Superconductivity dies and then comes back to life



By Dr. Tim Sandle
SCIENCE EDITOR

DIGITAL JOURNAL

April 11, 2026


Superconductor. Image by Tim Sandle

A strange new kind of superconductivity has been discovered in uranium ditelluride (UTe2). Here, electricity flows with zero resistance (albeit only under extremely strong magnetic fields that should normally destroy it). Uranium ditelluride is an unconventional spin-triplet superconductor with remarkable resilience to magnetic fields and potential applications in quantum computing.

Superconductors are materials that exhibit zero electrical resistance and expel magnetic fields when cooled below a certain critical temperature, allowing for highly efficient electrical conduction. Superconductors are crucial for quantum computing because they enable the creation of qubits, which are the fundamental units of quantum information.

Strangely, with the new finding, the superconductivity disappears at first and then dramatically reappears at even higher fields, earning it the nickname the “Lazarus phase.”

Lazarus of Bethany is a mythical figure of the Biblical New Testament, a figure whose life is restored by Jesus four days after his death, as told in the Gospel of John.

Researchers from Rice University successfully uncovered and subsequently explained an unusual form of superconductivity that only appears under extremely strong magnetic fields.

Why Are Superconductors Important?

Superconductors are crucial due to their ability to conduct electricity without resistance, leading to significant advancements in energy efficiency, medical technology, and high-speed transportation.Medicine: Superconductors are used in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines, where they create strong magnetic fields necessary for high-resolution imaging of internal organs.

Energy Transmission: Superconducting cables can transmit electricity over long distances with minimal energy loss, significantly enhancing the efficiency of power grids.

Transportation: Maglev trains, which use superconducting magnets, can float above tracks, reducing friction and allowing for faster travel.

Quantum Computing: Superconductors are integral to the development of qubits, the basic units of quantum computers, enabling unprecedented computational power.

Particle Accelerators: Superconducting materials are used in particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider, allowing for the acceleration of particles to near-light speeds.

Coventionally, magnetic fields disrupt superconductors. Even relatively modest fields tend to weaken superconductivity, while stronger ones usually eliminate it entirely once a critical limit is reached.

UTe2 breaks this rule. In 2019, scientists discovered that it can remain superconducting in magnetic fields hundreds of times stronger than what typical materials can withstand.
A Superconducting “Resurrection” at Extreme Fields

This strange behaviour quickly drew attention across the physics community. In UTe2, superconductivity disappears below 10 Tesla, which is already an extremely strong field, but unexpectedly returns at field strengths above 40 Tesla.


A Tesla (T) is the SI unit of magnetic flux density, representing the strength of a magnetic field, defined as one weber per square meter (a weber is a smaller unit of magnetic flux).

It transpires this phase depends strongly on the angle between the magnetic field and the material’s crystal structure. The measurements by the scientists showed that the superconducting region forms a toroidal, or doughnutlike, shape that surrounds a particular axis within the crystal.

The measurements revealed a three-dimensional superconducting halo that wraps around the hard b-axis of the crystal.

Experiments confirmed that superconductivity changes with the direction of the magnetic field. An experimental model showed how orientation plays a crucial role in whether superconductivity survives or returns in UTe2.

In terms of what is happening, the researchers propose that some phenomenon is causing electrons to pair into Cooper pairs.


Cooper pairs are pairs of electrons that are bound together at low temperatures, playing a crucial role in the phenomenon of superconductivity.

The next stage of the research revealed that Cooper pairs in this material behave as if they carry angular momentum, similar to a spinning object. When a magnetic field is applied, it interacts with this motion, creating a directional effect that produces the observed halo pattern. This insight helps explain how magnetism and superconductivity can coexist in materials with strong directional properties like UTe2 – a ‘metamagnetic transition’.

Subsequently scientists are now debating what causes this metamagnetic transition and how it influences superconductivity.

The research appears in the journal Science, titled “High-field superconducting halo in UTe 2.”

