In the city of The Hague, a Dutch agri-tech firm has had the bright idea of combining a greenhouse grow operation with a grocery and delivery business.
Called LocalDutch, their idea is that the greenhouse grocers will integrate on-site food production with direct-to-consumer retail and local delivery in a single location, hoping the result will reduce transportation costs and food waste.
LocalDutch is calling its idea Urban Farm Shops, and believe the concept is straightforward and scalable—produce fresh vegetables year-round, sell them locally, and build a social meeting point around food that is grown in the community.
That local focus matters in parts of the United States, the Caribbean and Africa where fresh produce can still be hard to access and supply chains often rely on long-distance transport.
Urban Farm Shops would generate revenue through direct retail sales, Community Supported Agriculture (SCA) memberships, and last-mile delivery partnerships, allowing flexibility for every local market while maintaining a consistent operational backbone.
“What we are bringing to the United States is truly Dutch technology, applied in a way that is both effective and easy to scale,” said Arne Spliet, co-founder of LocalDutch, in a press release. “In a sector where skilled greenhouse climate specialists are scarce, our system automates much of that work. That helps ensure consistently successful local production—and that is exactly what many communities around the world urgently need.”
If anyone is wondering why this hasn’t been done before, LocalDutch claims that at least one major barrier for high-performing greenhouses is expertise: keeping a stable, optimal climate requires specialist knowledge, and those professionals are scarce.
LocalDutch says its answer is automation. Its system uses an indoor climate “autopilot,” managed centrally through AI and cloud services, so individual locations can run consistently without relying on rare in-depth climate specialists on site.
So far the idea—ambitious in that it doesn’t target LocalDutch’s home market—has received substantial interest from investors, with over $68 million in funding proposals received so far, the company says.
In February 2025, LocalDutch received a $40,000 grant from Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Innovation Program to support its automated greenhouse model.
Would You Shop Here?… SHARE This Dutch Idea For American Shores…
Quote of the Day: “Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive.” – Anaïs Nin
Photo by: Joseph Pearson
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Happy 69th Birthday to a titan of folk music: the multi-instrumentalist Loreena McKennitt. Born in Manitoba to Irish-Scottish ancestry, she fell in love with Celtic music traditions after a trip to Ireland. She learned how to play the Celtic harp and used it on the busk to make money to record her first album. She has sold more than 14 million records worldwide, with each album featuring a mix of different folk music traditions. During her production in the 90s, The Visitand Book of Secretswere certified quadruple platinum in Canada, while The Mask and Mirror reached triple. She has collected many honors for her music from both industry awards, and the country of Canada. LISTEN to her fill the Alhambra with her beautiful voice… (1967)
A blooming cactus in the National Park of the Llanos in Chile's Atacama Desert - credit Kelly Mella via Unsplash
A blooming cactus in the National Park of the Llanos in Chile’s Atacama Desert – credit Kelly Mella via Unsplash
Amid the scorching/freezing desert of Atacama in Chile, one of South America’s largest botanical storehouses aims to protect both the wild and cultivated heritage of the country’s plant life.
Called the Initihuasi Seed Bank, this genetic mothership is the central node in a nationwide network of institutions that are safeguarding the country’s plant diversity, come what may.
Built into the sides of a rocky outcrop, the facility stays cool under the ground of the driest desert on Earth. Inside, a walk-in freezer keeps aluminum foil seed packets at -4°F. The countless packets contain seeds from all families of plants that grow in the country.
Initihuasi’s seed vault sits beyond thick, earthquake-proof concrete walls. Among its shelves are rare and almost extinct species of flower cactus, and varieties of the country’s wine grapes and other agricultural exports.
“We have a very important mission, because we are contributing to the conservation of our biodiversity,” Ana Sandoval, a researcher who has worked at the center for more than a decade, told John Bartlett at NPR.
Inithuasi works in tandem with several other seed banks and scientific institutions around the country to ensure there are stores of all 4,655 of Chile’s plant species, 46% of which are endemic to the country. Field expeditions continually scour the landscape to expand the seed bank’s reserves, while several on-site greenhouses and grow facilities allow researchers to document the best-practices for propagating and growing some of the rarer species.
It additionally supports a continental network of South American seed banks to ensure that the most biodiverse part of the world can remain so even if the climate changes dramatically, or the majestic landscapes between the Atacama, the Andes, and the Amazon fragment away.
Seed vaults are now a common discovery the world over, with major facilities located at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew location in Wakehurst, the UK, and the famous Global Seed Vault on the Norwegian island of Svalbard above the Arctic Circle.
