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Shape-Shifting Fiber Produces Fabrics That Shrink or Expand in Real-Time and Fit into Existing Manufacturing

By
Andy Corbley
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The actuating fibers from MIT - courtesy of the researchers
The actuating fibers from MIT – courtesy of the researchers

Imagine if the same forces that shrink your wool sweater when you forget what water temp to wash it at could be used at will to decide the fit of your clothes in real-time.

This is the aim of a project at MIT looking to make shape-shifting fabrics for everything from medical devices to everyday clothes to utility tools like tarps and nets.

The project has produced the prototype of a programmable, actuating fiber that’s called FibeRobo. The fiber contracts in response to an increase in temperature, and then self-reverses when the temperature decreases, without any embedded sensors or other hard components.

“We use textiles for everything. We make planes with fiber-reinforced composites, we cover the International Space Station with a radiation-shielding fabric, we use them for personal expression and performance wear,” says Jack Forman, a graduate student in the Tangible Media Group of the MIT Media Lab, with a secondary affiliation at the Center for Bits and Atoms, and lead author of a paper on the actuating fiber.

“So much of our environment is adaptive and responsive, but the one thing that needs to be the most adaptive and responsive—textiles—is completely inert.”

Joined on the paper by 11 other researchers at MIT and Northeastern University, they present together the findings of their initiative to develop a fiber that could silently change shape and be compatible with existing textile manufacturing methods.

They developed a material called liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) and then invented a machine that squirts this material out like a hot glue gun into a chamber where it’s bathed in UV light to solidify it.

Spooled up at the top of the machine, Forman and his team can produce a little more than half a mile of fiber per day that fits the specifications for tensile strength, fineness, and durability that allows it to be used with weaving looms, embroidery tools, and industrial knitting machines.

MIT press explains that by carefully mixing chemicals to synthesize the LCE, the researchers can control the final properties of the fiber, such as its thickness or the temperature at which it actuates.

MORE INNOVATIVE FABRICS: MIT Scientists Develop the Perfect Breathable Earth-Friendly Fabric Using The Same Material as Single-Use Bags

They perfected a preparation technique that creates LCE fiber which can actuate at skin-safe temperatures, making it suitable for wearable fabrics.

“At the end of the day, you don’t want a diva fiber. You want a fiber that, when you are working with it, falls into the ensemble of materials—one that you can work with just like any other fiber material, but then it has a lot of exciting new capabilities,” Forman says.

SIMILAR SOFT ROBOTICS: These Flabby Gel Robots Could Deliver Life-Saving Drugs by Inching Along Using Changes in Temperature

Some of the finished properties are really cool. At 60 times cheaper than similar shape-changing fabrics, the fiber can shrink at a ratio of 25% of its size, shrinking when heat is applied (think of a self-constricting compression sleeve that activates during sport or exercise) or 40% of its total size for the less-than-skin-safe version, (imagine a tarp that auto-compresses around a pallet of goods).

Forman used it to make a compression vest for his dog Professor, who suffers from separation anxiety, for which compression vests have been known to help.

The LCE is not recyclable in its current form, but most clothes end up in landfills because they don’t fit or they’re unwanted. A shape-changing fabric would solve those two issues at least, and in any case, products made with FibeRobo would probably cost enough to dissuade simply throwing it away when you’ve had enough of it.

WATCH the machine and the textile in action below… 

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Britain’s Oldest Soccer Senior at 90-years-old Is Still the ‘Ninja’ of Goals–Playing 3x a Week

By
Andy Corbley
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Mike Fisher playing in the Walsall FC foundation – SWNS
Mike Fisher playing in the Walsall FC foundation – SWNS

Britain’s oldest striker is still banging in the goals for his local soccer team three times a week—at the grand old age of 90.

Sprightly Mike Fisher—nicknamed ‘Ninja’ by teammates—averages three goals a game following an amateur footballing career that began 75 years ago in 1949.

The former RAF veteran turns out every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for two local walking soccer teams after he started playing for them at age 82.

Before that, the granddad-of-two played up until his 40s before taking a break from the beautiful game.

Falling back in love with the sport in his 80s, he now regularly appears for Old Corinthians, who play at non-league Rushall Olympic’s ground in Walsall.

The goal machine even celebrated his 90th birthday with teammates in late February by bagging five goals in a game against opponents 40 years younger than him.

“They all call me ‘Ninja,'” Mike admits, “because they say I’m gone in the blink of an eye, just like that. One minute you think you’ve collared me and the next minute I’m gone and the ball is in the back of the net.”

“If you ask anyone if they play with Mike Fisher, they won’t have a clue who you’re on about, but if you say ‘do you play with Ninja’ they will know who you mean,” he said.

Mike Fisher plays with people sometimes 40 years his junior – SWNS

Mike began playing when he was 14 in the Luton and District League in his native Bedfordshire before he moved to the Midlands after meeting his wife, Doris. He fell for Doris in Blackpool, where he was stationed with the RAF.

MORE GOLDEN OLDIES: 90-Year-old Earns Judo Belt Level Reached By Only 6 People in the Nation

Sunday league soccer around the country is famously competitive and forms a deep part of squad members’ lives. A Luton Town fan, Mike is no doubt fiercely celebrating the return of his team to the Premier League for the 2023-2024 season, having been relegated in 1992, and floating between the third, fourth, second, and even fifth leagues for a generation.

