Quote of the Day: “An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to before it will explain itself.” – Charles Dickens
Photo: by Herman – CC license on Flickr, cropped
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This animal shelter’s Facebook post is proof that the holidays aren’t just for humans.
For the last four years, Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) has asked local Virginia residents to host unadopted shelter pups at their homes for Thanksgiving week.
Fostering animals is an invaluable resource for rescue shelters – it gives dogs a break from being in shelter cages all day long and it gives foster parents and shelters a chance to learn more about the pup’s personality, which may help encourage a family’s decision to adopt in the future. If shelters know whether a dog likes to play or be around children, they can then help connect the pups with prospective pet owners who might be more drawn to those traits.
The program gives the pups a chance to relax, spend time with some loving humans, get out of the cage, and maybe join in on the feasting as well.
Plus, they will be exposed to a whole new group of people who might feel compelled to adopt them into loving homes.
The first year that the RACC posted their Thanksgiving plea, 35 pets were whisked home by holiday revelers – and over half of those animals ended up being adopted by the hosts.
“It’s a fun twist to a traditional fostering situation for people who might’ve never done it before,” Peters told The Dodo. “The shelter provides the supplies you need, such as food, medication and a crate, and the following Wednesday after Thanksgiving the pet comes back. But a lot of the times, the pets never have to come back to the shelter. We try to make it really easy for people to say yes and keep that pet forever.”
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Other animal shelters have launched similar programs across the country, but thanks to the success of this year’s RACC initiative, the shelter was able to find temporary holiday homes for all 92 of their animals.
“Thank you to our incredible staff and volunteers for working extra hours helping to process so many foster applications, to our network of supporters for helping to spread the word about this program and to the wonderful families that opened up their heart and home to a homeless RACC pet,” wrote the shelter. “We are walking through empty, quiet kennels, thanking all of you from the bottom of our hearts.”
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If you’re a creative, introverted morning person, then odds are you prefer coffee over tea.
A new poll of 2,000 Americans examined the personality differences between people based on their first morning cup: coffee or tea?
With over 75 percent of respondents drinking their first cup of coffee or tea before 8 a.m., people are looking to fuel their life on the go.
You’d expect coffee fans to be the buzzy, loud ones—up at all hours. However, the results found that tea drinkers are more likely to be extroverted, adventurous night owls.
The survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of the Chinet brand, revealed that the average coffee drinker typically downs 3.4 cups a day, while tea fans sip through 2.7 cups.
Over half (57 percent) of tea drinkers were self-described “average” sleepers, but if your beverage of choice is coffee, you were more more likely to be a “light” sleeper.
If coffee drinkers are light sleepers, that might be what’s helping them awaken with their first alarm in the morning and to be more punctual. Coffee fans are more likely to say they’re “always” on time.
The coffee versus tea debate even carried over into entertainment. Tea drinkers were more likely to enjoy The Walking Dead, Friends, and The Big Bang Theory on TV, while coffee fans preferred Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, and Seinfeld.
Musical tastes were different between the two groups as well. Respondents that go for coffee said they liked listening to punk, rock, blues and jazz. Fans of tea preferred classical, country, pop, or hip-hop/rap.
When it comes to what goes in the hot drink of choice, coffee lovers are a whopping 96 percent more likely than tea drinkers to enjoy their brew straight.
Tea fans had more of a sweet tooth—35 percent more likely to add sugar or honey to their drinks.
Caffeine was the main reason for people moving away from coffee toward tea, with 37 percent saying “too much caffeine” was the coffee turnoff. 41 percent of coffee drinkers said the caffeine was the main reason they choose the java.
RELATED: Drinking Coffee Might Make You Live 64% Longer Than Those Who Don’t, Study Says
A cup of tea just doesn’t do it for coffee connoisseurs as over a third find it to be “too boring.”
