Posted: January 24, 2022

Laetitia Hédouin dove into the South Pacific Ocean near Tahiti. Down, down, down.

Wait. What’s that?

It was a coral reef . . . shaped like roses.

“When I went there for the first time, I thought, ‘Wow—we need to study that reef. There’s something special about that reef,” says Ms. Hédouin. She is a researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research in Moorea, French Polynesia.

What makes these corals so special? They look like roses, yes. But they also look healthy.

Corals are tiny animals that grow in in oceans around the world. They root to the ocean floor, but they’re not plants. Lots of corals put together form a reef. (Read more about coral here.) Many coral reefs around the world face serious trouble. Distressed reefs turn white. This bleaching happens when polluted or too-warm water puts coral under stress.

Scientists think this reef might be one of the largest found at such depths. Divers had to swim 115 to 230 feet down to explore it. They did 200 hours of diving during their reef study. They took photos, measurements, and samples of the coral.

The newfound reef stretches two miles long. It hides in a spot where many researchers haven’t spent a lot of time. But that’s no surprise. There is a lot about the ocean we don’t understand yet. The vast depths give us a hint about how big and powerful its Creator must be.

You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. — Micah 7:19

Posted: January 21, 2022

The Winter Olympics start in less than a month. But not everyone is invited.

This year, China will host the Olympic Games. They will be in the capital, Beijing. Usually, Beijing’s people would fill the stadium to watch. The city last hosted the Olympics in 2008. The Chinese people still remember that event. They were proud to have the Games in their country.

But this year, only certain people can attend the Games. Tickets won’t be available to everyone.

Why?

In China, around 20 million people are under coronavirus lockdown. China has ordered entire cities to get tested for COVID-19. To Olympic organizers, an open event seems too risky.

Many Beijing residents feel disappointed. They hoped to cheer on their athletes.

But just how disappointed are they? It’s hard to say. Unlike the United States, China restricts free speech. People can’t openly protest. They can’t give their opinions in polls.

The closed event isn’t the only thing putting a damper on the Games. Other countries usually send government officials to the Olympics. This year, some countries have decided to keep their officials at home. But not because of the pandemic. China mistreats its people. So a few countries have chosen to protest this way.

This Winter Olympics will look a lot different. But throughout history, the Olympics have always shown what’s going on in the world. That, at least, isn’t changing.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. — Isaiah 40:8

Posted: January 20, 2022

A British skier crashes through wooden fencing and slams into a pole. An American hits an icy patch at the bottom of a hill and bangs into a fence, breaking one ski and twisting the other. Each skier breaks a leg.

The culprit in these accidents? Man-made snow.

Many top athletes say crashes like these are becoming more common. Because of warm winter weather, real snow is scarce. Racers must compete on tracks with the artificially produced version.

Johanna Taliharm is an Olympic biathlete from Estonia. “Artificial snow is icier, therefore faster and more dangerous,” she says. “It also hurts more if you fall outside of the course when there is no fluffy snowbank, but a rocky and muddy hard ground.”

What’s the difference between snow God makes and snow people make? Man-made snow is wetter. It ices up quickly. Falling while skiing on man-made snow can feel like falling on concrete.

Real snow begins as water vapor in the clouds. When it’s cold enough, that vapor turns directly into ice crystals without going through the liquid stage. Man-made snow “isn’t really snow at all,” says Jim Steenburgh, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah. He says it “is water that’s blown through nozzles that break up the water into extremely small and tiny droplets that then freeze.”

People enjoy watching skiers go fast. Man-made snow helps with that. But breaking legs? Skiers say, No, thank you!

He gives snow like wool. — Psalm 147:16

Posted: January 19, 2022

How do you give 33 alligators a bath?

Workers in Louisiana found out. They had to. About 300,000 gallons of diesel fuel poured out of a broken pipeline into the gators’ wetland. Diesel is toxic. The gators needed a scrub down, and quick.

