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World War I Message in a Bottle Found in Australia and Delivered to Families More Than a Century Later

By
Nathan Frederick
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Handwritten messages from World War I soldiers found inside a bottle during beach clean-up in Australia – Credit: Debra Brown
Handwritten messages from World War I soldiers found inside a bottle during beach clean-up in Australia – Credit: Debra Brown

Australian soldiers slipped the letters into a bottle, closed the cap, and pitched it overboard from a ship in the Pacific Ocean as World War I battlefields beckoned them both.

The bottle was a time capsule that would be delivered by fate—and it arrived for overjoyed ancestors last month—more than 100 years after the bottle first hit the water.

On October 9, Peter Brown and his daughter Felicity found the Schweppes-brand bottle resting just above the waterline at Wharton Beach on the south coast of Western Australia. The Brown family frequently walks the beach and helps to clear garbage, but this piece was much more treasure than trash.

Nestled inside the bottle were letters written by two Army privates, Malcolm Neville and William Harley, originally dated August 15,1916.

Back then, Neville was 27 and Harley was 37. They were on board the ship HMAT A70 Ballarat and were leaving Adelaide on a mission to reinforce Australia’s 48th Infantry Battalion in World War I.

As the ship rocked back and forth on familiar waters, the soldiers wrote down messages that were soon swallowed by the sea. Surprisingly, their words were still legible when the letters reemerged weeks ago.

Neville’s letter from “somewhere at sea” requested that the finder send its contents to his mother in South Australia.

“We’re having a real good time, food is real good so far, with the exception of one meal which we buried at sea…The ship is heaving and rolling, but we are as happy as Larry”—which is a well-known Australian expression of contentment.

Credit: Debra Brown

Meanwhile, Harley wrote, “may the finder be as well as we are at present.”

Although neither man lived long—Neville died in battle a year later, and Harley passed away in 1934 with a cancer that his family blamed on gases used in war—their letters arrived in excellent shape, as if destined to provide a clear portal to the past.

The bottle was in “pristine condition” without a single barnacle, said Deb Brown who worked to retrieve the letters from the bottle.

“If it had been exposed for that long, the paper would’ve disintegrated from the sun,” opined Brown, who thinks the bottle got buried in a sand dune soon after it was tossed overboard, until it broke free and gave unsuspecting family members a new connection to their ancestors.

MORE MAGIC IN A BOTTLE:
• 4-Year-old is Ecstatic to Receive Reply to His Message in a Bottle–and Wonders if He has to Send Another Bottle Back
• Love Conquers the Atlantic as Couple’s Message in a Bottle Found in Ireland 13 Years Later

Once Brown removed the letters from the bottle, she used an internet search pairing Neville’s last name with his hometown in the letter (Wilkawatt) and soon found a Facebook page for his great-nephew Herbie.

“It’s been unbelievable,” Herbie said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “It’s sort of brought us all closer together. It really has.”

Brown was lucky enough to locate relatives of Harley too. And interestingly enough, Harley had a number of grandchildren who were still around to savor the news.

“We are all absolutely stunned,” Ann Hurley, a granddaughter of Harley, said.

“There are five grandchildren who are still alive. We’re all in constant contact since it happened and we just can’t believe it.

“It really does feel like a miracle. We do very much feel like our grandfather has reached out to us from the grave.”

TEARS IN A BOTTLE: Daughter Gets Dad’s Long Lost Message in a Bottle 50 Years Later

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Pet Company is Granting Your Wishes–Starting with a Leash For ALS Patient to Walk Her Dog From a Wheelchair

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Good News Network
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Credit: Chewy
Credit: Chewy

Brooke Eby used to take her adopted dog Dray on long walks and hikes in San Francisco, until she was waylaid by a diagnosis of ALS that landed her in a wheelchair.

She tried adaptive leashes, but they often left the little pooch tangled in the wheels because they aren’t designed for Dray’s small size.

Then, she heard about a pet company making holiday wishes come true, so she wrote a letter in Dray’s voice to ‘Chewy Claus’ begging for a solution so he can once again take a nice walk with his momma.

Dray’s was the first doggie-wish to be granted, kicking off Chewy’s annual letter-writing campaign in Potomac, Maryland, where Brooke and her senior rescue dog received a huge basket of gifts, along with the custom wheelchair accessory that is providing a new leash on life.

