2,346-Pound Pumpkin Takes Top Prize At California Competition

Every October, farmers across the US harvest millions of pumpkins. Some transform into delicious soups or pies, while others become spooky jack-o'-lanterns. A select few, however, are grown just for weigh-off competitions. There are numerous such contests held around the country. But the biggest gourds usually end up at the "Super Bowl" of pumpkin weigh-offs in Half Moon Bay, CA....

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Diwali: A Five-Day Festival Of Lights And Joy

Every year, over a billion Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains worldwide observe Diwali. Also known as Deepavali, or the Festival of Lights, the celebration dates back over 2,500 years. It is a time of joy, unity, and spiritual reflection. The five-day event usually falls in October or November. In 2025, Diwali will be celebrated from October 18 to 22....

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NASA Confirms 6,000 Planets Beyond Our Solar System

For the past 30 years, scientists around the world have been searching for planets beyond our solar system. Known as exoplanets, these worlds come in all shapes and sizes, each orbiting its own star. On September 17, 2025, NASA officially confirmed the existence of 6,000 exoplanets. Even more exciting, an additional 8,000 are just waiting to be verified!...

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SkoBot Brings Endangered Languages To Life Through Play And Tech

Indigenous languages are disappearing around the world at a rapid rate. In the United States, experts warn that only 20 of the country's 170 languages will still be spoken by 2050. The loss of a language is more than words. It erases stories, traditions, and knowledge passed down for generations. Twenty-four-year-old Danielle Boyer hopes to stop that with SkoBot, an AI-powered robot that speaks endangered languages....

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Indian Cafe Offers Meals In Exchange For Plastic Waste

India, like many countries, faces ongoing challenges with poverty and plastic waste. As of 2023, about 5 percent of its population — roughly 73 million people — lived below the $3.00 per day poverty line. The country also produces nearly 29,000 tons of plastic daily. Much of it ends up in landfills. A small cafe in the central Indian city of Ambikapur has found a unique way to tackle both problems....

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The Debate Over Columbus Day

Columbus Day is celebrated every year on the second Monday in October. In 2025, it falls on October 13. The holiday marks Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. But critics have long questioned whether the Italian explorer should be celebrated. They assert that his arrival led to the colonization and mistreatment of Native Americans....

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Moonlight And Mooncakes: The Mid-Autumn Festival

Every fall, millions of people worldwide celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Also known as the Mooncake Festival, it is one of China’s oldest and most treasured celebrations, second only to the Lunar New Year. The festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese calendar. It always occurs during the Harvest Moon, a bright full moon that marks the peak of the harvest season. In 2025, the holiday will be observed on October 6....

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The Partial US Government Shutdown Explained

The US federal government partially shut down on October 1, 2025, after lawmakers disagreed on a funding plan for the new fiscal year. The federal fiscal year starts on October 1. So, September 30 is the last day for Congress to pass a budget — or at least approve short-term funds to keep the government running....

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Water Lily Weigh-Off Winner Holds Astonishing 183 Pounds

With their broad green leaves floating lightly on the water, Victoria water lilies may look fragile. But these plants can hold hundreds of pounds. To highlight this strength, the team at Denver Botanic Gardens began sharing videos on social media. They showed just how much weight their lilies could hold....

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Super Typhoon Ragasa Sweeps Across Asia

Super Typhoon Ragasa swept across parts of Asia this past week, leaving behind widespread flooding and destruction. Ragasa began as a small weather system on September 17, 2025, and quickly grew into the year’s largest typhoon. By September 21, it had reached Category 5 strength, with top winds of 177 miles per hour (285 km/h)....

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The Mystery Of The Boat-Ramming Iberian Orcas

Since 2020, young Iberian orcas from a critically endangered subpopulation of fewer than 40 individuals have been ramming, and even sinking boats in the Atlantic Ocean. These incidents typically occur off the coasts of Spain, Portugal, and France during spring and summer. This is when the killer whales migrate to the area in search of food....

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MIT Engineers Tap The Atmosphere For Drinking Water

Earth’s atmosphere holds billions of gallons of water vapor. If captured, it could supply clean drinking water to over 2.2 billion people who do not have reliable access. Now, MIT scientists have built a device that can pull water from the air — even in some of the driest places on Earth....

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Tiny Pipebots May Help Solve The UK’s Leaky Water Problem

Every day, the United Kingdom (UK) loses about three billion liters of water due to leaks in its aging pipe network. That is enough to fill over 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools or supply nearly 20 million people. Currently, the only way to check underground pipes is by digging up roads. This process take days and costs billions of dollars. It also disrupts nearby businesses and homes....

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Fat Bear Week Is Here!

Fat Bear Week is back! From September 23 through September 30, 2025, Alaska's Katmai National Park will invite fans worldwide to vote for the park's fattest brown bear. Now in its 11th year, the fun contest shines a spotlight on these remarkable animals and the Alaskan wilderness they call home....

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Can Artificial Intelligence Help Us Talk To Dolphins?

Dolphin communication has always intrigued scientists. The intelligent mammals use a range of noises to work together and stay connected. Some sounds even act like names, helping dolphins recognize one another. Now, researchers at Google and Georgia Tech hope to understand dolphin speech — and maybe even talk to them — with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI)....

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Can You Help Design NASA’s Next Lunar Wheel?

The US space agency NASA needs your help designing the next set of wheels for space vehicles. The "Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge" is hosted on the innovation platform HeroX. It challenges students, engineers, and creative minds to design wheels that can withstand the Moon's harsh conditions. These innovations could shape the future of lunar exploration....

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The Meaning Of Rosh Hashanah And Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It is celebrated on the first two days of Tishrei, the first month of the Jewish year. Though the exact date changes, it usually falls in September or October. In 2025, Rosh Hashanah will be observed from September 22 to September 24....

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A Rare Interstellar Comet Is Visiting Our Solar System

A rare comet from another star system is speeding through our solar system, giving astronomers a unique chance to study an interstellar visitor up close. Named 3I/ATLAS, it is only the third such object ever confirmed. It joins Oumuamua, which appeared in 2017, and Borisov, detected in 2019....

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