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Outdoors (General/Chat)

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  • Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS swings by Earth this week as an early Christmas gift

    12/16/2025 9:06:28 AM PST · by Red Badger · 16 replies
    Accuweather ^ | December 16, 2025 | Staff
    The Dec. 19 flyby of Comet 3I/ATLAS gives astronomers a rare chance to study only the third known interstellar object to pass through our solar system. VIDEO AT LINK............... Astronomers and skywatchers are hoping to spot interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS on Dec. 19 when it makes its closest — but safely distant — flyby of Earth. The comet has drawn global attention as only the third confirmed interstellar object observed passing through our solar system. According to NASA, Comet 3I/ATLAS will not pose any threat to Earth during its pass. The object is expected to remain about 170 million miles from...
  • 1,800-year-old 'piggy banks' full of Roman-era coins unearthed in French village

    12/15/2025 12:56:56 PM PST · by Red Badger · 5 replies
    Live Science ^ | December 06, 2025 | Marjanko Pilekić
    A jug holding a vast number of Roman coins was found during an excavation at a French village. (Image credit: © Simon Ritz, Inrap) Archaeologists in France have discovered three ancient storage jars brimming with tens of thousands of Roman coins. The vessels were buried in pits 1,700 years ago in the house floor of an ancient settlement, possibly as a type of safe or piggy bank. These three jugs, known as amphorae, were uncovered during excavations run by the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) in the village of Senon in northeastern France, and may contain a total...
  • Moment hero bus passengers save teenage girl, 17, from being kidnapped by Sudanese migrant

    12/15/2025 11:05:13 AM PST · by MarlonRando · 17 replies
    Daily Mail ^ | 12-15-25 | Fran Wolfisz
    Adam tried to engage the teenager in conversation before continuing to target her aggressively as she desperately tried to flag down passing cars for help. Terrifying footage shows Adam attempting to grab the 'petrified' young woman and drag her across the road as she tried to break free. But the scuffle and her screams are noticed by hero bus passengers who jump off and come to her rescue - chasing her would-be kidnapper away.
  • Spanish Towns Join Mobile-Free Mountain Network

    12/15/2025 9:27:26 AM PST · by nickcarraway · 5 replies
    Euroweekly News ^ | 13 Dec 2025 | Santiago Carneri
    On December 12, coinciding with International Mountain Day, 69 municipalities in the Valencian Community joined a nationwide initiative to create mobile-free spaces aimed at offering young people and teenagers stays in natural environments without mobile phones. The project, Refugios Bien de Altura: spaces without coverage, is promoted by the Spanish Association of Mountain Municipalities (EsMontañas) and funded by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco). It transforms municipal hostels and rural accommodation in 284 mountain villages across Spain into areas of voluntary digital disconnection. Among the 69 participating Valencian towns, only six are in the province...
  • What Climate Change Means for White Christmases

    12/13/2025 7:01:52 AM PST · by Oldeconomybuyer · 57 replies
    TIME ^ | December 12, 2025 | by Simmone Shah
    If you’ve been dreaming of a white Christmas, be warned that it might not become a reality. Many people have memories of watching the snow fall on Christmas Day—but data shows that, across the country, a white Christmas occurs less frequently than you might think. In general, if an area has widespread snow and persistently colder patterns leading up to Christmas, it could be a predictor of snow on Christmas. But while many people across the country might lament the white Christmases of their youth, the truth is that many places typically don’t see snow in late December—people just think...
  • California Extends Abalone Harvesting Ban Until 2036

    12/12/2025 3:03:50 PM PST · by nickcarraway · 34 replies
    KSBW ^ | Dec 12, 2025
    The California Fish and Game Commission voted Thursday to extend the ban on abalone harvesting in Northern California until 2036, citing the decline in red abalone populations and ongoing environmental challenges. This is the longest extension for this ban since the initial 2018 closure. "Monterey Abalone Company is one of only two abalone farms left on the California coast. The farm caters to a small number of walk-up clientele and white tablecloth restaurants, where a plate of two or three red abalone might go anywhere from $56 to $80 dollars. Today, farms offer the only legal way to eat Californian...
  • Wild street brawl erupts during ritzy Nantucket Christmas celebration: video

    12/12/2025 3:14:00 AM PST · by Libloather · 71 replies
    NY Post ^ | 12/11/25 | Anna Young
    They decked the halls — and each other. A ritzy Nantucket Christmas celebration erupted into mayhem as men decked out in “Ralph Lauren and Burberry” traded blows just moments after Santa Claus made his appearance, according to shocking footage. The wild brawl broke out on Federal Street Saturday afternoon during the Massachusetts island’s 51st Annual Christmas Stroll, where hundreds had gathered to visit local businesses in one of America’s priciest small towns, the Nantucket Current reported. In dramatic video shared with the outlet, about a dozen men — ranging in age from 20s to 60s — were seen arguing and...
  • Trump unveils hotly-anticipated immigration ‘gold card’ at White House