Now, Brooke can resume one of her favorite activities—taking a walk with her best friend—and bask in the sense of independence it brings. (See the results in a video below…)

“Dray has seen me be less and less active, and this leash is just showing him that I’m still there, still the same leash-holder I’ve always been,” said Brooke. “This is one less time I have to ask someone to help me do something I used to do by myself multiple times a day in my normal life.”

SWEET: Watch Police Fulfill Young Cancer Patient’s Wish to “Blow Stuff Up”

Brooke walking Dray from a wheelchair – Credit: Chewy

Brooke’s infectious spirit is captured in her new mantra of “living life in dog years,” a reminder to make every moment count, even when time is uncertain.

In Brooke and Dray’s honor, Chewy Claus is donating $10,000 to Team Gleason, an ALS advocacy organization, and will support pet parents afflicted with ALS, providing them with resources to carry forward Brooke’s message of fully embracing life.

Chewy Claus is currently fulfilling thousands of wishes, and is accepting letters at chewy.com/ChewyClaus—whether they are submitted via paws, claws, fins, wings, hooves, or any other letter-writing appendage.

For every wish submitted between now and December 24, Chewy Claus will deliver five meals (up to 16 million total meals) to pets in need as part of Chewy’s pledge to donate $10 million to shelter and rescue animals throughout the U.S. in the form of toys, supplies, treats, and meals.

Since the program launched in 2022, more than one million pets have submitted their holiday wishes to Chewy Claus — from favorite toys and tasty treats to cozy beds and second chances for animals seeking forever homes.

MORE COMPANIES HELPING PETS:
• Restaurant’s Viral Compassion After He Ordered His Dog’s Last Meal
• Beloved Lowe’s Store Cat is Finally Found in Neighboring State After Security Footage Reveals Clues

In a media release the company said, in the days ahead. “Chewy Claus will reveal more fulfilled wishes – including Fern, a people-loving duck who is throwing her Detroit-area hometown the best holiday party ever, and Taylor, a senior therapy dog outside Chicago, who is receiving a well-deserved, multi-species retirement sendoff.”

So dream big on behalf of your pawsome pets.

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“Peering from some high window, at the gold of November sunset and feeling that if day has to become night, this is a beautiful way.” – E. E. Cummings

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Good News Network
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By Johannes Plenio

Quote of the Day: “Peering from some high window, at the gold of November sunset and feeling that if day has to become night, this is a beautiful way.” – E. E. Cummings

Photo by: Johannes Plenio

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?

By Johannes Plenio

Good News in History, November 9

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Good News Network
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Kasparov after winning in 1985 - CC 3.0. BY SA - The Kasparov Agency.

49 years ago today, Gary Kasparov won his first Chess World Championship after overcoming his opponent Anatoly Karpov whom he faced inconclusively the year before in what was and still is the only world championship ever abandoned without a result. Kasparov secured the world crown in Moscow by a score of 13–11 making him the youngest champion in history at just 22 years of age, and began a reign of dominance that ranks him among the best in history. READ what happened next… (1985)

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Birds Feast on Sunflower Seeds in Perfect Autumnal Scene Captured From Kitchen Window

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Good News Network
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Andrew Fusek Peters photographed a great tit (Parus major) from his kitchen window in Shropshire, England – SWNS
Andrew Fusek Peters photographed a great tit (Parus major) from his kitchen window in Shropshire, England – SWNS

Stunning pictures from England show hungry birds feasting on sunflower seeds in a gorgeous autumn scene.

Photographer Andrew Fusek Peters captured the magical moment from his kitchen in Shropshire, as the birds dove into the seeds to release them from fading sunflowers.

“It’s basic botanical biology happening before our eyes,” he mused in an interview with SWNS news agency.

“When the sunflowers go, they start setting seeds and that’s when we get sunflower seeds—one of the main things the birds eat…”

Among the multiple seed-eating bird species that are a natural part of the landscape in the West Midlands are the great tit, Parus major (above), and the European greenfinch, Chloris chloris (see the pair below).

“You don’t get anything more natural than them plucking them from the plant itself. It’s magical.

