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Explorer Who Found Many Iconic Shipwrecks Like the Titanic Credits Dyslexia For His Success

By
Judy Cole
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Ted Talks on YouTube / Titanic photo by NOAA
Ted Talks on YouTube / Titanic photo by NOAA

Not being able to see the world in the same way as others is often considered a drawback, but the view from a different lens can also be revelatory.

79-year-old Robert Ballard, a pioneer in underwater robotic technology, always knew he was “wired differently” than most folks, but it was only a few years ago that he learned he was dyslexic.

While he finally had an explanation for early learning issues that set him apart from his peers, the realization also went a long way toward explaining just how extraordinary his particular gift of vision was.

As National Geographic “explorer at large,” along with his ongoing robotic research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Ballard’s milieu is literally the wide oceans of the Earth.

“I live in a world where everywhere I go is totally dark, so you have to visualize it in your mind… Dyslexics are extremely good at visualization of three-dimensional space,” Ballard told The i. “When I am at my command center… I’m able to take all of that information into my head and then form a mental image of a world of total darkness [where I’m] extremely comfortable… because I see it in my mind.”

Before discovering he was dyslexic, Ballard assumed that’s how everyone else saw the world as well, but it’s his singular ability to simultaneously assimilate vast quantities of information “eyes-on” that’s led to his greatest achievements.

Ballard is the man responsible for finding the wreck of the RMS Titanic. While it’s arguably the historic footnote he’ll be best remembered for (at least by search engines), ironically, when the discovery was made, Ballard was on a top-secret mission for the U.S. government. Searching for the storied lost liner was just his cover story.

Check Out: This Font is Designed Specifically For Dyslexia – and it Really Works

In addition to locating other notable shipwrecks—like the infamous Nazi battleship, the Bismarck, the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, and the torpedo patrol boat last commanded by John F. Kennedy who saved his crew when it sunk during WWII—the technology spearheaded by Ballard has given us some of the most comprehensive scientific knowledge of the ocean floor to date.

Ballard’s robot denizens have plumbed the mysteries of plate tectonics and explored vast, previously uncharted undersea biomes home to creatures straight out of an Alien movie, including 13-foot worms with nightmarish gnashing teeth.

Alvin submersible from Woods Hole / NOAA

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Thinking outside the box of conventional maritime history, Ballard plotted a direct trading route across the Mediterranean Sea between ancient Rome and Carthage by following a trail of discarded empty wine bottles that were tossed overboard by sailors at mealtime.

None of these things, he believes, would have been possible had he not seen the world through a dyslexic’s eyes.

“I often wonder how my life would have been different had I known I was dyslexic… I think I arrived at a good spot, but I got there by a very strange route,” he told The i.

In his new autobiography, Into the Deep, Ballard chronicles his personal history and storied career, along with the very important role his dyslexia played in all that he’s accomplished.

“Everyone needs to understand that dyslexics aren’t stupid, they’re just a different kind of human being. They see the world in a very different way,” Ballard told the University of Rhode Island News. “This book is a coming-out party for my dyslexia. I’m standing on a soapbox now and saying, ‘I’m dyslexic,’ and I feel so lucky’.”

MORE: Childhood ADHD – 5 Things No One Else is Telling You

Nearing 80, Ballard is mentoring more these days, but he continues to be actively involved in new projects, including the design and implementation of a fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), which he says can be programmed “like a pack of hounds” to hunt the estimated 3,999,040 remaining shipwrecks (that’s minus the 60 he’s already found) languishing beneath the waves.

In addition, Ballard is partnering with National Geographic to create a program offering educational opportunities so that dyslexics who come from disadvantaged backgrounds can better achieve their full potential.

“When I was growing up, my Kansas grandmother was full of sayings, and I remember one in particular…  ‘Great is the person who plants a tree knowing they will never sit in its shade.’ That’s where I am now. I’m planting trees.”

(WATCH Robert Ballard’s popular Ted Talk below.)

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Thailand Announces Ban on Coral-Damaging Sunscreens in Marine National Parks

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Thailand has announced that, across its marine national parks, it’s banning sunscreens that contain chemicals known to damage coral.

The Thai Department of Conservation said four ingredients commonly found in sunscreens are shown to destroy chemical larvae. They obstruct coral reproduction and contribute to bleaching of reef systems.

