All News - Page 338 of 1720 - Good News Network
Home Blog Page 338

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott Donates $15m to Provide Glasses to Farmers With Blurry Vision in Developing Nations

By
Andy Corbley
-
MacKenzie Scott and former husband Dan Jewett, Giving Pledge
MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett, Giving Pledge

Jeff Bezos’ former wife MacKenzie Scott has donated $15 million to provide hundreds of thousands of people with eyeglasses.

It’s believed to be the largest private donation towards assisting uncorrected blurry vision, and will help mainly low-income tea, coffee, cocoa and artisan workers in India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda.

While it might not be as glamorous as pledging 10 billion dollars to save the world from climate change, the difference a pair of eyeglasses makes is huge, personal, and immediate.

The donation was made to VisionSpring, a non-profit targeting this economic hinderance. It’s believed these workers could produce $1 billion annually in additional value for themselves and their businesses thanks to the increased productivity from being able to see well.

SIMILAR: Big Brothers Big Sisters Receives $122 Million Donation From Mackenzie Scott

“The gift from Ms. Scott is an incredible acknowledgment of the power of a simple pair of eyeglasses to unlock earning, learning, safety and wellbeing for people vulnerable to poverty,” VisionSpring’s chief executive Ella Gudwin said.

“And, with this powerful endorsement of our work, we are embarking on a multi-year journey to put Livelihoods in Focus, addressing the massive vision care gap among agricultural and artisan workers in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.”

SIMILAR: If Children Wear This Type of Contact Lens It Can Stave Off Worsening Eyesight, Researchers Say

VisionSpring have highlighted that the benefits of a correct pair of eyeglasses are immediate, leading to reduced anxiety and depression and richer family lives from being able to see loved-ones’ faces and expressions more clearly.

Over time the better vision increases productivity and income, especially in fiddly tasks such as hand-pollinating a cocoa tree for example, or through better acquisition of knowledge at school and work.

The donation was made through Giving Pledge, an organization set up following several commitments from America’s richest to give away half their wealth to charity.

“In addition to whatever assets life has nurtured in me I have a disproportionate amount of money to share,” Scott has said. “My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care. But I won’t wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty.”

SHARE This Clear-Eyed Good News With Your Friends…

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift: That’s why they call it ‘the present’.”

By
Good News Network
-

Quote of the Day: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift: That’s why they call it ‘the present’.” (This quote is variously attributed to ‘anonymous’, Eleanor Roosevelt, or Deepak Chopra.)

Photo by: Stefan Widua

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?

Watch Stepdad Finally Launch His Floating Suit Made of 1,100 Corks, After 3 Years of Secret Work

By
Good News Network
-
Haley Buntrock / SWNS
Kerry’s launch – by Haley Buntrock / SWNS

A man who spent three years building a floating suit made from 1,150 corks has finally debuted his creation.

Kerry Haulotte crafted the one-of-a-kind suit in total secrecy until it was ready for its maiden voyage where “it performed flawlessly.”

The 64-year-old said the suit was meant to be a silly gag for the family to have fun with during their boat outings, but the video of Kelly launching himself into Lake Michigan has gone viral—with 3 million views and 500,000 likes.

Friends and family were each trying on the cork suit so they could float in the water during a fun day out.

The suit was constructed by drilling 3,450 holes through hundreds of corks, and the finished product ended up weighing over 13 lbs.

The project was shrouded in secrecy due to Kerry’s anxiety about the project failing.

“Other than my wife Jamie, I kept the project a secret for the entire creation time, fearing that I may not finish the project or that it would be a massive failure,” he told SWNS news.

When it was finally revealed to family members, they were amazed by Kerry’s creation.

“This is the coolest thing I have ever seen!” exclaimed his stepdaughter Haley, who posted the video.

LOOK: Visit ‘Fortlandia’ Where Designers Have Built Odes to Childhood Fort-Building in Austin, Texas

Haley Buntrock / SWNS

Kerry said it was an ‘on-again and off-again project’ that took 120 to 130 hours to overall.

“I admit I was afraid people would think I was absolutely nuts, and while that may be true, it turns out people really loved it. It has put a smile on the face of everyone observing, and all that have floated in it.

“Incidentally, it has been signed and dated by everyone who has floated in it,” he added.

What surprised 28-year-old Haley was how ‘kind’ people have been online.

POPULAR: Watch Musicians Play Instruments Carved From Ice Inside Acoustic Igloo Concert Hall

“I was worried the online community would be rude, but everyone has been hyping up my stepdad, which I absolutely love to see. He is one of the most humble, creative, and interesting people I know.

“He deserves all the recognition, love, and support. I couldn’t have gotten a cooler stepdad.”

WATCH the maiden voyage…

Challenge Your Friends to Make a Cork Suit – By Sharing on Social Media…

Young Girls Who Met on a Ship Sailing for America 75 Years Ago are Reunited: ‘I could never forget her’

By
Good News Network
-

It’s not uncommon for reunions to take place within a few years of the initial event—or maybe ten to twenty years after the first meeting. But a reunion after 75 years is truly astounding.

That’s exactly what took place recently between immigrants Lena and Yolanda, who were young girls when they first met during a 14-day ocean crossing.

In April of 1947, both the young girls were emigrating with their Italian families to the United States. They met each other aboard the Saturnia, a ship sailing toward America’s Ellis Island—and became instant friends.

In the last few years, Lena’s youngest son Steve had been researching their transatlantic voyage, and uncovered the actual ship’s manifest online.

Lena, now 85 years old, had always remembered the name of her sailing buddy, Yolanda. So, Steve diligently searched for the whereabouts of her friend, who had remained only a memory frozen in time.

