In an ad-hoc ceremony reminiscent of the famous Christmas Truce of the First World War, Chinese and Indian troops along a disputed border region exchanged sweets on Diwali.
The two nations have contested a region called Ladakh for decades, but following a recent agreement to draw back from strategic chokepoints, relations are on the up and up such that the soldiers, who now have mutually exclusive patrolling schedules to prevent accidental conflict, met to exchange presents of sweets on Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
A traditional practice on the holiday, the gifts were exchanged at five designated Border Personnel Meeting Points in much the same way that the Germans and Allies emerged from their trenches and exchanged gifts in no man’s land along the Western Front in the Winter of 1914.
An Indian army official who was not authorized to speak to journalists confirmed that “sweets were exchanged between troops of India and China at several border points on the occasion of Diwali,” according to the Straits Times.
Ladakh itself is part of the Jammu-Kashmir union territory of India, but since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, a portion of land along the border has been claimed by both nations. The two are not divided by recognized borders but by a notional demarcation line called the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a term presented by CCP leader Zhou Enlai as a compromise—that each nation could claim land up the point at which they actually can control it.
While it’s one of the most hotly contested border areas on Earth, each nation prides itself on restraint. It’s said that not since 1975 have shots been fired at men along the LAC.
Such is the reluctance by both forces to ever be the first to fire a shot in anger, the most recent flare-up in tensions escalated into a massive street brawl, lasting 6 hours, involving hundreds of border patrolmen from both sides wielding makeshift hand-to-hand weapons, and causing the deaths of 20 Indians and between 4 and 43 Chinese, all without either group ever opening fire on the other.
On October 21st, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping negotiated a disengagement of several key friction areas along the LAC which was completed, as confirmed by the Indian military scouring the area with drones.
The completion of the disengagement led the Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, to declare “China-India relations are standing at a new starting point,” adding later to reporters that “The most important thing is how to handle the differences.”
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A vast collaboration of birding organizations has organized the largest citizen science project in the history of ornithology—a ‘Big Day’ with 201 countries participating.
Documenting 7,800 species in a single day, (there are around 11,000 species known in the world) the October 12th Big Day succeeded in recruiting 748,000 birders for the job, and producing 66,000 photos for a scientific library.
The 10/12 Big Day was organized by eBird, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the birding app Merlin, and dozens of continental and national birding groups.
“To every birder who took part in October Big Day: thank you. Your passion, dedication, and love for birds are what make this event truly special,” eBird’s press team wrote in a statement. “Together, we’ve contributed data that will help inform the conservation of birds for generations to come.”
The name ‘Big Day’ comes from the typical birding phrase ‘Big Year;’ one in which a birdwatcher plans to try and see as many species as she or he can in a single year.
Standout performances this year were seen in Italy, where eBird Italia registered a doubling of users, and a 229% increase in checklists submitted bettered only by Tanzania in year-over-year increases.
Unsurprisingly, Colombia, which has the largest number of endemic birds of any country on Earth, recorded the highest number of bird sightings. Tanzania recorded the highest number of species in an African country (772) and India recorded the most for Asia (750).
Data from birdwatching events like this can help inform the conservation status of birds year after year. While scientists may be able to carefully track the populations of single animals, such work is expensive and time-consuming.
Along with being free of cost to science, citizen science initiatives like the Big Day create a greater picture of overall bird diversity and abundance.
The next Big Day is on May 10th.
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An extraordinary woman from Texas has claimed a Guinness World Record thanks to her generous heart, and a little help from some other organs.
Alyse Ogletree has set the world record for the most amount of breastmilk donated by a single person—2,645.58 liters—or just about 700 gallons.
It was a record she had previously broken in 2014 following the birth of her son Kyle in 2010. She was told that she could donate the extra amount of milk she was producing to women who wanted to breastfeed their infants but were struggling.
The suggestion was made when the nurses observed how much excess breastmilk Alyse was producing. She was more than happy to donate, and admitted in an interview with Guinness that donating and giving are some of the most important parts of her life.
“I have a big heart, [but] at the end of the day, I’m not made of money and I can’t give away money to good causes over and over because I have a family to support,” Ogletree said. But “donating milk was a way I could give back”.
“I was overproducing and throwing away milk, unaware overproduction was unique and other mothers struggled,” she remembered. “Our first child, Kyle, was in the hospital, and I was filling the nurses’ freezer. A nurse asked if I was donating, which I didn’t know was possible.”
By the time Kyle was finished nursing (and a fair bit after) she had donated 414 gallons (1,569.79) to Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas. She would take up the challenge again after the birth of her two younger sons Kage (12) and Kory (7) such that by the time she finished building her family, she had donated an additional 528 gallons (2,000 liters) to another milk bank—Tiny Treasures—as well as to close friends in need, though these were not counted towards the Guinness World Record.
The Mother’s Milk Bank of North Texas told Ogletree that every liter of milk can feed 11 premature babies, which by her math means that her milk has fed 350,000 infants across Texas if it were all to be used.
Shaina Stanks, the milk bank’s director, said they were “shocked and astonished” by her donation of “an incomprehensible amount of surplus breastmilk to fragile infants.”
“Her life-saving efforts are an undeniable testament to her extraordinary generosity and compassion,” Stanks’ statement added.
The Guardian reports that doctors aren’t really sure why her body seems to be such a natural latteria, but Ogletree stresses her well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet and proper hydration.
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Jacob Haendel whilst receiving treatment in hospital for locked-in syndrome - SWNS
Jacob Haendel whilst receiving treatment in hospital for locked-in syndrome – SWNS
A man labeled “brain dead” has become the first ever to recover from an extreme form of locked-in syndrome, which paralyzed him so completely he couldn’t even blink—which sometimes allows patients with this disease to communicate, and even write books.
In 2017, Jacob Haendel was living a normal life as a head chef in Boston, Massachusetts.
But in the space of just a few weeks, his life was turned upside down after he was diagnosed with acute toxic progressive leukoencephalopathy, which in turn progressed into locked-in syndrome.
