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A two-foot-tall bronze statue of the Greek goddess Diana, once displayed on the Titanic’s fireplace mantle, was discovered during a recent expedition.

Described as “a needle in a haystack,” it is one of many sought-after art pieces targeted by maritime archaeologists. The Titanic, famously known as the ‘unsinkable’ luxury liner, carried England’s elite on its ill-fated maiden voyage to the U.S. The ship was also a “floating gallery of fine art,” as Art Net recently noted, showcasing everything from a 1912 Renault luxury car to this bronze statue, a replica of the Diana of Versailles. The original statue is housed in the Louvre, but on the Titanic, it was placed above a fireplace, as shown in a photograph taken onboard.

RMS Titanic Inc., a Georgia-based company that leads expeditions to document and recover the ship’s relics, recently completed an unmanned mission to the wreck in the North Sea. There, buried in the mud, they found the statue, remarkably free of corrosion.The statue shows Diana wielding a club over her right shoulder, with a stag at her left side. While RMS Titanic leaves some artifacts in place, the Diana of Versailles is likely to be retrieved during future expeditions.

Cars and planes could soon be built using the world’s strongest batteries, thanks to a breakthrough from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.

Researchers have introduced a new type of structural battery that could reduce a laptop’s weight by 50%, make mobile phones as thin as a credit card, or increase an electric vehicle’s range by up to 70% on a single charge. These structural batteries not only store energy but also support structural loads, thanks to stiff, strong carbon fibers that store electrical energy chemically. When vehicles, planes, ships, or computers are built from materials that function both as batteries and structural components, weight and energy consumption are significantly reduced.

For vehicles, which require strong designs to meet safety standards, the new battery’s stiffness has increased from 25 to 70 gigapascals (GPa), allowing it to carry loads as well as aluminum but with less weight. “Investing in light, energy-efficient vehicles is a matter of course if we are to economize on energy and think about future generations. We have made calculations on electric cars that show that they could drive for up to 70 percent longer than today if they had competitive structural batteries.”

The researchers aimed to make the technology commercially viable, leading to the creation of Chalmers Venture company Sinonus. They have received significant interest from the automotive and aerospace industries. However, transitioning from lab-scale production to large-scale manufacturing will require substantial investment. “It will require large investments to meet the transport industry’s challenging energy needs, but this is also where the technology could make the most difference,” added Professor Asp.

Thirty years ago this month, botanists in Australia discovered a pine tree species near Sydney that has been around since the time of dinosaurs.

To mark this milestone, the Botanic Gardens of Sydney are auctioning off six saplings to promote interest in this ancient conifer. The auction’s outcome is hard to predict, given the rarity of such high-profile plant sales.

The original 90 trees exist in a highly protected area, with entry restricted even for scientists. Unauthorized access can result in up to two years in prison and a $330,000 fine under the Australian Biodiversity Conservation Act. This strict control helps prevent the introduction of harmful plants, parasites, and diseases that could devastate this rare species. The Wollemi pine, which evolved 91 million years ago and was thought to be extinct for 2 million years, was rediscovered in 1994 in the Blue Mountains. It has survived major global events, including the comet impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.

For the past 30 years, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has been planting the Wollemi pine in other locations to help ensure its survival. John Siemon, Director of Horticulture at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, hopes the auction winners will share their passion for conserving plant species and find suitable homes for the saplings.

Scientists have developed a groundbreaking gene therapy that dramatically improves vision in patients with a genetic disorder causing early vision loss. The therapy targets the specific gene responsible for the condition, leading to significant improvements—up to 100 times better vision for some patients, with the highest dose resulting in a remarkable 10,000-fold enhancement. For instance, a person who could previously only see in bright light might now be able to see clearly on a moonlit night.

This therapy, tested on 15 individuals (including three children) with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA1), tackles a rare genetic mutation affecting around 100,000 people worldwide. LCA1 causes severe vision loss from infancy, and even with corrective lenses, patients typically couldn’t achieve better than 20/80 vision (meaning they need to be 20 feet away to see what others can see from 80 feet). In the trial, a gene therapy called ATSN-101 was injected directly into the eye. Patients experienced noticeable improvements within a month, with benefits lasting at least a year. Those receiving the highest doses saw the most dramatic results, including better mobility in low-light environments.

This trial, funded by Atsena Therapeutics, is part of a growing wave of gene therapies restoring vision in patients with inherited disorders. Earlier this year, another breakthrough using CRISPR gene editing also led to vision improvements in patients with a different mutation linked to LCA.

In Oklahoma’s Choctaw Nation, a powerful new sculpture, “Eternal Heart,” has been unveiled to celebrate a remarkable bond that has endured for over 170 years. The sculpture, a heart intertwined with a Celtic trinity, symbolizes the enduring friendship between the Choctaw Nation and the Irish people.

The story begins in 1847, during Ireland’s devastating Great Famine. Despite having endured their own hardships, including the forced relocation from their ancestral lands, the Choctaw people raised $170 (equivalent to about $5,000 today) to help those suffering in Ireland. Their selfless donation was sent to Midleton, County Cork, a gesture of compassion across oceans and cultural divides.

Nine years ago, a silver monument in Cork was dedicated to commemorate the Choctaws’ generosity, with tribal leaders invited to attend. Choctaw Chief Gary Batton reflected on this unique connection, noting, “The bond between our nations has strengthened over the years,”

This bond was rekindled in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Navajo and Hopi nations faced severe struggles, the Irish people responded by raising $2.7 million through GoFundMe, with many contributors leaving heartfelt messages of gratitude, remembering the Choctaws’ generosity.

One remarkable aspect of this story is that the recipients of the Choctaw donation in 19th-century Ireland were unaware of its source until many years after the famine had ended. To their amazement, the aid came not from their fellow Catholics or countrymen but from the Native American Choctaw Nation—people they knew only from colonial writings and popularized depictions.

In 1995, Irish President Mary Robinson visited the Choctaw Nation to express formal thanks and was even made an honorary Choctaw chief. This visit marked a renewed commitment to this friendship, one that is now immortalized in the “Eternal Heart” sculpture. As sculptor Samuel Stitt said, “The Choctaw culture of giving and caring for others is passed down to each generation. The ‘Eternal Heart’ is an artistic interpretation of how the Irish people and Choctaw Nation will forever be connected by that human characteristic of compassion—one people for another.”