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Special Police Unit Tracks Down $27 Million in Stolen Cars Including Crates Full of Snagged Luxury Vehicles

By
Andy Corbley
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Officers Phil Pentelow and Paul Gerrish of the SVIU - SWNS
Officers Phil Pentelow and Paul Gerrish of the SVIU – SWNS

A specialist police unit just concluded a banner year in which their task force identified and recovered 737 stolen cars worth over 30 million dollars.

The Essex-based Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit (SVIU) specializes in recovering stolen vehicles and using evidence gathered during their retrieval to inform future searches of missing cars.

The team has retrieved more than £1 million, ($1.28 million) of vehicles in the final week of December alone, after intercepting shipping containers hiding a Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, and Range Rover belonging to Premier League soccer players.

Once a car is taken, thieves may look to quickly sell it on—even for way under the market value—strip it for parts, or ship either the whole car or parts of the car to areas including the Middle East and Africa. There, the vehicles can be sold for two or three times more than they would cost in the UK.

Officers Phil Pentelow and Paul Gerrish, referred to in press reports by their British policing titles “Police Constable (PC)” said that it isn’t just handsomely-paid athletes being targeted by carjackers, but everyday Britons as well.

A Rolls-Royce Cullinan worth £360,000 that was recovered by the SVIU – credit SWNS, via Essex Police.

“We are seeing a trend at the moment of thieves targeting family cars, Hyundais, Toyotas, Lexuses, and pushing them back out into the market with false identities. These are the vehicles that make a huge difference to people’s daily lives,” said Officer Gerrish.

“It’s very satisfying when we return a car to a family who need it to drive the children to school, or we take a van back to someone who relies on it for their job.”

Since the start of 2021, the team has recovered or identified more than 1,800 vehicles worth over $60 million, with 626 cars being recovered in 2022 a 30% increase over 2021.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: When Neighborhood Knows Bits of Personal Information About Local Police, Crime Drops by 5-7%

“We are continuing to dismantle the organized criminal networks behind these thefts,” said Gerrish proudly. “We’ve tracked down a record number of vehicles in the past year and recently we’ve had three very big jobs where we’ve recovered huge hauls of cars.”

In 2022, Pentelow, Gerrish, and their analytics partner Hannah Gerrish, who is also part of the team, were presented with awards by the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators for their ‘outstanding contribution in the fight against vehicle crime,’ and have built up such a CV that luxury manufacturers like Mercedes and Jaguar are beginning to work with the SVIU on how they can improve security and tracking on their models.

MORE GREAT CRIME FIGHTING WORK: ‘World’s Most Dangerous Malware’ Gang Taken Down in International Cyber Crime Effort

Another big part of the SVIU’s work is the identification and dismantling of illegal chop shops, where cars are stripped or have their identification changed. The SVIU have closed down over 100 such grey and black market garages like this since the team’s inception.

“Our work stretches beyond recovering individual stolen cars and encompasses the wider network of criminality behind each theft,” said Gerrish. “We aim to make this a hostile county for car thieves to operate in.

SHARE This Crack Team And Their Incredible Success With Your Friends…

Simple Scanner the Size of a Coffee Grinder Will Tell You Exactly How Long Fruit and Veggies Will Last

By
Andy Corbley
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A worker scans a strawberry with OneThird - released to the press by OneThird
A worker scans a strawberry with OneThird – released to the press by OneThird

A wise balding man once said, “fruit’s a gamble,” but what if producers and retailers had a way of knowing the odds before the fruit reached the shelves in the supermarket?

A novel device by a British company that scans fruit and detects the molecular level of freshness is being made available inside supermarkets, at distribution centers, and supply-chain hubs.

By penetrating a strawberry with light, algorithms detect the configurations of water, sugars, and other compounds like ethyls and alcohols, and make a precise calculation on how many days that piece of fruit can be enjoyed. Once a determination is made, suppliers and retailers can make judgment calls about the best use for it.

The company is called OneThird, and took the name as a bit of awareness raising since one-third of food produced by humans tends to be wasted. In part this is because produce is shipped across such vast distances, and certain goods are unpredictably perishable.

With OneThird’s food scanner, the firm hopes to cut back on the loss which is a bellyache for everyone involved. Not only are there people in every country on Earth that go hungry, but just 24 hours of extra shelf life on a batch of produce can mean the difference between a million dollars in loss or a million dollars in profit when it comes to the largest grocery chains.

MORE CLEVER AG-TECH: British Company Develops First Tractor in the World to be Completely Powered by Cow Dung

Furthermore, farmers are using water, land, and fertilizer to produce it all, and produce that’s wasted gets thrown into landfills which produces unnecessary extra quantities of methane which may warm the planet over 9-year time horizons.

OneThird’s portable scanners were based on technology originally developed in the medical sector.

“I dove in and looked at the challenges in the food supply chain, which is kind of broken,” Marco Snikkers, founder and CEO of OneThird, told Fast Company Magazine. “We started to talk to people in the industry and found out that 40% of food waste is fresh produce. One of the biggest causes of waste is that nobody knows shelf life.”

Currently capable of determining the shelf life of strawberries, tomatoes, avocados, and blueberries, the company is soon to release an update to include grapes, bananas, mangoes, and raspberries.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Scientists Find Methane is Actually Offsetting 30% of its Own Heating Effect on Planet

Each fruit will have its own unique molecular fingerprint as to when it’s close to rotting, and must be studied individually. Once the scanner makes a determination on the shelf life, the supplier could, for example, send a batch of tomatoes with 48 hours of good taste left to a canning company rather than be sold on the vine in a supermarket.

For workers at a grocery store, more accurate readings can inform the correct times to put fruit on discount, or more accurate best-by dates on produce. If it comes to it, the store will also know when to call the foodbank and ship off something before it goes bad.

