-chip operations.

FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Competition
Gregor Deschwanden of Switzerland soared gracefully through the crisp winter air during the men’s Large Hill HS140 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup competition at the Gross-Titlis Schanze in Engelberg. With remarkable precision and focus, he launched off the ramp, his body perfectly aligned to maximize distance and stability. The crowd watched in awe as Deschwanden glided above the snowy landscape, demonstrating the skill and daring that have made him a standout in the world of ski jumping.

Axolotls are aquatic creatures often called “Mexican walking fish”.

Axolotls are actually amphibians, not fish. Unlike most amphibians, axolotls retain their larval features throughout their lives, a condition known as neoteny, meaning they keep their gills and stay underwater even as adults. They are native to lakes around Mexico City and are critically endangered in the wild due to habitat loss and pollution. One of their most remarkable abilities is regenerating entire body parts, including limbs, spinal cords, and even parts of their hearts and brains. With their frilly external gills, wide heads, and expressive eyes, axolotls have captured the curiosity of scientists and animal lovers alike.