SHARE This Important Work Below The Wastes Of The Atacama…
One of England’s poorest coastal towns is filled with “hope and relief” after their last youth center was saved from closure.
The nonprofit Pie Factory Music has been based in Ramsgate, on the coast of Kent, for 13 years. It offers counseling, employment advice, life-skills, creative projects, or just a safe supportive space to make friends, for 8 to 25-year-olds.
Then the charity which runs the center had to try and respond to the town council’s preparations to auction the land on which the building was located. The center organized a campaign to stop the auction, working with other local community groups to raise awareness about how much good it does for Ramsgate.
The organizers also sought assistance in the form of a grant from the “Pride in Place” strategy, a fund organized by the current Labor government to invest in deprived communities across the country.
With more than $500,000, Pie has been able to buy the freehold title to the land, giving them the literal foundation to continue their lifechanging work.
“The board is making a clear statement: we are committed to providing safe, positive spaces for the next generations to thrive,” said Brian Horton, interim chair of the Ramsgate Neighborhood Board who signed off on the loan.
“Knowing our future in the building is secure fills us with hope and relief,” said Pie’s chief executive, Zoë Carassik. “We are deeply grateful to the Pride in Place program and everyone who has helped us.”
Pie Factory organizes all kinds of activities, from letting refugee families organize cooking classes to soccer yard kickabouts, but the one constant that never changes is music: there’s always music playing at Pie, and every kid gets a turn at putting on what he or she likes.
WATCH a bit of what they do below…
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A compositional analysis of cement (overlayed to right) in Pompeii - credit Archaeological Park of Pompeii
A compositional analysis of cement (overlayed to right) in Pompeii – credit Archaeological Park of Pompeii
A scientist who figured out the secret behind ancient Rome’s self-repairing concrete has recently confirmed his theory at a Pompeii building site where such concrete was in use.
This marriage of theoretical and historical knowledge combined with hard evidence has inspired the very same scientist now 3 years later to open a concrete business selling the world’s most popular building material the way the Romans made it: built to last.
Concrete was the foundation of the classical Roman empire. It enabled Rome’s storied architectural revolution to produce large buildings, bridges, and aqueducts, many of which are still used some 2,000 years after their creation.
In 2023, MIT Associate Professor Admir Masic and his collaborators published a paper describing the manufacturing process that gave Roman concrete its longevity: lime fragments were mixed with volcanic ash and other dry ingredients before the addition of water.
Once water is added to this dry mix, heat is produced. As the concrete sets, this “hot-mixing” process traps and preserves the highly reactive lime as small, white, gravel-like features. When cracks form in the concrete, the lime clasts redissolve and fill the cracks, giving the concrete self-healing properties. GNN reported on the discovery at the time.
There was only one problem, MIT press reports, the process Masic’s team described was different from the one described by the famed ancient Roman architect Vitruvius. Vitruvius literally wrote the book on ancient architecture.
His highly influential work, De Architectura, written in the 1st century BCE, is the first known book on architectural theory. In it, Vitruvius says that Romans added water to lime to create a paste-like material before mixing it with other ingredients.
“Having a lot of respect for Vitruvius, it was difficult to suggest that his description may be inaccurate,” Masic said. “The writings of Vitruvius played a critical role in stimulating my interest in ancient Roman architecture, and the results from my research contradicted these important historical texts.”
Now, Masic and his collaborators are assuming Vitruvius was misinterpreted, after confirming that hot-mixing was indeed used by the Romans, a conclusion he reached by studying a newly discovered ancient construction site in Pompeii that was exquisitely preserved by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 CE.
They also characterized the volcanic ash material the Romans mixed with the lime, finding a surprisingly diverse array of reactive minerals that further added to the concrete’s ability to repair itself many years after these monumental structures were built, and revealing further the genius of Roman engineering.
“There is the historic importance of this material, and then there is the scientific and technological importance of understanding it,” Masic explains. “This material can heal itself over thousands of years, it is reactive, and it is highly dynamic. It has survived earthquakes and volcanoes. It has endured under the sea and survived degradation from the elements.”
In his 2023 paper, Masic used samples from a city wall in Priverno in southwest Italy, which was conquered by the Romans in the 4th century BCE. But there was a question as to whether this wall was representative of other concrete structures built throughout the Roman empire.
The recent discovery by archaeologists of an active ancient construction site in Pompeii (complete with raw material piles and tools) therefore offered an unprecedented opportunity.
For the study, the researchers analyzed samples from these pre-mixed dry material piles, a wall that was in the process of being built, completed buttress and structural walls, and mortar repairs in an existing wall.