SHARE This Truly Fantastic Idea And Piece Of Tech On Social Media… 

Japan Moon Lander Comes Back to Life After Wonky Angle for its Solar Panel, but ‘Unprecedented Pinpoint Landing’

By
Andy Corbley
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Lunar surface image of the Slim spacecraft rotated 90 degrees from how it should be. The picture was taken by small robot LEV-2 SORA-Q (Photo released by JAXA / SWNS)
Lunar surface image of the Slim spacecraft rotated 90 degrees from how it should be. The picture was taken by small robot LEV-2 SORA-Q (Photo released by JAXA / SWNS)

It’s a case of five alive for the Japanese space program, when their craft, which was set to make them the fifth nation to land on the Moon, seemed to have been lost after a wonky landing.

Landing on its side with its solar panels pointing away from the Sun, the small lander was shut down for days, and this mistake nearly cost the mission everything.

But as has been the case with the recent history of spacefaring, the problem was resolved, and the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon or “SLIM” made Japan the fifth nation after the USA, Soviet Union, China, and India to achieve a soft landing on our nearest body.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) posted on X that a change in the lighting conditions allowed the solar panels to recharge the batteries, which had been shut off by authorities in the early hours of the start of the mission on January 20th.

MORE MOON MISSIONS: NASA’s New ShadowCam Reveals Mysteries of Moon’s Darkest Corners in Stunning Glimpses

It’s a good thing too because the spacecraft pulled off what JAXA described as an “unprecedented pinpoint landing” of 180 feet of the targeted area, the highest precision landing ever achieved on the Moon, and an achievement that would have been hard to boast about if the craft had landed on its side, immediately lost power, and died.

A picture of the Lunar surface from SLIM, featuring a rock close at hand which JAXA referred to as a “toy poodle” – JAXA, via SWNS

In fact, the technology used to land SLIM could bring craft down safely onto Lunar hilltops, which are theorized as perfect places to look for various chemicals like oxygen and hydrogen to fuel the production of water and air for astronauts in the future.

Late last year, India’s Chandrayaan-3 rover mission touched down on the Moon’s south pole—an area never seen or explored before, to rapturous celebrations in Earth’s most populous nation.

SHARE This Milestone Moment For Japan With Your Space-Loving Friends… 

“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” – Anthony D’Angelo

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo

Photo by: Mel Elías

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?

Video of Black Labrador Rescuing a Drowning Fawn Goes Viral via Surprising Twitter Account (WATCH)

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - @AnimalNmlfckng

When followers of an X (Twitter) account called “Animals Dying” saw a video of a dark shape swimming through muddy water with a deer fawn in its jaws, most probably were not tuning in for a happy ending.

But they were in for a heartwarming surprise, because even though at certain points the beast in the grainy video appears like an alligator, it soon shows itself to be a floppy-go-lucky Labrador retriever.

As for the little fawn stuck between its jaws, it was drowning, and the retriever saved its life.

The owner of the dog can be heard behind the camera praising it for the heroic save.

Surprisingly, the video was shared by the owner of the account with the caption, “Made My Day.”

One commenter wrote, “Who thought it was a crocodile?” after the video made it to social media.

WATCH the video below… 

SHARE This Wholesome Video Of Domestic Rescuing Wild… 

One of Scotland’s Last Master Kilt Tailors Creates Unique Online Course to Keep the Artform Alive

By
Andy Corbley
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Traditional kiltmaker Marion Foster, the founder of the Askival of Strathearn Kilt College - SWNS
Traditional kiltmaker Marion Foster, the founder of the Askival of Strathearn Kilt College – SWNS

Last week, GNN reported on a specialty highlandwear company reproducing the world’s oldest known tartan for sale today based on a 16th-century sample preserved in a bog.

In other highlandwear news, master kilt tailor Marion Foster has created a unique online course and accreditation program that will help preserve the art form among professionals and amateurs for centuries to come.

The first kilt Foster ever sewed was done in the course of assembling her uniform as a Cub Scout leader, but that was only possible because she meticulously studied the construction of a kilt since there was very little information available about how to do so with traditional means.

She “always had an aptitude for sewing” and even after successfully sewing together a kilt, wanted to know more.

“In my late forties, I heard of a school that one of the military’s master kilt tailors had set up, because he recognized all of the knowledge and skill that had been created over a couple of centuries,” said Foster.

“There is a craft behind the kilt that is dying out, because the people who have known the craft haven’t had the experience and the knowledge to create training programs. It’s been a huge amount of work, but I think it’s very valuable. There’s more than just me out there, and now the knowledge won’t just stop at mine,” she adds.

Called the Askival of Strathearn Kilt College, Foster’s unique kilt tailoring mastery program can be carried out entirely online with twice weekly tutorials over Zoom from her workshop in Perthshire.

She also has videos and tutorials on the basics which break down each step.

“I recognized that information was disappearing. I’m sure things are being lost because nothing was written down,” she says.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: They Accidentally Bought a Run-Down House in Scotland But Restored it With Love After Whoopsie Auction (LOOK)

“As I went on, I had the opportunity to have an experienced tailor come and visit me, who really enlightened me about the tailoring, the stitching, and the way you create a garment to fit the shape of the person.”

The Askival of Strathearn Kilt College homepage – SWNS

“Part of what I’ve wanted to do throughout my life is to become an expert and then pass it on and support other people – and I want this craft to continue.”

Marion started offering her online qualifications in 2020, after creating hours of training videos and writing manuals over lockdown. Her hope is that the accreditation will allow her students to set up traditional highlandwear businesses, restore historic kilts, and create special occasion kilts for their loved ones.

