Happy Birthday to the British film icon Michael Caine who turns 92 today. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, the 2-time Oscar winner also had 6 nominations for his roles in The Quiet American, The Cider House Rules, Hannah and Her Sisters, Educating Rita, Sleuth, and Alfie. Alongside Laurence Olivier, Paul Newman, and Jack Nicholson, Caine is the only other male actor to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting in five decades. WATCH some birthday highlights… (1933)
Record-Breaking Migration of Orange-Bellied Parrot Will be Flying High After Years of Conservation Work Pays Off
With the news headlines around the COP events full of general doom and gloom about species decline, it’s worth taking the time to meet one lucky bird that’s on the mend.
From as few as 17 known individuals, the orange-bellied parrots of Tasmania now number in the low hundreds after years of hard conservation work.
Recently, a new group of 28 captive bred juvenile parrots was sent to be released into Melaleuca, southwest Tasmania, to join an adult breeding and nesting colony near Five-Mile Beach.
This is vital for this species, which migrates to the coast of Queensland, Australia during the winter. During their short migration, the juveniles have to learn the various migration routes from experienced parrots who have made the flight before.
The release was carried out by the Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program, managed by the state’s Natural Resources and Environment Department, whose secretary, Madeleine Ogilvie, was ecstatic over the success of the program.
“Our wildlife experts predict that over 200 orange-bellied parrots will migrate north this breeding season, which would set yet another record,” she said.
BIRDS COMING BACK: Beloved Birds Return to Islands for First Time in 40 Years After Damming Damage Reversed
“That’s a remarkable turnaround compared to the 2015-16 breeding season, when only 15 nestlings were produced, and an estimated 35 birds migrated north.”
Last year, 92 parrots returned from their winter migration, which combined with 15 parrots released last spring, led to 105 nestlings being recorded, the most since the program began in 1994.
TASMANIAN WILDLIFE: A Baby Boom For Cutest Animal Not Seen in Australia for Decades: ‘Feels Like a Modern Jurassic Park’
It demonstrates the birds’ ability to survive and reproduce self-sustainably. Many of Tasmania’s birds are threatened with extinction, and they above all other animal families are on the steepest declines in the island state.
But the Department’s success with the orange-bellied parrots shows that if there is a will there’s a way.
SHARE This Nearly-Gone Bird Taking Wing Again Over Tasmanian Forests…
Swiss Man Reunited with Beloved Dogs After Polish Police Foil Kidnapping Plot
A Swiss man has his lucky stars and the Polish police to thank after they managed to foil a kidnapping plot against his two dogs.
The story comes from the Polish town of Szczecin, where a former municipal councilman from a suburb of Zurich fell into an elaborate theft and extortion campaign at the hands of a Polish man and a Norwegian.
Seduced by the Norwegian, whose name for statement purposes has been released merely as K, 59-year-old Rolf Wegmüller instead had his two Bolonka dogs stolen before facing a ransom demand of 1 million Swiss francs.
“They knew that I have a very emotional bond with my dogs. If I’d had a million francs at home, I would have handed over the money immediately,” Wegmüller told Swiss newspaper 20 minuten.
Eventually the ransom was reduced to a quarter, but Wegmüller demanded to see proof of his dogs’ life. At first they responded that proof would come in the mail in the form of the two animals’ heads, but they eventually sent a picture of the two dogs in a wood near the Polish border.
OTHER POLISH STORIES: Polish Olympian Auctions Silver Medal for Infant’s Heart Surgery, but Winning Bidder Won’t Accept It
It was this photo that led the Polish police to the northwestern city of Szczecin, where the suspects were arrested and the dogs taken into police custody and eventually into animal care. Arriving in Poland last week, the desperate Wegmüller was relieved to see his little fur babies again.
The police would end up catching K at the airport before he could fly home, with one Swiss lawyer commenting that such behavior carries a penalty of around 5 years in jail, whilst in Poland, the native member of the plot faces as much as 10.
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“I am sorry that K messed up his life at the age of 30, but I cannot forgive the fact that I was tortured in such a way,” Wegmüller said according to Notes From Poland. Despite the trauma, he is relieved to have his beloved pets back.