Andrew Fusek Peters captured pair of European greenfinch (Chloris chloris) from his kitchen window in Shropshire, England -SWNS

“I was very happy with the photos, full of rich autumn colors.

“There’s one where the seeds are all falling out the plant and it’s just beautiful.

Andrew Fusek Peters photographed a great tit (Parus major) from his kitchen window in Shropshire, England – SWNS

“I was inside the kitchen. The light comes around and in the afternoon that’s when you get these wonderful shots.

“It’s quite cheerful.”

MUST SEE–> Comedy Wildlife Contest Unveils Wonderful Photo Finalists to Make Everyone Smile

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Airbnb Lets You Open Bedroom Door to Welcome in a Miniature Horse (LOOK)

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Good News Network
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SWNS
SWNS

A unique Airbnb in England offers the chance to spend the night in a decorated barn containing a friendly miniature horse.

Brittany Sparham began renting out part of her barn in a rural village outside Nottinghamshire during the pandemic in response to the rising popularity of ‘staycations’.

Since the rustic apartment would share its wall with the stables, the 28-year-old owner decided it would be fun to create a door so renters could visit their equine neighbor, Basil.

“We thought why not do something really unique and open up the doorway between the two rooms, so guests could see Basil,” she told SWNS news agency.

“It works out well for Basil too as he always has company and gets lots of fuss and attention.

The barn soon became very popular with animal lovers who want to spend a night with the 12-year-old miniature Shetland pony. (See the video below…)

Airbnb with pony stable and rocking horse – SWNS

“Basil is a very chilled individual. He loves playing out with his friends in the field during the day, but also gets very excited to come into his stable for the night.

“We just open the gate from the field, and he runs right in on his own, he knows he gets lots of attention and all the hay to himself for the night.”

The unit is retrofitted with a kitchen, a bathroom, a den and a bedroom containing a double bed and bunk beds that are right next to the stable door. (Watch the video at the bottom to see more…)

Cozy den in Airbnb with pony stable outside – SWNS

The property, on the grounds of a 17th-century manor, is available for a two-night-minimum with a total cost of $473 (£360)

Guests aren’t able to feed Basil, but tools are provided for brushing him—and cleaning his stable, for anyone who wants to dig-in.

“We’ve had Basil for over 10 years, since he was just 2 years old, so he’s a very much loved and well-respected member of our family.”

The listing on Airbnb does warn that since you will be living with a horse there is a chance of noises and smells.

“People think it might smell or be too noisy, but everyone who stays loves it.

Airbnb with pony stable outside bedroom – SWNS

“Lots of people have fallen in love with Basil’s cheeky character and come back to stay often, some guests we’ve had return seven or eight times over the years.”

CHECK OUT THESE UNIQUE AIRBNBs:
• World’s Only ‘Bookstore Airbnb’ Has 2-Year Wait List for Guests Wanting to Sell Used Books By Day
• Van Gogh Painting Recreated As Actual Bedroom to Rent on AirbnB – LOOK
• Narnia Themed Treehouse Built Next to C.S. Lewis’ Home Features Magic Wardrobe, Becomes Airbnb Rental

In the paddocks they also have a herd of Highland cows, Hebridean sheep, horses, pigs, chickens, and Norwegian Forrest cats.

Thankfully, Brittany lives onsite so can take care of issues. One time a sheep jumped over the door into the bedroom and got a little too comfortable on the bed—so he’s been banned from entering Basil’s stable.

SHARE THE TIP With Horse-Lovers Who Wish They Lived on a Farm…

A Smart Keyboard for Parkinson’s Patients Wins 2025 James Dyson Global Award

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Good News Network
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Credit: James Dyson Awards
Credit: James Dyson Awards

An innovative smart keyboard designed to significantly improve typing ability for people living with Parkinson’s disease has been named a Global Winner of the prestigious 2025 James Dyson Award.

The groundbreaking invention, called “OnCue”, was created by Italian product designer Alessandra Galli as a school thesis project at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

It’s the first assistive keyboard that integrates cues to help manage motor symptoms like tremors, slowed movement (bradykinesia), and ‘freezing’.

“OnCue is a clever and empowering solution, allowing people with Parkinson’s and other motor conditions to stay connected and communicate independently,” said the award’s founder James Dyson, a visionary inventor known for his persistence in developing groundbreaking products (like the 5,126 prototypes he built over four years before perfecting the first bagless vacuum cleaner).