Lena left her hometown of Pallagorio when she was ten years old. Nine-year-old Yolanda left her home in Belmonte—a 2.5 hour drive between them on today’s maps.

The Saturnia

Steve continued tracking down the lost friend who, if alive, would be 84.

Lo and behold, Yolanda was still thriving—and the two girls, now matured, had been living within 2.5 hours of each other their whole lives.

Steve found Yolanda’s phone number and left a message on her answering machine explaining that her childhood sailing buddy wanted to get in touch. Covid-19 and other obstacles delayed the reunion, but finally a time and date were set.

Yolanda‘s son Rich drove his mom across state lines from her home in Weirton, West Virginia, to Lena’s house in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where they greeted each other at the front door, embracing with tears of joy.

Lena and Yolanda

“They were celebrating a momentary friendship that has lasted a lifetime,” Lena’s son Tony told GNN.

As well as reminiscing about their few memories of that voyage on Saturnia—which included feelings of wonderment and trepidation of what the New World would be like—they also packed in as many stories of their unfolding lives as possible within the short afternoon lunch.

RELATED: She Finally Met Her Long Lost Dad, Who Didn’t Know She Existed, Thanks to Stranger on Facebook

“Yolanda was the face and name that was synonymous with my transition from one life to another,” Lena said.

“For that reason alone, I could never forget her. Now that we’ve been reunited, I am even more grateful to call her my friend and to have had the chance to share our stories.”

It’s almost as if they were sisters separated at birth: They both uphold their families’ Italian traditions.

WATCH: Long-Lost Brothers to Be Reunited After 77 Years and 10,000 Miles, ‘I still can’t believe it’

Ship’s manifest, courtesy of family

The 75-year reunion was so successful that they decided to meet again in a few months, hoping for more precious time together.

In these ‘silver’ ages, it’s not always easy finding a new friend—let alone an old one! Maybe the Ellis Island database at the National Archives can help you search for your ancestor’s voyage, and uncover a lost friend.

RELATED: Sisters Find Each Other After 45 Years Apart – Living in the Same City With Sons Going to the Same School

REKINDLE a Friendship, By Sharing This Inspiring Story on Social Media…

Volcanoes Were Erupting on the Moon One Billion Years More Recently Than Previously Thought

By
Good News Network
-
Craters on the moon
SWNS

[SWNS] – Volcanoes were erupting on the moon a billion years more recently than previously thought, according to new research from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Scientists had previously believed the moon became “geologically dead” three billion years ago. However, new lunar samples collected during China’s Chang’E-5 mission last year have revealed eruptions on its surface were still happening two billion years ago.

Since the moon is small and rocky, the heat fueling volcanic activity should have been lost far longer than two billion years ago.

Scientists previously believed that larger amounts of water or heat-producing elements inside the moon might have driven eruptions in the late stage of the moon’s life. However, the new findings throw this into doubt.

For the study, researchers led by the Institute’s Professor Chen Yi compared the new moon samples with those from the U.S. Apollo missions and the Soviet Luna missions.

The team conducted fictional crystallization and lunar melting simulations to compare the samples and found that the young Chang’E-5-source magma contained more calcium oxide and titanium dioxide than older Apollo magmas.

POPULAR: China’s New Moon Rock Samples Contain Beautiful Crystal New to Geology

These younger samples contained more titanium and calcium, which melt more easily—thus, those components could have reduced the melting temperature of the moon’s mantle, in turn triggering the eruptions.

“We discovered that the Chang’E-5 magma was produced at similar depths but 80 degrees Celsius cooler than older Apollo magmas,” said the study’s first author Dr. Su Bin from the National University of Singapore.

“This is a fascinating result, indicating a significant contribution of late-stage lunar magma ocean cumulates to the Chang’E-5 volcanic formation.”

“It means the lunar mantle experienced a sustained, slow cooling of 80 degrees Celsius from some three billion years to two billion years ago.”

RELATED: Chinese Rover Spots Weird, Large ‘Cube’ on the Moon

The team say their work, published in the journal Science Advances, is the first viable explanation for why volcanoes remained active on the moon for a billion years longer than previously believed.

SHARE the New Moon Discoveries With Space Lovers on Social Media…

“I will now live my life with the inventiveness of an engineer…(where) improvisation is the rule: No more beaten paths.” – Osman Lins

By
Good News Network
-

Quote of the Day: “I will now live my life with the inventiveness of an engineer…(where) improvisation is the rule: No more beaten paths.” – Osman Lins

Photo by: David Pisnoy

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?

She Built a $15,000 Cottage in the Back Yard For a Brother With Autism: ‘The change has been incredible’

By
Good News Network
-
SWNS

A woman built her brother a little house in her back garden and says it’s been a “game-changer” to give him the independence he needs.

Tiffany Chou moved back to Hawaii from New York City to look after her 33-year-old brother, who has autism, after hearing that he was unhappy in his residential home.

The siblings, who are both adopted, hadn’t lived together for 15 years, so Tiffany was apprehensive about what it would be like because Chris’s behavior could be “challenging”.

To better deal with that, the 36-year-old sister and her boyfriend decided to build Chris his own cottage in their back yard after moving to Maui.

“I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into when I moved back and took in Chris,” said the accessory designer. “He can be a bit noisy and overwhelming so we decided if he had his own independent space, just seconds from us, that would be ideal.”

There was a little structure in their garden, which they tore down to begin the construction—and she and her boyfriend managed to put the cottage together for just $15,000.

Chris got to chose the colors of his house and helped out initially with the build, which was completed in three months.

