Without brain surgery guided by live AI assistance, Rhys Hibbert could have lost his sight to a tumour.
World’s first patient to undergo live AI-assisted brain surgery has tumour removed
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‘This Product Is More Than Amazing. It’s Miraculous’: StriVectin’s Vitamin C Eye Cream Is Finally On Sale
“Goodbye dark circles and crow’s feet. This Super C-Eye cream is perfect for anyone who has fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet, and dark circles. I use this in the morning after washing my face and at night. Just dap the cream into the skin under your eyes where you have problem areas and watch the magic work. This product doesn’t leave your skin sticky but adds moisture to the skin. Perfect to add to your everyday skincare to get rid of problem areas under and around the eyes.” — Tiffytacs89_2566
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‘Best Purchase Ever’: This Genius Cane Transforms Into A Chair — And It’s A 20% Off Lightning Deal
“Light weight, perfect stable walking stick, and easy to open into a seat. Seat is firm, not wobbly at all. The perfect companion.” — Janey
“10 STARS! I may have sold a hundred of these while traveling Europe. EVERYONE wanted to know where to buy one, so I told them. MIT must have designed this because it’s aircraft rugged and works effortlessly just like in the video. And sooo light weight. My non-tech wife, with long fingernails has no problem. T H E perfect gift for aging parents to encourage them to walk till they’re tired, then sit for a spell. Or how ’bout those long TSA lines, huh? It has a retractable plastic hook, but for taking lots of pictures I tied a 6″ thin bungee cord to the D-handle to hook it to my belt loop or pants pocket for hands free. The canvas travel bag has a full length strap to hang this over your shoulder for carryon. I know it’s expensive, but it’s built to last and it won’t collapse or injure you. I used those cheap, thin-legged golf club stools and they worried me, while parked on wet cobblestone. Nuff said.” — William P
“My husband was so happy I purchased the Ta Da for him. He has serious back problems and can’t stand for any length of time. This product was a life saver on our trip to the Grand Canyon. It is lightweight and is very easy to open and close. Strong and well balanced. Best purchase ever.” — M. Hope
“This product is amazing. I suffer from numerous chronic health issues one of them leaves me in a situation where if I don’t sit down after being up and motionless in one position or standing in line at the grocery store. If I don’t sit I will pass out. The design is absolutely wonderful the best tripod with seat I’ve ever tried. It leaves you on one leg not tiptoeing or rolling or catching yourself dragging one of the feet on a try cane that doesn’t sit on either side. This is also extremely easy to use and put away. Convenient enough for your car or a plane ride perfect. This company is amazing to deal with as well if you have any questions or concerns they are right there. And from someone who has had to use this type of equipment for over 11 years now I’ve tried them all and I will never go back, or recommend another product besides this one.” — Krissy
“I seem to have come down with a case of COG (Chronic Old Guy), however, I still enjoying walking my dogs in the park. This wonderful cane–chair (1) helps me keep my feet on uneven ground and (2) lets me stop to rest no matter where I happen to be. The seat also comes in handy when the sun blares down on a park bench. I simply set up in the shade, to the envy of all other park visitors. Whoever came up with naming it Ta–Da deserves a raise. Indeed, it’s hard not to yell out “ta–da” each time I unfold the seat.” — Steve Cuno
“I’m 73. My wife is 71 with mobility issues. This is a great leg and back saver. The three legs make it stable where ever you set it up. It opens and collapses easily. I can’t count the number of times people have asked what it is, where did we get it and want one for themselves. As an added bonus, when people see us carrying them, they are a little nicer and more courteous.” — R. Darrington
“Works great. It’s stable while walking as well as when you sit on the stool. My dad has a back injury so balance is not his friend. This cane is going to be so helpful when he travels and does walking tours. He’s quite happy with it.” — Grant Williams
“What a difference this cane/chair made for my husband on a recent trip to Paris. While he is able to walk without a cane, his respiratory condition and edema in his legs does not allow him to walk very far. The foldable chair worked great whenever he needed to take a break. He said the seat was fairly comfortable for these short periods. It was light enough to carry around as we walked through neighborhoods and yet sturdy enough to sit on…he weighs 224. The weight limit is 300+. We were able to tour Notre Dame Cathedral and other iconic Paris tourist spots, museums, et.al. without him tiring from walking. Excellent quality.” — Josie Riojas
Remembering The Iconic Tim Curry With 11 Of His Biggest On-Screen Roles
The late, great Tim Curry certainly left his mark on the acting world during his 50-year career.
