Kites of Renewable Energy Generate Wind Power by Flying Through the Air

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Sep 12, 2020

Shell Recharge pump for EVs -Shell UK website — Shell UK

While it may go against the business model of an oil company to promote a competing technology (like electric vehicles), many of the big players have all seen the writing on the wall as demand for electric vehicles (EVs) surges.

Shell, BP, Chevron and others are starting to embrace the notion of offering customers other options besides gasoline fill-ups in an attempt to keep access to wallets and loyalty, regardless of which type of drivetrain rolls in.

Royal Dutch Shell started to go big in EV charging in 2017 with the acquisition of NewMotion, Europe’s largest EV charging network with more than 30,000 nodes and a customer base topping 80,000 EV drivers.

Subsequently, Shell inked a partnership with Ionity, the EV charging technology/network created in partnership with BMW, Mercedes, Ford and Volkswagen to provide seamless EV-charging across Europe. Shell also rolled out its first few EV recharging nodes at existing refueling stations in the UK and Netherlands to test market demand, and a strong response has caused Shell to expand the program, calling it Recharge.

In 2019, Shell started implementing EV charging in the U.S. with the acquisition of Greenlots, a California-based provider of EV charging and energy management software and the installation of its first U.S.-based EV charging station at Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts.

And just this past summer, Shell launched its RechargePlus program in California with plans to deploy EV charging infrastructure at commercial, retail, public and government locations as well as at multi-unit residential dwellings across the state. EV enthusiasts are optimistic that Shell continues to develop its EV charging infrastructure given the company’s huge retail reach of 25,000 filling stations globally.

Not one to be left behind, rival UK-based oil giant BP got serious about EV charging in 2018 with the acquisition of Chargemaster, the UK’s largest EV charging network, and major investments in U.S.-based FreeWire Technologies, which develops EV fast chargers, and Israeli EV-battery developer StoreDot. Within a year, BP opened the first BP-branded charging station in the UK, and the company plans to roll out dozens more in the next few years.

U.S.-based Chevron is also getting in on things. Last year Chevron installed EV charging nodes at five of its retail gas stations in California in partnership with EVgo, an EV charging network already spanning 34 U.S. states. As demand for EVs surge, expect Chevron to incorporate EVgo charging systems in many more of its stations in and around major metropolitan areas where people tend to have electric cars.

For its part, ExxonMobil, America’s largest oil company, doesn’t seem particularly interested in EVs or EV charging. This past Fall its CEO Darren Woods was quoted as saying he “doesn’t get the point” about EVs when they “end up being charged by power generated from coal.”

MORE: New Lithium Ion Battery Design Allows Electric Vehicles to Be Charged in Just 10 Minutes

The point is that EV drivers can always look to Shell, which says its EV pumps are powered from 100% renewable energy.

EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss for the 501(c)3 nonprofit EarthTalk. To donate, visit their website – or send questions to: [email protected].

“All great beginnings start in the dark.” – Shannon L. Alder

Quote of the Day

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Sep 12, 2020

Quote of the Day: “All great beginnings start in the dark.” – Shannon L. Alder

Photo: by Noah Silliman

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

Rare Archeological Treasures Discovered Beneath Attic Floorboards of English Tudor Mansion

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Sep 11, 2020

anna-forest-manuscript-released-national trust — National Trust

Picture yourself in the dusty attic of a moated Tudor manor house built sometime in the late 1500s. For the first time in hundreds of years, the floorboards are lifted. What lies beneath? Buried treasure, of course.

Sounds like something straight out of Hollywood, right?

Nope. It’s actually something that took place in Norfolk, England during the pandemic. While the adventure might have lacked the special effects of an Indiana Jones blockbuster, this recent case of ‘real-life imitates cinematic art’ still turned up some pretty amazing finds.

The story begins with the $7.8 million-dollar roof restoration project of Oxburgh Hall, a National Trust site. Archaeologist Matt Champion, working on his own during the lockdown, was conducting a fingertip search of the rafters when he unearthed a stash of more than 2,000 archaeological specimens, some dating back as far as the 15th century.

