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Kate Winslet Makes Dreams Come True for Girl Losing Her Sight–Bringing Her to the Theater and Funding a Safari

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Kate Winslet with Lily-Rae, on the way to a London theater -SWNS
Kate Winslet with Lily-Rae, on the way to a London theater -SWNS

A 12-year-old schoolgirl who is losing her sight was stunned when her favorite actress Kate Winslet helped her fulfill her “visual bucket list”.

Not only did the Titanic star donate $5,000 so Lily-Rae could see the Northern Lights, she also invited her and her mother to join her for a night at the theater in London.

The girl, who lives in Nottingham, England, was diagnosed with Stargardt disease last December, an inherited condition that causes blurriness in the central part of the eye.

Her mom, Emma, set up a GoFundMe campaign to help her daughter enjoy as many visual experiences before her sight worsens—and the Oscar winning actress was so touched by her brave battle, that she reached out to do something personally.

Lily-Rae and Emma travelled to London to meet Kate before the trio went to the Barbican Theatre to watch the play My Neighbour Totoro.

“It just felt like we’d known each other forever,” said Emma. “Kate was very, very welcoming. It sounds like a funny thing to say, but she was just very normal—very humble.”

Winslet also arranged for the girl to tick off another item on her list: feeding tigers at Knowsley Safari Park in Prescot, England.

CELEBRITY’S KINDNESS: Surveillance Shows Jon Bon Jovi Stopping Woman From Jumping Off Bridge in Nashville

Lily-Rae feeds the tigers at Knowsley Safari Park – SWNS

“We are so grateful for her donations and help in raising the profile of Lily’s condition.”

Lily created a thank you card for Kate and her family—and she did it in Braille.

The campaign managed to raise more than £10,000 for the fun activities on her “visual bucket list” so she could enjoy them before her sight deteriorates further.

SWEET ROCK STAR: Coldplay Singer Gives Fan with Arthritis a Lift to Show: ‘Such a nice man!’

Earlier this year Lily-Rae fulfilled her dream of going to South Africa on safari. She also wants to see Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower and the Tower of Pisa and Pompeii in Italy.

“People have been so generous and they’ve really understood what we are trying to do for Lily-Rae.”

Emma noticed her daughter’s poor eyesight when she was five and struggled to read at school.

Stargardt disease affects one in 10,000 people, according to the Macular Society, and causes blurriness in the central part of the eye—but it is hoped she may at least keep some of her peripheral vision.

STAR POWER: Brad Paisley Wants to Open Another Free Grocery Store in Nashville After 5 Years of Dedicated Service

Currently, she can only see from 6-feet away and uses a font size of 64 to read her laptop. Despite her condition, brave Lily-Rae refuses to be downhearted.

“If there’s anything you feel is wrong with you, it’s not a disability and no one should see it as a disability. They should see it as an ability.”

SHARE THE EYE-OPENING KINDNESS With Winslet Fans on Social Media… 

Your Weekly Horoscope – ‘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 November 23, 2024
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
The Museum of Broken Relationships is in Zagreb, Croatia. It collects castaway objects left behind after intimate relationships have collapsed. Among its treasures are love letters, wedding rings, jars of bitter tears, stuffed animals, feather-filled quilts, and matching sweaters. Inspired by this sad spectacle, I invite you to create a very different shrine in your home: one that’s dedicated to wonderful memories from times of successful togetherness. Making this ritual gesture of hope and positivity will prepare you well for the potential relationship growth available for you in the coming months.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
It’s the Soul Retrieval phase of your long-term cycle, Capricorn. Have there been people, either alive or dead, who wounded or pirated parts of your treasured essence? Have you experienced painful events that weakened your connection to your inner riches? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to undertake meditations in which you carry out repair and restoration. You will summon curative agents whenever you reclaim lost and missing fragments of your soul. Be aggressive in seeking helpers who can synergize your own efforts.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
The Wistaria Vine in Sierra Madre, California is the world’s biggest blooming plant. Spread over an acre, it weighs 250 tons and teems with over 1.5 million blossoms. I propose we regard it as your inspirational symbol for the coming months. Why? I expect you will be more abundantly creative and generative than maybe ever before. Your vitality will overflow. Your vigor will be delightfully lavish and profound. Homework: Start planning how you will wield and manage all that lushness.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Piscean playwright and songwriter Robert Lopez is the only person to have won all four of the following awards more than once: Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, and Grammys. He was also the youngest person to have won all four. I propose we make him your inspirational role model in the coming weeks and months. According to my astrological analysis, you are primed to ascend to new levels of accomplishment in your chosen field—and to be acknowledged for your success. Think big! Then think even bigger.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Award-winning Aries filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was born and raised in the US. But he has said, “I don’t make movies for America. I make movies for planet Earth.” I applaud his expansive perspective and recommend you cultivate your own version of it in the coming weeks. You will generate good fortune for yourself as you enlarge your audience, your range of influences, and your sphere of activity. It will be an excellent time to transcend previous notions of who you are and what your life’s assignments are. The frontiers are calling you to open your mind wider than ever, as you leap to the next higher octave of your destiny.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
“Earth knows no desolation. She smells regeneration in the moist breath of decay.” Author George Meredith said that, and now I’m conveying it to you. Why? Because you’re entering a phase when you will have maximum power to ensure that decay leads to regeneration. My advice: Instead of trying to repress your awareness of what’s decomposing, tune into it energetically. The sooner you embrace the challenging but interesting work to be done, the faster and more effective the redemption will be. Here’s your battle cry: Turn rot into splendor!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Mercury will be your slippery but sticky companion in the coming weeks, Gemini. Whether or not you believe he is a literal god who abides in the spiritual realm, I trust you will acknowledge that he is a vivid archetype. He symbolizes forces that facilitate communication and promote connection. Since he is constantly traveling and conversing, he also represents boundary-crossing and thresholds. I encourage you to summon his assistance whenever you want to lubricate links and foster combinations. He can help you unify disparate influences and strengthen your network of allies.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Utility poles and telephones poles may seem to be indestructible towers, but they have a limited life span. A prime factor in their gradual demise is woodpeckers. The birds drill holes that over time weaken the wood. Their handiwork allows moisture to seep in, causing rot, and creates access points for small animals to burrow in and cause further disintegration. I bring this to your attention because I want to encourage you to launch a woodpecker-like campaign against any seemingly impregnable structures that oppress and restrict you. It might take a while to undermine their power to interfere with your life, but now is an excellent time to begin.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
As an American, I’m jealous of how many festivals the Japanese people celebrate. By some estimates, there are over 100,000 events every year—an average of 274 per day! They may feature music, theater, dancing, entertainment, karaoke, sumo matches, games, delicious food, colorful costumes, spiritual observances, and parades of floats and shrines. If you are a Japanese Leo, you’re in luck. The astrological indicators suggest that in the coming months, you should take extra advantage of your culture’s revels, parties, and social merriment. If you’re not in Japan, do your best to fulfill your cosmic mandate to frolic and carouse. Start as soon as possible!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
The Flintstones was an animated TV comedy show broadcast in the US from 1960 to 1966. It was colossally silly and wildly popular. It portrayed cavemen and cavewomen living suburban lives in the Stone Age with dinosaurs as pets and cars made of wood and rocks. The chirpy theme song for the show was stolen from a piano sonata written by the classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven. In the coming weeks, Virgo, I invite you to steadily carry out the opposite of that conversion. Transform what’s daft or preposterous into what’s elegant and meaningful. Change superficial approaches into righteous devotions. Move away from trifling diversions and toward passionate magnificence.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Even if you’re not a professional writer, I invite you to compose three lyrical messages in the coming days. One will be a psalm of appreciation for a person who enchants your imagination and inspires you to be your best self. Another will be a hymn of praise that you address to yourself—a gorgeous, expansive boast or an outpouring of gratitude for the marvel and mystery of you. The third salutation will be an address to a higher power, whether that’s God, Nature, a Guardian Angel, Higher Self, or Life itself. If you can find it in your brave, wild heart to sing or chant these exaltations, you will place yourself in close alignment with cosmic rhythms. (PS: In general, now is a fantastic time to identify what you love and express your feelings for what you love.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
The Greek term pharmakon has a complicated set of meanings: scapegoat, poison, remedy, and recipe. According to my astrological analysis, all of these could soon be operative in your life. One surprise is that a metaphoric “poison” you are exposed to may ultimately serve as a remedy. Another curiosity is that a scapegoat may reveal a potent recipe for redemptive transformation. A further possibility: You will discover a new recipe for a very fine remedy. I’m not certain exactly how the whole story will unfold, but I’m betting the net effect will be a lot of healing.