“I still love football and I’ll keep going for as long as I can—or at least while I’m still scoring on a regular basis. That feeling of scoring goals never gets old—even if I am,” he said, speaking like a true striker.

“I’ve lost count of how many I’ve scored but I get four or five a game usually and have been playing walking soccer three times a week regularly for eight years. A few times I have scored ten in a match,” he said.

After serving in Libya, Egypt, and Iraq in 1954 as an RAF motor mechanic, Mike married Dorris and moved to Blackpool where they had two children. Dorris passed away in 2020.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Five Classy Olympic Moments That Should Win a Gold Medal For Inspiration

“The football gives me a reason to still get up and out and stay fit and active. I don’t want to be sitting in a chair all day long. I began playing in Luton when I was around 14/15 and I played as a forward or as wide forward as it was known then,” he said.

Mike Fisher celebrating his 90th birthday – SWNS

“I played for a team called Yale once I moved up to the Black Country and then played with Wednesfield Civil Defence when I was around 33/34.”

“It wasn’t until I moved into my flat in Bloxwich that we went along to this community center and they asked what sort of thing I enjoyed doing,” said Mike. “I said I used to play football and they mentioned the walking football, although I thought I’d be way too old at 82, I just gave it a go.”

INSPIRING SENIOR CITIZENS: This Grandad is All-Action at Aged 92: ‘I do martial arts daily’ (Watch)

“All of a sudden, I started playing against people in their 50s and 60s and realized I could still do it. These days I just wait up front to stick it in the net if I’m needed. I’m a bit like Jimmy Greaves, I suppose,” he continued. “He was the classic poacher, he used to hug the box and score goals from close range.”

Old Corinthians teammate Mike Stevenson, 76, said of ‘Ninj’ simply that “he comes, he scores.”

“Can there be anyone else still playing regular football at this great age?” he added.

SHARE This Inspiring Reminder That You’re Never Too Old To ___ 

Fateful Lunch Delivery Leads to Dog Adoption at Virginia Shelter: ‘Love at First Sight’

By
Andy Corbley
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Alan Moncayo and Jihoo - credit, Alan Moncayo, released to the press
Alan Moncayo and Jihoo – credit, Alan Moncayo, released to the press

When Alan Moncayo arrives to deliver someone’s lunch, the only thing he might expect to walk away with could be a tip, but when he brought an office lunch out to a Virginia animal shelter, he got so much more than gratuity.

Moncayo arrived with a GrubHub delivery outside the Lorton campus of the Fairfax County Animal Hospital on February 10th.

Walking to the door, he saw a dog staring at him through the window.

“It was love at first sight,” Moncayo, 51, tells PEOPLE Magazine. “He looked at me, and I looked back at him.”

“My daughter’s been asking me for a puppy for the longest time. She wanted a dog so bad.”

As it happened to be a Saturday, Moncayo had his 5-year-old daughter in the car with him, and while the black and white pit bull mix in the window wasn’t exactly a puppy at 65 pounds, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this pooch was special.

He asked if the two of them could meet the dog, named Jihoo, and were allowed to take him out of the kennel to play fetch. Jihoo had been at Lorton for 240 days, ten times as long as the average stay for a dog.

MORE ADOPTION STORIES: ‘It’s Scratching, Dude’– US Coast Guard Inspectors Rescue Stowaway Dog from Shipping Container

Since his owners surrendered him, he had become like a mascot for the hospital, greeting visitors, playing with toys, going on hikes, and jumping up on the countertops wagging his tail.

As it happened, Moncayo’s visit happened to coincide with the Super Bowl, and the shelter was trying to drive adoptions around the big game with an “Adoption Bowl” for linebacker-sized dogs.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Magician Performs Tricks for Shelter Dogs So Their Enthusiastic Reactions get Them Adopted–Watch

Any shelter dog over 45 lbs. was free to adopt, making it all the easier for Moncayo to go home with his dream dog. The shelter added a crate, leash, toys, and food, all free of charge.

SHARE This Man’s Newfound Happiness With Your Friends… 

Colorado Town is Case Study for Electric School Buses in Wintertime—They Outperformed Diesel

By
Andy Corbley
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credit MPCA Photos, CC 3.0.
credit MPCA Photos, CC 3.0.

These frozen smoke belchers are Minnesota school buses that were set for a retrofit with diesel engines in 2012. New evidence, however, from a small town in Colorado suggests that another retrofit is needed—to electric motors and batteries.

That’s because the West Grand School District is finding that in the frigid winter temps of -30°F, their electric buses outperformed their diesel-powered ones, both in running costs and reliability.

EV skeptics and critics are quick to mention the reduced range of a battery pack when exposed to such brutal temperatures, but no Minnesotan or Coloradoan needs reminding about those especially cold mornings when the car won’t start.

Kremmling Colorado is one of the coldest towns in the country, and the school district that encompasses this hamlet of 1,500 people was able to begin using an electric bus in their fleet starting in 2020 thanks to grants from the EPA, along with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

“What we are seeing is that these buses are doing great in cold weather they still maintain a battery charge even when it’s cold,” said Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) representative, Casey Becker.

