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Dogs in UK Are First to Be Trained to Sniff Out Bowel Cancer–After Nailing Parkinson’s and COVID

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Jodie the yellow Labrador sniffs out cancer – Medical Detection Dogs Charity / SWNS
Jodie the yellow Labrador sniffs out cancer – Medical Detection Dogs Charity / SWNS

These clever dogs are the first in the UK to be trained to sniff out bowel cancer.

The Medical Detection Dogs charity began a groundbreaking study in 2024 to teach seven pooches how to detect tumors simply by smelling urine in pots.

Following the first part of their training, the cocker spaniels, Labradors, and retriever are showing real signs of success.

SWNS news reported the results have proven to researchers that they can sniff out bowel cancer in urine. But in a few months they will face a new stage of double blind tests, before the results are confirmed 100%.

The charity hopes the dogs will deliver an accurate and more sensitive early-stage bowel cancer detection method quicker than humans, which could improve healthier outcomes and help save lives.

All the bowel cancer dogs and the other pups at Medical Detection Dogs are trained to sniff out Parkinson’s disease, pseudomonas, COVID-19, Addison’s disease, and heart conditions like postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

“The charity has been investigating the odor of diseases for 15 years,” said Gemma Butlin, head of communications at the charity in Milton Keynes, 50 miles north-west of London. “The bowel cancer study is new to us, but detection is not.”

The training program involved early scent training, learning the “game” in which they had to detect a disease in sample pots of urine. The sample sizes got smaller, and the dogs eventually needed to learn to sniff the disease out in samples from patients with other conditions.

Cocker spaniel sniffing urine to detect cancer – Medical Detection Dogs / SWNS

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Sample pots from Hull University Teaching Hospitals are placed on interactive metal stands designed by The Open University, which feed through to a computer. Every sniff is logged, and the dogs tell humans with a signal—like standing still—if they detect cancer.

“When they sniff the odor, they give us a signal such as sitting or standing to indicate the smell.

“If they identify a positive sample, which takes less than 10 seconds, they’ll get lots of treats, cuddles, and affection.”

Gemma said that each pup also spends time bonding with their trainer, having “lots of fun” in the process.

POPULAR: Stray Pup Chases a Doggie Day-Care Bus and Gets Adopted

“The first and most important thing is that we need to prove that they can smell cancer from the samples. At the moment, we’ve got them smelling 1ml of urine per pot—which, as you can imagine, is a minimal amount.

Many of the samples will also have other diseases the dogs will need to sniff through. The same method has already been used to detect prostate cancer and bladder cancer from these urine samples.

The dogs joined the charity when they were eight weeks old and came from breeders or rescue organizations—but now the champs are having their own pups.

CHECK THIS OUT: Dog That Won’t Stop Digging Saves Entire Neighborhood After They Find Dangerous Gas Leak Underground

“We’ve just welcomed our second-ever litter of puppies from our dogs, so we’re hoping to source more of them ourselves.”

SHARE THE CANCER HEROES With Dog Lovers On Social Media…

Is the Food at a Super Bowl Party More Exciting Than the Game? Survey Ranks Top Menu Items

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Photo by No Revisions
Photo by No Revisions

Less than half of Americans actually care which football team wins the Super Bowl—but a large majority will be gathering with friends for the annual big game.

According to a new survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, one in four respondents are more interested in the food being served than watching the game on February 9th.

54% of those polled believe the food spread has the power to make or break the entire experience. In fact, the food was voted to be more exciting than the commercials by 38%, and more anticipated than the halftime show by nearly half.

Conducted by Talker Research, the survey aimed to rank the best foods to pair with football across a variety of categories.

When asked to name the top food necessary to have on hand for a successful watch party, buffalo or hot wings came out on top with 49% choosing them. Barbecue took second place with 37% of the vote and seven-layer dip was the must-have, according to 36%.

Six in 10 respondents said they participating in a game day party—either hosting or attending. If hosting, more than half were planning the menu weeks in advance.

According to the survey, the menu should be a mix of sweet and savory snacks, with necessary players to include nachos (30%), cookies or brownies (25%) and potato chips (24%).

Chicken tenders or nuggets (22%) and pizza (20%) also made the top 10 foods people would want on their plate.

TheFoodJunk, CC license

Commissioned by TUMS, the survey also found that some big game food favorites often come with a price: heavy snacking on spicy foods like buffalo wings, hot chili, and jalapeño poppers, can lead to consequences like heartburn, indigestion, or upset stomach. Nearly one in four experience occasional heartburn from such foods, and some even bring antacids to the party.

GOT A PRE-GAME RITUAL? A Third of American Sports Fans Believe Their Pre-Game Ritual Increases Chances Their Team Will Win

But, watch out, because you may get heartburn from your team’s performance—especially if you’re rooting against the Kansas City Chiefs, as they try to three-peat as three time world champs.

MORE: Most Americans Say the BEST Part of the Super Bowl is Not the Actual Game

Diver Fulfills His Dream to Photograph the Cutest Sea Creature Ever – Discovered Just 30 Years Ago

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The adorable Costasiella sea slug by Yusuke Fukami (via SWNS)
The adorable Costasiella sea slug by Yusuke Fukami (via SWNS)

This may be the most adorable sea creature in the world—and seeing one face-to-face has been on the bucket list for a Japanese scuba diver until now.

Yusuke Fukami fulfilled that dream by capturing underwater photographs of the cartoon-like Costasiella sea slug recently while in Bali.

He traveled to a diving spot in Tulamben, a small fishing village on the north-east coast.

“Meeting this creature was why we visited Tulamben, so when we finally found one, I was really delighted to have achieved my purpose.”

Yusuke, from the Japanese coastal city of Kanagawa, went on his trip in December hoping to run into one of the pink-tipped sea slugs found only in the tropical island waters of Southeast Asia. His reservations at the Noble Bali diving resort paid off.

