The June Bootids meteor shower is typically sparse, only producing a few “shooting stars.” But the celestial event is also notoriously unpredictable, and has resulted in some outbursts of meteors over the decades (notably putting on sparkling shows in June of 1998 and 2004). This year could bring another surprise, astronomers say, and the Bootids’ peak is happening now through Saturday — here’s how to give yourself the best shot at seeing meteors.
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An agility workout that sounds rather intense but is actually compatible for all fitness levels
248-Year-Old Mozart Notebook Serendipitously Found in Paris
Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD—AFP/Getty Images
When Mozart was 22 years old — four years before his famed opera The Abduction From the Seraglio premiered in 1782 — he worked as a music tutor while studying in Paris. Nearly two and a half centuries later, the 44-page notebook the young composer used for his tutoring exercises has been identified at France’s National Library. The “major discovery” was unearthed by Francois-Pierre Goy, a curator in the library’s music department, while sorting through a pile of documents ahead of his retirement. “I never imagined what I was about to find,” he told AFP of the manuscript, which includes a dozen daily exercises and seven pieces for flute and harp for his pupil, the daughter of the Duke of Guines. Weeks earlier, Goy had been looking at other teaching documents Mozart had written, and noticed some overlap in the handwriting when he came upon the notebook. He pointed to “the treble clefs that are quite rounded and tilted slightly forward,” as well as the bass clefs, which differed from the style French composers typically used. It was authenticated by the Mozarteum Foundation in Austria this spring and verified as being part of a music collection confiscated from the home of the Duke during the French Revolution, after the family fled the country. And coming full circle, the rediscovered work was performed over the weekend at the library it was spotted in. Listen to an excerpt.
Together With Miso Robotics
From a Caltech Garage to a $1 Trillion Market
In 2016, some innovative Caltech robotics students set out to transform fast food. That first garage-built prototype became Miso Robotics. Since then, Miso’s Flippy Fry Station robot has worked 200,000+ hours in live kitchens alongside human employees for brands like White Castle, frying over 5 million baskets of food. Now they’ve just acquired technology rights for a food robotics early-mover that adds more than 300 new patents to their portfolio, expanding it 10X in size. Flippy represents a $4 billion/year revenue opportunity in the U.S. alone. And it’s just one piece of Miso’s platform. Big-name brands like Jersey Mike’s and Cinnabon just became customers. Industry powerhouse Ecolab already invested. Join 44,000+ people and invest before Miso hits their $2.5 million raise goal for June.
This is a paid advertisement for Miso Robotics’ Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.misorobotics.com.
Environment
How Beavers Are Keeping Flooding at Bay in the London Underground
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
In a west London neighborhood, constant flooding on city streets and in the local Tube station had become such an issue that officials considered creating an artificial reservoir to address it. That likely won’t be necessary anymore, as beavers are handling the soggy situation just by doing what the flat-tailed ecosystem engineers do best. In 2023, a family of five beavers was introduced to a 24-acre site as part of the Ealing Beaver Project, which is working to bring back the species after it was driven to extinction in London 400 years ago. Since the reintroduction, they’ve chopped down trees, built dams, and turned the area into a sponge-like natural wetland that has successfully abated flooding, much to the delight of commuters using the Underground. “Everything downstream is much more protected from flooding than it was before, all because they want to hold that water back so that they have enough water to swim in and feel safe,” Şeniz Mustafa, with the Ealing Beaver Project, told CBC News. The new neighbors have also been a hit among locals, even prompting “beaver safari” tours to spot the hardworking heroes. “We’re demonstrating here that actually it’s not that wild an idea to live alongside beavers,” Sean McCormack, another employee with the project, added to CNN.
Humanity
Vast Majority of Fathers Find Deep Happiness in Caring for Children, Report Finds
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More men are stepping up to provide childcare, according to the 2026 State of the World’s Fathers report published this spring, and they’re finding fulfillment in it. Researchers interviewed more than 8,000 parents and caregivers across 16 countries, shedding light on the emotional, economic, and social pressures that fathers face. One of the most encouraging takeaways from the report is that men are not only more involved in childrearing today compared to the past, but 9 out of 10 fathers also find that caring for their children is a deep source of happiness. “We didn’t see that one coming,” Gary Barker, the CEO of the advocacy group behind the report, told NPR. While the report found that men’s stress levels increase as they engage more in childcare, researchers noted that the data tells a story of hope: “In a world at war, facing economic uncertainty, in which climate disasters are real, and AI is confusing us all, we all find meaning and hope in caregiving.” Hear from three new fathers on the joys of parenthood.
In Other News
A single blood test that detects multiple types of cancer at once could be greenlit by the FDA later this year (read more)
Lionel Messi broke the record for the most goals in World Cup history after scoring his 18th on Monday (read more)
San Francisco has a bright new art installation with beams of light representing each square mile of the city (read more)
A Coast Guard officer who rescued 165 flood victims in his first mission will be honored at the ESPY Awards (read more)
Eaglets named Sid and Maz took their inaugural flights from their Pennsylvania nest — watch the milestone(read more)
Inspiring Story
Meet “Elevator Bob”
Bob Lane is a volunteer who sits near an elevator at a North Carolina clinic to support newly diagnosed cancer patients and their families. It’s a topic he knows all too well, having been diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer in 2014. “When they do come to me, I’m just someone who has been living with this for 13 years and is still here to talk about it,” Lane said, estimating he’s helped more than 500 patients and their families. Hear his words of advice.
Photo of the Day
Miguel MEDINA—AFP/Getty Images
It’s lavender season in Provence, France, where fields of the aromatic wonders seem to go on forever — a sight even more postcard-worthy when topped with a rainbow.
Daily Health Digital: After 60, Knee Health Comes Down to 1 Nutrient Many Docs Miss
At 81, Robert still works seven days a week, climbing in and out of his tow truck like a young man. Years of military service and big-rig driving once left his knees so wrecked his doctors said he needed replacements. His turnaround wasn’t surgery. It was one nutrient many doctors never mention.
