Search BrightSide News

All bright stories

753 results

Good EarthProtecting the Sky Islands Ecosystem: 35 Years of ConservationHappy Eco News · 3 min readHappy Eco News Protecting the Sky Islands Ecosystem: 35 Years of Conservation Protecting the Sky Islands ecosystem has been the Sky Island Alliance's mission for 35 years, but continental-scale border wall construction through critical wildlife corridors now threatens decades of conservation work across 55 mountain ranges.Creative JoyteamLab Illuminates Osaka’s Botanical Garden With 20,000 Glowing SunflowersMy Modern Met · 3 min readteamLab Illuminates Osaka’s Botanical Garden With 20,000 Glowing Sunflowers After dark, approximately 20,000 white sunflowers begin to glow at Nagai Botanical Garden in Osaka, Japan. This new installation, Life is the Small Sun Flickering in the Dark, by international art collective teamLab transforms a seasonal field of sunflowers into a luminous, interactive artwork.Good EarthSee Magnificent Photos of the Total Solar Eclipse Over Europe That Showcase the Sun's Beauty and the Wonder of SkywatchingSmithsonian Smart News · 3 min readThe moon’s shadow swept over Earth on Wednesday, captivating millions across the planet. It was the first total solar eclipse since the North American eclipse of April 2024 Darkness falls. Temperature drops.Good EarthStunning New Images Reveal Whirlpools on the Sun's Surface. The Swirling Structures Might Help Power Solar FlaresSmithsonian Smart News · 3 min readObserved directly in the solar photosphere for the first time, the vortices might braid magnetic fields, thought to be responsible for energy buildups and eventual outbursts. The features also offer clues about why the sun’s outer atmosphere is millions of degrees hotter than its surfaceGood EarthReconnecting Elephant Habitats in Africa: Inside the Malawi-Zambia Corridor ProjectHappy Eco News · 3 min readHappy Eco News Reconnecting Elephant Habitats in Africa: Inside the Malawi-Zambia Corridor Project Reconnecting elephant habitats in Africa is transforming a cross-border corridor between Malawi and Zambia, easing human-wildlife conflict while restoring ancient elephant migration routes through community-led conservation.Creative JoyMini Wildlife Portraits Made With Plastic Toys and Other Materials That Threaten Real Animals Today [Interview]My Modern Met · 3 min readMini Wildlife Portraits Made With Plastic Toys and Other Materials That Threaten Real Animals Today [Interview] Photographer Benedek Lampert gathered straws, burnt matches, and plastic netting to create his latest series of striking miniature photography. His visually impactful project is titled The Nature We Replaced, and it focuses on the effects humans have had on the environment and, by extension, the creatures that inhabit Earth. In short: it’s not great.Creative JoyGet the Best of Both Art Worlds When You Learn How To Create “Abstract Realism”My Modern Met · 3 min readGet the Best of Both Art Worlds When You Learn How To Create “Abstract Realism” Realism and abstraction are often viewed as opposing styles. But when blended, they can create alluring artwork that pulls us into reality while allowing our minds to imagine what can be the way only art can do. Learn how to combine the two approaches with the help of artist Dimitra Milan.Creative JoyFamily Memories and Midwestern Niceties Converge in Melissa Joseph’s ‘Casserole Culture’Colossal · 3 min readWorking from family photos, Melissa Joseph captures the warmth and tenderness of Midwestern life. Unlike the coasts, Midwestern culture is synonymous with the manual labor of blue-collar jobs, resilience necessary in harsh winters, and a certain friendliness that lends itself to a deep-rooted sense of community.Creative JoyWhimsical Textile, Glass, and Bead Creatures Blur the Line Between Fantasy and DesignMy Modern Met · 3 min readWhimsical Textile, Glass, and Bead Creatures Blur the Line Between Fantasy and Design The playful, imaginative work of artist twins Simon and Nikolai Haas, founders of the Haas Brothers studio, is unlike anything else in contemporary design. Their surreal hybrid creatures and fantastical plant life sculptures blur the line between art, design, and fantasy, creating a world where anything goes.Good EarthNew Zealand Establishes First Māori Co-Managed Marine Reserves Along Otago CoastHappy Eco News · 3 min readHappy Eco News New Zealand Establishes First Māori Co-Managed Marine Reserves Along Otago Coast Five Māori co-managed marine reserves took effect on July 1, 2026, along New Zealand's Otago coast, protecting 308 square kilometers through a