Starting 28 July 2025

Welcome to this week's news, all summarised with amazing AI. Join us as we explore exciting places, meet historical figures, discover amazing animals, and learn about cool science. Each article is packed with fun facts that will expand your knowledge and spark your curiosity.

🥔 Food

National Geographic · 31.07.25Scientists finally know where potatoes come from, and the answer is very weirdNew research traces the genetic ancestry of the popular root vegetable to a brief plant romance millions of years ago.

🍅 A long time ago (about 8 to 9 million years ago!), a tomato like plant and another plant had a plant romance, and together they made the very first potato!
🥔 Scientists discovered that potatoes belong to the same plant family as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, they're like plant cousins.
🧬 By studying plant DNA, scientists found out that potatoes got special genes from tomatoes and another plant that let them grow yummy underground tubers.
🌱 Today, scientists want to grow potatoes from seeds (instead of just pieces) so they can make stronger, healthier potatoes that don't get sick as easily.
🥗 Potatoes are now one of the world's most important foods, and all thanks to that ancient tomato family tree!

National Geographic · 01.08.25Eating the food on your plate in a certain order is better for your health, here's whyResearch increasingly suggests that nutrient sequencing, eating macronutrients like protein and fiber in a particular order, can benefit everyone.

🥦 If you start by eating vegetables and fruits first, then eat protein like chicken, fish, or eggs, and finally finish with bread, rice, or pasta, it can help your body work better.
🍎 Eating food in this order can help your body have steady energy during the day so that you don't feel sleepy or tired after.
💪 Following this way of eating helps kids and adults stay healthy and strong because it keeps the sugar in your blood from going up and down too quickly.
🥗 When you start with vegetables, they fill up your stomach with healthy fiber and water, so you feel full faster and don't eat too many snacks or sweets.
🥕 You can do this at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the good thing is that you don't need to eat less food, you just change the order of how you eat it.

🥔 Fun Fact!

The first potatoes were grown in space in 1995! NASA and scientists wanted to test if they could grow food for long space missions.

🏺 History

National Geographic · 31.07.25Explaining the Legend of AtlantisWhat has kept the myth of Atlantis for so many thousands of years?

🏝️ A long time ago, a Greek thinker named Plato told a story about a rich and magical island called Atlantis, where people lived with the sea god Poseidon's protection.
🏗️ Atlantis was described as a place with shiny gold, animals, and beautiful islands connected by canals.
🌍 Many people have guessed where Atlantis could be, near Greece, or even under ice, but scientists don't think it was real.
🌋 A giant volcano exploded on an island called Santorini thousands of years ago, which may have inspired the story of a place sinking into the sea.
📚 Plato made up the Atlantis story to teach lessons: the people of Atlantis became greedy, so the gods punished them, and their city disappeared under the ocean.

Kids News · 29.07.25Scans uncover secrets of Egypt's 2300-year-old Bashiri mummyFor more than two millennia, this Egyptian mummy known as the untouchable one has stayed under wraps for fear of damaging it, until now. Find out what hi-tech scans revealed.

🧐 Scientists used special X-ray scans to look inside a very old Egyptian mummy called the untouchable one without unwrapping it.
🗿 The mummy is about 2,300 years old and was a man who lived during the Ptolemaic Era (a long time ago in Ancient Egypt).
🏺 His wrapping is super fancy, the pattern on his face looks like a pyramid, and there are pictures of gods like Isis, Nephtys, and Anubis on his mummy case.
✍️ Scans showed his name was written on the mummy, but scientists aren't sure if it says Pacheri or Nenu.
🚇 In other news, tunnels were also discovered deep under the city of Rome, they will open for people to visit in a few years!

🦷 Fun Fact!

Ancient Egyptians invented toothpaste! Their recipe included crushed eggshells, ox hooves, and pumice stone mixed with water.

🌊 Environmental

Kids News · 30.07.25Find out how the global network of tsunami warning systems worksThe world's worst earthquake in 14 years off the coast of Russia set off tsunami alerts in multiple countries and waves hit the coast of Russia and Japan, so how does Australia stay alert and safe?

🌀 A very big earthquake happened in Russia and it made giant waves called tsunamis that went to Russia and Japan, but Australia stayed safe.
🌊 Tsunamis happen when the bottom of the sea moves suddenly because of an earthquake, a volcano, or a landslide, and this pushes a lot of water to make big waves.
🌍 Australia is in a safe place far from most of the big cracks in the Earth, but scientists still watch the oceans all the time just in case.
🛟 There are special machines like deep ocean buoys, tide gauges on piers, and supercomputers that work together to warn people when a tsunami might be coming.
🚨 If these machines find a dangerous wave, Australia's warning centre quickly sends messages to the police, TV, radio, and the internet so people can leave the beach and stay safe.

CBC Kids News · 01.08.25Megaflash! Longest lightning bolt ever sets new record at 829 km in spanScientists have announced that a 2017 lightning bolt has set the record for the longest lightning flash in recorded history.

⚡ In 2017, a HUGE lightning bolt called a megaflash happened in the United States, and it was so long that it broke the world record at 829 km (that's like a giant light stretching from Texas all the way to Kansas City!).
🚗 To understand how long that is, if you tried to drive from the start of the lightning bolt to the end, it would take 8 to 9 whole hours in a car!
🛰️ Scientists only found out how big it was recently because they used special satellites and new technology that can see and measure super long lightning bolts in the sky.
🌩️ Megaflashes are very rare, they are lightning bolts that stretch more than 100 km long (normal lightning is shorter!).
🏠 Lightning can be dangerous, so if there's a storm, the safest place is inside a strong building or a car with a roof, not outside, not at the beach, and not on a motorcycle.