Those banned chemicals are: oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor or butylparaben.

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Hawaii and the Pacific islands of Palau, Bonaire, and Aruba, which are all known for their delicate reef systems, have also announced similar bans.

To learn more about reef safe sunscreen—which typically include UV-blocking minerals like oxide and titanium dioxide as their active ingredients—check out this handy guide.

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Duetting Songbirds ‘Mute’ the Musical Mind of Their Partner to Stay in Sync, Researchers Find

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Good News Network
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NJIT
NJIT

Art Garfunkel once described his legendary musical chemistry with Paul Simon, “We meet somewhere in the air through the vocal cords… .” But a new study of duetting songbirds from Ecuador has offered another tune explaining the mysterious connection between successful performing duos.

It’s a link of their minds, and it happens, in fact, as each singer mutes the brain of the other as they coordinate their duets.

In a study, a team of researchers studying brain activity of singing male and female plain-tailed wrens has discovered that the species synchronizes their frenetically paced duets, surprisingly, by inhibiting the song-making regions of their partner’s brain as they exchange phrases.

Researchers say that the auditory feedback exchanged between wrens during their opera-like duets momentarily inhibits motor circuits used for singing in the listening partner, which helps link the pair’s brains and coordinate turn-taking for a seemingly telepathic performance. The study also offers fresh insight into how humans and other cooperative animals use sensory cues to act in concert with one another.

“You could say that timing is everything,” said Eric Fortune, co-author of the study and neurobiologist at New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Department of Biological Sciences.

“What these wrens have shown us is that for any good collaboration, partners need to become ‘one’ through sensory linkages. The take-home message is that when we are cooperating well… we become a single entity with our partners.”

“Think of these birds like jazz singers,” added Melissa Coleman, the paper’s corresponding author and associate professor of biology at Scripps College. “Duetting wrens have a rough song structure planned before they sing, but as the song evolves, they must rapidly coordinate by receiving constant input from their counterpart.

“What we expected to find was a highly active set of specialized neurons that coordinate this turn-taking, but instead what we found is that hearing each other actually causes inhibition of those neurons—that’s the key regulating the incredible timing between the two.”

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For the study, the team had to travel to the heart of the plain-tail wren music scene, within remote bamboo forests on the slopes of Ecuador’s active Antisana Volcano.

Camped at the Yanayacu Biological Station’s lab, the team made neurophysiological recordings of four pairs of native wrens as they sang solo and duet songs, analyzing sensorimotor activity in a premotor area of the birds’ brains where specialized neurons for learning and making music are active.

The recordings showed that during duet turn-taking—which often take the form of tightly knit call-and-answer phrases, or syllables, that together sound as if a single bird is singing—the birds’ neurons fired rapidly when they produced their own syllables.

Yet, as one wren begins to hear their partner’s syllables sung in the duet, the neurons quiet down significantly.

“You can think of inhibition as acting like a trampoline,” explained Fortune. “When the birds hear their partner, the neurons are inhibited, but just like rebounding off a trampoline, the release from that inhibition causes them to swiftly respond when it’s their time to sing.”

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Next, the team played recordings of wrens duetting while they were in a sleep-like state, anesthetized with a drug that affects a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the wrens’ brains that is also found in humans, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The drug transformed the activity in the brain, from inhibition to bursts of activity when the wrens heard their own music.

“These mechanisms are shared or similar to what happens in our brains because we are doing the same kind of things,” said Fortune, whose study has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “There are similar brain circuits in humans that are involved in learning and coordinating vocalizations.”

Fortune and Coleman say the results offer a fresh look into how the brains of humans and other cooperating animals use sensory cues to act in concert with each other, from flowing musical and dance performances, or even the disjointed feeling of inhibition commonly experienced today during video conferencing.

(WATCH the video illustrating this research below.)

Source: New Jersey Institute of Technology

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See the Moment a Shark Appears to Pose for a Selfie With a Diver, and Crack the Same Huge Smile

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Good News Network
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SWNS
SWNS

This is the moment a shark appears to pose for a selfie with a diver—and crack the same giant smile.

36-year-old William Drumm recently clicked the perfectly timed shot 20 miles off the coast of Isla Mujeres in Mexico.