“We were blessed to be able to open this time capsule of a construction site and find piles of material ready to be used for the wall.”
The site offered the clearest evidence yet that the Romans used hot-mixing in concrete production. Not only did the concrete samples contain the lime clasts described in Masic’s previous paper, but the team also discovered intact quicklime fragments pre-mixed with other ingredients in a dry raw material pile, a critical first step in the preparation of hot-mixed concrete.
The researchers also analyzed the volcanic ingredients in the cement, including a type of volcanic ash called pumice—much of which pummeled Pompeii. They found that the pumice particles chemically reacted with the surrounding pore solution over time, creating new mineral deposits that further strengthened the concrete.
Masic notes that calcium is a key component in both ancient and modern concretes, so understanding how it reacts over time holds lessons for understanding dynamic processes in modern cement as well. Towards these efforts, Masic has also started a company, DMAT, that uses lessons from ancient Roman concrete to create long-lasting modern concretes.
“This is relevant because Roman cement is durable, it heals itself, and it’s a dynamic system,” Masic says. “The way these pores in volcanic ingredients can be filled through recrystallization is a dream process we want to translate into our modern materials. We want materials that regenerate themselves.”
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Over the last 25 years, Californian fishing regulations have seen the dramatic recovery of various game fish like sea bass and rockfish to the point where they can be fished sustainably again.
Collectively known as groundfish, these stocks were serially depleted in the 1990s and early 2000s. Fish like ocean perch and bocaccio live close to the sea bed, and fishermen adopted bottom trawling nets that depleted the fish and destroyed their habitat.
By 2000, it was declared a “fisheries disaster.”
“Fishery managers at the time didn’t fully understand how slowly groundfish grow, how long they live, or how vulnerable they are to overfishing,” explained a post on the California Curated substack post. “As a result, catch limits were set too high.”
In response to the collapse, a wide variety of measures were undertaken to try and give the groundfish stocks the time, space, and peace, to rebuild themselves. It started, according to California Curated, with a trawl vessel buyback program, which spent some $46 million compensating fishermen for investing in trawlers to take advantage of the poorly-set catch limits.
Next, for the one-fourth of trawlers that remained after the buyback program, the Trawl Catch Share Program mandated onboard observers to confirm the fishermen were abiding by historical catch quotas.
Various restrictions in the size of trawling gear, and requirements for bycatch-reducing devices followed, in advance of a near-total trawling ban in most California fisheries. Rockfish and cowcod conservation areas were set up in breeding hot beds, and by 2011, most of the more than-90 managed groundfish stocks were recovering or rebuilt, some years ahead of earlier projections.
The only California native gamefish that remains overfished is the yelloweye rockfish, but even this is slated for recovery in 2029.
The Marine Stewardship Council has certified many of these groundfish stocks as being sustainably managed, capable of growing year-over-year while feeding the coastal populations of California.
In spring 2024, the NOAA released its annual State of the Stocks report that showed that 94% of fish stocks in the US oceanic and gulf waters are not being overfished. This was at the time an all-time high of sustainability, and would no doubt have included these California groundfish stocks which the state has done such a good job replenishing.
SHARE The Long Road To Recovery For These California Fish Stocks…
Quote of the Day: “The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself.” – Carrie Bradshaw (TV character)
Photo by: Keegan Houser
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Aura V and her father Fyutch winning 2026 Grammy for Best Children’s Music Album – Broadcast screenshot via Recording Academy / GRAMMYs / YouTube
Aura V and her father Fyutch winning 2026 Grammy for Best Children’s Music Album – Broadcast screenshot via Recording Academy / GRAMMYs / YouTube
An 8-year-old Maryland girl and her dad have made history with an album that’s the musical equivalent of sunshine.
Aura V. and her father, whose recording name is Fyütch, won a Grammy this month for Best Children’s Music Album for their LPHarmony.
The triumph makes Aura the youngest Grammy winner in the organization’s history, eclipsing Blue Ivy, who won an award at 9.
“It is an honor to be here today,” Aura said in her acceptance speech on national television. “I was not expecting us to go this far.”
Indeed, Aura and Fyütch’s musical journey has traversed a number of generations. Aura’s great-grandfather played trumpet in the Army band. Her grandfather played saxophone and even contributed his talents to the album.
Fyütch joined a band as a teenager, and after college worked as an arts teacher. But one day, he got frustrated with the lack of educational music for his students. That problem became an inspiration for his own musical career—and the duo’s videos eventually went viral.
“I just started making stuff and putting it up on YouTube and showing it in my classes,” Fyütchtold the Washington Post. “I didn’t realize there was such a need. Teachers were searching for content like that.”
