Germany has shattered another record: In the first half of 2014, 31% of the entire country was powered by renewable energy. (Inhabitat)
Pioneering Surgery Lets 3 Brothers Smile for First Time, Now They’re Giving Back
The three Lori brothers were born with a rare condition called facial paralysis, which meant they couldn’t close their mouths, show facial expressions or even smile.
After dozens of doctors told them there was no hope for their sons, the family found Dr. Ronald Zuker, the pediatric plastic surgeon who pioneered a muscle transplant surgery.
They created their own charity, The Three Bears, to help other kids who are awaiting surgeries for their own smiles.
The boys bring teddy bears for the children to hug while on the operating table and offer words of encouragement that carry special meaning because they come from a child who knows what they are going through.
(WATCH the video or READ the story from TODAY)
They Said the Dog Could Never Have Pups – She Just Birthed 18 at Once
The vet told Holly that their family’s 3-year-old dog, Kimber, couldn’t have puppies, but the English Mastiff proved him wrong — in terrific fashion.
Little did they know, Kimber and their other Mastiff, Magnum, found a love connection and despite the vet’s prediction, the dog became pregnant.
The whole family was thrilled when the vet told them she would have ten puppies — but the surprises kept coming.
(WATCH the adorable video or READ the story from WTVA News)
First Woman to Win ‘Nobel Prize of Math’
Stanford University professor Maryam Mirzakhani made history this week by becoming the first woman to ever win the Fields Medal – known as the “Nobel Prize of mathematics” since its establishment in 1936.
“This is a great honor,” said Mirzakhani, who was born and raised in Iran. “I will be happy if it encourages young female scientists and mathematicians.”
The first Stanford recipient since Paul Cohen in 1966, Mirzakhani will be honored in recognition of her contributions to the understanding of the symmetry of curved surfaces.
The award recognizes Mirzakhani’s sophisticated and highly original contributions to the fields of geometry and dynamical systems, particularly in understanding the symmetry of curved surfaces, such as spheres, the surfaces of doughnuts and of hyperbolic objects. Although her work is considered “pure mathematics” and is mostly theoretical, it has implications for physics and quantum field theory.
‘Like solving a puzzle’
As a young girl in Tehran, she dreamed of becoming a writer. By high school, however, her affinity for solving mathematical problems and working on proofs had shifted her sights.
“It is fun – it’s like solving a puzzle or connecting the dots in a detective case,” she said. “I felt that this was something I could do, and I wanted to pursue this path.”
“I am sure there will be many more women winning this kind of award in coming years.”
Mirzakhani became known to the international math scene as a teenager, winning gold medals at both the 1994 and 1995 International Math Olympiads – she finished with a perfect score in the latter competition. Mathematicians who would later be her mentors and colleagues followed the mathematical proofs she developed as an undergraduate.
After earning her bachelor’s degree from Sharif University of Technology in 1999, she began work on her doctorate at Harvard University under the guidance of Fields Medal recipient Curtis McMullen. She possesses a remarkable fluency in a diverse range of mathematical techniques and disparate mathematical cultures – including algebra, calculus, complex analysis and hyperbolic geometry. By borrowing principles from several fields, she has brought a new level of understanding to an area of mathematics called low dimensional topology.
(READ more from Stanford News) – Story tip from Zaida
A World Without Heroes?
There may come a time when your world may be without anyone you admire or idolize. You may have lived a long life and they are all passed on, had your previous role models exposed as flawed human beings, or maybe you have just become numb to people who are outstanding yet, you can’t see them through the darkness. I’ve been at every stop along the way and I am here to tell you, there is no shortage of heroes.
In the past few months, I have thought about many of the folks I looked up to from my childhood. Elvis, John Wayne, my Uncle Roger, and a few others I held a profound respect for, are all gone. I was lucky to have some priceless memories with my Uncle and came to understand none of my heroes were perfect, but I knew deep down that perfection wasn’t what I was looking for anyway.
Elvis was as poor a boy who ever grew up here in the United States, faced his share of obstacles in life and succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations. He stayed humble and caring by all accounts and was able to inspire thousands of kids and adults alike to chase their dreams and enjoy the ride. You don’t have to be around a hundred years to be unforgettable….
As I age not-so-gracefully, I find myself admiring more people than ever.
I worked with a VERY flawed young man who overcame a destructive lifestyle and is on his way to a great life. Despite the bad choices and the heartache he has given his family, he has a Dad he respects and that loves him, an ambition that will see him succeed at anything he chooses to do, and dreams that I have no doubt will be fulfilled. Terry could be a hero to many.
I am lucky enough to have an aspiring writer (no I am NOT going to steal your idea of writing about loving cake, and not just because I am a PIE guy!) that allowed me in her life despite my offering very little in return. She has close friends whom she counts on and that count on her to share the joy and the unjoy of this thing we call life. She tries to inspire me to write when I can’t seem to find any words. She has a career that is full of death and despair yet sees the victories of those overcoming cancer first. Shelly makes it easy to see heroes can be heroines too.