According to National Trust curator Anna Forrest, who oversees the project, “When the boards came up, we could see a wave pattern in the debris which showed it had been undisturbed for centuries.”

The dust, sometimes inches deep, was covering a layer of lime plaster. As unpalatable as that might sound, to paraphrase Martha Stewart, it turned out to be a good thing. “[The lime plaster] drew out the moisture from the debris and resulted in much of it being perfectly preserved over the centuries,” Forrest said.

Several of the items recovered were recent artifacts likely dating to the WWII era, notably some empty Woodbine cigarette packs and a vintage box of Terry’s chocolates, minus the chocolates.

But among the most exciting discoveries was a cache of high-quality Elizabethan and Georgian textiles and embroidery scraps. Ironically, many of the most exciting finds were woven into a pair of long-deserted, ossified rat’s nests. (At least it wasn’t snakes, Indy.)

Love them or hate them, the vermin were also responsible for preserving fragments of some 450-year-old handwritten music as well as a page from 1568 copy of John Fisher’s The Kynge’s Psalmes.

In non-rodent-related news, a construction worker later found the rest of the book, nearly intact, stashed away in a cubbyhole in the attic, while another worker discovered a 600-year-old parchment fragment containing part of the Latin Vulgate Psalm 39 decorated in gold leaf and illuminated in bright blue ink.

CHECK OUT: When 8-Year-old ‘Queen’ Finds Authentic Ancient Sword in a Lake, Her Fans Rally to Forge Her a Replica

Forrest noted the page likely came from a daily prayer book known as a book of hours. “The use of blue and gold for the minor initials, rather than the more standard blue and red, shows this would have been quite an expensive book to produce,” she said in an interview with The Guardian.

“It is just the most exquisite thing and to have found it literally in a pile of rubble is probably… well, it’s unheard of for the National Trust, that’s for sure.”

“We had hoped to learn more of the history of the house during the re-roofing work… but these finds are far beyond anything we expected to see,” Russell Clement, General Manager at Oxburgh Hall told the National Trust. “This is a building which is giving up its secrets slowly. We don’t know what else we might come across—or what might remain hidden for future generations to reveal.”

MORE: Lucky Dented Penny That Saved Soldier’s Life During WWI Comes to Light 100 Years Later

Who knows? Maybe if they channel Professor Jones for a little more judicious digging, they might just turn up the holy grail after all.

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Woman Wanders Airports Giving Away Homemade Cards Of Kindness And They Really Brighten People’s Days–WATCH

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MORE: Boy Created a Word Puzzle to Help Entertain the Queen in Lockdown—And Was Thrilled to Get a Letter Back

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Sep 11, 2020

While traveling for work, a local woman has been giving homemade cards to strangers who might need a pick-me-up at the Houston airport.

“I just want somebody’s day to be better,” Catharine Knight told CBS News. “I really just want to make the world a better place.”

Flyer Heidi Botkin was flying solo with her three kids when Knight approached her. “I was super stressed,” she said. “So, yeah, that [card] was a nice little pick-me-up.”

While travelers are being uplifted by these friendly cards more than ever during the pandemic, spreading random acts of kindness isn’t a new thing for Knight.

She and her son Parker have been writing messages for strangers for three years now.

To date they’ve written 25,000 notes to uplift others.

(WATCH the inspiring video below… EDITOR’S NOTE: Overseas viewers can see it at CBS News.)

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Cancer Survivor Becomes First Woman To Complete Grueling Triathlon Covering 330 Miles in 5 Days

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MORE: Boy Was Inspired to Become Youngest Yogi in US After Seeing How Yoga Healed His Mom After Chemo

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Sep 11, 2020

A cancer survivor has become the first woman to complete a grueling ‘Sea to Summit’ triathlon which saw her swim, cycle, and run over 330 miles in just five days.

Andrea Mason didn’t sleep and barely ate during the duration of the “insane” challenge, but she was ecstatic when she crossed the finish line early Wednesday morning.