Locked-in syndrome can be caused by brain trauma, infection, or exposure to toxins, and results in slow, complete paralysis. Jacob ended up paralyzed and unable to talk or blink for a few months.
“By month five, I was at stage four, which they said no one ever recovers from,” Haendel said. “They told me I would enter into a coma and pass away.”
He is the first ever person to recover from stage 4 acute toxic progressive leukoencephalopathy.
Jacob, now 35, says “everything has changed after what happened. Everything is much more positive in all regards.”
At 27, he developed a strange pattern of symptoms, involving a high-pitched voice, dizziness, and impaired balance. Doctors at a hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, initially suspected Jacob had had a stroke, but tests revealed it was far worse than anyone could have imagined.
“Eight doctors were standing in my room, and I knew right away it was bad news,” Jacob said.
He was told he would lose the ability to walk within weeks, become wheelchair-bound soon after, and lose the ability to speak within a couple of months.
First came chronic pain, then fevers, and three months later he was paralyzed. The famous novella, TheDiving Bell and the Butterfly, was written by a man with locked-in syndrome, by blinking his left eye to select a letter, but Jacob lost even the ability to do that.
“It’s like being trapped—your brain is totally intact, but you can’t communicate with anyone,” he told British news outlet, SWNS.
Jacob Haendel whilst receiving treatment in hospital for locked-in syndrome – SWNS
Unable to move or speak, he could hear everything around him but had no way to let people know he was still there. This included juicy gossip between the nurses who had confused him as being brain dead. At a certain point, Jacob began to wonder if he had, in fact, died, and he was hallucinating.
After 10 months, some of the nurses noticed him moving his wrist, and all heaven broke loose among his doctors.
“They told me to do it again, and that was my one shot, I focused everything I could on moving my wrist.”
He regained the ability to blink, which allowed him to communicate for the first time in almost a year. The first words he said were “I love you” to his family.
– SWNS
Rehabilitation took 18 months, during which time Jacob learned basic movements and how to talk again. He then regained his ability to walk with the help of surgeries and physical therapy and by December 2020, he had moved back home with 24-hour care as the only known person to recover from the disease.
In 2021, Jacob co-founded a mobile app, Ahoi, designed to help people with disabilities navigate accessibility challenges when out and about.
“Before this happened to me I was always a fun, outgoing guy, but deep down, I was sad and depressed,” Haendel revealed about his journey. “Now, even with all the challenges, I appreciate the little things. But it’s still been a strange and traumatic period, it will take a long time to get over.”
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Quote of the Day: “True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth.” – Eleanor Roosevelt (Honoring Veterans Day 11/11)
Photo by: Kevin Delvecchio
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A four-year-old girl, who doctors said would never walk, has defied expectations to take her first steps.
When she was a baby, Scottie Mae Blair was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome—a rare genetic condition that causes severe physical and learning disabilities. Her parents were told to expect that their daughter would not be able to walk, talk, read, or live independently.
However, a year later, they received a call from doctors reporting that Scottie Mae had been misdiagnosed. Then two-years-old, she actually had DUP15q syndrome, a similar but less severe disorder.
This meant that Scottie Mae was now more likely to reach these milestones, but medical professionals didn’t expect her to hit them this early.
“Seeing her take her first steps felt so good—like seeing all the work paying off,” said her mom Logan, from Tucson, Arizona.
“While everyone is screaming and shouting in the video, I was sobbing.
“Her sisters are going crazy, they are her biggest cheerleaders and want to see her succeed.”
Scottie Mae began having seizures at 10 months, which was the first sign to her parents that something was wrong.
Logan recalls the day Scottie Mae had her first seizure.
“We went to the ER… She ended up having more than 100 just in that day.”
After all the tests and all the hospital stays, the family is celebrating small victories.
“When first getting a diagnosis, everything seemed dark and I had it stuck in my head that she would not be able to accomplish these milestones.
“As time went on, we found our groove, got more comfortable with seizures, and adjusted to Scottie Mae’s life with Angelman syndrome.”
“With the new diagnosis, we know that it is simply going to take more time than a typical developing child.”
Scottie Mae has attended four different types of therapy every week for the past three years.
“Having a physical therapist who believes in her and knows her potential has made a huge difference.”
The seizures are now no longer as frequent and are controlled by medication.
With her walking milestone now passed (see the moment below), a whole new world has opened up for Scottie Mae. “This changes everything!”
“We know the day is coming where we can confidently let her walk completely on her own.”
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Your attitudes about aging, whether positive or negative, can lead to a better—or worse—cognitive experience in your senior years, suggests a new study from researchers at Penn State.
Getting older comes with certain expectations, from gray hair to wrinkles to forgetfulness. While these beliefs may seem harmless, they may influence how one perceives their own cognitive abilities while they age.
The team found that people who had more positive expectations of aging tended to report less frequent cognitive problems, such as difficulty concentrating or keeping track of what they were doing. They were also less likely to report that their cognitive performance had declined over time.
If we can modify the expectations that older adults have about aging, “we could support healthier cognitive aging” by increasing awareness and teaching accurate assumptions about the process.
“Aging expectations are malleable and influence an individual’s perceptions of their cognitive functioning,” said Nikki Hill, associate professor in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at Penn State, who is first author on the paper published in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Previous research has found that expectations about aging, such as whether a person expects to maintain high levels of activity or if they expect everything to go downhill, are associated with health. Those with more negative aging expectations tend to experience worse outcomes, such as more rapid physical and cognitive decline, while positive perceptions of aging are linked to behaviors that promote health and wellbeing like exercise.
Fotolia
Hill is interested in understanding how older adults experience cognitive changes and how that influences outcomes related to aging. In her work, she said she’s noticed that when people describe their experiences, they often include stereotypical and stigmatized beliefs about aging and cognitive decline.
It led Hill to wonder how people’s expectations about the aging process may influence how they interpret cognitive changes they may experience—a relationship that few studies have examined.
“Do people’s perceptions of what they expect aging to be in the future, in terms of physical health, mental health, cognitive health, affect the way that they perceive their cognitive performance?” Hill said. “If it does, then that gives us more clues about how to interpret people’s reports of cognitive changes and, potentially, how to intervene earlier to support people to maximize their aging outcomes.”