SWNS

In August, he moved in and now loves his new digs.

“He absolutely loves it—and the change has been incredible,” says Tiffany.

WATCH: Groom’s Autistic Brother Has Wedding Crowd in ‘Happy Tears’ with Emotional Speech That Went Viral

“He’ll do his dishes without prompting. It’s really helped him be more independent.”

They outfitted the home especially for his quirks, too.

“Chris is the thirstiest person you have ever met so he is constantly up in the night drinking water and needing the toilet, so we made sure his bathroom and a water tank was right by his bed.”

His kitchen has an induction cooktop to make sure it’s not left on and Tiffany prepares his food ahead of time, in daily portions, which he keeps in his fridge.

LOOK: Instead of Dirty Looks, a Kind Stranger Laid on the Ground to Calm Boy With Autism Amid His Meltdown

Chris and Tiffany Chou – SWNS

The home—which was built out of reclaimed materials, and fitted with second-hand furniture to keep costs low—has given Chris a newfound independence. (See the home in the video below.) And Tiffany and her boyfriend have their own space, which is essential, especially because they welcomed their new daughter, Luna, last month.

“He loves being an uncle and is great with Luna.”

“It’s been a game-changer for all of us—I don’t have to constantly prompt him to do stuff anymore.

Depo Market / SWNS

Meanwhile, Tiffany is set to make a big difference for the wider community. She’s set up a new employment service for adults with disabilities. Depo Market provides creative and social job opportunities to help adults like Chris to live more independently.

Watch a short video showing Chris in his new pad…

SHARE These Loving Siblings On Social Media to Inspire Others…

Your Inspired Weekly Horoscope From Rob Brezsny: A ‘Free Will Astrology’

By
Good News Network
-

Our partner Rob Brezsny 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 October 22, 2022
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Libra poet Wallace Stevens said that the great poems of heaven and hell have already been written, and now it is time to generate the great poems of earth. I’d love to invite all Libras, including non-writers, to apply that perspective in their own sphere. Just forget about heaven and hell for now. Turn your attention away from perfection and fantasylands and lofty heights. Disregard pathologies and muck and misery. Instead, explore and celebrate the precious mysteries of the world as it is. Be a connoisseur of the beauty and small miracles embedded in life’s little details. Find glory in the routine.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Here are two top Scorpio pastimes: 1. exploring and deploying your intense, fertile creativity; 2. spiraling gleefully down into deep dark voids in pursuit of deep dark riches. Sometimes those two hobbies dovetail quite well; you can satisfy both pursuits simultaneously. One of my favorite variations on this scenario is when the deep dark void you leap into turns out to actually be a lush wonderland that stimulates your intense, fertile creativity. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, that’s likely to happen soon.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
“I don’t want to be made pacified or made comfortable. I like stuff that gets your adrenaline going.” Sagittarian filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow said that. With the help of this attitude, she became the first woman ever to win an Academy Award for Best Director. Her film was The Hurt Locker, about American soldiers in Iraq who dispose of unexploded bombs while being harassed by enemies. Anyway, Bigelow’s approach is usually too hard-ass for me. I’m a sensitive Cancer the Crab, not a bold Sagittarius the Centaur like Bigelow and you. But I don’t want to assume you’re in the mood for her approach. If you are, though, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to deploy it. Some marvelous epiphanies and healing changes will be available if you forswear stuff that makes you pacified or comfortable.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Author Jan Richardson tells us we can’t return home by taking the same route we used when we departed. This will be wise advice for you to keep in mind during the next nine months. I expect you will be attempting at least two kinds of homecomings. For best results, plan to travel by different routes than those that might seem natural and obvious. The most direct path—the successful passage—may be circuitous.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
In the coming days, maintain strict boundaries between yourself and anyone or anything that’s not healthy for you. Be ultra-discerning as you decide which influences you will allow to affect you and which you won’t. And rather than getting sour and tense as you do this, I recommend you proceed with wicked humor and sly irony. Here are three saucy self-protective statements you can use to ward off threats and remain inviolable. 1. “The current ambiance does not align sweetly with my vital soul energy; I must go track down some more harmonious karma.” 2. “This atmosphere is out of sync with my deep precious selfness; I am compelled to take my deep precious selfness elsewhere.” 3. “The undertones here are agitating my undercurrents; it behooves me to track down groovier overtones.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
While asleep, have you ever dreamt of discovering new rooms in a house or other building you know well? I bet you will have at least one such dream soon. What does it mean? It suggests you want and need to get in touch with parts of yourself that have been dormant or unavailable. You may uncover evocative secrets about your past and present that had been unknown to you. You will learn about new resources you can access and provocative possibilities you had never imagined.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” Aries mythologist Joseph Campbell said that, and now I’m passing it on to you just in time for the Sacred Surrender Phase of your astrological cycle. Make sage use of Campbell’s wisdom, Aries! You will generate good fortune for yourself as you work to release expectations that may be interfering with the arrival of new stories and adventures. Be brave, my dear, as you relinquish outdated attachments and shed defunct hopes.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Plastic bags are now languishing in our soil or oceans, degrading slowly as they cause mayhem for animals and ecosystems. In alignment with current cosmic rhythms, I’m encouraging you to be extra discerning in your relationship with plastic bags—as well as with all other unproductive, impractical, wasteful things and people. In the coming weeks, you will thrive by focusing on what will serve you with high integrity for a long time.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Achilleas Frangakis is a professor of electron microscopy. He studies the biochemistry of cells. In one of his research projects, he investigated how cells interact with the outside world. He didn’t learn much about that question, but as he experimented, he inadvertently uncovered fascinating new information about another subject: how cells interact with each other when they heal a wound. His “successful failure” was an example of what scientists sometimes do: They miss what they looked for, but find unexpected data and make serendipitous discoveries. I suspect you will experience comparable luck sometime soon, Gemini. Be alert for goodies you weren’t in quest of.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Renowned Brazilian novelist Osman Lins was born under the sign of Cancer the Crab. He wrote, “I will now live my life with the inventiveness of an engineer who drives his locomotive off the tracks. No more beaten paths: improvisation is the rule.” In the coming weeks, I am all in favor of you, my fellow Cancerian, being an inventive adventurer who improvises liberally and departs from well-worn routes. However, I don’t recommend you do the equivalent of running your train off the tracks. Let’s instead imagine you as piloting a four-wheel-drive, all-terrain vehicle. Go off-road to explore. Improvise enthusiastically as you reconnoiter the unknown. But do so with scrupulous attention to what’s healthy and inspiring.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
In recent years, art historians have recovered numerous masterpieces that had been missing for years. They include a sculpture by Bernini, a sketch by Picasso, a drawing by Albrecht Dürer, and a painting by Titian. I’m a big fan of efforts like these: searching for and finding lost treasures. And I think you should make that a fun project in the coming weeks. Are there any beautiful creations that have been lost or forgotten? Useful resources that have been neglected? Wild truths that have been buried or underestimated? In accordance with astrological potentials, I hope you will explore such possibilities.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
The most important experience for you to seek in the coming months is to be seen and respected for who you really are. Who are the allies best able to give you that blessing? Make vigorous efforts to keep them close and treat them well. To inspire your mission, I offer you three quotes. 1. Franz Kafka said, “All the love in the world is useless if there is a total lack of understanding.” 2. Anais Nin wrote, “I don’t want worship. I want understanding.” 3. George Orwell: “Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.”