Wildlife rehabilitators put each gator in its own kiddie pool. (Some baby gators shared a pool.) They used Dawn dish soap to brush the gators’ pointy teeth and scrub their scaly hides.

How many people does it take to bathe a six-foot gator? Four held the gator down. Two scrubbed. One used a hose to rinse. One changed the wash water. Do the math. That’s . . . eight! Workers have rescued at least 78 alligators since the spill on December 27. So far, they have cleaned and released 33.

“They literally get their mouths washed out with soap,” says oil spill coordinator Laura Carver. “But it’s the only thing that works.”

Spilled diesel causes trouble for more than alligators. This spill killed thousands of fish. More than 100 other animals have been found dead too. That includes 39 snakes, 32 birds, and nine frogs. People set up noise-making cannons in the area. The booms send a message to birds and other animals: Danger zone! Stay away!

God gives people the responsibility to care for His creation. The alligator-scrubbers are doing just that. But not so much the oil-spillers. Who is responsible for the broken pipeline? Authorities will investigate to find out.

Posted: January 18, 2022

Most rats spend their days stealing garbage or scurrying through sewers. But not Magawa.

For five years, this African giant pouched rat sniffed out landmines in the country of Cambodia. He retired last June. (See Hero Rat Retires.) Last weekend, he died at the old (for rats!) age of eight.

War can harm a country even after the fighting ends. Cambodia’s war ended in 1998. But it left behind dangerous explosives called landmines. Those could hurt the people still living there.

A Belgian group called APOPO trains dogs—and yes, even rats. The animals learn to detect those explosives before they harm people. Magawa trained with APOPO in his home country of Tanzania. Then he shipped off to Cambodia for his heroic work.

During Magawa’s career, he found over 100 landmines and other explosives. He cleared more than 1.5 million square feet of land. Before retiring, he received a gold medal from the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals in Britain. That’s the most important medal for bravery an animal can earn. Before Magawa, only dogs had received the honor.

Magawa’s work protected the people of Cambodia. It helped them live, work, and play without fear.

God protects us every day in ways we don’t even realize. Sometimes, He even uses mine-sniffing rats.

The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. — Psalm 121:7-8

Posted: January 17, 2022

Just in time for Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, the Mattel toy company has made something fresh: its newest Barbie doll, Ida B. Wells.

Do you know Ms. Wells from history? She was born into slavery in Mississippi in 1862. That was during the Civil War. But slavery isn’t the end of her story. Not even close!

When she grew up, Ms. Wells worked as a journalist. Like Martin Luther King, Jr., she spent her life helping black people in the United States. She was a gifted observer and writer. Her writings shined a bright light on ways black people were mistreated in the South.

Many people did not like the work she did. This made her life hard and dangerous. People threatened her. They forced her to move from city to city in the United States. Eventually, she became one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

The new Barbie doll wears a long, dark lace dress. Barbie Ida holds a miniature replica of the Memphis Free Speech newspaper. Ms. Wells became editor and co-owner of that newspaper in 1889.

The doll will be available starting January 17.

God calls people like Ida—and maybe like you!—to tell the truth in print. Have you ever thought about becoming a journalist or writer? Learn more about how journalists can love their neighbors in What Are You Called To Do?

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. — John 8:32

Posted: January 14, 2022

The ice disk is back! A big circle of ice froze on the Presumpscot River in Maine. It spins as people watch.

The first known ice disk formed here near Westbrook, Maine, in 2019. It was about 300 feet wide! Crowds came to see it. They took pictures before it melted. Another ice circle partially took shape in 2020.

What causes these disks? Scientists think that ice forms in a water current that spins it around. As the ice grinds against surrounding ice, it smooths out the edges, making it round. Or maybe water wears the ice into a circle.

Scientists think that temperature changes keep these disks spinning. Cooler water is more dense than warm water. As the ice melts, that cool water sinks. It creates a circular motion, or vortex. You can try this at home! Put a round ice disk in a sink of warm water. It should rotate as it starts to thaw.

Ice disks this large rarely form in places like Westbrook.

