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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Jenny Reid Allison
A research team in Germany recently achieved what it called "a world first in fusion research," exciting the clean energy community, Interesting Engineering reported. The research team is part of the world's largest stellarator facility, Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), where scientists have been hard at work developing a more efficient way to generate fusion energy. And now, they've finally achieved their goal, generating high-energy helium-3 ions for the first time.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Jenny Reid Allison
If you've ever opened a package and found gel silica packets inside, make sure you think twice before tossing them — there might be some jewelry in your life that could benefit from their presence. Katrina Ives (@getreadywithkatrina) shared their hack in a TikTok video, explaining that it was for all their "jewelry girlies." "Keep the silica packs!!" they wrote, demonstrating as they carefully tuck a pack into their jewelry box.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Jenny Reid Allison
One of the most challenging aspects of any home renovation project — or making any major life change, really — is the overwhelming abundance of available information. After all, without expertise in solar panels or heat pumps, it can feel impossible to know for sure how to get the most bang for your buck in the long run. So one homeowner decided to go straight to the experts when they found themselves wondering: Induction or electric?
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Jenny Reid Allison
A new study from Yale University that tracked the movements of 406 species of North American birds revealed a troubling pattern: Even the fastest birds can't outfly the dangers of the warming planet. The study was published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, and it tracked the movements of these species over two decades alongside corresponding temperature changes in their regions.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Jenny Reid Allison
A thrift shopper was astonished to see the price tag on a particular vintage item while browsing the aisles at a local secondhand store. "I found the Hummel final boss," they wrote on the subreddit r/ThriftStoreHauls. "My local thrift store has a 33-inch tall Hummel for $19,000." While it's a shocking price for a thrift shop, the original poster wondered if the figurine could possibly be priced accurately. "Is this worth that much?" they asked.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Jenny Reid Allison
After singing the praises of his new home solar system on TikTok, North Carolina homeowner Collin (@saltyacresnc) made a follow-up video in response to a negative commenter. "'Solar panels are the biggest scam ever,'" he says, quoting the negative comment. "'Who would fall for that?'""Well," he continues, "I sure did." And spoiler alert: He couldn't be happier. @saltyacresnc Replying to @mike123 Is Solar a Scam?
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Jenny Reid Allison
While a potted plant in a garden shop may seem irrelevant to the greenery growing on a riverbank miles away, the two may be more closely linked than we often consider. When someone buys and plants a species of flora invasive to their region, it may inadvertently make its way into the wild. In fact, that's precisely what invasive species are best at doing — rapidly proliferating in a new environment, to the detriment of plants and wildlife native to that area.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Jenny Reid Allison
Perhaps more than ever in modern history, it's a stressful time to be a farmer. The Guardian recently dove into the particular challenges facing European farmers in the face of prolonged drought. "Farmers across northwestern Europe are waiting with bated breath for fresh rains as typically drizzly countries such as the U.K., Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany suffer through what may be their driest spring in a century," the Guardian reported.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Jenny Reid Allison
Not every day at the thrift shop might bring about hidden gems, but one savvy thrift shopper shared a success story — and a good tip — on the subreddit r/ThriftStoreHauls. "Always check jewelry boxes," they wrote, sharing a photo of a wooden jewelry box, whose drawers turned out to be full of goodies. "Today I struck gold (literally). After organizing, the first drawer is junk/costume, second is sterling (16g), third is 10kt gold (7.95g), and fourth is 14kt gold (7.1g).
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Jenny Reid Allison
Lake water levels are always somewhat seasonal, but widespread drought in California has left many reservoirs drier than usual over the last several years. Fortunately, the still-melting snowpack from snowy winters in 2023 and 2024 means that many places are now reaching capacity because of increased snowmelt. Lake Oroville, California's second-largest reservoir, recently reached its full capacity of 900 feet, marking a major milestone, Newsweek reported.