“High street shops still want to say that they’re selling handmade kilts, but they’re flat, made to measure, and very different. High street kiltmakers will make a kilt in a day and a half, whereas I’d be doing the fittings and take nine days,” Foster says.

“I’ve got students in America, Australia, Shetland, and Germany… we have a gathering every month with guest speakers, historians, leather workers, and sporran makers to talk about what they do, and we record all those.”

MORE SCOTTISH HERITAGE: A 16th c. Scottish Plaid was Found in a Bog–Now Becomes Oldest Historical Tartan Available to Wear Today

She further explained that kilt restoration is an important part of the training program, and which isn’t offered at the aforementioned high street kiltmakers.

“People come in with historic kilts that have been left to them,” she says. “We have the technical knowledge of how to restore and reweave the cloth, and deconstruct it and reconstruct it to fit that person.”

“It’s amazing to see a filthy First World War kilt be cleaned and restored, the stitching recovered, and made to fit that young grandson or great-grandson.”

WATCH a short interview with Marion Foster below… 

SHARE This Ambitious Woman’s Mission To Preserve History… 

Jade Funerary Mask of Great Mayan King Found at Little-Known Site in Guatemala

By
Andy Corbley
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Credit: Facebook / University of Alabama, Department of Anthropology
The jade mask and bones carved with hieroglyphs. credit – Facebook / University of Alabama, Department of Anthropology

At a little-known historical site from the Mayan Empire in Guatemala, the jade funerary mask of a great king was discovered by archaeologists.

In the country’s northeastern state of Peten, the city of Chochkitam, which dates to the Pre-Classic Period of Mayan history, was first discovered in 1909, but a chamber underneath the royal pyramid that had been missed by tomb robbers was identified using LiDAR.

A team from Tulane University in Louisiana and the Univ. of Alabama, along with Guatemalan representatives and scientists, then began excavating the chamber and discovered a treasure trove of continental significance.

Inside were a human skull, a stone coffin-like box, other human bones carved with hieroglyphs, funerary offerings of oyster shells and ceramics, and pieces of jade which when placed together formed the stunning mask seen above.

“Everything suggests to me that this was a Maya king who was part of a network of Maya royalty in the sphere of influence of Tikal and Teotihuacán,” said Francisco Estrada-Belli, a professor at Tulane University, speaking with Nat Geo.

Alexandre Tokovinine, a University of Alabama epigraphist, deciphered the hieroglyphs on the bones and found they contained the name “Itzam Kokaj Bahlam,” which is believed to be the name of the king who ruled Chockitam nearly 1,700 years ago.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: While Building New Industrial Park Crew Stumbles on ‘Remarkable’ 1,400-yo Ruins of Maya City

It’s believed the mask was an object used in royal ceremonies when the king would adopt the persona of the storm god worshiped by the Maya. One of the bones was carved with the depiction of the king holding a head of similar dimensions to the mask.

Tokovinine and Estrada-Belli are training a team of Guatemalan archaeologists for the task of continuing excavations, which have been ongoing since 2019.

MORE MAYAN DISCOVERIES: Hundreds of Mayan Cities and Towns with Ball Courts and Roads Discovered in LiDAR Survey in Guatemala

Far from the Mayan heartland in Mexico, Chockitam is now the center of a usurping theory about the nature of royal society in the Mayan empire which posits that Mayan royal custom and character were heavily influenced by the ruling dynasties of other centers of power in Mesoamerica at the time.

SHARE This Incredible Discovery In Guatemala On Facebook… 

Largest US Solar Storage Project Goes Online – Enough for a Quarter Million Homes

By
Andy Corbley
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Edwards Sanborn Solar Storage project - credit, Mortenson, released.
Edwards Sanborn Solar Storage project – credit, Mortenson, released.

The nation’s largest solar energy and storage project came online in California last week, offering 875 megawatt-hours of solar capacity, and 3 gigawatt-hours of storage.

Partially located on Edwards Air Force Base grounds in Kern County, California, the Edwards & Sanborn Solar + Energy Storage project is expected to provide the California grid with enough renewable energy to power 233,000 homes.

A half-dozen companies teamed up with the Department of Defense for the project, including LG, Samsung, Terra-Gen, Mortenson, and others, and it consists of 1.9 million US-made solar panels.

“Now fully operational, this facility is a transformational project in the industry and is providing resiliency to the grid,” said Brian Gorda, vice president of engineering at Terra-Gen. “The Mortenson team was tasked with an extremely difficult goal to build this project, and they proved to be the right partner for the job.”

The farm spans 4,600 acres of sunny desert flatland. Edwards & Sanborn will send its electricity to the city of San Jose, Southern California Edison, the utility companies of Pacific Gas & Electric and Clean Power Alliance, and the headquarters of the Starbucks corporation.

MORE PROJECTS LIKE THAT: Solar Farms Erected in Gobi Desert are Set to Power 1.5 Million Chinese Households

Approximately 320,000 tons of CO2 will be mitigated with the incredible scope of the project which was funded with several big-money financing rounds that included JP Morgan Chase and Deutsche Bank as investors.

SHARE This Incredible Power Achievement With Your Friends…

“The interesting thing is always to see if you can find a fact that will change your mind about something, to test and see if you can. – Diane Sawyer

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “The interesting thing is always to see if you can find a fact that will change your mind about something, to test and see if you can. – Diane Sawyer

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?

Coveted Ranch Near San Francisco to Become Sprawling New Nature Preserve with Hiking Trails

By
Good News Network
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Richmond Ranch hills near San Jose, California – Courtesy Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation : Conservation Fund
Richmond Ranch hills near San Jose, California – Courtesy Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation : Conservation Fund

A national nonprofit has purchased a sprawling 3,654-acre ranch near San Jose, California, with plans to convert it into a new nature preserve with trails for hikers.