OTHER EV NEWS: Number of Electric School Buses More than Doubled in the U.S. in Past Year

“It averages 26 cents per mile and the diesel buses, just for fuel not including oil changes, filters, lubes, is 58 cents per mile,” said West Grand County School District Director of Transportation, Bethany Aurin.

Becker told Fox 9 News that there will be a total of 49 electric school buses heading to nine Colorado School Districts, including four in Summit County and three in Steamboat Springs.

WATCH the story below from Fox 9 Colorado… 

SHARE This Surprise Performance Case Study In Perfect Test Conditions…

“When you forgive others, they may not notice, but you will heal.” – David Whyte

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “When you forgive others, they may not notice, but you will heal.” – David Whyte

Photo by: Lee Soo hyun

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Run by Grandmothers, a Staten Island Restaurant Highlights Homecooking from Around the World

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - Enoteca Maria, retrieved from Facebook
credit – Enoteca Maria, retrieved from Facebook

Most visitors going to Staten Island are doing so to see the Statue of Liberty, but within the kitchen at 27 Hyatt Street can be found one of the most unique restaurants in the whole city.

Enoteca Maria is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for visitors to get a glimpse inside another world—many other worlds—as the menu prepared for each weekend is designed and cooked to order by a staff of grandmothers.

From Syria to Peru, Japan to Sicily, the “Nonnas of the World” project showcases traditional home cooking by those in the family who almost always do it best, and whether they’re American citizens, visiting grandmothers, or even refugees, the food and recipes are cooked the way they ought to be, the way they always were.

Established by the son of Sicilian immigrants Enoteca Maria opened in 2007 with a staff entirely of Italian Nonne, or grandmothers.

More than 100 women have come through the doors since then, representing Sri Lanka, Syria, Bulgaria, Greece, South Korea, and Siberian regions according to the BBC, while La Reppublica reports the visiting contributions of grandmas from Egypt, Peru, Japan, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Turkey, and Argentina.

Grandma Rosa from Peru cooks ceviche or lomo saltado, while Grandma Yumi makes dengaku: sliced and steamed eggplant with a sweet miso glaze.

Owner Joe Scaravella opened the restaurant to try and replace something he lost—his own grandma, the sweetest woman on earth he says, who raised him, and who was the best cook. But what started as an homage to his Sicilian heritage transformed into a living, gastronomic, cultural repository.

MORE RESTAURANT CONCEPTS: 3 Cooks in Prison Honed Creativity with Drab Ingredients–Now Out, Award-Winning Chef And Businessmen

As well as filling out the reservation book, Scaravella created a virtual registry project called Nonnas of the World where the stories and recipes of the grandmothers who come through to cook are recorded, ensuring that they will be available to anyone looking to celebrate as their ancestors did.

As it happens, a similar restaurant concept was opened in London—La Mia Mamma.

WATCH a 5-minute BBC piece on the restaurant and meet some of the nonne…

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Deputies Rescue 5-yo Girl With Autism Wandering in a Florida Swamp: “We Were Looking for You, Sweetie’

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office retrieved from Facebook
credit – Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, retrieved from Facebook

A 5-year-old girl was reported missing recently near Tampa, after the autistic child wandered off and got lost in a swamp.

The haunt of snapping turtles, alligators, water moccasins, and other beasties, Florida swamps are no place for an unattended child, but fortunately a coordinated rescue operation by the sheriff’s office located her before disaster struck.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deployed their aviation unit with thermal imaging to a heavily wooded area after receiving a call about the missing child.

Speaking to officers among the reeds and cypress, the pilot located the girl about one hour after the search began.

Bodycam footage released by the HCSO shows the three officers finding and calling her name. “We were looking for you sweetheart,” said one.

Fortunately the girl came to the officers instead of running further away and potentially hurting herself, and seemed perfectly happy when one of the rescue team lifted her out of the water and onto dry land.

credit – Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, retrieved from Facebook.

Sheriff Chad Chronister commended the officers, saying that their “quick action saved the day, turning [a] potential tragedy into a hopeful reunion.”

MORE OFFICER RESCUES: Cop Saves Unconscious Driver From Burning Truck, ‘I’m either going to die here with him or get him out’ –WATCH

“Their dedication shows what service and protection are all about here at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office,” Chronister said in a statement.

WATCH the rescue footage below… 

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American Marten May Be Set for Return to Pennsylvania Forests After 100 Year Absence

By
Andy Corbley
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Jacob Frank - public domain
Jacob Frank – public domain

Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Wildlife Management is working on an experimental reintroduction plan to restore the American marten to woods and hills in the Keystone State.

This tree-dwelling relative of the mink was extirpated from the state 100 years ago, and a plan to create an experimental, non-protected population to monitor how a predator introduction would affect existing ecosystems in PA is set to be discussed in April.

Weighing between 1 and 3 pounds, the American marten is a true omnivore, preying on insects, fish, plants, rodents, and other items.

As part of a Feasibility Assessment, the Game Commission conducted extensive diet research from across the marten’s range in other states and found that marten eat primarily rodents.

Some opponents of the reintroduction worry these canny predators will damage populations of game species like grouse and wild turkey or those listed as endangered or vulnerable like the northern goshawk.

At least during the Feasibility Assessment however, species such as turkey, including eggs and chicks, and the northern goshawk, were not identified as prey items in the diet research.

