SWIM

MIT researchers have built a paper-thin swimming robot that moves using living muscle cells rather than motors. The soft robotic swimmer can navigate through watery mazes, demonstrating precise control of biohydraulic movement in a device thin enough to be flexible like paper. The work highlights growing progress in biohybrid robotics, where engineered living tissue is combined with synthetic materials to create machines that move in ways conventional robots cannot.

A striking underwater photograph of a Pacific Trumpetfish, known in Hawaiian as Nākolo, shows the slender yellow fish hovering beside the wall of an ocean cave. The image, shared as part of a daily sealife photo feature, is drawing admiring comments and inquiries about purchasing prints of the marine wildlife shot.

BTS took home three awards at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, becoming the first Korean group to win Song of the Year. The award went to "SWIM," the title track from their fifth album "ARIRANG," honored at the ceremony held September 27 local time. The triple win marks another historic milestone for the group's international recognition.

Dutch former speed skater Erben Wennemars has spoken warmly about swimmer Maarten van der Weijden, calling him 'a philosopher in swimming trunks'. Wennemars' comments highlight the respect Van der Weijden commands in Dutch sport, known for his marathon swimming and charity endurance swims. The remarks are circulating in Dutch sports media.

Images of a whale swimming alongside a small fishing boat in the open ocean are circulating widely, with commenters saying the comparison makes the animal's enormous size finally comprehensible. Many responses describe being surprised that photos and documentaries fail to convey how large whales are until they are seen next to a familiar object like a vessel.

A presentation of a new book by Novella Calligaris, the legendary Italian swimmer, took place in Rome on Wednesday 30 September. The event drew attention from the sporting world, with federations and fans celebrating the career of one of Italy's most iconic athletes. Calligaris remains a benchmark figure in Italian swimming history.

Spanish swimmer Mireia Belmonte has been inducted into the Florida Swimming Hall of Fame, honoured as the best Spanish swimmer, La Vanguardia reports. Belmonte, an Olympic medallist and multiple world champion, is being celebrated in Spain for the international recognition of her career.

A new multipurpose robot has been unveiled that can fly through the air, sail on the water's surface, and swim underwater, all autonomously. Reported by Popular Science, the vehicle combines three modes of travel in a single platform, pointing to potential uses in environmental monitoring, search and rescue, and ocean research. Coverage highlights how unusual it is for one robot to operate across air and water without human control.

A wildlife photographer captured a green sea turtle, known in Hawaiian as the honu, swimming beside an outflow pipe along west O'ahu. The image was shared as a photo of the day and is drawing attention from ocean and marine life enthusiasts, with prints offered to interested buyers.

Water Babies swim classes are being highlighted as a way to teach children water safety throughout the year, not just in summer. The segment frames swim lessons as part of a community effort in parenting, with instructors helping young children build confidence and safety skills in the water year-round.

Researcher Jenkins says one of the most surprising signs of recovery on the reef is the return of sharks, known as men in the grey suits. Juvenile white tips came back unexpectedly, and larger sharks are now seen swimming around the reef both day and night, a sign the ecosystem is regaining health.

A wildlife photograph showing an anhinga perched on a log with its wings spread to dry, taken in soft morning light with the bird mirrored in calm water below, is drawing attention from birding and nature photography enthusiasts. The snake-like waterbird, common in the American Lowcountry, is known for spreading its feathers after swimming since it lacks waterproof plumage.

The North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Center in South Carolina is organizing a fundraiser to support the fight against breast cancer. The announcement comes as communities across the region take part in breast cancer awareness activities, with local fitness and recreation facilities often hosting charity swims, walks and fitness events to raise money for research and patient support.

Donny's Devil presented its swimsuit collection on the New York Fashion Week runway, with model Raebel Neary walking the show. Footage of the 4K slow-motion catwalk appearance has drawn large audiences, suggesting the label's swimwear designs and the model's runway walk are attracting significant attention from fashion viewers worldwide.

A resident of Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands has signed up for a HighLife membership, saying £30 a month covers unlimited swimming and gym use across 25 leisure centres in the region. They plan to swim daily and look forward to watching Ross County, known as the Staggies, play at weekends, calling the membership phenomenal value.

Researchers have developed a new propulsion method for small robots that uses low-power twisting movements, allowing them to hop and swim without large amounts of energy. The approach could make miniature robots more practical by reducing power demands while keeping them mobile across different environments.

A swimmer in Dorset, England, has taken on a 261-mile swim for the ocean after finding a bag of rubbish on a local beach. The story highlights how a single piece of litter sparked a long-distance challenge raising awareness of marine pollution, with environment-focused readers sharing it as an example of individual action turning frustration into positive change.

Researchers at Cornell University have designed a large underwater robot modelled on the oarfish, a deep-sea creature known for its long ribbon-like body and distinctive dorsal fin. The team studied how the fish propels itself with a rippling fin along its body and reproduced that movement in the robot, aiming for efficient, stable swimming at scale for future underwater exploration.

The former Barnes & Noble building is set to be filled by four new tenants: a swim school, a jeweler, a fitness center and an ice cream shop. The leasing plan revives a large retail space left vacant by the bookstore's closure, replacing a single big-box occupant with a mix of recreational, retail and food businesses.