African charity says suing Prince Harry over ‘reputational harm’


By AFP
April 10, 2026


Britain's Prince Harry faces a new court battle with an African AIDS charity that he co-founded but quit in a dispute over its management - Copyright AFP/File Brook Mitchell

An African AIDS charity co-founded by Britain’s Prince Harry said on Friday it had launched legal proceedings against him for “reputational harm”, after a bitter dispute about its management.

Harry helped found the Sentebale charity in 2006 in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana. But he quit the institution last year amid a bitter governance dispute with its chairperson.

“Sentebale has commenced legal proceedings in the High Court of England and Wales,” the charity said in a statement sent to AFP.

“The charity seeks the court’s intervention, protection and restitution following a coordinated adverse media campaign conducted since 25 March 2025 that has caused operational disruption and reputational harm to the charity, its leadership and its strategic partners,” it said.

Online court filings show the prince is a defendant alongside Mark Dyer, who was also previously a trustee of Sentebale, according to UK media reports.

“The proceedings have been brought against Prince Harry and Mark Dyer, identified through evidence as the architects of that adverse media campaign, which has had significant viral impact and triggered an onslaught of cyber-bullying directed at the charity and its leadership,” Sentebale added.

In August 2025, the UK’s Charity Commission pointed to “mismanagement” at the charity.

But it found no evidence of “bullying” — a charge that had been levelled at Harry by the organisation’s chairperson, Sophie Chandauka, in March 2025.

The charity was launched to help young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and later Botswana.

Harry — the youngest son of Britain’s King Charles III — and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho announced last year they were resigning from the charity, after the trustees quit.

The trustees walked out when Chandauka refused their demand to step down.



– Bitter dispute –



After an inquiry, the Charity Commission said it had “found no evidence of widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir (prejudice against black women) at the charity”.

But it “criticised all parties to the dispute for allowing it to play out publicly”, saying the “damaging internal dispute” had “severely impacted the charity’s reputation”.

It found there was “a lack of clarity in delegations” which led to “mismanagement in the administration of the charity” and issued the organisation with a plan to “address governance weaknesses”.

Chandauka, who was appointed to the voluntary post in 2023, said she “appreciated” the Charity Commission’s conclusions.

She added that the findings “confirm the governance concerns I raised privately in February 2025”.

Speaking to British media after accusing the prince of trying to force her out, Chandauka criticised Harry for his decision to bring a Netflix camera crew to a fundraiser in 2024.

She also objected to an unplanned appearance by his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the event.

The accusations were a fresh blow for the prince, who kept only a handful of his private patronages, including with Sentebale, after splitting with the British royal family in 2020.

He left Britain to live in North America with his wife and children.

Harry chose the name Sentebale as a tribute to Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 when the prince was just 12.

It means “forget me not” in the Sesotho language and is also used to say goodbye.

The court filing comes less than a fortnight after Harry’s own case against a UK tabloid publisher wrapped up in the High Court.

The proceedings against the publisher of the Daily mail and the Mail on Sunday, are the third case brought by the Duke of Sussex in his acrimonious legal battle with the British press.

Harry and six other claimants accuse the publisher of spying on them, including placing listening devices in cars and homes. Associated Newspapers has strongly denied the accusations.
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Carney poised to win Canada majority but affordability pressure looms


By AFP
April 10, 2026


Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Quebec days before a by-election on April 13, 2026 that could see his Liberal Party secure a paliamentary majority - Copyright AFP ANDREJ IVANOV

Ben Simon

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party is poised to secure a majority in parliament in by-elections Monday, but a year into his tenure, hints of vulnerability may be emerging.

A string of recent polls put the Liberals more than 10 points ahead of the opposition Conservatives.

But on a bright chilly morning in a Toronto area — one of three districts holding special elections next week to fill parliamentary seats — some said Carney’s sparkling credentials had not delivered tangible results.

“He talks a good game but nothing ever changes,” said David Gilhooly, 52, who had a long, thick beard and wore a heavy coat as the Canadian winter dragged into April.

Carney led the central banks of Canada and Britain before replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister in March 2025.