    12/11/2025 12:19:29 AM PST · by Libloather · 4 replies
    NY Post ^ | 12/10/25 | Josh Christenson
    WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has finally released its hotly-anticipated “gold card” allowing deep-pocketed foreigners to purchase US visas. Trump told reporters at the White House that it would function “somewhat like a green card” letting foreigners become instantly eligible for permanent residency status to work in America. Individuals have to pay $1 million to US Treasury coffers, while companies will have to fork over $2 million to keep employees. The Department of Homeland Security will conduct a background check on all applicants to make sure they are qualified. After five years, any gold card-carrying permanent resident can apply for...
  • How should we deal with space junk? Space recycling, of course!

    12/08/2025 6:12:04 AM PST · by Diana in Wisconsin · 32 replies
    Channel 3000 News/CNN ^ | December 8, 2025 | CNN Bitter LOSERS
    Sometimes, what goes up doesn’t come back down — instead, it becomes a problem. Junk is accumulating in space at a fantastic pace, millions of pieces orbit the Earth, from broken satellites to lost screws and tiny hunks of splintered paint. The International Space Station has to dodge it. Sometimes, space junk crashes into other space junk, creating more space junk. And while there have been many proposals for technologies to capture and destroy it, there’s not been a system-level plan for dealing with it in a comprehensive way. This week, researchers at England’s University of Surrey published a paper...
  • In 1975, They Sealed a Brand-New Car as a Time Capsule—50 Years Later, It Resurfaces, and the Problems Did Too

    12/07/2025 10:06:15 PM PST · by Red Badger · 98 replies
    Daily Galaxy ^ | December 01, 2025 | Arezki Amiri
    Sealed beneath a pyramid for 50 years, a forgotten American car has just been unearthed—and it’s nothing like what experts expected. Once mocked, this buried relic has stunned a small town and reignited a national obsession. On Independence Day 2025, a sealed concrete vault beneath a small-town pyramid in Seward, Nebraska opened to reveal an unexpected relic: a 1975 Chevrolet Vega, untouched for 50 years and preserved in striking condition. The unveiling drew thousands, offering a rare collision of automotive history, American nostalgia, and small-town spectacle. The car emerged from what is now being recognized as the largest time capsule...
  • California warns against foraging wild mushrooms after deadly poisoning outbreak...The state identified 21 cases of poisoning likely caused by death cap mushrooms.

    12/07/2025 8:21:40 PM PST · by Red Badger · 39 replies
    ABC News ^ | December 06, 2025 | Staff
    California officials are warning foragers after an outbreak of poisoning linked to wild mushrooms that has killed one adult and caused severe liver damage in several patients, including children. The state poison control system has identified 21 cases of amatoxin poisoning, likely caused by death cap mushrooms, the health department said Friday. The toxic wild mushrooms are often mistaken for edible ones because of their appearance and taste. “Death cap mushrooms contain potentially deadly toxins that can lead to liver failure," Erica Pan, director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “Because the death cap can...
  • 500-Year-Old Treasure Ship Found Buried in Namib Desert, Packed With Gold, Ivory, and Lost Empire Secrets

    12/07/2025 5:57:07 PM PST · by Red Badger · 46 replies
    Daily Galaxy ^ | December 02, 2025 | Arezki Amiri
    A lost 16th-century ship buried deep in a Namibian desert has stunned archaeologists with a treasure haul that rewrites the story of early global trade. In Namibia’s remote Sperrgebiet—a name that translates from German as “forbidden zone”—miners looking for diamonds stumbled upon something far more valuable: the buried wreck of a 16th-century Portuguese carrack, laden with gold, ivory, and copper. Preserved beneath the hyper-arid sands of the Namib Desert, the ship, identified as the Bom Jesus, disappeared in 1533 while en route to India. Discovered in 2008 within a high-security mining concession near Oranjemund, the site quickly drew attention from...
  • Fearless frogs feast on deadly hornets

    12/07/2025 5:50:03 PM PST · by Red Badger · 13 replies
    Eureka Alert! ^ | December 04, 2025 | Kobe University
    A remarkable resistance to venom has been discovered in a frog that feasts on hornets despite their deadly stingers. This frog could potentially serve as a model organism for studies on mechanisms underlying venom tolerance. Image: Kobe University ecologist SUGIURA Shinji discovered that the black-spotted pond frog seems to be unharmed and undaunted by venomous stings from hornets such as the Asian giant hornet, the largest in the world. ============================================================== While just the sight of a hornet’s stinger is enough to fill many of us with dread, some animals, such as some birds, spiders and frogs, are known to prey...
  • A Shocking Number of Kids Don’t Play Outside An alarming percentage of children aren't spending any free time outdoors, even on weekends. [more in comment