MORE COFFEE DRINKER STATS:
Average daily cups: 3.39
More likely to be introverts
More likely to be morning people
More likely to prefer dogs
More likely to self-identify as “messy”
More likely to have five or more close friends than tea drinkers
More likely to be single
MORE TEA DRINKER STATS:
Average daily cups: 2.69
More likely to be extroverts
More likely to be ambiverts than coffee drinkers
More likely to be considered night people
More likely to prefer cats over coffee people
More likely to be “tidy” or “perfectly clean”
More likely to be “average” sleepers (57 percent)
More likely to be in a relationship
More likely to describe themselves as “Quiet” in the morning
MORE: Apples, Tea, and Moderation—The 3 Ingredients for a Long Life
Now you can grab that public bathroom door handle without fear—a solution to the conundrum of how to gracefully exit after washing your hands is finally here.
The two student inventors are among 20 finalists selected for the international James Dyson Award for their “illuminating” solution to bacteria-ridden doorhandles.
Despite the use of sanitizers and routine cleaning of public areas, the bathroom door handle presents a unique challenge. University of Hong Kong graduates Sum Ming Wong and Kin Pong Li set out to design a solution that was self-powered and avoided the chemical cleansers that are sometimes harmful to human health.
WATCH: Blind Man Develops Smart Cane That Uses Google Maps and Sensors to Identify One’s Surroundings
“Nowadays, people use chemical cleaning materials to clean up public areas, but it is both easy to wipe off and harmful to the human body,” said the inventors. “Our design has high durability and [is] effective.”
By using materials that cost only $13 per door handle, they combined titanium dioxide powder and ultraviolet LED lights to effectively develop a door handle that cleans itself.
Not only that, they also engineered a small gear box and generator to be hooked up to the door itself, making it self-powered. The kinetic energy generated from opening and closing the door provides enough electricity to keep the handle lit and functional.
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The handle kills bacteria by the action of a thin titanium dioxide film on the outside of the clear handle. The chemical is known to be a photo-catalyst, so when the UV lights activate the coating, it reacts to water or oxygen to create hydroxyl radicals that decompose the bacteria. It killed 99.8% of bacteria in lab tests.
After winning tech awards and monetary prizes around the world for the design, the duo became national winners of the Dyson Award, which recognizes the best in design and engineering—and this week were named as a finalist for the Dyson international prize, the winner of which will be announced in November.
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This Montana family had been out on their boat for a fishing trip earlier this week when they made the catch of a lifetime.
The Herefords had already motored far away from the shore of Flathead Lake when they spotted something adrift on the surface. Upon approaching the figure in the water, they said they were shocked to see it was a young bobcat struggling to stay afloat.
As Brett Hereford grabbed a fishing net to save the critter, his father Bob pulled out his phone to film the astonishing rescue mission.
The bobcat, shivering and exhausted, was able to get a quick respite from inside of Brett’s net before the family traveled back to shore to set it free on dry land.
According to Cindy Benson, a fishing expert who had spoken to the Hereford family after the rescue, the young feline might not have survived the chilly lake waters, had it not been for the fishing family.
“They believed that if they didn’t net it, it was going to drown,” Benson told the Missoulian. “It looked really tired.”
Though Bob has not been reached for further comments on the story, he wrote in a Facebook post that it was a “great day” that he would “never forget”.
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It has been decades since Coy Featherson last saw his friends from high school—yet they’re all now rallying together to rescue him from homelessness.
LISTEN to the inspiring story told on the radio by our GNN founder (in the Good News Guru podcast below) or READ the full story after that…
Back in 1971, Featherson was a very popular student. Voted “Best All Around Guy” in his high school yearbook, he was also a skilled football and baseball player. After he got into college on a football scholarship, he moved on to do 15 years of stage work for rock and roll legend Frank Zappa.
Unfortunately, Featherson ended up on the streets after he fell on hard times 20 years ago. In addition to his brother being killed, he was laid off from his job and lost his apartment—and he’s been homeless ever since.
His luck took a turn last month, however, after a photo of him and his grocery cart of belongings ended up on the front page of the American-Statesman for an article on homeless camping in Austin, Texas.
Leea Mechling, who was a friend of Featherson’s in high school, was just one of his former classmates who was shocked to see his photo featured in the article. She immediately hopped into her car and took off for Austin in hopes of tracking down her old friend.