“It was so cute that I was like ‘Ahhhhhhhh it’s cuuuuuuute’ when I was taking photos of it in the sea.”

A leaf sheep sea slug (Costasiella kuroshimae) by Christian Gloor (cropped) Wikipedia / CC BY 2.0

WORTH A GRIN: Comedy Wildlife Photo Winners for 2024 Are Positively Adorable 

The tiny sea slug species Costasiella kuroshimae was first discovered only 30 years ago off the coast of a Japanese island.

A mollusk without a shell, it has two dark eyes and two sensing organs called ‘rhinophores’ that emerge from the top of its head and look like sheep’s ears—thus its apt nickname ‘leaf sheep’.

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The slugs measure only about 1⁄4 to 3⁄8 inch in length (5-10 mm). They feed on algae which allows them to indirectly perform photosynthesis, one of the few animals that can derive energy much like a plant.

SHOW THIS ‘SHEEP SLUG’ TO YOUR FRIENDS BY Sharing On Social Media…

She Hasn’t Purchased Groceries in 4 Years–All Her Food Comes From Dumpsters Behind Supermarkets–LOOK

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Sofie Juel-Andersen with dumpster diving groceries – SWNS
Sofie Juel-Andersen with dumpster diving groceries – SWNS

A woman has found a positive side to the problem of food waste—and now gets all her groceries for free from supermarket dumpsters.

Sofie Juel-Andersen began her dumpster diving saga while living in Sydney, Australia, taking only fresh produce from designated bins, but soon realized she could find everything she needs.

“My sister sent me a photo of some hidden treasures she’d found dumpster diving. I knew about it, but I’d never seen it as an option to put food on the table.”

She went with a friend to scout some supermarket bins around Sydney and was instantly converted. They found a lot of veggies, and even though the 30-year-old has always been able to afford food, she realized this could be a very cost-effective way to fill her shelves at home.

“It was always supermarket dumpsters,” she explained. “Never in the back of restaurants or private homes (because depending on where you live, it could actually be illegal to do that).”

“What I found was insane. It was filled with food—some of it had expired, but a lot hadn’t.

“It was like a treasure hunt for me. I quickly realized that there was so much good food in the dumpsters, I didn’t need to go shopping anymore.” (See for yourself in the video below…)

“There would literally be two dumpsters in the back of a supermarket filled with packaged food, like whole chickens, frozen pizzas, and drinks. We once found 300 cans of Diet Coke still in their boxes and saw an entire box of kombucha bottles which had been thrown out because one of them was damaged.”

Sofie Juel-Andersen with her dumpster haul

“Mainly, though, it’s usually food which expired one or two days ago.”

Sofie carried on dumpster diving when she moved back to Denmark in 2022 and over the past four years, the Danish woman has only bought household items such as toilet paper, dish soap, and toothpaste, at the grocery store—last year spending just $100 in supermarkets.

By sourcing her food from the piles designated for a landfill, Sofie saves thousands of dollars annually and has used that cash to travel the world.

“The money I have saved allows me the freedom to travel. I spent a lot of my money on visiting friends around the world,” the restaurant manager told SWNS news.

Over the last four years Sofie has been to Kenya, Argentina, Italy, Spain, and Dubai.

“It allows me the freedom to work less, too. I only work three days-a-week. Dumpster diving allows me the freedom to spend more on the things I love.”

LOOK AT HER FREE STUFF: She Finds Thousands in New Christmas Gifts and Decor After the Holidays in the Dumpsters Behind Big Stores

By Sofie Juel-Andersen (via SWNS)

Sofie loves dumpster diving so much that she even got her family involved—including her parents, siblings, cousins, and grandparents—and when they go on holidays, they dumpster dive as a family.

“My friends and colleagues in Sydney thought it was super gross and just didn’t understand, but when I showed them the photos and videos from my Instagram, they were blown away. They said it was just like food they’d buy at the supermarket!”

She visits her favorite dumpsters either a few times per week or every two weeks, because she finds so much. “My fridge is always full.”

Sofie said her food-rescue mission has evolved from a treasure hunt to ‘everyday activism’. “I want to create awareness about food waste, but also about how we view food and how it can still be good even though the date has expired or the vegetable has a bump on it.”

Sofie’s top tips for first-time dumpster divers:

1. In the beginning, it might be nice to take a friend with you
2. Check the law first to see if dumpster diving is illegal in your area
3. You may not always strike gold the first time–but keep going
4. Always bring wet wipes and sanitizer to keep yourself clean
5. Be kind and respectful to employees who may ask you to leave
6. If you find a big stash of the same item, share it—you never know who really needs it…

SHARE THE IDEA WITH FRIENDS–And Arrange a Dumpster Date–On Social Media

“There are never enough I Love You’s.” – Lenny Bruce

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By Fellipe Ditadi / Unsplash+

Quote of the Day: “There are never enough I Love You’s.” – Lenny Bruce

Photo by: Fellipe Ditadi for Unsplash+

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?

Fellipe Ditadi for Unsplash+

‘70’ Really is the ‘New 60’ – Aging Adults Function Better Today Than Previous Generations in Both Body and Mind

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By Jan de Keijzer –(cropped / pubdomain)
Credit: Jan de Keijzer (Unsplash, public domain)

Age-related declines experienced by older adults have significantly slowed down, according to a new study published last month in Nature Aging.

Improvements in education, nutrition, and sanitation across the 20th Century likely played key roles in the improvements of cognitive, locomotive, psychological, and sensory capacities.

The study—from the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center at the Mailman School of Public Health—uncovered significant improvements in the health of older adults in England when compared to previous generations.

Instead of measuring health as the presence or absence of disease, researchers applied a new approach that examined trends in people’s functioning – their cognitive, locomotive, psychological, and sensory abilities.

Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, the new analysis found that older adults today experience higher levels of physical and mental functioning than previous generations did at the same age.

“These improvements were large,” said author of the study Professor John Beard, PhD, of Columbia University.

“For example, a 68-year-old born in 1950 had a similar capacity to a 62-year-old born a decade earlier, and those born in 1940 had better functioning than those born in 1930 or 1920.” Beard noted, “If we had compared someone born in 1950 with someone born in 1920, we would have likely observed even greater improvements.”

Beard says that medical advances—such as joint replacements and better treatments for chronic conditions—were also likely to be contributing factors.

“We were surprised by just how large these improvements were, particularly when comparing people born after World War II with earlier-born groups.” said Beard.

SLOW DOWN DEMENTIA: High Levels of Physical Fitness Linked to Lower Dementia Risk in Those with Family History

“But there is nothing to say we will continue to see the same improvements moving forward, and changes such as the increasing prevalence of obesity may even see these trends reverse. It is also likely that more advantaged groups will have experienced greater gains than others. But overall, the trends were very strong and suggest that, for many people, 70 really may be the new 60.”

Aging expert Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois praised the study, stating, “This is a powerful article. It shows that intrinsic capacity—what really matters to people as they age—is inherently modifiable. With this evidence, we see that medical science can enhance intrinsic capacity, providing a hopeful message for the future.”

Beard and his colleagues undertook similar analyses in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). They found similar trends, although this analysis was limited by the much shorter follow-up period in the Chinese study compared to the English study.

Further studies in other countries could confirm if the same trends could be measured across different populations.

MUSIC FEEDS THE BRAIN: Singing or Playing Music Throughout Life is Linked with Better Brain Health While You Age

(The research was supported by the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research at the University of New South Wales; Centre for Society and Mental Health at King’s College London; the National Social Science Foundation of China; and the National Institute on Aging.)

SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS: Share The News On Social Media… 

Mysterious Clay Mounds on Mars Were Formed by Ancient Water, Says New British Study (Photos)

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Clay mounds on Mars were formed by ancient water – via SWNS / UK Space Agency
Clay mounds on Mars were formed by ancient water – via SWNS / UK Space Agency

A new British study reveals the mysterious mounds found on Mars were formed by ancient water.

Thousands of mounds and hills in the Red Planet’s barren northern plains are full of clay minerals, providing evidence that the rocks here were once soaked with water.

These mounds are all that is left of a landscape, roughly the size of the UK, that has been almost entirely eroded away, according to the study funded by the UK Space Agency.

Dr. Joe McNeil, a researcher at London’s Natural History Museum, along with collaborators at The Open University used high-resolution images and compositional data captured by Mars orbiters to understand the geology of the mounds.

The team discovered that the mounds, which are up to one-third of a mile high (.5 kilometer), are the remnants of ancient highlands which retreated by hundreds of kilometers after erosion wore away the terrain billions of years ago.

These actions played a key role in shaping the Martian landscape which divides the planet’s low-lying northern hemisphere from its higher-elevation southern hemisphere.

A ‘True-color’ image of Mars released in February 2007 shows familiar red planet – via SWNS

The mounds are made of layered deposits containing clay minerals, formed through water interacting with rock over millions of years.

These clay layers are sandwiched between older, non-clay layers below and younger, non-clay layers above, marking distinct geological events in Mars’ history.

Clay mounds on Mars’ Northern plains were formed by ancient waters – via SWNS and UK Space Agency

“These mounds are incredibly exciting because they preserve the complete history of water in this region within accessible, continuous rocky outcrops,” said Dr. McNeil.

DID YOU SEE? NASA Stunned by Discovery After Mars Rover Breaks Open a Rock

“They are a prime location for future missions aimed at uncovering whether Mars ever had an ocean and whether life could have existed there.”

The study also reveals that the mounds are geologically linked to the nearby plains of Oxia Planum, where the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin rover is departing to in 2028—looking for signs of past and present life.

By piecing together Mars’ ancient past, scientists are uncovering the story of a planet that may have once been capable of supporting life.

MORE, PLEASE: Scientists Puzzling Over Bright White Rock on Mars – the First of its Kind, Never Seen Before

“Mars is a model for what the early Earth might have looked like, as its lack of plate tectonics means that much of its ancient geology is still in place,” McNeil continued. “As more missions visit the red planet, the more we’ll be able to dig into our own planet’s history to work out how life began.”

SHARE THE FACTS AND PHOTOS With Mars-Lovers On Social Media…

Pub Owner Adopts Dog After it Dashed into Bar When Owner Died in Car Crash–Now He’s a Local Favorite

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Shih Tzu dog named Rex adopts English pub as new home –SWNS
Shih Tzu dog named Rex adopts English pub as new home –SWNS

An adorable dog was adopted by a kind-hearted pub manager after the pooch’s owner died in a car crash.

The two-year-old Shih Tzu named Rex dashed into the busy bar after surviving the tragic car accident.

Regulars at The Leaping Wolf in Wolverhampton, England, were left startled when the lost pooch ran into the pub during a football match.

Manager Dan Morris caught the runaway pup and took him to the veterinarian to see if he was OK and inquire about where he could have come from. But, Dan was shocked to learn that Rex’s owner had passed away.

That’s how the frisky pup came to be a new regular at the pub—and a real hit with locals.

“It was last year’s Liverpool versus Wolves match, it was crammed inside and outside the bar,” said the 33-year-old barkeep.

“Everyone said there was a dog running around and we had no idea where he came from.”

Dan Morris with Shih Tzu dog adopted by his pub – SWNS

“He has been great, all the customers love him and they even buy him presents.

“He loves attention, he loves treats… He’s so spoiled: if we have takeaway, he has takeaway, if we have roast dinner he has roast dinner.

