Ideas and stories about everyday life, communities and style.
Photos of teachers at Ms Lam Montessori in Brooklyn attracted widespread attention because of their colourful pleated uniforms. Online viewers initially associated the dresses with Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please line.
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Nvidia has announced a donation of computing power worth two hundred and fifty million dollars to support AI safety research in the UK. The contribution is planned over five years and is intended for work on autonomous agents and security.
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Copenhagen’s Bybi collective uses urban beekeeping to explore the relationship between work, nature and community. Founded by Oliver Maxwell, it operates colonies across rooftops, schools, businesses and municipal buildings rather than relying on one rural apiary.
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A new selection of British lidos highlights ways outdoor swimming continues beyond summer. Heated pools, restored historic sites and waterside leisure centres offer different experiences, from regular lane sessions to longer visits with saunas and poolside food.
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An eight-year monitoring study identifies common ivy as one of the plants most frequently visited by pollinating insects. Its autumn flowers supply nectar and pollen at a time when some other flowering resources are declining.
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The Marine Conservation Society has downgraded some European hake and coley ratings in its Good Fish Guide. The charity uses the guide to assess fish stocks and the environmental impact associated with different sources of seafood.
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Three water companies are seeking restrictions on non-essential business use as drought continues across much of England. Proposed measures could affect mains-water irrigation at golf courses and private schools, as well as commercial car washes.
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Apple has introduced HomeView, a seven-inch smart-home display designed for a wall or tabletop. The device is intended to control equipment such as doorbells, thermostats and locks while demonstrating an upgraded version of Siri.
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A guide to longer-lasting clothes revisits the idea of buying garments that can be worn at least thirty times. The challenge depends not only on intention but on selecting items capable of surviving regular use.
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Researchers near Monterey are returning sunflower sea stars to coastal waters as part of an effort to rebuild a damaged marine ecosystem. The critically endangered species is being monitored after placement in specialised cages with open doors.
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Scientists in Buenos Aires have used a computer-generated rendition of an older sparrow song to test whether local birds might imitate it. Within three months, a resident bird began copying parts of the tune that had disappeared from the area.
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British charity retailers are reporting heavy volumes of clothing that cannot be sold. Staff interviewed in The Guardian described worn-out items and low-quality fast fashion filling small stockrooms, while better garments increasingly go to online resale platforms.
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