The race, set in the French Alps, involved swimming around the circumference of Lake Annecy, then cycling and running up Mont Blanc—at 15,774 ft, it’s the second highest peak in Europe.

Setting off at 6:15am on Friday, 39-year-old Mason battled through severe pain, cramping, and hallucinations, but she pushed on—managing to complete the race in an impressive four days, 23 hours, and 41 minutes.

Andrea had been diagnosed with severe endometriosis and cervical cancer in 2017 and needed life-saving surgery.

Following a successful operation, she is now hoping to raise awareness of women’s reproductive health, and of endometriosis in particular, which is a debilitating condition that causes painful or heavy periods.

In the past year, Andrea’s set up her own charity, Lady Talk Matters, in a bid to normalize the conversation surrounding female reproductive matters.

Andrea, from Blackpool in Lancashire, England, said, “I feel happy, exhausted, and relieved.

“I am so happy all went to plan as there were so many things that could have gone wrong. I wanted to do it in five days, and I did, but it was tough, really tough.

“I had some low moments, particularly when I couldn’t sleep in my limited rest periods, and when I couldn’t keep any food down as I was running.

“For sure I had some doubts along the way. I was venturing into the unknown with such a huge run, particularly as large parts of it were in the dark.

“It was bigger than I imagined, the impact on my body was huge, but every time I felt like stopping and considered giving up, I kept remembering why I was doing it.

“I thought about all the women out there in pain or who still hadn’t been diagnosed. That is why I put myself through this.”

Andrea had to swim 23 miles around the circumference of Lake Annecy, cycle 205 miles with 30,000 feet of vertical climbing around Mont Blanc, and run 105 miles with 4,000 feet of vertical climbing around the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc.

CHECK OUT: When 16-Year-old Missed Jonas Brothers Concert for Chemo, They Surprise Her at the Hospital

A prolific swimmer, you could say Andrea’s actually spent a lifetime training for an event like this. She completed her first three-mile race “powered by Mars bars” when she was just four.

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McDonald’s Breaks New Ground With Returnable, Reusable Coffee Cups

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MORE: They Recycle Electronics – And People’s Lives – By Giving Ex-Felons Good Jobs to Imagine a Better World

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Sep 11, 2020

McDonald’s UK will begin testing a new system of reusable, returnable cups to cut back on the demand for hot beverage to-go containers now that 600 billion of them are produced each year around the world.

Instead of relying merely on biodegradable or recyclable cups, McDonald’s vice president of global sustainability, Jenny McColloch, is opting for a reusable system of drink cups made by a company called Loop.

This initiative aims to give consumers a greater sense of responsibility towards the cup, and waste in general.

In their system, a small deposit will be paid on each cup which will be returned to the buyer upon its deposit into a special in-store bin, or at collection points in other participating stores across the country, like Tesco, where they can be rounded up and brought to a facility to be sterilized and sent back to the restaurants to be used again.

“You can now leave the restaurant with it and deposit it anywhere,” says Tom Szaky, CEO of Loop. “So you get that sort of to-go experience fulfilled, and you don’t have to deal with anything other than depositing it back in the Loop ecosystem.”

German McDonald’s, as well as American companies like Starbucks and Peet’s Coffee, offer small discounts for customers who bring in their own cup, but—in part because of the inconvenience of bringing a tumbler everywhere—relatively few java drinkers take advantage of the deal.

Loop and McDonald’s are taking inspiration from Germany’s ReCup, one of the finalists of the NextGen Cup Challenge, a contest sponsored by McDonald’s and Closed Loop Partners, that was launched last year to try and find the best solutions for to-go cup sustainability problems.

ReCup works much the same as Loop—it’s a sort of “bike-sharing but for cups,” and McColloch hopes to ascertain how the system will work at an organization like McDonald’s.

In the UK, many franchises and small cafes are using recyclable hot beverage cups, which require the inner-lining to be removed before the outer cardboard-like material can be recycled. However, even these cups have a lifecycle before the molecular structure of the material breaks down, and they are not reusable.