“The two of them are my everything. I can’t live without them. The police in Szczecin did the best job in the world.”
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Boy Who Offers Tombstone Cleaning Services Wins National Attention And Donates Profit to Funeral Charity
A boy in England who came up with a simple business washing tombstones has been flooded with offers and donations from all over the country.
After the national publicity, the young entrepreneur decided to donate 10% of profits to Stevie Stones, a charity that pays for memorials on behalf of families who have lost children.
It started as a class project; a pocket money idea. Ben from Derbyshire was washing his grandmother’s headstone, and decided to offer the service to his neighbors.
After his mother posted the job offer on social media, which Ben decided to call Guardians of the Headstones, it went viral, triggering thousands of responses.
“I found my mom, at half-five or six in the morning, counting all the responses we had,” Ben told the BBC. “There were almost too many to count, hundreds, maybe thousands. People were offering free haircuts, free sweets from a shop, free photography, lots of amazing things.”
Walking into school the following day, everyone had seen what had happened thanks to the school principal. Ben said that he was roundly congratulated for his enterprise, and felt that people he had known for years were kinder towards him.
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“It’s just how some people are just so kind and support even some of the weirdest ideas,” he said. “And there’s always a bit of good in the world and that’s lovely.”
KNOWING RIGHT FROM WRONG: 8-year-old Boy Trades His Skateboard for the Feral Kitten Kids Were Picking on
After Ben followed up on the offers by saying he would donate part of his proceeds to Stevie Stones, it too received a glut of attention, including one man among dozens who offered to donate $75 every month.
SHARE This Bright And Joyful Lad Who’s Set For A Comfortable Future…
Total Lunar Eclipse Will Pass Over North America Tonight – Here’s What to Know About This ‘Blood Moon’
The full moon in March will appear orange-red in the early morning sky as a result of a total lunar eclipse, and North Americans are positioned perfectly to see it.
Sometimes called a Blood Moon in the media for the coloration, it should probably be called a coral or a jasper moon, because it doesn’t look like any blood you’ve ever seen.
In any case, at 2:59 a.m. EDT (6:59 GMT) on March 14th, the Moon will pass into the deepest part of Earth’s shadow, known in eclipse lingo as the umbra and the moment of totality. The Sun, Earth, and Moon will be in perfect alignment, with the shadow from the light of the former falling over the latter.
32 minutes either side of totality, the Moon will still be in Earth’s shadow, and still appear orange-red, but the deepest red coloration won’t be seen. In total you get just over an hour of moon viewing time.
The reason the Moon turns orange red has to do with how the light from the Sun breaches the atmosphere. Sunlight contains a full color spectrum, and different wavelengths possess not only different colors, but different properties. Blue light scatters easily, NASA writes, when it comes in contact with the atmosphere, which is why the sky appears blue during the daytime.
As the Earth passes between the Sun and Moon, red light from our star, which moves at a more direct and lower velocity, penetrates Earth’s atmosphere at a shallow angle and is cast on the Moon in red.
Space.com shared a variety of links to watch parties and livestreams that will be tracking the lunar eclipse as it grows and wanes. Some will have visiting astronomers to answer viewers’ questions about lunar eclipses.
These include the Adler Planetarium in Illinois, and the Griffith Observatory in California.
Some South American time zones may also be able to watch, but at the longitude of Rio de Janeiro, dawn will be well underway.
WATCH a graphic on how and when it will happen…
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“Resilience means you experience, you feel, you fail, you hurt. But you keep going.” – Yasmin Mogahed
Quote of the Day: “Resilience means you experience, you feel, you fail, you hurt. But you keep going.” – Yasmin Mogahed
Photo by: Karim MANJRA (public domain)
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?