MORE NEWS FROM PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania SPCA Shelter Empties Kennels for First Time in 47 Years: ‘A True Miracle’

The BWF believes that because the marten has lived in Pennsylvania recently, reintroducing them will help bring the ecosystem into better balance by increasing biodiversity, and returning ecological processes such as seed dispersal and rodent population management.

MORE GOOD WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT: Rockfish Populations Rebound After Strict Management Decades Ahead of the Expected Date

According to North Central PA, a January survey targeted at hunters found a pretty even split of opinion on the reintroduction, with 37% in favor, 32% in opposition, and 31% remaining neutral.

The BWF hopes to understand and perhaps assuage concerns among those in opposition by collecting more information for them in time for the April meeting.

SHARE This American Rewilding With Your Friends In The Quaker State… 

Poverty Rate in India Drops Below 5% First Time Ever as Rural-Urban Divide Shrinks

By
Andy Corbley
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Unsplash - Austin Curtis
Unsplash – Austin Curtis

The images of Mother Theresa’s work in Calcutta gave many people the idea that post-independence India was a place of destitution and grinding poverty, but today it’s on course for one of the great economic miracles in history.

This gargantuan nation-state has reduced the official poverty level to below 5%, according to the consumer-expenditure survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO).

The last such survey was released a decade ago, and over the latest sample period, the office separated respondents into 20 different categories based on household income and found that the average per capita monthly expenditure in rural households is 3,773 rupees ($45) while in urban households it reaches 6,459 rupees ($78).

This is the lowest divide in monthly expenditure between urban and rural Indians ever recorded by the NSSO. Since the last survey, there has been a 2.5-fold increase in consumption in both urban and rural households, suggesting “significant progress” in alleviating poverty.

MORE POVERTY FALLING: The Unprecedented Decline in U.S. Child Poverty—Down 59% in 26 Years

Consumption is often used to measure strength and prosperity in modern economics. As a method it has major flaws, such as the ability to disguise underlying weaknesses, but the NSSO believes that their data indicates the fall of poverty in India to below 5%.

More granularly, the NSSO recorded a fall in spending on cereals and grains, and an increase in spending on fruit, vegetables, dairy products, and processed foods, showing an evolving dietary pattern indicative of more economic means available to the general public.

OTHER STORIES OF PROGRESS: New UN Treaty for the High Seas Finally Drafted After 17 Years of Debate on Language

While India contains several of the world’s largest cities, there are still 1.8 rural Indians for every 1 urbanite. If rural Indians were a country they would be the second most populous on Earth.

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“Who, being loved, is poor?” – Oscar Wilde

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Who, being loved, is poor?” – Oscar Wilde

Photo by: Kenny Eliason

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Onlookers ‘in Awe’ After Orca Pod Leaps Out of Water Just Meters From the Beach – WATCH

By
Good News Network
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By Rémi Boudousquié
File photo by Rémi Boudousquié

Beach goers near Seattle experienced an incredible sighting last week when a pod of orcas began leaping out of the water just meters from the shore.

Alyssa Slovinac was visiting Golden Gardens Beach, in the state of Washington on February 24 when she was treated to an astonishing show that left onlookers ‘in awe’.

The video below shows one member of the orca pod breach clear out of the surface of the bay while another appears to wave with its massive fin.

Belonging to the largest species in the dolphin family, the six orcas frolicked in the foreground, while one leaped from the water, twisting in midair before landing again.

“I was absolutely ecstatic,” said Alyssa.

“I’m a bit of an orca enthusiast, so I’ve seen this type of behavior before—but this was the first time in my seven years in Seattle that I’ve seen them this close to shore.

“The environment on the beach was electric as everyone was so thrilled by such a close encounter.

LOOK: Farmer Filmed the Adorable Moment His Newborn Quails Caused a Mini Stampede in His Home

“The level of surface activity varied over the near hour and a half we watched them, but during this time there was lots of celebrating after what I’d guess was a quick snack.”

They are often called ‘killer whales’, maybe because of such appetites but not a misnomer because orcas (and all dolphins)—along with porpoises, sperm whales, beluga whales, and narwhals—are members of the the sub-order of whales that have teeth, known as odontocetes.

WATCH the thrilling video from SWNS below…

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Top Keepsakes Parents Save From Their Baby’s First Years and Why

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Good News Network
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One mom kept a variety of baby items and now is doling them out for grandchildren. (Copyright)
One mom kept a variety of baby items and now is doling them out for grandchildren. (Copyright)

A survey of 2,000 parents looked at how they hold onto their child’s younger years, with three in four saying their child is growing up way too fast.

Most of them believe they’ve became a more sentimental person since becoming a parent—and their answers confirmed it.

The child’s age that parents missed the most, on average, was two years old, and most of those surveyed said they would go to great lengths to get that time back.

“They change so much and so fast,” said one respondent. “I really miss them being a child.”

Since they can’t go back, the survey conducted by OnePoll for baby-products company Stokke found that 84% have kept something related to an important childhood milestone.

The average parent in the random double-opt-in poll said they were holding on to nine things from their child’s earliest years, with one in seven saying they’ll hold onto at least 20 different items.

Some are common keepsakes like their baby’s clothes (51%), a copy of their footprint or handprint (50%) and their pregnancy test or ultrasound images (48%).

Others have kept a memento that belonged to their baby like a lock of their hair (35%) or a fallen tooth (28%).

