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I never knew what stingrays ate… Now I do.

Fascinating video all around if you like anything ocean or wildlife related.

Science

Stunning Photos from the $2 Billion Space Telescope

One of NASA's premier space telescopes, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, might be headed for an early retirement due to significant budget reductions.

For the past 25 years, Chandra has orbited Earth, capturing the universe in X-ray wavelengths invisible to the naked eye. Its remarkable images have unveiled a universe abundant with black holes, provided concrete evidence of dark matter, and captured the luminosity of neutron stars colliding, which alters the fabric of space-time.

The observatory, which cost NASA approximately $2.2 billion to construct and launch, has proven its worth over the years. "For many years it was the most productive mission in NASA's program if measured in publications per dollar spent," stated Thomas Zurbuchen, former Associate Administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate from 2016 to 2022, in an email to Business Insider.

However, NASA's financial plans for 2025 have drastically cut Chandra’s funding from $68 million to $41 million. The budget is set to further decrease in the following years, stabilizing at $26.6 million annually until it drops sharply to $5.2 million in 2029.

According to Chandra’s operational team, the proposed budget will just cover the costs needed to decommission the telescope, signaling the end of its journey.

Despite it’s time coming to an end, we have gotten some truly amazing images from it. Many of Chandra’s images come from collaborating with the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes were the combined spectrum’s of the telescopes reveal the stunning universe around us.

Check out this article that has all the best photos to come out of this amazing piece of technology!

Entertainment

Music Streaming for Conservation

A collaboration between major music streaming platforms and the United Nations has devised a plan to direct funds towards conservation efforts.

Named "Sounds Right," this initiative allows artists using stock recordings of animals or weather in their music to credit them as 'feat. Nature' on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The royalties generated from these songs will then support various conservation, restoration, and pollution control projects.

Nature sounds have long been integrated into music, from Paul McCartney's blackbirds to Enya's thunderstorms. Even pop artists like Missy Elliot have incorporated them into their work. Brian Eno, renowned for his work with artists like David Bowie and Coldplay, is spearheading this initiative under the Museum of the United Nations.

The initiative has already gained support from artists like Bowie, London Grammar, and Ellie Goulding, with the aim of raising $40 million from 600 million streams. The funds will be allocated to conservation projects in critical ecosystems like Madagascar, Borneo, and the Andes Mountains, identified by a group of experts.

Sports

This 15-year-old Golfer is Making History

Most 15-year-olds are usually worried about school or hanging out with friends. But Miles Russell isn't your average teen. Instead of stressing over typical stuff, he spent his weekend competing in a professional golf event against much older players at the LECOM Suncoast Classic.

On Friday, he became the youngest player ever to make the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour, which is like a training ground for the PGA Tour, at just 15 years old. That's younger than anyone before him, even beating the record set back in 2006.

Just getting to play on the weekend was a big deal, but Russell didn't stop there. He played really well on Saturday and Sunday, ending up tied for 20th place in the tournament.

This made him the youngest player ever (since 1983) to finish in the top 25 on either the PGA Tour or the Korn Ferry Tour. Despite all the attention on him because of his age, he stayed cool and focused.

Russell's success means he gets to play in another big tournament soon. But he can't join the tour full-time until he's 18. Still, as long as he keeps doing well, he can keep playing in these events.

World News

Gardeners Craft Maze at 625-Year-Old British Castle

Aerial photographs captured gardeners meticulously trimming a maze of garden hedges surrounding a historic British castle. Despite recent rain at Bolton Castle near Leyburn, North Yorkshire, workers diligently pruned the box hedging.

The intricate labyrinth was originally commissioned by Sir Richard le Scrope, Lord Chancellor of England to Richard II, and completed in 1399, reportedly costing 18,000 marks. Presently, the castle remains privately owned by one of Sir Richard’s descendants, Thomas Peter Algar Orde-Powlett, the ninth Baron of Bolton.

Open to the public, the estate attracts thousands of visitors annually, drawn to its well-preserved gardens featuring a bowling green and rose arbor. Additionally, the castle serves as a periodic filming location, notably hosting Channel 5’s ‘Anne Boleyn’ in 2021.

Mind Stretchers

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Two men are in a desert. They both have backpacks on. One of the guys is dead. The guy who is alive has his backpack open and the guy who is dead has his backpack closed. What is in the dead man’s backpack?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
“Do you mind?”

Linda Runatz got the correct answer!

The first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to the email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.