Loop is hoping for 100 deployments from each cup, a marked increase over traditional ones, while McDonald’s and McColloch hope that the more restaurants implement these sorts of measures, the greater the infrastructure for broad circular economic activity will grow to be, allowing more and more companies to join in eco-friendly practices.

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Zimbabwe Protects Its Iconic Wildlife And Bans Coal Mining in All National Parks

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Sep 11, 2020

Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe-CC-JackyR — JackyR

Zimbabwe has banned exploratory coal mining operations and many small gold mining contracts in all 11 national parks, heralding a massive victory for Zimbabwean wildlife.

This is a reverse from an earlier decision to allow two firms belonging to Zimbabwe’s Chinese allies to drill and survey for coal in the world-renowned Hwange National Park, home to more than 40,000 elephants and a population of endangered black rhino, as well as leopard and painted dog conservation programs.

Concern was raised by environmentalists of “ecological degradation” and a marathon five-year legal effort was mobilized against the government by the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association (ZELA) to block the mining rights which had originally been granted in 2015.

According to coverage from the BBC, Zimbabwean Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa announced that “steps are being undertaken to immediately cancel all mining titles held in national parks,” while adding that it was not only coal but gold mining, which was already being carried out along several small rivers, that would also be banned.

Zimbabwe and China maintain close national ties, and the decision is not expected to cause deterioration of relations as both governments understood the sensitivity of the mining operations.

A truly momentous victory for conservationists, Zimbabwe has struggled for decades with severe inflation—a figure that stands currently at around 737%, and any Chinese currency received from the mining operations in Hwange would have been extremely useful to the government.

MORE: Rats Are Saving Elephants From Hidden Landmines on Their Migration Routes

However it was nature that triumphed, and as tourism revenues begin to increase following COVID-19 lockdowns, the value of a pristine national parks system will hopefully prove the more sustainable and profitable investment.

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“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal.” – Irish headstone

Quote of the Day

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Sep 11, 2020

Quote of the Day: “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal.” – Irish headstone

Photo: Dan Meyers

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

Boy Donates 22,000 Diapers to Single Moms Using Funds From His Lemonade Stand

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MORE: Brazilian High Schooler Hands Out Hygiene Kits to Poor Neighbors Who Can’t Afford Hand Sanitizer

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Sep 10, 2020

Lots of kids set up lemonade stands in the summer. For many, it’s a rite of passage; a first step toward learning what it means to earn your own money. For 11-year-old Cartier Carey, it was a chance to do a lot more.

That’s because Carey isn’t using his profits to open a first savings account or saving up to buy himself a special treat. Instead, he’s investing it back into his Hampton, Virginia community.

His goal? Helping single mothers in need. With all the stress and financial uncertainty brought on by the pandemic, Carey decided to focus on the basics: diapers and wipes.

“He doesn’t want to spend any of the money on himself,” his mom Brittany Stewart told CNN. “He just wants to continue to keep buying diapers and giving each day.”

The impetus for the project took root while Carey was visiting his grandmother who lives in one of the area’s more economically depressed neighborhoods.

Cary, who is keenly observant for his age, was taken aback by how many women he saw raising children on their own. His instinct was to find a way to help.

“As he’s getting older, he kind of understands,” Stewart told the Virginia-Pilot. “He just came up and said, ‘Hey can we help some of the moms?’ and we were kind of like, ‘What do you want to buy?’ That’s kind of how it came [about].”

By the end of July, Carey had raised close to $5,000 via the lemonade stand and from donations, and distributed close to 6,500 diapers. As of September, at 22,000 diapers, he’s close to achieving his total goal of 25,000.

But the generous 11-year-old is no stranger to worthy causes. Before becoming a “lemonade mogul,” Carey launched another community initiative dubbed “Carti packs”—care packages for the homeless that contained such essentials as deodorant, soap, tissue, and even hand-warmers for when the weather got cold.

Last year, Carey founded his own non-profit organization, Kids 4 Change 757 “to help the community and make the community better.”

Carey says his greatest joy comes from knowing he’s made a difference and seeing how much his efforts have meant to the people he strives to serve. When one mom who’d been the beneficiary of his good deeds broke down in grateful tears and gave him a big hug, he was truly moved.