When asked why parents are sentimental about items from their child’s early years, one mom simply said, “The socks are so tiny and cute!”

FOR PET PARENTS: Do You Know Your Pet’s Love Language? Survey Shows Which are the Most Popular

Illustration via SWN

Another said, “It just reminds me of a happy time.”

Parents save things primarily for memories, but 37% also hope to be passing them down to those kids when they’re older.

Although they feel sentimental, parents are also keen on keeping their home clutter-free, so most have given away certain items to other families, especially when kids outgrow things so fast.

ALSO: Survey Says These Are the Best Things About Raising a Child – #1 are the Cuddles

To be resourceful and look for value, the same percentage (82%) would accept used items from other parents.

But wistfully hearkening back to the past happens not only when the child turns 18, but for all time.

“He was growing and would no longer be my little baby, (but) only in age would he not be my baby forever.”

These Are the 20 Best Cities in America By the Numbers… 7 Are in California and 7 in the Midwest

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Good News Network
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Lake Elizabeth in Fremont, California, by Oleg Alexandrov, CC license

As the International Day of Happiness approaches on March 20, an interesting comparison of cities in the US was published, which provides helpful benchmarks for anyone thinking of moving.

Although WalletHub entitled its new report “The Happiest Cities in America”, they didn’t actually interview people to find out if they were happy. Rather, they looked at which cities provide the best conditions for residents to optimize mental and physical well being.

They compared more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities, including the 150 most populated—plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state—across three key dimensions: 1) Emotional & Physical Well-Being, 2) Income & Employment, and 3) Community & Environment.

They evaluated these categories using 29 key indicators of happiness—from the depression and suicide rates to sports participation, from the income-growth rate to job satisfaction and unemployment, along with the weather, average leisure time and how many parks per acre, among others.

Taking all these into consideration, Fremont, California (located in the San Francisco Bay Area) is the best overall U.S. city for residents today.

One contributing factor is that Fremont (with its population of around a quarter million) has the highest share of households with an income above $75,000—at nearly 80%. Studies have shown that people who make at least $75,000 per year are happier than people with lower incomes. In addition, Fremont has the lowest separation and divorce rate in the country (4.6 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest). Fremont also has the lowest share of adults who report having 14 or more mentally unhealthy days in the past month.

California must have a lot of positives going for it, because seven of the top 20 cities are in the Golden State. In the category of Emotional and Physical Well-being, the top four cities are all in Cali.

According to the new report, the top 20 Best Cities in America are:

1. Fremont, CA
2. Overland Park, KS
3. San Jose, CA
4. Madison, WI
5. Irvine, CA
6. Honolulu, HI
7. San Francisco, CA
8. Pearl City, HI
9. Columbia, MD
10. Scottsdale, AZ
11. Sioux Falls, SD
12. Huntington Beach, CA
13. Minneapolis, MN
14. Garden Grove, CA
15. San Diego, CA
16. Fargo, ND
17. Portland, ME
18. Seattle, WA
19. Lincoln, NE
20. Bismarck, ND

CHECK OUT: Beautiful City of Savannah Wins Survey of Top 5 Most Underrated Places to Visit in USA

Interesting Facts:

Newark, New Jersey, has the lowest number of suicides per 100,000 residents, which is 7.9 times lower than in Casper, Wyoming, the city with the highest.

Two cities in Hawaii—Honolulu and Pearl City—scored in the Top 20, and they also snagged the top two spots in the Community and Environment category.

While the Midwest figured prominently in the Top 20 cities, no Southern cities ranked higher than 22 (Charleston, SC). Texas and Florida were not on the list until you drop down to #35 (Plano, TX) and #48 (Pembroke Pines, FL).

The two worst ranking cities were Detroit and Cleveland, with the bottom 20 rounded out by many Southern metropolises—3 in Alabama, and 2 each in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.

NEW POLL: 82% of U.S. Adults Are Hopeful About Their Own Future and Their Community’s Future

“Money can buy happiness to a certain degree because a stable income is essential… but the happiest cities combine economic security with kind communities and conditions that are conducive to low depression rates and high life satisfaction,” said Cassandra Happe, a WalletHub analyst.

VIEW the full report to find your U.S. city’s rank.

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He Lost 210-lbs on Carnivore Diet Eating Just Meat and Eggs–After Fertility Became an Issue

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Good News Network
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Before and after photos of Isaiah Caldwell on a carnivore diet - SWNS
Before and after photos of Isaiah Caldwell on a carnivore diet – SWNS

A man shed a staggering 210 pounds—almost half his bodyweight—by eating a diet consisting of just meat and eggs.

After tipping the scales at 434 pounds and being told his weight might be causing fertility issues, the 28-year-old decided to change his lifestyle.

Isaiah Caldwell now weighs 224 since sticking with a carnivore diet, which includes anything that come from animals—meat, fish, eggs, bone broth, and dairy.

The 6-foot-4-inch salesman from St Louis, Missouri, says he’s now happier and healthier—and hopes to jumpstart his family with his wife Amanda.

“Having a baby became an obsession of ours—we were really excited about it,” Isaiah recalled. “We started trying for a year before we began to suspect that there might be some issues fertility-wise.

“I knew if there was anything I could do to give us a chance, I would do it.”

He decided to ditch all food groups except for meat, eggs, and dairy, and found out that it was pretty easy to lose weight.

