EnvironmentThe good news
In Grassina, a school canteen roof becomes an energy source
The Marconi primary school has inaugurated its solar installation, following a €75,000 regional grant agreed in March.
Archive · Balfabio · CC BY-SA 3.0
From the archive: the edition of , with the original dates and sources for every story. Read the latest edition.
Edition of 1 October 2026
N° 024 8 stories to take with youPerspectives.
SocietyThe good news
Bologna’s tram bridge takes its place over the Navile
The 192-tonne structure has been lifted into position in Corticella. More construction is needed before the Green Line can carry passengers.
Archive · Mattes · CC BY-SA 4.0
CultureThe good news
In Morrano, an old school opens its doors to books
The Fumi library’s eighth neighbourhood outpost opened on 28 September, with more than two hundred books to read or borrow.
ScienceThe bright side
Before space, robots need to learn to open a door
NASA’s Dexterous Robotics team describes ground tests with handles, hatches and cargo for possible future astronaut helpers.
Moving forward.
ScienceThe bright side
Happy new year, Mars: one trip around the Sun takes 687 days
ESA marks a new Martian year on 30 September, a chance to explore why Earth’s calendar does not fit every planet.
Archive · NASA/JPL · Pubblico dominio — NASA
EnvironmentThe bright side
The Bronx Zoo prepares to welcome back American chestnuts
Twenty-five hybrid trees have been announced, with a ceremony planned for 5 October. Their disease resistance still needs observation over time.
Archive · Jean-Pol Grandmont · CC BY-SA 3.0
WorldThe bright side
Viet Nam turns its clean-air plan towards practical tools
In Hanoi, around two hundred participants discuss monitoring, controls and cooperation. The conference does not establish that the air is already cleaner.
Archive · Abai2k · CC BY-SA 3.0
WorldThe bright side
DR Congo: 680 volunteers help health alerts reach response teams
WHO describes the network deployed across 17 health zones by 17 September. It supports the Ebola response while the outbreak continues.
A little more to discover.
Design · Philosophy · Plants · Curiosities · Words · Food · Cultures & peoples. Ideas worth a closer look.
01Design
George Carwardine: a lamp that finds its balance
An adjustable lamp shows how springs, moving arms and a steady base can work together to solve an everyday problem.
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Wittgenstein: what do games have in common?
Cards, balls and solitary challenges introduce a philosophical proposal: similarities can overlap without a single feature shared by every example.
Read the full story03Plants
A giant that belongs to the grass family
Gigantochloa verticillata has woody stems and pointed leaves: looking at bamboo teaches us to separate height from botanical relationships.
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Why snow crystals grow in six directions
The structure of ice helps explain the symmetry; temperature and humidity influence the pattern as a crystal grows during its journey.
Read the full story05Words
The Italian word album: from white to remembered moments
The Italian word leads through Latin and friendship books: photographs enter later in the story of its meaning.
Read the full story06Food
From cream to butter: changing what surrounds what
As cream becomes butter, fat joins together and water changes position: a transformation to explore without a secret ingredient.
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Vanuatu: when a line connects movement and storytelling
In central and northern Vanuatu, particular sand-drawing practices connect visual compositions, knowledge and communication in ways a finished picture cannot fully explain.
Read the full storyOriginal illustrations made with AI assistance. Facts and sources stay in plain sight.
That is quite a lot of good for one day.
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