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)

SHARE The Wisdom With Friends Who Are Stars in Your Life on Social Media…

Cure for Baldness Could Be on the Horizon as Hair Cells Are Generated in a Lab

By
Good News Network
-
Yokohama National University
Yokohama National University

A team of researchers from Japan studying the processes of hair growth has successfully generated hair follicles in cultures. Their in vitro experiments add to the understanding of hair follicle development, which could lead to useful applications for treating hair loss disorders.

Scientists grew the fully mature hair follicles with long shafts using a technique that involves creating skin organoids—tiny, simpler versions of an organ—in a Petri dish.

Due to a lack of understanding the mechanisms for hair follicle development, hair follicle morphogenesis has not been successfully reproduced in a laboratory culture dish, until now.

“Organoids were a promising tool to elucidate the mechanisms in hair follicle morphogenesis in vitro,” said Dr. Tatsuto Kageyama, of Yokohama National University in Japan

Using two types of embryonic cells, the team developed hair shafts with almost 100 percent efficiency. The organoids produced fully mature follicles about 3 mm in length (a little more than 1/100 of an inch) after 23 days of culture.

As growth occurred, the researchers monitored formation and pigmentation, shedding new light on chemicals involved in the process. For instance, adding a drug that boosted melanin, a natural pigment, improved the color.

RELATED: Scientists Activate Stem Cells to Make Hair Grow

By transplanting the organoids, they achieved regeneration with repeating hair cycles.

“The model could prove valuable for better understanding of hair follicle induction, for evaluating hair pigmentation and hair growth drugs, and for regenerating hair follicles,” said Kageyama, the lead author of a paper published in the journal Science Advances.

Results could also be relevant to other organ systems and contribute to the understanding of how physiological and pathological processes develop.

Looking ahead to future research, the team plans to optimize their organoid culture system using human cells.

“Our next step is to use cells from human origin, and apply for drug development and regenerative medicine,” said the paper’s co-author, Professor Junji Fukuda.

Future research could open the door to developing fresh treatments for hair loss disorders, such as male pattern baldness.

CHECK OUT: Reversing Hair Loss Could Soon Be as Easy as Wearing a Hat After Scientists Develop Simple New Tech

The same principles could one day be harnessed to grow replacement teeth, or other organs as every hair is a tiny little organ.

GROW Some Hope! – Share This on Social Media…

First Wild Bison in 6,000 Years Born in UK After Several Were Resettled But No One Knew One was Pregnant

By
Good News Network
-
SWNS
SWNS

The first wild bison to be born in the UK in almost 6,000 years has been announced just months after a small herd was brought to Kent in England.

The Wilder Blean project near Canterbury only released the bison into the wild in July—and organizers got the surprise of a lifetime, because one of the them had turned out to be pregnant.

Weighing the size of a small car, an adult bison’s pregnancy is undetectable, which is a survival mechanism that deters them from being targeted by predators, so when the little female was born rangers were delighted.

“When the bison took their first steps into the wild just weeks ago, it was hard to imagine that anything could come close to the elation we felt in that moment. But here we are celebrating the arrival of a bison calf,” exclaimed Mark Habben, Director of Zoo Operations at the Wildwood Trust.

“We always hoped that the bison would breed, but it is fair to say we were not anticipating it quite so soon,” said bison ranger Tom Gibbs.

Her appearance means there are now four female bison in the woodland located in West Blean and Thornden Woods, a project that was funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery.

The Wilder Blean Project / SWNS

RELATED: Conservation Success for European Bison is ‘Living Proof’ That Ambitious Biodiversity Targets Work

A bull is also due to be introduced in the next two months as part of the rewilding initiative to help combat the climate and biodiversity crises.

Bison act as ecosystem engineers, and through their natural behaviors they create light, space, and fertilizers that prompt wildlife to thrive.

