Current Events

David Brennan’s reporting on the “Mystery Drones Over Denmark” in ABC News talks about the unusual drone oversights that were caught in Denmark, sparking speculation about the cause and risks associated with this mystery attack. On Wednesday night, officials reported that the drone sightings prompted the closure of many airports, including Aalborg Airport, frequently used by the Danish army, located on the tip of Denmark's Island. According to a statement made by Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard on Thursday, similar drones were also seen flying over southern cities like Esbjerg and Sonderborg. These attacks have been described as a “hybrid attack,” pointing faults at many countries, the main one being Russia. As Russia denies these blatant accusations, the Danish government thinks of these attacks as a “‘hybrid attack…to create fear’” and to “create discord…to make us afraid” (Brennan). The purpose of these oversights has not yet been identified, as there is no evidence as to where and who they came from. 

Defense Minister Troels Lund on Thursday said during a press conference that this is the work of a “‘professional actor’” (Brennan). This attack happening at so many places at one time is virtually impossible, which is why Lund says this. Authorities have taken action as several investigations are underway to find the cause and “origin of the drones” (Brennan). While this is happening, authorities are also making sure the public feels safe and protected during this time of uncertainty. 

While the case of mystery drones remains unsolved in Denmark, the people of New Jersey may be able to relate to this incident. About one year ago, drones were seen flying over houses in New Jersey, as many were scared and uncertain about what was to come. Eighth-grader Isha Nair shares some firsthand accounts of seeing the drones over her house. “These strange devices flying over my house caused confusion and a sense of fear for me about why nothing was being done. It was really a time of uncertainty, when our everyday lives had just been interrupted by the appearance of these strange drones.” She recalls the feeling of apprehension while also wondering what was going on.

 She also looks back on her friends' reactions as she says, “The next day at school, all of my classmates and friends were speculating about what was happening, and just hearing the crazy theories being thrown around, it all just became a little too real.” As seen, many people were scared and confused about what the next steps would be in securing our state and protecting our people. Relating to Denmark's drones, the use of unauthorized drone activity over locations like homes, schools, and more causes chaos and fear. A couple of weeks later, the New Jersey drones were labeled as research by the FAA, while the recent Denmark drone activity is still a mystery. Whether drone activity is for research or really a “hybrid attack,” it causes much disagreement among people. 

https://abcnews.go.com/International/mystery-drones-denmark-hybrid-attack-defense-minister/story?id=125918649

(News Source that was used)

Image Source: defensenews.com

In a groundbreaking discovery, NASA’s Perseverance Rover has identified what may be potential signs of ancient life on Mars. The rover found some images that appear to be ancient bacterial life, and this biosignature is the closest we’ve come to finding   living organisms on Mars. This sample, collected from an ancient dry riverbed in Jezero Crater, could have preserved evidence of microbacterial life that the rover recently picked up.  It is certainly evident that while the findings are not definitive proof of life, they represent a major leap forward in the search for extraterrestrial organisms. Although the images were released in September 2025, these images were captured by the rover in July 2024. The compelling evidence could mean that there was once life on Mars, and this information could greatly improve, assist, and enhance NASA’s scientific research on Mars and our knowledge of the solar system in general. 

The rover, using high-resolution imaging, captured the possible biosignature images, and Oak Hill student Riya Sethi says, “This discovery on Mars can really boost space exploration and help us to eventually live on Mars…anything is possible.” She mentions that the idea of potential space exploration on this planet may be possible in the near future, given this discovery and recent advances in technology. 

Honestly, this discovery is  looking quite promising in terms of future exploration and the  possibility of potential life on Mars. After all, Venus was once habitable billions of years ago, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Mars was as well. Although the ancient microbacterial life found was a minor discovery, it was a major step for NASA and cracking the key to life and civilization on Mars because it could potentially tell us the conditions in which life could survive on Mars and significantly boost space exploration. 

For further information, reference https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-says-mars-rover-discovered-potential-biosignature-last-year/.

Image credit: The Guardian

Hurricane Season began from June 1st this year and is planned to end November 30th, but since then, there have been three major hurricanes and cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean according to ABC News. They were classified as Hurricanes Imelda, Gabrielle, and Hermberto. Hurricane Imelda passed through Bermuda on Wednesday, October 1st. It caused a major power outage within the Bermuda Region and knocked down several homes in North Carolina washed them into the sea. These hurricanes are causing rip currents, coastal flooding, and beach erosion along the East Coast of the United States. Imelda was classified as a tropical hurricane, but lost its status as a Category 2 hurricane soon after Thursday, October 2nd, when it left the Bermuda area. Both hurricanes Gabrielle and Hermberto caused large amounts of damage in the Southern and Western parts of the United States, but both have receded with faint remnants of both in the damage they had caused. Hurricane Imelda isn’t scheduled to hit the US anytime soon, but it will still cause life-threatening rip currents and flooding near the Eastern Coast. 

