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Lab-Grown Blood Stem Cells Could Replace Bone Marrow Donations for Transplants

By
Andy Corbley
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Riya who required a bone marrow transplant, in the lab with MCRI Professor Ed Stanley - credit MCRI, released.
Riya in the lab with MCRI Professor Ed Stanley – credit MCRI, released.

A team of Australian researchers has developed a method to morph personalized stem cells into hematopoietic stem cells, something that would promise risk-free bone marrow transplants

For a myriad of blood and bone marrow-based diseases including leukemia, a bone marrow transplant is the best standard treatment option available.

However, risks abound with the procedure such as mismatched donor cells prompting attacks on the host’s own tissues, leading to inflammation and even death.

Conducted at the Murdoc Children’s Research Institute in Australia (MCRI), the team first performed the common procedure of taking human cells from the hair, skin, and nails, and using a process to reprogram them to morph back into ‘pluripotent’ or ‘multi-power’ stem cells.

Pluripotent cells are richly found in human embryos and infants and have the ability to take the form of any cell in the body. It’s been a decade since Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka found out how to change any cell in the body back into pluripotent stem cells.

The authors of the new study from MCRI explain that the next step—of turning pluripotent stem cells into hematopoietic stem cells—which can take any form of blood cell, has been difficult to discover, but if it could be standardized, then bone marrow transplants for sensitive individuals like childhood leukemia patients would have much better success rates.

“The ability to take any cell from a patient, reprogram it into a stem cell, and then turn these into specifically matched blood cells for transplantation will have a massive impact on these vulnerable patients’ lives,” says Elizabeth Ng, lead author of the study and Group Leader of the Blood Development Laboratory at MCRI.

“Prior to this study, developing human blood stem cells in the lab that were capable of being transplanted into an animal model of bone marrow failure to make healthy blood cells had not been achievable. We have developed a workflow that has created transplantable blood stem cells that closely mirror those in the human embryo.”

CHILDREN BEING SAVED: After Childhood Cancer Diagnosis, Donor Bone Marrow from Little Sister Sends it into Remission

“Importantly, these human cells can be created at the scale and purity required for clinical use,” Ng adds.

In their study, they not only managed to make this pluripotent-hematopoietic leap, but successfully froze the resultant stem cells before transplanting them into immune-deficient mice. The success they recorded was typical of the rare procedure that is used as the benchmark of success—an umbilical cord hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

ADVANCED MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS: Exciting Clinical Trials of New Stem Cell Injection Treatment Shows Promise for Halting Multiple Sclerosis

“By perfecting stem cell methods that mimic the development of the normal blood stem cells found in our bodies we can understand and develop personalized treatments for a range of blood diseases, including leukemias and bone marrow failure,” said MCRI Professor Ed Stanley.

His colleague, Dr. Andrew Elefanty, adds that manufacturing stem cells in this way solves additional problems as well.

MORE NEWS LIKE THIS: Lab-Grown Blood Given to People in World-First Clinical Trial

“Mismatched donor immune cells from the transplant can attack the recipient’s own tissues, leading to severe illness or death,” said Dr. Elefanty. “Developing personalized, patient-specific blood stem cells will prevent these complications, address donor shortages, and, alongside genome editing, help correct underlying causes of blood diseases.”

At the time this research and experimentation was ongoing, an 11-year-old girl named Riya was at MCRI receiving a bone marrow transplant from her mother Sonali, who was only a half-match. It took 3 years for her to recover to the point where she could go back to school, but there she and her family got to learn from Drs. Stanley and Ng what their research might do for children like her.

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Fishermen Sacrifice Daily Catch to Rescue Huge Whale Shark Found in Their Net (WATCH)

By
Andy Corbley
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Fishermen rescue whale shark – Tiktok @qasih2022 Jalibobnori
Fishermen rescue whale shark – Tiktok @qasih2022 Jalibobnori

From the east coast of Malaysia comes an extraordinary account of saintly fishermen who sacrifice their catch of the day to save a gentle giant.

In a viral video published in August, night fishermen around Kaula Terengganu are seen hauling in a net filled with fish, but the shouts heard are not ones of joy.

A whale shark, likely a juvenile, was caught in their net, circling around looking for an escape route.

Even though it might have meant losing their day’s pay, the fishermen began to tug and pull different sections of the net to allow the whale shark to leave.

In a second video, some of the ropy Malay fishermen are filmed inside the net, holding onto the whale shark’s head with one hand and trying to pull the surface rope of the net under its chin so it could swim over it.

@qasih2022 #JOGHO #TRF1379 ♬ bunyi asal - Jalibobnori

Whale sharks are totally harmless to humans, but the animal was as large as their boat, and floating in complete darkness beyond the scope of the spotlights mounted on the gunwales, one might still say it took a lot of nerve.

Eventually, their plan worked, and the whale shark can be seen gently swimming away. The first video was viewed 2.2 million times and accumulated 28k likes. Ironically the second video, where the whale shark actually leaves the net, was viewed around 23k times.

@qasih2022 #JOGHO #TRF1379 ♬ bunyi asal - Jalibobnori

There is currently no robust estimate of the whale shark population because they are a global migratory species that inhabit deep water. The species is considered endangered by the IUCN due to the impacts of fisheries, by-catch losses, and vessel strikes, and is one of 6 migratory shark species protected by an international treaty like whales.

SHARE These Selfless Malay Fishermen With Your Friends On Social Media… 

“The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion.” – Nadia Boulanger

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion.” – Nadia Boulanger

Photo by: lucas Favre

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?

In a World First, Surgeons Operate on Rhino’s Broken Leg and Fix Her Limp

By
Andy Corbley
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Amara in a cast, healing from a broken leg – Photo released by Knowsley Safari in Merseyside, England on September 19, 2024
Amara in a cast, healing from a broken leg – Photo released by Knowsley Safari in Merseyside, England on September 19, 2024

A 2-year-old female rhino known for her “boisterous” nature has just undergone surgery on her ulna in a world-first procedure.

Using equine surgeons’ knowledge of similar procedures done on horses as a template, the team of specialist veterinarians successfully healed the rhino’s leg, and even got her up and about wearing a cast.

Amara is a southern white rhino—the most common species in Africa—born at the Knowsley Safari Park near Prescot, in northwestern England. Known for her love of roughhousing, Amara developed a limp, and vets pondered over what to do.