Discovered on September 9, the birth was not announced immediately by Kent Wildlife Trust or the Wildwood Trust.

Rangers say she has developed well, playing in the rain and copying the other bisons’ iconic dust-bathing behavior.

“These animals are wild, so we want to remain as hands-off as possible, but their welfare is at the absolute heart of what we do,” said Gibbs, who had already created a care plan for any calves to ensure their needs would be met.

WATCH: 800-Pound Bison Performs Adorable ‘Happy Dance’ in Celebration of the First Day of Spring

“She is being observed by experts and we are constantly monitoring the whole herd to ensure their wellbeing.”

They are also preparing for the arrival of a bull from Germany within the next few months and will be carefully planning how that introduction is made, to ensure they bond well and act as a herd should.

“This is now an incredibly important time for this family of eco-system engineers and we understand that people will want to catch a glimpse of this new addition, however we ask people to consider the impact they may have and ask that they are given the space and time they need to bond,” added Gibbs.

The Wilder Blean Project / SWNS

While remains of European Bison have not been discovered in the UK, they have been found under the North Sea. The site, known as Doggerland, was once a land bridge connecting the UK and the continent. A close relative of the European bison, bison schoetensacki, did however live in the UK around 6,000 years ago before becoming globally extinct.

MEANWHILE: Genetically Pure Bison Found In Utah Gives Hope for Restoration of Iconic Species

Like their American cousins, by the early 1900s European Bison were also on the brink of extinction and could only be found in two protected areas—in the former Soviet Union and in Poland.

Fortunately, thanks to conservation efforts, there are now around 5,000 animals on the continent, with around 4,000 living in wild or semi-wild places.

This herd of bison with its new baby is part of a million-dollar ‘rewilding’ program led by the Wildwood Trust and Kent Wildlife Trust.

“European Bison are an incredible species,” said the Trust’s director, Paul Hadway. “To think that their numbers now swell beyond 9,000 is a true testament to the commitment and dedication of international breeding efforts.”

CHECK OUT: New Baby Bison: First One Born in Nearly Two Centuries in Eastern US

Natural bison behaviors—grazing, dust bathing, eating bark, and felling trees—enable other species to thrive.

It is hoped the presence of bison at the 120-acre Blean site, alongside Exmoor ponies and Iron-Age pigs, will transform the woods into a lush, thriving, biodiverse environment once more and allow less hands-on management.

“When the herd arrived they were calm and settled quickly, a sign that the transportation process had not put them under significant duress,” said Habben.

CREATE a Stampede For This Wonderful News By Sharing on Social Media…

“A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose.” – Tom Wilson

By
Good News Network
-

Quote of the Day: “A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose.” – Tom Wilson

Photo by: Toa Heftiba

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 First Neanderthal Family: Ancient Genome of 13 Individuals Show They Were Just Like Us in Many Ways

By
Andy Corbley
-
Chagyrskaya Cave in the Alta Mountains of southern Siberia

Ancient genomes of 13 individual Neanderthals show they ate, slept, loved and died in the company of their kin and were connected to other groups that made up a region’s Neanderthal population.

An international team mapped DNA from the bones of eight adult males and five children to shed fresh light on our ancient cousins.

Their findings provide the first snapshot of an actual family that lived 54,000 years ago.

“Our study provides a concrete picture of what a Neanderthal community may have looked like,” said co-author Benjamin Peter, of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany. “It makes them seem much more human to me.”

Eleven of the specimens come from remains dug up in Chagyrskaya Cave in the Alta Mountains of southern Siberia.

They include a father and his teenage daughter, along with a pair of second degree relatives: a young boy and an adult female, perhaps a cousin, aunt or grandmother.

The fascinating combination suggests they must have lived, and died, at around the same time, and together make up the largest known genetic study of Neanderthals to date.

Further findings inform other hypotheses, such as that the DNA was mostly spread through traveling females, and that like humans, the bond of marriage, or pair-bonding as it is known in animals, of Neanderthal’s also saw women change social groups to live with her husband’s family.

Female migration drove diversity

Chagyrskaya Cave has been excavated over the last 14 years producing one of the largest assemblages of its kind in the world.

Besides several hundred thousand stone tools and animal bones, Russian scientists recovered more than 80 bone and tooth fragments of Neanderthals.

They occupied western Eurasia from around 430,000 to 40,000 years ago and are closely related to modern humans.

“The fact [these individuals] were living at the same time is very exciting. This means they likely came from the same social community,” said first author Dr. Laurits Skov, also from the Max Planck Institute. “So, for the first time, we can use genetics to study the social organization of a Neanderthal community.”

Another striking finding is the extremely low genetic diversity—consistent with a group size of 10 to 20 individuals. This is much lower than those for any ancient or present-day human community, and is more similar to the sizes of endangered species at the verge of extinction.

The study in the journal Nature found genetic diversity of mitochondrial DNA suggests the communities were primarily linked by female migration. What’s more, it did not involve Denisovans that occupied Denisova Cave 60 miles away.

There was no evidence of gene flow from this other group of mysterious ancient humans in the previous 20,000 years.

DNA has been retrieved from just 18 Neanderthals since the first draft genome was published in 2010.

They have provided a broad review of the population but little was known about their social organization—until now.

The Neanderthals at Chagyrskaya and Okladnikov hunted ibex, horses, bison and other animals that migrated through the river valleys that the caves overlook.

They collected raw materials for their stone tools tens of miles away. The occurrence of the same raw material also supports the genetic data that the groups inhabiting these localities were closely linked.

Previous studies of a fossil toe from Denisova cave showed that Neandertals inhabited the Altai mountains considerably earlier as well, around 120,000 years ago.

