Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral reopens
It's been a tumultuous year in French politics, but at least there was some good news at the end of 2024: Notre Dame is set to undergo a five-year renovation after its roof space was badly damaged by a fire in 2019. After reopening its doors in December. And renovation work. The cathedral has a new altar and a bright ivory-coloured interior. Repair work is underway on the exterior of the building. Read more on Guardian,
Murder rate continues to decline in America
In 2020, murders in US cities increased by an average of 30 percent – the largest increase recorded in US history. They remained high for several years before beginning to decline, and are now projected to return to pre-2020 levels for the first time. The data show that male unemployment and school closures as a result of the pandemic, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, were key drivers of the increase in violence. read ahead brookings,
One of the world's rarest cats is no longer endangered
The Iberian lynx, one of the rarest cat species in the world, is no longer classified as endangered. There are now thought to be more than 2,000 feral cats spread across Spain and Portugal – there were only 62 mature cats in 2001. read more BBC,
EVs are lasting longer than anticipated
Instead of having a shorter lifespan than internal combustion engines, as everyone thought, EV batteries may actually last longer. Warranties typically cover EV batteries for eight years, but it seems they could last up to 20 years. But it's hard to be certain right now – there are very few EVs on the road that are even a decade old. read ahead wired,
These guys hacked AirPods to give their grandma hearing aids
When Apple released a software update that enabled his AirPods Pro 2 earbuds to function as hearing aids, Ritwik Jayasimha rushed to get some for his grandmother — only to realize that space restrictions means that the feature does not work in India. Most people would just give up, but Jayasimha took two friends, some foil, and a microwave, and set to work creating a home appliance to get around geolocation restrictions. read ahead wired,
A baby pygmy hippo took over the internet
In July, a global sensation was born. Since being introduced to the public at Thailand's Khao Khio Open Zoo on July 25, Moo Deng (which translates as “bouncy pork”) has become one of the most recognizable faces on the Internet. Sure, she's cute. But what propelled him to stardom is his courageous personality: sitting in his mother's food bowl, biting his zookeeper, running around his enclosure and screaming. In 2024, many people can connect with it. Read more on new York Times,