historic Kāi Tahu–Department of Conservation partnership increasing mainland coverage by nearly 50%.Creative JoyRobert Irwin Speaks Out About the Negative Effects of AI on PhotographyMy Modern Met · 3 min readRobert Irwin Speaks Out About the Negative Effects of AI on Photography Embed from Getty Images Photographer and conservationist Robert Irwin grew up in front of the camera and surrounded by wildlife. The spotlight became a platform for inspiring others to care about the natural world. From a young age, Irwin learned how to step out of the limelight and instead step behind the camera himself.Good EarthHow Community Conservation in Mozambique is Turning Local Challenges into Lasting ChangeHappy Eco News · 3 min readHappy Eco News How Community Conservation in Mozambique is Turning Local Challenges into Lasting Change Community conservation in Mozambique is transforming coastal villages through grassroots recycling, seahorse ecotourism, and mangrove restoration, proving that local leadership delivers lasting environmental change.Creative JoyFeeling Craft Curious? Here Are Four Beginner-Friendly Online Classes To TryMy Modern Met · 3 min readFeeling Craft Curious? Here Are Four Beginner-Friendly Online Classes To Try Starting a new-to-you craft is easier than you think. Often, there’s a low barrier to entry—you don’t need a ton of fancy tools—and when you’re done, you’ve created something (even if you think it could be improved). Here Are Four Beginner-Friendly Online Classes To TryCreative JoyGood News in History, August 4Good News Network · 3 min read125 years ago today, the beloved American jazz trumpeter, composer, and singer Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans. Nicknamed Satchmo, or Pops, Armstrong was one of the most influential figures in jazz, with a trail-blazing career that spanned more than five decades. Take a moment to listen to “What a Wonderful World”… (1901) With hisCreative JoyWhat Is Olo? How the Newly Discovered “Greenest Green” Could Expand the Way We SeeMy Modern Met · 3 min readWhat Is Olo? How the Newly Discovered “Greenest Green” Could Expand the Way We See The average person can see around 10 million different colors. 8 million—but our eyes aren’t able to perceive every difference between them. How the Newly Discovered “Greenest Green” Could Expand the Way We SeeGood EarthProtecting Africa’s Great River Basins Through Pan-African ScienceHappy Eco News · 3 min readHappy Eco News Protecting Africa’s Great River Basins Through Pan-African Science Protecting Africa's great river basins drives The Wilderness Project's Rolex-backed expeditions across the Okavango, Zambezi, Nile, and Congo, documenting unmapped terrain even as dam disputes and infrastructure ambitions reshape the same waters.Science and HealthAt This Houseplant Hospital, “Patients” Recover Under the Care of a Green ThumbNice News · 3 min readAt a bright blue building on Newhaven Road in Edinburgh, Scotland, admitted patients receive similar treatments to those of any other ailing individual. Sometimes they’re put on drips or quarantined, for example, all with the goal of restoring them to full health. But here, appearing green is a good sign: It’s a hospital for plants.Creative JoyThis Conservationist Is Helping Lions and People Coexist in ZimbabweMy Modern Met · 3 min readThis Conservationist Is Helping Lions and People Coexist in Zimbabwe When conservation biologist Moreangels Mbizah arrived at a village in Zimbabwe in 2014, an unexpected tragedy forced her to face a reality about wildlife. The incident happened when a lion wandered far beyond the boundaries of Hwange National Park, which led Mbizah and her team to track down the animal.Creative JoyLearn About Japan’s Centuries-Old Legend of the Hollow UFO ShipMy Modern Met · 3 min readLearn About Japan’s Centuries-Old Legend of the Hollow UFO Ship In 1803, something strange washed ashore on the coast of Hitachi Province, in what is now Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Local fishermen found a round, hollow vessel bobbing in the shallows. Inside sat a young woman in unfamiliar clothing. She clutched a small box and refused to let it go.Good EarthPortland Clean Energy Fund Raises $1 Billion for Climate Action and Community ResilienceHappy Eco News · 3 min readHappy Eco News Portland Clean Energy Fund Raises $1 Billion for Climate Action and Community Resilience The Portland Clean Energy Fund has generated $1 billion through a tax on large retailers, funding community solar projects, more than 20,000 cooling units, energy retrofits for thousands of homes, and clean-energy job training.