“Earlier this year, Amara began limping on her right front leg,” Knowsley Safari Park told ABC News in a statement. “The Knowsley Safari team brought in specialist equine surgeons from the University of Liverpool to help with the diagnosis, where radiographs confirmed a fractured ulna.”

“Under anesthesia in Amara’s enclosure, the large team performed a lengthy operation, including key-hole surgery of Amara’s wrist, in a procedure lasting five hours.”

The ulna is the medial bone that in humans connects the elbow to the wrist on the palm-side of the hand. Similar to humans, in rhinos the ulnar bone is found in the lower section of the front legs.

Rhino operation for broken leg – Photo released by: Knowsley Safari in Merseyside, England

The safari park says no documentation or evidence of such a procedure was found in the run-up to the operation. The rhinoceros is part of the same order as horses—Perissodactyla—or odd-toed ungulates, and so equine surgeons led the procedure based on the same surgical methods used in horses.

“We were unsure if the cast would be strong enough and how Amara would cope with such a restriction on her limb,” Dr. David Stack, senior lecturer in Equine Surgery at the University of Liverpool, told ABC News. “We hoped that she would accept it and that she would be able to move around, get down, and, importantly, back up again, but this was unchartered water.”

The zoo told ABC that Amara is so far doing well. Her arm was supported in a full cast and she is kept in her enclosure to minimize movement.

WATCH the story below from ABC News… 

SHARE This Amazing Standard Of Care For This Member Of A Threatened Species… 

He Shares the Happiest Moments in People’s Lives While Traveling Through Every Country

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - Michael Zervos Project Kosmos
credit – Michael Zervos Project Kosmos

Reprinted with permission from World at Large, a news website of nature, politics, science, health, and travel.

“It’s really just a publicity thing,” says Michael Zervos, a man who’s currently on course to set the Guinness World Record for the fewest number of days needed to visit every country in the world.

But as he told me, that’s just to bring eyes onto his real mission: to hear the happiest moments from the lives of people in every country in the world and to share them on social media, to help remind us we are all connected, if not by parentage, then by aspirations.

Dubbed Project Kosmos, he has more or less reached the halfway point of his journey, having already passed through 100 countries in under a year. Barring a few pariahs, his passport has been stamped in all of Asia, Oceania, Africa, and some parts of Europe.

His brilliantly shot videos are arrayed very cleverly on his Instagram. Areej, in Jordan, recalled the moment she bought her first bike and learned how to ride it—after she turned 30.

Sam, in Brunei, said it was the day she arrived at her tram stop, and a homeless man whom she had treated to a hot chocolate days before, was waiting there for her with a hot chocolate in return.

They’re curated and produced by Zervos who all the while is traveling at a breakneck pace across the face of the Earth.

“Amazingly, I’m still on schedule,” Zervos, a dual citizen of the US and Greece, told me in May during a stopover in Cyprus. “I had to make several adjustments about 30 countries in, and my intention wasn’t to come back to Greece at this time. But still, I visited all the countries I expected to go to save for a couple I had to kick down the line, like North Korea which still hasn’t opened.”

“I’m amazed I’m on schedule,” he admitted. “Occasionally it means maybe spending a day less in a certain place but I’ve tried to make the most out of those situations.”

If you couldn’t tell by the hair, Zervos was already an avid globe trekker before he concocted the idea for his “record-breaking journey of happiness,” but also a self-described fan of logistics and planning, having worked in documentary filmmaking before embarking on his trip.

Knowing that he only had a few days in each nation, he spent much of the planning phase seeking out personalities and “fixers,” as Anthony Bourdain would call them. Finding them through social media, he’d open a dialogue and see if they could give him a crash course on what it means to be happy in the Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Mongolia, Burundi, etc.

“It’s changed me in ways that I can’t really articulate,” said Zervos in May, who by then had already filmed between 700 and 800 interviews.

A human universal

All human beings are happy sometimes. Zervos wanted to know why.

In an exercise in cross-cultural sociology, he selected questions that are typically found on the sort of surveys from the UNDP or WHO that are administered in regions across low and middle-income countries when measuring development rates.

However, Zervos quickly found that asking the question “what makes you happy?” isn’t the best way to get an answer to that question.

STORIES OF CROSS-CONTINENTAL KINDNESS: Ukraine Girl Bereft Without Her Cat is Reunited Thanks to Kind Strangers in 5 Countries and 7,000 Miles–WATCH

“It doesn’t really elicit a story, so that’s why I changed it to ‘what’s the happiest moment of your life?'” Zervos explains. “I’ve gotten a lot of the same answers, but it’s amazing when you’re able to clarify the question and actually ask for a specific moment, it doesn’t necessarily fall in line with what makes them happy.”

“So if they’re saying ‘oh family makes me happy.’ Okay wonderful, but I want a specific moment in your life, then I’ll get like ‘oh well, when I bought a bell for my prized cow, and I was able to afford it, and everyone could see this bell and how beautiful it was on my black and white cow.’”

Michael Zervos – Instagram

“So it seems like the highest highs aren’t always what makes you happy consistently.
People between the ages of 18 and 25? Not many have said ‘when I got married,’ but many have said education, or when my first child was born, but as they’ve gotten older those responses have actually diminished.”

“Like a village chief near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe—85 years old but doesn’t look it—he said his happiest moment is when he hosted a cohort of international travelers and agents from all over the world. And he killed goats and oxen and chickens over three days and it was all late nights and dancing and harmony… the way he was describing, you could see the lights in his eyes he was getting so emotional.”

The hunt for happiness in humanity is a new exercise for Zervos, who is fueled by a love of travel and storytelling.

OTHER CREATIVE ENDEAVORS LIKE THIS: Man Connects With Humanity By Sharing Thousands of Hour-Long Conversations With Strangers

“Some of my favorite books and movies—they never wrap up the mystery. Maybe they wrap up the plot but they open up the theme at the very end to make you question more things than none, and there’s more than a little of that in travel and I think that’s why I keep coming back to certain locations. I really can’t get enough of that.”

North America, Europe, and South America remain.