A perpetual scene-stealer, the British star made his start in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a role with which he’s still synonymous today, before trying his hand at everything from chilling horror and action to family-friendly adventure and cheeky comedy.
Following the news of his death at the age of 80, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the roles that helped Tim become a beloved household name…
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
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Alright, this might be a bit of an obvious one, but we could hardly do a round-up of Tim Curry roles without mentioning Rocky Horror, could we?
Tim originated the role of Frank-N-Furter during the musical’s original theatrical run in London, before taking the role to the big screen in the mid-1970s.
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Inarguably the cult musical’s most iconic figure, Tim also delivered a number of stand-out musical performances as Frank-N-Furter including the boisterous I Can Make You A Man, the surprisingly touching I’m Going Home and, of course, the scene-stealing Sweet Transvestite, one of the film’s signature numbers.
Annie (1982)
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Carrying on with the musical theme, Tim returned to the big screen a few years after Rocky Horror when he was cast as Miss Hannigan’s henchman and brother, Rooster, in the first screen adaptation of Annie.
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For his work in Annie, Tim shared the screen with TV icon Carol Burnett, with the cast also featuring the likes of Albert Finney, Bernadette Peters and Aileen Quinn in the title role.
Clue (1985)
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Considering where the entertainment has wound up today with adaptations of existing IP, it might come as a surprise to learn that the film adaptation of the board game Cluedo from the mid-1980s is actually a laugh riot.
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Now considered a cult classic, Tim chewed the scenery as the fabulous butler Wadsworth, alongside a cast that featured great character actors like Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn and Eileen Brennan.
In a fun gimmick, when Clue was originally released, different endings were distributed, meaning there was a different outcome depending on where you watched it (though in modern reprints, all versions are included).
It (1990)
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Bill Skarsgård’s take on Stephen King’s manifestation of evil, Pennywise The Clown, was chilling stuff, but to many, Tim’s version of the character is the real stuff of nightmares.
In 1990, he played the villainous figure in a TV miniseries based on the classic horror novel, which aired in two instalments on the US network ABC.
While the show initially divided opinion, It – and in, particular, Tim Curry’s performance – is now much more popular among fans of the horror genre.
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Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)
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Considering where he started out, the 1990s proved to be a decade of family-friendly roles for Tim Curry, beginning with this festive sequel.
In the follow-up to Home Alone, he portrayed the concierge at the Plaza Hotel, which at that time was owned by future US president Donald Trump (who even makes a cameo in it, in a moment many prefer to fast-forward when revisiting the Christmas classic).
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His character, Mr Hector, was a foil to Macaulay Culkin’s mischievous counterpart, originally introduced in the 1990 original.
Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
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Tim was visibly having a blast when he got to play alongside The Muppets in their second big-screen literary adaptation, Muppet Treasure Island.
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Playing the swashbuckling villain Long John Silver, he claimed in his 2025 memoir Vagabond was “the most delightful cinematic experience I’ve enjoyed”.
“It’s just a world of fun and I’d been glued to the TV show. I had no hesitation about working with them,” he added. “I cannot overstate how much I adored working with the Muppets.”
This certainly shone through in his performance, which is one of the strongest aspects of the family adventure movie.
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The Wild Thornberrys (1998)
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Besides his on-screen and stage career, Tim was also a prolific voice actor.
Perhaps his most famous animated role was as the patriach Nigel Thornberry in The Wild Thornberries, a character he voiced in all five seasons of the original show and its two spin-off movies.
In the US series, the Thornberry family is a group of adventurers who travel the world documenting animals in their natural habitats, with the cast also including future Mean Girls star Lacey Chabert and Red Hot Chilli Peppers musician Flea.