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)

SHARE The Wisdom With Friends Who Are Stars in Your Life on Social Media…

“Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.” – Marcus Aurelius 

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By Giulia Bertelli (cropped)

Quote of the Day: “Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.” – Marcus Aurelius 

Photo by: Giulia Bertelli (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?

Sisters Who Found Each Other Through DNA Discover They Had Mysteriously Named Their Kids After Each Other

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Andy Corbley
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From left: Jessica and Nicole. Two half-sisters, 48 and 51, who found about each other a year ago after a DNA test.
From left: Jessica and Nicole. Two half-sisters, 48 and 51, who found about each other a year ago after a DNA test.

Two half-sisters who had never met until a DNA test discovered they had both given their children the other’s name.

Jessica, whose mother was adopted, had always been curious about her family and ordered a DNA test from Ancestry.com. Meanwhile, Nicole, who’d already done a DNA test, was checking her profile one day and was shocked to find she had a new genetic match.

She contacted the woman whom the site said was her half-sister on her paternal side. Over social media, they decided to meet in the summer of 2023.

And although the two women didn’t know each other, they were shocked to find strange parallels between their lives such as naming their children after each other.

Nicole named her daughter Jessica and Jessica named her son Nicholas. Nicole from Waterford, Michigan, said she always wanted a sister “so finding Jessica just felt too perfect.”

“I personally feel that the universe brought us together now for a reason, but there was a plan all along.”

For Jessica it was a double surprise: she had a sister, but also the person she had called dad all her life was not her biological father.

“I was in shock at first,” she told the British news media service SWNS. “After I read the message from Nicole, I went through so many emotions in about 10 minutes. I felt a second grief for my father, who had already passed years prior, and then a sense of joy for these newfound family members.”

Jessica traveled up from her home in Florida to stay with Nicole in Michigan, where her sons also live.

“We so easily fit together and could just talk for ages with each other,” she admitted. “I immediately felt like she was a mini-me.”

THIS HAPPENS MORE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK: Two Sisters Put Up for Adoption at End of WWII Finally Reunite After 75 Years Apart

The sisters are unclear as to what happened nearly 50 years ago. Both of Jessica’s parents died years before the two sisters met and Nicole’s dad, who is also Jessica’s biological father, passed away 20 years ago.

“I grew up with our father in the home but Jessica grew up not knowing him at all and with a different father,” Nicole explained. “We have both lost all of our parents, so there is unfortunately no one left to ask about how all this happened.”

OTHER WILD COINCIDENCES: Sisters Find Each Other After 45 Years Apart – Living in the Same City With Sons Going to the Same School

Over the past year of getting to know each other, the women have continued to discover strange parallels between their lives.

“Not only did I name my daughter Jessica, but she named her two sons Michael, which is the same name as our shared father, and Nicholas, like me,” said Nicole. “Growing up, people always called me and my dad Mick and Nick, which is what everyone calls Jessica’s sons.”

“We also both have the same middle name, Lenore, inspired by a poem by our father’s favorite writer, Edgar Allen Poe,” she continued. “Both of us unfortunately lost our mothers in the same way, to a heroin overdose, but at different times during our lives.”

Jessica joked that it’s nice to finally have a family member whom she looks like, but added that she’s so grateful the universe brought the two long-lost sisters together.

SHARE This Rather Inspiring Intervention Of The Universe’s Powers… 

Prehistoric Saber-Tooth Cub Is First to Be Found Mummified in Ice – and it Still Has Hair

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Andy Corbley
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Credit: Alexey V. Lopatin, et al
Credit – Alexey V. Lopatin, et al.

Despite hundreds of scientific illustrations, no one knew for sure what a saber-toothed cat actually looked like, until now.

As is sometimes the case, Siberian prospectors looking for mammoth tusks, likely illicitly, have uncovered another incredible Pleistocene mammal frozen in permafrost—in this instance, a “saber-tooth kitten.”

Belonging to the species Homotherium latidens, paleontologists at the Russian Academy of Sciences published a paper describing it, in which they introduce the world to the first real image of a saber-tooth cat, and they’ve picked out a variety of interesting details.

For decades, images produced according to fossilized bones have assumed that the long saber-like teeth grew down out of the animal’s mouth, but this Homotherium’s lips are twice as deep as other species of saber-tooth cats like Smilodon. This suggests the teeth may have been completely concealed.