Ducks and seagulls ride on the ice like a merry-go-round. But city officials warn people—stay off the ice! “It is not safe,” they say.

The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. — Job 38:30

Posted: January 13, 2022

Welcome to Washington, D.C., snowy owl. Just to make you feel at home, here’s some snow!

People first spotted this Arctic bird in Washington, D.C., on January 3. That day, a winter storm dumped eight inches of snow on the city.

The owl came all the way from Canada. Since its arrival, people have spotted it landing on Union Station, the National Postal Museum, Senate buildings, and Capitol Police headquarters. Late last week, about three dozen people in thick coats trained their binoculars on the bird. It’s about the size of a football. It has bright yellow eyes.

“Snowy owls are coming from a part of the world where they see almost nothing human, from completely treeless open Arctic tundra,” says Scott Weidensaul, a researcher at Project SNOWStorm. He tracks snowy owl movements.

Some Arctic owls migrate south every winter. But the numbers go up and down. Snowy owls eat lemmings. About every three to five years, lemming populations grow extra big. More owl chicks survive on this surplus food. In those years, more birds migrate. They migrate farther. (This event is called an irruption.) Most winters, North American snowy owls don’t go as far south as Washington, D.C. That makes this owl’s appearance unusually exciting for bird watchers.

After decades studying snowy owls, Mr. Weidensaul still feels amazed to see this one. “This is a piece of the Arctic in downtown D.C.,” he says. “You’re not going to see a polar bear walking in front of the White House.”

Did the owl come for the snow? Probably not. Washington, D.C., has a famous rodent problem. The owl, a nighttime hunter, is likely sticking around for the rats.

Posted: January 12, 2022

In Kampala, Uganda, students carrying mattresses clog the streets. FINALLY! They’re going back to boarding school!

Uganda’s schools were closed for almost two years because of the pandemic. (Read No School in Uganda.) No other country kept schools closed that long.

How have you done school during lockdowns? In many parts of the world, school went online. Most public schools in Uganda did not have money for virtual learning. Wealthier Ugandan families could hire tutors. But most students got only once-in-a-while lessons over the radio, TV, and in newspapers.

What will school look like now? Imagine 10 Ugandan kids standing in a row. Of these, only about seven may ever go back to school. Why? Many started full-time work during the 22-month lockdown. Some started families. Their school years are over forever.

School may be tough for those who do return. Ugandan educators shorten curriculum to automatically move students up a grade. Will this overwhelm students? What would you think if school was canceled for over a year and your teacher bumped you up to the next grade? Would you feel ready to learn?

Some urge Ugandan school officials: Help kids adjust. Provide tutors and “catch-up clubs.” No one wants the students to give up now after waiting so long.

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. — Proverbs 18:1

Posted: January 11, 2022

This dog is a very good boy. North the Alaskan Malamute protected his injured owner. He kept his owner warm until rescuers came.

The man and the dog had a hiking accident. They were more than 5,600 feet up Mount Velebit. That mountain is in Croatia. (The Republic of Croatia is in Europe. It is between Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.)

Both slipped and fell about 500 feet down. The hiker hurt his leg badly. But North was not hurt. Night came. Temperatures dropped. North used his body heat to keep his owner warm. They waited for 13 hours. Finally, rescuers found them.

“Friendship and love between man and dog know no boundaries,” the mountain rescue service wrote on social media. It posted a photo of the canine lying on top of his master on a stretcher. “His loyalty didn’t stop even when the rescuers came. He was one of us, guarding his man for 13 hours.”

Rescuers said finding the pair was tough. Snow, ice, and broken tree branches blocked the way to the spot. A team of 27 people took part in the rescue. They made their way to North and his owner late at night.

“This example could teach us all how to care about each other,” the rescuers say.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? — Ecclesiastes 4:9-11

Posted: January 10, 2022

Fist bump!

On January 4, ground controllers at NASA cheered. Their team just aced the most complicated, important job with their newly launched space telescope. Its tennis-court-sized sunshade unrolled and stretched open just as it was designed to.