Soon afterward, Fyütch became a father and started working as a musician. Aura began attending his shows and became bold enough to appear on stage. They first collaborated on a song when Aura was 4 years old—a track titled “I Am a Cool.”
Then, the duo worked together on the Harmony LP—with song titles like I Am Love, I Am Light and My Daddy—and they won the Grammy Award.
“In 2017, she burst on the scene,” Fyütch raps on My Daddy. “When I held you in my arms, my firstborn, my whole world. I don’t care how old you get, you still daddy’s girl…”
The rest of the songs follow a similar pattern, equal parts uplifting and empowering. The whole album is a perfect blend of dad and daughter, with a hopeful, harmonious message that seems ideally suited for these turbulent times.
“Now more than ever, we need positive vibes in our music, in our culture, in our media,” Fyütchtold WMAR. “I see the purpose in it, and the beautiful part is that we get to do it together.”
Similar sentiments of peace and love can be found all throughout the Harmony album, especially on the title track. After a couple choruses featuring dad and daughter, Aura V. takes over.
The lyrics are an inspiring vision for the future—and she can now sing them with the confidence that comes with being the youngest Grammy winner ever.
“Peace, positivity, love, and empathy This is the recipe for life in harmony… Can you imagine what this place would be When our differences work collectively?”
HELP OTHERS HEAR AURA’S MUSICAL MESSAGE By Sharing This to Your Social Media Feed…
McKinney Fire officials partner with police to boost cardiac survival rates with AEDs
McKinney Fire officials partner with police to boost cardiac survival rates using AEDs
Over the past two years, the city of McKinney, Texas, has significantly improved cardiac arrest survival rates through a coordinated effort between its fire and police departments—and, now, its citizens.
Two years ago, if your heart stopped in McKinney, your chances of surviving were just 10 percent, the same as many U.S. cities. Today, that survival rate has skyrocketed to 47 percent—thanks to an unprecedented partnership between the McKinney Fire Department and McKinney Police Department.
Officials say the program is modeled in part after practices used in Seattle and, so far, McKinney’s success rate has risen way above the national average of 30 percent, and closing in on Seattle’s leading survival rate of 50%.
The city, 30 miles north of Dallas, is now expanding that lifesaving work to residents by placing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) directly into neighborhoods, with the goal of reducing response time citywide.
The initiative will make McKinney one of the nation’s first “4-Minute Cities” where an automated external defibrillator is never more than four minutes away from any cardiac event.
The city’s transformation began when Fire Battalion Chief Ben Jones launched the cardiac program by sending a team to train at the Resuscitation Academy in Seattle in late 2024. They returned with a plan to replicate key components of their “chain of survival”: rapid recognition, immediate CPR, fast AED access, and quick transport.
Every minute a cardiac arrest victim waits for care cuts survival by 10 percent. McKinney installed more than 80 AEDs in every patrol, traffic, and neighborhood police vehicle.
Friendly competition between fire and police teams has fueled a life-saving culture shift. In the past year, nine McKinney residents have been revived in time.
Now, McKinney will expand cardiac response by deploying 200 AEDs in a new Neighborhood Heroes campaign. Residents across the city will be enabled to serve as a first responder in the event of a cardiac emergency in their community.
Some McKinney police officers were initially skeptical but became true believers after saving lives themselves.
“It’s a really interesting shift in mindset for police officers, and they bought into it,” Fire Chief Paul Dow told WFAA-TV.
“We want to have these AEDs everywhere in the community,” explained Jones, whose fire department will train eligible participants.
The American Heart Association has selected the McKinney Fire Department’s “4-Minute City” model to represent its Heart Health Month campaign this month, highlighting the city’s leadership in community-based resuscitation.
TELL YOUR CITY TO DO THE SAME–By Sharing The News on Social Media…
Red deer stag approaches hiker in the Scottish Highlands – Credit: Roaming Thistle / SWNS
Red deer stag approaches hiker in the Scottish Highlands – Credit: Roaming Thistle / SWNS
A new video from the Scottish Highlands shows a wild stag walking right up to a hiker, getting so close that his breath fogged up the stunned man’s camera lens.
The ‘magical’ moment was captured by Craig who journeys around Scotland in a motorhome and documents his travels as the Roaming Thistle on social media.
A week ago Saturday, Craig was walking in Glencoe with his camera when he saw a male red deer, the iconic symbol of Scotland’s untamed landscapes, and moved in slowly to shoot a video.
“I expected nothing more than a quiet moment observing wildlife,” said Craig, who bought the motorhome to explore Scotland and create memories with his family.