Whale sharks often swim with their mouths open and William thought it would make a good shot to imitate them.

After a few tries, he managed to get the perfect image. The Coloradan explained said that whale sharks are “so amazing.” The largest sharks on the planet, they “are often swimming with their mouths open as they filter tiny plankton from the water.”

On Instagram he explained that there were “millions of fish eggs in the water, which is likely what attracts all of these sharks every year.

“A whale shark can consume 30,000 calories or more per day, feeding on some of the smallest prey imaginable!”

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“They swim pretty fast, so it took me a few tries, but I think I got a few images that worked.

“I felt so excited and honored to share the water with so many of these beautiful behemoths.

CHECK OUT: Humpback Whales Herd Salmon With Their Fins in Never-Before-Filmed Feeding Behavior

”Never have I seen so many whale sharks—at least 100 in a single day.”

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“Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground.” – Wilferd Peterson

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Quote of the Day: “Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground.” – Wilferd Arlan Peterson

Photo: by Joshua Earle

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?

 

Remarkable 10-Year-old Inspires the World to Donate Half a Million Books For Kids: ‘A Catalyst’ For Kindness

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Good News Network
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Orion Jean/Family photo
Orion Jean/Family photo

One boy is on a big mission to share the joys of reading with hundreds of thousands of other kids.

Orion Jean is only 10 years old, but after winning a student kindness contest in 2020, he’s caught the generosity bug: The number of books he’s currently hoping to pool in donations for other kids in Texas? Half a million.

“Kindness is a virtue we can all possess. If we are willing to,” he said, according to CBC. “So why not start today. Because right now, it’s what we need more than ever.”

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Given that he’s already collected 120,000 books so far, we think he might just manage his ambitious goal.

(Watch the video below – *INTERNATIONAL VIEWERS CAN VIEW it at CBS.)

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94-Year-old Grandmother Wears Dream Wedding Dress, 70 Years After Being Denied Entry to Bridal Shop

By
Judy Cole
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YouTube/GMA
YouTube/GMA

A dream deferred doesn’t necessarily mean a dream denied, even if it takes seven decades to come true.

In 1952, Martha and Lehman Tucker became man and wife. Although the marriage was a true romance, the wedding was missing one element the bride would have dearly loved to have—a traditional white lace wedding gown.

But in those days, Martha was unable to make the purchase in the racially segregated bridal shops of Birmingham, Alabama.

For years, Martha kept those memories to herself, but recently the 94-year-old revealed her long-held hopes to her granddaughter, Angela Strozier.

Knowing the sacrifices the Black women of Martha’s generation faced day-to-day—being denied many of life’s customs, courtesies, and basic rights that others simply took for granted—Strozier decided it was time to make her grandmother’s wedding dress wish come true.

Angela Strozier

This past July, after a fortifying brunch and a preparatory makeup session, the bridal party made their way to David’s Bridal in Hoover, Alabama, where the wedding gown Martha had always dreamed of—complete with full-length lace sleeves, matching veil, and even a cheeky, charming thigh-high lace garter—awaited her.

Angela Strozier

“When I first put on that dress, I was just so very excited,” Martha told CNN. “It was like I was getting married all over again. When I saw myself in the mirror, I was shocked. I said to myself, ‘Who is that?’ I can’t even explain the feeling I got seeing myself in the wedding dress.”

CHECK OUT: See Couple Adorably Recreate Their Wedding Album 50 Years Later, at the Same Church in the Same Dress

“Happy doesn’t really paint the picture of how this made me feel,” Strozier added. “My grandma has always been a giver, so to be able to finally give her an experience so dear to her was priceless. Happy is an understatement.”

Sadly, Lehman Tucker passed away in 1975. On the day she married him, Martha promised herself that one day, she’d wear the dress worthy of those vows.

MORE: Muddy Bride Sacrifices Dress to Deliver Calf During Wedding Reception

Although it took her 70 years, it’s a promise she kept—and if there is an afterlife, we’re sure her beloved groom was smiling down on his beautiful bride when she finally did.

(MEET Martha in the GMA video below.)