“When we first took him, there was a period where it was difficult. When you’re trying to run a business and a new dog is running around the place it can be tough. But now he just likes to sit down and chill—its like he’s found his home now.

“He’s well trained and we’re so thrilled to have him with us.”

He also now acts ‘like a bouncer’ for The Leaping Wolf with his uncanny ability to sniff out troublemakers. He’s been known to bark at visitors who tend to be the ones that end up causing trouble in the pub.

Shih Tzu Rex at The Leaping Wolf pub, his new home – SWNS

“He sits and waits for people to come in and inspects them. We don’t know how he knows which guests are up to no good, but he’s usually right,” Dan told SWNS news.

ANOTHER HAPPY ENDING: Saddest Dog in Town Spent Over 2 Years at a Shelter But Finally Gets a Home for Christmas

“He’s a really well behaved dog—but I think he needs a girlfriend.”

PUT A SMILE ON SOMEONE’S FACE: Share the Pub Dog’s Good Fortune On Social Media…

Your New Weekly Horoscope from ‘Free Will Astrology’ by Rob Brezsny

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Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of January 25, 2025
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Aquarian author Virginia Woolf extolled the virtues of cultivating a supple soul that thrives on change. She pledged to be relentless in her commitment to be authentically herself and not succumb to groupthink. I recommend you make these two of your featured themes in 2025. A Woolf quote to inspire your efforts: “Movement and change are the essence of our being; rigidity is like death. Let us say what comes into our heads and follow our most fantastic fancies.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
As winter progresses, each day is longer and each night shorter. Most humans feel an undercurrent of joy that the amount of light in the world is growing. But as an astrologer who appreciates cycles, I like to honor the beauty and powers of darkness. That’s where everything new gets born! It’s where the future comes from! In ancient Hawaiian religion, the word kumulipo meant “beginning-in-deep-darkness.” It was also the name of a prayer describing the creation of the world. In the coming weeks, I believe you will be wise to tap into the rich offerings of darkness.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Author Anais Nin wrote, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” I bring this to your attention because you Aries folks now have a mandate to expand your life through courageous acts, thoughts, and feelings. I suggest we make the Arctic fox your power symbol. This intrepid creature undertakes epic migrations, journeying over 2,000 miles across sea ice, using starlight and magnetic fields to navigate. Let’s dare to speculate that you have something in common with it; let’s propose that you are equipped with an inner guidance system that gives you a keen intuitive sense of how to maneuver in unfamiliar territory. PS: Anais Nin has another tip: “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Taurus archeologist Howard Carter made a spectacular discovery in 1922: the intact tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, more than 3,300 years after his death. It was filled with over 5,000 artifacts, became a global sensation, and to this day remains the most famous find from ancient Egypt. A short time before he succeeded at his five-year quest, Howard Carter nearly gave up. But then his sponsor agreed to provide funds for a few more months, and he continued. In this spirit, Taurus, I urge you to keep pushing to fulfill your own dream. Renew your faith. Boost your devotion. Remember why you feel so strongly.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest telescope in space. Recently, it discovered hundreds of galaxies that no humans had ever before beheld. They are very old, too—far more ancient than our own Milky Way Galaxy. I propose we make this marvelous perception-enhancing tool a symbol of power for you. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you now have a robust potential to see things that have always been invisible, secret, or off-limits to you. Some of these wonders could motivate you to reinterpret your life story and reshape your future plans.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Psychologist Abraham Maslow defined “peak experiences” as “rare, exciting, oceanic, deeply moving, exhilarating, elevating experiences that generate an advanced form of perceiving reality, and are even mystic and magical in their effect upon the experimenter.” The moment of falling in love is one example. Another may happen when a creative artist makes an inspiring breakthrough in their work. These transcendent interludes may also come from dreamwork, exciting teachings, walks in nature, and responsible drug use. I bring these ideas to your attention, Cancerian, because I believe the months ahead will be prime time for you to cultivate and attract peak experiences.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
In the coming months, be extra creative as you enhance your network of connections and support. Encourage your allies to provide you with tips about opportunities and possibilities that you would not otherwise know about. Ask them to serve as links to novel resources that will nurture your long-term dreams. Here’s an idea to energize your efforts: Get a vivid sense of how trees use vast underground fungal webs to communicate with each other. Knowing about this natural magic may impregnate your subconscious mind with evocative suggestions about how to be ingenious in weaving the kind of community you want.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
I love my job as a horoscope writer. What could be more fun than analyzing cosmic signs to generate inspirational counsel for my readers? It’s a big responsibility, though. I am intensely aware of how crucial it is that I craft my messages with utmost care and compassion. Having been scarred as a young adult by reckless, fear-mongering fortune-tellers, I’m rigorous about nurturing your free will, not undermining it. I want you to be uplifted, not confused or demoralized as I was. With these thoughts in mind, I invite you to take a vigorous inventory of the effects that your work and play have on the world. Are they aligned with your intentions? Are your ambitions moored in impeccable integrity?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Why are diamonds considered so valuable? I’m skeptical. High-grade diamonds are not as rare as public perception would lead us to believe. Yes, they are extraordinarily hard and scratch-resistant, but is that a reason to regard them as a sublime treasure? I acknowledge they are pretty in a bland way. But other gems are more intriguingly beautiful. Maybe the most important reason they are so prized is that diamond sellers have done effective marketing campaigns to promote them as symbols of love and luxury. All this is a prelude to my main message: Now is an excellent time to think and feel deeply about what is truly beautiful to you—and take steps to bring more of it into your life. For you Libras, beauty is an essential ingredient in your life’s purpose.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
The way that ancient Romans made concrete was more ingenious than modern methods. Their manufacturing materials included lime clasts, which gave the concrete self-healing qualities. When cracks arose, they fixed themselves. That’s why Roman aqueducts built 2,000 years ago can still convey water today. Metaphorically speaking, I hope you will work on building similar structures in the coming weeks. It’s time to create strong foundations that will last for a very long time.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Do you harbor a yearning to learn a new language, new skill, or new trick? The coming weeks will be a favorable phase to get serious about doing it. Have you fantasized about embarking on an adventure that would expand your understanding of how the world works? The time is right. Have you wished you could attract an inspirational prod to unleash more creativity and experiment freely? The astrological omens suggest that inspirational prod is imminent. Have you wondered whether you could enhance and fine-tune your receptivity—and thereby open up surprising sources of fresh teaching? Do it now!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Bristlecone pine trees grow very slowly, but they are hardy and long-lived. Their wood is so dense and strong that it’s virtually immune to disease, insects, and erosion. They grow in places that are inhospitable for many other trees, flourishing in cold, windy environments where the soil is not particularly rich in nutrients. For the bristlecone pine, apparent obstacles stimulate their resilience. I don’t want to exaggerate the ways they remind me of you Capricorns, but you and they certainly have affinities. I believe these shared qualities will be especially useful for you in the coming weeks.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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“Men stumble over pebbles, never over mountains.” – Marilyn French