Other details, like muscular proportions and small foot pads, as well as the “completely unexpected” color of the beast’s fur, have presented the full picture of an animal that evolved in an environment and for hunting methods that have no modern parallel, scientists say.

“The cub had the enlarged neck muscles thought to occur in adults, and also had long, muscular forelimbs seen in adult Homotherium,” says Margaret Lewis, a paleontologist at Stockton University in New Jersey who was speaking with Nat Geo. The cub’s jaw was already capable of wide gapes needed to fit those gnashers around their prey—15% larger than a lion cub of the same age.

The limbs too, were larger. In general, Homotherium was short-bodied with long limbs and the mummified cub’s were around 23% longer than a lion cub.

“The uniform dark brown color of the mummy fur turned out to be completely unexpected,” Alexy Lopatin, the lead author on the paper from the Russian Academy told Nat Geo.

OTHER RECENT DISCOVERIES OF THE SORT: Frozen in Time: 32,000-Year-old Woolly Rhino Found with Skin, Fur, and Organs Intact

During the last Ice Age, huge herbivores trampled and grazed on plants, particularly shrubs and trees, meaning that much like today’s savannahs, it would make the most sense for a predator that hunted juvenile and elderly members of these species—including mammoths—to blend into the grasses.

“It’s fascinating that there doesn’t seem to be any spotting or striping on the cubs,” Reynolds says, as such patterns are common among modern cats, including those who prowl among grasses.

A mystery surrounds the lack of a carpal pad—the one that sits higher up the foot of modern Pantherids, but for now, the study authors were not able to identify a reason for this.

MORE ICE AGE BEASTS: Woman Finds Foot-long Mastodon Tooth From Ice Age on a California Beach

Homotherium ranged widely all throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and previous remains have been found in North America. Many of the enigmas presented by the cub may be solved if an adult were found, which seems a greater possibility than anyone might have imagined before.

SHARE This Fur-Real Saber-Tooth Cat With Your Friends…

At 17, Sophia Just Broke Her Brother’s Record for Youngest to Pass the California Bar

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Andy Corbley
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Tulare County District Attorney's Office
Tulare County District Attorney’s Office

Meet Sophia Park, the prodigious young law student who just became the youngest person to pass the California state bar exam at 17 years and 8 months of age.

The shocker is that the young man standing to her left, as GNN reported just twelve months ago, was also once the youngest man to pass the California bar exam at 17 years and 11 months of age.

credit – Tulare County District Attorney

And they are siblings. Talk about a rivalry.

“The State Bar of California proudly congratulates Sophia Park on passing the California bar exam at just 17 years old,” said State Bar Executive Director Leah Wilson. “This remarkable achievement follows her brother Peter Park’s similar success last year, further highlighting their extraordinary dedication and talent.”

The Parks emigrated to Southern California from South Korea 15 years ago. Though Sophia did pass the exam, she will be sworn in as an attorney after she turns 18, when she plans to join the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor like her brother.

Sophia started law school at the age of 13 in 2020 while simultaneously attending junior high school at Oxford Academy in Cypress, California. In 2022, she graduated high school after passing the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) and graduated from Northwestern California University School of Law in 2024.

Like her brother, Sophia utilized a state bar rule that allows students to apply to law school through the completion of College Level Proficiency Exams (CLEPS) which explains the headstart they have both enjoyed.

Since 2024, Sophia has been employed as a law clerk at the Tulare DA, which called her success “remarkable.”

“Sophia’s amazing accomplishments speak for themselves, and we could not be prouder as an office family,” Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward said.

“It really is quite remarkable the success we have had with our law students, interns, and law clerks attaining their professional dreams. The dividends for our office have been immense, and we are excited to be part of Sophia and Peter’s continued success,” Ward said in a statement.

ALSO CHECK OUT THIS TEEN TALENT: Teen Started Painting in Lockdown and is So Good She’s Exhibiting in Galleries, and Getting $10,000 For One Canvas

Byungjoo Park, Sophia’s father wrote in to Good Morning America about his daughter’s success.

“It’s the result of four years of consistent, dedicated work. It didn’t happen overnight,” the father of four, who himself is no slouch, being also an acupuncturist and US patent agent, wrote in an email. “She has a thorough understanding of the law and is committed to using it justly. This is just the beginning of her journey.”

MORE INCREDIBLE INTELLECTS: Charles Barkley Keeps $1M Promise After 2 New Orleans Students Solve Pythagorean Theorem

Sophia and her brother Peter have a younger sibling Sarah who is also attending law school, and you can be sure there will be another of these reports if the inevitable happens and Sarah passes the bar. No pressure though.

SHARE This Brilliant Young Woman Mounting The Path To Her Dreams… 

“Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.” – Helen Keller

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Quote of the Day: “Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.” – Helen Keller

Photo by: HARALD PLIESSNIG

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?

Hunt for Subway Hero Who Gave Blind Man His Shoes After Theirs Fell into the Gap

By
Andy Corbley
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- credit, Samwiseknowsbest, via Reddit
– credit, Samwiseknowsbest, via Reddit

From the London subway comes the story of a Good Samaritan who saw a blind man lose a shoe and offered his own to make sure the man could keep his balance.

It was recounted to British media by a passenger on the train that day named Sami, who had originally shared it on Reddit.

It happened when a man of South Asian parentage, a blind man, and Sami all descended the steps to the circle line at Kings Cross station.

Approaching the train as it arrived at the platform, the blind man tripped, setting off a chain of good reactions that made Sami “shiver.”

“A few of us on the train then helped the gentleman find a seat. Once the man sat down he realized he had a missing shoe,” Sami wrote in a post on Reddit. “It slipped between the platform and the train.”

“Before the train left the platform we all tried to tell the [Transport for London] driver… But I’m guessing a miscommunication occurred and the train left the platform. On doing so the blind man got a bit panicked as he only had one shoe.”

“This absolute hero without hesitation took off his shoe and gave it to the blind man. It is a damn cold day after he got out at Liverpool Street to try and find a pair of shoes.”

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Boy Offered a Dollar to Man He Thought Was Homeless, Gets Richly Rewarded for His Kindness

The Metro UK newspaper reports that British social media is “on the hunt” for this “absolute hero” after Sami blurred his face and withheld his name for privacy reasons.

