Astronomers may have found a new way to investigate the Universe's first supermassive black holes. A faint gravitational-wave hum detected through pulsars could contain clues about ancient objects. Hypothetical Dark Stars, powered partly by dark matter, could have left black-hole descendants. These ancient black-hole seeds could grow and merge, producing part of the gravitational-wave background.

The northern spotted owl, once a revered icon of environmental activism, faces dire circumstances as it becomes functionally extinct in numerous regions. A recent study indicates a severe decline in its populations throughout their historical habitat. Factors such as habitat destruction and rampant wildfires have severely impacted the species over the years, while the encroaching barred owl emerges as a formidable threat.