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Researchers Identify a ‘Fearsome Dragon’ With 23-ft Wingspan That Soared Over Australian Outback

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Good News Network
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Artistic reconstruction of Thapunngaka shawi/University of Queensland Media
Artistic reconstruction of Thapunngaka shawi/University of Queensland Media

Australia’s largest flying reptile has been uncovered, a pterosaur that had a wingspan stretching 23 feet and soared like a dragon above the ancient inland sea that once covered the Queensland outback.

University of Queensland PhD candidate Tim Richards led a research team that analyzed a fossil of the creature’s jaw.

“It’s the closest thing we have to a real-life dragon,” Richards said.

“The new pterosaur, which we named Thapunngaka shawi, would have been a fearsome beast, with a spear-like mouth and a wingspan around seven meters.

“It was essentially just a skull with a long neck, bolted on a pair of long wings.

“This thing would have been quite savage. It would have cast a great shadow over some quivering little dinosaurs who wouldn’t have heard them coming until it was too late.”

Richards said the skull alone would have been just over one meter long, containing around 40 teeth.

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Tim Richards/ University of Queensland Media

“Even though pterosaurs could fly, they were nothing like birds, or even bats,” he said. “Pterosaurs were the very first back-boned animals to take a stab at powered flight.”

A reptile species in the anhanguerians group, these pterosaurs were perfectly adapted to powered flight because of their thin-walled, hollow bones—making their fossilized remains very rare and often poorly-preserved.

“It’s quite amazing (that) fossils of these animals exist at all,” Richards said.

RELATED: Dinosaur Unearthed in Argentina Could Be the Largest Animal That Ever Walked the Earth

Dr. Steve Salisbury, co-author of the paper published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, noted what was particularly striking about this new species of anhanguerian: the massive size of the bony crest on its lower jaw, which it presumably had on its upper jaw as well.

The fossil was found in a quarry by a local man, Len Shaw, who has been ‘scratching around’ in the area for decades.

The name of the new species honors the First Nations peoples of the area, incorporating words from the now-extinct language of the Wanamara Nation. “The genus name, Thapunngaka, incorporates thapun [ta-boon] and ngaka [nga-ga], the Wanamara words for ‘spear’ and ‘mouth’, respectively,” Dr Salisbury said.

“The species name, shawi, honours the fossil’s discoverer Len Shaw, so the name means ‘Shaw’s spear mouth’.”

Source: University of Queensland

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Ditch That Hard-to-Grow Lawn And Start Cultivating Moss, Instead

By
Andy Corbley
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Across the country, soft, cushiony moss could be the cure to the struggling homeowner’s case of a balding lawn. Growing faster, more easily, and with less effort than normal grass, it has been the landscaper’s choice in Japan for centuries.

If one is struggling with patchy, dry, or weed-ridden grass lawns, it could be the moment to throw in the towel with a plant that in reality is quite fragile, almost always non-native, and offers little to the environment or the animals that live in the area.

Moss gardens and moss lawns are becoming more and more popular in the United States. In so many ways, moss is superior to any species of grass—except perhaps for the purpose of serving as a volleyball court or soccer pitch.

Moss grows fast, and is difficult to kill after it takes hold, and while psychologists note that green is a color that induces positive emotions, there’s no shade of green more vibrant or powerful than moist emerald moss. There are species that are perfect for sun, growing in between stepping stones, others which can climb over rocks or other objects, and carpet-like, or even edible moss.

Starting a moss garden or lawn

If you have an area of bare or patchy lawn or earth, clear it of as much grass, leaves, and debris as you can until you have a firm soil bed.

Next, lightly rake the top level of dirt and press the pieces of moss down firmly onto it. If the moss pieces seem dry, soak them in water for a few minutes before laying them down.

After watering thoroughly, it should be 4-6 weeks for the moss to completely take hold, after which regular watering during dry summers is all one needs do—which leads to the next major benefit of a moss lawn or garden: the lack of maintenance needed.

Keeping your moss healthy

One blogger alludes to the sheer volume of searches online for how to kill moss, a testament, she says, to its resilience even in the face of determined anthropogenic attack.

MORE: 9 Unique Ways to Use Rosemary – Backed by Mom and Science

However moss grows well in sun and shade, and doesn’t need water any more often than normal grass does—and often needs much less. Furthermore, moss grows about four inches high at most, meaning the lawnmower can look for employment elsewhere, and it never needs fertilizer.