Good News in History, March 13
37 years ago today, the Seikan Undersea Tunnel was opened in Japan, leading to a dramatic increase in freight traffic between the northern island of Hokkaido and the central island of Honshu. The Seikan holds a variety of records, including being the longest undersea tunnel by total length (33.46 miles), as well as having the second-longest segment under the seafloor, being the second-longest main-line tunnel of any kind, and the second-deepest undersea tunnel at 740 feet below sea level, and 250 feet below the sea bed. The tunnel was built mainly on expectations of traffic between the two islands, but the government couldn’t predict the rise in air travel making the Seikan virtually redundant for passengers even before it was finished. READ more… (1987)
Mysterious Tunnels Sketched by Da Vinci Confirmed After 500 Years to be Hidden Under a Castle
A long-rumored network of secret tunnels associated with the Renaissance legend Leonardo da Vinci has been uncovered in Italy.
Italian researchers from Polytechnic University of Milan recently discovered the secret passageways beneath Sforza Castle—using radar, laser scanners, and other groundbreaking technology to verify their hunches.
Construction of the castle in Milan began in 1358, but the landmark was damaged during political unrest and was not finished until a renovation was completed about a hundred years later. Da Vinci was one of several artists eventually hired by the Duke of Milan to decorate the castle’s walls.
During that time period, Da Vinci also created sketches of secret passages underneath a castle. The drawings became famous, generating centuries of speculation. (See images of sketches, which are copyrighted, in a video below…)
Are there secrets buried beneath the castle? Do those passages actually exist?
Now, more than 500 years later, researchers have seemingly verified their accuracy.
“The results were far more significant and intriguing than we had anticipated,” wrote Polytechnic University architectural historian Francesca Biolo, in a recent article on Live Science. “We uncovered rooms on a second underground level and an additional passage running parallel to the known one.”
Da Vinci’s sketches, which date back to the 1490s, featured defensive fortifications below a structure that strongly resembled the silhouette of Sforza Castle.
The building has an extensive network of known underground passageways. One of the tunnels allowed Duke Ludovico to visit the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where his late wife who died during childbirth was buried. (That church also contains Da Vinci’s mural of The Last Supper). Some of the Sforza Castle passageways are still accessible today.
However, Biolo and her team of researchers believed the castle was still holding numerous secrets and thought that further exploration would reveal additional discoveries.
They were right.
Just one or two feet below ground
The researchers collaborated with Sforza Castle authorities and the engineering company Codevintec Italiana to conduct their surveys. Hoping to locate passageways or castle spaces that were either inaccessible or not previously identified, they used laser scanning, GPS, 3D ground-penetrating radar, and photogrammetry, which uses numerous photographs to construct a virtual 3D model.
Their efforts discovered a new passageway and additional subterranean rooms – some of which were just 1-2 feet below ground. Soldiers could have used this hidden tunnel to defend the castle in the event of an attack. The study also identified areas for further exploration in the future.
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But perhaps the greatest byproduct of the Polytechnic University exploration is that it provides a little more clarity on a mystery that has prevailed for centuries.
“This passageway is immortalized in Leonardo’s drawings and has long been the subject of legends and considerable speculation,” according to a press release. “But now, thanks to technology, it seems that its existence can be confirmed.”
REVEAL THE RENAISSANCE SECRETS For Art-Lovers By Sharing On Social Media…
Scientists Discover New Part of the Immune System
Most adults, especially considering what happened 5 years ago, now understand at least a little of how the human immune system works.
But a new study out of Israel has demonstrated that even after 120 years of research, there was a whole new component of that system which is now being theorized as a “gold mine” of potential antibiotics.
Inside each of our cells, the discovering team explains in their study, a tiny structure called a proteasome recycles damaged and dead proteins to make new ones, a vital and normal function of cellular repair and maintenance. However, the proteasome has another responsibility that immunologists have never identified: fighting off bacterial infections.
When infected by a bacteria like Salmonella for example, the proteosomes start turning those damaged proteins into weapons—immune compounds that rip into the external membrane of bacterial cells and kill them.
“We discovered a novel mechanism of immunity that is allowing us to have a defence against bacterial infection,” Professor Yifat Merbl, from the Weizmann Institute of Science, told the BBC’s James Gallagher on his team’s discovery. “It’s happening throughout our body in all the cells, and generates a whole new class of potential natural antibiotics.”