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Stuart Anthony, CC License

Quote of the Day: “Men stumble over pebbles, never over mountains.” – Marilyn French

Photo by: Stuart Anthony, CC License

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?

Stuart Anthony, CC License

Indian Governor Offers $1 Million to Anyone Who Can Decipher This 5,300-year-old Writing System

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Andy Corbley
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Stamp seals in the Indus Valley script.
Stamp seals in the Indus Valley script.

An Indian state governor has offered a $1 million reward to anyone who can prove definitively they’ve deciphered the script of the Indus Valley Civilization.

One of the oldest urban societies in history, the Indus Valley, or Harappan people began building settlements in the Indus River Valley in Pakistan/India 5,500 years ago.

They left behind a script and language that have yet to be deciphered, and M.K. Stalin, the Chief Minister (equivalent to a US governor) of Tamil Nadu, has offered a massive bounty to any codebreakers who are able to do so.

Mr. Stalin announced the prize after a recent scientific publication linked a variety of graffiti marks found on ancient Tamil pottery to the Harappan script, and believes there may be a connection with these two ancient lands.

If there were, it would be almost as remarkable a discovery as the ability to read the various seal stamps and symbols on Harappan artifacts, as Tamil Nadu is the southernmost state on the Indian subcontinent, thousands of miles away from the Harappan heartland.

Numerous efforts by linguistic scholars have been made to try and gain some understanding of how to read the language, but all have failed. According to the BBC, many modern IT workers and AI pioneers are contacting the government of Tamil Nadu claiming they have cracked the code, so to speak, but scholars are doubtful machine learning and algorithms alone can make any headway.

The total research base is around 4,000 inscribed or stamped artifacts of pottery, sandstone, and copper, consisting of around 68 symbols. Most of these bear only very brief inscriptions—between 5-6 characters—with the single longest measuring 34 symbols.

Does this brevity mean the Harappan script is logographic such as Chinese or Egyptian hieroglyphics? Some have attempted to link Harappan to Sumerian, or even more obscure writing systems like proto-Elamite, but according to scholars publishing around the turn of the 21st century, there’s as yet no substantial connection between Harappan and anything else.

This isn’t necessarily unusual in history, as many societies invented their own writing systems, and researchers would probably be happy to grant that the Harappans did the same. It’s just that, without any translatory document, such as the famous Rosetta Stone, granting that means accepting that there’s no way to read it at this time; and where’s the fun in that?

SIMILAR STORIES: Expert Believes He Has Solved Archaeological Mystery Surrounding Ancient Assyrian Symbols

Throughout the history of linguistics, scholars have often had to try and figure out whether ancient writing systems were printed versions corresponding to the spoken lingua franca of the society, or were purely writing systems.

All these questions and more face any intrepid techies, archaeologists, and scholars who want to try and grab that $1 million prize, as well as the honor of solving one of the biggest outstanding mysteries in human communication.

Cash prizes, ancient documents, and artificial intelligence featured in the news last year when a Silicon Valley tech entreprenuer offered $750,000 to anyone who could figure out how to decipher carbonized scrolls from a library in the Roman city of Pompeii. Burid under mountains of ash and pummis, they were preserved, but any attempt to unroll them resulted in instant dissolving of the documents.

ON THE TOPIC OF LANGUAGES: Teacher Finds ‘Amazing’ Stone Carved With Ancient Celtic Script While Digging in His Garden

A trio of young students shared the reward for achieving different degrees of success in somehow identifying the written Greek from the burnt papyrus.

A separate linguistic team studying the decoded texts provide this sentence—from an Epicurean philosopher writing almost 2,000 years ago: “…as too in the case of food, we do not right away believe things that are scarce to be absolutely more pleasant than those which are abundant.”

SHARE This Tremendous Opportunity With Any Clever AI Geeks You Know… 

Breakthrough Single-Dose Drug Wipes Out Breast Tumors in Mice Without Side Effects

By
Andy Corbley
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Credit: Angiola Harry
Credit: Angiola Harry

In the search for better and better treatments for breast cancer, medical researchers at the Univ. of Illinois have synthesized a remarkable substance.

In small tumors, a single dose of ErSO-TFPy eliminated them entirely, while the same dose significantly shrank large tumors. In both mice and rats, no deleterious side effects were observed.

Limited to estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (ER+) the compound addresses many common concerns with existing treatment that involves choking off the supply of estrogen on which the tumors rely.

“It is very rare for a compound to shrink tumors in mouse models of breast cancer, let alone completely eradicate those tumors with a single dose, so we are eager for ErSO-TFPy to advance for treatment of breast cancer,” said Paul Hergenrother Ph.D., lead author on the paper describing the treatment, and decorated biochemist from the University of Illinois.