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Charlie’s Angels (2000)
Tim made a small – but nonetheless memorable – appearance in the film adaptation of Charlie’s Angels, which crash-landed into cinemas in 2000.
Initially, viewers are led to believe that his character, owner of the tech company Redstar, is the villain of the piece, until several twists reveal this not to be the case.
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While there’s no denying this movie belongs to its female leads, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu, Tim always made the most of whatever role he was given, and Charlie’s Angels was no exception.
Will & Grace (2004)
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Tim’s Will & Grace stint lasted just two episodes, but it was nonetheless a memorable one, not least thanks to a prolonged kiss he shared with both Megan Mullally’s iconic character Karen Walker and his own on-screen brother, John Cleese.
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His guest appearance came towards of the show’s sixth season, as Karen prepares to marry the rich Lyle Finster.
These episodes were also notable as they marked the beginning of a multi-episode storyline featuring none other than Jennifer Lopez as herself.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (2008)
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Alright, this oft-forgotten video game might seem like a strange inclusion on a round-up of must-see Tim Curry roles.
But his live-action performance as Colonel Anatoly Cherdenko was so off-the-wall, so eccentric and so delightfully Tim Curry that it continues to go viral almost 20 years after the game was originally released.
Check out what we’re talking about in the above clip, where even he struggles to contain his laughter as he delivers that final utterance of “space”.
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do The Time Warp Again (2016)
After his stroke in 2012, Tim made only a few on-screen appearances, but he returned to his roots in this TV special based on The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Starring Emmy winner Laverne Cox as a new take on Frank-N-Furter, Tim took on the role of The Criminologist, played in the original film by Charles Gray.
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While Let’s Do The Time Warp Again may not have quite gone down a storm with Rocky Horror fans, there was no denying how great it felt to see Tim back on screen, particularly in the franchise that had launched him to fame more than 40 years earlier.
Ditch Pricey Roaming Bills: This Unlimited Data eSIM Is A Travel Game-Changer
Holidays are expensive enough as it is. While you can circumvent the guilt of splashing out more than you wanted to on flights by booking just far enough in advance, your bank account will inevitably feel the strain of your spending habits as soon as you touch down at your destination.
The last thing you need on top of that is a notification from your phone provider saying you’ve spend £25 a day on data roaming. Shudder.
Personally, I avoid Monzo’s travel summary like the plague, so the idea of having to stomach that notification and then being slapped across the face by my phone bill is almost hellish.
Luckily, we’ve evolved past the need to fear not being able to find WiFi abroad. So you don’t have to turn your data off every time you finish doomscrolling on Instagram for fears you’ll run out of data and not be able to find your way home (not speaking from experience or anything) Holafly offers unlimited data through an easy to install, no hidden fees eSIM.
Remember the good ol’ days when you had to spend hours fucking about trying to get a tiny travel sim out of its holder and into your phone every time you moved between countries?
Yeah, well that’s now a thing of the past, because all you have to do to access unlimited streaming and scrolling is download the Holafly app on your phone.
From there, it takes a mere few minutes to buy an eSIM for foolproof internet connectivity in over 200 countries.
Once you’ve downloaded the app (which is available on Android or Apple, FYI) all you have to do is choose the plan you want.
If you’re currently travelling the world, you can opt for an unlimited plan for just £50.95 a month (less than my actual phone bill, TBH), which offers you unlimited data and hotspot, a local phone number, and can be used in any of the app’s compatible countries.
Or, if you’re going on a shorter, last-minute Euro holiday, you can choose the number of days you’re travelling for so that you can keep your number and simply make the use of its unlimited data for the exact number of days you’re travelling.
I just went on holiday to Greece for five days, and it cost me just £16 for unlimited data for my whole trip. Considering I wasn’t sure if I’d have WiFi at my Airbnb, that was well worth my peace of mind.
Not to mention, I had to fly back early due to unforeseen circumstances, and it was just as easy to request a refund for the days of data I didn’t need as it was to set it up.
I know this sounds ridiculous, but all I wanted was to lie on a beach and listen to a podcast or stream music without worrying about the data not working, and I had no connectivity issues while I was away.