Voters had soured on the Liberals after Trudeau’s decade in power and the party was headed for an electoral wipeout.

But Carney transformed the race, persuading Canadians he was the ideal leader to confront the trade conflicts and geopolitical turmoil triggered by US President Donald Trump.

Carney’s Liberals won elections last April but fell just short of a majority.

He has since delivered a series of speeches warning that Canada needs to dramatically reduce its economic and security dependence on the United States, arguing Trump’s presidency had caused a “rupture” in the world order.

The prime minister has announced massive military spending increases and sought new trade deals in Europe and Asia.

The Liberals have also poached five opposition lawmakers to join their caucus.

The stunning defections mean if the Liberals win in two of the three districts holding by-elections Monday, they will take full control of parliament.

Two of those districts, both in Toronto, are seen as safe Liberal seats.



– ‘Slick guy’ –



Gilhooly volunteers at a center that supports people struggling with addiction and homelessness, in a central Toronto area that has for decades been home to waves of immigrant groups.

The district was previously represented by former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, who left Canadian politics to work for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Gilhooly sees Carney as a “slick guy” comfortable in “nice suits.”

But “what are you actually offering on the ground level?” he asked. “I don’t think things are getting better.”

Public surveys support his critique.

The Angus Reid Institute found last month that while the Liberals maintain an eight-point lead over Conservatives (44 to 36 percent), “concerns over the high cost of living are higher than they have been in recent memory for lower-income Canadians.”

Grocery prices are up more than 20 percent since 2022 and unemployment is at 6.7 percent, an elevated number caused partly by Trump’s tariffs.

More than 40 percent of Canadians told Angus Reid they were feeling medium or high levels of financial pressure over issues like food prices and personal debt. That group of voters is far less likely to vote Liberal, the poll found.



– ‘Critical disconnect’ –



The Conservatives are hammering Carney over what they say is his failure to turn rhetoric about economic transformation into relief.

Serena Purdy is the by-election candidate for the left-wing New Democrats in the central Toronto district.

The Liberals have comfortably won the seat in three straight votes and should hold it on Monday.

But Purdy, sitting in a park flanked by row houses, shops and cafes in a historic market area, told AFP that after weeks of knocking on doors she eyes an opportunity.

“I see a critical disconnect between the day-to-day lives of people” and federal policy, she said.

“We’re building momentum.”

But the Liberals remain a political juggernaut for now.

A Nanos poll from last week shows them leading the Conservatives by 15 points. In head-to-head leadership surveys, Carney trounces Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

“I don’t recall any period in the past where the popularity of the incumbent prime minister has shot up so quickly and so profoundly a year after an election,” said Nelson Wiseman, an emeritus politics professor at the University of Toronto.

Small US farm copes with fuel hikes from Mideast war


By AFP
April 10, 2026


Cropsey Farm has been coping with a jump in fuel prices since the start of the Middle East war - Copyright AFP kena betancur

Raphaël HERMANO

An hour’s drive north of New York City, the greenhouses at Cropsey Farm are seeing their first leaves of kale, spinach and arugula emerge. But the farmer who runs the outfit is obsessed with something else: the soaring price of fuel.

Every year, Sue Ferreri typically allows a 10 percent “buffer” for production budgeting, “but it’s well above that now…We’re looking at 20, 25 percent, and it’s mainly due to the diesel cost,” she told AFP.

Fuel prices have jumped after the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, which led to a blockage of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit of oil and fertilizer.

Earlier this week, a gallon (3.8 liters) of diesel — the fuel most used on the farm located in New City — rose as high as $5.70 compared with $3.70 in February.

It’s essential to the entire operation here: irrigating young plants, spraying fertilizers and plowing the soil.

Shipping costs are up, too, Ferreri said, describing “insane” prices for the delivery of essential farm equipment. Recently when she wanted to order a $60 piece of equipment, the shipping cost was $200, she said.



– ‘Pricey’ –



Eight people grow flowers, vegetables and fruit using sustainable farming practices on the ten-hectare (25-acre) farm. Customers include restaurant owners as well as local residents who buy produce in a restored 18th-century barn.