Galli developed OnCue after focus groups revealed how typing obstacles challenged the independence and confidence of Parkinson’s patients.

The device’s core features work in concert to support a steady typing flow:

  • Haptic Feedback: Subtle vibrations are transmitted through the keys and optional matching wristbands to help guide users’ typing rhythm and compensate for reduced tactile sensitivity.
  • AI Lighting System: An artificial intelligence component predicts the most likely next letter the user will press and illuminates the corresponding key with a green light. This visual cue helps to reduce hesitation and errors, a common issue with the condition.
  • Ergonomic Design: Inspired by gaming keyboards, OnCue has a compact, split layout to reduce strain on the hands and arms. The keycaps also feature raised edges to guide finger placement and prevent accidental presses.

In addition, OnCue is designed with customization in mind, allowing users to adjust haptic and visual cue intensity through software or physical sliders, accommodating the daily fluctuations in Parkinson’s symptoms.

Credit: James Dyson Awards

Galli says the $40,000 award from Dyson will help bring her invention to market for those who need it. She plans to enhance the electronics and conduct further usability testing with occupational therapists and Parkinson’s organizations.

CHECK OUT: Previous Dyson Award Winning Inventions

Learn more and stay up-to-date on the keyboard’s development by visiting the project’s website, OnCueDesign.net.

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Your Weekly Horoscope – ‘Free Will Astrology’ by Rob Brezsny