“The stag calmly approached, completely unbothered, and gently brushed up against the camera lens.
“As he breathed on it, the lens briefly steamed up, which somehow made the moment feel even more magical before he quietly moved on again.”
The traveler said he felt a mix of disbelief and privilege after the interaction.
“Encounters like that are incredibly rare, and it felt genuinely special to witness such calm, natural behavior from a wild animal.”
Known as the Highland stag, the male red deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus) is Britain’s largest land mammal, renowned for their massive branching antlers that can span 45 inches (more than a meter).
“It was one of those moments that stays with you, not because it was dramatic, but because it was quiet, intimate, and entirely on the stag’s terms.”
“This is proof that the most majestic residents of the Highlands are also the most curious!”
SHARE THE MAJESTIC MOMENT With Animal Lovers on Social Media…
Two original watercolors for The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling – Credit: Roseberys / SWNS
Two original watercolors for The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling – Credit: Roseberys / SWNS
Two original illustrations for Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book that were lost for over a century have been discovered.
The watercolors had been hanging unrecognized on the walls of a London family home for decades.
The rediscovery increases the number of known surviving originals to just six out of an original set of 16.
The four other surviving illustrations are now split between private collections, the Natural History Museum, and the National Trust.
The first watercolor by Edward Detmold depicts Mowgli with Bagheera, the black panther. The second was painted by Edward’s twin, Charles Maurice Detmold, depicting Cold Lairs, the home of the ‘Monkey People’ or Bandar-log.
London auctioneers Roseberys will offer both works for sale on March 10, believing they will fetch $20,000 each.
The revelation has astounded the owners of the two paintings, who are remaining anonymous.
Credit: Roseberys / SWNS
“These drawings were never treated as ‘important’ works in our family – they were simply part of our home,” they explained.
“Finding out that they restore a missing piece of the visual history of Kipling’s The Jungle Book has been completely unexpected.”
The watercolors were created in 1903 for the deluxe portfolio, Sixteen Illustrations of Subjects from Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’, which was commissioned by book publisher Macmillan & Co in 1902.
Reportedly limited to 500 copies, the portfolio was published separately from the book itself, which had been published nine years earlier in 1894.
Detail of Mowgli with Bagheera from Jungle Book watercolor – SWNS
The original Jungle Book collected stories that Kipling had previously published in magazines, and it included illustrations from the author’s father, among other artists.
Later, the first standard printed edition of The Jungle Book incorporating the Detmold illustrations was first published by Macmillan in 1908. It contained the 16 plates, as well as a frontispiece illustrated by the Detmold twins.
But, the 1903 portfolios are now extremely rare because their 16 large plates were often removed for framing individually. One complete copy is held by the U.S. Library of Congress.
“To be able to bid for two of the six known surviving original watercolors is a vanishingly rare opportunity,” said Lara L’vov-Basirov, of the Roseberys auction house.”
“Especially, if you consider how rare the printed versions of these illustrations are because they were treated as works of art and framed, breaking up the portfolios in the process.”
“It is difficult to convey just how big their impact was when the portfolio was first published, making headline reviews on both sides of the Atlantic—and the Guardian reviewer singling out both of the individual watercolors we have here for particular praise.”
The Detmold watercolors, appearing on the market for the first time, were published when the twin artistic prodigies were just 20—and it proved to be their final joint venture, as Charles Maurice tragically took his own life at age 25.
SHARE THE AMAZING DISCOVERY With Book Lovers on Social Media…
Quote of the Day: “Heartbreak is unpreventable. It’s the natural outcome of caring for people and things over which we have no control.” – David Whyte, poet
Photo by: Andrew Welch
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
80 years ago today, some simple workplace encouragement material was posted on the wall of several Westinghouse Electric factories in Pittsburgh, PA, which became the famous “We Can Do It,” poster. One of the most iconic images in the history of American war propaganda, it was actually meant mainly to increase productivity among existing workers, and is often confused with the Rosie the Riveter series. The badge on the “We Can Do It!” worker’s collar identifies her as a Westinghouse Electric plant floor employee; the pictured red, white, and blue clothing was a subtle call to patriotism, one of the frequent tactics of corporate war production committees. BUT READ what she was actually encouraging… (1942)
South Korean scientists win award for wound powder – SWNS
South Korean scientists win award for wound powder – SWNS
A spray-on powder that instantly seals life-threatening wounds could save thousands of lives, say scientists.
The new substance can help prevent excessive bleeding which is the leading cause of death due to injuries in war, according to a study.
The fast-acting powder that stops bleeding in just one second was developed by South Korean scientists who say it can also be applied in emergency hospital procedures.
