What’s worth knowing

There is a version of the news written to frighten mothers, and you have already read enough of it. This is the other version. News and discoveries, with dates and sources, written the way we would share them with a friend at the school gate. If something matters for your family we will tell you plainly. If it does not, we will leave it out.

20 Apr

Young readers choose a dinosaur book as their science favourite

More than 11,000 young judges helped choose a comic-style journey through prehistoric life.

via The Royal Society

A mother and daughter reading a book together. Illustrative photograph, not an image of the specific event or discovery reported.

18 Jun

Lucy data reveals an asteroid with an unusual wobble

An analysis of the Donaldjohanson flyby found a complicated rotation and clues to the asteroid's past.

via NASA

The Milky Way stretches across a star-filled night sky. Illustrative photograph, not an image of the specific event or discovery reported.

26 Jan

A city summer picture book wins the 2026 Caldecott Medal

Cátia Chien's illustrations in Fireworks receive one of children's publishing's major honours.

via American Library Association

Children choosing books from a little free library. Illustrative photograph, not an image of the specific event or discovery reported.

8 Jan

Kew's annual discoveries include tiny orchids and a new snowdrop

An annual account of botanical discoveries shows how much there is still to name and understand.

via Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

White orchid blooms and a bud against a textured wall. Illustrative photograph, not an image of the specific event or discovery reported.

22 Jul

A museum reopening announcement brings flight history back into view

The Smithsonian's July 2025 announcement described five galleries and the return of familiar spacecraft.

via Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Historic aircraft displayed in a museum gallery. Illustrative photograph, not an image of the specific event or discovery reported.

28 May

Millions of plant specimens become easier to explore from home

Kew's 2025 data-portal launch brought historic plant and fungal collections to a wider audience.

via Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The rich green leaves of a growing plant. Illustrative photograph, not an image of the specific event or discovery reported.

15 Apr

The first confirmed wild footage of a colossal squid shows a youngster

A remotely operated vehicle recorded a small juvenile deep in the South Atlantic.

via Schmidt Ocean Institute

Sunlight filters through underwater kelp. Illustrative photograph, not an image of the specific event or discovery reported.

19 Mar

Euclid's first survey release puts millions of galaxies in view

Three deep-field mosaics offered an early look at the telescope's much larger mapping project.

via European Space Agency

A distant spiral galaxy surrounded by stars. Illustrative photograph, not an image of the specific event or discovery reported.

12 Mar

One rocket carries two different ways of studying space

SPHEREx and the four PUNCH satellites launched together in March 2025 with different scientific jobs.

via NASA

A rocket lifts off above a plume of white smoke. Illustrative photograph, not an image of the specific event or discovery reported.

10 Jan

A panda debut announcement included a way to watch from home

The Smithsonian's January 2025 plans paired the pandas' public introduction with an online camera return.

via Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

A giant panda resting in its enclosure. Illustrative photograph, not an image of the specific event or discovery reported.

The Mama Who Knew

One email a week, early on Sunday. The week’s news, one recipe, one story, and a line or two from us. Everything here is free to read, whether or not you join.