ER+ breast cancer is the most common form of the most common cancer in the United States. At current rates, 13.1% of women will develop breast cancer in their lives, accounting for 15% of all cancer diagnoses in the US.

ER+ breast cancer treatment will typically consist of surgery to remove the tumors, followed by hormone therapy to starve any remainder. Effective treatment like these has raised the 5-year relative survival rate in breast cancer patients in the US to well above 90%, but several undesirable side-effects tend to follow.

The reduction in estrogen frequently results in blood clots, sexual dysfunction, and osteoporosis. Additionally, hormone therapy does nothing to prevent recurrence or resistance in tumors, leading cancer researchers like Hergenrother to seek additional options.

READ ALSO: New Solution for Metastatic Ovarian Cancer Based on Approach From Nearly a Century Ago Shrinks Tumors

New research published on Wednesday in the journal ACS Science demonstrates how ErSO-TFPy, a spinoff of the previously developed treatment dose ErSO, achieved complete regression of smaller tumors in mice without any of these side effects.

The effect was robust and independent of tumor size with the eradication of even very large tumors (500−1500 mm3) being observed in the paper. Mechanistically, the authors write, these tumor regressions are a consequence of rapid induction of necrotic cell death in the tumor and even more positively, are immune cell independent.

THE FUTURE OF CANCER TREATMENT: Youngest Cancer Patient Treated with ‘Nano-knife’ Is Now Cancer-Free

The study also involved dosing transplanted human breast cancer tumors in mice, during which the same regression rate and degree were observed, suggesting the medication will work in humans as well.

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People Are Paid to Return Coffee Cups in This City–Spoiler Alert, it Worked

By
Andy Corbley
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A Reusable depository in Aarhus - credit Reusable
A Reusable depository in Aarhus – credit Reusable

Three years after the Danish city of Aarhus launched an initiative to cut back on carry-out coffee cups, three-quarters of a million cups have been reused.

This has resulted in €514,000 being paid out in the form of little €70-cent rebates to conscious consumers who return their coffee cups to depositories located around the city.

Reusable is now a government-backed firm that distributes thick plastic coffee cups and lids to local cafes. Large vending machine-like installations dot the city where these large cups can be returned for a rebate on the cost of the coffee.

“Through waste analysis, we discovered that 45% of waste in Aarhus came from takeaway packaging,” Simon Smedegaard Rossau, project manager for circular packaging at Aarhus Municipality, told Euro News. “This finding was a turning point.”

In 2024, hoping to address this waste stream, the company launched a three-year trial with Reusable and a Norwegian company called TOMRA which makes the collection machines.

Similar collection machines and ideas can be found in several cities in Europe, but Aarhus took an open-air approach, putting the machines in popular shopping areas and places that are thick with coffee shops.

45 city cafes were brought under the banner of the initiative upon its launch to try and get the word out as fast as possible to change mindsets. During the city’s week-long festival Aarhus Uke in September, event concession companies agreed to exclusively use the Reusable cups.

By the end of the event, 100,000 cups had been used and returned, an amount that would fill up 1,200 wheeled curbside trash bins. Rossau said it had a big impact.

OTHER DANISH IDEAS: Pick Up Litter and Get Free Stuff in Copenhagen This Summer Through Eco-Conscious Rewards Program

“We now see shifts in behavior. We see people going with bags full of cups, which means they recycle in bulk, like for cans and bottles,” says Rossau. “Now we can see the return rate is 88% which means a cup is reused 44 times.”

14 metric tons of plastic were saved during the program, which saw 235,000 more cups used and deposited in the first year than had been anticipated. The next goal is to see if these cups could be used and deposited 1.5 million times.

MORE INNOVATIVE REUSE PROGRAMS: This Startup Is Using Dead Leaves to Make Paper Without Cutting Trees

Aarhus is a smaller city, and the program’s stakeholders hope to expand outward into suburban communities where Aarhus commuters may live, as well as to add other kinds of food and beverage packaging to the program.

SHARE Denmark Getting Out In Front Of Its Waste Problems… 

Runner Completes 268 Mile Race–18 Months After Being Unable to Walk Due to Brain Condition

By
Andy Corbley
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Mel Sykes running the 268-mile Spine Race – SWNS
Mel Sykes running the 268-mile Spine Race – SWNS

A brave podiatrist couldn’t walk in a straight line after being struck down by a rare brain condition 18 months ago, but having just completed a 268-mile ultramarathon in less than a week, it’s safe to say she’s found her feet again.

The inspirational Mel Sykes, 42, was diagnosed with a Chiari malformation after losing her balance and slurring her speech in the summer of 2023.

The condition sees the lower part of the brain push down into the spinal canal and brain stem, often causing double vision and balance problems.

Mel was always a keen runner and had previously taken part in 100-mile foot races—something she wasn’t ready to give up doing. Undergoing surgery to reduce the pressure on her brain, she was told there was a chance that she may never run again.

But she has defied the odds just 18 months after surgery and gone on to complete the coincidentally named Spine Race, which sees participants run 268 miles from Edale, Derbyshire, to Kirk Yetholm, Scotland, in an incredible 132 hours.

“I’m absolutely over the moon,” said Sykes. “It was just amazing to reach the finish. Getting to the start was a win.”

“I enjoyed it. It was tough but I knew it was going to be hard work,” she said, describing sections of the race that required running through snow as particularly difficult.

“The first two days from Edale to Hawes it was going through deep snow drifts, plowing through snow halfway up your thighs, it was really tough going. The north section then ended up not being too bad.”

Mel Sykes resting along the race path – credit SWNS

“The bit when I was at Hadrian’s Wall, the sun was out all day, it was lovely,” she remembered.