Genetic data shows the Neanderthals are not descendants of these earlier groups, but are closer related to European Neanderthals.

“Detailed analysis of present-day hunting and gathering societies shows both men and women frequently move between groups and that dispersed relatives often maintain lifelong ties, which is not the case for apes.”

“A father whose daughter moves to another community is able to recognize his
grandchildren as kin and to bond with, or at least tolerate, his son-in-law. This can allow vast social networks to form, if population densities are high enough,” said Cassidy.

SHARE This Ancient Family’s Story On Social Media…

Dwayne Johnson Surprises ‘Real-life Hero’ and Brings Him on TV to Honor His Services

By
Andy Corbley
-
ABC video / YouTube
ABC video / YouTube

An opportunity to meet Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, but charity superhero Yuri Williams got so much more than just a handshake when The Rock decided he wanted to do something special for him.

Soon to hit the silver screen as a superhero himself, The Rock surprised Yuri on live TV, brought him back to the Good Morning America studio to give him special tickets to see the premier of Johnson’s new movie, “Black Adam,” raise awareness for Yuri’s work, and add another suit to his costume collection.

Williams is just one man, but he’s many heroes—Deadpool, Spiderman, and The Mandalorian are all costumes he puts on to put a smile on the faces of the people in need of one, whether they be the homeless, sick children, elderly, or veterans.

GNN reported last year that his place at the at the forefront of fun has helped his charity, A Future Superhero and Friends, organize toy drives, blood drives, school supply giveaways, youth art fairs, and so much more, and they’ve done it in all fifty states.

Much of his work is taken up by visiting children with special needs, or who suffer from serious illnesses.

SIMILAR: Celebrity Chef David Chang Won $1 Million – And He’s Giving It All to Restaurant Workers

“Yuri’s literally like the first person to put a smile on A.J.’s face,” said mom Katrina Morgan, whose son has cleft lip.

After struggling with depression during, and after his mother’s passing from cancer in 2009, Yuri decided the best way to recover was to channel his pain into relieving others’.

“We’ve never met until now, but I’m really so proud of you brother and the work that you do because I always like to say, this kind of stuff you’re doing, that’s the best part of fame,” Dwayne told Yuri on Good Morning America.

RELATED: Watch Dwayne Johnson Give $30K Truck to the Guy Who Took Him In When ‘The Rock’ was a Homeless Teenager

Part of The Rock’s incredible rise to fame as Hollywood’s highest paid actor has been his infectious, larger-than-life personality, which often includes a big hug or a surprise gift for a fan or hero.

GNN reported in January that The Rock surprised a fan and Navy Veteran by turning over the keys to his own personal pickup truck.

WATCH Yuri’s big surprise on live TV below.

SHARE This Super Story With Your Friends On Social Media… 

Tuna Population is Being Restored–While Boosting Fishing: World’s Largest No-Catch Zone is 4x Size of California

By
Andy Corbley
-
Fishing boats off Hawai'i - SWNS
Fishing boats off Hawai’i – SWNS

No-fishing zones are successfully restoring tuna while at the same time boosting the fishing industry, according to new research.

It’s well-known no-fishing zones can help sedentary marine life such as coral or lobster, and now scientists at University of Hawai’i at Mānoa have shown for the first time that they are also helping migrating fish travelling long distances.

Previously it was assumed no marine protected area (MPA) could be large enough to protect species that travel long distances, such as tuna.

But Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is almost four times the size of California, and the world’s largest no-fishing zone.

Scientists aboard fishing boats nearby but outside the area observed 54% more yellowfin tuna were caught, 12% more bigeye tuna and the catch rate for all other species increased by 8%.

There are huge economic benefits to the zones too—globally the tuna fishing industry generates nearly $40 billion a year and supports millions of jobs across the world.

RELATED: After Decades of Federal Protection, Hawaiian Coral Reefs Are Returning to Their Former Glory

Writing in the journal Nature, the team put the positive results down to tuna actually being homebodies, mostly living their lives in the same place.

“Over the past 30 years, we have learned that tunas do not venture as far away from home as we once thought,” said Professor Jennifer Raynor at the Univ. of Wisconsin and co-author of the paper. “The Hawai’ian Islands are a nursery for baby yellowfin tuna, and it turns out that many of these fish stay in the region.”

The zones have a cultural impact too because yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna, otherwise known as ‘ahi, have historically been central to Hawai’i’s culture and diet.

“Being born and raised in Hawaii, I know how important ʻahi is to the community here,” co-author Sarah Medoff, at the Univ. of Hawai’i Mānoa. “It’s not just something eaten in fancy sushi restaurants, it’s the focal point of family gatherings, weddings, birthdays, graduation ceremonies and New Year’s Eve parties.”

READ MORE: Hawaii’s State Bird Soars Back From Brink of Extinction After Only 30 Birds Left on Islands

“It’s reassuring to know that the monument is protecting this resource for my own children and for future generations.”

Papahānaumokuākea was not created to generate benefits to the local tuna fishery when it was created in 2006 and expanded in 2016—it was always intended to protect biological and cultural resources.

The area is sacred to Native Hawai’ians who co-manage the monument alongside the state of Hawai’i and the federal government.

Professor Kekuewa Kikiloi from the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, who was not involved in the study, said the research demonstrates just how important the protected areas in the Pacific are.

“This research by Medoff et al. reaffirms the value of large scale marine protected areas in the Pacific,” he noted. “The protections that were fought for by Native Hawai’ians and other stakeholders for Papahānaumokuākea serve to benefit everyone, including fishing interests.”