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Good News Network
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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 8, 2025
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Martin Luther King Jr. said that harnessing our pain and transforming it into wise love can change the world for the better. More than any other sign, Scorpio, you understand this mystery: how descent can lead to renewal, how darkness can awaken brilliance. It’s one of your birthrights to embody King’s militant tenderness: to take what has wounded you, alchemize it, and make it into a force that heals others as well as yourself. You have the natural power to demonstrate that vulnerability and ferocity can coexist, that forgiveness can live alongside uncompromising truth. When you transmute your shadows into offerings of power, you confirm King’s conviction that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Apophenia is the tendency to perceive meaningful patterns in seemingly random data. On the downside, it may cause a belief in delusional conspiracy theories. But it can also be a generator of life’s poetry, leading us to see faces in clouds, hear fateful messages in static, and find key revelations in a horoscope. Psychologist Carl G. Jung articulated another positive variation of the phenomenon. His concept of synchronicity refers to the occurrence of meaningful coincidences between internal psychological states and external events that feel deeply significant and even astounding to the person experiencing them. Synchronicities suggest there’s a mysterious underlying order in the universe, linking mind and matter in nonrational ways. In the coming weeks, Sagittarius, I suspect you will experience a slew of synchronicities and the good kind of apophenia.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Philosopher Alfred Korzybski coined the phrase “the map is not the territory.” In other words, your concepts about reality are not reality itself. Your idea of love is not love. Your theory about who you are is not who you are. It’s true that many maps are useful fictions. But when you forget they’re fiction, you’re lost even when you think you know where you are. Here’s the good news, Capricorn: In the weeks ahead, you are poised to see and understand the world exactly as it is—maybe more than ever before. Lean into this awesome opportunity.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Babies are born with about 300 bones, but adults have 206. Many of our first bones fuse with others. From one perspective, then, we begin our lives abundant with possibility and rich with redundancy. Then we solidify, becoming structurally sound but less flexible. Aging is a process of strategic sacrifice, necessary but not without loss. Please meditate on these facts as a metaphor for the decisions you face. The question isn’t whether to ripen and mature—that’s a given—but which growth will serve you and which will diminish you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Beneath every thriving forest lies a lacework of mycelium. Through it, tree roots trade nourishment, warn each other of drought or illness, and make sure that young shoots benefit from elders’ reserves. Scientists call it the “wood-wide web.” Indigenous traditions have long understood the principle: Life flourishes when a vast communication network operates below the surface to foster care and collaboration. Take your cues from these themes, Pisces. Tend creatively to the web of connections that joins you to friends, collaborators, and kindred spirits. Proceed with the faith that generosity multiplies pathways and invites good fortune to circulate freely. Offer what you can, knowing that the cycle of giving will find its way back to you.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In 1995, wolves were reintroduced to the American wildlife area known as Yellowstone Park after a 70-year absence. They hunted elk, which changed elk behavior, which changed vegetation patterns, which stabilized riverbanks, which altered the course of the Lamar River and its tributaries. The wolves changed the rivers! This phenomenon is called a trophic cascade: one species reorganizing an entire ecosystem through a web of indirect effects. For the foreseeable future, Aries, you will be a trophic cascade, too. Your choices will create many ripples beyond your personal sphere. I hope you wield your influence with maximum integrity.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
I authorize you to explore the mysteries of sacred laziness. It’s your right and duty to engage in intense relaxing, unwinding, and detoxifying. Proceed on the theory that rest is not the absence of productivity but a different kind of production—the cultivation of dreams, the composting of experience, and the slow fermentation of insight. What if your worth isn’t always measured by your output? What if being less active for a while is essential to your beautiful success in the future?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
You are not yet who you will become. Your current struggle has not yet generated its full wisdom. Your confusion hasn’t fully clarified into purpose. The mess hasn’t composted into soil. The ending that looms hasn’t revealed the beginning it portends. In sum, Gemini, you are far from done. The story isn’t over. The verdict isn’t in. You haven’t met everyone who will love you and help you. You haven’t become delightfully impossible in all the ways you will eventually become delightfully impossible.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
By the time he became an elder, Cancerian artist David Hockney had enjoyed a long and brilliant career as a painter, primarily applying paint to canvases. Then, at age 72, he made a radical departure, generating artworks using iPhones and iPads. He loved how these digital media allowed him to instantly capture fleeting moments of beauty. His success with this alternate form of expression has been as great as his previous work. I encourage you to be as daring and innovative as Hockney. Your imaginative energy and creative powers are peaking. Take full advantage!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Black activist Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” He was proclaiming a universal truth: Real courage is never just about personal glory. It’s about using your fire to help and illuminate others. You Leos are made to do this: to be bold not just for your own sake, but as a source of strength for your community. Your charisma and creativity can be precious resources for all those whose lives you touch. In the coming weeks, how will you wield them for mutual uplift?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Who would have predicted that the first woman to climb Mount Everest would have three planets in Virgo? Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei did it in 1975. To what did she attribute her success? She described herself not as fearless, but as “a person who never gives up.” I will note another key character trait: rebellious willfulness. In her time, women were discouraged from the sport. They were regarded as too fragile and impractical for rugged ascents. She defied all that. Let’s make her your inspirational role model, Virgo. Be persistent, resolute, indefatigable, and, if necessary, renegade.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Among the Mbuti people of the Congo, there’s no word for “thank you.” Gratitude is so foundational to their culture that it requires no special acknowledgment. It’s not singled out in moments of politeness; it’s a sweet ambent presence in the daily flux. I invite you to live like that for now, Libra. Practice feeling reverence and respect for every little thing that makes your life such an amazing gift. Feel your appreciation humming through ordinary moments like background music. I guarantee you that this experiment will boost the flow of gratitude-worthy experiences in your direction.

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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“There is nothing permanent except change.” – Heraclitus

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Good News Network
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Credit: Natalia Blauth for Unsplash+ (cropped)

Quote of the Day: “There is nothing permanent except change.” – Heraclitus (around 500 BC)

Photo by: Natalia Blauth for Unsplash+ (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?

Credit: Natalia Blauth for Unsplash+ (cropped)

Good News in History, November 8

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Good News Network
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Palace of Westminster, UK Parliament - credit, Terr Ott, CC 2.0.

60 years ago today, the ironically-named Murder Act of 1965 is given Royal Assent, formally abolishing the death penalty in the United Kingdom for almost all crimes. Introduced by MP for Liverpool Sydney Silverman, it replaced hanging with mandatory sentences of life-imprisonment in all but 4 cases. The outstanding exceptions related to military-intelligence crimes, such as piracy with the intent to cause grievous injury, high treason, and espionage. READ more… (1965)

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Why Would Visiting an Art Gallery Reduce Your Risk of Heart Problems and Disease?

By
Andy Corbley
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by Zalfa Imani on Unsplash
by Zalfa Imani on Unsplash

A new study shows that visiting an art gallery and appreciating the works therein can reduce your risk of heart disease and even boost your immune system.