“He was worried about his shoe. Then this dude just took his off and said ‘here take mine’. It was such an act of kindness it really showed that people are good and that mainly we try and look after one another,” Sami told the Metro. “I’ve only ever known London to be a kind place. Just to think of it sends shivers down my spine.”

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS: Kids Leave Halloween Candy on Doorstep, Seeing Signs of Son’s Hospitalization–Family ‘Overwhelmed’ by Kindness

When the staff at Kings Cross were interviewed, they said it made them all feel good to see how many people rushed to help the blind man back to his feet and onto the train, but they didn’t see what took place on board.

“There’s so much aggro that we see but this was a case of someone going out of their way to help,” a subway worker said.

SHARE These Shockwaves Of Kindness And Positivity With Your Friends… 

Salmon Have Already Returned Far Upriver to Spawn in Historic Habitat After Nation’s Largest Dam Removal Project

By
Andy Corbley
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The first salmon to enter the upper Klamath River - credit Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, released
The first salmon to enter the upper Klamath River – credit Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, released

Not two months have passed since a series of four dams were demolished on the Klamath River, and salmon are already spawning in creeks and tributaries far upriver.

It’s the ultimate goal that a coalition of tribal, state, and federal government entities have campaigned for since the early 2000s.

GNN reported on the dam demolition, concluded on October 2nd, and the subsequent return of salmon immediately from the ocean.

“Seeing salmon spawning above the former dams fills my heart,” said Joseph L. James, chairman of the Yurok Tribe, the leaders of the dam removal campaign along with the Karuk and Klamath tribes.

“Our salmon are coming home. Klamath Basin tribes fought for decades to make this day a reality because our future generations deserve to inherit a healthier river from the headwaters to the sea.”

The Klamath River is the third-largest salmon-spawning habitat on the West Coast. With headwaters gathering froth and force in the mountains of southern Oregon, it plunges down across northern California and ends 400 miles later in the Pacific Ocean.

PacifiCorp owned four hydroelectric dams along the river for decades that had significantly lowered the water quality. They produced electricity for 70,000 homes, but didn’t provide irrigation, drinking water, flood control, or fish ladders to allow salmon substantial access to upstream habitats.

This month the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife recorded 115 spawning salmon arriving in a single day in the waters of Spencer Creek, above the J.C. Boyle Dam—the highest of the four removed.

FISH RETURNING ELSEWHERE IN AMERICA: Maine Sets Records for Atlantic Herring and Salmon Runs in the Penobscot River

“All in all, the fish that came up this year were really healthy,” Toz Soto, fisheries program manager with the Karuk Tribe, said during a press conference after the dams came down. “I didn’t see fish with bacterial infections and things like that, so water temperature’s already having an impact on the fish’s health.”

The reduction in water flow volume because of the dams made it unnaturally warm—sometimes too warm for these cold water species.

MORE REWILDING RIVERS: Once Biologically Dead, London’s River Thames Rebounds – With Seahorses and Seals

The dams were erected 62 years ago, yet despite dozens of generations living and dying without access to their ancestral habitat, these remarkable fish found their way home almost as soon as the way was opened.

SHARE This Final Chapter Of The Klamath Story With Your Friends… 

Awesome Bridge Swings Back and Forth to Allow Boats to Pass Over Long-Divided Scottish River (LOOK)

By
Andy Corbley
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One swinging section of the Renfrew Bridge over the Clydes River - credit Dave Souza, CC 4.0. BY SA.
One swinging section of the Renfrew Bridge over the Clyde River – credit Dave Souza, CC 4.0. BY SA.

In a delightful show of Scottish engineering, a new moveable bridge to span the Clyde River works like a drawbridge but horizontally.

It’s one of the world’s first large “double-leaf swing bridges,” to use the proper term, which opens to allow boat traffic to pass by swinging each half of the bridge like the paddles in a pinball machine.

The New Clyde River Bridge is the centerpiece of a $140 million revitalization project for the communities on each side: the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside. It will consist of a motorway, bike path, and pedestrian walkways, and will be the first new crossing point for vehicles since 2006.

“The connectivity and opportunities it will create for businesses, workers, and communities to locate here is going to bring visible economic benefits to Renfrewshire and the Glasgow City Region,” said Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson.

In particular, the bridge replaces an outdated car ferry service and will allow direct road access to the Glasgow airport.

Rotating on vast cylindrical bearings on either riverbank, the bridge’s two decks measure 213 feet, and meet in the middle of the river. Their 88-foot-long back spans, or the part of the bridge that projects over the land behind it, incorporate 500 metric tons of counterweights to pair with three stressed staying cables on either side of a central pylon.

“I would say it’s the most complicated moveable bridge I’ve ever designed, and I’ve designed a lot of these things,” says Florida-based Jim Phillips, lead bridge designer with Hardesty & Hanover LLC (H&H).

BRILLIANT BRIDGES: ‘Rolling Bridge’ Designed So Anyone Can Use Hand Crank to Lift Multi-Ton Footpath for Boats

Phillips told ENR that the local port authority required 90 meters by 45 meters of space under any prospective bridge for vessels to access offshore oil rigs nearby. Countering, the airport set a height ceiling on vertical structures at 40 meters, and space restrictions on both banks of the Clyde prevented a more traditional single-leaf swing bridge.

But if necessity is the mother of invention, Phillips and others involved innovated their hard hats off.

MORE ENGINEERING FEATS: Incredible Time-Lapse Shows 12,000-Ton Bridge Being Slid into Place Above Highway in Record-Setting Feat

“In a lot of swing bridges, the bridge is balanced so the total dead load center of gravity is right at the pivot point,” explains Phillips. Peter Reina at ENR added that Philllips’ solution to redesign requirements was actually to unbalance it.

The project is jointly funded by the UK and Scottish governments through the £1.13bn Glasgow City Region—a coalition of 8 local governments around Glasgow.

WATCH the bridge swing closed for the first time… 

SHARE This Wonderful Piece Of Modern Engineering With Your Friends… 

Multiplayer Online Gaming is Associated with Better Teamwork, Problem-Solving at the Office

By
Andy Corbley
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released - University of Houston.
released – University of Houston.

At the University of Houston, online video gamers are the focus of a new paper on productivity at work, and the results may not be what you expect.

The paper reports that—contrary to popular belief—massively multiplayer online gamers have their skills in the workplace enriched by those seemingly endless hours erroneously thought of as frittering away time.

GNN has reported many times on the benefits of video games to various forms of cognition, but this is the first study that’s looked directly at professional workers.

