Among the fish populations that could be harmed by the Xayaburi dam in Laos is the critically endangered Mekong giant catfish, considered by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the world’s largest freshwater fish. The fish, which grows to 650 pounds and about 10 feet long, is only found in the Mekong River. It is migratory, moving between downstream habitats in Cambodia upstream to northern Thailand and Laos each year to spawn. Some experts fear the Xayaburi dam could block the migration and drive the giant catfish to extinction. (Photo by Courtesy of Zeb Hogan/University of Nevada, Reno)

A juvenile blackcap is recorded in the soft light of morning at Minorca, UK, a former open-cast mine near Moira in the National Forest on June 18, 2025. Dr Heather Gilbert, research and evidence manager, checks mist nets among wildflowers and young trees as part of long-term monitoring that shows bird numbers have increased by 48 per cent over 30 years. (Photo by Rod Kirkpatrick/RKP Photography)

Sisters Martha Syrett, 6, left, and Etta Syrett, 4, right, measure one of Ian Paton's huge pumpkins at Pinetops Nurseries, Lymington, Hants, UK on October 5, 2025. An enormous pumpkin grown by a pair of green-fingered twins has smashed two world records – it is the heaviest and the longest pumpkin on the planet. Ian and Stuart Paton grew the pumpkin which weighed in at 2,819.8 pounds (1,278.8 kg) – the equivalent of about two bulls. (Photo by Ollie Thompson/Solent News & Photo Agency)

Harry Potter collectible busts are displayed in the home of Menahem Asher Silva Vargas, after he was presented with a Guinness World Record title certificate for the largest collection of Harry Potter memorabilia, in Mexico City, Monday, September 29, 2014. Silva's collection consists of more than 3000 individual items, including trading cards, wands, and books in multiple languages. (Photo by Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo)

Survivors pass by two large boats after they were washed ashore by strong waves caused by Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban city, Leyte province central Philippines on Sunday, November 10, 2013. Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms on record, slammed into six central Philippine islands on Friday leaving a wide swath of destruction and hundreds of people dead. (Photo by Aaron Favila/AP Photo)

The Berenson robot strolls among visitors during the exhibition “Persona : Oddly Human” at the Quai Branly museum in Paris, France, February 23, 2016. The Berenson robot, developed in France in 2011, is the brainchild of anthropologist Denis Vidal and robotics engineer Philippe Gaussier. Its programming allows it to record reactions of museum visitors to certain pieces of art and then use the data to develop its own unique taste, which allows “Berenson” to judge whether or not it likes a certain work of art within an exhibition. (Photo by Philippe Wojazer/Reuters)

Tourist take pictures at Mai Khao Beach, as a plane approaches the Phuket International Airport in Phuket, Thailand March 17, 2016. With its palm-fringed beaches, Buddhist culture and racy nightlife, Thailand has been the poster child for Asian tourism for decades, attracting a range of visitors from backpackers and adventure-seekers, to families and culture vultures. But dark clouds could be forming even as a record of 32 million tourists are expected this year. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

A child plays in front of “Etnias”, a large graffiti wall by Brazilian graffiti artist Eduardo Kobra created ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Porto Maravilha in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 30 July 2016. The Olympics start on 05 August. Eduardo Kobra hopes to set a Guinness World Record for the largest graffiti created by a single artist. (Photo by Lukas Coch/EPA)