“It was heart touching. I almost cried myself when she gave me a hug and started crying. That made want to just keep doing it,” he told ABC News. “Others can make a difference just like I’m doing right now. They can save lives and be heroes. [You’re] never too young.”

(Watch Carey’s uplifting story below on ABC News.)

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Lucky Dog Gets Adopted By Oil Rig Worker Who Found Him Swimming 135 Miles From Thai Coast

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MORE: Two Surfers Save a ‘Starving, Cold’ Dog From Sea Cave After It Had Been Missing For 3 Months

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Sep 10, 2020

When you’re working on an oil rig in the middle of the ocean, you expect to see the occasional whale or dolphin swimming by, but a stray dog? Not so much.

That’s exactly what members of a Chevron crew spied struggling in the waters of the Gulf of Thailand 135 miles from coastal Songkhla.

The fuzzy brown pup, first spotted by offshore planner Vitisak Payalaw, was clearly in distress. “I thought that if we didn’t move quickly, I would not be able to help him,” Payalaw told CNN.

As the rescue efforts continued, the water was becoming increasingly choppy. Several attempts to reel in the dog failed.

The crew feared he’d be swept back out to sea, but the pooch managed to keep his tenuous hold on the platform.

“His eyes were so sad,” Payalaw said. “He just kept looking up just like he wanted to say, ‘please help me.’”

Finally, the workers were able to secure the dog with a rope harness and pull him to safety. By then, he was understandably shaking and exhausted.

After cleaning him up and giving him fresh water and food, the crew named him Boonrod, which means “he has done good karma and that helps him to survive,” Payalaw told NPR.

Boonrod was identified as an aspin, a breed native to the Philippines. No one knows exactly how he came to be in the waters so far offshore, although the Bangkok Post speculated he’d most likely fallen from a fishing trawler.

On April 15, after two days’ recuperation, Boonrod was sent by boat to the mainland where he received veterinary care before being transferred to an animal shelter.

“A vessel transporting the dog arrived onshore at around 10 a.m.,” Payalaw posted to his Facebook page. “His overall condition has improved. He is getting stronger and can smile.’’

But the plucky pup’s good luck didn’t stop there. Payalaw had become so attached to Boonrod, he vowed that if no one claimed ownership, he’d adopt the dog himself.

Because he was on duty, Payalaw had to wait 10 days before being reunited with his new best friend. Since no owner had come forward, Boonrod was made an official member of Payalaw’s family on the spot—much to their mutual delight.

“I’m very very, happy with my new dog,” Payalaw said in an interview with The Dodo. “He’s a good dog for me and a good dog for my family, too.” Payalaw says while he’s not married, Boorod has become “like a son” to him.

There’s a saying that goes, “Dogs have a way of finding the people that need them.” Boonrod may have had more obstacles to overcome than most canines when it came to finding that special person to call his own, but he proved that even an ocean wasn’t enough to keep him and his beloved Payalaw apart.

(WATCH the video of the incredible rescue below on The Dodo… )

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Real-Life Willy Wonka Gives Away Candy Factory In Giant Treasure Hunt

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Sep 10, 2020

This is not a drill: Golden Tickets really are being hidden for you to find.

The founder of Jelly Belly is getting ready to retire, and he’s decided to leave the candy industry with a bang (and a fizz and a pop) by placing Willy Wonka-style golden tickets out into the world for people to hunt for.

David Klein—aka The Candy Man—has started going across the USA hiding golden tickets attached to necklace chains in places where he comes across an interesting story. Described as a “boots on the ground treasure hunt”, they plan to release a riddle to help you find these golden tickets in each of the 50 states.

“With The Gold Ticket Treasure hunt, our goal is to get people out and about with their families. Grandma and Grandpa can even join with the kids and grandkids,” said David.

You can sign up for one of their treasure hunts at thegoldticket.com website, and each of the 50 golden tickets is redeemable for $5,000 cash. Some of the states have already sold out.

There is a cost of $49.99 to enter, but all it takes is one entry to be included in the grandest hunt of all—and this is where it gets very Wonka-licious.