    12/03/2025 10:21:47 AM PST · by daniel1212 · 56 replies
    gizmodo.com ^ | September 3, 2025 | Ed Cara
    New research shows that a substantial proportion of children aren’t playing outdoors at all, even on the weekends...researchers focused on a subset of 2,568 children between the ages of 7 and 12, analyzing responses from surveys filled out by the children and their parents... All told, 34% of kids reported not playing outdoors during weekdays, and 20% reported not playing outdoors during weekends. And based on their parents’ responses, the more the children played outside, the better their social-emotional skills were on average. Children with these skills are more able to clearly express their emotions or build positive relationships with...
  • 3 arrested after deputies say they were caught having sex in Winn-Dixie parking lot in the Florida Keys

    12/01/2025 7:40:57 PM PST · by Tolerance Sucks Rocks · 59 replies
    WSVN 7 News Miami ^ | December 1, 2025 | Kathleen Ditton
    MARATHON, FLA. (WSVN) - Three people were arrested after authorities in the Florida Keys say they were found having sex while heavily intoxicated in a Winn-Dixie parking lot in the middle of the day. Deputies were called to the grocery store lot around 12 p.m. on Saturday, where they found all three individuals engaged in sexual acts, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. All were taken to jail.
  • ‘Scam-Level Disappointment’: Target Blasted For ‘Pathetic’ Black Friday Giveaway...“Thanks Target for the most pathetic Black Friday swag bag imaginable.”

    12/01/2025 5:56:49 PM PST · by Red Badger · 29 replies
    Daily Wire ^ | December 01, 2025 | Amanda Harding
    Target is being raked across the coals following a botched Black Friday giveaway that was overhyped and underwhelming. The retailer attempted to lure shoppers into the store ahead of the biggest shopping day of the year by promising the first 100 people in line early Friday morning “a limited edition iridescent holiday tote filled with fun giveaways.” In addition, ten randomly selected people at each store could win grand prizes including a Laifen hair dryer, a Ninja slushie machine, Beats headphones, and a $100 Target gift card, among other items. People started posting on social media about being camped out...
  • Lineman tussles with bear to save it from electrocution.

    12/01/2025 11:53:27 AM PST · by Red Badger · 21 replies
    Twitter / X / Fox News ^ | December 01, 2025 | Staff
    VIDEO AT LINK................. POWER STRUGGLE: A lineman successfully coaxed a bear off a utility pole in Arizona after it risked being electrocuted. The animal eventually dropped from the pole and ran off unharmed. pic.twitter.com/0OVUVIuciq— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 1, 2025
  • Michigan’s border with Indiana is fuzzy: It ‘isn’t a problem until it is’

    11/30/2025 7:08:10 PM PST · by Red Badger · 40 replies
    Bridge Michigan ^ | November 28, 2025 | Lauren Gibbons
    A “state line” sign delineates the Michigan-Indiana border in Ray, an unincorporated community about 30 miles east of Sturgis split between the two states. (Bridge photo by Lauren Gibbons) ============================================================= * Michigan-Indiana border hasn’t been officially surveyed since the early 1800s, and most official markers have been lost to time * A commission created to fix the issue has stalled amid difficulties finding surveyors to tackle the full 110-mile project * State Sen. Jonathan Lindsey, R-Coldwater, hopes his Senate-passed bill will give commissioners the time and tools needed to finish the job ============================================================ Despite efforts in recent years to gain...
  • Chernobyl Fungus Appears to Have Evolved an Incredible Ability

    11/30/2025 6:05:42 PM PST · by Red Badger · 53 replies
    Science Alert ^ | November 30, 2025 | Michelle Starr
    Cladosporium sphaerospermum, cultured at the Coimbra University Hospital Centre in Portugal. (Rui Tomé/Atlas of Mycology, used with permission) The Chernobyl exclusion zone may be off-limits to humans, but ever since the Unit Four reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded nearly 40 years ago, other forms of life have not only moved in but survived, adapted, and appeared to thrive. Part of that may be the lack of humans… but for one organism, at least, the ionizing radiation lingering inside the reactor's surrounding structures may be an advantage. There, clinging to the interior walls of one of the most...
  • Asteroid 433 Eros Is Back After A Century—And You Can See It as It Zooms Past Earth This Weekend!

    11/30/2025 4:41:10 PM PST · by Red Badger · 23 replies
    Daily Galaxy ^ | November 29, 2025 | Kouceila Rekik
    A century after its discovery, asteroid 433 Eros is back—gliding past Earth this weekend in a rare, mesmerizing show! The legendary asteroid 433 Eros, a rocky world that once transformed our understanding of near-Earth space, is making its long-awaited return. This weekend, skywatchers will get a rare chance to glimpse this celestial traveler as it makes a close approach to our planet. The event will be live-streamed globally, allowing enthusiasts to witness history in real time through virtualtelescope.eu. For astronomers and casual stargazers alike, it’s a rendezvous with one of the most storied objects in the solar system. A Historic...