For example, people who are worried about perceived declines in their cognitive function—even if their cognitive health is normal—are at higher risk for developing a cognitive impairment in the future, Hill explained. She said that with conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, there’s a slow, gradual decline in cognitive function over decades and people often experience subtle symptoms before clinical tests identify an impairment in cognition.
The research team conducted an online survey among individuals aged 65 and older in the United States who lived independently and didn’t report any diagnosis of dementia or other cognitive impairment. A total of 581 people completed the survey; 51% of the respondents were women and 74% were non-Hispanic white.
The survey asked about their expectations about physical health, mental health and cognitive function in relation to aging. They were asked to rate statements — for example, “every year that people age, their energy levels go down a little more” — on a four-point scale from “definitely true” to “definitely false.”
To assess their perceptions of their own cognition, participants were asked about their cognitive abilities over the last seven days. They were also asked about their ability to perform certain tasks today compared to 10 years ago to assess whether they believed their cognitive abilities had declined.
The team found that people who had more positive expectations of aging tended to report less perceived decline in their cognitive abilities, both in the last week, and over the last 10 years. On the other hand, more negative expectations of aging were linked to more negative perceptions of their current cognitive performance and whether they perceived cognitive decline.
Attitudes about both physical and mental, and cognitive health affected how they perceived their cognition. People with positive aging expectations in any of the three domains were more likely to rate their cognition higher, while people with negative expectations rated their cognition lower.
“If we can intervene in a way to ground aging expectations more in what is true and less stigmatized, then maybe we can help people clarify what they’re experiencing in terms of cognitive changes, which will support our ability to respond to individual needs for maximizing cognitive health,” Hill said.
The team plans to conduct more research, including how healthcare providers engage patients in conversations about cognitive health and aging.
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Edited from original article by World At Large, a news website of nature, politics, science, health, and travel.
For an entire generation of Americans who were glued to their TVs during the moon landing or watched The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom provided the first glimpse of an Amazon rainforest or a Serengeti savannah, broadcast right into their living rooms via the first wildlife television show—and now it’s coming to the modern screen.
Premiering in 1963 and running for 22-seasons while winning 41 major awards for episodes that were viewed countless millions of times, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom was the series that jumpstarted the wildlife programming we know today, like Animal Planet, Discovery Channel.
Returning to its original home on NBC, Wild Kingdom has been reborn to entice a new generation to protect wildlife—and it is co-hosted by one of the leading alums of the program.
Peter Gros, who joined the original show as co-host in 1985 after Marlin Perkins’ health declined, has brought on Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, a predator ecologist and National Geographic Fellow for the new Saturday morning program—which already won 4 Emmy nominations in its first season. It will also be streaming on YouTube, where fans can reminisce by watching highlights and full episodes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
Gros, whose son is an avid viewer of GNN told Andy Corbley, writing for World At Large, “I think a lot of people were hungry to hear less doom and gloom stories about the future of our planet and its animals and the natural world. We’re getting a lot of nice positive feedback.”
The times they are a-changing
The world has changed since the days of Perkins and Jim Fowler—and much of the change resulted in good news. For example, on two classic episodes, Gros highlighted the plight of the bald eagle and the alligator two of the first animals added to the US Endangered Species List. Today, the eagle is one of the most widespread and numerous raptors in America.
“Back in 1963, when Wild Kingdom first started doing the show with Marlon Perkins, their goal was to affect people’s attitudes about the importance of conservation,” Gros told WaL.
Today, there is seemingly no end to the number of native wildlife species at serious risk, but the new iteration of the show is called Wild Kingdom–Protecting the Wild, and aims to provide some optimism for today’s youth.
“The idea came up, ‘let’s tell the story of conservation successes’. Let’s create some hope, let’s not have this next generation think that it’s too late, because there are solutions to the problems that we have,” said Gros.
“The show we have been filming, is (about) how we do, indeed, have some problems with conservation, but here are some solutions”. Watch an example, from their Season-1 clip about the adorable black-footed ferret…
Gros received the offer to take over for an ailing Marlon Perkins, after making a career designing wildlife enclosures in America’s zoos that were more natural. A childhood romping through a 3,600-acre forest his grandfather had reforested in New York’s Hudson Valley had instilled in him a love of all wild things that eventually led him to a degree in animal husbandry with a focus on big cats.
In a career of more than 40 years in wildlife conservation, Gros has seen many successes. He recounts the story of the Channel Islands fox in one episode, and the recovery program that saved the species from extinction without ever having to move them from their native island. Their numbers were falling from multiple causes. A cattle ranch was destroying habitat, and golden eagles, which prey on terrestrial species, were drawn to the islands from the mainland due to the presence of invasive mammals.
Channel Islands Fox from Wild Kingdom / Youtube
“Rather than collecting foxes and moving them off the island, and facing issues of disease since they were endemic only to the Channel Islands, the raising was done there on the island in large enclosures,” he said. The foxes were an easy meal for the eagles, since they never had to worry about being preyed on before, but once the invasive species were cleared, the golden eagles departed.
The next generation
It isn’t just animal protection that has changed over Peter’s career, but the tech.
“You could spend days near a water hole hoping animals would show up. You spent hours and hours hiding and waiting. And, to get those long sweeping shots, you had to use helicopters”.
“Now what you see is a lot more natural animal behavior in the wild because we have very quiet drones. We don’t have to get close at all, we have these incredible long lenses that shoot in digital and the photography is just incredible. You can set up motion and heat sensing cameras along trails and capture animals coming by. So the advantages to doing the new show is you see so much more natural behavior, and I have to admit, being involved in both eras, it’s much easier on the body too by the way!”
Just as Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom taught Americans about the challenges facing conservation, part of Protecting the Wild’s mission is to inspire the next generation of conservationists with a science-based series—and this summer, it captured a Saturday morning audience on NBC totaling over a million viewers per episode.
Many of the episodes start by addressing the conservation status and threats of an animal featured that week, and then by the end of the show they’ve creating hope through a narration about how this is problem is going to be solved.