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Once the team identified the proteasome’s immune function, they tested the compounds it made on mice with pneumonia and sepsis. They found results similar to some established antibiotics. If their proteasome were inhibited, the mice were easier to infect with Salmonella.
Dr. Lindsey Edwards, a senior lecturer in microbiology at King’s College London told the BBC that because these proteasome-derived antimicrobials are made within us, any trials to test antibiotics based on these compounds would likely achieve safety requirements much faster.
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Antibiotic resistant bacteria are one of the greatest challenges facing modern medicine, and they are likely to grow greater still.
“In previous years it’s been digging up soil [to find new antibiotics], it is wild that it’s something we have within us, but comes down to having the technology to be able to detect these things,” Dr. Edwards said.
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A Circular Wooden ‘Stonehenge’ Discovered in Denmark Is 4,000 Years Old
In Denmark, the remnants of a ritual circle henge of wooden posts has archaeologists very excited.
Its connection with existing Neolithic structures in the vicinity—and further—to its similarities with henges in Britain, points to inter-connected Northern European beliefs and even organization.
Dating back 4,000 years to the late Neolithic, early Bronze Age period, it was found in the town of Aars during recent construction work. 45 timber posts once formed a circle that may have been aligned with celestial events, but they’ve long disintegrated.
In their place, a circle of post holes hint at their presence, as well as the possibility there may have been later modifications to the site.
“This is an extraordinary find,” says Sidsel Wåhlin, a curator at the Vesthimmerland Museum in Aars, in a statement. “The timber circle provides valuable insights into the ritual practices and social structures of this internationally connected prehistoric society. It is a testament to the rich archaeological heritage of Denmark.”
The timber circle is located in a ritual landscape that includes one of the few already known woodhenges from Denmark, 1.2 miles to the northwest, a significant burial ground with burial mounds from the late Neolithic and several settlements from the same period.
This context reinforces the significance of the discovery and suggests a complex and connected ritual and social environment in the area around Stenildgaard and Vesthimmerland.
“The timber circle is a window into the past, giving us an insight into the ceremonial and ritual activities of our ancestors,” said Andreas Bo Nielsen, excavation manager at the site.
As well as sharing similarities with other Danish woodhenges, there is also a striking parity with a known woodhenge in England, near Wiltshire.
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“It shows us that [prehistoric Britons and Danes] are sharing the same worldviews … on how to be farmers, how society connects with the supernatural,” Wåhlin told the Guardian.
The henge in Wiltshire is believed to have served the same purpose for local people as that which Stonehenge provided for the Neolithic Britons on the Salisbury Plain—a center for ceremony, perhaps festivities, and funerals.
SIMILAR ANCIENT EUROPE: 13,000 Years Ago, These Ancient Builders Carved a Calendar into Stone to Mark Destructive Occasion
It’s well known that Stonehenge was built to align with the Summer solstice, and other henges, both stone and wood, are believed to be constructed to similar standards, although official research and excavation of the Aars henge only began on February 24th.
Along with more precise dates, they hope to answer outstanding questions including whether the henge was enlarged at some point and whether the posts had been decorated.
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Bus Driver Saves the Day After Seeing a Boy Crying When He Forgot PJs On Pajama Day
A bus driver in Kentucky went far above and beyond the call of duty when he saw one of his regular riders in distress.
A child named Levi was crying when driver Larry Farrish Jr. arrived at his stop.
“Normally when I pull up, he’s standing there waiting for me with a big smile, but on this day, he was sitting on the ground with a jacket over his head,” Farrish Jr., 35, tells TODAY.com. “I asked him, ‘Hey buddy, what’s going on? What’s wrong?’”
It turned out that today was Pajama Day at Engelhard Elementary School, but Levi didn’t have any, so he was going to miss out on all the fun. He told Farrish Jr. the predicament he found himself in before he slunk to the back of the bus away from his friends.
“I thought, ‘I gotta fix this,” Farrish Jr. said, adding that he went to Family Dollar and picked up two pairs before rushing back to Engelhard and surprising Levi in class.