The only thing one must look for are signs of weeds poking up between the moss patches; they must be removed by hand as moss is not immune to herbicide. And leaves must be cleared if they fall on the moss in autumn, as they can cause the moss underneath to rot.

Moss lawns can be expensive compared to grass seed, but expect to save way more in associated costs down the line.

In any case, rights permitting, one can simply go to whichever nearby forest in which they know moss grows, and pull up strips or patches, and repeat the steps needed to fasten the moss to its new habitat.

RELATED: 8 Cheap Gardening Hacks For Plants – Using Wine and Plastic Bottles, Orange Peels and Coffee Grounds

Traditional moss gardens and lawns are paired to stone gardens, water gardens, and flower or herb gardens to create serene beauty, and tranquil stillness, as the tradition for Zen gardening has done for centuries.

America has a long history of adopting aspects of Japanese culture, and it’s about time we did the same with moss gardens.

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“We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started.” – Henry Ward Beecher

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Quote of the Day: “We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started.” – Henry Ward Beecher

Photo: by Clay Banks

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?

 

Two-Headed Turtle Discovered Hatched on South Carolina Beach Gives Conservationists a Big Surprise

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South Carolina State Parks/Facebook

Wildlife volunteers inspecting nests at a South Carolina beach stumbled upon an unexpected surprise: a two-headed baby sea turtle.

South Carolina State Parks/Facebook

According to South Carolina State Parks, this two-headed loggerhead hatchling is the result of a genetic mutation.

South Carolina State Parks/Facebook

The find wasn’t as rare as you might expect: News reports of other two-headed turtle hatchlings appeared in both 2017 and 2019, with photos being taken in Atlantic breeding grounds on Hilton Island in South Carolina:

And in Florida, by a university intern.

Leah Rittenberg/UCF Marine Turtle Research Group

Like a very cute version of the Greek legend of Hydra—where for every head chopped off, the serpentine creature would regrow two more—the hatchling from Ediston Beach has now been released into the ocean.

CHECK OUT: The Last Known Swinhoe’s Turtle on Earth Was Alone Until This Female Was Found – Researchers Hope for Babies

It will now swim off in new directions, to the next stage in its fascinating, two-headed life.

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Thirsty Butterfly Fleeing Wildfire Drinks Water Straight From Aid Worker’s Hand –WATCH

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Several charities have set up field hospitals in the areas affected by wildfires where they have rescued turtles and other small animals.

After flying away from a nearby wildfire in the south of Turkey, watch this butterfly drink water from the palm of one aid worker.

(WATCH the Now This video of the moment below.)

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Falcons Have Natural ‘Eye Makeup’ to Improve Hunting Ability, Scientists Discover

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falcon cc license Greg Hume (Greg5030); brady cc license jeffrey beale wikimedia commons
(L) Greg Hume (Greg5030)/CC license; (R) Jeffrey Beale/CC license

Dark ‘eyeliner’ feathers of peregrine falcons act as sun shields to improve the birds’ hunting ability, a new scientific study suggests.

Scientists have long speculated that falcons’ eye markings improve their ability to target fast-moving prey, like pigeons and doves, in bright sunlight.

Now research suggests these markings have evolved according to the climate; the sunnier the bird’s habitat, the larger and darker are the tell-tale dark ‘sun-shade’ feathers.

The distinctive dark stripes directly beneath the peregrine falcon’s eyes, called the malar stripe or ‘moustache’, likely reduce sunlight glare and confer a competitive advantage during high-speed chases. It’s an evolutionary trait mimicked by some top athletes who smear dark makeup below their eyes to help them spot fast-moving balls in competitive sports.

Until now, there had been no scientific study linking solar radiation levels to the dark ‘eyeliner’ plumage, which is common to many other falcon species.

The scientists used photos of peregrine falcons from around the world posted on the web by bird watchers and scored the size of the malar stripe for each bird.

They then explored how these malar stripes varied in relation to aspects of the local climate, such as temperature, rainfall, and strength of sunlight.

The study, published in the journal Biology Letters, was conducted by researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

CHECK OUT: Don’t Worry, Birds Won’t Become Dependent on You Feeding Them, Says Study

It involved comparing malar stripe characteristics, including width and prominence, of individual peregrine falcons, by using over two thousand peregrine photographs stored in online citizen science libraries.