Peter Gros and co-host Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant – Wild Kingdom
Gros and his team decided there are so many good stories in North America to tell, they’d start the first season with those—such as the ocelot, a South American wildcat that occasionally strays into south Texas, and the North Atlantic right whale, one of the most endangered in the ocean with only 340 individuals left.
“Their problem is entanglement with lobster pots—literally millions of lines of ropes dangling from buoys in the water in areas where they would be traveling and feeding. Fortunately, again, reasons to hope: we worked with the Woods Hole Institute and their solution is rope-less lobster pots,” he said.
“Like, so many of the projects we’re filming, there are so many agencies, volunteers, and groups working together to make this happen.”
The second season debuted on October 5th, and airs Saturday mornings during NBC’s programming block, “The More You Know”.
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(Left) cropped image by Getty images / Unsplash+ (right) Sheila Tooth via SWNS
(Left) cropped image by Getty images / Unsplash+ (right) Sheila Tooth via SWNS
Artificial intelligence successfully detected a woman’s breast cancer, after a routine scan evaluated by humans came back as ‘normal’.
Sheila Tooth was given the all-clear after her most recent mammogram was examined by two experienced radiologists who determined that there were no signs of cancer. However, University Hospitals Sussex, where she had her appointment, was participating in research to see if AI could improve early detection.
The technology spotted cancerous cells which were undetectable by the human eye, which allowed Sheila, who had been diagnosed with early breast cancer 15 years ago, to get minimal treatment as early as possible.
“It’s extraordinary and I’m amazed,” said the retired nurse from West Sussex, England. “I knew that whatever they could see on my scan must have been incredibly small if it wasn’t picked up the first time.”
The mother-of-one was diagnosed with the same early non-invasive breast cancer as before—but because it was found so early, she was able to have a lumpectomy and didn’t need any further treatment.
Now, recovering from the surgery, she says she is so grateful for the AI technology.
“When I talk to friends, we just can’t believe this AI can detect what the human eye can’t always see. I just feel so lucky.
“Being 68, this may have been my last mammogram, so my early cancer might have developed into invasive cancer in my 70s, so, I’m deeply grateful for it to have been caught so early.”
Five out of 12,000 ‘normal’ screenings were overturned
University Hospitals Sussex is one of 15 trusts across the UK that participated in the project to test if AI can spot cancers humans may miss. The project used an AI system developed by Kheiron Medical Technologies called Mammography Intelligent Assessment, and was funded by the NIHR and NHS England.
Throughout the two-month project, more than 12,000 mammograms deemed to be normal by radiologists were reviewed using the AI system, which suggested that just under 10 percent of those films should be re-read by a clinical panel to identify any potential cancers that were not detected in the initial screening.
Upon further review, 11 women were asked to come back for investigation. Five of these were found to have breast cancer.
Dr. Olga Strukowska, a consultant radiologist and director at the West Sussex Breast Screening Program, said we are still in the early stages of AI evaluation in clinical scenarios but based on current trials and research, AI will surely find a place in screening programs.
“The earlier and more accurately we detect cancer, the better the chance our patients will have a positive outcome. That’s why this is so exciting.
“It empowers screening services to deliver confident, accurate, timely results through deep learning technology that works with radiologists and promotes high-quality standards of care for our patients.”
Steve Dixon, Senior AI Project Lead for Breast Services, said, “I have no doubt that, in time, integrating AI with clinicians’ expertise will enhance the effectiveness of patient care, improving both outcomes and the quality of service for patients.”
University Hospitals Sussex is now planning to take part in a national randomized controlled trial involving AI – which forms part of the next phase of introducing the technology to breast cancer screening.
Mammogram patients need to be registered with a doctor to be invited for the added breast cancer screening, but Sheila now recommends the technology to everyone, saying, “It’s just fantastic!”
Quote of the Day: “We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.” – Albert Einstein
Photo by: Casey Horner / Unsplash+
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Craig Cullingworth and his daughter Sophie in flight simulator via SWNS
Craig Cullingworth and his daughter Sophie in flight simulator (SWNS)
An Englishman who was told he “wasn’t clever enough” to become a pilot has built an incredible $25,000 flight simulator in his home using spare parts—and now he and his daughter can ‘fly’ every day.
Craig Cullingworth spent two years building his accurate model of a Boeing 737-800NG cockpit with mostly second-hand parts he sourced online.
Now, using a computer program, he takes to the skies with his “obsessed” daughter, Sophie, from the comfort of their home in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
The 40-year-old’s plan to create the replica came after his wife gifted him a simulator experience at a local flight center as a Christmas present.
He then bought a cockpit shell – with all the dials and levers found on the real twin-engine aircraft, and painstakingly turned it into a fully working model (seen in the video below).
He took his maiden voyage about three months ago, saying, “I always wanted to be a pilot, but at school I was told I wasn’t clever enough.”
“My wife got me a Boeing 737 experience because she knew how much I wanted to do it. It was the best experience of my life—and on my way home, I was searching how to build one.
“I found bits and bobs all over the country and started building it in my spare room after work, in a bid that one day I could get it flying.
SWNS
“About three months ago, we did our first flight which I shared a video of on social media and gained lots of positive feedback.”
“My eight-year-old daughter is now obsessed. She takes it in very quickly.”
Craig said his flight simulator teacher, who is also a first officer at Ryanair, thought he was a “natural” after their first lesson together in 2021. And Craig later earned his wings on the lifelike computer model, which professional pilots from carriers like Virgin and Jet2 often use to improve their skills.
Now he likes to fly on his simulator through the skies over Britain so he can have fun navigating tricky regional runways. He’ll take off from Leeds-Bradford and land at Manchester, then go over to the East Midlands airport, and down to Heathrow, needing about three hours to fly to a local airport, land, and then prepare for taking off again to go to the next airport.
“I usually do Leeds-Bradford for the fact that it’s one of the top ten worst airports to land in, and it’s usually quite tricky. It is usually a two-man crew effort, and you share the duties between each other.”