After four days of searching, she finally found Featherson feeding some pigeons outside of a local church. She embraced Featherson, invited him into her truck, and packed up his belongings.
Don Vanderburg, another old friend from their high school in Corpus Christi, Texas, welcomed Featherson into his home so he could sleep on a mattress for the first time in 20 years. His friends have gotten him new clothes and shoes; they’re helping him to sign up for social security benefits; and they launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for more permanent housing—and the page has already raised more than $13,000.
“Coy is a smart guy with a real gift for art and music,” wrote Patrick Judd who set up the GoFundMe page. “What were doing here is to show him he’s still deep in our heart of hearts… always.”
When reporters from the American-Statesman asked Featherson about the photo that has now turned his luck around, he simply said: “I kind of had a feeling it would do something. It’s been good for me.”
(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by Don Vanderburg
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Quote of the Day: “By three methods we may learn wisdom. First, by reflection, which is noblest, second, by imitation, which is easiest, and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” – Confucius
Photo: by Michael Coghlan – CC license on Flickr, cropped
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If you meet 11-year-old Jonah Larson, he seems just like any other normal happy kid. He loves his mom, grandma, and adores llamas—but you’ll soon find out that he is, in fact, very different.
Jonah is a self-taught crochet prodigy. His very first project was started as a 5-year-old using donated materials, and after making a simple dishcloth by watching a YouTube tutorial, he was hooked—and he hasn’t stopped since.
“I’m a very busy thinker, and I’m always thinking of ways to do things differently. Crocheting, to me, is quiet time because it relaxes my mind. And everybody should have something to relax their mind,” Jonah told The LaCrosse Tribune.
Now it’s pretty much anything, including, pumpkins, Afghans, fingerless gloves, ear warmers, hats, ponchos, doilies, and yes, even llamas; and although he doesn’t usually sell his finished items or try to defray the cost of materials, his fans send him supplies from all over the world.
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“It amazes me every single time,” Jonah said. “I just can’t believe people’s generosity.”
It’s impressive enough that at age 11 he has his own 6-part series called “Learn to Crochet with Jonah.” But there’s more: he’s on the cover of “Crochet World” magazine, which showcases a gorgeous Nordic Winter Afghan he made, and he has his own episode on “Knit and Crochet Now.”
He recently appeared on the TODAY show, the Kelly Clarkson show, and is no stranger to national exposure—Jonah gained his viral fame after Inside Edition, Good Morning America and NPR picked up on a local news story about him.
Since February, he’s partnered with Atlanta-based designer Daniel Sheehan, who is mentoring him about designing his own fashion line. Sheehan, who features pics and videos with the boy on Instagram had seen Jonah on social media, and like so many others, he was instantly touched.
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“It was this little boy with this little voice saying, ‘Hello, crochet friends,’ and it stopped me in my tracks,” 44-year-old Sheehan told the LaCrosse Tribune. “I showed my mom and I had tears in my eyes and she started crying. I sent a message to Jonah saying I wish he would have been my friend when I was 11 years old … Within 12 hours I had this beautiful response from Jonah.”
Beyond Jonah’s speed-crocheting skills and his winning smile, it’s his genuine love for people that inspires others so much. He has recently started a fundraiser to build a library in his hometown in Ethiopia, so the friends he left behind at the orphanage where he was adopted “can have books in their hands.” Nearly $20,000 has been raised to date, and half of that will be sent to nonprofit Roots Ethiopia for providing basic resources like school desks, chairs, blackboards, books and science materials.
“I want to hand children in Ethiopia the chance to unlock their own passion and potential. The talent and love that came from that gift can now spread across the globe and back to the beautiful country I love so much,” he explained on his fundraiser page.
CHECK OUT: This Seventh Grader Donated All $15,000 of His County Fair Earnings to a Children’s Hospital
What’s in the future Jonah? In addition to growing his business in creative new ways, he says he wants to continue his education and become a surgeon. He definitely has the hands for it.
