Sundown tonight marks the beginning of Passover, an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the ancient Hebrews' exodus from slavery in Egypt. Like many religious holidays, food is a central part of Passover observance, from the charoset and brisket on the Seder table to the many ways of using up a package of matzo (including covering it with toffee and chocolate). Learn more about Passover.
Must Reads
The ESA's new Biomass satellite is set to capture 3D maps of the world's most remote tropical forests
Ocean Cleanup Aims to Block a Third of All Plastic Entering the Sea
Gilberto Tadday / TED
The largest ocean cleanup in history is being spearheaded by Boyan Slat, who founded The Ocean Cleanup at just 18 years old. Spurred by his own scuba diving experience at 16, during which he came across "more plastic bags than fish," Slat asked himself: "Why can't we just clean this up?" So he set out to do exactly that, and during TED2025 earlier this week, Slat shared an update on the organization's work. Not only is The Ocean Cleanup taking steps to get rid of legacy plastic, or the stuff already floating in the ocean, but the nonprofit is also developinglarge-scale technologies to stop new plastic from entering. One way it does this is through the Interceptor Original, a scalable technology that uses natural forces like solar power to prevent river debris from flowing into the sea. During his TED Talk, Slat said the organization has set a goal to bring Interceptors to 30 cities around the world, which, its models predict, will stop up to one-third of all the plastic currently entering the ocean. "Once the oceans are clean again, it can be this example of how, through hard work and ingenuity, we can solve the big problems of our time," Slat said. Read our roundup of five other inspiring thought leaders at the TED conference — including a scientist using AI to make medicine safer and more effective — and watch a video of a chocolatier's incredible creations.
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Uncover 9 Hidden Amazon Prime Perks
You've been loving free shipping and exclusive shows and movies as a loyal Prime member, but did you know your membership comes with even more perks to take advantage of? From free music and podcasts to exclusive lightning deals and Whole Foods discounts, there's a whole world of benefits waiting for you. The experts over at Brad's Deals uncovered nine must-have Prime perks to help you save money, stream more, and shop smarter. And if you're not a member yet, the additional benefits might just convince you to sign up. Don't miss out — startuncovering the full benefits of your Prime membership.
Sheep Ranchers Are Turning "Waste Wool" Into Sustainable Fertilizer
eyecrave productions/ iStock
Can wool save water? Sheep ranchers certainly think so. Over the past decade, an increasing number have begun turning their "waste wool" — aka the low-quality wool that can't be used for fabric and typically gets tossed — into fertilizer. Unwashed raw wool boasts plenty of nutrients plants love, like nitrogen and potassium, making it a prime candidate for providing soil nourishment. Plus, it can absorb up to 35% of its dry weight in water, more than any other fiber, according to CSIRO's Textile and Fibre Technology division. That means wool can help hold onto the moisture crops need, and as a result, farmers can water less. Alicia and Ben Rux, owners of a Wyoming sheep ranch, have been putting those properties to use since 2022. Left with heaps of waste wool, the pair started creating fertilizer pellets with it, and have since helped half a dozen other farmers do the same. "We always have sustainability in the back of our minds," Alicia told On Land, "and how to use something that maybe isn't being utilized." Learn more about the powers of waste wool.
Humanity
LA Phone Project Offers Callers a Chance to Say Goodbye
Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
When a loved one leaves us, not getting the chance to say a proper goodbye can compound our heartbreak — so a Los Angeles public art project is giving people that opportunity. Creators Alexis Wood and Adam Trunell launched the Goodbye Line by placing stickers on functional pay phones throughout the city, offering passersby a free call to a recorded line. "Say goodbye to anyone, anything, before it's too late,"the stickers read. Though callers are often surprised that these pay phones actually work, let alone that the project exists, the messages they leave pay tribute to everyone from their parents to places they used to live and their former selves. "I'd like to say goodbye to Patrick," a caller says in one voicemail. "You're a good friend, you're a good dude, and I miss you a lot, dude. It's not the same without you. See you in the next life." The project anonymously shares the voicemails in Instagram videos to create a sense of community for listeners who are grieving. "We give and get goodbyes, and we get stuck if we don't," the project said in one of the videos. "Maybe we didn't have the time to say one. Maybe we didn't have the nerve. But in this space, we do." The Goodbye Line has since expanded to cell phone users: Call in here.
In Other News
A rare pair of white dwarfs is projected to explode in a "spectacular supernova" — in 23 billion years (read more)
The largest solar energy project in New York history just secured close to $1 billion in funding (read more)
Tracking your daily heart rate per step may be a better health metric than steps alone — here's how (read more)
Meta is implementingnew restrictions to help make its apps safer for teenage users (read more)
Thousands of elk can migrate freely through a private Colorado ranch, thanks to a first-of-its-kind deal (read more)
Inspiring Story
Once a dropout, now a professor
Russell Lehmann experienced mental health issues as a child and was diagnosed with autism in fifth grade, the same year he dropped out of school. He struggled to reintegrate several times as he grew up, but his long-term social isolation eventually left him feeling "completely forgotten by the world." Turning to Edgar Allen Poe's writing for comfort, Lehmann began dabbling in poetry — which snowballed into writing a book, giving a TED Talk, and earlier this year, starting to teach a course at UCLA on autism and neurodiversity. "I'm not broken," he shared on his Instagram, adding, "Even if I don't answer when you knock on my door, doesn't mean I still don't deeply appreciate the knock."
Photo of the Day
Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images
The World Expo 2025 begins tomorrow in Osaka, Japan, with 28 million people expected to convene for the showcase over the next six months. Encircled by the Grand Ring, a wooden structure recognized for its size by Guinness World Records, the expo encourages visitors to explore global innovations centered on this year's theme, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives."
Needed: A Melatonin-Free Answer to Sleepless Nights
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