As one of the last remaining private ranches along the ecologically sensitive Coyote Ridge, the 6-square-mile swath will protect vital wildlife habitat and serve as a critical link along the iconic Bay Area Ridge Trail.

The Conservation Fund acquired Richmond Ranch to ensure the property will be permanently protected from development.

The 15 square-km ranch has long been a conservation priority, with many nonprofits and government agencies trying to acquire it over the last 20 years.

The Conservation Fund purchased the acreage for $16 million from the China-based company Z&L Properties, which has owned the property since 2016.

Z&L agreed to offer a deep discount from the appraised value of nearly $35 million to aid in the conservation. The Fund structured the purchase with financial support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation Network, and will hold the ranch until public park agencies, like the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, can assemble financing and complete planning to take ownership.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Z&L had been snapping up real estate around the Bay Area for years and “its purchase of the ranch for $25 million eight years ago came as a disappointment to South Bay conservationists.” But recently they sought to offload the property.

“We were not expecting it to come back on the market, and we’re very excited the deal came through,” said Eric Ross, Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation senior real estate agent.

“We’re thrilled that The Conservation Fund was able to bring together the partners and financing to finally achieve the goal of protecting Richmond Ranch permanently,” said Dan Medeiros, The Conservation Fund’s conservation project manager.

CHECK OUT: Mexico’s First Cross-County Hiking Trail Will Support Mayan Culture –Cyclists Welcome too

Tule elk on the Richmond Ranch – Courtesy Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation / Conservation Fund

“Protecting it has the potential to change the region’s landscape, connecting fragmented parkland and habitats and delivering so many benefits — to wildlife and nature and to people in surrounding communities.”

The land is home to several endangered and threatened species, including puma, American badger, Tule elk, bobcat, gray fox and coyote.

By linking with a number of state parks and existing protected areas, the property maintains vital habitat connectivity that allows wildlife to move and migrate between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range. It will also link to the proposed Bay Area Ridge Trail, offering a trailhead near San Jose.

NEARBY: Explosion in Spawning Salmon Population in San Jose After 10 Years of Habitat Cleanup

“We all recognize the Coyote Ridge corridor as critical to state-wide wildlife connectivity, and protecting Richmond Ranch represents a major step forward,” said Dan Winterson, who manages the conservation portfolio at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. “And thanks to the great work of The Conservation Fund and generosity of Z&L Properties, we are able to get a tremendous return on investment for everyone who cares about conservation.”

SHARE The Expansive Conservation News With Habitat-Lovers on Social Media…

Ancient Lake Sediment on Mars Builds Excitement for Evidence of Life in the Perseverance Rover Samples

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Good News Network
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Mars Perseverance Rover RIMFAX ground penetrating radar measurements of Jezero Crater – NASA / SWNS
Mars Perseverance Rover RIMFAX ground penetrating radar measurements of Jezero Crater – NASA / SWNS

An ancient lake bed found on Mars may hold evidence of life on the planet, a new study has revealed.

The Mars Perseverance rover has confirmed that the Jezero crater at some point was filled with water, leaving lake sediments at its base.

If life ever existed on the planet, then the lake sediments found within this crater could hold traces of this.

The existence of these lake sediments had long been suspected from satellite images, but ground-penetrating radar is the first to confirm it.

“From orbit we can see a bunch of different deposits, but we can’t tell for sure if what we’re seeing is their original state, or if we’re seeing the conclusion of a long geological story,” said Professor David Paige from University of California-Los Angeles.

“To tell how these things formed, we need to see below the surface.”

The Perseverance rover, which is about the size of a car, has been exploring the 30-mile-wide crater since 2021.

In 2022, the rover drove up from the crater floor onto the delta, a vast expanse of 3-billion-year-old sediments that, from orbit, resembles the river deltas on Earth.

As the rover drove onto the delta, its Radar Imager for Mars’ Subsurface Experiment instrument (RIMFAX) fired radar waves downward at 10-centimeter intervals and measured pulses reflected from depths of about 65-feet below the surface (20 meters). With the radar, scientists can see down to the base of the sediments to reveal the top surface of the buried crater floor.

EARLIER: NASA Summarizes What New Mars Rover has Found as it Finishes it’s Mission at Just Over 1,000 Days

Years of research with ground-penetrating radar and testing of RIMFAX on Earth have taught scientists how to read the structure and composition of subsurface layers from their radar reflections. The resulting subsurface image shows rock layers that can be interpreted like a highway road cut.

The radar, published in the journal Science Advances, revealed two distinct periods of sediment deposits sandwiched between two periods of erosion.

The second period of deposition occurred when fluctuations in the lake level allowed the river to deposit a broad delta that once extended far out into the lake, but has now eroded back closer to the river’s mouth.

The radar images showed that the sediments are regular and horizontal—just like sediments deposited in lakes on Earth.

“The changes we see preserved in the rock record are driven by large-scale changes in the Martian environment,” explained Prof. Paige, who is RIMFAX’s deputy principal investigator on the study funded by NASA, the Research Council of Norway, and the University of Oslo.

LOOK: Mars Rover Camera Spots Bizarre Bone-like Structures
ALSO: ‘Unusual’ Circles Spotted on Mars by Reconnaissance Orbiter (LOOK)

“It’s cool that we can see so much evidence of change in such a small geographic area, which allows us extend our findings to the scale of the entire crater.”

Perseverance’s soil and rock samples will be brought back to Earth by a future expedition and studied for evidence of past life.

SHARE The SCIENCE Excitement On Social Media…

Warehouse Worker Quits Job to be $500-a-Night Elvis Tribute Act After Pals Show Video to Talent Agent (WATCH)

By
Good News Network
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Danny Turney as ‘Danny Graceland’ – via SWNS license
Danny Turney as ‘Danny Graceland’ – via SWNS license

A warehouse worker who entertained friends with his spot-on Elvis impersonations is now earning $500 a night as a tribute act after they sneaked a video of him to a showbiz agent.