“I said, ‘You were hurting this morning, you were crying, so I got you these pajamas,” Farrish Jr. recalls. “He was so excited — you should’ve seen how his face lit up.”
Levi hugged the pajamas close to his chest and thanked his bus driver warmly, saying that he “did a happy cry.”
TODAY reports that Farrish Jr. had been both a truck driver and correctional officer but has found his calling with driving children to school. The school, located in Louisville, shared the story on their Facebook page, leading to a flood of Pro-Larry comments—with all agreeing the world could use more of him.
SIMILAR HELPING HANDS: Stray Pup Chases a Doggie Day-Care Bus and Gets Adopted
“Larry is the absolute best and kiddos know they are in great, caring, capable hands with him!!!” one commenter said.
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Breathtaking Lake Salda Is the Only Place on Earth That’s Like a Mars Crater, Scientists Say
In southwest Turkey, about 2 hours by car from Antalya, a mirror of turquoise water shimmers under the Anatolian sun that excites both the traveler and the scientist.
Lake Salda is the only known place on Earth that is analogous to the lake that once filled Mars’ Jezero Crater, and NASA’s Perseverance Rover team actually visited Lake Salda in the lead-up to its launch to study it.
Briony Horgan, a professor at Purdue University’s Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Department, traveled with the NASA team to Lake Salda, and after studying the area, said she felt as if she were looking at the ancient Jezero Crater lake.
Salda is “of that composition that was created at the bottom of an ocean when the oceanic crust ripped apart and made new crust straight out of the interior of the Earth,” which makes it a “planetary analog” to Mars, Horgan told CNN Travel.
Surrounded by green hills and beige rock, Lake Salda sits in what tour companies like to call the Turkish Lake District, and is a great place for hiking and enjoying nature. The area is home to 30 species of water bird, and the lake, with its enticing color, is great for responsible swimming.
Nearby are two ancient cities, Kibyra and Sagalassos, pending UNESCO World Heritage status, and the whole thing can be reached from Antalya with a short scenic drive through the countryside.
All three of these destinations may be in the background of the region’s most famous site, Paumakkale. Looking like something out of Yellowstone, the terraces of pearl white rock formations bubbling with geothermally heated water bring tourists from all over the world to bathe in it and marvel at the geology of the place.
But Lake Salda is equally worthy of geological esteem and the protections it should afford. In fact, the International Commission on Geoheritage (IUGS) announced the inclusion of Lake Salda on its list of the world’s Top 100 geological sites.
In recent years, environmentalists have called for greater protections on the lake and the surrounding ecosystem that grew up with it. Even though it is protected by Turkish law as a national conservation area, disturbances to the surrounding ecosystem, shrinking water levels, and pollution are still affecting it.
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Horgan described it as “a wonderful location that I hope many people get to see. But it’s the kind of place we should make sure we appreciate responsibly.”
Visitors can start by considering that the lake has no outflow, so any pollution or waste that enters it, remains. They can also steer clear of the exposed, coral-like structures of microorganisms that took millions of years to build up, some of which now stand exposed above the water level.
MORE TRAVEL STORIES: Italy’s Tourist Spots Are More Crowded Than Ever–But These Alternatives Are Also Breathtaking
There are no replacing these in any of our lifetimes, so if your son or a friend goes to snap a piece off to take home, explain to them that if every visitor did the same, what took millions of years to build would all be gone in just two or three.
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“Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended.” – L.R. Knost
Quote of the Day: “Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended.” – L.R. Knost
Image by: Ado Vabbe, 1926 ‘Kompositsioon’ (CC license – cropped)
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?
Good News in History, March 12
95 years ago today, Mahatma Gandhi began his historic Salt March to the sea, a protest against British salt taxes in India. The crowd of marchers grew as Gandhi walked for 24 days, a 240-mile trek (390 km) to the beach at Dandi where he produced salt without paying any tax to the nation’s British rulers, sparking similar acts nationwide. WATCH a historic newsreel… (1930)
Recovery of Endangered Marsupials is Utterly ‘Extraordinary’– Population Up 45% Since Australian Bushfires
On the heights of a mountain range just 30 miles west of Sydney’s Central Business District, the population of a charismatic marsupial was found to be ballooning despite recent fires.
