odd look at news on the web
Neanderthals weren’t picky meat eaters – they munched on maggots, too
1 January 2026 @ 5:21 am
Using chemical clues from Neanderthal bones, researchers have placed the species at the top of the food chain, alongside apex predators like lions – feasting on big animals such as mammoths or bison. However, experts have been missing out on one of their key, fat-rich, and easily collectible food sources: Maggots.Continue ReadingCategory: History, ScienceTags: NeandertTop 10 people in science for 2025, according to Nature
1 January 2026 @ 12:03 am
From a CRISPR baby to a young AI disruptor, 2025 has seen some serious leaps in science and technology. It's also seen some people stand up to the growing pressures facing the science community. Now, the world's leading science journal, Nature, has named 10 prominent figures behind the year's standout moments, which stretch from the darkness of the deep sea to the far corners of the universe.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: How battery charging led to a breakthrough in lithium recycling
31 December 2025 @ 6:58 pm
Lithium. While it’s not quite “the Spice” of Dune, the silvery, reactive metal is an extraordinarily valuable means for storing electricity, meaning it’s a key tool for transitioning from climate-killing carbon-fuel consumption to a world-transforming economy and green-energy future.Continue ReadingCategory: Energy, TechnologyTags: Portable, packable oven promises pizza in the park
31 December 2025 @ 5:30 pm
Being an outdoors enthusiast comes with one thing that most people don’t enjoy all that much: packing bulky, heavy gear that never quite fits in the car, especially when it comes to cooking equipment. Currently available on Kickstarter, the Vennoe T01 pizza oven could become a smart addition to a camping setup, helping to solve at least part of that problem.Continue ReadingCategory: Outdoor Cooking, Gear, Compact but flexible tiny house lets you take your work home with you
31 December 2025 @ 4:57 pm
Despite its modest length of just 24 ft (7.3 m), the Pacific Wren packs an impressive amount of flexibility into its compact frame. The tiny house contains two bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, and even a small home office area.Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, OutdoorsTags: Building and Construction, Smokeless fire pit collapses and hikes beyond the trailhead
31 December 2025 @ 12:26 pm
Sitting around a fire is surely one of the outdoors’ greatest simple pleasures. Living on the coast, I enjoy driftwood bonfires that are not just decorative, they keep you warm enough to sit out on a stony British beach after sundown year-round.Continue ReadingCategory: Gear, OutdoorsTags: Fire, $3,200 rugged mini is the perfect cheaper Honda Trail 125 alternative
31 December 2025 @ 6:03 am
Mini motos have always thrived on a simple idea: small, useful motorcycles that punch well above their weight. What started as post-war utility machines quickly transformed into farm runabouts and then eventually into cult favorites like Honda’s Trail series in more recent times.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: Moped, Neanderthals were actually making fire 400,000 years ago
31 December 2025 @ 4:03 am
The ability to make fire on demand has long been seen as a turning point in our evolutionary story. It unlocked benefits like cooking food, staying warm, and protection from predators. For thousands of years, our ancestors progressed from scavenging flames around wildfires to tending them and, eventually, sparking them deliberately.Continue ReadingCategory: History, ScienceTags: The year that changed how we see the world around us
31 December 2025 @ 12:03 am
It's that time of year again – and my personal favorite corner of science to look back on – when we recap the many fascinating discoveries in the plant and animal kingdom that made headlines in 2025.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Wildlife, Best of 2025, Review: 2026 Nissan Leaf comes back to relevance without losing its charm
30 December 2025 @ 9:43 pm
The Nissan Leaf is, in its own way, a big part of modern automotive history. It’s the first affordable EV. And this all-new 2026 model keeps that groundbreaking premise, but updates it to relevance in today’s more saturated market.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: Nissan, Nissan LEAF, Electric Vehicl