You can follow Jonah’s accomplishments and read his blog on his website, and check out his inspiring instructional videos on YouTube.
(WATCH the news coverage below… NOTE: Our international viewers can watch it on the CBS News website) – Photos via Jonah Hands, and Daniel Sheehan on Instagram
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On average, at least 130 Americans die every day from a fatal drug overdose, according to the Center for Disease Control.
That could’ve been Russell Phillips.
Phillips is a Maryland resident and former addict who says he spent close to two decades addicted to drugs. He didn’t get clean until he was sentenced to ten years in prison. Now, three years after his release, he’s sharing his experiences, mentoring youth and fighting to change policy—and the stigma against drug users.
“I think people are scared to discuss addiction because people don’t understand it, they bash both addiction and addicts as well,” he explained. “People who are addicted or families of addicts, don’t always want to face the severity of the issue at hand. I think it’s easier just to forget about it or even pretend the problem isn’t there.”
The 40-year-old was addicted to drugs for more than 18 years, experiencing homelessness and damaging relationships with his loved ones—particularly his mother and his daughter.
He was eventually sentence for cocaine distribution, and while in jail, his mother died. He took the opportunity to get clean—for his mother, for his daughter, for himself.
“I first came home October of 2016,” he said. “I didn’t have anything—no money and my license was suspended. I had no job and my mom was gone. The house that she lived in got foreclosed, so I literally had nothing.”
But he was motivated by the previous two decades of mistakes. He wanted to make up for them, and be a role model to his now 17-year-old daughter, Danielle. He also wanted to make a difference, so he began mentoring youth, speaking publicly and formed a coalition called Light in the Shadows.
“Light in the Shadows is an organization that looks to shed light on people living in the darkest of places and situations,” he said. “I founded it for the sole purpose of helping people realize that they are bigger than their circumstances, and that no matter where they’ve been in life, no situation is too big to overcome.
He’s got a good union job now in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and is making up for lost time.
What’s next for this changemaker?
MORE: Listen to Woman’s Incredible Story of How an Accidental Phone Call Pulled Her Out of Drug Addiction
He has a novel called ‘Dear Mom‘ in the works, about a single mom struggling to raise a son who gets into trouble. Based on his own life, it will be out sometime next year.
“I’m speaking as well, trying to use my story as an inspiration to anyone who feels lost in life. I’m also in the process of reaching out to schools to help with kids. We all share a responsibility of helping and teaching the next generation. This world desperately needs change and direction, and I want to be a part of that.”
You can learn more about Phillips and support his work by visiting his website, russellphillips.com and following him on Facebook and Twitter.
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Dog ownership may be associated with longer life and better cardiovascular outcomes, especially for heart attack and stroke survivors who live alone, according to these two new studies from the American Heart Association (AHA).
“The findings in these two well-done studies and analyses build upon prior studies and the conclusions of the [AHA] that dog ownership is associated with reductions in factors that contribute to cardiac risk and to cardiovascular events,” said Glenn N. Levine, chair of the writing group of the AHA’s scientific statement on pet ownership.
“Furthermore, these two studies provide good, quality data indicating dog ownership is associated with reduced cardiac and all-cause mortality. While these non-randomized studies cannot ‘prove’ that adopting or owning a dog directly leads to reduced mortality, these robust findings are certainly at least suggestive of this.”
Given previous research demonstrating how social isolation and lack of physical activity can negatively impact patients, researchers in both the study and meta-analysis sought to determine how dog ownership affected health outcomes. Prior studies have shown that dog ownership alleviates social isolation, improves physical activity and even lowers blood pressure—leading researchers to believe dog owners could potentially have better cardiovascular outcomes compared to non-owners.
RELATED: Americans Who Drink This Much Water a Day Are More Likely to Report Feeling ‘Very Happy’
Researchers in this study, which was published in the AHA’s journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, compared the health outcomes of dog owners and non-owners after a heart attack or stroke using health data provided by the Swedish National Patient Register.