Danny Turney worked as a warehouse supervisor for 15 years in Bedfordshire, England, stacking and moving palettes of goods.

During the COVID pandemic, he was singing in his kitchen while making a cup of tea and wife, Laura, discreetly recorded him, uploading it to Facebook.

“I didn’t want it up there on social media, that’s never been my thing,” said the 34-year-old. “But the response was really good, and people were saying I should do a charity show.”

So, at the memorial for his beloved grandmother who passed away from cancer, he put on the sequenced suit and a pal secretly recorded the performance.

It was his grandmother who inspired Danny’s appreciation for Elvis. When he was a young boy, she had a room that was “basically a shrine to Elvis, with gold records and everything”. She’d play Elvis songs while doing her ironing and Danny would practice shaking his leg and holding a mic.

She might be his guardian angel now. After his buddy sent a video of him singing onstage to agents at MK Promotions without him knowing, Danny received seven or eight missed calls from a number he didn’t know, and finally called them back.

Danny Turney / Danny Graceland – SWNS

“They said: ‘I’ve seen your videos and I want to give you some work.’

“I said ‘What videos? I have no idea what you’re talking about.’”

WATCH: He Crowdsurfed in a Wheelchair to the Stage and COLDPLAY Pulled Him Up to Play Harmonica

He realized he could always go back, jump on a forklift again, and work his way back up if needed, so he quit his job and was soon inundated with offers for gigs. It got to the point where he did 18 shows over one weekend, using the stage name ‘Danny Graceland’.

The dad of two recalls, “It was never ever the plan to be a full time Elvis tribute, as I’ve got a wife, two kids, a mortgage,” but now he works across the UK getting paid £400 – £500 per show, and just completed a nine-week stint in Cyprus doing renditions of the King of Rock and Roll’s classic hits. (Watch a video below…)

He said his daughter, who is nine, thinks he’s famous after he appeared on TV—but he still sees himself as just your “average joe”, despite having big plans for the future.

HERO SWIFTIE: Taylor Swift is a Hero to Food Banks Across the U.S. at Each Stop of Her Eras Tour

“I like to think I’m a humble guy, I coach football in my spare time, and I play darts.

Now he’s got a live band and just recorded an Elvis tribute album entitled, If I Can Dream, the title of his favorite Elvis song.

“I just want to take this great opportunity while I can.”

WATCH his fantastic cover of Caught in a Trap…

ARE YOUR FRIENDS CAUGHT IN A TRAP? Inspire Them by Sharing This on Social Media…

IRS Collected Half a Billion Dollars in Back Taxes From Delinquent Millionaires in 2023, Sentencing Some to Prison

By
Good News Network
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By 金-运
By 金-运

The Internal Revenue Service says it collected $482 million from wealthy tax cheats last year, in a continuing effort to step up their enforcement.

The IRS released their year-end progress report this month, saying they will continue to audit large corporations, high-income individuals, and complex partnerships who are not paying their fair share of U.S. taxes.

The agency says it pursued 1,600 millionaires to recoup the overdue tax payments and will not stop now.

“The IRS continues to increase scrutiny on high-income taxpayers as we work to reverse the historic low audit rates that the wealthiest individuals and organizations faced,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel, referring to previous White House administrations.

“We are adding staff and technology to ensure that the taxpayers with the highest income, including partnerships, large corporations and millionaires and billionaires, pay what is legally owed under federal law,” Werfel said.

ON THE OTHER HAND: ‘Please Tax Us’ Say 83 Millionaires Asking for Higher Taxes: ‘Humanity is More Important than Our Money’

Some examples include:

  • In December, a Swiss Bank agreed to pay approximately $122.9 million to the U.S. Treasury for its role in assisting U.S. taxpayer-clients with evading their taxes by opening undeclared accounts to conceal money from the IRS. The bank held 1,637 accounts, with assets of $5.6 billion on behalf of clients who collectively evaded $50.6 million in U.S. taxes.
  • Also In December, an individual was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $470,000 in restitution to the IRS for filing a false tax return while working as a money mule for romance scams. The individual maintained bank accounts to collect proceeds from the schemes and to send the money to himself and others overseas.
  • One individual was sentenced to 57 months in prison for their failure to pay more than $1.35 million of taxes arising from their operation of several restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area. The individual evaded taxes by concealing assets and obscuring the large sums of money they took from the businesses by purchasing property in the name of a nominee entity and causing false entries in the businesses’ books and records to hide personal purchases using business bank accounts.

The Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022 by the White House and Congress provided the additional money that paid for more IRS agents to do these audits on the wealthiest tax defrauders, and the agency says it is making a difference for law-abiding taxpayers.

HERO BILLIONAIRE: Jeff Bezo’s Ex Wife Donates Billions to Beloved Charities, Continuing Her Giving Spree Since Divorce

“As the initiatives to improve compliance increase, the IRS continues its work to improve customer service and modernize core technology infrastructure.

“We focused on improving our taxpayer service for hard-working taxpayers, offering them more in-person and online resources in 2024.”

BE A SUPPORTER OF FAIRNESS By Sharing the News on Social Media…

“You have the RIGHT to change your mind.” – Oprah Winfrey

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “You have the RIGHT to change your mind.” – Oprah Winfrey

Photo by: Tachina Lee

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?

The Tallest Building in America May Soon Be in… Oklahoma?

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Good News Network
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Proposed Bricktown buildings in Oklahoma City – AO / SWNS
Proposed Bricktown buildings in Oklahoma City – AO / SWNS

You may be as surprised as we were to learn the tallest building in America may soon reach for the skies in Oklahoma City, the 20th most populated metropolis in the United States.

