Must Reads

• If you missed the “comet of the century” earlier this month, these breathtaking photos capture the starry spectacle
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• At some Icelandic hotels, wake-up calls are timed to the aurora borealis​

Science

“A Pretty Big Surprise”: Amateur Mathematician Calculates Largest Prime Number Yet

When you hear “prime numbers,” you probably flash back to elementary school lessons. But there’s a group of math enthusiasts who have made prime figures a passion of sorts, constantly searching for a larger-than-ever whole number that meets the criteria of only being exactly divisible by itself and 1. And the newest behemoth on the block is over 41 million digits long.
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Called M136279841, it’s now the largest known prime number and has been classified as a Mersenne prime, a categorization named for the 17th century French monk and mathematician Marin Mersenne. It edged out the previous record by a casual 16 million digits, and if you’d like to scroll for a while, you can check it out in all its glory in this massive zip file (a warning though: it is truly massive).
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Luke Durant, a 36-year-old researcher and amateur mathematician, is to thank for the discovery. He used a “cloud supercomputer” system and spent over a year testing calculations, per a Monday statement from Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search, or GIMPS. “It was a pretty big surprise, but I had been working hard to grow the system, so stayed aware of a relatively decent chance,” he told New Scientist.
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Aside from coming with a $3,000 reward, which Durant plans to donate to the math department at the Alabama School of Math and Science, the find is simply exciting; a reminder that more is out there to discover. “It’s entertainment for math nerds,” George Woltman, co-founder of GIMPS, told The Washington Post. And so, the search continues!

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Culture

Historic Biltmore Estate to Reopen in Time for Holidays Post-Hurricane Helene

Situated among North Carolina’s majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, the Biltmore Estate in Asheville is considered the largest privately owned home in America. The 250-room mansion was forced to close its doors last month following the impact of Hurricane Helene, but is now set to reopen Nov. 2, just in time for the holiday season.
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Construction began on the French renaissance chateau in 1889, after George Vanderbilt commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt — known for his work on the Statue of Liberty — to build his family a country home. It was completed in 1895, and began welcoming members of the public in 1930 to increase area tourism amid the Great Depression.
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“For more than 125 years, Biltmore has been a witness to the resilience of this community. The compassion and resolve of our region have been rising every day from beneath the weight of this storm,” the estate wrote in a statement posted to Facebook. “Thanks to the incredible work of so many generous people, recovery is happening all around us.”
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​One of the location’s most beloved traditions is its annual Christmas at Biltmore experience, when the entire estate is adorned with twinkling lights, wreaths, garlands, and thousands of ornaments to celebrate the winter holiday. This year, the event runs from the day of reopening through Jan. 5. Take a video tour of the property all decked out for the festivities.​

Environment

In Kenya, Weather Texts Are Helping Rural Farmers Plant Better Futures

Sometimes it’s the simplest things that can change your life — for Stephen Nzioka, that’s true of weather forecasts.
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As a farmer in a rural Kenyan village, much of his world revolves around the weather; it dictates what, where, and when he plants. In the past, lessons from his ancestors served him well. But with weather patterns shifting due to climate change and the reality that he doesn’t have a smartphone or reliable internet connection, he’s often in the dark about forecasts.
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“I planted blindly and so I kept on guessing and just taking risks,” he told NPR. That was until he began receiving text messages about the weather on his basic cellphone from a nonprofit called TomorrowNow. Using data from satellites and weather stations, the organization provides hyper-local intel so “farmers can have information that’s relevant to their farm rather than for the entire town,” explained Kenneth Chepkwony, a regional program coordinator.
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So far, TomorrowNow has reached nearly 5 million farmers across Kenya in hopes of helping them make better decisions and drive revenue (already, the users are averaging a 7% increase). That’s no small thing, as Nzioka said he’s been able to use a portion of that increased income to pay for his daughters’ primary school: “The produce I sell at the market assists them to get to higher levels of education,” he said.

In Other News

1. Astronomers discovered the first “black hole triple,” a system comprising a central black hole and two stars (read more)
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2. A rare copy of a beloved novella, featuring handwritten notes from the author, is going up for sale (read more)
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3. Researchers developed a carbon-capturing powder to “clean the air entirely” (read more)
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4. South Carolina is set to build its first individual statue for an African American (read more)
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5. Most iconic ensemble? Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Brandi Carlile, and Chappell Roan had a jam sesh for the ages (read more)

Inspiring Story

Patches with a mighty purpose

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Oliver Burkhardt was diagnosed with leukemia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the lockdown, the then-9-year-old and his family found a way to stay connected with people who wanted to help him on his journey: They asked for patches, which he put on a denim jacket that served as his “suit of armor” during treatment. Now fully recovered, Oliver is paying it forward and has sent 60,000 patches to other kiddos who could use a pick-me-up. “It feels good to do good,” he said.

Photo of the Day

We could stare at this image all day long. There’s just something about the way the changing trees of Shenandoah National Park contrast with the foraging black bear that makes it impossible to look away — we hope it brings you joy as well!

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Odds & Ends

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Quote of the Day

“You don’t get older, you get better.”

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– SHIRLEY BASSEY