Holafly also doesn’t contribute to environmental waste, as an eSIM doesn’t require you to throw away those ridiculous empty squares of plastic once you’ve installed it. Simple!
Princess Diana Once Admitted To Tim Curry That She Was A Huge Rocky Horror Fan
Tim Curry has sadly passed away at aged 80. He was a cinematic legend and undoubtedly most people will know him from his role in the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show, a movie that shaped generations to come.
He once revealed that the late Princess Diana confided in him that she was a fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
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During an interview with CBS Sunday Morning to celebrate the film’s 50th anniversary, Tim revealed that he met the Princess Of Wales and her then-husband King Charles after a show he’d performed in at the Royal National Theatre.
While the future king enquired if Tim had been on television, Diana didn’t have to – as she instantly knew him from the 1975 musical movie.
The Clue actor admitted he was surprised the royal would know about the cult classic, telling her: “I don’t suppose you saw it.”
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“Of course I did,” she apparently responded, quipping: “It quite completed my education.”
Tim had previously spoken to the Fresh Air radio show about his royal encounter during an interview from earlier this year.
He explained that Diana had requested to meet him after he performed in a production of Love For Love in Vienna, where she and Charles were guests of honour.
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“She was a very funny girl, and a very beautiful one, and sort of the – a very wicked smile came with that sentence,” he recalled. “She was great fun.”
Tim then revealed that Princess Margaret had also been to see the Rocky Horror theatre show in the early 70s before it was adapted for the big screen, and “had a wonderful time”.
Elsewhere in his CBS interview, Tim said the enduring appeal of the movie musical was that it permits people to “say the stuff they always wanted to say”.
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show first began as a stage musical created by Richard O’Brien. While the theatre show was a word-of-mouth hit, the 1975 film adaptation was met with poor reviews and was a box office bomb.
However, thanks to its cult following and midnight screenings, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has become the longest-running theatrical release in history, with showings happening worldwide for five decades.
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The camp classic is still parodied, revered and homaged to this day, with Sabrina Carpenter being the latest star to give a nod to the film in her Tears music video.
A documentary about The Rocky Horror Show, entitled Strange Journey, premiered at the SXSW festival earlier this year, directed by Richard O’Brien’s son Linus.
Scientists may have found a shortcut to calorie restriction’s anti-aging benefits
Reducing calorie intake has extended lifespan in animals including mice, rhesus monkeys, and fruit flies. In some studies, the animals also remained healthier for longer. But severe calorie restriction can come with serious costs. Mice placed on a diet with 40% fewer calories, for instance, become more vulnerable to infections, reproduce less successfully, and show impaired growth.
That has left scientists with a difficult question: Could humans gain some of the longevity benefits of calorie restriction without experiencing those harmful effects? A new study, published in Nature Aging, points to a possible answer involving an immune protein called complement component 3 (C3).
Yale researchers have previously shown that people who followed moderate calorie restriction, cutting calorie intake by 14% for two years, developed stronger immune defenses without experiencing problems related to growth or reproduction.
“This concept demonstrates that aging is actually malleable and a process that can be targeted,” says senior author Vishwa Deep Dixit, PhD, Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Pathology, professor of immunobiology and of comparative medicine, and director of the Yale Center for Research on Aging (Y-Age) at Yale School of Medicine.
Calorie Restriction Lowers an Inflammation-Linked Protein
For the new study, Dixit and his colleagues at YSM examined plasma samples from 42 people who participated in a National Institutes of Health-funded two-year study called the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy or CALERIE.
“It’s the only trial of its kind that has been done with such rigor and control and demonstrates relevance to human physiology,” Dixit says. During the trial, participants reduced their calorie intake by 11 to 14% without feeling deprived.
The researchers measured more than 7,000 proteins across plasma samples collected over time. One stood out: complement component 3 (C3), an immune protein whose levels fell significantly after calorie restriction.
C3 drew particular attention because earlier research has suggested that activation of the complement system, a network of proteins that helps defend the body against pathogens, may contribute to chronic inflammation. That persistent inflammation is considered a major feature of aging and many age-associated diseases.