Developers submitted plans for the ‘Legends Tower’ for a proposed development project called The Boardwalk at Bricktown.

The building, if approved, would arise in the southern state of Oklahoma and become the sixth tallest building in the world.

Architecture company AO and real estate developer Matteson Capital drew up plans that would make the structure the tallest in America, surpassing the One World Trade Center in New York City, currently 7th highest in the world.

The symbolic height of 1,907-feet-tall honors the year (1907) when Oklahoma was admitted as the 46th state of the United States.

“Oklahoma City is experiencing a significant period of growth and transformation, making it well-positioned to support large-scale projects like the one envisioned for Bricktown,” said Scot Matteson, CEO of Matteson Capital.

Artist rendering of The Boardwalk at Bricktown Legends Tower – AO / SWNS

The development would feature three smaller buildings alongside The Legends Tower that will reach 581 meters and feature a public observatory at the top, along with a restaurant and bar where visitors can enjoy the sweeping views.

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Spanning approximately 5 million square feet, the project would be mixed-use, including a Hyatt hotel, serviced condominiums, 1,776 residential units ranging from market-rate to affordable, amidst abundant retail and restaurant areas.

“We believe that this development will be an iconic destination for the city, further driving the expansion and diversification of the growing economy, drawing in investment, new businesses, and jobs,” said Matteson. “We hope to see The Boardwalk at Bricktown stand as the pride of Oklahoma City.”

“A catalyst for urban evolution, The Boardwalk embodies the spirited essence of Oklahoma City, honoring its rich past, dynamic present, and promising future,” said AO managing partner Rob Budetti.

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“Crafting a project of this significance is an honor, and the collaborative process with the city, Matteson Capital, Hensel Phelps, and a top-notch team of engineers has been exceptional.”

THE TALLEST BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD:

1) Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Burj Khalifa (2,717 feet)
2) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Merdeka 118 (2,227)
3) Shanghai, China – Shanghai Tower (2,073 feet)
4) Mecca, Saudi Arabia – Abraj Al Bait Clock Tower (1,971 feet)
5) Shenzhen, China – Ping An Finance Center (1,965 feet)
— PROPOSED: Oklahoma City – Legend’s Tower (1,907 feet)
6) Seoul, South Korea – Lotte World Tower (1,819 feet)
7) New York City, USA – One World Trade Center (1,776 feet)

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Matchmaking ‘Magic’ at Philly’s Oldest Bar May Lead You to Find the Love of Your Life–Like Hundreds of Others

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Good News Network
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Allison Dolly Kelly & Kevin Kelly – courtesy of McGillin’s Olde Ale House
Allison Dolly Kelly & Kevin Kelly – courtesy of McGillin’s Olde Ale House

There is a bit of mating magic afoot at Philadelphia’s oldest tavern, one of the oldest in the United States.

Hundreds of couples have met and gotten engaged—and even married—at McGillin’s Olde Ale House since it was established in 1860. That’s more than anywhere else in the sprawling Pennsylvania city.

And these aren’t shotgun weddings lasting only a few months. Kay Scorboria decided that instead of becoming a nun she’d marry a sailor she met at McGillin’s. She and Preston had 5 children and 11 grandchildren and were married nearly 60 years.

Chuck and Helen Myers also met at McGillin’s in 1961. They married three years later and he got her a charm bracelet with a McGillin’s charm on it—and she still has it more than 50 years later.

Two brothers got lucky twice—each meeting their wives at the historic bar near Philadelphia City Hall.

The matchmaking magic started 164 years ago when William McGillin opened the tavern and ran it with his wife, Catherine, while raising their 13 children upstairs.

It continued with Mary Ellen and Chris Mullins, the husband and wife team who took over the establishment from her father and now run it with their son Christopher.

Any love potion is likely nourished by the 30 beers on tap here in the sixth largest city in America.

So many lovebirds have started their courtship at McGillin’s that the owners created a “Love Letters” book where couples can tell their stories. The first and second volume filled up quickly—and the third volume is filling up quickly too, according to Irene Levy Baker, author of the award-winning 100 Things To Do In Philadelphia.

Joe Banks and Allie Sedor writing their story in the ‘Love Letters’ book

The book was recently signed by Jen & Steve who got engaged at McGillin’s in December, and by Amanda & Kaitlyn who put a ring on it in front of the tavern’s storybook-perfect Christmas decorations.

Continuing the phenomenon, Allison Doll Kelly met Kevin Kelly on a dating app in 2012 and talked for two weeks before deciding to meet in person. Her parents recommended they meet in-person at McGillin’s, where her parents used to meet on Fridays for after-work drinks. Allison and Kevin had a great first date, and McGillin’s holds such a special place in their hearts that they had their engagement photos taken there.

Hopefully, these young couples will have long happy marriages like Jay and Betty Dutill of Marlton, New Jersey, who were amused when their four children, all young adults, came home raving about a new bar they had “discovered”—McGillin’s. Their children were surprised to hear that their parents met at McGillin’s in 1977.

WOW! She’s Happily Married with 6 Kids–All Because of a Text Sent to the Wrong Number

Another couple who found romantic chemistry there, Vicky & Mike Weinstein, have a watercolor of McGillin’s Olde Ale House hanging above their bed.

In the 1960s, Barry Shanler wrote Peggy’s phone number on a McGillin’s coaster. The couple contacted McGillin’s when they celebrated their 50th anniversary to report that they have two children and three grandchildren. We’re not sure if they still have the coaster.

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If you’re still looking for the love of your life and find yourself in Philly, it might be worth making a trip to 1310 Drury Street and let McGillin’s Olde Ale House fuel your thirst for romance.