Whether they know it or not, companies are already hiring an enormous amount of multiplayer online gamers, and Melika Shirmohammadi, assistant professor at the UH Cullen College of Engineering Division of Technology, wanted to produce some literature on exactly what that means for hiring managers and supervisors.

“Online gaming often gets a bad reputation, but our study reveals a different story. We found that gaming can actually help people develop valuable workplace skills,” Shirmohammadi told UH Press.

“These skills include problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, and even self-confidence. Our research shows that gaming, when done in moderation, can be a way for people to grow both personally and professionally.”

Millions of people play massively multiplayer online games (MMO), in which they play together in a virtual world with other humans all over the world. The top three games—World of Warcraft, Destiny 2, and Final Fantasy—host 150.6 million, 49.7 million, and 60.3 million total players respectively.

“The purpose of the present study was to examine an understudied but prevalent part of the nonwork domain to understand if and how MMO gaming positively enriches employees’ work domain,” said Shirmohammadi.

Shirmohammadi’s team conducted a qualitative study among 23 employed MMO gamers who had played MMO games for at least 10 years.

The MMO games examined (including World of Warcraft, EVE, and Final Fantasy) require players to coordinate tasks to achieve collective goals, respect team norms (e.g., arriving on time for missions), collaborate with others as part of a team, and avoid reckless or uncalculated behaviors that would jeopardize the mission.

Among the positive outcomes of the research, gamers reported viewing work as solvable puzzles, and their experience resulted in improved patience in encountering problems and encouraged them to persevere in solving them.

“I just see a puzzle and I’m motivated to solve it. So, it’s affected, I guess, my mindset in that way, such that I look at things as solvable,” said one IT engineer in the study.

FOR THE GAMERS IN THE AUDIENCE: Video Games Can Help Boost Children’s Intelligence; TV and Social Media Had No Negative Effect Says New Study

Other players say they developed self-confidence through game playing because they feel good about the level of success in the online gaming world. Still others reported developing self-awareness as they received feedback on their own skills and how they played alongside team members.

Gamers’ ability with coaching skills—such as evaluating performance, providing feedback, giving instructions, and inspiring others—was also traced to their gaming. Several participants mentioned the similarities between gaming and work that made such skills transferrable.

OTHER STORIES FROM OUR ARCHIVE: Video Games Are Not Associated with Harming Brains of Preteens, According to a New Study

“I deal with a lot of new people [at work]. Since I kind of go out of my way in-game to do all the coaching, I’ve become ahead of some of my colleagues in explaining how to do certain things [to new employees],” said another study member.

If one were to replace MMO games in this study with a team sport, no one could disagree with its findings. Perhaps because of the long-term stigma from certain circles associated with video games, the findings may come as a surprise, but the fundamental results—a hobby informing better work performance, unsurprisingly apply to both activities.

SHARE This Good Gaming Story With The Games In Your Life… 

“We relish news of our heroes, forgetting that WE can be extraordinary to somebody too.” – Helen Hayes

By
Good News Network
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Ben Iwara - Unsplash+

Quote of the Day: “We relish news of our heroes, forgetting that we can be extraordinary to somebody too.” – Helen Hayes

Photo by: Ben Iwara

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?

Ben Iwara – Unsplash+

New Low-Carbon Concrete Outperforms Today’s Highway Material While Cutting Costs in Minnesota

By
Andy Corbley
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- credit, Carbon Upcycling, Minnesota DOT and National Road Research Alliance, released.
– credit, Carbon Upcycling, Minnesota DOT and National Road Research Alliance, released.

A private-public partnership has paved a section of Minnesota road with an experimental low-carbon concrete mixture that resulted in greater strength and lesser cement use, saving money and carbon.

Concrete and its most important ingredient, cement, is one of the most carbon-intensive industries on Earth because it’s used so often in construction. It has virtually no parallels for the ease of use, versatility, and structural properties, but emits about 0.6 tons of carbon per 1 ton of cement mixture produced according to Imperial College London.

US firm Carbon Upcycling Technologies, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has successfully completed a three-year study on the use of the company’s low-carbon cement in highways.

The results highlight Carbon Upcycling’s ability to be a drop-in solution for reducing carbon-intensive cement in concrete, while saving money and making stronger roads.

The work in the study was carried out by Sutter Engineering and sponsored by the National Road Research Alliance (NRRA). It rigorously tested 16 unique concrete mixtures in real-world conditions on an active Minnesota highway to identify options that could reduce the carbon footprint of infrastructure without sacrificing strength or durability.

Completed in early 2024, the study aimed to find materials that could significantly lower the carbon footprint of concrete paving without compromising durability. Carbon Upcycling’s CO2-enhanced mix achieved a 12.5% reduction in cement content while matching the workability of traditional concrete, allowing seamless handling, placement, and setting times for construction crews.

“Infrastructure is the very foundation of a sustainable future, and at Carbon Upcycling we’re committed to creating materials that support this vision while establishing a secure, stable North American supply chain,” said Apoorv Sinha, CEO of Carbon Upcycling.

“Our collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Transportation highlights how Carbon Upcycling can transform captured emissions into local materials that strengthen our infrastructure. By focusing on resilience and sustainability, we’re contributing to a vision where our essential structures are clean and built to last.”

INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATIONS:  Sweden Is Trying to Build a Whole City Borough Out of Wood to ‘Show What is Possible’

Additionally, their mixture increased strength by 28% measured at 28 days, and 32% stronger at 56 days, compared to the advanced control concrete.

These findings provide valuable data to guide future low-carbon infrastructure projects across North America, as the seamless integration into existing workflows.

“Carbon Upcycling submitted a very impressive mixture design to the trial,” said Larry Sutter, MnDOT’s Principal Engineer and the project’s technical manager. “Their material not only achieved the highest reduction in cementitious content among all submissions but also demonstrated remarkable strength.”

REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINTS: This Self-Healing Cement Automatically Fills Any Cracks That Form, To Save Energy and Money

By embedding CO2 and reducing the reliance on portland cement, Carbon Upcycling’s technology addresses one of the concrete industry’s most pressing challenges—lowering its carbon footprint as global demand for cement is expected to double by 2050. This project data will be invaluable as the industry works toward its 2030 CO2 reduction targets.”