Anyone who joins at least one treasure hunt will be eligible to search for The Ultimate Treasure—the ownership deed to a candy factory in Florida and an all-expenses paid trip to be educated in candy-making at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The big event begins after all the states have had a chance to play. UPDATE – 9/14/20: Get more info from this ABC news interview.

We are wondering if there are any Oompa Loompas waiting at the end of this contest.

MORE: $1 Million in Gold Coins Rain Down on Workers From French Rafters

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Sudan Separates Church And State After 30 Years Of Religious Rule

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Sep 10, 2020

The Sudanese government has made formal agreements to separate religion from the state, ending three decades of Islamic rule in the North African nation.

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, and Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu, a leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North rebel group, signed a declaration on September 3 in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa that adopts the principle of secularism.

The document states that, “For Sudan to become a democratic country where the rights of all citizens are enshrined, the constitution should be based on the principle of ‘separation of religion and state,’ in the absence of which the right to self-determination must be respected.”

In the accord, it is also expressed that, “Sudan is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural society. Full recognition and accommodation of these diversities must be affirmed.”

This declaration ends the strict Islamic law that began in the country in 1989, and comes in the same week that the transitional government began a peace deal with rebel forces—a development that has raised hopes for an end to the fighting in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and elsewhere.

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Solar-Powered Panels Pull Water Out of the Air For Navajo Families Who Have None

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Sep 10, 2020

source hydropanels-Navajo Power-released (1) — Credit: Navajo Power

What if there was a way of pulling vapor from the atmosphere and bringing it through faucets as clean, drinkable water?

Harnessing the power of the sun, Zero Mass Water’s Source hydropanels do just that.

Through a grant provided by the Unreasonable Group and Barclays Bank, an initial demonstration project is bringing this pioneering air-to-water technology to 15 Navajo households.

This project is being managed by Navajo Power, Public Benefit Corporation, and Arizona-based Zero Mass Water.

Already, the demonstration project is proving to be a hit. “We are so happy to see these systems come to our communities who have not had basic access to water for all of these years,” said Mae Franklin of the Cameron and Coalmine communities.

But how exactly does this unique technology work?

While some of that answer is shrouded by proprietary trade secrecy and multiple patented inventions, we do know the hydropanels—powered by off-grid solar energy—have fans that draw air in the atmosphere and push it through what’s called a hygroscopic. From there, the trapped water vapor is extracted and gets condensed into liquid that’s collected in the reservoir of the hydropanel.

So that it has the ideal taste and composition, that collected water is then mineralized. Now it can be run through the faucet and is ready to drink.

The state-of-the-art technology doesn’t end there. Each Hydropanel connects to a cloud-based network and is monitored for performance and quality that way.

Source hydropanels are already well-established globally, with the technology currently supplying clean drinking water to tens of thousands of people in 45 countries through partnerships with governments, corporations, and development organizations.

MORE: This New German Car is Covered With Solar Panels and Charges As It Drives

There’s potential for this technology to go bigger still: Similar to cellular telephones and renewable energy technologies, the scalability of Source enables hydropanels to be deployed at small residential homes, roof-mounted on schools or community halls, and even in “water farms” adjacent to entire communities.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zero Mass Water (@zeromasswater) on Dec 1, 2019 at 1:17pm PST

“A standard, two-panel array, produces 4-10 liters of water each day, and has 60 liters of storage capacity,” said Cody Frisen, CEO of Zero Mass Water. In addition, each panel ”lasts for 15 years and utilizes solar power and a small battery to enable water production.”

As for the quality of the water? It ”exceeds the standards of every country where the systems have been deployed.”

“We are excited to help shine a light on the potential of Hydropanels to help solve the clean water access challenge our communities have been facing for decades,” said Clara Pratte, President of Navajo Power.

CHECK OUT: Used Electric Car Batteries Could Be Recycled into New Life as Energy Storage for Solar Farms, Says New Study

“There are thousands of homes without water and this is a more cost-effective approach to getting clean water to these families. While our focus as a company is the development of large clean energy projects, our commitment to the well-being of Navajo communities is our north star, and we want to do everything we can to help the Nation mitigate the threats brought by the pandemic.”