Researchers examined samples from 94 different regions or countries. Results showed that peregrine falcon malar stripes were larger and darker in regions of the world where sunlight is stronger.

“The solar glare hypothesis has become ingrained in popular literature, but has never been tested empirically before,” said Michelle Vrettos, an MSc student from UCT who carried out the research.

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Vrettos added: “Our results suggest that the function of the malar stripe in peregrines is best explained by this solar glare hypothesis.”

Associate Professor Arjun Amar from the UCT FitzPatrick Institute, who supervised the research, said: “The peregrine falcon represents the ideal species to explore this long-standing hypothesis, because it has one of the most widespread distributions of all bird species, being present on every continent except Antarctica—it is therefore exposed to some of the brightest and some of the dullest areas around the globe.”

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Amar added: “We are grateful to all the photographers around the world that have deposited their photos onto websites. Without their efforts this research would not have been possible.”

Source: University of Cape Town

Massive Balloon the Size of a Soccer Stadium to Launch Telescope to Edge of Space to Study How Stars Form

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The world’s biggest balloon, the size of a soccer stadium, is to be sent to the edge of space.

The instrument—named Superpressure Balloon-borne Imaging Telescope, or SuperBIT—will fly above 99.5% of Earth’s atmosphere next April and will carry a wide field telescope to rival Hubble, but at a fraction of the cost. That’s according to the British scientists behind the ambitious project.

SuperBIT will study dark matter, the invisible ‘glue’ that makes up 80 percent of all the stuff in the universe, which astronomers map by the way it bends rays of light, in a technique known as gravitational lensing.

Professor Richard Massey of Durham University, said: “Cavemen could smash rocks together to see what they’re made of. We are going to use SuperBIT to look for the ‘crunch’ of dark matter. It is the same experiment. You just need a space telescope to see it.”

A collaboration between NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, Durham, Toronto, and Princeton universities, SuperBIT cost £1.5 million ($2 million) to build compared to the £3.6 billion ($5 billion) for NASA’s Hubble.

And the international team are confident SuperBIT’s high-resolution images will be just as impressive.

Light from a distant galaxy can travel for billions of years before reaching our telescopes. In the final fraction of a second, it has to pass through Earth’s swirling, turbulent atmosphere—and our view of the universe becomes blurred. Observatories on the ground are built at high altitude sites to overcome some of this. But only placing a telescope in space fully escapes the effect. SuperBIT changes that.

It has a mirror half a meter in diameter and is carried to an altitude of almost 25 miles (40km) by the huge helium balloon. The mission will also be much less expensive than a typical machine-based alternative, and doesn’t take as long to plan.

SWNS

A final test flight in 2019 demonstrated the telescope’s extraordinary pointing stability. And NASA recently developed ‘superpressure’ balloons that can contain helium for months.

In April 2022, SuperBIT will take off from Wanaka on New Zealand’s South Island—carried seasonally stable winds.

It will circumnavigate the Earth several times, imaging the sky all night, then using solar panels to recharge its batteries during the day.

MORE: Listen to the First Eerie Sounds From Mars: China’s Rover Films Itself Driving on Red Planet, Making History

Mohamed Shaaban, a PhD student at the University of Toronto, said: “New balloon technology makes visiting space cheap, easy, and environmentally friendly.

“As well as building a space telescope, our team has successfully tested all sorts of electronic and mechanical systems that could be used in future satellites.”

Its relatively cheap cost could even make it possible in the future to have a fleet of space telescopes offering time to astronomers around the world.

SWNS

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One thing the instrument will test is whether dark matter slows down during collisions. No particle colliders on Earth can accelerate dark matter. But this is a key signature predicted by theories that might explain recent observations of strange-behaving sub-atomic particles called muons.

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“If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.” – Colin Powell

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Credit: Jongsun Lee

Quote of the Day: “If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.” – Colin Powell

Photo: by Jongsun Lee

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

 

Over Half of Americans Have Had Some of the Best Moments of Their Lives in a Car

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Olga Kay, CC license, via Flickr

Americans have a nostalgic appreciation for their car since the pandemic, according to a new poll—and it’s no wonder. 40% of them have experienced epiphanies or “eureka” moments while sitting in those cars.