Every week, I seem to run into a single-mother who, despite all the hard work and effort, brings up children in a happy and healthy atmosphere. They accept the reality of their world and do whatever they can to give their kids great memories. If I had to pick any class of human being, I think it would be these same Moms that get a standing ovation from me. Without them, where would our world be? Much worse I have no doubt….
Heroes don’t have to be running into a burning building, at war with an angry enemy, or a sports figure with endorsements. If you look around, people do compassionate and caring things every day. Heroes and heroines can be everyday people doing extraordinary things. They don’t do it for the publicity, money, or because we are keeping score. They simply are the human beings we aspire to be, and CAN be.
Are YOU a hero to anyone?
First published in TomsMiscRamblings.blogspot.com
Autistic Business Owners Capitalize on Strengths, Find Income and Joy
A growing movement to find work for autistic people is helping some start their own businesses.
Work requiring an attention to detail and with repetitive tasks is ideal for an autistic person who wants to start a business, says Gregg Ireland, co-founder of Extraordinary Ventures, a Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based organization that creates jobs for the autistic. Ireland’s son Vinnie, who is autistic, has a business doing yard work and landscaping.
(READ the AP story via the Minn. Star-Tribune)
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Image by Sal Falko, CC license
See How This Gorilla Mourns for her Friend Robin Williams (Photos)
In 2001, Robin Williams was invited to meet Koko, a gorilla who communicates in sign language and uses more than 1,000 words. The video of their visit, the two sitting together on the floor and tickling at The Gorilla Foundation in northern California, has been widely viewed on the internet (view it below).
On Tuesday the Foundation released a statement not only to express their condolences but also their belief that Koko was actually moved, too, and mourning the death of her friend.
The gorilla was in the room with when calls began coming into their office asking for reaction to the terrible news.
They recall that Koko was quiet and looked unusually thoughtful (see photo below, left).
On the Koko.org website, they wrote, “More phone calls about the news came in, and Koko overheard the one from a former colleague who had worked with Williams while filming a public service announcement for The Gorilla Foundation (based on his visit with Koko). The colleague’s voice broke at the end of the conversation. About a half an hour later, Koko in sign language said to Penny: ‘CRY Woman’.
At the end of the day, Koko became very somber, with her head bowed and her lip quivering (photo, right).”
In the video below documenting the meeting of Robin and Koko, the comedian makes the animal smile — something she hadn’t done for 6 months, since the passing of her lifelong gorilla companion at the age of 27.
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Ebola Vaccine Trial Nearly Ready to Start
A vaccine developed by scientists at the Public Health Agency of Canada is now available in enough doses to launch the first ever human safety trial of an ebola vaccine.
NewLink Genetics Corp has lined up two contract manufacturing companies and possibly a third and will be able to produce tens of thousands of doses of the vaccine within “the next month or two,” its chief executive said on Wednesday.
(READ the story from Reuters News)
Photo of vaccination by US Army
DC Teens Give Coats to the Needy With Encouragement in the Pocket
A group of Washington D.C. high school students participated in a service project to collect and distribute coats to people who needed them. What I love is that these amazing kids did more than distribute coats.
The high schoolers from Woodrow Wilson High School wrote encouraging notes and put them inside the pockets as a surprise for recipients.
They have also fed thousands of homeless people while offering smiles like those in the photo.
(READ the story BradAronson.com)
Hit the Reset Button in Your Brain
Summer vacations are more than a quaint tradition. Make sure you have a real one. Along with family time, mealtime and weekends, it is an important way that we can make the most of our beautiful brains.
“Taking breaks is biologically restorative,” concludes this op-ed in the New York Times by Daniel J. Levitin, a neuroscientist at McGill University and the author of a new book, The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload
”If we can train ourselves to take regular vacations — true vacations without work — and to set aside time for naps and contemplation, we will be in a more powerful position to start solving some of the world’s big problems. And to be happier and well rested while we’re doing it.”
(READ the story in the New York Times)
Photo by Dominique Cappronnier, via CC license
Strangers Donate to Buy Full Set of Teeth for Young Alabama Man
A 25 year-old Alabama man caught a virus two years ago that not only caused congestive heart failure and led to multiple surgeries including a heart transplant, it also led to the loss of all of his teeth.
Victor Boglin feels fortunate to have been given a new heart and new chance at life. But, as lucky as he was, he was still 25 years old with no teeth.
He couldn’t afford dentures and insurance didn’t cover them.
Lucky for Victor, his girlfriend learned about a charitable website that raises funds for deserving strangers.
52-Lives.org founder Jaime Thurston put out the call to friends and followers, many in her home countries of Australia and England, and raised the $1000 needed to pay an Alabama dental college for the top-to-bottom work.
“You have completely changed this man’s life,” Jaime wrote to her followers. “This is what 52 Lives is all about – Good people spreading kindness to strangers.”