Patients studied were Swedish residents ages 40 to 85 who experienced heart attack or ischemic stroke from 2001 to 2012. Compared to people who did not own a dog, researchers found that for dog owners:
The lower risk of death associated with dog ownership could be explained by an increase in physical activity and the decreased depression and loneliness, both of which have been connected to dog ownership in previous studies.
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“We know that social isolation is a strong risk factor for worse health outcomes and premature death. Previous studies have indicated that dog owners experience less social isolation and have more interaction with other people,” said Tove Fall, professor at Uppsala University in Sweden. “Furthermore, keeping a dog is a good motivation for physical activity, which is an important factor in rehabilitation and mental health.”
While this study draws from a large sample, potential misclassifications of dog ownership in couples living together, death of a dog and change of ownership could have affected the outcomes of the study.
“The results of this study suggest positive effects of dog ownership for patients who have experienced a heart attack or stroke. However, more research is needed to confirm a causal relationship and giving recommendations about prescribing dogs for prevention. Moreover, from an animal welfare perspective, dogs should only be acquired by people who feel they have the capacity and knowledge to give the pet a good life.”
Researchers also reviewed patient data of over 3.8 million people taken from 10 separate studies for a composite meta-analysis study. Of the 10 studies reviewed, nine included comparison of all-cause mortality outcomes for dog owners and non-owners, and four compared cardiovascular outcomes for dog owners and non-owners.
Researchers found that compared to non-owners, dog owners experienced a:
“Having a dog was associated with increased physical exercise, lower blood pressure levels and better cholesterol profile in previous reports,” said Caroline Kramer, a clinician scientist at Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes at Mount Sinai Hospital. “As such, the findings that people who owned dogs lived longer and their risk for cardiovascular death was also lower are somewhat expected.”
Studies deemed eligible for analysis included those conducted among adults age 18 or older, original data from an original prospective study, evaluated dog ownership at the beginning of the study and reported all-cause or cardiovascular mortality of patients. Studies were excluded if they were retrospective; did not provide an absolute number of events that occurred; and reported non-fatal cardiovascular events.
“Our findings suggest that having a dog is associated with longer life. Our analyses did not account for confounders such as better fitness or an overall healthier lifestyle that could be associated with dog ownership. The results, however, were very positive,” said Dr. Kramer.
“The next step on this topic would be an interventional study to evaluate cardiovascular outcomes after adopting a dog and the social and psychological benefits of dog ownership. As a dog owner myself, I can say that adopting Romeo (the author’s miniature Schnauzer) has increased my steps and physical activity each day, and he has filled my daily routine with joy and unconditional love.”
Be Sure And Share This Pawesome Study With Your Friends On Social Media – File photo by Marie Floyd / US Air Force
A wildlife volunteer was able to save the life of an injured butterfly by carrying out an intricate wing transplant.
36-year-old Katie Van Blaricum says that she first noticed a Monarch butterfly with a piece of its wing missing while working at her local zoo.
She immediately decided to try and repair the damaged wing out of fear that it would lead to an early death for the insect.
“I was helping the zoo tag the butterflies when a lady came up to me and said that one of them had a broken wing and said she would have to put it in the freezer,” explained Van Blaricum. “I had already repaired a wing in the past so she asked me to help this one—so I took it home with me.”
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Armed with a glass plate, tape, and pins, Van Blaricum got to work and managed to hold down the butterfly long enough to glue on a piece of wing taken from a dead butterfly.
Van Blaricum, who is from Kansas, usually works with dead butterflies through her jewelry and picture frame business called Insect Art.
“I have a lot of dead butterflies in my house so I had lots of options to choose from. I managed to find one that was the same size and shape that could work,” says Van Blaricum. “Butterflies can be slowed down a little bit if you put them in the refrigerator, but not for very long, so I put glass plates over the top of it to keep in place.
“I cut off the broken bit of wing and glued on the other wing which came from a Graphium butterfly. Then I held it for a few seconds.”
A butterfly has four wings; two forewings and two hind wings which are attached to segments that use its muscles to move the wings up and down.
After her swift—and successful—repair of the butterfly’s left forewing, Van Blaricum let it go after several days of recovery and watched in awe as it flew up into the trees.