The cost of buying a new Boeing 737 flight simulator is around $70,000 (£55,000), but Craig spent less than half that on his model by using second-hand parts.
Flight simulator experiences cost well over $100 for 30 to 90 minutes of time ‘in the air’, so Craig is thinking about creating a business that offers the unique experience to more aspiring pilots.
“I’ve met people all over the country who have built their own flight sims but you tend to find they are retired pilots, and not people my age. The experience is so hands-on that you won’t know if you’re any good at it until you actually give it a go.” (Watch them in action below…)
Craig, who paints cars for a living, said he may now offer other interested flyers the chance to use his simulator—or others that he builds in the future—as part of a business venture.
“My body shop is expanding so we will have more space for me to set up two or three simulators for people to use, (especially) targeting pilots because they can do their training on these simulators.”
Artist’s Impression of Fastest-feeding Black Hole credit NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva/M. Zamani
Artist’s Impression of Fastest-feeding Black Hole credit NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva/M. Zamani
A team of U.S. National Science Foundation astronomers have discovered a supermassive black hole at the center of an early galaxy just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang that is consuming matter at a phenomenal rate.
Indeed, the black hole appears to be consuming matter at over 40 times the theoretical limit, according to data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory
The black hole’s extreme ‘feast’ could help astronomers at the NOIRLab explain how supermassive black holes grew so quickly in the early Universe.
Supermassive black holes exist at the center of most galaxies, and modern telescopes continue to observe them at surprisingly early times in the Universe’s evolution. It’s difficult to understand how these black holes were able to grow so big so rapidly, but now we have valuable new insights into the mechanisms of that rapid growth.
LID-568 was discovered by a team led by International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab astronomer Hyewon Suh, who examined a sample of galaxies from the Chandra COSMOS legacy survey. The galaxies are very bright in the X-ray part of the spectrum, but are invisible in the optical and near-infrared. JWST’s unique infrared sensitivity allows it to detect these faint counterpart emissions.
The black hole stood out within the sample for its intense X-ray emission, but its exact position could not be determined from the X-ray observations alone. So, rather than using traditional slit spectroscopy, scientists suggested that Suh’s team use the integral field spectrograph on JWST’s NIRSpec—an instrument that can get a spectrum for each pixel in the instrument’s field of view rather than being limited to a narrow slice.
“Owing to its faint nature, the detection of LID-568 would be impossible without JWST. Using the integral field spectrograph was innovative and necessary for getting our observation,” says Emanuele Farina, International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab astronomer and co-author of the research.
JWST’s NIRSpec allowed the team to get a full view of their target and its surrounding region, leading to the unexpected and stunning discovery of powerful outflows of gas around the central black hole.
The speed and size of these outflows led the team to infer that it’s a single episode of rapid accretion. “This serendipitous result added a new dimension to our understanding of the system and opened up exciting avenues for investigation,” says Suh.
“This black hole is having a feast,” says Julia Scharwächter International Gemini Observatory and NOIRLab astronomer and co-author. “This extreme case shows that a fast-feeding mechanism above the Eddington limit is one of the possible explanations for why we see these very heavy black holes so early in the Universe.”
The Eddington limit relates to the maximum luminosity that a black hole can achieve, as well as how fast it can absorb matter, such that its inward gravitational force and outward pressure generated from the heat of the compressed, infalling matter remain in balance.
When LID-568’s luminosity was calculated to be so much higher than theoretically possible, the team knew they had something remarkable in their data.
These results provide new insights into the formation of supermassive black holes from smaller black hole ‘seeds’, which current theories suggest arise either from the death of the Universe’s first stars (light seeds) or the direct collapse of gas clouds (heavy seeds). Until now, these theories lacked observational confirmation.
“The discovery of a super-Eddington accreting black hole suggests that a significant portion of mass growth can occur during a single episode of rapid feeding, regardless of whether the black hole originated from a light or heavy seed,” says Suh.
The discovery, published in a paper in Nature Astronomy, provides the first opportunity for astronomers to study how a black hole can exceed its Eddington limit.
It’s possible that the powerful outflows observed in LID-568 may be acting as a release valve for the excess energy generated by the extreme accretion, preventing the system from becoming too unstable. To further investigate the mechanisms at play, the team is planning follow-up observations with JWST.
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Bo the bloodhound K-9 Officer serves with the Gastonia Police Department in NC / American Humane Hero Dog Awards
Bo the bloodhound K-9 Officer serves with the Gastonia Police Department in NC / American Humane Hero Dog Awards
An 18-month-old bloodhound has won the top prize in the Hero Dog Awards for 2024.
The pup has been saving lives, reuniting families, and solving crimes for most of his young life as a K-9 officer with a North Carolina police department.
Together with partner Sgt. David Rowland, the gentle giant named Bo uses his powerful nose to track down missing people, including children and seniors—and offering them comfort and sloppy kisses, once they’re found.
The pooch competed against hundreds of canines from across the the U.S. in the 14th annual contest that searches for and recognizes America’s standout dogs in five categories: Therapy Dogs; Service and Guide Dogs; Military Dogs; Law Enforcement and First Responder Dogs; and Shelter Dogs.
Beginning in June, Americans nominated hundreds of inspiring dogs nationwide and five semi-finalists in each of the five categories were chosen to go nose-to-nose in a public voting process, during which the 25 were narrowed down to five finalists—with the winner picked by a blue-ribbon panel of judges.
“We are so excited to name Bo as American Humane’s latest Hero Dog,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, President and CEO of American Humane. “In a short time, Bo and David have done extraordinary work as members of the Gastonia Police Department.”
Sgt David Rowland and Bo, Gastonia Police Department in NC / American Humane Hero Dog Awards
“The duo has worked tirelessly and saved many lives thanks to Bo’s courage and top-notch scent tracking skills. It’s these types of incredible stories about perseverance and dedication that this award aims to spotlight.”
Bo began his remarkable journey with the Gastonia Police Department last year. After rigorous training, the bloodhound quickly proving his invaluable skills by locating an elderly dementia patient and an 11-year-old autistic child who had gone missing.