Cropsey Farm was already hit by fuel prices hikes following the war in Ukraine and had begun adapting its methods even before the Middle East conflict broke out.

Now, that shift is accelerating.

“We’ve been switching more to smaller equipment just because it’s more efficient on fuel and it can still do what we need it to do,” said head mechanic Jonah Monahan.

For example, an ATV and walk-behind tractor are now on the farm — both far less energy-intensive than the typical tractor.

But, added Monahan, “for big jobs, we still need the main tractor, which gets pricey.”

In one greenhouse, two women lifted tulip plants out of the ground and used a hand-drawn rolling cart to transport them to a refrigerated shed to await sale.

Everything is done to squeeze fuel costs.



– ‘Relief’ –



Beyond the tool adaptations, Ferreri said the farm is also shifting to “regenerative” practices, such as plowing the soil less deeply and maximizing space by rotating crops or pairing plants.

The rapid adjustments at Cropsey, typical of a small operation, have not yet reached larger farms, said Ben Brown, an agriculture researcher at the University of Missouri.

“At this point, most farms are left with taking the higher prices and figuring out how to make it work financially,” Brown said.

“However, if elevated prices were to continue, we would expect to see producers shift some acreage to lower energy dependent crops,” he said.

Ferreri said the fragile ceasefire agreed between Washington and Tehran gave her some “relief.”

“But as a farmer, you can’t trust the weather,” she said. “We have to just anticipate the worst, hope for the best, and that’s kind of where we’re at.”

University of Saskatchewan positions itself as a quantum innovation hub


ByJennifer Kervin
DIGITAL JOURNAL
April 9, 2026


Photo by Planet Volumes on Unsplash

The University of Saskatchewan is making a bid to play a larger role in Canada’s quantum ecosystem.

A new quantum computer is headed to campus, making it the country’s first university-owned, full-stack, open-architecture system. The move is designed to support research, training, and applied experimentation, while strengthening Canada’s capacity in a technology that is still largely out of reach for most organizations.

The university’s quantum computer will give researchers direct access to qubits, or “quantum bits.” That access opens the door to experimentation in areas like drug discovery and vaccines, in partnership with the university’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, as well as encryption and optimization in sectors like energy and agriculture.

For most organizations, quantum is still abstract, creating a gap between awareness and understanding.

“Just like logging many hours on a flight simulator, you can experience some aspects of quantum computing by accessing hardware remotely,” says Dr. Steven Rayan, director of USask’s Centre for Quantum Topology and Its Applications (quanTA).

“However, just like there is no substitute for flying the actual plane, there is no substitute for having novel technology like this on premises.”

You do not need to build a quantum program today. You do, however, need exposure. Teams that understand how these systems behave will be better positioned when use cases become clearer.

A shift in where innovation happens

This project, backed by $1.93 million from Prairies Economic Development Canada and $400,000 from Innovation Saskatchewan’s Innovation & Science Fund, connects to a broader effort to link Saskatchewan and Alberta through a “quantum corridor.”

The roots of this project is a Letter of Intent between USask and the University of Calgary, with the goal of connecting quanTA and U of C’s Quantum City hub.

“This investment puts Saskatchewan at the leading edge of a technology that is reshaping how quickly we can solve complex challenges,” says Warren Kaeding, Minister responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan.

The quantum computer will run on 14 qubits across two chips.

More importantly, it is a full-stack system, developed with partners including Moose Jaw-based Rigetti Computing and Edmonton-based Zero Point Cryogenics, allowing teams to work across both hardware and software layers.

“Canada’s future prosperity will depend on our ability to compete and lead in the technologies shaping the world ahead,” says the Eleanor Olszewksi, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada

“We are building on Saskatchewan’s research strengths, supporting the next generation of innovators, and helping Canada build a stronger, more resilient economy.”
Final shotsAccess to quantum infrastructure is shifting from theory to hands-on environments. Leaders should look for ways to engage early, even through partnerships with research institutions.