“It was quite stormy for a few days so I ended up keeping it over the weekend for two or three days and fed it so it would be ready to fly again,” she recalled.
“When we finally went out, it just flew up into the tree and used the wind to help it fly.”
Despite finding a parallel between the wing transplant and her Insect Art business, Van Blaricum says that the two practices aren’t very similar.
“I’ve got thousands of dead insects in my basement, but the two don’t really link up,” she mused. “The insects I use come from insect farms where they are specifically bred for this process they are not taken from the wild and we’re not hurting the wild population.”
(WATCH the video below)
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California has just become the first state in the nation to pass legislation that prohibits public schools from starting too early.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into effect earlier this week after it was overwhelmingly approved by state legislators, who realized the health and education ramifications for kids not getting enough sleep.
The bill now mandates that middle schools can start no earlier than 8AM while high schools will be prohibited from starting any earlier than 8:30AM.
Public schools now have until the start of the 2022 school year to adjust their schedules accordingly.
MORE: More Schools Are Being Gifted Free Washing Machines From Whirlpool So Kids Don’t Skip School
Senate Bill 328 was passed in response to a mounting body of research about how later school start times improve students’ grades, health, and rates of attendance. According to a 2016 analysis of a Massachusetts pilot program that delayed the morning bell, reporters found that pushing back high school start times to 8:30AM produced positive results almost immediately: test scores went up, the number of Ds and Fs dropped by half, rates of tardiness and absence went down, and teen-related car crashes decreased dramatically as well.
Students also said they did not mind being kept in school until 3PM because the later start time made them feel better rested and less likely to fall asleep while in class.
California lawmakers now hope that their students will experience similar benefits after their newly-approved bill goes into effect—and other states may be inspired to take similar action in their own classrooms.
Be Sure And Share The News With Your Friends On Social Media – File photo by Ed Yourdon, CC, via Flickr
Quote of the Day: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
Photo: by Beth Phifer – CC license on Flickr, cropped
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?
Millions of people are melting over this sweet video of a little girl named Gabby describing the first time that she met her adoptive parents.
In the video, Gabby says that she was only 4 years old when she first met her the couple from Dallas, Texas.
The adorable youngster goes on to describe the encounter in the cutest way possible. At the very end of the video, she lowers her voice to a secretive tone and asks her mother about the first time they met.
“Do you know what happened to my heart?” whispers Gabby. “Well, when the first time I saw you, my heart fall in love with you!”
Yep… you may need to grab tissues for this.
(WATCH the wholesome video below) – Photo by Newsflare
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There was once a time when bison roamed freely in huge numbers across the Great Plains. An estimated 30 million bison in the 1500s dwindled dramatically to less than 1,000 on the continent by the late 1800s.
Conservation efforts in Badlands National Park began during the 1960s when 50 bison were reintroduced to the park, followed by an additional 20 bison in the 1980s. Today, the population has reached approximately 1,200, but officials wanted to give the animals more land so they could migrate.
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In 2014, the Badlands Park worked with the National Forest Service and WWF to purchase an additional 22,000 acres of bison habitat in a land swap with its neighbor, the Don Kelly Ranch, that would free up more open territory for bison migration. But fences had to be built to keep the animals from roaming onto neighboring ranches.
After completing 43 miles of new fencing, on Oct 11, bison were reintroduced on the property—for the first time in 150 years. The spectacular sight of four majestic mammals galloping onto the land was described in a WWF blog post:
The door of the gooseneck trailer clanged open and for a moment, the only sound was a lacerating wind whipping snow across the plains and canyons of Badlands National Park. A slew of onlookers waited in hushed anticipation. And then—as though a signaling bell chimed—four massive, majestic bison barreled through the opening and into the wild.
“Bison are North America’s largest and most iconic mammal,” said Martha Kauffman, managing director of WWF’s Northern Great Plains program. “The project has touched the imaginations of people across the US, and the matching dollars that WWF has provided wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our supporters.”