Say ALOHA To Your Friends With This Conservation Triumph On Social Media… 

Towering Statue Unveiled in London to Honor a National Hero You’ve Probably Never Heard of

By
Andy Corbley
-
Jo Newby next to her new statue - SWNS
Jo Newby next to her new statue – SWNS

Alongside Captain James Cook or Winston Churchill, a new statue in London’s iconic Southbank honors a British hero who is not likely known, even by Brits themselves.

Unsung hero Jo Newby has fostered an astounding 92 children over the course of her 2 decades of volunteering.

The statue was commissioned by the snack bar brand, KIND Snacks after a nationwide search this year to uncover the UK’s kindest hero. The 52-year-old woman from East Yorkshire received nearly 500 heart-warming nominations led by her husband of 21 years, Chris.

The statue, which stands four meters tall (13-ft) on Observation Point, holds 92 balloons in one hand—each symbolizing one child she has fostered, and a pair of children’s soccer cleats in the other to pay homage to her work for children with disability in sports.

READ MORE: John Cena Smashes Guinness World Record – Granting 650 Wishes for Sick Children

“It’s all so surreal…I can’t believe it,” said Jo Newby. “I just get on with my day to day and don’t ever stop to think about the wider impact that I may be having.

“All I think about is the children and making sure they feel happy, included and safe.”

She also adopted a child with additional special needs, while supporting and caring for her husband, Chris, during his battle with pancreatic cancer.

“She’s like the really fun auntie you never you knew you wanted but you actually really needed, because without her I have no idea where I would have gone,” said Sophie, one of Newby’s fostered kids.

She is a co-founder of Barton Inclusive Football Club Hull, consisting of three competitive pan-disability football teams for children and young adults in the area—a program that local coaches say just doesn’t exist anywhere else in the region.

RELATED: 22-Year Old Man Found a Baby Abandoned in a Trash Can in Haiti and Decides to Become its Father

Jo’s statue was created using 3D scanning technology from recycled materials.

“I’m so honored to be chosen as the UK’s kind hero, and for my husband Chris to have nominated me without my knowing. The world is so full of sadness and anger. I just hope that people can see what an impact kindness has on others.”

“To me, Jo is the most amazing, kind and selfless woman in the world, so when I saw #MyKINDhero callout I had to put her forward,” said Chris. “To have her recognized and identified as the UK’s kind hero makes me burst with pride.”

WATCH local English news report on the victory…

SHARE This Kind Hero And Her Exploits With Your Friends…

“The things that make me different are the things that make ME.” – A.A. Milne

By
Good News Network
-

Quote of the Day: “The things that make me different are the things that make ME.” – A.A. Milne

Photo by: Molnar Balint

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?

Secrets of Namibia’s Fairy Circles Were Demystified After Half Century

By
Good News Network
-
NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia – Dr. Stephan Getzin
NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia – Dr. Stephan Getzin

Scientists have puzzled over the origin of Namibia’s fairy circles for nearly half a century. It boiled down to two main theories: either termites were responsible, or plants were somehow self-organizing.

About 50-90 miles from the coast in the Namib (80-140km), there are millions of so-called ‘fairy circles’ – circular gaps in the grassland, each a few meters wide, together forming a distinctive pattern across the whole landscape and visible for miles around.

Now, researchers from the University of Göttingen, benefitting from two exceptionally good rainfall seasons in the Namib Desert, discovered that the grasses within the fairy circles died immediately after rainfall, but termite activity did not cause the bare patches.

Instead, continuous soil-moisture measurements demonstrate that the grasses around the circles strongly depleted the water within the circles and thereby likely induced the death of the grasses inside the circles.

The researchers followed the sporadic rain events in several regions in this desert and examined the grasses, their roots and shoots, and potential root damage induced by termites. Termites, tiny insects that live in large colonies around the world, often have been blamed for the death of the grasses. The researchers took great care to investigate the circumstances of dying grasses within fairy circles right from straight after the rainfall, which triggered the new growth of the grasses.

RELATED: Researchers Solve Mystery of Scattered Black Glass in Chilean Desert – it Was Made by an Exploding Comet

Additionally, they installed soil-moisture sensors in and around the fairy circles to record the soil-water content at 30-minute intervals starting in the dry season 2020 to the end of the rainy season 2022. This enabled the researchers to record precisely how the growth of the new emerging grasses around the circles affected the soil water within and around the circles. They investigated the differences in water infiltration between the inside and outside of circles at ten regions across the Namib.

The data show that about ten days after rainfall, the grasses were already starting to die within the circles while most of the interior area of the circles did not have grass germination at all. 20 days after rainfall, the struggling grasses within the circles were completely dead and yellowish in color while the surrounding grasses were vital and green.

LOOK: One of Archaeology’s Great Mysteries Nearly Solved as Scientists Piece Together 2,000-yo Astronomy Calculator

When the researchers examined the roots of the grasses from within the circles and compared them to the green grasses on the outside, they found that the roots within the circles were as long as, or even longer than, those outside, indicating the grasses were putting effort into the growth of roots in search of water. The researchers found no evidence for termites feeding on roots.

It was not until 50-60 days after the rainfall that root damage became more visible.

“There was no biomass for these insects to feed on,” explained Dr Stephan Getzin, Department of Ecosystem Modeling at the University of Göttingen. “Termites are not responsible because the grasses die immediately after rainfall without any sign of creatures feeding on the root.”

“Under the strong heat in the Namib, the grasses are permanently transpiring and losing water. Hence, they create soil-moisture vacuums around their roots and water is drawn towards them. Our results strongly agree with those of researchers who have shown that water in soil diffuses quickly and horizontally in these sands even over distances greater than seven meters.”