WATCH One of the many amazing video shorts Michael has created on his Insta…

SHARE This Man’s Noble Quest And The Incredible People He’s Met Along The Way…

Pet Cat Lost in Yellowstone Travels 800 Miles Toward the City Where Owner Still Had Hope 60 Days Later

By
Andy Corbley
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Courtesy of Susanne Anguiano
Courtesy of Susanne Anguiano

An incredible story reminiscent of Homeward Bound, recently came out from California—that a cat who had accompanied a family to Yellowstone National Park, was lost there.

Despite the distance of over 800 miles, the cats’ owners got a call two months after the sorrowful trip that their animal had been found in California, not Wyoming.

Benny and Susanne Anguiano have been on many camping trips with their cat Rayne Beau, and were confident that the naturally solitary and self-reliant animal wouldn’t get lost.

Visiting Yellowstone, Rayne Beau was startled by something and ran off into the trees not to be seen again, despite Benny and Susanne looking for him every day of their trip.

Time ticked by, and eventually, the couple had to make the abhorrent decision to leave.

“We had to leave without him,” Mrs. Anguiano told KSBW News. “That was the hardest day because I felt like I was abandoning him.”

REUNIONS WITH LOST CATS: Couple Accidentally Ships Their Cat with an Amazon Return–1 Week and 3 ‘Miracles’ Later They’re Reunited

60 days passed at their home in Salinas, Monterrey, when they suddenly got a call from an SPCA in Roseville located in northern Sacramento County.

They had a Pet Watch microchip, which the SPCA was able to read and gather the Anguianos’ contact information. Apparently, a woman had found the cat in Roseville and decided that since he was obviously a pet she would take him to the shelter.

MORE STORIES LIKE: Missing for 12 Years, Beloved Cat Named Artie Finally Reunited with His Family

Susanne contacted local news to try and share the remarkable story of Rayne Beau’s journey home in the hopes that individuals who may have taken him in, fed him, or saw him pass by, will come forward and enlighten the family as to the path their cat took on his long, 800-mile walk back home.

WATCH the story below from KSBW… 

SHARE This Unbelievable Journey With Your Friends… 

Overdose Deaths in US Plummet With ‘Declines of 20-30%’ – Saving Thousands of Lives

By
Andy Corbley
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Narcan, a naloxone-based anti-overdose nasal spray, is one factor in the reduction - released by Adapt Pharma.
Narcan, a naloxone-based anti-overdose nasal spray, is one factor in the reduction – released by Adapt Pharma.

For the first time in decades, drug overdose deaths in the US fell—by 10.6% while in certain states the decline was 20, and even 30%.

Identified in a survey conducted by the CDC, it interrupts a one-way trendline that has been rising higher and higher since 2019, and has given some scientists “so much hope.”

Those in the field of American medicine trying to combat and quantify the problem say that a 1-year drop is no reason “to spike the football,” and the work to try and establish what was the cause of the reduction is now ongoing.

NPR, covering the survey, says that the commonly available drug naloxone which can work to interrupt and diffuse an opioid overdose, has definitely played a factor.

Approved by the FDA in 2015, naloxone has quickly made its way into all manner of establishments such as libraries, YMCAs, and other community locales. GNN reported in Cincinnati that naloxone kits are being made available in vending machines.

The simple nasal spray is highly effective at reversing overdoses, and NPR spoke with one addict of street drugs like fentanyl in Vermont who said that he and other users regularly carry naloxone, and have built the habit of dosing in pairs or groups to make sure that if an overdose occurs, someone is there to help that person.

credit CDC

“For a while we were hearing about [drug deaths] every other day. When was the last one we heard about? Maybe two weeks ago? That’s pretty few and far between,” Mr. Donaldson, an addict from Burlington, told NPR.

Of particular note have been Washington, Ohio, and Missouri, where drug deaths have fallen 15%, 31%, and 34% respectively.

“A year ago when overdose deaths continued to rise, I was really struggling with hope,” said Brad Finegood, who directs the overdose crisis response in Seattle. “Today, I have so much hope.”

ALSO CHECK OUT: 5 Million American Vending Machines Will Soon Offer More Healthy Snacks to Help Curb Obesity

Finegood said that they’ve tripled the amount of naloxone out in the community, and added that his department found in a survey that 85% of high-risk drug users now carry the overdose-reversal medication.

Other hypotheses include better drug enforcement and control of fentanyl coming across the southern border, and although other medications have increased in circulation, like xylazine, which is also toxic, it’s possible that fentanyl was just that much more lethal.

MORE PUBLIC HEALTH PERFORMANCE: 180 Countries Adopt Landmark Public Health Decisions on Tobacco

Of all the public health workers and scientists NPR spoke with, agreement was unanimous that only the briefest of celebrations is merited in the hope these reductions can continue and become sustained since tens of thousands of Americans still overdose on illicit drugs every year.

SHARE This Inspiring Trendline With Your Friends On Social Media…

“Thou art fairer than the evening air clad in the beauty of a thousand stars.” – Christopher Marlowe

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Good News Network
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prottoy hassan

Quote of the Day: “Thou art fairer than the evening air clad in the beauty of a thousand stars.” – Christopher Marlowe

Photo by: prottoy hassan

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?

prottoy hassan

100-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor Granted Wish to Reunite with Sister One Last Time

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Good News Network
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Credit: Dina Averuk Photography – Submitted by: Wish of a Lifetime via AARP
Credit: Dina Averuk Photography – Submitted by: Wish of a Lifetime via AARP

Helena Stefaniak’s life story is one marked by the bonds of sisterhood growing up in war-torn Warsaw—and she rekindled that spirit of resilience one last time at age 100, thanks to an AARP program that grants wishes for seniors.

Helena and her sister Barbara protected one another from the horrors of their surroundings during World War II. Yet, the war ultimately tore them apart five years after the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939. They forcibly took her to a work camp in Germany in 1944, while Barbara’s fate remained unknown.

Helena recounted her harrowing experience being on her own for three years, saying, “I was really lost. Most of the time the war was going, I was scared.”

Despite the odds, Helena never lost hope of reuniting with her sister.

After enduring years of hardship and uncertainty, Helena was liberated from the work camps and became determined to find her sister. The relentless search finally led to their reunion in Germany in 1947.

Helena and her new husband started afresh, moving to Connecticut and living among fellow Polish immigrants. The sisters reunited again in New Jersey in 1950, where Barbara lives—and their bond remained unbreakable through the decades.

This year, though, as she approached her 100th birthday—and with her health deteriorating—Helena’s greatest wish was to reunite with Barbara once more.

