Second Life

Used electric vehicle batteries could be given a second life as large-scale storage, helping Europe hold on to the solar and wind power that is currently wasted when supply exceeds demand. Reporting describes the retired batteries as 'a gold mine' for the energy transition, since they can store cheap renewable electricity and release it when the grid needs it, easing curtailment and supporting Europe's shift away from fossil fuels.

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, who left school as a child to help support his family in the Philippines, has been awarded an honorary doctorate, capping a long personal pursuit of education alongside his fighting career. The story highlights how the former multi-division world champion and senator continued studying later in life, and it is being shared as an inspirational example of perseverance and second chances.

Volunteers are taking apart firearms and forging the metal into garden tools and works of art, turning instruments of violence into objects of everyday use and beauty. The initiative gives decommissioned weapons a second life while drawing attention to gun violence and how communities can respond to it creatively.

A chimpanzee in Louisiana that had gone blind can see again after undergoing cataract surgery. The procedure restored the animal's vision, and the story has drawn attention as a striking example of veterinary medicine giving a captive primate a second chance at a normal life. It is being shared as a feel-good animal news item.

A guide circulating online outlines ten practical ways to give an aging Android phone a second life instead of throwing it away. Suggested repurposing ideas include turning the device into a useful tool for daily routines, from smart home controller to media player, highlighting how old hardware can still be surprisingly handy.

Photographs of boats running along Bangkok's Khlong Saen Saep canal are being shared as a reminder that the waterway functions like a second highway through the Thai capital. The images show commuter boats cutting across the city while residents carry on daily life along the banks. The canal's express boat service remains one of the fastest ways to cross central Bangkok, bypassing the city's notorious road traffic.

The New York Review of Books has published 'Second Chances,' a piece by Wilfrid Sheed on office politics, drawing renewed attention to the late essayist's writing. Readers are sharing and discussing the article, praising Sheed's wry observations about workplace life and reflecting on how his take on ambition, loyalty and second chances in the office still resonates decades later.

Euronews reports on proposals to give retired electric vehicle batteries a second life as stationary storage across Europe. Repurposed packs could soak up surplus solar and wind power that is currently curtailed and release it when generation drops, reducing waste and supporting the EU's energy transition. Commenters in energy and climate circles are sharing the piece as an example of turning a growing battery waste problem into grid infrastructure.

A woman expecting her first child at 44 says Anne Hathaway's description of later-in-life pregnancy as a 'buzzer beater' struck a chord with her. In the analogy, Hathaway compared having a baby at an older age to a shot taken in the final seconds of a game — later than most, but still a win. The piece reflects a wider conversation about women having children later and the judgment they can face.

A tech writer describes converting a spare Android phone into a dedicated, always-connected Android Auto unit for the car, so their main phone no longer needs to pair at all. The setup keeps navigation, music and hands-free calls running in the vehicle while the primary device stays in the pocket, and the approach is being shared as a practical way to give old hardware a second life.

WVU Medicine in West Virginia has held its second annual luncheon bringing together survivors of ECMO treatment, a life-support therapy used for patients with severe heart and lung failure. The event reunites former patients with the medical teams who cared for them and highlights the hospital system's growing ECMO program.

A new shop has opened in Urbana with a focus on encouraging the reuse of materials, creativity and community engagement. The News-Gazette highlighted the opening in its 'It's Your Business' column. The store is positioned as a local hub where residents can give items a second life while connecting with others in the area.

Brighton-based design studio Gomi is transforming discarded Barbie dolls and other plastic waste into colourful tech products such as speakers and chargers. The studio melts down non-recyclable plastics to create marbled, one-of-a-kind designs, drawing attention for showing how toy waste and hard-to-recycle plastics can be given a second life as consumer gadgets.

The Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators is being featured for its work rescuing and rehabilitating injured and orphaned wild animals before releasing them back into their natural habitats. The organization's volunteers and rehabilitators care for a range of native species, offering the animals what the group describes as a second chance at life in the wild.

Engadget has published a guide listing ten practical ways to repurpose an old Android phone instead of throwing it away. The piece offers ideas for giving ageing devices a second life, from everyday utilities to recycling, and is aimed at Android users wondering what to do with handsets left in drawers after upgrades.

An open-source enthusiast has given a 13-year-old router a second life, upgrading its RAM and storage chip, adding I2C and GPIO ports, and building a screen and buttons into the lid. The device runs a custom-compiled OpenWrt system with cross-compiled Raspberry Pi and Arduino code, and reportedly works. The project is drawing attention as an example of how open-source software can extend the life of old hardware well beyond its intended lifespan.

The Emmabuntüs collective is being highlighted in a new article by Good Tech, which covers its work on Linux accessibility, computer refurbishment and digital inclusion, including projects in Togo. The team thanked the outlet for the coverage, and the piece is drawing attention to the volunteer project's efforts to give old hardware a second life with a beginner-friendly Linux distribution.

An Engadget piece highlights that Ethernet cables can serve purposes beyond improving home internet. With certain add-ons, the cables can be repurposed for other uses, giving old or spare cabling a second life. Technology enthusiasts are sharing the article, sparking conversation about clever ways to reuse common networking hardware already lying around homes and offices.

A Japanese golfer is documenting a solo golf trip across Hokkaido, playing North Valley Country Club as part of a journey aiming for Cape Soya, Japan's northernmost point. The round report highlights solo-booking golf, senior players and second-life golf travel, with stops around places like Obira and Maruseppu.

Indian battery company Pointo is expanding into three growth areas: e-auto rickshaws, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and second-life batteries repurposed from electric vehicles. The company says these segments will drive its next phase of growth, tapping into India's accelerating shift toward electric mobility and grid-scale storage demand.

Cleveland is converting two former landfills into new energy facilities, giving the closed sites a second life as sources of power for the city. Local coverage highlights the projects as part of broader efforts to reuse brownfield land and expand clean energy capacity in northeast Ohio.

A reflective essay arguing that while life offers second chances, some mistakes can never be corrected is drawing attention online. The piece, written by Christopher Akong, urges readers to be careful with their choices and relationships, framing life as a journey of opportunities where caution matters. It resonates with readers as a moral reminder about responsibility and consequence.

A personal essay recounts how a woman survived an extreme trauma and then deliberately rebuilt her life on her own terms, framing survival not as an ending but as the start of a second, self-directed chapter. The piece is being read as a message of resilience and bodily and personal autonomy, themes that have struck a chord with readers following it in the context of wider human rights conversations.