Posts by Sophie Clearwater
Why Erika Woolsey Sees Virtual Reality Tech as an Ocean Conservation Tool
Woolsey’s goal is to make the ocean more accessible to the masses so that they might strive to protect it. After all, it’s “our life-support system on Earth,” she says. Indeed, humans rely on the ocean for food security, economic stability, marine-derived medicine, and climate regulation. Yet “our ocean is overexploited, underprotected, and pretty much…
Read MoreJason Ballard Is Using 3D Printing to Take on America’s Housing Crisis
In 2017, he co-founded ICON, a construction company that uses large-scale 3D printers to erect buildings by layering a proprietary concrete-like material. As of this year, the Austin-based company has 3D-printed 260 houses and other structures. It says its construction system can print a 2,500-square-foot home in under seven days, while cutting construction waste, lowering…
Read MoreTIME Reveals the Inaugural 2026 Trailblazers: Designing and Making the Future List
Of the inaugural list, TIME editors write: “Our inaugural TIME Trailblazers list recognizes those leaders who, across the world, are designing and making the future…This is a world full of potential, promise, and problems to solve. This is a world that is still being built. These 14 Trailblazers are standout examples of the many committed…
Read MoreTravis Kelce Confirms Name of His, Taylor Swift’s Dog: All the Enchanting Details
Travis Kelce is unleashing more details about his and Taylor Swift‘s pup. After the Kansas City Chiefs tight end introduced the newlywed’s white Samoyed during his Tommy Hilfiger’s Fall 2026 campaign, he shared insight into being dog parents to Wendy. “Wendy’s now a model,” Travis joked to brother Jason Kelce on the Sept. 2 episode…
Read MoreSpain’s White-Headed Ducks Have a Signature Color Right in the Name. And That Isn’t Even Their Most Remarkable Hue
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/4b/ad/4bad4ddf-a163-43bb-a53b-b04d0329f13c/new_dsc3177_copia.jpg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1 "Spain’s White-Headed Ducks Have a Signature Color Right in the Name. And That Isn’t Even Their Most Remarkable Hue")
The first thing you’re likely to notice is the blue bill. But beyond appearances, the duck has an exciting story to tell about conservation and recovery Photograph by Javier Aznar González de Rueda Text by Cheryl Katz September/October 2026 The white-headed duck is “one of the true eccentrics of the waterfowl world because almost everything…
Read MoreTiger Woods loses license for 5 years in DUI plea deal as judge issues stern warning
Tiger Woods lost his license for five years in a last-minute plea deal in his Florida DUI case. The golf superstar, 50, appeared before a judge Wednesday morning at Martin County Courthouse in Stuart. The judge noted that the defense and prosecution had reached a deal, resulting in Woods’ charges being reduced to reckless driving…
Read MoreDancing With the Stars Season 35 Cast Revealed
Dancing With the Stars is sharing who is ready to jive for season 35. Indeed, the ABC reality series revealed 12 additional celebrities who will be competing for the Mirrorball Trophy alongside previously announced contestants Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson for its upcoming season, premiering Sept. 15. On the Sept. 2 episode…
Read MoreTravis Kelce breaks down why MSG was perfect venue for ‘magical’ Taylor Swift wedding
Travis Kelce is going back to July. The athlete reflected on his and Taylor Swift’s New York City wedding on Wednesday’s “New Heights” episode, explaining why Madison Square Garden was the perfect venue for the “magical” nuptials. “Thank you [to] everyone at MSG that allowed us to do this,” the NFL star, 36, said while…
Read MoreReptiles Make a Surprising Amount of Noise. Here’s What Those Sounds Might Mean, From Pops to Hoots to Bellows
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/2d/e6/2de6b572-7cca-4578-a75e-9a792b3f697a/8501263358_87b6347c3a_k.jpg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1 "Reptiles Make a Surprising Amount of Noise. Here’s What Those Sounds Might Mean, From Pops to Hoots to Bellows")
Scientists are realizing that turtles, lizards and crocodilians communicate vocally more than they once thought Rohini Subrahmanyam, Knowable Magazine September 2, 2026 7:30 a.m. In loud conditions, a tokay gecko adjusts its call, which is typically used to find a mate or defend territory. Reptiles Plus via Flickr under CC BY-NC 2.0 Along the sandy…
Read More6 Signs Your Venting Is Straining Your Relationships
“Venting is discrete,” says Jenny Martin, a psychologist and founder of Gemstone Wellness, a trauma-informed practice in Chicago. “It has a beginning, a middle, and an end.” But venting can also keep you stuck—not to mention, exhaust the person listening. The distinction isn’t whether you complain, get worked up, or talk for a long time.…
Read MoreSecond hiker found dead after vanishing in Grand Canyon flash floods
A devoted father of three has been identified as the second victim in Saturday’s tragic flash-flooding at the Grand Canyon, with the search continuing for his still-missing friend. Brent Rosenkranz, 42, was part of a trio of friends hiking, camping and exploring the national park when a torrential downpour started falling near the canyon’s South…
Read MoreThe Hidden Value of Back-to-School Shopping
It’s easy to dismiss our collective consumer ritual as another marketing season. Yes, it was invented by department stores selling school uniforms in the 1800s, and then turbocharged with seasonal catalogs and sales by retailers like Montgomery Ward and Sears in the century that followed. And it is a sort of pre-Halloween ritual in which…
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