How to properly prepare for a hurricane or storm in your area:

Evacuation Routes:

Make sure that you and your family have a safe place to evacuate. Make sure that in case of an emergency, each member of your family knows where to meet up in case someone gets separated during an emergency. 

Emergency Kits:

Packing an emergency kit with food, water, and safety supplies can really help if anything happens. It could provide you with enough resources during emergency situations. Other things an emergency kit includes also has a first aid kit, communication tools such as a radio and walkie-talkie, and flashlights.

Shelter:

Make sure to know where the nearest emergency care center is in case of injury and there are multiple shelters throughout Holmdel that act as protection for those who are injured or in need of resources such as food and water. 

Staying up with the news:

This is important during a disaster so you can get warnings and safety instructions about what is happening and what to do. It might tell you to evacuate certain areas or give you shelter-in-place instructions. This could potentially save lives if people are aware of the dangers and what is happening during natural disasters.

Image Credits: whoi.edu

Decades ago, on a riverbank in central China, an unusual skull was discovered. This skull was undoubtedly human, but it did not fit into any known classification groups. With the help of new technological advances, scientists have been able to digitally reconstruct the “squashed skull”. What the image revealed shocked historians and scientists alike, as it led to an exciting discovery about an ancient human relative. 

The large, mysterious skull found in China, called the “Dragon Man” skull, has now been confirmed to belong to a group of ancient humans known as Denisovans. For many years, scientists only knew about Denisovans from small bone and tooth fragments and from their DNA. But now, with this skull, we finally know what one of them might have looked like. The skull has a big brain, a wide face, and strong brow ridges, showing that Denisovans were powerful and well-adapted to their environment.

This discovery is very important because it helps scientists fill in missing pieces of human history. After the researchers digitally reconstructed more than 100 other skull fossils, they discovered that to fill in these missing pieces, the timeline of evolution would need to change and shift to fit the newfound information, according to the journal Science. Denisovans lived in Asia thousands of years ago at the same time as Neanderthals and early modern humans. They were part of a complex web of ancient human groups that sometimes lived together and even had children with each other. This means that some people today still carry small amounts of Denisovan DNA in their genes.

By studying the Dragon Man skull, scientists can learn more about how humans changed and spread around the world. It shows that Denisovans were not just living in one small area but likely traveled across Asia. This new information gives us a clearer picture of where we came from and reminds us that human history is full of different groups mixing and sharing their world. It’s like finding a missing puzzle piece that makes the whole story clearer.

News Sources Used:

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/25/science/skull-denisovans-dragon-man-human-evolution

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ado9202#core-collateral-purchase-access

Image Credits: Science.org

Over the last decade, Switzerland has lost about 25% of its glacier (ice) mass, due to global warming driven by humans. Top Swiss glaciologists at the Swiss glacier monitoring group GLAMOS and the Swiss Academy of Sciences reported a 3% decline in the total volume of Swiss glaciers in the past year alone. While this might seem insignificant, billions of gallons of freshwater have been drained and wasted this year from Swiss glaciers, as Switzerland contains the most glaciers in Europe. Winter in Switzerland was abnormally warm this year; with very little snowfall, the cold weather season failed to slow glacier melt, but instead started it earlier than usual this year. Just a number of months later, intense summer heatwaves spanning from June to August in Switzerland only accelerated the melting. Melted glaciers sometimes introduce more water than is accommodated into ecosystems, leading to imbalance and harm. Runoff (water) from glaciers could be lost forever as it sinks into the ground. One of the most common risks, though, is that, the loss of glaciers can make the surrounding terrain uneven, producing disasters like large landslides or avalanches that could hurt any surrounding beings. Rapid glacier melt inflicts detrimental effects on the local Swiss regions and surrounding European countries. 

The marks left on Switzerland by global warming were inevitable, as the international issue continues to worsen. The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) reported that the ten warmest years in the historical record have all occurred in the past decade (2015-2025), sourced from human activities. We release greenhouse gases like methane and CO2 emissions that trap heat in our atmosphere, contributing to this detrimental process.  Luckily, there are many simple actions to control the amount of greenhouse gases individuals put into the atmosphere. 

Here are 3 EASY ways suggested by the UN (United Nations), an international peace-promoting organization that plays a crucial role in addressing global issues: 

Save energy at home - Much of our electricity and heat are powered by coal, oil, and gas. Using less electricity will lower the amount of greenhouse gases produced by generating energy at home. When you’re done with or don’t need any electrical appliances, remember to turn them off so you don’t expend any unnecessary electricity! 

Walk, bike, or take public transport - The world’s roadways are clogged with vehicles, most of them burning diesel or gasoline. If your destination is nearby, walking, biking, and public transportation are all great ways to get in exercise while reducing the amount of greenhouse gases you produce!

Reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle - Many products you use are manufactured, which releases massive amounts of greenhouse gases during production in factories. Saving and reusing your products will help lower the amount of products manufactured.

It’s never too late to start making a change in lowering global temperatures! If us humans continue to raise global temperatures, our world will be on the receiving end of these negative effects in the future — not just Swiss glaciers.