The research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, which included an Army Major, created the powder that rapidly forms a strong hydrogel barrier when sprayed directly onto a bullet wound.
The team designed the technology with real combat conditions in mind, and the direct involvement of an Army Major helped ensure its practical readiness.
Major Kyusoon Park, who is also a PhD candidate and served as a study co-author, said the substance not only allows “instant hardening” under extreme conditions like combat or disasters but also delivers high usability and storage stability.
“Until now, patch-type hemostatic agents widely used in medical fields have had limitations due to their flat structure and sensitivity to temperature and humidity.”
They cannot withstand pressure applied to the wound. Also, current powders that stop blood flow have limited functionality by physically absorbing blood to form a barrier, according to the study published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
Medical first aide equipment for combat care at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune – Credit: Navy Medicine via Unsplash
“The new AGCL powder reacts with cations, such as calcium in the blood, to turn into a gel state in one second, instantly sealing the wound,” said study co-leader Professor Steve Park.
“Furthermore, by forming a three-dimensional structure inside the powder, it can absorb blood amounting to more than seven times its own weight.”
“It shows superior sealing performance compared to commercial hemostatic agents—with a high adhesive strength and a level of pressure that can withstand being pressed strongly by hand.”
AGCL powder is composed entirely of naturally derived materials with an antibacterial effect of 99.9%.
It has a structure that combines biocompatible natural materials such as alginate and gellan gum—that react with calcium for fast gelation and physical sealing—and chitosan, which bonds with blood components to enhance chemical and biological hemostasis.
“In animal experiments, excellent tissue-regeneration effects, such as rapid wound recovery and promotion of blood vessel and collagen regeneration, were confirmed,” explained Prof. Park.
“In surgical liver injury experiments, the amount of bleeding and hemostasis time were significantly reduced compared to commercial methods.”
“It also maintains its performance for two years, even in room temperature and high humidity environments, possessing the advantage of being ready for immediate use in harsh environments.
“Although this is an advanced new material technology developed with national defense purposes in mind,” said Major Park, “it has great potential for emergency medicine, disaster sites, developing countries, and medically underserved areas.”
“I started the research with a sense of mission to save even one more soldier—but I also hope this technology will be used as a life-saving technology in private medical fields.”
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While other places go all-out on decorations at Christmas and Halloween, one village called Lover pretty much owns Valentine’s Day.
Dubbed the world’s most romantic village, it has drawn visitors from across the UK to send Valentine’s Day cards with a special postmark.
Thousands of cards are sent from Lover every February to recipients across the world—with the romantically-stamped postmark reaching hearts on every continent, even Antarctica.
Traveling all the way from Surrey to the Wiltshire hamlet, Lindy Nock stayed in town just long enough to purchase a postcard, have it stamped, and mail it to a loved one in Denmark.
“I saw it on Instagram and I couldn’t make it last year,” said the 54-year-old, “so I thought I would come here and send a card to my pen pal friend in Denmark.
“The fact they celebrate Valentine’s day, being called Lover, is fantastic.”
Cards postmarked February 14 in Lover, England – Courtesy of Lover.org.uk
Residents take the annual celebration very seriously, decorating their houses and businesses with red and pink hearts.
The annual postal rush used to be run from the village Post Office, but it got so big that, ten years ago, residents formed the Lover Community Trust and volunteers have helped send more than 10,000 love letters.
You don’t have to visit to get the postmark now. Anyone can send a card from Lover in the lead up to February 14th by ordering it online.
Since 2016, dozens of volunteers have processed the cards in the lead up to Valentine’s Day, and also run the Darling cafe to cater to all the annual visitors.
They even get orders from China, which have to use specially arranged Mandarin characters so printed addresses can be read.
All the money paid for cards and souvenirs goes back into supporting the community, and it has already helped fund a major renovation of the Old School building, which now serves as a community center.
Nick Gibbs with mailbag from the Valentine Post – SWNS
Nick Gibbs, from the trust, called it the ‘world’s most romantic village’, but the store also features cards suitable for mailing to friends.
“We are trying to promote Valentine’s day as a way of sending a little love to everyone,” said the 78-year-old. “The card with the most significant journey this year was to Japan last week.”
One of the volunteers, Debbie Harper, runs the Darling Cafe and is usually in the kitchen, so doesn’t get a chance to help with all the mailings.
“But, I bought a card for my husband and I got to put the stamp on. I love playing post office!”
One couple in their 70s, Janet and Bob Halliday, help decorate the village every year.