Regional ecosystems are becoming more important. Saskatchewan’s investment shows how universities are shaping where talent and experimentation happen.
The immediate value is not scale, but learning. Teams that understand how quantum systems behave will be better prepared when practical use cases emerge.

Written ByJennifer Kervin
Jennifer Kervin is a Digital Journal staff writer and editor based in Toronto.

In Europe first, Netherlands to allow Teslas to self-drive


By AFP
April 11, 2026


Teslas can already self-drive in the US -- where Elon Musk worked with President Donald Trump for a while, before they had a falling-out - Copyright POOL/AFP Jacquelyn MARTIN

In a first for Europe, the Netherlands is poised to allow Tesla owners to use their car’s self-driving feature — as long as they are in the vehicle and keeping a watchful eye over it.

The country’s RDW agency for roadworthiness certifications said in a statement late Friday: “Thanks to the type approval, the driver assistance system can now be used in the Netherlands, with possible future expansion to all member states of the European Union.”

The move aligns the Netherlands with what is allowed in the United States, where Tesla owners can already use the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) (FSD Supervised) function in the cars.

That mode hands over driving to the Tesla’s computer system, including steering, braking, route navigation and parking, all under the active supervision of the driver, who remains at the controls ready to take over if needed.

The European subsidiary of Tesla, the electric-vehicle company run by the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, hailed the Netherlands’ move.

“FSD Supervised has been approved in the Netherlands & will begin rolling out in the country shortly!” it said on X.

“No other vehicle can do this. We’re excited to bring FSD Supervised to more European countries soon.”

The Dutch RDW agency stressed the difference between FSD Supervised, with a human remaining at the controls, and full autonomous driving.

“A vehicle with FSD Supervised is not self-driving. It is a driver assistance system, and the driver remains responsible and must always maintain control,” it said.

RDW’s decision has to go to the European Commission for authorisation, so that its national certification has EU weight.

Tesla sales have been facing headwinds in Europe — including in the Netherlands — in the last couple of years.

Potential clients have turned off by Musk’s political activism supporting hard-right politics in the US and Germany, while the brand is also facing increased competition from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers.

D.E.I.

Australia names Coyle first woman to lead army


By AFP
April 13, 2026


Lieutenant general Susan Coyle has been named Australia's Chief of Army following a three-decade career - Copyright AFP ATTA KENARE

A woman will command Australia’s army for the first time since its founding 125 years ago, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Monday as he unveiled the “deeply historic” appointment.

Lieutenant general Susan Coyle was named Australia’s Chief of Army following a three-decade career during which she has served in the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

“Her achievement means that she will be the first woman to command a service in Australian history,” Marles told reporters.

“And it is a deeply historic moment. As Susan said to me, you cannot be what you cannot see.”

Australia’s army is in the throes of a major transformation, equipping itself with long-range firepower, drones and other modern combat tools.

Coyle stressed her experience in areas such as cyber-warfare.

“This breadth of experience provides a strong foundation for the responsibilities of command and the trust placed in me,” she said.

French court jails Lafarge ex-CEO for funding IS in Syria


By AFP
April 13, 2026


The French court found Lafarge guilty of paying jihadists to keep its Syria cement plant open - Copyright AFP Delil souleiman

Alexandre Marchand and Eleonore Dermy

A French court on Monday fined the cement group Lafarge over $1.3 million and sentenced its former boss to six years in prison for paying protection money to the Islamic State group and other jihadists to maintain its business in war-torn Syria.

The ruling follows a 2022 case in the United States in which the French firm pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to US-designated “terrorist” organisations and agreed to pay a $778 million fine, the first time a company had faced the charge.

The Paris court found that Lafarge — now part of the Swiss conglomerate Holcim — paid nearly 5.6 million euros ($6.5 million) in 2013 and 2014 via its subsidiary Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS) to jihadist groups and intermediaries to keep its plant operating in northern Syria.

It ruled that Lafarge must pay the maximum fine of 1.125 million euros ($1.31 million) sought by prosecutors during the trial.