Olga Kay, CC license, via Flickr

A survey of 2,000 American drivers and car owners explored the relationships that people have with their vehicles.

It found that there’s no shortage of life-altering moments happening behind 2-or-4 doors, from making a commitment to positive change to coming up with a business idea or figuring out an invention.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll, was commissioned by Metromile, a digital insurer: “While many Americans reduced their driving during the pandemic, our study shows that cars remain an essential part of our lives.”

The study also showed that cars had become extensions of one’s home—operating as everything from a de facto office to a video call studio for work.

48% said their car is a perfect space to talk to themselves, a perfect place to cry (42%), to shop online (37%), or to take a photo of themselves (21%).

The study also revealed the type of conversations respondents have had in their cars. The average driver said they’ve had at least six awkward talks in their car. More specifically, 46% said they’ve experienced some of the worst moments of their lives in their car.

But, many people view their vehicles as a refuge, with 40% of respondents saying that their vehicle is the only space they have to themselves.

RELATED: More Americans Now Consider Themselves to be ‘Thriving’ Than at Any Point in 13 Years: Gallop

58% said they’ve had some of the best moments of their lives sitting inside their ride—and two of every five people surveyed said they are ready to hit the open road again.

MOST INTERESTING EPIPHANIES THAT PEOPLE HAD IN CARS

Figured out a great chess move
Came up with an invention
Figured out how to make amends to my best friend after an ugly argument
Realized how to tell something important to someone
Encountered a spirit
Realized that I need to love more and show it
Figured out how to make a bookcase that lights up with motion
Caught someone in a lie
Realized I could invest the money I spend on fast food
Found the best way to get rid of a pimple
Realized that frogs are amphibians and not reptiles
Found a road behind Mount Diablo in Concord, California

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After Covid and Cancer, Couple Finally Gets to Be Married – Thanks to Speedy Robotic Surgery

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Good News Network
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The Christie cancer center

After the COVID-19 pandemic and cancer delayed a young couple’s wedding day twice, the third time will surely be a ‘lucky’ charm, thanks to an innovative robotic surgery.

The Christie cancer center

Paul Hutchinson is tying the knot with fiancée Lisa Bamforth at St. John’s church in Lancashire today following an innovative procedure performed at a Manchester cancer center, The Christie.

Thought to be the first of its kind in the UK, it allowed the groom diagnosed with testicular cancer to make it to the church—finally.

The traditional treatment for his cancer which spread to his abdominal lymph nodes, would have involved major abdominal surgery necessitating intensive care, a seven day stay in hospital and a recovery time of several months.

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Paul was considered a good candidate for the pioneering robotic treatment which involves keyhole surgery, directed by a surgeon and performed by the intricate robotic machinery.

His hospital stay of just 48 hours and a home recovery of just a few weeks let Paul prepare for the big day with his fiancée and his two daughters.

“I genuinely didn’t think we could go ahead with the wedding as I was convinced I would not be well enough,” Paul told The Christie. “The incredible robotic operation has dramatically reduced my recovery time and left me feeling fit and well.”

The veteran can also get back to his job as an engineer within weeks—making a honeymoon the only other consideration.

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Lisa says she fought back the tears when the surgeon rang to tell her about the procedure’s success.

“I am so relieved that Paul’s surgery is complete and that he had the opportunity to be treated in this incredible way. The news that he needed this operation, after successfully undergoing chemotherapy and surgery in 2014, came completely out of the blue and we thought we would have to cancel the wedding again.

“It is going to be the most special day ever and can’t wait to celebrate at the reception with our family and friends.”

“This will be actually be our third attempt at getting married as COVID has played its part in us having to rearrange everything.”

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Aziz Gulamhusein, consultant urological and robotic surgeon at The Christie, said: “This was a first for The Christie as we engaged our state of the art robotic equipment to aid us with the precision required for an intricate procedure as needed for Paul’s cancer.”

“To be involved in such a highly specialized procedure using the latest technology is an amazing achievement for the team.”

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for metastatic testicular cancer is a commonly performed procedure at The Christie. Due to the position of these lymph nodes deep within the abdomen, the operation is traditionally done via a large open incision with the associated side effects.