“People think there’s some magic to it, but the reality is you’re just eliminating overeating—as it’s really hard to binge eat meat.

He lost 21lbs in the first month by eating steak and smoked brisket—and said he was “blown away”. He decided to stay on the carnivore diet for another month, and lost another 18 lbs, so continued on it.

By Leonardo Carvalho

“I felt unbelievable even one week; psychologically I felt so much better, my brain fog was totally gone. I felt a million times better.”

CHECK OUT: Cutting Calories by 12% Can Help People Live Healthier, Longer Lives, Says Study

He knew he wasn’t going to be able to keep it up forever, just eating meat, and after months, he expanded his diet to include some fruit.

After ten months he had lost a mammoth 118 pounds.

Once the weight loss began to slow up, Isaiah decided to start a training regime used by bodybuilders and began meticulously tracking his calorie intake.

He lost another 35 pounds, and now continues his calorie counting.

“If anyone is thinking maybe they can’t do it, they should know that I felt exactly like that too. It felt impossible and hopeless, but everyone is capable of it.”

Isaiah Caldwell with his wife Amanda after his weight loss (via SWNS)

He admits that because it is a very restrictive diet, it’s “probably not for everyone.”

There is little scientific research on the carnivore diet, but plenty of anecdotal reports of lowered blood pressure and joint pain, and better sleep. One 2021 study based on a self-reporting survey of 2,029 adults concluded in a paper published by the American Society for Nutrition that adults consuming a carnivore diet experienced “few adverse effects and instead reported health benefits and high satisfaction”.

DON’T FORGET FISH: Holy Mackerel! Fish Really Is Brain Food – Even if You Only Eat a Small Amount

Many professionals in the nutrition industry would prefer—because the full range of effects from the carnivore diet have not been studies—that people follow carb-limiting meal plans, instead—such as the ketogenic (keto) diet which hyper-restricts carbohydrates (flour, sugar, grains, and most fruits) and loads up on proteins and fats, like meats, cheese, avocados, and nuts.

As for Isiah and Amanda, they are due to go back to the doctors in the coming months to see if his efforts have had an impact on his fertility.

“We’re really optimistic,” said the newly-fit hubby. “I’m going to get testing done, but I’ve increased odds from zero to at least something.

WHAT ABOUT THE EARTH? How Do Nutritional Plant-Based Diets Compare With Meat Diets For Our Environment? Scientists Answer.

“I’m in best shape of my life and we are excited to find a way to be parents no matter what.”

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“When one paints an ideal, one does not need to limit one’s imagination.” – Ellen Key

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Quote of the Day: “When one paints an ideal, one does not need to limit one’s imagination.” – Ellen Key

Photo by: A Girl with Flowers on the Grass by Jacob Maris (1878, Rijksmuseum)

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First Known Photos of ‘Lost Bird’ Not Seen in 2 Decades are Captured by University of Texas Scientists

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The first-ever photograph of Yellow-crested Helmetshrike (Prionops alberti) Credit: Matt Brady / The University of Texas at El Paso
The first-ever photograph of Yellow-crested Helmetshrike (Prionops alberti) Credit: Matt Brady / The University of Texas at El Paso

For the first time, scientists have captured photos of a bird in Africa that was unseen for nearly twenty years.

Known as the Yellow-crested Helmetshrike, the species had been listed as a ‘lost bird’ by the American Bird Conservancy because it had not been spotted in nearly two decades.

Scientists from the University of Texas at El Paso discovered a small flock of the birds during a six-week expedition to a mountain range in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“It was a mind-blowing experience to come across these birds. We knew they might be possible here, but I was not prepared for how spectacular and unique they would appear in life,” said UTEP assistant professor Michael Harvey, Ph.D, an ornithologist.

Harvey co-led the expedition with UTEP Professor Eli Greenbaum, Ph.D. They were joined by ornithologist Matt Brady, as well as a group of Congolese researchers from the Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles.

The team trekked on foot for 75 miles through the depths of the Itombwe Massif mountains, studying birds, amphibians, and reptiles along the way.

While exploring the cloud forests on the slopes of a mountain, Harvey and Brady stumbled upon the helmetshrike—a striking black bird with a bright yellow “helmet.”

In total, about 18 helmetshrikes appeared in noisy and active groups among the mid-layer of forest vegetation at three sites, during the expedition.

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The bird is endemic to the western slopes of the Albertine Rift of Central Africa, according to Harvey, a region that has been largely inaccessible due to war and security issues, but which has recently become safer to visit.

“This inspires hope that perhaps the species still has a reasonably healthy population in the remote forests of the region,” Harvey said.

With mining, logging, and agriculture making inroads deep into the forests of the Itombwe range, the team is in discussions with other researchers and conservation organizations to launch efforts to protect the helmetshrikes.

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“Right now is a golden opportunity to protect these tropical forests, so that we don’t lose species like the helmetshrike before they are known and studied,” said Harvey.

The expedition, which ran from December 2023 to January 2024, yielded other important discoveries.

The Red-bellied Squeaker Frog (Arthroleptis hematogaster) had not been seen since the 1950s – Credit: Eli Greenbaum / The University of Texas at El Paso

The herpetology team rediscovered the Red-bellied Squeaker Frog (Arthroleptis hematogaster) which had not been seen since the 1950s.