“But the causal effects of C3 in aging and chronic inflammation have not been identified. So, we were very excited to find that in our study,” says Hee-Hoon Kim, PhD, a postdoctoral associate in the Dixit lab and a co-first author of the paper.
Fat Tissue Emerges as a Key Source of C3
By comparing protein levels before and after two years of calorie restriction, the team found that white adipose tissue, the main form of fat tissue in mammals, appeared to be the primary tissue affected by the dietary change.
The researchers then tested the pattern in animals. As they had seen in human plasma, C3 expression rose with age in mice. Additional biochemical testing showed that visceral white adipose tissue was a major source of the age-related increase in C3.
“We were not expecting that because these proteins are mainly synthesized in the liver,” says Manish Mishra, PhD, a postdoctoral associate in the Dixit lab and a co-first author of the study.
Single-cell RNA sequencing allowed the researchers to narrow the source further. They found that C3 was being produced by age-associated macrophages, essential white blood cells located within adipose tissue.
“This whole process was unknown in the beginning,” Mishra says. “Just to narrow it down to the subtypes of macrophages responsible for this complement protein production was very challenging.”
Macrophages are among the immune system’s first responders and are best known for engulfing pathogens. They also play an important role in maintaining normal tissue function, Dixit adds.
Could the Benefits Be Independent of Weight Loss?
The next question was whether reducing C3 could provide benefits even without weight loss.
The researchers initially thought that losing adipose tissue might itself reduce C3 production and contribute to healthier aging. Most participants in the study lost about 18 pounds after two years of moderate calorie restriction.
However, when the researchers compared changes in body mass index with changes in complement protein levels, they found no relationship between the amount of weight lost and the decline in those proteins.
“This suggests that calorie restriction has a beneficial effect that is unique to adipose tissues and is likely independent of weight loss,” Kim says.
That raised the possibility that some of the biological benefits of calorie restriction might be reproduced without requiring people to lose weight.
Blocking C3 Reduces Inflammation in Mice
To test that idea, the researchers used a drug to inhibit C3 activation in mice, mimicking one of the effects of calorie restriction. The animals developed less age-related inflammation.
According to Dixit, the result illustrates how biological systems that are useful earlier in life can become harmful later. This concept, known as antagonistic pleiotropy, was proposed by biologist Peter Medawar in 1952 as an explanation for aspects of aging.
Growth hormone offers one example. It is essential during early development, but later in life it may also contribute to cancer.
C3 and similar proteins evolved to protect the body against infection. But because humans now live far longer than their ancestors, some of those same protective mechanisms may eventually begin contributing to disease. Dixit says reducing excessive C3 activity could potentially help extend health span.
Researchers Explore Existing Drugs as an Aging Target
The team is now studying whether FDA-approved inhibitor drugs could be used to suppress C3 production and potentially slow aspects of aging in humans.
The goal is not to eliminate the complement system entirely, because it remains essential for fighting infections.
“The idea is not to remove complement systems that are required for us to fight infections,” Dixit says. “Instead, the goal is to restore the balance.”
190-year-old DNA reveals a hidden pangolin species
Pangolins look almost prehistoric. These medium-sized mammals, found only in Africa and Asia, have long, powerful tails, large curved claws, and bodies covered in overlapping scales that resemble a pinecone. Those distinctive scales are also a major reason pangolins are in danger. They are heavily targeted by poachers and are considered the most highly trafficked mammals in the world, leaving many species at serious risk of extinction.
Now, researchers have confirmed that a previously unrecognized Asian pangolin species, Manis aurita, has been living in Nepal and Northern India. The findings, published in Communications Biology, clarify how different pangolin species are related, where they live, and how they can be distinguished. That information could also help authorities identify where illegally traded pangolins are being hunted and strengthen efforts to stop poaching.
“We can’t protect what we do not know, and now that we have confirmed that this other species of pangolin exists, we can use that information to help protect these endangered animals,” says Anderson Feijó, the Negaunee Assistant Curator of Mammals at the Field Museum and co-corresponding author of the study.