Touched by their story, Wish of a Lifetime from AARP made Helena’s dream come true, allowing her to travel from her current home in Montana to New Jersey, so she can spend precious time with her beloved sister.

“At our age, you have to say goodbye,” Barbara told GNN.

Helena, 52, and Barbara, 48, in 1976 visiting Poland for first time since WWII – Submitted by Wish of a Lifetime from AARP

“I was very, very happy. I know I won’t see her again, and that was our last time.

Founded by Jeremy Bloom in 2008, Wish of a Lifetime, a charitable affiliate of AARP has granted over 2,700 wishes nationwide, averaging 300 per year.

PASS THE TISSUE: Family Brings in Peruvian Mom Who Hadn’t Seen her Son in 20 Years—And Captured the Tearful Moment on Video

“We believe that everyone should be able to age with hope and joy. We empower wish recipients to fulfill their hopes while reconnecting with the people and passions that matter most to them.”

Helena, for one, is grateful beyond words. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

SHARE THE WISH MAKING OPPORTUNITY With Friends and Seniors on Social Media… 

Battery Breakthrough Could Give Electric Cars ‘Big Range Boost’ and Create Longer-lasting Batteries

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Good News Network
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SWNS / CU Boulder
SWNS / CU Boulder

An international team of researchers believe electric cars could go farther on a single charge, and their batteries last longer, now that they’ve made a discovery—the reason batteries lose capacity over time.

It is well known that, for example, older mobile phones run out of power more quickly. But, until now, the common phenomenon was not completely understood.

Led by an engineer at the University of Colorado-Boulder, the breakthrough could lead to the development of better batteries, while advancing energy storage technologies to accelerate the transition to clean energy.

“We are helping to advance lithium-ion batteries by figuring out the molecular level processes involved in their degradation,” said CU Boulder Professor Michael Toney, the study leader.

Engineers have been working for years on designing lithium-ion batteries—the most common type of rechargeable batteries—without having to mine for cobalt, the expensive rare mineral linked to environmental and worker rights concerns.

Researchers have previously tried elements such as nickel and magnesium, but those batteries have even higher rates of “self-discharge”, which is when the battery’s internal chemical reactions reduce the stored energy.

Because of self-discharge, most EV batteries have a lifespan of 7-10 years before they need to be replaced, so Prof. Toney and his team set out to investigate the cause of it.

He explained that in a typical lithium-ion battery, lithium ions, which carry charges, move from one side of the battery, called the anode, to the other side, called the cathode, through a medium called an electrolyte. During the process, the flow of the charged ions forms an electric current that powers electronic devices.

LOOK: New Carbon Fiber Batteries Could Form the Actual Framework of Cars and Airplanes

Charging the battery reverses the flow of the charged ions and returns them to the anode.

Previously, it was thought batteries self-discharge because not all lithium ions return to the anode when charging, reducing the number of charged ions available to form the current.

In the new study, published in the journal Science, the research team
used the Advanced Photon Source—a powerful X-ray machine at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois—and found that hydrogen molecules from the battery’s electrolyte would move to cathode and take the spots that lithium ions normally bind to. As a result, lithium ions have fewer places to bind to on the cathode, weakening the electric current and decreasing the battery’s capacity.

“Some of these low cobalt-containing batteries can potentially provide a higher driving range, but we also need to make sure they don’t fall apart in a short period of time,” says Toney.

Now that they have a better understanding of the self-discharge mechanism, engineers can explore a few ways to prevent the process, such as coating the cathode with a special material to block hydrogen molecules, or using a different electrolyte.

IRONMAN BATTERIES: Green Batteries for EVs and Phones May Use Iron as The Key to Better, Cheaper Lithium-ion Options

Prof Toney added: “We can inform the battery chemistry community on what needs to be improved (because) having a better battery is very important in shifting our energy infrastructure away from fossil fuels to more renewable energy sources.”

DRIVE SOME HOPE To EV Drivers on Social Media…

World’s Only ‘Bookstore Airbnb’ Has 2-Year Wait List for Guests Wanting to Sell Used Books By Day

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Good News Network
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Open Book shop in Wigtown, Scotland – Airbnb / SWS
Open Book shop in Wigtown, Scotland – Airbnb / SWS

More than 450 guests have enjoyed accommodations in the “world’s only book shop Airbnb” where guests spend the night—and run the store during the day.

The village of Wigtown is known as Scotland’s National Book Town, and one of its charming bookshops—The Open Book—rents out its upstairs flat, giving literary-lovers the chance to ‘live their dream’ of having their very own shop by the sea.

Airbnb says it is ”the first ever bookshop residency experience” and is so popular it has a two year waiting list of guests coming from around the globe, from Hawaii to Beijing.

The shop, set up by The Wigtown Festival Company, aims ”to celebrate books, independent bookshops and welcome people from around the world”

Since welcoming its first visitors in August 2014, the nonprofit Open Book Airbnb has become a sensation with guests saying they’re delighted by the unusual experience of minding their own bookshop.

“There’s no better feeling than somebody buying a book that you put on display,” said one recent occupant from Austin, Texas, on the BBC.

The Airbnb page describes the property this way:

“Nestled in the pristine surroundings of Galloway, The Open Book is a charming bookshop and apartment, situated on the main street of Wigtown. A holiday home with a difference, it presents a unique opportunity for visitors to run a real bookshop at the heart of the town’s vibrant community.

“Booked through Airbnb, paying guests live in the self-catering apartment upstairs and run the bookshop below it for the duration of their stay.

The Open Book in seaside town of Wigtown, with guests Daisy Yeung and Lydia Man – SWNS

During their stay, guests are free to change displays, price books, re-categorize them, and make inventive use of the blackboard that entices visitors inside to browse or chat. Some guests are happy to quietly run the bookshop, while others come with firmer plans and creative ideas!

“Come to Wigtown to experience the life of a second-hand bookshop owner in a remote Scottish town. Sea, highlands, native forests, amazing people, and bookshops are just on our doorstep.”

The guests this week are Daisy Yeung, who traveled from Hong Kong, and her longtime friend Lydia Man.

“So far we are enjoying it very, very much,” said Daisy, who said she heard about the interesting Airbnb in a blog online.

