In Hermosa Beach, California, Robert Fortunato's home stands as a symbol of sustainability. Dubbed the "Green Idea House," the building produces more energy than it consumes. Better yet, he told NPR it was made with "standard construction materials and off-the-shelf technologies that anyone can use" — meaning we could all learn a thing or two from it. Read five lessons from the Green Idea House (and see what it looks like).
"Dad Bod" Among 5K Words Added to Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary
samdiesel/ iStock
If the terms "side-eye," "hard pass," and "dad bod" have you scratching your head, Merriam-Webster is here to help: The company announced Thursday that these words are among the 5,000-plus additions to the 12th edition of its Collegiate Dictionary. Releasing Nov. 18, the fully revised book will be the collegiate dictionary's first hard-copy update in 22 years. And Gen Z slang won't be the only new content — we'll also see words like "petrichor," which refers to the typically pleasant odor associated with rainfall after a warm, dry period, and "teraflop," a unit of measure for calculating computer speed. Additionally, the book will boast 1,000 fresh phrases and idioms and over 20,000 new usage examples. To make room, Merriam-Webster eliminated two sections of the 11th edition that had biographical and geographical definitions, along with some obsolete words (like enwheel, which means to encircle). "We wanted it to be more rewarding to browse, more fun to look through, and to really be practical for research, but also a beautiful book," president Greg Barlow told the Associated Press, adding, "While the print dictionary is not at all important to the growth and profitability of this wonderful language company, it's still our heart. There are people out there who just love books, and we love books."
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Environment
The Best Friends Turning Prickly Pear Cactus Into Beautiful Vegan Leather
Desserto
The shoes, bags, belts, and other products from Desserto are so visually stunning, you'd never know they aren't made from real leather but instead crafted from nopales, or prickly pear cactus. In 2019, best friends Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez Duarte launched the brand and presented an eco-friendly, cruelty-free leather and plastic alternative, made from cacti grown on their ranch in Zacatecas, Mexico. The project spawned from the founders' shared desire to make sustainable improvements to the fashion industry, where Cázarez Duarte got his start. Using the matured leaves of the cacti, the duo created a material that surpasses leather in "sustainability, performance, and aesthetics," per the company's website. In the years since, Desserto has partnered with major brands like Michael Kors, Givenchy, and Lululemon, and in 2024, it teamed up with PETA to send Beyoncé a pair of white cactus leather boots. The business also recently debuted an agave version of the cactus leather, created with waste from the tequila-making process. "We're conscious of the environmental impact that materials have in the world," Cázarez Duarte said in a YouTube video, "and we're here to change them."
Humanity
This Ancient Shinto Shrine Has Been Destroyed and Rebuilt Every 20 Years for a Millennium
amana images inc./ Alamy Stock Photo
Japan is home to tens of thousands of Shinto shrines, places devoted to the worship of the religion's deities, known as "kami." The most sacred of these sites, Ise Jingu, is considered the "soul of Japan" and lies nestled in the Japanese Alps. A collection of 125 shrines, the massive complex dates back over 2,000 years — and every two decades, it's completely torn down and rebuilt. The first documented reconstruction took place in 690. The latest began this year. These days, the undertaking is a $390 million job that requires recruiting the country's most skilled woodworkers, carpenters, and craftspeople, the Associated Press reports. They will "pour their hearts" into the work, ensuring all 125 of the shrines are re-created using traditional techniques passed down from generation to generation. "Twenty years from now, the older generation — our grandfathers — will likely no longer be here. And those of us who are still young now will then see our grandchildren involved in the next [rebuilding]," said Yosuke Kawanishi, a Shinto priest, adding, "But instead of thinking, 'It's a shame to tear down something we worked so hard to build,' we think, 'It's been 20 years, so we want the deity to move into a beautiful, fresh, new shrine.'" Learn all about the enormous undertaking.
In Other News
Six "brilliantly human" novels have been spotlighted for the Booker Prize 2025 shortlist (read more)
The secret to preventing falls and slowing nerve damage as we age may be resistance training, a study found (read more)
Three satellites searching for solar storms launched Wednesday, orbiting the sun 1 million miles from Earth (read more)
Calling all Y2K kids: A trio of NBA teams are sporting throwback alternate jerseys this season (read more)
Watch the new Wicked: For Good trailer for a sneak peek at a Glinda-Elphaba showdown (read more)
Inspiring Story
A legacy of love
At 106 years old, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt is retiring from her role as chaplain for Loyola University Chicago's men's basketball team. Sister Jean supported and mentored players for three decades, and she garnered national attention cheering courtside during March Madness in 2018, becoming a symbol for the team's inspiring underdog story. "I love working with these young people," she told the university. "I think that's what kept my heart young — not my body young — but kept my heart young all these years."
Photo of the Day
Joe Maher/Getty Images
In London's new Banksy Limitless exhibition, the pseudonymous street artist is spotlighting the British capital. Running through January, the gallery experience invites viewers to explore an infinity room, murals, installations, sculptures, and other works — including this piece depicting Queen Elizabeth emulating David Bowie.
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