Sykes first started suffering from double vision in 2023, and received a glasses prescription. They didn’t help, and soon it was becoming dangerous to drive. After she began experiencing pins and needles in the left side of her face, arm, and hand, she was referred to the specialist neurosurgery team at Leeds General Infirmary where she received the Chiari malformation diagnosis.

MORE INSPIRATIONAL RECOVERIES: Man Paralyzed from the Neck Down from Rare Disease Makes Incredible Recovery, Now Back at the Gym

“Mel is a really inspirational patient and has shown huge determination to recover and return to ultrarunning,” said Dr. Ian Anderson, Consultant Neurosurgeon at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, who was on Sykes’ treatment team.

“She had severe symptoms when she came to us and needed surgery urgently. “It’s fantastic to see how well she recovered—completing this race is a truly remarkable achievement.”

MORE RUNNING STORIES: He Raced Against Great-Grandson During his 85th Birthday Event for Viral Community Running Club

When Mel was running in a storm in the Yorkshire Dales, she started to get hypothermic and needed to pause in a mobile toilet to get warm. Later, when she was just a mile and a half from the finish line, she cracked her ribs after falling while running down a hill.

“I’d done the whole race and fell a few times on the ice but not done much damage,” she told the British news media outlet SWNS. “I just got giddy about a mile and a half from the end, I was running down the hill and my foot hit a stone, and I fell forward and cracked my ribs.”

ALSO CHECK OUT: 101-Year-old Breaks World Running Record: “I Missed My Nap for This”

268 miles is around the standard extreme for ultramarathoning. For example in America, one of the most popular ultramarathon routes is called the Moab 240, which runs 240 miles through the Moab Desert.

“I didn’t get one blister but my ankles are really swollen,” said Sykes, who’s still recovering. “I’ve just been falling asleep all the time. All I’ve done is just sleep and eat.”

SHARE This Inspirational Woman’s Triumph Over The Hand Of Fate… 

“That which is not good for the beehive cannot be good for the bees.” – Marcus Aurelius

By
Good News Network
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Ales Krivec for Unsplash+

Quote of the Day: “That which is not good for the beehive cannot be good for the bees.” – Marcus Aurelius

Photo by: Ales Krivec for Unsplash+

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?

Ales Krivec for Unsplash+

Aquarium Under Renovation Cheers-up Lonely Sunfish with Cardboard Cutouts of People

By
Andy Corbley
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Photo shared on X by @shimonoseki_aq
Photo shared on X by @shimonoseki_aq

How do you cheer up a lonely fish? Wait, fish don’t get lonely.

Or do they? It’s difficult to know for sure, but one aquarium in Japan seems to think, in fact, they just might.

The Kaikyokan Aquarium in Shimonoseki, southern Japan closed on December 1st, 2024 for renovations. Within a few weeks, their 30-plus kilogram ocean sunfish began exhibiting strange behavior.

It stopped eating its jellyfish meals, and would frequently rub its narrow, lumpy body against the tank. Parasites or digestive problems were suspected.

“We couldn’t figure out the cause and took various measures, but one of the staff members said, ‘Maybe it’s lonely because it misses the visitors?’ We thought 99% chance ‘No way!’” said the aquarium in a post on X.

“But we attached the uniforms of the staff members (to the tank). Then…the next day, it was in good health again!”

Cardboard cutouts of the staff members’ faces were taped onto the tank, while the uniforms hung from suction-cupped hooks. Seems like they’d hardly fool a lion or monkey, but they brought the sunfish back ’round again.

“The sunfish was popular (among visitors) before the renovations. It’s curious and would swim up to visitors when they approached the tank,” Mai Kato, a 26-year-old exhibit staff member, told the English language Mainichi Shimbun.

TAKING CARE OF ANIMALS: Adorable Dutch Webcam of Rescued Seals Is a Big Hit in Japan (WATCH)

Ocean sunfish live in semi-tropical and tropical oceans all over the world. The strange bony fish can grow to behemoth sizes, but the one at Kaikyokan is still a small fry at just shy of three feet long.

“I hope many people take interest in the sunfish, and when the renovation work is finished, I’d like visitors to wave to it in front of the tank,” Kato added. The aquarium is scheduled to reopen this summer.

CUTE JAPANESE STORIES: Think Kids Are Addicted to Phones? US ‘Stationery Nerds’ Are Fueling a Japanese Notebook Boom

CNN reports that this isn’t the first story of a Japanese aquarium making headlines for cheering up fish. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, staff at the Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo video-called their spotted garden eels, allegedly for the same reason, as they were becoming increasingly recluse without the presence of visitors.

SHARE The Story Of This Poor Lonely Fish And The Caring Staff Who Perked Him Up…

Ichiro Suzuki Continues Crushing Baseball Records with Nearly Unanimous Hall of Fame Election

By
Andy Corbley
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Ichiro Suzuki in 2011 - CC 3.0 Keith Allison
Ichiro Suzuki in 2011 – CC 3.0 Keith Allison

It’s a good thing that the 394 ballots cast in this year’s Baseball Hall of Fame elections were anonymous. If not, one voter would have seen the city of Seattle forever closed to them.

That’s because Seattle Mariners all-star Ichiro Suzuki was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown with 99.7% of the vote—the joint second-highest score ever; short of perfect by the opinion of one single person.

MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer described the entry as a conclusion to “one of the sport’s most remarkable journeys.”

Retired in 2019, this is Ichiro’s first year of eligibility for Cooperstown, and like his debut season—all the way back in 2001—he didn’t worry about needing to make a second impression.

That year he set the tone for the most consistently excellent career in baseball, leading the league in hits, stolen bases, and batting average all whilst shining defensively and collecting both the American League MVP and Rookie of the Year Awards, becoming only the second man to do so.