⚡ Fun Fact!

Lightning strikes Earth about 8.6 million times per day! That's about 100 lightning bolts every second.

🐍 Animals

NewsForKids.net · 30.07.25World's Smallest Snake Found Again After Almost 20 YearsThe world's smallest snake, the Barbados threadsnake, hadn't been seen in almost 20 years. Scientists were beginning to think that the tiny snake might be extinct. But in March, researchers searching a forest in Barbados found one of the snakes under a rock.

🐍 Scientists in Barbados found the world's smallest snake again after almost 20 years, it is called the Barbados threadsnake, and for a long time, people thought it might have disappeared forever.
🔎 These snakes are super tiny (only 3 to 4 inches long), blind, and look a lot like earthworms, but they are actually snakes that live in tiny holes underground and mostly stay hidden.
🌳 They usually live under rocks in forests, but almost all the forests in Barbados have been cut down, which makes it very hard for these rare snakes to find a safe home.
🐜 It eats termites and their eggs, but another snake called the Brahminy blind snake came to the island and eats the same food, so it is making life even harder for the threadsnake.
🎉 After searching in 20 different places, scientists finally found these rare snakes again in March, and now they want to study them carefully so they can protect them and help them survive.

BBC Newsround · 30.07.25New species of ancient shark discovered in cave, say researchersIt's been found in the world's longest known cave system.

🦈 Scientists have discovered a brand new tiny species of shark deep inside a cave in Kentucky, USA, that lived millions of years ago.
🦷 This ancient shark, called Macadens olsoni, had very special spiral shaped teeth that made it look very different from modern sharks.
📏 Even though it was a shark, it was very small and grew to less than the size of your school ruler, which is only about 30 centimeters long.
🐛 A long time ago, when the cave was covered with water, this shark liked to eat little creatures like worms and shells instead of big fish.
🏞️ The cave where the fossil was found is called Mammoth Cave, and it is the longest cave in the entire world and full of amazing fossils that tell us about animals from the past.

🐍 Fun Fact!

Snakes don't have eyelids! They sleep with their eyes open and have a clear scale called a brille that protects each eye.

🎬 Sports & Entertainment

BBC Newsround · 01.08.25Spider-Man: Brand New Day suit sneak peek revealedOur friendly neighbourhood web-slinger has got some new threads.

🕷️ Spider-Man is getting a brand new suit in the next movie called Spider Man: Brand New Day.
🎨 The suit is still red, but now it has raised webbing that makes it look extra cool.
🎥 Tom Holland will play Spider Man again for the fourth time next year.
🕸️ Fans are guessing if the new suit is inspired by the old Tobey Maguire suit, the sleek Garfield suit, or Tom's high tech suit.
🤩 Sony only showed a tiny peek, so everyone is super excited and curious to see the full costume!

National Geographic · 01.08.25Swimming just might be the best exercise out there. Here's why.Experts detail the benefits of swimming, from strengthening your muscles to reducing inflammation and boosting your mental health, and how to get started.

🏊‍♂️ Swimming makes your heart and lungs super strong, helping you stay healthy and full of energy.
💪 It exercises almost every muscle in your body from your arms to your legs without hurting your joints.
🔥 Swimming burns lots of energy and can help you stay fit (but you might feel extra hungry after!).
😊 Being in the water can make you feel happy, relaxed, and less stressed, it's good for your brain too.
🌊 Anyone can try swimming, young or old, because water makes it gentle and safe for everyone.

🕸️ Fun Fact!

The original Spider-Man costume in the comics was red and black, not red and blue! The blue parts were just highlights to show the red areas in a different light.

📋 This Week's Summary

FoodScientists traced the potato's past
FoodThe order you eat your food matters
HistoryThe myth of Atlantis is very old
HistoryA 2300 year old mummy is scanned
EnvironmentalGlobal alerts keep countries safe
EnvironmentalA 2017 flash was the longest ever
AnimalsSmallest snake found in Barbados
AnimalsA new species of shark was found
Sports & EntertainmentSee Spidey's Brand New Day suit
Sports & EntertainmentSwimming is great for your mind

Amazing Fun Facts You Won't Believe!

Here are some incredible facts about the topics we covered that will blow your mind!

🕸️ Spider-Man Facts

The original Spider-Man costume in the comics was red and black, not red and blue! The blue parts were just highlights to show the red areas in a different light.

🏊‍♂️ Swimming Facts

Your body can burn up to 500 calories in just one hour of swimming! That's why Olympic swimmers eat up to 10,000 calories per day during training.

🏺 Ancient Egypt Facts

Ancient Egyptians invented toothpaste! Their recipe included crushed eggshells, ox hooves, and pumice stone mixed with water.

🌊 Ocean Facts

The Pacific Ocean is so big that all of the world's continents could fit into it with room to spare! It covers more than 30% of Earth's surface.

⚡ Lightning Facts

Lightning strikes Earth about 8.6 million times per day! That's about 100 lightning bolts every second.

🐍 Snake Facts

Snakes don't have eyelids! They sleep with their eyes open and have a clear scale called a brille that protects each eye.

🦈 Shark Facts

Sharks can detect one drop of blood in an Olympic sized swimming pool! Their sense of smell is so powerful they can detect prey from hundreds of meters away.

🥕 Food Facts

Carrots were originally purple or white! The orange carrots we eat today were specially grown by Dutch farmers in the 17th century.

🥔 Potato Facts

The first potatoes were grown in space in 1995! NASA and scientists wanted to test if they could grow food for long space missions.