“It is going from strength to strength. When we first started it was just the cards. Now we’ve got jewelry, cards and linens that say, ‘Lots of love from Lover’, said Bob.
“It is a very gregarious village and it’s nice being involved.”
Next year is the 50th anniversary of the Lover Valentine Post, and locals have decided to make a tapestry that traces the roots of February 14th. The project will be influenced by the 14th Century writer Geoffrey Chaucer, who was largely credited with creating the association between Valentine’s Day and romantic love.
At the moment they’re researching the storyline and deciding what depictions to design. Eventually, they’ll work to figure out how to fabricate it.
Note that while many will be sending ‘love from Lover’, they need to know how to pronounce the English village when speaking in the UK—because it actually rhymes with ‘Dover’.
To get a card or gift sent through Lover Valentine Post, visit their website: www.lover.org.uk
SPREAD THE LOVE By Sharing For Valentine’s Day on Social Media…
Crush the sea turtle gets ticket on Loganair to reach sanctuary - SWNS
Crush the sea turtle gets ticket on Loganair to reach sanctuary – SWNS
On 9 January, large parts of Europe were brought to a standstill as Storm Goretti, a powerful winter cyclone with 110 mph winds, swept into the region from the south.
Soon after, a beachcomber found a young loggerhead turtle washed up on the Island of Jersey near the coast of France after being blown hundreds of miles off course.
The warm-water reptile was “cold stunned”—an immobile condition caused by prolonged exposure to cold water—and quickly brought to a local animal hospital.
Veterinarian Peter Haworth at New Era Hospital was able to stabilize the weak and malnourished sea turtle in a small tank—thanks to warmed seawater provided by The Jersey Oyster Company, but the juvenile turtle needed more space.
A rough voyage across the English Channel to Britain by boat could have caused undue stress for the endangered species, so Peter contacted ‘the friendly skies’ for help getting the rescued turtle a VIP airline ticket.
Named Crush, after the character in Finding Nemo, the sea turtle finally received permission from Loganair to fly as a First Class passenger on a scheduled flight to Southampton, England, where it was picked up and driven 90 miles to its long-term care facility, the SeaLife Centre in Weymouth.
Crush the loggerhead turtle – SWNS
“This was certainly one of the more unusual passengers we’ve welcomed on board,” said Ronnie Matheson, chief commercial officer at Loganair.
“Our teams worked closely with Peter and his colleagues to ensure that she could travel as calmly and comfortably as possible.”
Dan Townsend, head of airside operations at Southampton Airport, said: “We’re delighted to support this special journey and play a small part in helping this young turtle get the expert care it needs.
“Our teams work closely with airline partners like Loganair to make sure unique animal movements like this one are handled safely and smoothly, and we’re proud to help facilitate its onward recovery.”
CT scans at the Jersey hospital identified a higher than usual amount of sand inside her oesophagus, but some of it was removed to prevent any future blockage—and the SeaLife Centre hopes to release her back into loggerhead habitat range this spring.
SHARE THE INSPIRING RESCUE With Turtle-Lovers on Social Media…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of February 14, 2026
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Poet Mary Oliver asked her readers, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” This Valentine season, I propose a collaborative version of this prod: Ask those you care for to help you answer Oliver’s question, and offer to help them answer it for themselves. Now is an excellent time to act on the truth that vibrant intimacy involves the two of you inspiring each other to fulfill your highest callings. Do whatever it takes to make both of you braver and bolder as you learn more about who you are meant to be.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Can you care for stressed people without making it your duty to rescue them? Can you offer support without being taken advantage of? I hope so, Pisces. Life is inviting you to be more skilled about expressing your love without compromising your own interests. How? First, offer affection without signing up for endless service. Second, don’t let your empathy blur into entanglement. Third, monitor your urge to care so it doesn’t weaken your sovereignty. Your gift for soothing others’ struggles evokes my deep respect, but it’s most effective when it’s subtle and relaxed. Give people room to carry out their own necessary work.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them,” wrote Ernest Hemingway This Valentine season, I propose you experiment with his approach. Take a smart risk with people who have shown glimmers of reliability but whom you haven’t fully welcomed. Don’t indulge in reckless credulity, just courageous and discerning openness. Be vulnerable enough to discover what further connection might bloom if you lead with faith rather than suspicion. Your willingness to believe in someone’s better nature may help bring it forth.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Taurus singer Barbra Streisand addressed her legendary perfectionism. She said that truly interesting intimacy became available for her only after she showed her dear allies her full array of selves, not just her shiny, polished side. In alignment with astrological omens, I encourage you to experiment with the daring art of unfinished revelation. Let the people you care for witness you in the midst of becoming. Share your uncertainties, your half-formed thoughts, and your works in progress. Surprise! Your flaws may prove as endearing as your achievements.