This deluge of stats, led by Ichiro’s “mystic” bat control, saw him claim the MLB record for best season batting average (.372) and most hits in a season (262)

A release from the Hall of Fame website said that from 2006 through 2010, Ichiro led MLB in hits every season. His 10 straight years with 200 or more hits tied the MLB record. Over his first 10 seasons with the Mariners, he was named to 10 All-Star Games, won an All-Star MVP after scoring the first-ever in-the-park home run, won 10 Gold Glove Awards, and earned AL MVP votes in nine different years.

BASEBALL PLAYERS BEING KIND: Baseball Star Bryce Harper Helps a Random Guy Ask a Girl on a Prom Date

At the close of his career, Ichiro had played 2,653 MLB games, batted .311, and maintained a .355 on-base percentage. He had already totaled 1,278 hits before he ever played for the Mariners, leaving him with 4,367 total hits—which if one includes Nippon Professional Baseball as a ‘major league’ makes him the hittiest baseball player in the sport’s history.

He is one of only seven players in history with at least 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases in the MLB.

HONORING GREAT MEN: Elton John Just Achieved EGOT Status with Emmy Win–Only 19 People Have Done it in History

Kramer however opts for his impact as a human: a cultural icon and international bridge-builder who played with “a singular focus on perfecting his craft,” and demonstrated a never-before-seen work ethic and professionalism to a new generation of players on both sides of the Pacific.

In Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, every time Ichiro stepped up to the plate it became an event. He played the starring role in the Mariners 2001 MLB record season of 116 wins. Kramer suggested the city will see Ichiro as not just a Hall-of-Famer, but their Hall-of-Famer.

WATCH the perfect tribute montage of the greatest Japanese player ever…

SHARE This Great Story From Baseball With Your Friends For The Love Of The Game…

Volunteer for the National Archives to Translate Cursive Handwriting for Modern Newbies

By
Andy Corbley
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A Revolutionary War pension - credit: National Archives
A Revolutionary War pension – credit: National Archives

On the occasion of America’s quarter millennium, the National Archives has launched a project inviting volunteers to help transcribe and digitize historical documents written in cursive.

The Archives contains millions of documents that have never been transcribed into modern typeface. Written in longhand, many Americans today might have trouble reading them since cursive has fallen out of favor as a topic in schools.

Called the Citizen Archivist project, one of the big goals is to transcribe and digitize a collection of handwritten documents pertaining to the pensions earned by soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

The Revolutionary War Pension Project is a collaborative effort between the National Park Service and the Archives to transcribe more than 2.3 million pages of pension files from the nation’s first veterans and their widows.

At first, pensions were only available for Continental Army soldiers who served under George Washington. Later acts opened pensions to those who served in militias and to widows. Each document is a gateway in time that allows us to peer into the lives of these founding fighters.

To date, more than 4,000 Revolutionary War Pension Project volunteers have typed up the content of over 80,000 pages of pension files, with upwards of 2,300 records completely transcribed.

MORE FOR THE 250th ANNIVERSARY: Contest Gives Children Chance to Win the Field Trip of a Lifetime to Famous Landmarks–Celebrating America’s 250th

All you have to do to contribute to the project is visit the Citizen Archivist project website and sign up. Once you sign up, just pick a document that hasn’t been transcribed, and follow the Archives’ instructions.

One can select a document in the ‘missions‘ section on the website, which features Archive collections that are yet to be digitized. Available are the Revolutionary War pensions, a legal case involving the Choctaw nation, submarine patrol reports in WWII, and others.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Handwriting Strengthens Brain Connections and Boosts Learning More Than Tapping on a Keyboard

Sarah Kuta at Smithsonian Magazine details how cursive is regaining its place as a mandatory instruction in American schools after a period of decline that saw it replaced by typing skills.

States such as Kentucky and California have passed laws mandating that cursive should be part of the English school curriculum.

SHARE This Big Volunteer Effort With Your Friends Who Like This Sort Of Thing…

Firefighters Heroically Save Man Trying to Rescue His Dog from Icy Boston Lake in Dramatic Video

By
Andy Corbley
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Wellesley Police Department via YouTube
Wellesley Police Department via YouTube

From Massachusetts comes a double rescue from under the ice of a frozen lake after a man and his dog found themselves trapped.

Walking beside Lake Waban in Wellesley, Ed Berger was enjoying a nippy afternoon with his dogs Tommy and Oscar, when Tommy saw some birds alighting on the lake’s frozen surface and ran out to try and catch them.

The ice gave way, and Tommy plunged into the freezing water. Berger tried to rescue his dog by commandeering a nearby boat. Without explaining how, the Wellesley Fire Department detailed that Berger fell into the water as well.

Fire Department rescuers arrived on scene and got Berger out of the water before going back in for Tommy. Drone footage capturing the rescue shows how the pair of rescue personnel follow the most important rules for thin ice rescues, namely to perform as many actions as possible while lying on the stomach, or at least kneeling down. This helps disperse a human’s weight and prevents the ice from breaking up further.

The second is that the rescuer who was in the water with Berger lifted him up from below so that he could plant his chest flat on the ice before trying to get the rest of his body out of the water. If no rescue is forthcoming, don’t try to lift yourself out of the water as you would in a swimming pool.

The ice is liable to break under the weight you put down through your flat hands. Instead, put the whole of your arms flat on the ice, and hoist your torso up inch by inch, then wriggle like a seal to get your legs out before heading to the shore on your belly.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Harrowing Rescue Saves a Woman Stuck Inside Burning Vehicle–Watch the Heroes

The terrible irony is that Berger is an EMT—and is exactly the person who arrives to help in these situations. He later described the rescue efforts as “hanging out with two guys who knew exactly what they were doing.”

Both dog and owner were taken to medical facilities and treated for hypothermia. Both made full recoveries.

WATCH the rescue below…

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“Love is the only gold.” – Alfred Lord Tennyson

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Love is the only gold.” – Alfred Lord Tennyson

Photo by: Getty Images for Unsplash+

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?

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