This project has provided the bison more than 80,000 total acres to roam within the park. Officials hope that their continued conservation efforts in the Badlands will achieve the mission of bringing the species back to its former glory.
(WATCH the WWF video of the exciting moment below…)
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Wrapping a building in a fire-protective blanket is a viable way of protecting it against wildfires, finds the first study to scientifically assesses this method of defense.
By rigorously testing different fabric materials in the laboratory and using them to shield structures that were exposed to fires of increasing magnitude, this research, published in Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering, confirms that existing blanket technology can protect structures from a short wildfire attack.
For successful deployment against severe fires and in areas of high housing density, technological advancement of blanket materials and deployment methods, as well as multi-structure protection strategies, are needed.
“The whole-house fire blanket is a viable method of protection against fires at the wildland-urban interface,” says lead study author Fumiaki Takahashi, a professor at Case Western Reserve University.
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“Current technology can protect an isolated structure against a relatively short wildfire attack and further technological developments are likely to enable this method to be applied to severe situations.”
Wildfires in urban and suburban settings can have a devastating effect on communities and pose one of the greatest fire challenges of our time.
People living and working in fire-risk areas contacted Professor Takahashi to find out if commercial products are available to help reduce the likelihood of structure ignition, which would reduce fire damage and improve public and firefighter safety. These pleas motivated the research and an initial investigation revealed that the concept of whole-structure fire blankets has been around for quite some time.
“I thought about a means to reduce wildland fire damage and found a U.S. patent ‘conflagration-retardative curtain’ i.e., a fire blanket, issued during World War II. In addition, the U.S. Forest Service firefighters managed to save a historic forest cabin by wrapping it with their fire shelter materials,” Takahashi reports.
While there are anecdotal reports on the ability of fire blankets to protect buildings from fires, Takahashi’s research highlighted a severe lack of scientific evidence to back up these claims. To rectify this, funded by a research grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the team conducted several experiments to test the ability of different blanket materials to shield structures against fires of increasing magnitude.
“The fire exposure tests determined how well the fire blankets protected various wooden structures, from a birdhouse in a burning room to a full-size shed in a real forest fire. We tested four types of fabric materials: aramid, fiberglass, amorphous silica, and pre-oxidized carbon, each with and without an aluminum surface. In addition, we conducted laboratory experiments under controlled heat exposure and measured the heat-insulation capabilities of these materials against direct flame contact or radiation heat.”
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The laboratory and real-fire assessments demonstrate that fire blankets could protect structures from a short exposure to a wildfire, but also highlight the technical limitations of their existing form. Further technological advancements are needed in the areas of material composition, deployment methods and multi-structure protection strategies.
Takahashi explains: “The fiberglass or amorphous silica fabrics laminated with aluminum foil performed best, due to high reflection/emission of radiation and good thermal insulation by the fabric. New technology is needed to enhance the fire blankets’ heat-blocking capability for an extended period to prevent structure-to-structure ignition.
He concludes by suggesting communities potentially affected by wildfires work together to turn the concept of whole-building fire blankets into a reality.
“The implication of the present findings is that the technical community, the general public, and the fire service must work together to take a step-by-step approach toward the successful application of this technology.”
Reprinted from Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering
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These two Utah firefighters went above and beyond the call of duty to calm an anxious little girl who had just gotten out of a car collision.
According to a Facebook post from the North Davis Fire District, Chief Hadley and Captain Lloyd were some of the first responders to arrive on the scene of the crash earlier this week.
Though none of the drivers or passengers were seriously injured in the collision, there was a screaming little girl who was “very scared” from the experience.
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“After noticing the child was holding bottles of fingernail polish, these two officers started talking to her about her polish and asked her if she would paint their nails,” says the post.
“Within minutes, the child was calmly paining their nails and had forgotten about the accident she had just experienced.”
Though the manicure was not necessarily the tidiest paint job, thousands of social media users have praised the firefighters for their kindness.
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Photo: by gfpeck – CC license on Flickr, cropped
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Simone Biles won five gold medals at the 2019 World Championships this weekend—more than any gymnast at a single Worlds since 1958—and earned her 25th career World medal (19 of them gold), a total that surpasses by two any gymnast’s in history.