The seven-ton James Webb Space Telescope launched on Christmas Day. It’s about halfway to its destination now. Space telescopes go deep into space. They send back clear images of the universe—what they can capture of it, at least. This new telescope is the biggest and most powerful ever launched. It’s 100 times more powerful than the Hubble Telescope that came before it.

The sunshield measures 70 feet by 46 feet. It had to be folded origami-style to fit into the nose cone of the rocket that took it off Earth’s surface and into space. The shield has five layers, each made of a foil-like material as thin as human hair. And the shield is absolutely necessary. It keeps all the infrared, heat-sensing science instruments cool.

“This is a really big moment,” project manager Bill Ochs told the control team in Baltimore, Maryland. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do. But getting the sunshield out and deployed is really, really big.”

Engineers spent years making, and then remaking, the shade. At one point, dozens of fasteners fell off during a vibration test. That makes success all the sweeter.

“First time and we nailed it,” says engineer Alphonso Stewart.

He is wise in heart and mighty in strength . . . who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south. — Job 9:4, 8-9

Posted: January 7, 2022

Aren’t bald heads beautiful, just like those covered with hair? Lee Jae-myung doesn’t seem to think so. Mr. Lee is running for president in South Korea. He is getting support from some bald voters. Why? Because he wants the government to pay for hair loss treatments.

The government runs the health insurance system in South Korea. It pays for hair loss treatments only if the loss is caused by certain diseases. People who lose hair as they get older aren’t covered. Mr. Lee wants to change that.

“Please, let us know what has been inconvenient for you over hair-loss treatments,” Lee wrote on Facebook. “I’ll present a perfect policy on hair-loss treatment.”

One in every five South Koreans suffers from hair loss. Bald people have been posting messages of support online. One wrote, “I love you. I’ll implant you in the Blue House.” (The Blue House is where South Korea’s president lives.) Another says, “You’re giving new hope to bald people for the first time in Korea.”

But not everyone is in favor of the proposal. Some say it’s just a populism-driven pledge to win votes. Populism is a political movement that claims to put ordinary people first. That sounds good, right? But one big problem is that populists may focus just on what makes people feel good. They might ignore what is really needed.

A Korean newspaper called Munhwa Ilbo printed an editorial about the proposal. It says that the plan would hurt the financial stability of the insurance program. Hair loss isn’t usually a health problem. The healthcare system needs to be able to pay for serious illnesses.

The Bible actually does mention the noggins of the aged. Proverbs 16:31 tells us that “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” Gray hair and baldness show that someone has lived a long time. That’s not something to be ashamed of. A gray-haired or bald person has probably gained wisdom over the years. Ask him or her to share it with you.

Posted: January 6, 2022

Two new dogs are joining the club . . . the American Kennel Club, that is.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) is the oldest dog registry in the United States. It recognizes 197 dog breeds . . . no, wait . . . make that 199.

Meet new dog number one: the mudi. American fans pronounce this name moody. But in the dog’s homeland, Hungary, the u sounds more like the u in pudding. Mudiks (the word for more than one mudi) are sheep dogs. The medium-sized, shaggy canines love to work hard. They can herd sheep, hunt boars, and snag rats.

Now for dog two: the Russian toy. These little dogs became popular with wealthy Russians in the early 1700s. At 6.5 pounds, the petite pooches weigh less than most cats. Russian toys have lots of attitude, and they love their owners.

The huge variety of dog types—mutts included—shows us God’s awesome creativity. Herding dogs help farmers guide livestock. Retrievers bring back game to hunters. Scent hounds use their powerful noses to help people hunt. Sight hounds do the same using their keen eyesight.

To belong to the AKC, a breed must have at least 300 dogs spread around at least 20 states. Many popular hybrid or “designer” breeds, such as Labradoodles and puggles, aren’t recognized—at least not yet.

Do you have a dog from an AKC breed? Now that the mudi and the Russian toy belong to the club, they can compete in AKC dog shows around the United States.