SHARE This Frim’s Great Contribution To A Low-Carbon Future… 

United Pilot Orders 30 Pizzas to Feed Passengers After Emergency Landing for Medical Care

By
Andy Corbley
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United Pilot Scott Wardle buys pizza for passengers – By Tanya Stamos via FB
United Pilot Scott Wardle buys pizza for passengers – By Tanya Stamos via FB

A United Airlines pilot has become a social media sensation after personally overseeing the order and distribution of 30 pizzas to 155 passengers on his flight.

Now monikered the “Pizza Pilot,” Scott Wardle says that after 30 years of piloting for the Air Force and as a civilian, he knows what it feels like to be stuck at the airport, and that he just “had to do something to show we care.”

United Pilot Scott Wardle serving dinner he bought for passengers – Tanya Stamos via FB

Well that care took off, with posts and photos of Wardle handing out pizzas using the check-in counter at the gate as a kitchen counter going viral.

The story began when the Boise-based Wardle was all set for a flight to Phoenix via Houston, but about 45 minutes into the trip, he received a call from the flight crew that a patient had fallen unconscious.

Though there were two nurses and a medic on board, Wardle felt he couldn’t take any chances, and came in for an emergency landing at Albuquerque at 11 p.m. just as the food court was shutting down.

Hoping to get the passage back underway as soon as possible, he suddenly received word that his cabin crew had maxed out their hours, meaning he had to wait for a new set of attendants.

“I made sure to confirm they were on the way with the company, and then I thought, I got to do something with all these people,” Wardle told KTVB 7. “So, I started exploring some options at that point for what I want to do. I came up with the idea of doing pizza for everyone. It’s an easy thing, most people like pizza.”

Wardle says he loves his job, and the only burden he felt during the whole ordeal was compassion and sympathy for the passengers. He picked up the phone and started ordering dozens of pizzas.

PILOTS GOING BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY: Airline Pilot Reunites 9-Year-Old with Her Beloved Doll Lost Half a World Away

As he began passing them around with plates and napkins, the passengers took notice.

The viral photos and videos reached virtually every corner of Wardle’s social life, with old Air Force buddies and even his graduation class of 1984, and phoning him to say they saw him serving pizza in his pilot uniform.

Pilot Scott Wardle ‘recharges with pizza for free’ – Tanya Stamos via FB

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Southwest Airlines Workers Looked After a Passenger’s Pet Fish for 4 Months After it was Banned From Flight

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, I just did my thing,” Wardle said. “Many pilots in our company do this sort of thing, I just happened to get my picture taken.”

United Airlines insisted on reimbursing him for the pizzas, and applauded a hero of the friendly skies, who waited until every passenger had a slice in their hands before sitting down himself for a pie.

WATCH the video below from KTVB 7…

SHARE This Fantastic Story About A Pilot Who Cares With Your Friends… 

8-Year-old Heart Transplant Patient Craved Pickles so Hospital Chef Taught Her How to Make Them

By
Andy Corbley
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Emerson Bayse, 8, and her homemade pickles at Boston Children's Hospital - released by the Bayse Family
Emerson Bayse, 8, and her homemade pickles at Boston Children’s Hospital – released by the Bayse Family

An 8-year-old girl awaiting a heart transplant had the time of her life when a hospital affiliate came and taught her how to make her favorite food.

But that didn’t involve sprinkling cheese over a pizza or smearing icing on cupcakes—it involved dipping vegetables in herbs and brine: pickling.

Emerson Bayse, a transplant patient at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), is undergoing fluid restriction as is common with cardiac patients, which also has the common side effect of making them crave salty foods.

She had always loved pickles, but never knew how they were made.

Chef and program manager of culinary services, Sarah Bryce, who describes herself as a child life specialist and who works with the Association of Child Life Professionals, has often used cooking as a dual-use therapy of sorts for kids like Bayse.

“I’ve worked in these rooms and I’ve seen what a difference it is for a child to eat — just trying to get them to eat something,” Bryce told TODAY. “It sounds so simple, right? But it really can be a huge difference.”

To brighten up a child’s day, she’s often making junk food because it’s someone’s favorite, but when she heard Bayse’s preference for pickles, she had a great idea.

Bryce (left) teaching Bayse (right) how to pickle – released by the Bayse Family

Bryce asked Bayse if she knew how pickles were made.

“She said, ‘No! I would have never thought about it,’ and I said, ‘What if we made some together?’” Bryce recalls. “Her eyes lit up and she was like, ‘We can do that?’”

INSPIRING HOSPITAL ACCOMODATIONS: 600 More Hospitals Get Free LEGO MRI Scanners – to Reduce Anxiety in Young Patients 

And so they spent a whole morning pickling various vegetables in various brine mixtures, including dill, garlic, and even Ken’s Italian Dressing. They pickled cucumbers, but also onions, carrots, and watermelon.

– released by the Bayse Family

Bayse said her mouth was watering through the whole process.

After the first taste test, the duo decided to throw a pickle party, inviting anyone in the hospital who wanted to try one to come and enjoy a briny bite. Bryce prepared lemonade with pickle juice ice cubes to serve to visitors from multiple BCH departments who stopped by, and remarked it was the best 2 hours of her life.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Chinese Couple Created ‘Cancer Kitchen’ in Their Alley to Let Family Members Cook for Loved Ones in Nearby Hospital

Bryce had an in-patient stay as a child at BCH, and wanted to give back to other kids in ways similar to how she remembers being impacted during interactions and meaningful moments with the staff.

Bayse’s mom tells TODAY that the hospital really goes the extra mile to try and make children feel comfortable in the environment of the hospital.

“The fact that they’re so supportive of just knowing what the kids are interested in and like to do and then just going with that idea, they’ve really normalized the experience for Emerson here at Children’s Hospital,” Allison Bayse, the patient’s mom.

SHARE This Sweet (And Salty) Story With Your Friends On Social Media… 

Son Surprises Dad with Dream Car He Gave up for Diaper Money 41 Years Ago

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - Jared Guyness.
credit – Jared Guyness.

From Texas comes the beautiful story of love and appreciation between a son and a father—a father who gave up his dream car in order to be a good dad.

It was Earl Guynes’s 65th birthday, and he unexpectedly found himself on a car lot being spoken to by a magician. Suddenly, his son held up a pair of keys, and told him they fit inside the ignition of a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro that was sitting just over his shoulder.

It was a car Earl knew very well.

It was a car he sold 40 years ago so he could pay for diapers.

An automotive industry worker, Earl was working in parts as a 22-year-old in Mesquite, and an employee came in one day with a ’67 Camaro that made Earl’s eyes light up.