Recorded at 45% higher than before Australia’s drought-wildfire combo of 2019, it was described as “nothing short of remarkable.”
The greater glider is an arboreal marsupial that can glide the distance of a football field using a long skin membrane that stretches between its arms and legs. With a diet composed exclusively of eucalyptus leaves, a lack of trees means a lack of gliders, and in the Blue Mountains, parts that were only lightly burned are positively full of these animals.
“It’s been fantastic to see greater gliders bounce back to well above pre-fire, pre-drought levels in the best and most lightly burnt habitat,” said Dr. Peter Smith, an experienced glider biologist, and author of the study that included the new population estimates. “Because of their low reproductive rate, we didn’t think that they’d be capable of making such a strong recovery. The rapid increase in numbers is extraordinary.”
On one night, he and his co-author/wife Judy used powerful flashlights to spot 59 gliders overhead in a single corridor located by the southern edge of the Blue Mountains National Park and near the adjoining Mares Forest National Park and Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve.
Gliders are not just vulnerable to logging and wildfires, they carry a mere one joey per year, and so have been assumed to be far more at risk than similar marsupials with greater fecundity.
Other surveys proved less-joyful, though. In some areas where the eucalyptus had not recovered from the 2019 fires, there were no gliders at all. Another way to look at that might be: provided eucalyptus trees can be restored to degraded habitats, gliders can take care of themselves.
MORE AUSTRALIAN CUTIES: Second-Ever Elusive Night Parrot Egg Discovered in Australia Where it Had Been ‘Extinct’ for 100 Years
“That’s why the remaining greater glider strongholds are so important,” Dr. Smith told WWF Down Under. “The forests in Mares Forest National Park and the southern end of Blue Mountains National Park now support exceptional numbers of greater gliders and are vital for the species’ recovery in this region.”
As to why this species might have been so much more well-stocked, Smith reckoned it was because of the increased rainfall in recent years, driving more heavy vegetation among the trees this flying possum calls home.
WATCH a video to learn how Australia is helping their glider population…
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Epigenetic Science Reveals Potential Method for Stopping Malaria’s Resistance to Medications
The science of epigenetics, or the adaptive changes to DNA in response to life stressors, may have uncovered a new and dynamic antimalarial medication.
Plasmodium falciparum, aka malaria, remains the most deadly infectious disease faced by man, a position it has maintained for thousands of years as it causes hundreds of thousands of deaths annually.
Malaria vaccines, malaria medication, and targeted mosquito treatments have allowed for remarkable progress in the control of this complex, multi-stage parasite, including eradication from countries inside the malaria belt such as Egypt and Cape Verde.
Now though, a multinational team has uncovered a feature in the epigentics of the malaria parasite that controls for a suite of genes. Called a chromatin remodeler, with the abbreviation PfSnf2L, the team believes it could lead to a whole new class of antimalarial medication.
Epigenetics are one of life’s primary drivers of adaptations. They are why human beings who live at high altitude have more oxygenated blood than lowlanders, and why traditional divers and fishermen have greater lung capacities than others of the same ethnic background.
They are in effect, a defense mechanism against stress.
Professor Markus Meißner from LMU Munich and Professor of Biochemistry Gernot Längst from the University of Regensburg led the study team, which found how PfSnf2L is essential for P. falciparum to dynamically adjust gene expression.
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“The unique sequence and functional properties of PfSnf2L led to the identification of a highly specific inhibitor that only kills Plasmodium falciparum,” explains Längst.
“This inhibitor represents a new class of antimalarials, potentially targeting all life cycle stages,” adds Professor Meißner.
MORE MALARIA MEDICATION: New Mosquito Nets Prevent Millions of Malaria Cases in Insecticide-Resistant Areas
Längst described malaria as one of the most “adaptable diseases we face,” and its potential to develop resistance to existing treatments presents the threat of a severely demoralizing impediment to reducing the malarial burden in world society.