Wonderful are your works. — Psalm 139:14

Posted: January 5, 2022

Hundreds of motorists in Virginia hit the brakes on Monday . . . and got stuck for the night.

The big holdup happened after a crash involving six tractor-trailers on Interstate 95.

Traffic stood still for 50 miles going both ways. Meanwhile, snow kept falling. Eventually, drivers, passengers, and pets started running out of food, water, and fuel.

Between seven and 11 inches of snow piled up in the area during Monday’s blizzard. Hundreds of thousands of people lost electricity at home. Authorities warned Virginians: DON’T drive.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Emily Clementson, a truck driver, told NBC Washington. She urged stuck motorists: Ask truck drivers if they have food or water to share. Many carry extra supplies in case they get stranded.

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine lives in Richmond, Virginia. He tweeted Tuesday morning that he was among those stranded. “I started my normal two-hour drive to D.C. at 1 p.m. yesterday. Nineteen hours later, I’m still not near the Capitol.” How long would he and the others have to wait?

All night, it turned out. Helpers rushed in as soon as they could. Crews worked to remove stopped trucks. They plowed snow and de-iced the road. They guided stranded drivers to the nearest exits. By 9 a.m., a single lane of traffic was creeping forward in one direction between many stalled trucks and cars. People were walking down traffic lanes still covered with ice and snow.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. — Philippians 2:4

Posted: January 4, 2022

They were snowed in . . . but not at home. Twenty-one people were stranded in two cable cars in New Mexico last weekend. The cars got stuck high up in the mountains near Albuquerque.

The passengers were employees of the tramway and a mountaintop restaurant. All but one of them were headed home after work. They were in one car. A security guard was headed up the mountain in another car.

Brian Coon is a manager for the tramway. He says ice formed quickly on one of the cables. The weight made it droop below the tram. It was too dangerous to keep going. Workers had to stop the cars.

The people in the tram cars were stuck all night. But the cars were stocked with food, water, and emergency blankets.

Search and rescue crews got everyone out by the next afternoon. Workers moved the car of 20 people to a nearby support tower. It was still more than halfway up the mountain. Rescuers hiked up and climbed the tower to deliver more blankets and supplies to those inside the car.

Search and rescue personnel used ropes to lower the employees about 85 feet to the ground. Yikes! Then a helicopter flew them to the bottom of the mountains. 

The second car with one employee aboard was higher up the mountain. It was too high above ground to lower the guard by ropes. But the tram system was able to inch the second car along the cable to the support tower. Then rescuers used ropes to lower that person too.

Do you want to read about more rescues? There are many in the Bible. God rescued the Israelites from Egypt. He rescued Daniel from the lions. And He rescues us from sin.

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. — Colossians 1:13

Posted: January 3, 2022

Can you find Qatar on a world map? Later this year, a whole lot of people will be heading there. Qatar is pleased with the promise of many tourists. The Middle Eastern nation wants to draw 1.2 million people in November and December.

Why will so many people be traveling to Qatar? They are soccer (or football—as most of the world calls the sport) fans. Qatar will host the sport’s most important meet: the World Cup.

But there’s just one problem. Where will all those extra people stay? Tickets go on sale in January. But hotels for the event are already booked. Completely booked.

Most hotel rooms were booked early by people who organize the event. They want to be sure there is enough lodging for the teams, officials, sponsors, and reporters.

Only about 90,000 hotel rooms will be available for sports fans, a planning committee website says. But Qatari officials say as many as 850,000 overseas visitors could come.

The committee says that the rooms will be available on a “first come, first served basis.” That means, when they’re gone, they’re gone.

To help, cruise ships plan to dock at Doha. That city is near the tournament stadiums. The ships will offer 4,000 cabins for tourists to stay in on the water. Some really fanatical followers say they will camp in the desert. But Qatar is not in favor of that option.

What happens to those who can find a ticket but not a room? It’s costly and not convenient. But flying in and out of the country and sleeping elsewhere may be their only option.