“My dream is to be a book seller one day, but since it is very hard to be a book seller and make enough money, we thought it would be fun to have a taste of it. The weather here is really excellent this week, and everybody here is just so nice.”

LOOK: Man Builds Cozy Treehouse to Post on AirBnB and Earns Enough to Quit His Job

Despite buying a few books in the area, Daisy admits she has been too busy with the shop to open a page.

The friends wanted to devise a theme for their week’s stay and, since September 18 is Mid Autumn Festival in China, they decided to celebrate their cultural celebration at the book shop.

Serving tea at The Open Book shop/ Airbnb in Wigtown Scotland via SWNS

“Traditionally we Chinese people gather with our family and friends on this day and light up lanterns and eat something called moon cakes, which is what we have brought and are sharing with people today,” said Daisy.

“We didn’t bring a lot of things but we did bring moon cakes!” joked Lydia.

The shop is the brainchild of author and filmmaker Jessica Fox, and proceeds from the annual rentals contribute over $10,000 to the Wigtown Festival Company’s charitable work.

ANOTHER ARTISTIC AIRBNB: Parisian Opera House That Inspired ‘Phantom of the Opera’ Becomes an Airbnb

“I thought I couldn’t be the only crazy American who dreams of working in a bookshop by the sea in Scotland; there has to be more of us.

“I wanted to create the same experience for those book-curious people who had the same dream of running a book shop for a week, and living upstairs.

“It is a success because of Wigtown, the volunteers who make the guests so welcome, the owners of the building, who believed in my idea.”

Chief volunteer Joyce Cochrane is based in the nearby Old Bank Bookshop.

She said, “The Open Book has been a way of opening our doors to the world—and because of that the world has been coming to Wigtown, and they love it.”

One recent guest explained, “And there’s no strings attached, no real responsibilities, you can enjoy the time however you like.’”

Head to the seaside town in Scotland during the Wigtown Festival, which runs this year from September 27 to October 6.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS To Book In Advance—Share on Social Media…

Unwanted Shelter Dogs Get the Supermodel Treatment to Help Them Find New Forever Homes (LOOK)

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Good News Network
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Photo shoot for All Dogs Matter - by Wex Photo Video via SWNS
Photo shoot for All Dogs Matter – by Wex Photo Video via SWNS

Lonely dogs were treated to a special furry photoshoot to help them find their forever homes.

The photoshoot will promote residents of the London, England rescue shelter All Dogs Matter, and featured some of their older, bigger, and less ‘photogenic’ pooches.

The focus was also placed on pairs of pups that need to be adopted together.

Whether in foster care or housed at the shelter, they were treated to a day of extra attention in the countryside where they were given the ‘supermodel treatment’.

Ready for their close ups included 12-and-14-year-old Bobby and Brandy, a bonded pair of Yorkshire Terriers (pictured above), who’ve been looking for a home for several months.

Alice, a sweet and clever 2 year-old crossbreed (pictured above and on the website), also lapped up the lens.

Brian and Cody, a very sweet and bonded pair (10 months – 1 year old) are up for adoption or fostering at All Dogs Matter shelter – Wex Photo Video / SWNS

The idea came after a poll of 2,000 adults found that while nearly half of Brits would like to get a dog—or a second furry pal—58 percent said they would rather opt for a younger canine.

And while 47 percent would consider adopting, more than half of the people who’d like a younger dog think it’s easier to train one from a puppy.

However, a whopping 71% of those aged 18–34 admitted that seeing a cute dog’s image on Instagram or TikTok, can prompt them to go check out rescue sites.

The stunning glamour shots were all captured on second-hand cameras, provided by Wex Photo Video, which has partnered with the shelter to give these dogs another shot at showcasing their personalities.

“Every dog deserves their moment in the spotlight, regardless of age or appearance,” said Paul Wareham, marketing director at the camera retailer, which also commissioned the poll.

FUN FIDO: Stray Pup Chases a Doggie Day-Care Bus–and Gets Adopted

3-year-old brothers Rumi and Ryan are gentle spirited and regal; up for adoption at All Dogs Matter shelter-by Wex Photo Video/ SWNS

“These lovable hounds have got so much to give, so we’re hoping these glamorous shots can help find them a home.”

The survey revealed 46% of people would feel good about themselves for giving an abandoned dog a second chance at life, and one-third was inclined to choose dogs who have been waiting for a new owner for a long time.

And, if they could spot a dog’s personality shining through a photo, nearly nine in ten of younger respondents (18 – 34) say they would be motivated to request a viewing at a rescue shelter.

Many people reckon that younger dogs would have fewer health issues and would be around longer than older dogs, according to the OnePoll.com survey. But Ira Moss, founder of All Dogs Matter, the charity that rescues and rehomes animals around London and overseas, looks at it from a different angle.

“We see firsthand how much love and joy that rescued, overlooked dogs can bring into a home, but they’re often passed over simply because they don’t have that ‘puppy appeal.’

“This photo shoot has allowed us to show that with a little love and the right photo, all of our wonderful dogs can shine brightly – and hopefully find a new home.”

CONVICTS’ CANINE KINDNESS: Inmates Training Hard-to-Adopt Dogs in New Mexico Creates Joy On Both Ends of a Leash

They did that many times last year, rescued 331 dogs and placed them with new owners.

“Much like a dating profile, pictures tell a thousand words,” added Paul Wareham, at Wex.

“If these wonderful photos help even one pup find a home, we’ll consider it a job well done.”

BARK THIS SWEET IDEA To Photographers on Social Media…

“Recognizing the need is the primary condition for design.” – Charles Eames

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Quote of the Day: “Recognizing the need is the primary condition for design.” – Charles Eames

Photo by: Michael Niessl

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?

Real-Life ‘Aladdin’ Jumps From Mountain Peak on a Flying Carpet in Thrilling Video

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Freddy Montigny jumps from Vercors Massif mountain range on flying carpet – via SWNS
Freddy Montigny jumps from Vercors Massif mountain range on flying carpet – via SWNS

A daredevil has turned his childhood fantasy into reality—by soaring from mountain cliffs on a flying carpet.

The 44-year-old has spent years honing his skills with a triad of extreme sports to get ready for his dream of becoming a real-life Aladdin.

Freddy Montigny developed the unique stunt using his expertise in paragliding, skydiving, and hang gliding, all of which gave him the control needed to launch himself on a magic carpet ride.

