GENI

A newly published biography of Whitney Houston makes the case that the singer should be regarded as a genius, prompting fresh discussion of her artistry and legacy. The claim, featured in The New York Times, invites readers to reassess Houston's influence on pop and soul music more than a decade after her death in 2012.

A Dutch farmer, backed by Wageningen University, is experimenting with growing rice in the Netherlands. He argues rice offers the region a way to adapt to climate change while also mitigating it, since cultivating it in wet fields stops peat soils from degrading and releasing carbon. The project is drawing attention as an unusual crop choice for a North Sea country.

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine report promising results for ketogenic diet therapy as a treatment for mental illness, with findings aimed at helping health care professionals apply the approach in clinical practice. The research adds to growing interest in metabolic interventions for psychiatric conditions, though wider adoption would require further study.

A psychiatric hospital in Paris is drawing attention for its art collection, which is being used to challenge the long-standing stereotype linking mental illness and creative genius. The collection highlights patients as artists in their own right, prompting renewed discussion in France about how psychiatry, stigma and creativity are portrayed in public culture.

A new review of 'Godzilla Minus Zero', the follow-up to Takashi Yamazaki's acclaimed 'Godzilla Minus One', praises the film as a crackling kaiju epic said to be every bit as exciting as its predecessor. The Hollywood Reporter's write-up highlights Yamazaki's return as director and frames the sequel as another high point for the franchise, drawing attention from film fans worldwide.

A gardening content creator is showing the arrival of a new perennial plant load, planting bergenia and delphiniums in the garden, and finding kitchen uses for the last of the season's pumpkins. The seasonal wrap-up of autumn tasks and the transition toward late-fall planting has drawn strong interest from garden enthusiasts following along with the routine.

A roundup of innovative gadgets described as must-see inventions is drawing large audiences online. The collection highlights clever tools and devices pitched as useful or surprising innovations. Viewers are engaging heavily with the content, with engagement nearing 180,000, suggesting strong current interest in new consumer gadgets and tech inventions.

A student-built electric vehicle has been fitted with electrostatic technology designed to capture the tire dust it sheds while driving. The system aims to address particulate pollution from tire wear, an increasingly scrutinized source of microplastic emissions as electric vehicles grow more common. The project has drawn attention for its inventive approach to a problem rarely tackled by mainstream automakers.

Mug stackers are being promoted as a simple kitchen organizer that lets mugs be stacked securely, roughly doubling cabinet space and ending precarious 'mug Jenga' towers. Home and lifestyle coverage highlights them as an affordable gadget for small kitchens, and the quirky framing has helped the product catch attention online.

UCLA artist Rodney McMillian has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, often called the 'genius grant'. The honor recognizes his influential work in contemporary art, which spans painting, sculpture, video and performance. The announcement brings attention to his exploration of race, politics and American history, and adds to UCLA's record of faculty recognized among the year's MacArthur Fellows.

Travelers are recommending a $22 backpack sold on Amazon, calling it a genius travel solution because it can hold enough for trips of up to two months. The bag is being promoted as an affordable alternative to larger luggage for budget-conscious travelers, and the endorsement comes from Travel + Leisure's coverage of popular travel gear.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced its 2026 class of MacArthur Fellows, the so-called genius grants. The fellowships award unrestricted stipends, typically several hundred thousand dollars, to individuals working across arts, sciences, journalism and other fields, based on exceptional creativity and promise for future work. Winners usually learn of the award only days before the public announcement, and the annual reveal draws wide attention to the honorees' work.

A scientist who studies sea ice and its role in the climate system has been named a MacArthur Fellow, the fellowship often called the 'genius grant.' The story, covered by the New York Times, highlights the researcher's work in climate science and oceanography, examining how shrinking polar ice affects oceans and global warming. It is drawing attention amid ongoing concern over Arctic ice loss.

Researchers have produced the first transgenic cuttlefish, a landmark in marine biology achieved after six years of work and roughly 4,000 failed embryos. The result opens new possibilities for studying cephalopod genetics and development, as cuttlefish have long resisted genetic modification techniques that work in other animals.

Chip Thomas, a Wake Forest University alumnus, has been named a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, often called the 'genius grant,' which awards unrestricted funds to people showing exceptional creativity. Thomas is known for combining art and activism, and the honor recognizes his distinctive work. The award, announced by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is among the most prestigious prizes in American arts and sciences.

Two Illinois-based researchers — a University of Chicago physicist and a University of Illinois environmental scientist — have been named among this year's MacArthur Fellows, receiving the foundation's prestigious 'genius grants'. The awards, which come with a substantial no-strings-attached stipend, recognize exceptional creativity and promise across science, the arts and public life.

An environmental scientist based in Illinois has been named a winner of a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, often called a 'genius grant.' The award recognizes outstandingly creative work and comes with a substantial no-strings-attached fellowship. The news was reported by WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, drawing attention to the scientist's contributions to environmental research.

Fabrice Bellard, the French programmer behind projects like QEMU, FFmpeg and TinyCC, is being profiled as one of the quiet architects of modern computing infrastructure. The piece highlights how his software underpins virtualisation, multimedia processing and development toolchains used across the internet, despite his low public profile. Readers are sharing renewed appreciation for his contributions, including his record-setting calculations of pi and the Bellard formula.

The MacArthur Foundation has announced its 2026 class of MacArthur Fellows, naming 20 recipients of the so-called 'genius grant'. The award, given annually, provides fellows with a substantial no-strings-attached fellowship to pursue their work across fields spanning science, the arts, and public life. Coverage is highlighting the new fellows and their individual achievements.

A physicist has put forward a plan to repurpose a Cold War-era early warning radar system to monitor Arctic sea ice. The proposal suggests the aging military infrastructure could be given a second life as a scientific instrument, providing data on shrinking polar ice at a time when the Arctic is changing rapidly and satellite coverage has limits.