Bo’s achievements didn’t stop there. In a notable case, he tracked down robbery suspects—despite heavy scent contamination—leading to their capture. On a particularly cold January night in 2024, Bo also showcased his extraordinary abilities by tracking a missing elderly patient over miles, and through harsh conditions, ultimately finding them safe.
Bo’s most touching moment came in May 2024 when he found a 7-year-old child who had been taken at knifepoint, making him a true hero and inspiring presence within the department.
Gastonia Police Department in NC / American Humane Hero Dog Awards
Bo and the four other finalists will be honored at the 14th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards and Gala in Palm Beach, Florida on January 8, hosted by Christie Brinkley and Carson Kressley.
Two of the other stand-up dogs being honored, include Dayo and Niki:
Dayo won the semi-finals in the Therapy Dog category and has been a certified therapy dog and a regular visitor of a pediatric palliative care center in San Leandro, California. His presence brings smiles and comfort to patients, families, nurses, and staff alike. Dayo also lends his support at Camp Erin, a bereavement camp where he helps children cope with loss and extends friendship to adults with disabilities. During the school year, he helps high school students manage their exam stress.
K-9 Niki, a Belgian Malinois-Shepherd mix with the U.S. Coast Guard, topped the Military category with her career that includes 250 high-stakes operations, during which she logged more than 4,000 working hours. She secured major events like the Rose Bowl, Seattle Sea Fair, and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and played a crucial role in protecting high-ranking officials and vital maritime infrastructure. She also aided in the conviction of a dangerous felon who had been on the run for two years, by finding a firearm that significantly advancing the case.
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of November 9, 2024
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
In the life cycle of a butterfly, the earliest stages are larva and pupa. As a larva, the future beauty crawls around as a caterpillar, cramming itself with nutritive substance. After it transitions into the pupa state, it’s inert for a while, working on the inside of its cocoon to transform itself into its ultimate form. I don’t want to be too literal about the comparison, but my sense is that your time as a larva will last another two months, whereupon you will begin your pupa phase. When will you emerge as a winged creature? It depends on how earnestly you work as a pupa, but I expect no later than March 2025.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys, is one of the most innovative and imaginative songwriters ever. Many of his compositions have become bestselling hit tunes. But he had a rough start in his craft. The first song he ever wrote was “Surfin.’” He submitted it to fulfill an assignment in his high school music class, but his teacher gave it an F, the lowest possible grade. 58 years later, Wilson returned to the school for a visit, and the new principal changed his original grade to an A… I foresee a comparable event occurring in your life sometime soon: a vindication, restitution, or reparation.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Earlier this year, 79-year-old rock singer Rod Stewart performed his greatest hits during a multi-city tour in many countries. “I shall never retire!” he proclaimed. Can you guess what astrological sign he is? Capricorn, of course. Many members of your tribe age very well, displaying stamina and vitality into later life. I bring this to your attention because I think you are close to discovering new secrets and tricks that will serve you well as you ripen. Here are some meditations that might be helpful: 1. What haven’t you been ready to do before, but might be soon? 2. What fun things would you love to be doing years from now, and how could you seed their future growth?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Scientists have discovered the fossil remains of over 700 dinosaur species buried underground. But the experts agree there are many more down there. Previously unknown species are still being unearthed every year. Let’s use these facts as a metaphor for your life in the coming months. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you could learn a host of fresh truths about your history. You may have imagined that your past is finished and finalized, but it’s not. I encourage you to have fun hunting for revelations and investigations that will transform the story of your life.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
You haven’t fully tapped into all of your vast potentials, Pisces. Latent talents and aptitudes within you may still be at least partially dormant. It’s even possible that some of your future powers are so foreign to your self-concept that they will feel like magic when they finally come into full expression. Now here’s the very good news: The coming months will be an excellent time to figure out what you need to do to express a more complete version of yourself.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
I rarely recommend acquisitive behavior. But my analysis of the astrological omens tells me you now have cosmic authorization to indulge in a sublime version of voracity. We might also refer to it as a license to practice a spiritually correct variety of greed. Here’s the fine print: You should NOT interpret this as permission to amass materialistic treasures and status symbols. Instead, the things you gather will be rich feelings, encounters with inspiring beauty, epiphanies about your divine purpose, and exquisite states of consciousness. You can also ask for and receive colossal supplies of love and affection.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
The last time I ate a hamburger was in 1994. I doubt I will ever eat another. Why? The taste is not enjoyable to me, and no matter how well I chew it, my stomach always rebels. Does my attitude toward hamburgers mean I am a judgmental, close-minded zealot? No, it doesn’t. I don’t proselytize to those who relish burgers. In this horoscope, dear Taurus, I am illustrating an approach I hope you will cultivate in the coming weeks. Be extra zealously devoted to your ideals and proclivities without condemning and dismissing those who don’t share them.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
There are numerous approaches to getting good results from meditation. One is to sit silently and still in a tranquil sanctuary. Another is to lie on the ground under a dark sky and beseech the stars to bestow inspiration. One of my personal favorites is to sing rowdy hymns to birds, insects, and trees while hiking vigorously in nature. How many other varieties can you imagine, Gemini? The coming weeks will be a favorable time to develop and expand your meditation skills. Here’s a key consideration: How can you achieve maximum fun while meditating? I recommend you free your mind to experiment with a host of interesting approaches.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
If there was ever an appropriate time for you to indulge in creatively rowdy thoughts and inspirationally unruly behavior, it would be now. Life is giving you license to de-emphasize decorum and formalities—and to emphasize boisterous enthusiasm and plucky adventures. For the sake of your mental health, I believe you need to engage in experimental improvisations that include maverick expressions. What areas of your life need liberation? What feelings need to be released from their constraints? What worn-out old theories and opinions should be abandoned?