The thrilling video shot by drones (see below) shows Freddy’s most daring jump to date from the Croix des Têtes—a 2,400-meter French mountain cliff in the Vercors Massif range—where he flew over the valley, descending to 1,600 meters on the small carpet, before pulling his parachute’s ripcord.

“I’ve always wondered what part of the myths and legends we were told as kids was true,” said the adventurer who lives in Choranche, France.

“I started paragliding at 25, skydiving at 30, and hang gliding at 35.

“All these activities helped me master the art of carpet flying.”

Freddy believes his carpet flights are safe after his years of practice at the Vercors range, near the city of Grenoble—and he always has a trusty parachute, his main safety net.

“If anything goes wrong, I just open it and release the carpet.

“With the height I’m jumping from, I have plenty of time to correct any mistakes.”

While he admits that his ‘magic carpet’ isn’t quite like the legends, it’s close enough.

“With this flying carpet, I’ve learned that while you can’t fly at any speed or to any destination, it’s still an amazing way to defy reality.”

DID YOU SEE THIS ONE? 33-Year-old Discovers Source of an Amazon River–and Uncharted Waterfalls–Trekking Through ‘Brutal’ Jungle

Freddy, who previously worked as a professional drummer and stage technician, now calls himself a ‘professional carpet rider,’ chasing his dream to new heights.

Watch the jump below, preferably while playing Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf…

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Counting on Fingers Really Helps Kids Improve Their Math Skills–By 40% New Study Shows

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By Yan Krukau via Public Domain on Pexels
By Yan Krukau via Public Domain on Pexels

Some teachers consider finger counting a signal that youngsters are struggling with math, while others associate its use as advanced numerical knowledge.

Now, new research is the first to show that children’s performance in arithmetic can show a “huge” improvement through the teaching of a finger-counting method.

Swiss and French teams explored whether finger counting can help primary-school-aged children to solve math problems. They said adults rarely use their fingers to calculate a small sum, because such behavior could be attributed to cognitive impairments or “pathological difficulties” in math.

But young children under age 8 who use their fingers to solve such problems may be seen as intelligent, probably because they have already reached a level that allows them to understand that a quantity can be represented by different means.

The research aimed to determine whether children who don’t count on their fingers can be trained to do so, and whether such training would result in enhanced arithmetic performance.

The study, published in the journal Child Development, focused on 328 five- and six-year-old children at kindergarten, mainly living in France, and tested their abilities to solve simple addition problems.

The kindergarteners were recruited through their teachers, who voluntarily took part in the experiment, which included a pre-test, training held over two weeks, a post-test closely after the training’s end, and a delayed post-test.

The results showed an “important increase” in performance between pre- and post-test for the trained children who did not count on their fingers originally—from 37% to 77% of correct responses—compared to non-finger users in the control group.

MORE MATH TIPS TO IMPROVE SCORES:
• Children Do Much Better in Math When Music is Added to the Lesson: New Study
• Boy Struggling at School is Now Math Genius After Mom Taught Him to Use an ABACUS

Whether children who use finger counting are using it as an arithmetic procedure or understand something deeper about numbers will still need to be determined with future research.

“Our findings are highly valuable because, for the first time, we provide a concrete answer to the long-standing question of whether teachers should explicitly teach children to use their fingers for solving addition problems,” said study leader Dr. Catherine Thevenot.

“Finger calculation training is effective for over 75% of kindergartners,” she added. “The next step is to explore how we can support the remaining 25% of children who didn’t respond as well to the intervention.”

Dr. Thevenot, of the Institute of Psychology at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, says the study came about as a result of conversations with primary school teachers.

“They often asked me whether they should encourage or discourage children from using their fingers to solve calculations.

“Surprisingly, the existing research didn’t offer a clear answer, which left teachers understandably frustrated with my frequent response of ‘I don’t know.’

“This recurring question, coupled with the lack of concrete evidence, inspired me to investigate the issue myself.

“When I first saw the results, I was amazed by the huge improvement in performance among children who didn’t initially use their fingers to solve the problems.

MOST FUN MATH:
• The Mind-Blowing Mathematics of Sunflowers 
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“Before our intervention, these children were only able to solve about one-third of the addition problems during a pre-test. After training, however, they were solving over three-quarters of them.

“This improvement truly exceeded my expectations,” said Dr. Thevenot. “The difference was striking, especially compared to the control groups, where gains were insignificant.

“An important question now is to determine whether what we taught to children goes beyond a mere procedure to solve the problems.

“In other words, we want to know whether our intervention led to a deeper conceptual understanding of numbers, specifically whether children better grasp how to manipulate the quantities represented by their fingers.

WATCH: Math Teacher Impresses Students With The Most Genius April Fools Prank

“In fact, we have already started addressing this question and the initial results are very promising. However, we still need to carry out additional experiments to confirm that these improvements are indeed a direct result of our training program.”

1..2..3..GO! SHARE the Fascinating Study With Parents on Social Media…

New $1 Test Using Origami Paper Sensors Can Detect Infectious Diseases Like Covid–With Just a Mobile Phone

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Professor Zhugen Yang with origami paper sensor used for disease detection – Cranfield University / SWNS
Professor Zhugen Yang with origami paper sensor used for disease detection – Cranfield University / SWNS

A cheap new test using origami paper sensors can help detect infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, much earlier and easier than current methods, say scientists.

The innovative method identifies biomarkers in wastewater, enabling rapid tracking of diseases using the camera in a mobile phone—and costs only a buck for each use.

Cranfield University researchers in England built on work conducted during the Covid pandemic, saying the new test device could dramatically change how public health measures are directed in any future pandemics.

Testing wastewater is one of the main ways to assess the prevalence of infectious diseases. Scientists take samples from water treatment plants nationwide and use the results to understand which areas have the highest infection rates—a method that was used during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Professor Zhugen Yang led the development of the new sentinel sensors, working with scientists from the University of Glasgow and Zhejiang University in China.

He began the research in 2020 to develop a test to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Influenza A, and Influenza B in wastewater using a paper-based platform and ultraviolet torch or phone camera.

Until now, the most accurate ways of testing wastewater samples have been methods like the PCR test (polymerase chain reaction), which must be conducted in centralized laboratories by well-trained personnel.

That means samples are collected, stored, and transported under refrigeration to the lab location before being processed, which can take several days and is comparatively expensive.