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Inside every atom of our bodies is 99.9% empty space. “If the nucleus was the size of a football, the nearest electron would be half a mile (0.8km) away.” That’s how much space there is. – Paul Sen

Quote of the Day

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Sep 10, 2020

atoms model-connection-pubdomain-Raphaël Biscaldi — By Raphaël Biscaldi

Quote of the Day: Inside every atom of our bodies is 99.9% empty space. “If the nucleus was the size of a football, the nearest electron would be half a mile (0.8km) away.” That’s how much space there is. – Paul Sen

Photo: Raphaël Biscaldi

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

He Designed a Mountain Bike to Bring Adventure Back to People With Disabilities – Like Himself

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Sep 9, 2020

When a snowboarding accident resulting in a spinal injury sidelined him from his beloved outdoor pursuits, Christian Bagg was determined to climb back up the mountain.

“I just wanted to go outside with my friends and not have them worry or wait for me,” Bagg says. “I just wanted to have fun with them, I just wanted to blend [in].”

Bagg started out by designing wheelchairs that offered greater versatility than traditional models. He then turned his attentions to creating a line of purpose-built bikes for people with physical limitations.

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A post shared by Bowhead Corp (@bowheadcorp) on Sep 4, 2020 at 9:31am PDT

The learning curve eventually brought him to the bike’s current incarnation, the Bowhead Reach. With its main wheel located in the rear, heavy-tread tires, and a powerful electric motor, the souped-up reverse tricycle can go pretty much anywhere.

The all-terrain recumbent bike comes in three models: a recreational model for everyday adventuring; a performance model for true adrenaline junkies, and the explorer mode, a push variation that allows for partnered assistance as needed.

MORE: Cyclists Volunteer to Give Nature Rides to Wheelchair-Bound

There’s even a special package to adapt the bikes for use by quadriplegics.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bowhead Corp (@bowheadcorp) on Jul 1, 2020 at 9:59am PDT

One of Bagg’s first customers was J.P. Middleton, a volunteer firefighter and primary care paramedic who, like Bagg, had suffered a life-altering spinal cord injury while skiing in 2018.

One day, as he was visiting with his dad outside the rehab hospital, someone on an outlandish bike shot by them. “It was this Mad Max looking vehicle,” Middleton said to Global News. “When I saw this bike, I was like, ‘I gotta get myself one of these things…’ It was a ray of hope for me.”

Middleton credits the bike with giving him a big chunk of his life back. He also gets a kick out of the awestruck looks he gets from passersby. “This [bike] will turn more heads than a Lamborghini,” he joked.

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A post shared by Bowhead Corp (@bowheadcorp) on Aug 13, 2020 at 9:57pm PDT

Middleton isn’t the only more-than-satisfied customer to make great strides on a Bowhead. In 2019, Janne Kouri, also paralyzed after suffering a spinal cord injury, set out on his bike for a 2,900-mile cross-country trek that took him from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. raising money and awareness for paralyzed U.S. veterans.

Bagg and his team initially built 50 bikes in his basement workshop, but business was so brisk, Bowhead—named for the site at the headwaters of the Bow River where his crash happened—has relocated to a large retail space across from Canada Olympic Park.

With 200 orders in the coming year, he envisions a bright future and continued expansion. Channeling his passion has also let him reap the rewards of making a real difference for others who’ve been where he’s been. “That’s what’s fun to watch the work you do impact people’s lives.”

(WATCH the bikes in action, and get to know more of Christian’s story, below on PBS.)

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Hungarian Scientist Wins €1 Million Prize For Groundbreaking Research That Could Eventually Restore Sight in Blindness

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MORE: Scientists Use Electrode Implants to Help Blind People ‘See’ Shapes and Letters—All Without Using Their Eyes

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Sep 9, 2020

This year’s Körber Prize for European Science has gone to a Hungarian scientist whose revolutionary gene-editing treatment could cure a type of blindness that affects around one in 4,000 children.