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Are your talents even slightly underrated and overlooked by others, Leo? Have your gifts received less than the full appreciation they deserve? Could you be of greater service and inspiration to your fellow humans if only your offerings were better known? If you answered yes to any of those questions, I’m pleased to tell you that the coming months should bring remedies. Life will be conspiring with you to help spread your influence and boost your clout.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
I wish it were true that the forces of darkness are lined up in opposition to the forces of light. Life would be so much easier for you. But I’m afraid it’s not that simple and clear. In my view, a more accurate metaphor might be that the energies of smokey grey are squaring off with the energies of dusky beige. Each side has a touch of both wrongness and rightness, a bit of ugliness and beauty. So what is the most honorable role you can play in this showdown? My suggestion is to develop a third side, an alternate way.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
In the early part of his career, Libran author Mario Puzo wrote short stories and novels, but at age 49, he was asked by director Francis Ford Coppola to co-write the script for the film The Godfather. It turned out to be a sensational rookie effort. He was ultimately awarded an Academy Award for it, and later garnered another Oscar for his screenplay for The Godfather Part II. It was only then that Puzo realized he had found his calling and decided he should study the art of screenwriting. In the first chapter of the first book he bought about the subject, he read with great amusement that the ideal screenplay was the one by Mario Puzo for The Godfather. I bring this story to your attention, Libra, because you are approaching a time with resemblances to Puzo’s situation before Coppola solicited his work. Trust your rookie instincts!
WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com
Quote of the Day: “Cultivate a talent for appreciating the joys of watching and helping things grow: a child, a creative project, a tree, a friendship, your bank account.” – Sharon Smith
Photo by: Anna Evans
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Various brain mri scans - Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Various brain mri scans – Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
A breakthrough in understanding how and why some cancer tumors are particularly aggressive and non-responsive to treatments has placed blame on breakaway strands of roguish DNA.
The discovery implicates several documented forms of cancer, including of the breasts, lungs, and brain, and also offered hope for identifying and treating these tumors in future patients.
The center of the discovery is something called extrachromosomal (external from the chromosome) DNA, or ecDNA for short. Sequences of our genetic coding are wrapped tightly around histones with the help of 23 pairs of chromosomes. This keeps the code small enough to fit inside a cell nucleus.
In some cases, DNA can break off the chromosomes and sit apart inside the nucleus, a rare occurrence that was once considered insignificant in the development of cancer. However, in a series of three papers published by a coalition of US-UK researchers, these bits of ecDNA were found to be present in tumor cells of some of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers.
“This is not just a discovery about what can make cancer so bad, it is actually pointing the way to a new set of therapies,” said Paul Mischel, a professor of pathology at Stanford University, author of one of the three papers, and director of the lab in which all three were conducted.
“There’s a path forward for developing new treatments because this type of DNA is different and it creates vulnerabilities that are different,” he told the Guardian.
The ecDNA fragments, found in 17.1% of all tumors examined in the studies, carried cancer-driving genes and other genes that suppress the immune system. The studies also found that ecDNA can replicate—chaotically—and that this also drives cancer growth.
Tumor cells were sometimes found to contain far more fragments of ecDNA than others, signifying that once apart from the DNA-histone-chromosome structure, they don’t divide evenly along with the cell. Some daughter cells inherit far more ecDNA than others.
The good news is that drugs called CHK1 inhibitors were found to selectively destroy tumor cells containing ecDNA in mice when given alongside a traditional anti-cancer drug.
David Scott, the director of Cancer Grand Challenges at Cancer Research UK, which funded the studies, noted that this treatment, if observed in humans, would have the effect of “cutting the lifeline” these tumors rely on to evade traditional and more novel immunotherapy treatments.
“Many of the most aggressive cancers depend on ecDNA for survival, and as these cancers advance, ecDNA drives their resistance to treatment, leaving patients with few options. By targeting ecDNA, we could cut the lifeline of these relentless tumors, turning a terrible prognosis into a treatable one.”
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Facing one obstacle after another, the operators of NASA’s Voyager 1 probe continue to find creative solutions to keep the farthest manmade object from Earth transmitting radio communications.
Launched in 1977, it is currently 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth, and is now well beyond the heliosphere, the bubble of particles emitted by the Sun that extends beyond Pluto and out into interstellar space.
Recently, a days-long communication blackout was triggered after a radio command sent by Earth to turn on the probe’s heaters. For some reason, the heating command, which is used to temporarily undo damage sustained by radiation, activated a failsafe that instantly shuts off all non-essential functions to conserve power.
One of those functions was the more high-powered radio transmitter called the X-band, which allows for the probe to send large packages of science data back to Earth. Such messages take 23 hours to arrive, but compared to the S-band, the secondary radio transmitter that uses a different frequency, it’s by far the more powerful.
The S-band hasn’t been used since 1981—there hasn’t really been a need, as it isn’t powerful enough to send back telemetry (flight status and diagnostics) or the data collected by the probe’s monitoring instruments.
“The S-band signal is too weak to use long-term,” said Bruce Waggoner, the Voyager mission assurance manager. “So far, the team has not been able to use it to get telemetry, let alone science data. But it allows us to at least send commands and make sure the spacecraft is still pointed at Earth.”
The engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, believe that the failsafe reduced the potency of the X-band frequencies, and sure enough, were able to find it faintly among the signals received by the Deep Space Network, a series of satellite dishes that allow NASA to communicate with its autonomous spacecraft all over the solar system.
Then, on October 19th, the X-band signal ended altogether.
The team at JPL doesn’t want to command the probe to turn on the X-band until they’re sure there’s no risk of draining too much power too quickly. Instead, they were able to use the S-band frequency three days later to confirm the probe was still alive, and just conserving power.
If they could get the X-band transmitter working again, it would allow them to receive telemetry data containing information on what happened. As the probe continues to drift further into interstellar space, there’s a very real chance another failsafe event could be triggered, shutting the X-band down again.
GNN reported that in March 2024, JPL managed to hone in on an issue that was preventing two-way communication with the probe for months.
After diagnosing and fixing this issue by dividing corrupted computer code into short sections and storing them in different places on the probe’s flight data subsystem before ensuring the onboard computer could find them again, JPL once again issued commands to restart sending scientific data on May 19th, 2024.
All four instruments were eventually restarted. They gather data on plasma waves, magnetic fields, and particles beyond the solar system.