It was loud, he told NBC 5, the kind of car that had everyone looking out of the corner of their eyes as it passed down the block. He had a few good years with the Camaro, but after marrying his wife Mona and having their son Jared, he did what any responsible dad would do and trade in the dream of youth for the sake of the future.

“I used to tease Jared quite a bit. ‘I used to have a car like that one over there.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I let it go for diaper money,'” Earl told NBC. “‘You needed diapers and so that’s what happened to that car.’”

Jared joked that he never believed his father, but gradually the fixation on the Camaro he left behind rubbed off on his son, who came to know it better than his father did.

“It’s a 1967 Marina blue Camaro SS with a 350 small-block V8, an automatic 3-speed transmission. Crager chrome 15-inch mag wheels with white letters on the tire, small 1969 style cowl hood on the front, a small little whale tail on the back, and a black interior,” said Jared.

He always imagined what a great thing it would be to get that car back in the family, and then in 2021, he had a great business year. Instead of paying down debt or doing something “responsible” he did “what any Guyness man would do” and started looking at a cool car.

MORE FATHER-SON STORIES: He Found His Dad’s 1930s Car at An Auction–and Got it Working Again (LOOK)

Finding a ’67 Camaro exactly like his father once owned, Jared bought it and began secretly restoring it—like any old muscle car there was ample need for TLC.

“Wanting dad to really understand how much I love him and how important he is to me and how good of a job he did being a dad, I wanted to find the biggest, most symbolic most outrageous, way to help him understand how much. And I’m like, what is the greatest thing possible? And it was the Camaro. It was always the Camaro,” he said.

MORE STORIES JUST LIKE THIS: Grandson Surprises Grandpa by Restoring 1954 Pickup Sitting Broken for 40 Years: ‘I never thought I’d live to see that’

Shared with NBC, the video of the surprise, when Jared showed his dad what he had done, warms the heart, and the news outlet said that Jared replaced many of the old systems for new, safer, more refined ones.

WATCH that video below…

SHARE This Heartmelting Story Of A Pair Of Greasemonkeys With Your Friends…

“Real riches are the riches possessed inside.” – B. C. Forbes

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Real riches are the riches possessed inside.” – B. C. Forbes

Photo by: Molnar Balint

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?

These Tiny Snails Are Breeding in the Wild for the First Time in 40 Years in French Polynesia

By
Andy Corbley
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© Paul Pearce Kelly
© Paul Pearce Kelly

A global conservation effort to reintroduce a tiny snail to the wild is celebrating a momentous milestone, as for the first time in 40 years, conservationists have found adult members of the species born in the wild.

This means the precious mollusks called Partula tohiveana have successfully established themselves in French Polynesia.

The London Zoo, and others coordinating around the world, have been releasing captive P. tohiveana into the wild for years on Moorea island. This year, Senior Curator of Invertebrates & Fish Paul Pearce-Kelly, found unmarked Partula tohiveana: proof that previously reintroduced snails have successfully bred in the area.

The discovery means Partula tohiveana can now be considered fully established on the island and perhaps others—an incredibly rewarding result for 40 years of dedication and collaboration.

Conservationists will now begin the process of downlisting the snails from ‘Extinct in the Wild’ to ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN’s Red List.

Ten species and sub-species of the tropical snails, reared at Zoos across Britain, the United States, and from Schwerin, Germany, traveled more than 9,000 miles to Tahiti at the beginning of September.

Before making the two-day journey to the islands of Tahiti, Moorea, and Huahine, the incredibly rare snails, which each measure a tiny 1-2 centimeters in length, were individually counted and marked with a dot of yellow UV reflective paint. The ‘snail varnish’ glows under UV light, helping conservationists in the field to spot and monitor the nocturnal snails at night, when they’re most active.

© Paul Pearce Kelly

“Though little, these snails have great cultural, scientific, and conservation value,” said Pearce-Kelly. “Partula snails have always been part of Polynesia’s rich cultural heritage and play an important role in the ecological health of their forest habitats. Most recently, they’re providing a valuable conservation model for helping hundreds of endangered island species.”

“This collaborative conservation effort is playing a crucial role in saving these species from extinction. It’s a powerful example of how conservation zoos can combat biodiversity loss.”

Partula snails, also known as Polynesian tree snails, eat decaying plant tissue and fungi, and so play an important role in maintaining forest health. Returning these rare snails back to the wild helps restore the ecological balance in these islands that has been disrupted by invasive species.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Remarkable Sea Slug Found Among Monterrey Bay’s Lightless Depths is Nicknamed ‘Mystery Mollusk’

Conservation zoos are working with the French Polynesian Government’s Direction de l’environnement, to save Partula snails from extinction. In the 1980s and early 1990s, these snails faced a critical threat after the invasive rosy wolf snail (Euglandina rosea) was introduced to control the African giant land snail (Lissachatina fulica). Unfortunately, the predatory species targeted the native snails instead, leading to the extinction or near-extinction of many Partula species across the region.

In the early 1990s, the last remaining individuals of several Partula species were rescued by us together with Edinburgh Zoo, launching an international conservation breeding program. This collaboration between 15 zoos cares for 15 species and subspecies, most of which are classified by the IUCN as Extinct in the Wild. These rescued snails, along with those already being studied at universities in the UK and North America, became the foundation for reintroducing the species back onto their native island homes.

SNAIL CONSERVATION: Photographer Unites With Cuban Scientists to Save the World’s Most Beautiful Snail

“After decades of caring for these species in conservation zoos and working with the Direction de l’environnement to prepare the islands, we started reintroducing Partula snails back into their lowland tropical forests almost 10 years ago,” said Pearce-Kelly. “Since then, we’ve reintroduced over 30,000 snails, including 10 Extinct in the Wild species and subspecies, with this year’s release being the largest so far.”

Coordination of the Partula snail reintroduction project is made possible due to funding from supporters including the Players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, who have enabled London Zoo to continue bringing species back from the brink of extinction.

WATCH this snail expert passionately explain the meat of this story… 

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A Waiter in Canada is Learning Cree to Better Serve Customers: ‘Immediately People Would Light Up’

By
Andy Corbley
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Submitted to CBC by Adam Rieger
Submitted to CBC by Adam Rieger

Allegedly, there is a saying among the Cree Nation that goes “listen or your tongue will keep you deaf.”

For Adam Rieger, a waiter at a cafe in Saskatchewan, it was his listening that opened up a world of human connection when he decided he should learn the language of his customers.