This was Greenbaum’s eleventh expedition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where he was inspired to write his book, Emerald Labyrinth: A Scientist’s Adventures in the Jungles of the Congo.

The dean of the College of Science at UTEP hopes these groundbreaking discoveries will illuminate and inspire students and scientists worldwide.

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5 Days After Vanishing, Puppy Found Stuck Inside Bramble Thicket Unseen Except By Heat-Seeking Drone (Video)

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Jodie Dance with puppy found by Drone Search and Rescue For Lost Dogs UK / SWNS
Heat seeking drone finds dog in thicket By John Watton w Drone SAR For Lost Dogs UK / SWNS

A puppy was rescued from a ditch that was covered in thick brambles five days after she vanished—thanks to a heat-seeking drone.

Six-month-old cocker spaniel Bow got lost while on a walk with her owner Jodie Dance, who hunted for hours on February 19 but was forced to abandon the search when it got dark.

The next day she put an appeal on Facebook for people to look out for her beloved pooch near where she went missing in Warwickshire, England.

Five days later a jogger in Burton Dassett Country Park overheard barking coming from a bramble-filled railway embankment about a mile away from the park and raised the alarm.

Drone search and rescue operator John Watton with Drone SAR For Lost Dogs UK used a thermal imaging camera to spot the animal trapped inside the thicket.

“A jogger heard barking but couldn’t see the dog so we were called in and I took the drone over to his location. Within a few minutes I picked up a heat signature.

“It was literally about 6-feet inside brambles but I got a heat signature of a fox-type size.”

John Watton for Drone SAR For Lost Dogs UK / SWNS

Footage from Sunday’s rescue shows Jodie and her friends hacking down the thick brambles with hedge trimmers before hauling Bow to safety.

“Just the reaction from the owner was unbelievable. She was completely in tears,” said the 50-year-old drone operator.

“To be honest I was nearly blubbering.”

Jodie had taken Bow and her sister Bella for a run in the countryside when they both ran away.

HERO HUSKIE: Dog That Won’t Stop Digging Saves Entire Neighborhood After They Find Dangerous Gas Leak Underground

Jodie Dance with her spaniel puppy, Bow – SWNS

“They are only pups but they love running so I took them to Burton Dassett and let them off the lead. They were having a fabulous time on the hills but then both disappeared from view and then only Bella came back.”

LOOK: Man Whose Dog Ran Away While He Was in a Coma Is Reunited Thanks to Strangers on Internet

“Drone SAR were just brilliant.

“It’s a miracle she was found and it wouldn’t have happened without the thermal drone.”

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Women Get the Same Exercise Benefits As Men, But With Less Effort, Huge Study Shows

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By Elena Kloppenburg
By Elena Kloppenburg

Researchers have discovered a “gender gap” between men and women when it comes to working out—and it favors women, who are not likely to exercise as often.

Data analyzed from 412,000 adults in the U.S. showed that females get more ‘heart health benefit’ from exercise than males.

They can get the same benefits from exercise as men, but with less effort, according to Professor Martha Gulati, director of Preventive Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

She explained that women have historically lagged behind men in how often they engaged in meaningful exercise.

“The beauty of this study is learning that women can get more out of each minute of moderate to vigorous activity than men do.”

The team analyzed 22 years of data gathered by the National Health Interview Survey, and published their findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).

They revealed that women can exercise less often than men, yet receive greater heart gains.

MORE MOTIVATION: Even Exercising Just Once a Week Can Help You Lose Weight, Says New Study

“For all adults engaging in any regular physical activity, compared to being inactive, mortality risk was lower,” said study senior author Professor Susan Cheng.

“Intriguingly, though, mortality risk was reduced by 24 percent in women and 15 percent in men.”

The team also studied moderate to vigorous physical activity—such as brisk walking or cycling—and found that men reached their maximal survival benefit from doing this level of exercise for about five hours per week while women achieved the same from only two-and-a-half hours per week.

When it came to weightlifting and other muscle-strengthening body exercises, men reach their peak from doing three sessions per week compared to women who only need one.

CHECK OUT: Slow Moving Tai Chi is ‘More Effective Than Aerobic Exercise’ For Reducing High Blood Pressure

The study also showed that women achieved maximal survival benefit if they exercised for 140 minutes per week, while men need to perform twice as much at 300 minutes per week to gain the same benefits.

Women continue to get further benefits for up to 300 minutes a week.

Prof. Christine Albert hopes women will take the research to heart.

“I am hopeful that this pioneering research will motivate women who are not currently engaged in regular physical activity to understand that they are in a position to gain tremendous benefit for each increment of regular exercise they are able to invest in their longer-term health.”