“We never know for sure what’s going to happen with the Voyagers, but it constantly amazes me when they just keep going,” Suzanne Dodd, Voyager’s project manager, told CNN in April.
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Going on 10 years, the municipal government of Seoul has been collecting used furniture from luxury hotels and donating it to low-income earners and homeless city residents.
Over that time, partnerships with 14 different luxury hotels in the Seoul metropolitan area have seen 120,000 used furniture items distributed to low-income housing, homeless facilities, and other shelter initiatives.
This year, the program has recruited an additional 10 hotel partners, which along with boosting the amount of furniture collections, will also maintain an employment opportunity pipeline to those who are out of work and in danger of living on the streets.
“We express our respect and gratitude to the 24 hotels that have helped create a better Seoul through sincere support beyond corporate social responsibility,” a Seoul government official said.
“Sponsored goods from the refurbishment process of luxury hotels will be provided to families with little household goods, which will play a major role in enhancing the self-esteem and satisfaction of low-income citizens.”
There’s something to be said for the value of not only supporting the bottom line of a low-income earner, but also their “self-esteem.” The sight of well-made pieces of stained wood, brushed zinc, or polished marble, may offer an intangible benefit to someone with the stresses of living near the poverty line that direct financial support may not.
Once collected, the furniture pieces are held by the city government before being distributed to various locations upon request.
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In late October, word broke that the owner of the NHL team representing Tampa Bay—the Lightning—was selling up.
Millions were coming his way via a pair of money managers from New York set to take over during the next 3 years, and the affair seemed like business as usual.
But Lighting Owner Jeff Vinik is anything but usual, and in an email that was both a surprise and not a surprise, he informed the 300 full-time employees of the Jeff Vinik Sports Group they would be sharing in his profits.
$20 million in farewell bonuses would be split between them, depending on conditions currently unreported, but the email stipulated that the minimum amount would be $50,000.
“He’s the best owner in the sport. I have friends who are involved in other sports and they all say the same thing: Jeff is the best,” said Julien BriseBois, the general manager of the Lightning.
It’s not the first time Vinik has opened his bank account for the sake of others, with GNN reporting all the way back in 2011 that he had donated $10 million to “deserving community heroes and charity partners in the Tampa Bay area.”
Johh Romano at the Tampa Bay Times got an exclusive interview with BriseBois after the news of the sale and the email disclosing the bonuses made it to the press.
At the time of Vinik’s takeover, the ‘Bolts’ were nearing insolvency, and were losing both on and off the ice. It was during the 2008 Financial Crisis, when Florida was one of the hardest-hit states.
The GM recounted a conversation he had when Vinik first bought the franchise, when, nearing bankruptcy, losing connection with the fans, and managing one of the worst records in the NHL, Vinik saw an opportunity to do some good.
“He said, ‘Well, I turned 50 and I was wondering what I was going to do with the next chapter of my life,’” BriseBois told Romano for the Times.
“He said, ‘I’ve been very fortunate. I happen to be good at something that made me a lot of money, and I feel I need to give some back. I’ve always been a hockey fan and I thought I could buy a hockey team and use it as a vehicle to improve the lives of people in the community.’”
Writers are speculating that this is exactly what Vinik is aiming to do. In the wake of the worst hurricane season to hit Florida in recent times, what wouldn’t someone do to have an extra $50,000 lying around?
After Hurricane Helene, the Amelie Arena was used as a collection point during the first two home games, with fans encouraged to bring in non-perishable foods, cleaning and baby supplies, hygiene products, and other household necessities for donation to victims of the hurricane.
The collections have been completed and donated to Feeding Tampa Bay, Metropolitan Ministries, and the University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC).
The Lightning Foundation also donated $2 million to relief efforts.
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A massive new marine protected area (MPA) has been established in the eastern Atlantic off the coast of the Azores.
Covering 287,000 square kilometers of ocean makes it the largest MPA network in the North Atlantic—the size of Virginia and Georgia combined.
15% of Azorean waters are now designated as fully protected and 15% as highly protected, which means that fishing and other extractive activities will either be restricted or banned in the area.
The Azores, a chain of nine volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean that are part of Portugal, is surrounded by deep-sea corals, whales, dolphins, sharks, manta rays, fish, and unique hydrothermal vent ecosystems—much of which is now protected.
The decision of what and how much to protect came about through a thorough surveying expedition, informing a highly participatory process shepherded by the regional government.
The announcement comes as the world prepares for the UN Biodiversity Conference at the annual summit for the parties to the Paris Climate Agreement, known shorthand as the COP.
At the last summit, in 2022, the world agreed to protect 30% of land and ocean by 2030. Right now, only 8% of the ocean is protected in some way and less than 3% is fully or highly protected.
Sea life in the Azores from the Nat Geo Pristine Seas expedition – credit, National Geographic, released
“As negotiators gather in Cali, Colombia, to assess the state of nature protection, the case of the Azores provides a model of ocean protection for the world to follow,” said Enric Sala, the founder of National Geographic Pristine Seas, who took part in the scientific exploration of the area now under protection.
“What is so remarkable about the new protected area network is not only its massive size, but also the fact that so many local groups worked together to make it happen. Government officials, scientists, industry representatives, and local citizens banded together to devise a system of protection that works for everyone.”
In 2018, in partnership with the regional government, local scientists, the Waitt Institute, Oceano Azul Foundation, and other partners, Pristine Seas participated in scientific expeditions in the Azores to help identify priority areas for protection. Using high-tech tools like underwater cameras to assess coastal, open sea, and deep sea areas, the expeditions added new information about their biodiversity—as well as the impact of human activity.
“We witnessed that the marine ecosystems of the Azores are one of the most diverse and dynamic in the North Atlantic,” said Alan Friedlander, the chief scientist of Pristine Seas.
Also looking to impress in advance of COP16, the Brazilian state of Para recently created a protected area around some of the largest trees ever identified in the Amazon Rainforest, stretching 1.3 million acres, around the size of America’s Yosemite and Grand Tetons national parks put together.
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