It also sentenced the company’s former CEO Bruno Lafont to six years in prison for financing “terrorism”, which a judge ordered him to start serving immediately — even though a lawyer confirmed that Lafont would appeal the ruling.

“This method of financing terrorist organisations, and primarily IS, was essential in enabling the terrorist organisation to gain control of Syria’s natural resources, allowing it to finance terrorist acts within the region and those planned abroad, particularly in Europe,” said the presiding judge, Isabelle Prevost-Desprez.

The company established a “genuine commercial partnership with IS”, she added, saying the amount paid to jihadist organisations — which was “never disclosed” — contributed to the “extreme gravity of the offences”.

Lafarge had finished building a $680 million factory in Jalabiya in 2010, just before Syria’s civil war erupted in March the following year amid opposition to then-president Bashar al-Assad’s brutal repression of anti-government protests.

IS jihadists seized large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a cross-border “caliphate” and implementing their brutal interpretation of Islamic law.

While other multinational companies left Syria in 2012, Lafarge evacuated only its expatriate employees and left its Syrian staff in place until September 2014, when IS jihadists seized control of the factory.

In 2013 and 2014, Lafarge paid intermediaries to access raw materials from the Islamic State organisation and other groups and to allow free movement for the company’s trucks and employees.

It paid jihadists including the Islamic State group and Syria’s then Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.



– ‘Single aim: profit’ –



The defendants included the company, five former members of operational and security staff, and two Syrian intermediaries.

The court found all eight former employees guilty of financing “terrorist” organisations and issued sentences ranging from 18 months to seven years behind bars.

Firas Tlass, a Syrian ex-member of staff who made the payments to the jihadist groups, was sentenced in absentia to seven years in jail.

Former deputy managing director Christian Herrault was handed five years in jail.

Herrault had argued that the decision to keep the factory open was made out of concern for local staff.

“We could have washed our hands of it and walked away, but what would have happened to the factory’s employees?” he said.

Prosecutors said 69-year-old Lafont “gave clear instructions” to keep the plant operation, a decision they called “staggering in its cynicism”.

The French national counterterrorism prosecutor’s office (PNAT) said in its closing argument in December that Lafarge was guilty of funding “terrorist” organisations with “a single aim: profit”.



– Second case ongoing –



Holcim, which took over Lafarge in 2015, has said it had no knowledge of the Syria dealings.

A second case, concerning allegations of complicity in crimes against humanity, is ongoing.

Kurdish-led Syrian fighters, backed by US airstrikes, defeated the IS “caliphate” in 2019.

An inquiry was opened in France in 2017 after several media reports and two legal complaints in 2016, one from the finance ministry for the alleged breaching of an economic sanction and another from non-governmental groups and 11 former Lafarge Syria staff members over alleged “funding of terrorism”.

In the US case, the Justice Department said Lafarge sought the Islamic State group’s help to squeeze out competitors, operating an effective “revenue sharing agreement” with them.

Lafont, who was chief executive from 2007 to 2015, at the time denounced the inquiry as “biased”.

Lost film of French cinema pioneer retrieved from US attic


By AFP
April 13, 2026


The short silent film "Gugusse and the Automaton" by French cinema pioneer Georges Melies had been lost to history until it was found in a trove of film reels donated to the US Library of Congress - Copyright AFP Mandel NGAN

Matthew Pennington with Jeff Kowalsky in Jenison, United States

The battered wooden trunk had been in the family for a century — shifted from attic to barn to garage as it was handed down through the generations. No one knew a cinematic treasure was inside.

That was until retired high school teacher Bill McFarland’s curiosity got the better of him.

For the past 20 years, McFarland, 76, had been the keeper of the trunk, which originally belonged to his late great-grandfather who showed silent movies to audiences in rural Pennsylvania at the turn of the 20th century.

“It was just this trunk of films that seemed too good to throw away. But I had no idea what they were or how to show them,” McFarland told AFP.

He offered them to museums and even tried to sell them through an antique store, whose owner soon told him to take them away after learning vintage nitrate film reels were highly combustible and could explode.