ORIGAMI LOVES THE WORLD: Teen Girls Have Raised Over $1.5 Million for Clean Water Simply By Embracing Their Love of Origami

Prof. Yang described the new test in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, calling it “rapid, user-friendly and portable”.

Wastewater samples are placed onto a wax-printed paper sheet which is folded in an ‘origami’ style. The paper contains chemicals that react to certain disease markers, triggering a fluorescent color to emerge.

Using a phone camera, the results can be read and the data collected easily shared.

“This could be a real game-changer when it comes to predicting disease rates and improving public health in the face of future pandemics.

“The simple test we have developed costs just £1 and uses the commonly available camera function in a mobile phone, making it readily accessible.”

WHAT ELSE IS BASED ON ORIGAMI? Origami-Inspired Solar Panel Could Start Generating Renewable Electricity From Your Window

At the peak of the pandemic in 2021, he performed tests at four quarantine hotels around Heathrow Airport.

The entire sample-to-answer process took less than 90 minutes compared to around four hours for a PCR test, with the process conducted in the basement of one of the hotels using minimal equipment.

Results showed that the new device gives results at least as accurate as the PCR test, but at a much lower cost—and can provide an early warning of disease in the community.

Yang says the device is particularly useful for areas with limited resource because of its ease of use, low cost and fast results.

“During Covid-19 we proved that fast community sewage analysis is a really effective way to track infectious diseases and help manage public health.”

CHECK OUT: A Rose Inspired Design For the Smartest Way to Collect And Purify Water

In the future, it could potentially be used to track new variants and help to establish whether the variant is still spreading in the community, as well as monitoring antimicrobial resistance. Further development is being sponsored by the Leverhulme Trust Research Leadership Scheme and a grant from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

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Your Weekly Horoscope – ‘Free Will Astrology’ From Rob Brezsny

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Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of September 21, 2024
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The bird known as the gray-headed albatross makes long, continuous flights without touching down on the ground. I propose we nominate this robust traveler to be one of your inspirational animals in the coming months. I suspect that you, too, will be capable of prolonged, vigorous quests that unleash interesting changes in your life. I don’t necessarily mean your quests will involve literal long-distance travel. They may, but they might also take the form of vast and deep explorations of your inner terrain. Or maybe you will engage in bold efforts to investigate mysteries that will dramatically open your mind and heart.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
You are in a good position and frame of mind to go hunting for a novel problem or two. I’m half-joking, but I’m also very serious. I believe you are primed to track down interesting dilemmas that will bring out the best in you and attract the educational experiences you need. These provocative riddles will ensure that boring old riddles and paltry hassles won’t bother you. Bonus prediction: You are also likely to dream up an original new “sin” that will stir up lucky fun..

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Your spinning and weaving abilities will be strong in the coming weeks. I predict that your knack for creating sturdy, beautiful webs will catch the resources and influences you require. Like a spider, you must simply prepare the scenarios to attract what you need, then patiently relax while it all comes to you. Refining the metaphor further, I will tell you that you have symbolic resemblances to the spiders known as cross orbweavers. They produce seven different kinds of silk, each useful in its own way—and in a sense, so can you. Your versatility will help you succeed in interesting ways.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Capricorn basketball player JamesOn Curry had the briefest career of anyone who ever played in America’s top professional league. Around his birthday in 2010, while a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, he appeared on the court for 3.9 seconds—and never returned. Such a short-lived effort is unusual for the Capricorn tribe—and will not characterize your destiny in the coming months. I predict you will generate an intense outpouring of your sign’s more typical expressions: durability, diligence, persistence, tenacity, resilience, determination, resolve, and steadfastness. Ready to get underway in earnest?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
It’s a good time for you to embrace the serpent, metaphorically speaking. You may even enjoy riding and playing with and learning from the serpent. The coming weeks will also be a favorable phase for you to kiss the wind and consult with the ancestors and wrestle with the most fascinating questions you know. So get a wild look in your eyes, dear Aquarius. Dare to shed mediocre pleasures so you can better pursue spectacular pleasures. Experiment only with smart gambles and high-integrity temptations, and flee the other kinds. PS: If you challenge the past to a duel (a prospect I approve of), be well-armed with the future.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
The typical length of mating encounters for panda bears is from 30 seconds to two minutes. There was a dramatic exception to the rule in 2015, however. Lu Lu and Zhen Zhen, pandas living at the Sichuan Giant Panda Research Center in China, snuggled and embraced for 18 minutes. It was unprecedented. I encourage you, too, to break your previous records for tender cuddling in the coming weeks. The longer the cuddling lasts the more likely it is you will generate epiphanies and awakenings.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Few of the vegetables grown in the 21st century are in their original wild form. Many are the result of crossbreeding to increase the nutritional value of the food, boost its yield, improve its resistance to insect predators, and help it survive weather extremes. I invite you to apply the metaphor of crossbreeding to your life in the coming months. You will place yourself in maximum alignment with cosmic rhythms if you conjure up new blends. So be a mix master, Aries. Favor amalgamations and collaborations. Transform jumbles and hodgepodges into graceful composites. Make “alloy” and “hybrid” your words of power.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
“All I ask is the chance to prove that money can’t make me happy,” quipped comedian Spike Milligan. I propose we make that your running joke for the next eight months. If there was ever a time when you could get rich more quickly, it would be between now and mid-2025. And the chances of that happening may be enhanced considerably if you optimize your relationship with work. What can you do now to help ensure you will be working at a well-paying job you like for years to come?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
The World Health Organization says that 2 billion people in the world don’t have facilities in their homes to wash their hands with soap and water. But it’s almost certain that you don’t suffer from this lack. Most likely, you get all the water you require to be secure and healthy. You have what you need to cook food and make drinks. You can take baths or showers whenever you want. You wash your clothes easily. Maybe you water a garden. I bring this to your attention because now is an excellent time to celebrate the water in your life. It’s also a favorable time to be extra fluid and flowing and juicy. Here’s a fun riddle for you: What could you do to make your inner life wetter and better lubricated?