But how could that work?

There are some general wellness maxims that could connect the large span between these two seemingly unrelated subjects though, and it may mean the same reduction in risk could come from all sorts of enjoyable leisure activities.

Where there’s inflammation without injury, there’s aging and illness. Key inflammatory proteins called cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) are basically correlated with every disease known to man. While they play a key role in stimulating wound healing, they can also become active in preparation for wounds.

The stress hormone cortisol prepares the body for risk. A hormonal state of stress triggers increases of IL-6, TNF-a, and other cytokines in certain circumstances. Ipso facto, reducing stress reduces inflammation, inflammation reduces physiological degradation.

Researchers from King’s College London measured the physiological responses of participants viewing the collections of the Courtauld Gallery in the UK capital. Cardio data was provided by a continuous heart-rate monitor, which also captured skin temperatures. Saliva samples were taken before and after the 20 minute viewing exercise.

Compared to viewing the same paintings as replica images in a non-gallery setting, the stress hormone cortisol fell by an average of 22%, and 16% more than those viewing the pictures of the paintings.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Gardening Could Help Reduce Cancer Risk, Boost Mental Health and Bring Communities Together

IL-6 fell 30% and TNF-a by 28%.

“Stress hormones and inflammatory markers like cortisol, IL-6 and TNF-alpha are linked to a wide range of health problems, from heart disease and diabetes to anxiety and depression,” Dr. Tony Woods, a researcher at King’s College London, told the Guardian.

“The fact that viewing original art lowered these markers suggests that cultural experiences may play a real role in protecting both mind and body.”

MORE RESEARCH LIKE THIS: How LEGO Is Being Used to Reduce Stress, Combat Childhood Trauma, and Manage PTSD

It’s not wild or difficult to explain what went on here in simple terms: going to the Courtauld Gallery was an enjoyable de-stress for the participants.

The study is the first of its kind, its authors say, and though it marks an excellent reason to plan a visit to your local art gallery, its implications carry a far broader message: remember to stop and enjoy things from time to time, it could save your life.

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Phase 3 Trial Shows Peanut Patch Treatment Helps Toddlers Build Tolerance to Deadly Allergy

By
Andy Corbley
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Maryam Sicard for Unsplash+
Maryam Sicard for Unsplash+

Toddlers safely built a tolerance to small amounts of peanut proteins thanks to a simple skin patch, which helped prevent the progression of a potentially deadly allergy.

More than 70% of these toddlers could tolerate 3 or 4 peanut kernels after a 3-year course of treatment, say American scientists working to commercialize the skin patch.

The findings, from an FDA-registered, long-term, phase 3 clinical trial offer encouraging news for parents of the one child in 50 born every year with the susceptibility to peanut allergies.

The study found that a peanut patch treatment—called epicutaneous immunotherapy, or EPIT—continued to help toddlers safely build tolerance to peanuts over three years. It used the DBV Technologies Viaskin Peanut Patch, which delivers small amounts of peanut protein through the skin.

The goal is to train the immune system to tolerate peanut exposure and reduce the risk of severe allergic reactions from accidental ingestion.

The new analysis looked at toddlers who originally received a placebo in an earlier one-year study and then used the peanut patch for up to 3 years.

After 3 years of treatment, more than 70% of the children could tolerate the equivalent of at least 3 to 4 peanut kernels—a “significant” improvement from their first year of treatment.

Nearly half could tolerate even higher amounts, according to the research team.

“Importantly, the treatment continued to show a strong safety record,” said study lead author Dr. Matthew Greenhawt. “No cases of treatment-related anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, were reported in the third year.

“Skin irritation at the patch site, the most common side effect, became less frequent over time.”

The research team also found that children’s reactions during food challenges became milder, with fewer severe symptoms after 3 years than after 1 year.

DEFEATING ALLERGIES: Renowned Salk Institute Studies Native Plants for Drug Discoveries in Weight Loss, Allergies, Asthma, and Headaches

“These results show that ongoing treatment with the peanut patch continues to improve tolerance and remains safe over time,” said Dr. Greenhawt, who holds the directorship of the Food Challenge and Research Unit at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

“For parents of toddlers with peanut allergies, this kind of approach may one day offer peace of mind by reducing the risk of having an allergic reaction, including severe reactions, from accidental exposure.”