Cell biologist Botond Roska’s work against a kind of degenerative eye disease is currently going through clinical trials.

Roska received the prestigious award of €1 million last week for his pioneering work on the human retina that has placed him among the world leaders in the study of ophthalmology—work that included the presumably painstaking effort of identifying over 100 different retina cell types and their complex interrelations.

To that end, he has discovered a possible cure for retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that causes mutations in the genes that code for proteins needed to make human photoreceptors—the cell which identifies light and allows us to see.

Unlike other forms of visual degenerations that correlate with age, retinitis pigmentosa often starts in childhood, and can lead to blindness.

While rare, it is one of the most common causes of degenerative blindness.

Roska’s work on novel gene therapies, which he carries out in the University of Basel, Switzerland, involves the reprogramming of retina cells into photoreceptors, thereby taking over from the damaged ones and restoring light and color in blind retinas.

The Körber Prize is given every year to a single European in the disciplines of life sciences and physical sciences.

This is the fifth major recognition the scientist from Budapest has won since he abandoned the cello and started studying medicine: Under his belt already is the Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine for his discoveries about visual information processing, and the Hungarian Saint Stephen Order from President János Áder, among other awards.

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With a Simple Piece of Paper, Engineers Create Self-Powered, Wireless Keyboard

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Sep 9, 2020

Innovators at an Indiana university hope their new technology can help transform paper sheets from a notebook into a music player interface and make food packaging interactive.

Purdue engineers developed a simple printing process that renders any paper or cardboard packaging into a keyboard, keypad, or other easy-to-use human-machine interfaces.

“This is the first time a self-powered paper-based electronic device is demonstrated,” said Ramses Martinez, an assistant professor in Purdue’s School of Industrial Engineering and in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering in Purdue’s College of Engineering.

“We developed a method to render paper repellent to water, oil, and dust by coating it with highly fluorinated molecules.

This omniphobic coating allows us to print multiple layers of circuits onto paper without getting the ink to smear from one layer to the next one.”

Martinez said this innovation facilitates the fabrication of vertical pressure sensors that do not require any external battery, since they harvest the energy from their contact with the user.

This technology is compatible with conventional large-scale printing processes and could easily be implemented to rapidly convert conventional cardboard packaging or paper into smart packaging or a smart human-machine interface.

“I envision this technology to facilitate the user interaction with food packaging, to verify if the food is safe to be consumed, or enabling users to sign the package that arrives at home by dragging their finger over the box to properly identify themselves as the owner of the package,” Martinez said.

“Additionally, our group demonstrated that simple paper sheets from a notebook can be transformed into music player interfaces for users to choose songs, play them and change their volume.”

(WATCH the technology in action below…)

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It’s a Google Maps Street View of New York City, But Using Photos From the 1940s Taken By the WPA

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Sep 9, 2020

If you live in New York City and wonder what your address or neighborhood looked like eight decades ago, a new interactive map lets you see a Google Street View-style version of the city streets, buildings, and monuments around you from between 1939 and 1941.

The views are based on exquisite black and white images from the period taken by photographers working for the WPA.

One of President Franklin Roosevelt’s jobs programs was the Works Progress Administration. It collaborated with the New York City Tax Department on one project to collect photographs of every building in the five boroughs of the Big Apple.

In 2018, the New York City Municipal Archives completed the digitization and tagging of these photos, allowing users to visit any spot in the city as it was at the dawning of the Second World War.

Now software engineer Julian Boilen has created the website 1940s NYC so you can roam those vintage images easily on your laptop or phone.

The map you’re seeing here is riddled with black dots—each of which represents a photograph that will appear on your screen following a click.

We all have one of those friends who is enchanted by New York City—who just can’t get enough of its culture, flavor, and history.

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Now they can revel in the old architecture, automobiles, and fashion of their favorite place with the particularly-intimate feeling of Google Street View.

And if they get lost in the Outtakes section pictured above? They won’t be the only ones.

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Adorable Pictures Show A Critically Endangered Female Chimpanzee Cradling Her Newborn Baby

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