“I was excited, I was surprised and in awe,” Boglin told a local newspaper. “It’s kind of unbelievable.”
To show his appreciation and give back, he wants to teach others about keeping their hearts healthy.
River Getting Reef-to-ridge Makeover to Save Salmon
The deep-blue Ten Mile River snakes down from the mountains through redwood forests and coastal wetlands before it flows past the rolling sand dunes of Mendocino County and into the sea.
The river and fishery are reeling from decades of logging, farming, diversions, pollution and other indignities inflicted by humankind. It is why conservationists led by the Nature Conservancy are working with a half dozen local ranchers on a program — the first of its kind in California — to restore the river’s wetland habitat and bring endangered coho salmon back from the precipice.
(READ the story in the San Francisco Chronicle)
Photo by David Eppstein, CC license
Three Little Girls Retake Viral Photo to Celebrate Remission From Cancer
The last time these three children were photographed together was a few short months ago when each was battling cancer and this picture was released.
On Saturday, Rheann Franklin, 6, Ainsley Peters, 4, and Rylie Hughey, 3, reunited for a photo session with Oklahoma photographer Lora Scantling.
They wanted to celebrate and share the happy news that in July each was told their diseases were in remission.
The new photos employ bright colors and movement to convey the good news.
(READ the story w/ photos at TODAY)
Son Surprises Mom With Her Dream Car (WATCH)
It took him a year to find the car, but he says her reaction “made it all worthwhile.”
Two years ago she lost her job and has been without a vehicle, after her old one broke down a year ago.
(WATCH the beautiful video below)
Camp Plants Seeds of Peace in Israeli and Palestinian Teens
Far from the war zone, Israeli and Palestinian teens arrived at a summer camp in Maine to learn to work together.
For years, the Seeds of Peace camp has promoted peace and dialogue between Arab and Jewish youth.
(WATCH the Making a Difference video from NBC News)
2010 camp photo by Bobbie Gottschalk
RELATED: Seeds of Peace Camp: Sowing Tolerance Among Former Foes (2010)
Washington DC: From Murder Capital to Boomtown in 25 Years
A quarter of a century ago, Washington DC had a fearsome reputation for crack abuse and rampant gun violence – it was the “murder capital” of the US. But now, once-blighted neighborhoods close to the centre of the capital are thriving.
After Washington had “bottomed out” in 1991, a virtuous cycle began as more affluent young professionals began to opt for the convenience and buzz of living closer to the city centre, often moving to handsome old buildings in areas that once had been considered too dangerous.
Residents old and new recognize that gentrification has meant a safer and more prosperous neighborhood. Homeowners have seen the value of their property rise. New commerce in the neighborhoods with shops and restaurants means people are making money and spending it too, in a prosperity cycle.
(READ the story from the BBC)
Little League Team Led to World Series by Ace Girl Pitcher
A 13-year-old Philadelphia girl is leading her team to the Little League World Series as a star pitcher with a 70-mph fastball.
In the semi-finals Mo’ne Davis threw a three-hitter Sunday to lead the Taney Youth Baseball Association Little League of Philadelphia to an 8-0 victory over a squad from Delaware.
She is an honor student in school and the 17th girl ever to make it to the finals of American Little League baseball.
(WATCH the video below or READ the story from ESPN)
Unchained After 50 Years, Raju Thrives on World Elephant Day
An orphaned elephant that spent half a century in chains is enjoying his freedom after being rescued in India.
Officials at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center were afraid Raju would never be able to reconnect with his own species.
“Three of our female elephants Laxmi, Chanchal and Sai Geeta ran up to him – their ears flapping wildly –a sign they were excited and delighted to meet him.
All of them were rescued from a life of suffering and now are known collectively as the Herd of Hope.
The animal charity hopes to raise £20,000 to help care for Raju on World Elephant Day, August 12, and help save more vulnerable animals.
In 2012, World Elephant Day was established to bring attention to the plight of Asian and African elephants. Death by poachers who want their ivory, loss of habitat and mistreatment of animals like Raju while in captivity, all are critical issues that need to be overcome so elephants can thrive.
(READ more about Raju’s rescue from the Telegraph)
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Kentucky State President to Share Salary With School’s Lowest-Paid
Raymond Burse hasn’t held a minimum-wage job since his high school and college years. Yet, the interim president at Kentucky State University decided that he would take a 25 percent salary cut to boost the wages of his school’s lowest-paid employees.
24 school employees, mostly serving as custodial staff, groundskeepers and lower-end clerical workers, will see their pay rise to $10.25 an hour thanks to Mr. Burse.
(READ the story in the Washington Post)
Story tip from Katherine – Campus photo of graduate Whitney M. Young (KSU)
New Display Screen Technology Could Correct Your Vision
Engineers have developed a prototype tablet display that compensates for an individuals’ vision problems.
The system uses software to alter the light from each individual pixel on the screen, based on the person’s glasses prescription.
The researchers also added a way to enhance the sharpness of the image.
(READ the story from the BBC)