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Cancerian rapper and actor Jaden Smith has won a few mid-level awards and has been nominated for a Grammy. But I was surprised that he said, “I don’t think I’m as revolutionary as Galileo, but I don’t think I’m not as revolutionary as Galileo.” If I’m interpreting his sly brag correctly, Jaden is suggesting that maybe he is indeed pretty damn revolutionary. I’m thrilled he said it because I love to see you Cancerians overcome your natural inclination to be overly humble and self-effacing. It’s OK with me if you sometimes push it too far. In the coming weeks, I am giving you a license to wander into the frontiers of braggadocio.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Research by psychologists at Queen’s University in Canada concluded that the average human has about 6,200 thoughts every day. Other studies suggest that 75% of our thoughts are negative, and 95 percent are repetitive. But here’s the good news, Leo: My astrological analysis suggests that the amount of your negative and repetitive thoughts could diminish in the coming weeks. You might even get those percentages down to 35 percent and 50 percent, respectively. Just imagine how refreshed you will feel. With all that rejuvenating energy coursing through your brain, you may generate positive, unique thoughts at an astounding rate. Take maximum advantage, please!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
You have probably heard the platitude, “Be cautious about what you wish for. You might get it.” The implied warning is that if your big desires are fulfilled, your life may change in unpredictable ways that require major adjustments. That’s useful advice. However, I have often found that the “major adjustments” necessary are often interesting and healing—strenuous, perhaps, but ultimately enlivening. In my vision of your future, Virgo, the consequences of your completed goal will fit that description. You will be mostly pleased with the adaptations you must undertake in response to your success.

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

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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“Moonlight is sculpture; sunlight is painting.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne 

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Quote of the Day: “Moonlight is sculpture; sunlight is painting.” –  Nathaniel Hawthorne 

Photo by: Michael Niessl

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?

 

 

Old Coal-Fired Power Plant Found the Key to Solving America’s Biggest Clean Energy Challenge

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Andy Corbley
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The power connections at the Sherco Coal Power Plant in Becker, MN - credit, MPCA Photos, CC 2.0.
The power connections at the Sherco Coal Power Plant in Becker, MN – credit, MPCA Photos, CC 2.0.

Researchers at the Berkeley National Labs have determined that oil, coal, and gas power plants still have a major role to play in America’s energy economy—as electrical sockets.

There are years of red tape needed for renewable energy projects to connect fully with the grid, but because coal and gas plants already negotiated that process long ago, one of their best uses for Americans in the future will be to act like a home electrical socket that the renewables could “plug” into.

In a feature piece on CNN, “experts” say that there are more clean energy projects waiting to be connected to the grid than there is power—from all sources—circulating in the grid right now; a startling statement considering the billions in borrowed money being spent to transition the US electrical grid to renewable sources.

Described by CNN as “seven years of bureaucracy and red tape,” attaching new solar and wind farms to the grid is so much more difficult than connecting them to a thermal power plant and piggybacking on that existing infrastructure.

“This should be one of the main strategies that we adopt going forward, because we already have so many existing assets, so much grid infrastructure and we don’t want to just throw them away,” said Umed Paliwal, a senior scientist at UC Berkeley and a lead author of a new study on the topic.

The study found that there are enough suitable lands around thermal power plants that are currently decommissioned or that run only as backup power sources to build 1,000 gigawatts of renewable capacity that could all use the grid connections at the thermal plant to deliver clean energy years ahead of schedule, if they weren’t built next to one.

ALSO CHECK OUT: US Puts Solar Panels on Old Nuclear Weapons Sites for Powering 70,000 Homes

In the piece at CNN, Sherco’s aging power plant in Minnesota is currently awaiting decommissioning, but its power grid infrastructure is being used by an enormous solar farm from Xcel Energy—one of the largest in the country.

“Any fossil fuel power plant does not operate every single hour of the day,” Sonia Aggarwal, CEO of clean energy think tank Energy Innovation told CNN. “[T]hat big plug, this really valuable resource that everyone is waiting years to get access to—that’s just sitting there, not being used.

MORE GOOD ENERGY NEWS: Waste Heat Generated from Electronics to Warm Finnish City in Winter Thanks to Groundbreaking Thermal Energy Project

Like an aging sports star who’s not quite ready to call it quits, the energy sources that powered America’s past may yet have a game or two left in the tank to help the team, so to speak, move ahead to a brighter future.

SHARE These Remarkable Facts And Figures With Your Friends… 

Florida’s Trying ‘Speed Dating’ Service to Save Endangered Mollusk–Matching Queen Conchs with Caring Mates

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Andy Corbley
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A mature queen conch - creidt, Jennifer Doerr, NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Galveston.
A mature queen conch – credit, Jennifer Doerr, NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Galveston.

This incredible critter is the queen conch, and look out fellas she’s single.

She’s one of many queen conch bachelorettes being saved by a new initiative in Florida that’s relocating these endangered mollusks to deeper waters.

Warming seas off the Florida Keys have made this species lethargic and survival-focused, impeding their reproductive activities. Marine biologists hope that in the cooler, deeper waters, they will pair up and mate without issue.

The small but dedicated team of mollusk matchmakers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have moved over 200 individuals of this species of near-shore conch to an offshore reef in the Upper Keys from waters around the city of Marathon.

The Gulf of Mexico is a tumultuous environment for native sea life, with oil spills, hurricanes, and some of the fastest-warming water temperatures on the planet.

“It’s because we’re dealing with very shallow water, too cold in the winter, OK in the spring, and in the summer it gets too hot,” Gabriel Delgado, a research scientist and conch specialist with the FWC who played chief matchmaker during the relocation project, told the Guardian.

“The animals shut down. Instead of going into reproduction, they shunt their energy into basically survival and never really develop their reproductive organs very well.”

OTHER GOOD GULF NEWS: Number of Fish on US Overfishing List Reaches All-Time Low–Led by Mackerel and Snapper

In a successful example of crowdsourcing, the FWC asked the public to help locate queen conchs near the shore that could be relocated.

“We asked the public to keep their eyes open. They reported them online, some people emailed, and we used community volunteers to gather up the 208 that we moved in June to an offshore aggregation,” said Delgado.

OTHER GOOD GULF NEWS: Watch 2,200 Cold-Stunned Turtles Being Released by Volunteers Back Into the Gulf

It’s been more than a year since the relocation happened, and while breeding activity hasn’t been recorded yet, the most recent dive to check up on the loveshells found them all still mingling in the reintroduction zone.

SHARE This Hardwork On Behalf Of A Special Species With Your Friends… 

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