“This finding marks the culmination of more than five years of research that began in Nepal, where we first documented evidence suggesting that Himalayan pangolins represented a distinct evolutionary lineage,” says Narayan Koju, a researcher at the Nepal Engineering College at Pokhara University and the study’s first author. “The confirmation of Manis aurita as a valid species demonstrates the importance of long-term research, international collaboration, and museum collections. Most importantly, it provides a strong scientific basis for conservation planning, wildlife forensics, and efforts to protect one of the world’s most trafficked mammals from extinction.”
Untangling the Pangolin Family Tree
The classification of these Himalayan pangolins had already begun to change in 2025. That year, another research team determined that animals previously grouped together as Chinese pangolins actually represented two species. One occurs mainly in China, while the other inhabits the Himalayan foothills across parts of Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Myanmar. The researchers named the mountain-dwelling form Manis indoburmanica, or the Indo-Burmese pangolin.
But scientific naming follows a rule of priority: when the same species has been given more than one scientific name, the earliest valid name takes precedence.
At the time, Feijó and his colleagues were already conducting a decade-long investigation into pangolin evolution. Their work combined DNA evidence with physical characteristics to determine how many pangolin species exist and how those species are related.
During that research, they encountered records of Manis aurita, a pangolin described in 1836. Over time, M. aurita had been reclassified as a subspecies of the Chinese pangolin.
“This left us with a core taxonomic riddle: what is the relationship between indoburmanica and aurita? Are they the same species or different species?” says Kai He, another of the paper’s co-corresponding authors and a researcher at the South China Biodiversity Research Center at Guangzhou University. “The ultimate, most thrilling piece of the puzzle came from the Natural History Museum in London. Thanks to their incredible expertise and assistance, the NHM team successfully sequenced the DNA directly from the historical type specimen of the Nepalese subspecies (aurita). This specimen dates back to 1836, making it nearly 190 years old.”
DNA From 1836 Provides the Answer
Genetic material recovered from the historic museum specimen settled the question. Modern Himalayan pangolin samples matched aurita, showing that the animals described in 2025 as M. indoburmanica were actually members of the species first named M. aurita.
As a result, M. aurita is the correct scientific name.
“This taxonomic clarification provides a crucial scientific basis for combating illegal poaching and lays the groundwork for protecting this cryptic endangered species,” says Yan Hua, a co-corresponding author of the study and researcher at the Guangdong Academy of Forestry.
The Himalayan pangolin M. aurita (briefly formerly known as M. indoburmanica) differs from the Chinese pangolin in several subtle but important ways.
“Compared to the Chinese pangolin, the Himalayan pangolin has a bigger body, a longer tail, and smaller ears,” says Feijó. The revived name aurita itself refers to the animal’s distinctive ears.
The two species are also separated geographically. Their known ranges do not overlap. For critically endangered animals, especially those facing intense pressure from poaching, understanding exactly which species lives where can be essential for conservation.
A New Tool Against Pangolin Trafficking
Pangolin scales are believed to be a powerful aphrodisiac in traditional Chinese medicine practices, helping drive a large illegal trade in the animals. Preventing that trafficking is difficult in part because authorities often encounter scales rather than intact animals.
“In the marketplaces you basically only find pangolin scales, not the whole animals, which makes it hard to know which species are being hunted and where they are coming from,” says Feijó.
The DNA methods used in the new research could make those seizures much more informative. Conservation scientists may be able to analyze confiscated scales, determine which pangolin species they came from, and then use that information to identify regions where poaching pressure is especially intense.
That could allow conservationists and law enforcement agencies to work backward from illegally traded material to the populations being targeted.
A clearer understanding of species boundaries can also improve efforts to return pangolins to areas where they once lived. Reintroduction programs need to ensure that they are releasing the appropriate species into the appropriate geographic range.
“Before, you might have introduced Chinese pangolins into Nepal, because you didn’t know the difference,” says Feijó. “By defining the differences between the species and the limits of where each species is found, we can make better conservation decisions.”