With four Olympic gold medals and 19 World titles, Biles, at 22, is doing more difficult gymnastics now than she did in sweeping five Olympic medals at the 2016 Rio Games when she was 19.
While winning her sixth U.S. all-around title in Stuttgart, Germany, she thrilled audiences with two new signature moves never performed by a female gymnast in competition: a double twisting double tuck dismount off the balance beam, and a triple twisting double tuck during her floor exercise, an element that will bear her name in gymnastics, from now on, as the Biles II.
Tying and then breaking the record set by Vitaly Scherbo with her 23rd, 24th and 25th World medals, Biles added five of the six women’s World golds, a feat no woman has accomplished since Larisa Latynina in 1958.
In 2013, she performed a skill that was named Biles I, a double layout half out tumbling pass, which, to that point, had only been performed by men.
“I really don’t know how I do it sometimes,” Biles said. “Sometimes I wonder how I do it. I feel like it’s just like not me. I wish I could have an out-of-body experience to witness it.”
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Despite her seemingly super-human skill, Biles is very human, according to her coach, Laurent Landi. “With big champions, it’s all in-between the ears, it’s nothing physical. I know we talk about the physical abilities, but without this,” he said, tapping his head, “she would not be capable of doing what she does.”
Considered the greatest gymnast of all time, Simone has said that she will likely retire after 2020.
(WATCH the new Biles II and an interview after breaking the record) –Photos by Walt Disney Television (right) and vfutscher (left), CC license on Flickr
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For 50 years, the Kirtland’s warbler has been one of the most endangered birds on the planet.
In 1971, there were only around 200 singing male warblers left, surviving in just six counties in northern Michigan, within a particular area of jack pine forests specific to its nesting requirements.
When the Endangered Species Act was first signed into law in 1973, the tiny songbird was one of the first species added—and efforts were launched to save it. Today, after 90,000 acres of additional jack pine forests were created to support its habitat, a recent census that counted individual songs, found that their population had increased 11 fold, to 2,383 pairs—more than double the recovery goal.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have described the 50-year project as a regulatory and collaborative success story, citing the outstanding work of the Michigan State wildlife authorities who have worked for a half century to expand nesting habitat and reduce the population of brown-headed cowbirds—a predator species that competes by laying their eggs in warbler nests, the babies of which, when hatched, overcome the smaller warblers.
The revival of the notably loudmouthed songbird has been described as “a shining example of what it takes to save imperiled species,” by Margaret Everson, principal deputy director of the Fish and Wildlife Service.
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The warbler, with its beautiful golden bib in the center of azure-grey feathers, has spread geographically, expanding beyond the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan to areas in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin and Ontario.
Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the Kirtland’s warbler no longer warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act.
“Conservation will continue to require a coordinated, multi-agency approach for planning and implementing conservation efforts into the future,” FWS stated, citing the need for partnerships and “sufficient funding” to continue to ensure the population is stable.
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Historically, wildfires were the most important factor for establishing the natural jack pine forests that Kirtland’s warblers need for breeding habitat. Modern wildfire suppression greatly diminished the natural disturbance that once generated the perfect breeding habitat. In the absence of wildfire, land managers had to take an active role in mimicking natural processes that regularly occurred within the jack pine ecosystem—primarily through timber harvesting and human-assisted reforestation.
Today, the sale of jack pine timber on sites where reforestation will occur is critical to managing Kirtland’s warbler breeding habitat. Timber receipts offset the cost of replanting jack pine needed to support a viable population of nesting Kirtland’s warblers that would not otherwise be feasible through conservation dollars.
“Private forest owners are proud partners in this major milestone and committed to the long-term health of the Kirtland’s warbler,” said Dave Tenny, founding President and CEO of the National Alliance of Forest Owners.
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The successful management of the Kirtland’s warbler is a prime example of how cooperative conservation without conflict can produce a win-win for all.
Hat-Tip to World At Large, a news website of nature, science, health, politics, and travel.
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