Then last summer, McFarland drove from his home in the northern state of Michigan to the US Library of Congress’ National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper in the southern state of Virginia.

He was in for a surprise — a pleasant one.

– Pioneering short film –

Spliced in the middle of one of the 10 reels was a lost short film by Georges Melies, a French cinema pioneer — the first to experiment with fictional narratives and special effects at the very dawn of moving pictures.

The 45-second film, “Gugusse and the Automaton,” was made in 1897 — just two years after the Lumiere Brothers staged the world’s first public screening of a movie in Paris.

Melies, a theatrical showman and magician, attended that screening and was inspired to make films of his own. He is most famous for “A Trip to the Moon” (1902) with its iconic scene of a rocket landing in the eye of the man in the Moon.

By a decade later, his filmmaking had fallen out of vogue as the center of the movie world shifted from Europe to America.

Melies ended up as a toy seller in Paris’ Gare Montparnasse train station — a story that was dramatized in Martin Scorsese’s 2011 film, “Hugo.” But his legacy endured.

“He was one of the first filmmakers,” said George Willeman, leader of the congressional library’s nitrate film vault, who said the recovered reel was likely a third-generation copy of the Melies original. “And one of the first to experience film piracy.”

– Copy’s miraculous survival –

In retrospect, piracy was a salvation for film historians as it means that Melies’ work lives on.

Reputedly, he destroyed hundreds of his own negatives, and the celluloid was melted down — and some of it used as raw material to make soldiers’ boots during World War I.

While “Gugusse and the Automaton” was known to be in Melies’ back catalogue, no one had seen it until McFarland delivered it to the library in his Toyota sedan last September.

It features a magician — played by Melies — cranking up an automaton that grows in size and then beats the magician on the head with a stick. The magician retaliates by bashing the automaton with a sledgehammer until it disappears, shrinking through a surprisingly slick series of jump cuts.

“These single frame cuts are really precise for a movie this old, and the gags are timeless,” said Jason Evans Groth, curator of the library’s moving image section, who recounted McFarland popping the trunk of his car with the film reels inside when he arrived in Culpeper.

The film’s discovery has taken McFarland on another journey — learning about the life of his great-grandfather William DeLyle Frisbee.

– ‘Ticking time bomb’ –

Born in 1860 in the rural northwest of Pennsylvania, Frisbee was a stocky, mustached man with many strings to his bow.

He grew potatoes, kept bees, made maple syrup and taught school three months each year. In his downtime he would travel by horse and buggy across Pennsylvania and neighboring states with what he called his “exhibition”: a new-fangled Edison phonograph, a magic lantern slide projector and later on, movies.

Well-thumbed pocket diaries describe Frisbee’s travels. “Gave the exhibition at Garland, $5 receipts, rough crowd,” reads one entry, referring to a community in northwestern Pennsylvania.

“I can only imagine Saturday night, they might have been liquored up a little bit,” observed McFarland. “I wonder if there were disappointed customers, or if they were just rowdy? Maybe they were excited at seeing these pictures.”

A century on, and the archivists at the Library of Congress were excited too.

An alarmed McFarland watched specialists whisk the precious reels to a refrigerated vault, already home to tens of thousands of films from the golden age of Hollywood — and specially designed to prevent a nitrate-fueled fire.

“It finally really registered that I had been…carrying a ticking time bomb,” McFarland said.

Library film preservation specialists spent a week restoring the film reel frame-by-frame and digitizing it. The reel was shrunken through age and frayed, but otherwise in remarkable condition for something stashed in sun-heated attics for years.

It’s now a piece of cinema history, viewable on the library’s website.

Daddy Trumpabump’s Detention Camps: a Glyph

Ed Sanders

 April 13, 2026
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Ed Sanders is a poet, musician and writer. He founded Fuck You: a Magazine of the Arts, as well as the Fugs. He edits the Woodstock Journal. His books include: The Family, Sharon Tate: a Life and the novel Tales of Beatnik Glory.