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Author Anaïs Nin wrote, “Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” I believe this understanding of camaraderie should be at the heart of most Geminis’ destinies. It’s your birthright and your potential superpower to seek connections with people who inspire you to think thoughts and feel feelings you would never summon by yourself. You have an uncanny knack for finding allies and colleagues who help you unveil and express more of your total self. Now is a good time to tap further into these blessings.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Poet David Whyte said that “heartbreak is unpreventable.” It’s “the natural outcome of caring for people and things over which we have no control.” But here’s the redemptive twist: Your capacity to feel heartbreak proves you have loved well. Your shaky aches are emblems of your courageous readiness to risk closeness and be deeply affected. So let’s celebrate your tender heart not despite its vulnerability but because of it. You should brandish your sensitivity as a superpower.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Choreographer Twyla Tharp said she fell in love with her husband partly because “he was the only person who didn’t seem impressed by me.” I will extrapolate from that to draw this conclusion: Our most valuable allies might show their most rigorous respect by seeing us clearly. This Valentine season, Leo, I invite you to test the hypothesis that being thoroughly known and understood is more crucial than being regularly praised and flattered. Enrich your connections with the perceptive souls who love you not for your highlight reel but for your raw, genuine self.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
The famously kind and caring author Anne Lamott confessed, “I thought such awful thoughts that I cannot even say them out loud because they would make Jesus want to drink gin straight out of the cat dish.” That’s a liberating insight. She revealed that even kind, caring people like her harbor messy internal chaos. This Valentine season, Virgo, I dare you to share a few of your less-than-noble thoughts with soulful characters whom you trust will love you no matter what. Let them see that your goodness coexists with your salty imperfections. Maybe you could even playfully highlight the rough and rugged parts of you for their entertainment value. What’s the goal? To deepen spirited togetherness.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
How do we eagerly and daringly merge our fortunes with another person while maintaining our sovereign selfhood? How do we cultivate interesting togetherness without suppressing or diluting our idiosyncratic beauty? In some respects, this is a heroic experiment that seems almost impossible. In other respects, it’s the best work on the planet for anyone who’s brave enough to attempt it. Luckily for you Libras, this is potentially one of your superpowers. And now is an excellent time to take your efforts to the next level of heartful grittiness.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Here’s a quote by the character Carrie Bradshaw from the TV showSex and the City: “The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you that you love, that’s fabulous.” I invite you to make this a prime meditation, Scorpio. To begin, get extra inspired by your own mysterious beauty: captivated by your own depths, fascinated by your mysterious contradictions, and delighted by your urge for continual transformation. The next step is to identify allies and potential allies who appreciate the strange magnificence you treasure in yourself. Who devoutly wants you to fulfill your genuine, idiosyncratic soul’s code? Spend the coming weeks enriching your connections with these people.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
This Valentine season, I propose that you infuse your intimate life with a fun dose of playful curiosity. Visualize your beloved allies, both current and potential, as unfolding mysteries rather than solved puzzles. Ask them provocative questions you’ve never thought to ask before. Wonder aloud about their simmering dreams and evolving philosophies. (Brezsny’s Togetherness Rule #1: When you think you’ve figured someone out completely, the relationship withers.) In fact, let’s make this one of your assignments for the next five months: Heighten and nurture your nosiness about the beautiful people you love. Treat each conversation as an expedition into unexplored territory. (Brezsny’s Togetherness Rule #2: A great way to stoke their passion for you and your passion for them is to believe there’s always more to discover about each other.)
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Ecologists studying symbiosis know that successful partnerships aren’t always between similar organisms. Some bonds link the fortunes of radically different creatures, like clownfish and sea anemones or oxpeckers and buffalo. Each supplies resources or protection the other lacks, often assuring they live more successfully together than they would on their own. This is useful information for you right now. At least one of the allies you need looks nothing like you. Their genius is orthogonal to yours, or they have skills you don’t. The blend may not be comfortable, but I bet it’s the precise intelligence you need to achieve what you can’t accomplish alone.
WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com
Quote of the Day: “Love is space and time measured by the heart.” – Marcel Proust (Happy Valentine’s Day!)
Photo by: Bas Glaap
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95 years ago today, the horror film Dracula starring Bela Lugosi was released. Adapted from the 1897 novel by Bram Stoker, it’s a tale of Count Dracula, a vampire who emigrates from Transylvania to England and preys upon the blood of living victims. WATCH his reaction to being shown a crucifix… (1931)