The Christie has one of the largest robotic centres in the UK and the aim is to use that experience and expertise to allow more patients to potentially undergo this minimally invasive surgery to treat metastatic testicular cancer. The robot offers a highly magnified, 3D view with intricate instrument dexterity to ensure careful removal of cancerous nodes whilst preserving nerves and offering an enhanced recovery with much shorter convalescence.

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New Film Tells Inspiring Story of the Fastest Blind Man in the World – WATCH ‘Untethered’ Trailer

By
Good News Network
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By Jasmine Safaeian

How does the world’s fastest blind man run 100 meters in under 11 seconds without the ability to see a starting block, lane, or curvature of the track? A new documentary called Untethered provides the moving answer.

By Jasmine Safaeian

After being diagnosed with Kawasaki disease as a toddler, David Brown was robbed of his sight by the time he was 13. A natural athlete, David eventually found a running guide to partner with—and became the Paralympic champion and world-record holder in 2014 as the only blind person ever to run the 100-meter in under 11 seconds.

The 30-minute film portrays the unique brotherhood that Brown formed with Jerome Avery, while the two were ‘tethered’ in training for 15 years. Their inspiring story of companionship and abiding trust transcends the world of sport.

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When David ran the world-record race with Jerome seven years ago, they were connected by an eight-inch cord. In the new film, you can see how it had been cut in half—to just four-inches—as their partnership and trust evolved with almost perfect synchronicity.

Written by award-winning creative director Andy Fackrell, Untethered was filmed in the run-up to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, which will be the first time that Brown will be untethered from his long-time running companion, after Jerome was injured in early 2021.

“Being able to let go of all fears when deprived of sight and have faith in another human being, David puts his complete confidence in Jerome and strives to live without restraint,” says Feliciano Robayna, Head of Sports Marketing for On, the Swiss company that made the film.

Jasmine Safaeian

“When you see Jerome and I run, it’s like one person,” says David.

“I hope people can relate to Untethered when they see it and maybe even gain greater understanding of Paralympic sport when they watch the competitions at Tokyo this year.”

The fact that Avery will not be running alongside David on September 1 in Tokyo, makes the film and its title even more compelling.

WATCH: An Archer With No Arms Aims to Win Gold at Summer Paralympic Games Joining Team USA – VIDEO

Now, the star sprinter becomes ‘Untethered’ to his longtime running guide, after training with a new one.

Untethered features two headline entertainers, who surprise David for conversations in New York City, as well as an interview with his mother, Francine Brown, who recounts a 500-word winning essay that allowed him to attend the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing—and propelled his athletic career forward.

Produced by an award-winning creative team assembled by On, and with music by BAFTA nominated composer, Peter Raeburn, the film can now be viewed at UntetheredFilm.com.

WATCH the inspiring trailer…

Tether Your Friends to Some Olympic Inspiration—Share This on Social Media!

Friendly Humpback Whale Gives Woman the Experience of a Lifetime – WATCH

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Good News Network
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Humpback whales are among the largest, but most gentle and intelligent creatures on the planet.

Humpback whales come to Tonga to breed and give birth because the waters are free of sharks and orcas that prey on the baby whales.

The Polynesian island nation is also one of the few places on earth where humans can get in the water with humpbacks.

Although there are strict rules about approaching whales, the mammals will, out of curiosity, approach humans.

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Their massive bodies dwarf our own, but they seem to know their own strength, as there are many cases of whales intentionally showing their gentle side by avoiding inflicting injury.

This very lucky swimmer was visited by a playful male humpback, who seemingly was rolling over for a belly rub.

WATCH: Humpback Whales Herd Salmon With Their Fins in Never-Before-Filmed Feeding Behavior

It repeatedly rolled on its back, exposing its underside and swimming close to her—and the encounter went on for a full 18 minutes.

Their meeting was caught on film, along with the woman’s ecstatic screams of joy when it was all over…

SHARE This Whale of a Joyous Moment With Friends on Social Media…

“The only limits for tomorrow are the doubts we have today.” – Pittacus Lore

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Good News Network
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By Timothy Meinberg

Quote of the Day: “The only limits for tomorrow are the doubts we have today.” – Pittacus Lore, The Power of Six

Photo: by Timothy Meinberg

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

 

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