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Your Horoscope for the Week – ‘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 March 2, 2024
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In old Hawaii, the people loved their deities but also demanded productive results. If a god stopped providing worshipers with what they wanted, they might dismiss him and adopt a replacement. I love that! And I invite you to experiment with a similar approach in the coming weeks. Are your divine helpers doing a good job? Are they supplying you with steady streams of inspiration, love, and fulfillment? If not, fire them and scout around for substitutes. If they are performing well, pour out your soul in gratitude.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In my astrological estimation, the coming weeks will be an ideal time for you to declare amnesty, negotiate truces, and shed long-simmering resentments. Other recommended activities: Find ways to joke about embarrassing memories, break a bad habit just because it’s fun to do so, and throw away outdated stuff you no longer need. Just do the best you can as you carry out these challenging assignments; you don’t have to be perfect. For inspiration, read these wise words from poet David Whyte: “When you forgive others, they may not notice, but you will heal. Forgiveness is not something we do for others; it is a gift to ourselves.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Many of you Tauruses have a robust capacity for doing diligent, effective work. Many of you also have a robust capacity for pursuing sensual delights and cultivating healing beauty. When your mental health is functioning at peak levels, these two drives to enjoy life are complementary; they don’t get in each other’s way. If you ever fall out of your healthy rhythm, these two drives may conflict. My wish for you in the coming months is that they will be in synergistic harmony, humming along with grace. That’s also my prediction: I foresee you will do just that.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Many people choose wealthy entertainers and celebrity athletes for their heroes. It doesn’t bother me if they do. Why should it? But the superstars who provoke my adoration are more likely to be artists and activists. Author Rebecca Solnit is one. Potawatomi biologist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer. The four musicians in the Ukrainian band DahkaBrakha. Poet Rita Dove and novelist Haruki Murakami. My capacity to be inspired by these maestros seems inexhaustible. What about you, Gemini? Who are the heroes who move you and shake you in all the best ways? Now is a time to be extra proactive in learning from your heroes—and rounding up new heroes to be influenced by.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Your homework assignment is to work on coordinating two issues that are key to your life’s purpose. The first of these issues is your fervent longing to make your distinctive mark on this crazy, chaotic world. The second issue is your need to cultivate sweet privacy and protective self-care. These themes may sometimes seem to be opposed. But with even just a little ingenious effort, you can get them to weave together beautifully. Now is a good time to cultivate this healing magic.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
If you don’t recognize the face in the mirror right now, that’s a good thing. If you feel unfamiliar feelings rising up in you or find yourself entertaining unusual longings, those are also good things. The voice of reason may say you should be worried about such phenomena. But as the voice of mischievous sagacity, I urge you to be curious and receptive. You are being invited to explore fertile possibilities that have previously been unavailable or off-limits. Fate is offering you the chance to discover more about your future potentials. At least for now, power can come from being unpredictable and investigating taboos.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
I invite you to study the fine art of relationships in the coming weeks. Life’s rhythms will redound in your favor as you enjoy expressing tenderly and freely with the special people you care for. To aid you in your efforts, here are three questions to ponder. 1. What aspects of togetherness might flourish if you approach them with less solemnity and more fun? 2. Could you give more of yourself to your relationships in ways that are purely enjoyable, not done mostly out of duty? 3. Would you be willing to explore the possibility that the two of you could educate each other about your dark sides?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Creativity teacher Roger von Oech tells how bandleader Count Basie asked a club owner to fix his piano. It was always out of tune. A few weeks later, the owner called Basie to say everything was good. But when Basie arrived to play, the piano still had sour notes. “I thought you said you fixed it!” Basie complained. The owner said, “I did. I painted it.” The moral of the story for the rest of us, concludes von Oech, is that we’ve got to solve the right problems. I want you Libras to do that in the coming weeks. Make sure you identify what really needs changing, not some distracting minor glitch.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Most of us have received an inadequate or downright poor education about love and intimate togetherness. Given how much misinformation and trivializing propaganda we have absorbed, it’s amazing any of us have figured out how to create healthy, vigorous relationships. That’s the bad news, Scorpio. The good news is that you are cruising through a sustained phase of your astrological cycle when you’re far more likely than usual to acquire vibrant teachings about this essential part of your life. I urge you to draw up a plan for how to take maximum advantage of the cosmic opportunity. For inspiration, here’s poet Rainer Maria Rilke: “For one human being to love another human being: that is perhaps the most difficult task entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
The myths and legends of many cultures postulate the existence of spirits who are mischievous but not malevolent. They play harmless pranks. Their main purpose may be to remind us that another world, a less material realm, overlaps with ours. And sometimes, the intention of these ethereal tricksters seems to be downright benevolent. They nudge us out of our staid rhythms, and suggest reality is not as solid and predictable as we might imagine. I suspect you may soon have encounters with some of these characters—and that they will bring you odd but genuine blessings.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Some studies suggest that less than half of us have best friends. Men are even less likely to have beloved buddies than the other genders do. If you are one of these people, the coming weeks and months will be an excellent time to remedy the deficiency. Your ability to attract and bond with interesting allies will be higher than usual. If you do have best friends, I suggest you intensify your appreciation for and devotion to them. You need and deserve companions who respect you deeply, know you intimately, and listen well. But you’ve got to remember that relationships like these require deep thought, hard work, and honest expressions of feelings!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Among all the zodiac signs, you Aquarians are among the best at enjoying a bird’s-eye perspective on the world. Soaring high above the mad chatter and clatter is your birthright and specialty. I love that about you, which is why I hardly ever shout up in your direction, “Get your a** back down to earth!” However, I now suspect you are overdue to spend some quality time here on the ground level. At least temporarily, I advise you to trade the bird’s-eye view for a worm’s-eye view. Don’t fret. It’s only for a short time. You’ll be aloft again soon.

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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“I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.” – W. C. Fields

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Quote of the Day: “I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.” – W. C. Fields

Photo by: Boryslav Shoot

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

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