Decline in soil water inside and outside of the circles was very slow after initial rainfall, when grasses were not yet established. However, when the surrounding grasses were well established, the decline in soil water after rainfall was very fast in all areas—even though there were almost no grasses within the circles to take the water. Getzin explains:

CHECK OUT: Traveling Green ‘Glacier Mice’ Charm Scientists With Reminder That the World is Still Full of Mystery

“By forming strongly patterned landscapes of evenly spaced fairy circles, the grasses act as ecosystem engineers and benefit directly from the water resource provided by the vegetation gaps. In fact, we know related self-organized vegetation structures from various other harsh drylands in the world, and in all those cases the plants have no other chance to survive except by growing exactly in such geometrical formations.”

The research, published in Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, has implications for understanding similar ecosystems, especially with regard to climate change, because the self-organization of plants buffers against negative effects induced by increasing aridification.

A video clip shows a German researcher demonstrating what happens inside a fairy circle in Brandberg, Namibia 35 days after a rainfall in 2021…

SHARE the Mystery-Solved With Your Fairy Circle on Social Media…

42% Have Fallen Back in Love With a Partner After Going on Vacation Together

By
Good News Network
-
Igor Rodrigues
Igor Rodrigues

42 percent of Americans said that going on a vacation with their partner has rekindled the spark of love again, according to new poll.

A survey of 2,000 adults looked at the potential of vacationing with others and found that three-quarters of respondents said vacations are great for those looking to keep love alive in their relationship (77%).

Overall, the average person reported that vacations make feel 65% happier, with more than half (58%) agreeing that their ‘world feels bigger’ after coming back.

Conducted by OnePoll for BeachBound, the survey found that 76% agree that just spending time on vacation with their loved one makes them feel refreshed—and eight out of ten said traveling with someone is one of the best ways to strengthen your bond.

In fact, 64% of respondents said they’ve learned the most about their loved ones while on vacation.

Vacationing with a loved one is also a time for stepping out of your comfort zone, with 61% revealing they’re more likely to be adventurous with others on vacation than by themselves.

POPULAR: Here’s an Interactive Map that Will Allow You to Plan a Precise Fall Foliage Road Trip

Also, seven in 10 people shared that they feel more in touch with themselves when returning from a trip than before, and a third of Americans have even had an epiphany about some aspect of their life when on vacation.

“With couples seeking opportunities to reconnect, a romantic getaway and escape from daily life can help couples rediscover themselves,” said Erica Doyne, senior vice president, marketing and communications for AMResorts.

RELATED: Beautiful City of Savannah Wins Survey of Top 5 Most Underrated Places to Visit in USA–LOOK

However, another poll taken conducted year showed that almost two-thirds (63%) of American adults were more interested in planning “staycations”—trips that are closer to home—than they were a few years ago.

Whether it’s up the road or thousands of miles away, couples are likely to improve their relationship by getting out of the house.

Stunning 4th Century Mosaic Depicting Trojan War Unearthed in Syria Beneath a War-Torn City

By
Good News Network
-

A stunning mosaic unmatched in Syrian art history was unveiled last week after excavations in Homs, the war-torn country’s third largest urban area.

The Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums dated the 65-foot-long (20 meter) decorative flooring back to the Roman era, some 1600 years ago.

A large circle in the middle of the mosaic, which used half-inch painted tiles to depict epic scenes, contained images of ‘Achilles’ from Homer’s The Iliad, which told of the Trojan War between Troy and the Greeks.

There are also depictions of Greek or Roman gods, like Neptune (Poseidon) and Hercules, as well as the mythological Amazonian queen Penthesilea.

“What is in front of us is a discovery that is rare on a global scale,” said Hamman Saad, a senior official at Syria’s General Directorate of Museums and Antiquities.

The mosaic was discovered in a 4th-century building in the city of al-Rastan, which may have been a public bathhouse.

This video below shows the area where it was found.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Exquisite Mosaic Unearthed by Farmer Planting Olive Tree, ‘Perfectly Preserved’ From Byzantine Era

Excavations will continue in tunnels and surrounding ruins of hallways and other rooms. See more photos here.

DIG THIS UP For Display on Social Media – Share the Awe-inspiring Art Find…

Watch the Incredible Moment a Sea Lion Swam up to Snorkeling Teen–And Hugged Him: ‘It Felt So Euphoric’

By
Good News Network
-
SWNS
SWNS

A 15-year-old experienced the wildlife moment of a lifetime while on summer vacation.

Ethan Becker was snorkeling with his dad Chuck when they spotted a sea lion heading straight toward them.

Chuck got out his underwater camera and began recording after he realized his son was in no danger and the curious animal seemed simply to want to play.

Ethan spun around with the sea lion, in the Gulf of California off the coast of Mexico, allowing the mammal to embrace him in a slow dance for almost a minute, before it swam over to have a look at Chuck.

After inspecting Chuck’s flippers, the animal swam away and left Ethan and Chuck in awe of what had just happened.

Ethan, who lives in Washington with his dad, described it as a moment he’d never forget.

“I don’t really know how to describe it as I was just totally taken back.

“It felt so euphoric in that moment that I almost forgot to put the snorkel in my mouth so I could breathe!

POPULAR: Look How Gently this Marmoset Handles a Giant Katydid in Incredible Video

“Looking back, I probably should have been more scared of being bit. But if I was ever given the chance I’d definitely dive there again.”

SHARE the Amazing Moment With Animal-Lovers on Social Media…

1...337338339...1,720Page 338 of 1,720
© Copyright 1997–2026 GNN, LLC