Museum Collections Reveal Hidden Biodiversity
The researchers say these practical conservation advances would have been much harder without natural history museums. Museum collections preserve pangolin specimens collected more than a century ago, giving scientists access to animals from locations and populations that can be extremely difficult to sample today.
“Using museum collections allows us to have access to more individuals across the species’ range,” says Feijó. “If you only rely on fresh material, since the animals are so rare to find in the wild, this greatly limits the information that you can gather. We used collections to have a more complete sampling of the species. It’s a big advantage to have this resource available as a repository of material that we can look back and keep learning from.”
This study was contributed to by scientists from Guangzhou University, Nepal Engineering College, Pokhara University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Washington, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the University of Sevilla, the Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Tribhuan University, Aspect Ecology Oxfordshire, the Chinese Wildlife Forensic Science Service, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the Field Museum.
Manhattan-sized ice island breaks off Greenland’s Petermann Glacier
An international team of researchers, led in part by the University of Ottawa, has documented a major calving event at Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland. On August 4, 2026, the glacier released a 76.4 km2 ice island, its largest loss of floating ice since 2012 and the biggest Arctic calving event since 2020.
The newly separated tabular iceberg broke away from Petermann Glacier’s floating ice tongue and may be as much as 150 meters thick. Its surface area is roughly comparable to Manhattan Island, giving scientists a rare opportunity to observe how enormous Arctic ice masses develop, move through the ocean and eventually fragment.
The event was identified by Adam Garbo, a PhD student in glaciology at uOttawa’s Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics. The discovery is part of an ongoing collaboration involving the University of Ottawa, the University of Stirling, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Lancaster University, and the University of Leeds.
Satellite Monitoring Revealed Years of Growing Instability
Scientists have been tracking changes at Petermann Glacier with long-term satellite observations since 2019. Over that period, they closely followed the condition of the glacier’s floating ice tongue, recording the expansion of fractures and watching for signs that a major section might eventually break away.
“Petermann Glacier has long been one of Greenland’s largest remaining ice tongues,” says Garbo. “We’ve anticipated this break for years, and seeing it finally happen is remarkable.”
Images collected by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 mission showed clear signs of deterioration along the centerline of the ice tongue on August 3. By 20:00 UTC on August 4, the new ice island had fully separated from the glacier’s eastern side.
Rare Arctic Ice Islands Offer a Window Into Polar Change
Large, flat-topped icebergs are relatively common around Antarctica, but comparable ice islands are much less frequently seen in the Arctic. Their rarity and longevity make them especially valuable to researchers studying glacier retreat, changing ocean conditions and the risks posed by drifting ice in polar regions.
“While large, tabular icebergs are relatively common in the Southern Ocean that surrounds the Antarctic Ice Sheet, Arctic ice islands are far rarer,” explains Dr. Anna Crawford of the University of Stirling. “By studying Arctic ice islands, we will gain knowledge that can be transferred across Polar regions.”
Scientists do not expect the August calving event to be the last major change at Petermann Glacier. Two additional large sections of the floating ice tongue are expected to detach in the near future as rifts that have been developing for years continue to cut through the ice.
Those future ice islands are projected to measure about 94 km2 and 84 km2. If both break away, the three calving events combined would remove approximately 254 km2 from Petermann Glacier’s ice tongue, reducing it by about 22 percent.
Drifting Ice Could Create Hazards for Arctic Shipping
The newly formed ice island is important not only for scientific research, but also for marine safety. Massive pieces of floating ice can remain intact for years as they drift, then gradually fracture into smaller sections that may become difficult to track.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is monitoring the ice island’s movement, as it has done following previous Arctic ice shelf calving events, while evaluating potential risks to vessels and offshore infrastructure.
“These are thick blocks of ice that can drift for years,” specifies Dr. Abigail Dalton of the Canadian Ice Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada. “Over time, they fracture into smaller, harder-to-track pieces that pose hazards to vessels and resource operations.”
Garbo and his collaborators plan to continue following the aftermath with satellite imagery, aerial observations and tracking data. Their work is part of a broader effort to better understand the processes responsible for the calving and retreat of Arctic ice shelves.
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