“Future work will focus on testing small molecules that inhibit the parasite’s epigenetic machinery and exploring their effectiveness in preclinical models,” concludes Meißner.
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World’s Biggest Underground Thermal Lake Discovered in Albania
The little country of Albania was recently discovered to be harboring a giant secret: the largest geothermally-heated underground lake in the world.
Discovered in 2021 by Czech scientists, geopolitical troubles on the border region with Greece saw them depart before a proper investigation of the cave could be made.
What they did find though was a massive column of steam rising out of the hills in an area around the town of Leskovik. Approaching it, they encountered a massive abyss descending 330 feet (100 meters) under the Earth. Exploring down, they found this massive lake of turquoise water that was geothermally heated.
Funded by a research grant from the Neuron Foundation, which supports pioneering scientists in Czechia, the team was able to return in 2024 for a proper study.
The scientists used state-of-the-art technologies during the expedition, including a mobile LiDAR scanner, which allowed for detailed mapping of the underground spaces. Precise geodetic measurements created a comprehensive map of the Atmos Cave and other nearby caves, such as Sulfur, Breška, and Kobyla, which were already discovered in 2021.
“It’s something that could have a huge impact on understanding underground ecosystems and geological processes,” Marek Audy, a caver and scientist in the research team, told Nat Geo CZ. “We want to look at other parts of the cave, learn more about the geology and biology of this area.”
The LiDAR survey produced a total size of 454 feet (138 meters) of length and 138 feet (45 m) of depth. With over 8,000 cubic meters of water, it contains more 3.5 Olympic swimming pools of water volume, making it larger than the previously-recognized subterranean heated lake in the world in Hungary.
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They named it Lake Neuron after the foundation that funded them.
“I am incredibly proud that we could support Czech scientists in such a groundbreaking project,” Monika Řasa Vondráková, director and co-founder of the Neuron Foundation, said in a statement.
MORE WORLD WONDERS: Oceanographers Explore Underwater Mountain Bigger Than Mount Olympus Teeming with Wonders
“This achievement underscores the importance of supporting scientists directly in the field, where their expertise and dedication lead to new discoveries. Expeditions like these are vital for advancing science and expanding our understanding of the world around us.”
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New Deepfake Detector Inspects Pixels to Uncover Falsehoods on Your Phone Within 6 Seconds
A Chinese smartphone manufacturer is preparing to debut a new deepfake detection software, which it says uses AI to detect AI.
Embodying the schoolyard concept of it takes one to know one, the company says it analyzes the millions of individual pixels on a phone screen to look for things like faceswaps or other AI artifacts.
The pixel-level flaws include issues with border compositing, irregularities between video frames, and unusual facial features like face-to-ear ratios or hairstyle anomalies.
Called the GUI for Graphic User Interface, it was developed by the Chinese smartphone operator HONOR, and is included in the company’s new Magic Pro 7 smartphone.
It’s preparing the device for a presentation at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month, Reuters reports.
OTHER PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET: Intel Unveils Real-Time Deepfake Detector, Claims 96% Accuracy Rate
Generating a percentage chance that what you’re looking at might be generated or influenced by AI, the software works in just 6 seconds.
Other features on the phone include voice-command photo modification, allowing photography fans to remove elements in their pictures with their voice.
WATCH the story from Reuters and see what else their phone can do…
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“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” – Kenji Miyazawa
Quote of the Day: “We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” – Kenji Miyazawa
Photo by: rudis (CC license)
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Good News in History, March 11
40 years ago today, Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union. His policies of glasnost (“openness”) and perestroika (“restructuring”) and his negotiations with President Reagan over strategic nuclear arms contributed to the end of the Cold War, ended the Communist Party’s hold on governing, inadvertently led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and won him a Nobel Peace Prize. Born into a Ukrainian-Russian peasant family, Gorbachev wrote books and lectured long into his retirement. GNN memorialized the man who ended the Cold War upon his death in 2022. READ an excerpt from the article… (1985)