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T-cell Fountain of Youth Moves a Step Closer–And it May Work After Just One Treatment

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Good News Network
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Pancreatic tissue with CAR T cells – By Amor Vegas lab/Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Pancreatic tissue with CAR T cells – By Amor Vegas lab/Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

The fountain of youth has eluded explorers for ages. It turns out, the magic anti-aging elixir might have been inside us all along.

Corina Amor Vegas and colleagues at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered that T cells can be reprogrammed to fight aging—and they can have “lifelong effects”.

Given the right set of genetic modifications, these white blood cells can attack another group of cells known as senescent cells. These cells are thought to be responsible for many of the diseases we grapple with later in life.

Senescent cells are those that stop replicating. As we age, they build up in our bodies, resulting in harmful inflammation. While several drugs currently exist that can eliminate these cells, many of them must be taken repeatedly over time.

As an alternative, Amor Vegas and colleagues turned to a “living” drug called CAR T cells (chimeric antigen receptor). They discovered CAR T cells could be manipulated to eliminate senescent cells in mice.

The results, published in the journal Nature Aging, showed the treated mice ended up living healthier lives. They had lower body weight, improved metabolism and glucose tolerance, and increased physical activity. All benefits came without any tissue damage or toxicity.

“If we give it to aged mice, they rejuvenate,” said Assistant Professor Amor Vegas. “If we give it to young mice, they age slower. No other therapy right now can do this.”

EXCITING STUDY: Test That Can Spot 18 Early-Stage Cancer Signals Shows 84% Sensitivity in First Human Trial

Perhaps the greatest power of CAR T cells is their longevity. The team found that just one dose at a young age can have lifelong effects. That single treatment can protect against conditions that commonly occur later in life, like obesity and diabetes.

“T cells have the ability to develop memory and persist in your body for really long periods, which is very different from a chemical drug,” explained Amor Vegas. “With CAR T cells, you have the potential of getting this one treatment, and then that’s it. For chronic pathologies, that’s a huge advantage.”

Patients who previously needed treatments multiple times each day could theoretically get an infusion, and be good to go for multiple years.

ANTI-AGING NEWS: 8 Weeks of Lifestyle Changes Reduced Biological Age by 3 Years In Groundbreaking Proof-of-Concept Study

CAR T cells have been used to treat a variety of blood cancers, receiving FDA approval for this purpose in 2017. But Amor Vegas is one of the first scientists to show that CAR T cells’ medical potential goes even further than cancer.

Amor Vegas’ lab is now investigating whether CAR T cells allow mice to live not only healthier but also longer—and if the same thing happens in humans, the elixir may turn out to be the real fountain of youth.

(Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

Your Horoscope for the Week: A ‘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 January 27, 2024
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
“All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath,” wrote author F. Scott Fitzgerald. I’d like to expand that metaphor and apply it to you, Aquarius. I propose that your best thinking and decision-making in the coming weeks will be like swimming under water while holding your breath. What I mean is that you’ll get the best results by doing what feels unnatural. You will get yourself in the right mood if you bravely go down below the surface and into the depths and feel your way around.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In honor of this pivotal time in your life story, I offer four pronouncements. 1. You can now be released from a history that has repeated itself too often. To expedite this happy shift, indulge in a big cry and laugh about how boring that repeated history has become. 2. You can finish paying off your karmic debt to someone you hurt. How? Change yourself to ensure you won’t ever act that way again. 3. You can better forgive those who wounded you if you forgive yourself for being vulnerable to them. 4. Every time you divest yourself of an illusion, you will clearly see how others’ illusions have been affecting you.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Aries author Dani Shapiro has published six novels, three bestselling memoirs, and a host of articles in major magazines. She co-founded a writer’s conference, teaches at top universities, and does a regular podcast. We can conclude she is successful. Here’s her secret: She feels that summoning courage is more important than being confident. Taking bold action to accomplish what you want is more crucial than cultivating self-assurance. I propose that in the coming weeks, you apply her principles to your own ambitions.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Throughout history, there has never been a culture without religious, mythical, and supernatural beliefs. The vast majority of the world’s people have believed in magic and divinity. Does that mean it’s all true and real? Of course not. But nor does it mean that none of it is true and real. Ultra-rationalists who dismiss the spiritual life are possessed by hubris. Everything I’ve said here is prelude to my oracle for you: Some of the events in the next three weeks will be the result of magic and divinity. Your homework is to discern which are and which aren’t.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Several wise people have assured me that the pursuit of wealth, power, popularity, and happiness isn’t as important as the quest for meaningfulness. If you feel your life story is interesting, rich, and full of purpose, you are successful. This will be a featured theme for you in the coming months, Gemini. If you have ever fantasized about your destiny resembling an ancient myth, a revered fairy tale, a thousand-page novel, or an epic film, you will get your wish.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
“Life as we live it is unaccompanied by signposts,” wrote author Holly Hickler. I disagree with her assessment, especially in regard to your upcoming future. Although you may not encounter literal markers bearing information to guide you, you will encounter metaphorical signals that are clear and strong. Be alert for them, Cancerian. They might not match your expectations about what signposts should be, though. So expand your concepts of how they might appear.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
I wrote a book called Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings Among its main messages: There’s high value in cultivating an attitude that actively looks for the best in life and regards problems as potential opportunities. When I was working on the book, no one needed to hear this advice more than me! Even now, I still have a long way to go before mastering the outlook I call “crafty optimism.” I am still subject to dark thoughts and worried feelings—even though I know the majority of them are irrational or not based on the truth of what’s happening. In other words, I am earnestly trying to learn the very themes I have been called to teach. What’s the equivalent in your life, Leo? Now is an excellent time to upgrade your skill at expressing abilities and understandings you wish everyone had.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
In 1951, filmmaker Akira Kurosawa made a movie adapted from The Idiot, a novel by his favorite author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Kurosawa was not yet as famous and influential as we would later become. That’s why he agreed to his studio’s demand to cut 99 minutes from his original 265-minute version. But this turned out to be a bad idea. Viewers of the film had a hard time understanding the chopped-up story. Most of the critics’ reviews were negative. I bring this to your attention, Virgo, with two intentions: 1. I encourage you to do minor editing on your labor of love. 2 But don’t agree to anything like the extensive revisions that Kurosawa did.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
I have selected a poem for you to tape on your refrigerator door for the next eight weeks. It’s by 13th-century Zen poet Wu–Men. He wrote: “Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn, / a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter. / If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life.” My wish for you, Libra—which is also my prediction for you—is that you will have extra power to empty your mind of unnecessary things. More than ever, you will be acutely content to focus on the few essentials that appeal to your wild heart and tender soul.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Psychologist Carl Jung wrote, “Motherlove is one of the most moving and unforgettable memories of our lives, the mysterious root of all growth and change; the love that means homecoming, shelter, and the long silence from which everything begins and in which everything ends.” To place yourself in rapt alignment with current cosmic rhythms, Scorpio, you will do whatever’s necessary to get a strong dose of the blessing Jung described. If your own mother isn’t available or is insufficient for this profound immersion, find other maternal sources. Borrow a wise woman elder or immerse yourself in Goddess worship. Be intensely intent on basking in a nurturing glow that welcomes you and loves you exactly as you are—and makes you feel deeply at home in the world.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
In a set of famous experiments, physiologist Ivan Pavlov taught dogs to have an automatic response to a particular stimulus. He rang a bell while providing the dogs with food they loved. After a while, the dogs began salivating with hunger simply when they heard the bell, even though no food was offered. Ever since, “Pavlov’s dogs” has been a phrase that refers to the ease with which animals’ instinctual natures can be conditioned. I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Pavlov had used cats instead of dogs for his research. Would felines have submitted to such scientific shenanigans? I doubt it. These ruminations are my way of urging you to be more like a cat than a dog in the coming weeks. Resist efforts to train you, tame you, or manipulate you into compliance.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Before poet Louise Glück published her first book, Firstborn, it was rejected by 28 publishers. When it finally emerged, she suffered from writer’s block. Her next book didn’t appear until eight years after the first one. Her third book arrived five years later, and her fourth required another five years. Slow going! But here’s the happy ending: By the time she died at age 80, she had published 21 books and won the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature. By my astrological reckoning, you are now at a phase, in your own development, comparable to the time after Glück’s fourth book: well-primed, fully geared up, and ready to make robust progress.