Smitty’s Restaurant in Prince Albert, Sask. sees its fair share of tribal members, and the personable Rieger found it difficult to connect with them.

According to an interview with CBC News, Rieger explained that when he lived in Edmonton, he made the effort to serve diners in French, something the French-speaking Canadians warmly appreciated.

Despite the obvious challenges in learning a language beyond Latin, Rieger decided to listen so as not to be deaf to the hearts and culture of his customers. He began learning Cree to take orders and welcome guests, and helped break the ice by asking tribal customers to help him with certain words.

“He has positive energy, and then when he came back to us, that’s when he told me that he’s been trying to learn Cree,” Natasha Wolfe, a Cree Nation member told CBC’s Louise BigEagle.

Wolfe shared a video of him doing his job in Cree on social media to alert Tribal members of his compassion and interest in their language.

GNN reported earlier this year on a famous polyglot Youtuber visiting Cree Nation lands and surprising the people there by speaking Cree with semi-fluency. According to the Youtuber, going by the handle Xiaomanyc, Cree is difficult even among native languages, and for this reason there is a real concern it will die out in the coming generations.

NATIVE LANGUAGES RESCUED: 89-year-old had to ‘Speak Up’ to Save Believed-Extinct Language of Indigenous People Who Revered Silence

Rieger is exactly the kind of messenger that keeps languages alive—their use in day-to-day activities.

He said his Cree is still basic, but he will keep trying to learn. He said he finds some parts of Cree challenging, like learning the written language and the alphabet. Along with speaking to the customers, Rieger, watches YouTube lessons by Cree member Simon Bird, who the waiter says is able to communicate the phonetics of the language perfectly.

MORE LANGUAGES FROM THE AMERICAS: Two Scholars Reveal Incredible Insights Into Floridian Natives Through Long-Lost Language Translations

“Once I started doing this and I started seeing people’s reactions, it completely changed my perspective… immediately people would light up and they would start talking and be excited,” Rieger said. “I could see that it’s almost like the purpose of my job now became to reach people and to express love for them.”

WATCH a separate radio interview with CBC and hear from the man himself…

SHARE This Kind And Considerate Waiter’s Work On Behalf Of His Neighbors…

In 10 Seconds, an AI Model Detects Cancerous Brain Tumors Often Missed During Surgery

By
Andy Corbley
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A University of Michigan Health neurosurgical team performing an operation - credit Chris Hedly, Michigan Medicine.
A University of Michigan Health neurosurgical team performing an operation – credit Chris Hedly, Michigan Medicine.

Researchers have developed an AI-powered model that can determine in 10 seconds during surgery if any part of a cancerous brain tumor that could be removed remains.

The technology, called FastGlioma, outperformed conventional methods for identifying what remains of a tumor by a wide margin, according to the research team led by the universities of Michigan and California and the paper they published.

“FastGlioma is an artificial intelligence-based diagnostic system that has the potential to change the field of neurosurgery by immediately improving comprehensive management of patients with diffuse gliomas,” said senior author Todd Hollon, a neurosurgeon at University of Michigan Health.

“The technology works faster and more accurately than the current standard of care methods for tumor detection and could be generalized to other pediatric and adult brain tumor diagnoses. It could serve as a foundational model for guiding brain tumor surgery.”

When a neurosurgeon removes a life-threatening tumor from a patient’s brain, they are rarely able to remove the entire mass. What remains is known as a residual tumor.

Commonly, the tumor is missed during the operation because surgeons are not able to differentiate between healthy brain and residual tumor tissues in the cavity where the mass was removed.

Neurosurgical teams employ different methods to locate that residual tumor during a procedure, which may include MRI imaging, which may not be available in the hospital, or a fluorescent imaging agent to identify tumor tissue, which is not applicable for all tumor types.

These limitations prevent their widespread use.

In this international study of the AI-driven technology, neurosurgical teams analyzed fresh, unprocessed specimens sampled from 220 patients who had operations for low or high-grade diffuse glioma.

FastGlioma detected and calculated how much tumor remained with an average accuracy of approximately 92%.

In a comparison of surgeries guided by FastGlioma predictions or image and fluorescent-guided methods, the AI technology missed high-risk, residual tumor tissues just 3.8% of the time—compared to a whopping 25% miss rate for conventional methods.

To assess what remains of a brain tumor, FastGlioma combines microscopic optical imaging with a type of artificial intelligence called foundation models. These are AI models, such as GPT-4 and DALL·E 3, trained on massive, diverse datasets that can be adapted to a wide range of tasks.

To build FastGlioma, investigators pre-trained the visual foundation model using over 11,000 surgical specimens and 4 million unique microscopic fields of view.

AI MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR GOOD: AI Safety System Stops Train After Detecting Elephants Crossing the Tracks Ahead

“FastGlioma can detect residual tumor tissue without relying on time-consuming histology procedures and large, labeled datasets in medical AI, which are scarce,” said Honglak Lee, Ph.D., co-author and professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan

Full-resolution images take around 100 seconds to acquire, while a “fast mode,” lower-resolution image takes just 10 seconds. Even so, researchers found that the fast mode achieved an accuracy of 90%, just 2% lower than the full resolution.

“This means that we can detect tumor infiltration in seconds with extremely high accuracy, which could inform surgeons if more resection is needed during an operation,” Hollon said.

AI IN RADIOLOGY: After Studying Mammograms, AI Can Detect More Breast Cancers Than Humans–With Fewer False Positives

Over the last 20 years, the rates of residual tumor after neurosurgery have not improved.

Residual tumor tissues can lead to worse quality of life and earlier death for patients, but it also increases the burden on a health system that anticipates 45 million annual surgical procedures needed worldwide by 2030.

Not only is FastGlioma an accessible and affordable tool for neurosurgical teams operating on gliomas, but researchers say, it can also accurately detect residual tumor for several non-glioma tumor diagnoses, including pediatric brain tumors, such as medulloblastoma and ependymoma, and meningiomas.

AI IN CANCER TREATMENT: Artificial Intelligence ‘Can Help Spot Early Signs of Cancer in Chest X-Rays’

“These results demonstrate the advantage of visual foundation models such as FastGlioma for medical AI applications and the potential to generalize to other human cancers without requiring extensive model retraining or fine-tuning,” said co-author Aditya S. Pandey, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at UM Health.

“In future studies, we will focus on applying the FastGlioma workflow to other cancers, including lung, prostate, breast, and head and neck cancers.”

SHARE This Positive Use Of AI With Your Friends… 

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