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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“Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” – Swami Sivananda

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Good News Network
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Credit: Lina Trochez

Quote of the Day: “Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” – Swami Sivananda

Photo by: Lina Trochez

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?

Solar-Powered Mars Plane Set to Cruise Red Planet Looking for Water

By
Andy Corbley
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Mars Aerial and Ground Global Intelligent Explorer (MAGGIE) aircraft flying over Mars – Artist rendering by NASA via SWNS
Mars Aerial and Ground Global Intelligent Explorer (MAGGIE) aircraft flying over Mars – Artist rendering by NASA via SWNS

A bold design for an vertical take-off aeroplane has received advanced grant funding from NASA with the aim of having it ready to fly on Mars in the next 6 years.

MAGGIE (Mars Aerial and Ground Global Intelligent Explorer) is a compact fixed-wing electric aircraft powered by solar energy to fly in the Martian atmosphere—picture the wings of the Wright Flyer but made of solar panels.

The aircraft will have vertical take-off/landing capability and will be able to travel over 100 miles per hour at an altitude of 3,300 feet.

Already funded, MAGGIE is going to benefit immensely from flight data gathered by the little Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, a small helo-drone that was brought to Mars onboard Perseverance, the latest rover NASA landed on the planet.

Ingenuity conducted over 30 flights in Martian airspace, gathering critical data on wind resistance, air speed, and other avionic metrics crucial for building aircraft that will fly on Mars.

The Martian atmosphere is 160x thinner than Earth’s, so MAGGIE has a cruise lift coefficient nearly an order of magnitude higher than conventional subsonic aircraft to overcome the low density.

“The representative mission for MAGGIE presented would… include a study of the origin and timing of the Martian core dynamo from the weak magnetic fields found in the large impact basins, a regional investigation of the source of methane signals detected by the Tunable Laser Spectrometer on the Mars Science Laboratory in Gale crater, and mapping of subsurface water ice at high resolution in the mid-latitudes where it has been observed from orbit,” explained Ge-Cheng Zha of the Florida-based developers Coflow Jet, LLC.

Funded by a NASA grant program called NIAC, or NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts, MAGGIE is in early stages of development but it could revolutionize the ability to explore almost the entirety of the Martian surface.

CURRENT MARTIAN UNDERSTANDING: NASA Summarizes What New Mars Rover has Found as it Finishes it’s Mission at Just Over 1,000 Days

NIAC has funded a variety of daring enterprises, including asteroid mining technologies and fungal house kits for Martian habitation.

“The daring missions NASA undertakes for the benefit of humanity all begin as just an idea, and NIAC is responsible for inspiring many of those ideas,” said NASA Associate Administrator, Jim Free.

OTHER MARS NEWS: Mars Rover Discovers Liquid Salt Water on the Red Planet For the First Time

“The Ingenuity helicopter flying on Mars and instruments on the MarCO deep space CubeSats can trace their lineage back to NIAC, proving there is a path from creative idea to mission success. And, while not all these concepts will fly, NASA and our partners worldwide can learn from fresh approaches and may eventually use technologies advanced by NIAC.”

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