MORE BREAKTHROUGH CHILDCARE: A Daycare Rewilded its Yard and the Children Became Healthier: Now the Whole Nation Is Doing it

The findings add to growing evidence that early intervention in young children helps change the course of peanut allergy development. Researchers stressed that parents should not attempt any form of peanut desensitization at home, and should discuss emerging treatment options with a qualified allergist.

The findings were presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Orlando, Florida.

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Scientists Create a Google Maps of the Roman Empire–Plan Your Trip Along Their Famous Roads

By
Andy Corbley
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A roadway near Timgad - Credit Itiner-e, Artas Media, MINERVA.
A roadway near Timgad – Credit Itiner-e, Artas Media, MINERVA.

It was said that all roads lead to Rome, but from where do all the roads to Rome lead?

Using a mountain of data, a team of two dozen scientists have created a digital road atlas of the Roman imperial world, complete with many features you’d recognize from Google Maps.

credit- Itiner-e screengrab

Called Itiner-e, it displays the roads that would have been found throughout the Roman Empire around the year 150 CE. It’s the most expansive research project on the topic to date, and increases the estimated length of the empire’s road system by over 60,000 miles.

At its height in the second century CE, the Roman Empire included over 55 million people and stretched as far north as modern day Britain to as far south as Morocco, eastward to the Syrian deserts, and, turning towards Europe, included all of Turkey, northeastern Bulgaria, and the Danube. It was carved up and maintained by a network of stone/gravel/sand highways stretching 117,162 miles.

But the total extent of the Roman interstate system had remained incompletely mapped and existing digitizations were low resolution. Seeking to improve on them, a vast international and interdisciplinary team of scientists from across Europe created Itiner-e using archaeological and historical records, topographic maps, and satellite imagery.

The dataset increases the known road converge to 180,000 miles across over 1 million square miles, mainly from new mapping across the Iberian Peninsula, Greece, and North Africa.

Their work also adapted previously-proposed road routes to fit geographical realities. This includes allowing roads crossing mountains to follow winding paths, as they likely would have, rather than direct lines.

It was estimated that around a third of the road system was highways, while two thirds would today be called B roads or secondary roads. The authors report that the precise locations of only 2.7% of the roads are known with certainty, while 89.8% are less precisely known, and 7.4% are hypothesized.

(left) Fragment of a Roman milestone erected along the road Via Nova in Jordan – Adam Pažout (right) a Roman road, created by Artas Media, MINERVA.

Using Itiner-e, a trip from the Spanish-Roman city of Salmantica (Salamanca) to near Comum, the city closest to the Italian home of GNN’s Managing Editor Andy Corbley, would have taken some 447 hours on Roman roads. Such a traveler could, however, be expected to make 2.4 miles per hour on foot because of the fine condition of the roads.

According to Itiner-e, one would take a Roman highway northeast to Pompelo (Pamplona) and continue on up over the Pyrenees, before turning off onto a secondary road towards Elusa in southern France. From there, the traveler would rejoin the highway running due east past Tolosa (Toulouse) and along the Cote d’Azur past Nemauses, (Nimes).

Secondary roads would take the traveler over and down the French Alps to Cuneo and then to Augusta Taurinorum (Turin) where there was a straight shot to Novaria (Novara). A secondary road would take the traveler north to the crossing of the River Ticino, where he would then leave the road to Comum via an undocumented Roman track that would see the weary wanderer home at last to Vergiate.

MORE ROMAN STORIES: Spy Satellite Photos Reveal Hundreds of Long-Lost Roman Forts, Challenging Decades-Old Theory

The road system was extremely sophisticated, allowing parts of it to last to our present time because of the many layers used to construct them. The goal was to build them so as to require as little maintenance as possible.

Typically a flat trench called a fossa would be dug down to the bedrock or firmest ground that was available. Fill, such as rubble or gravel, was then poured in until it filled the cracks in the bedrock and created a level surface. It would then be filled with native soil and then sand, if it were available.

DIGITAL ATLAS PROJECTS: Watch How Continents Moved Over 100 Million Years in Video – Mapped by Scientists as Never Before

Once the filling reached 1 yard of the surface, a layer of gravel would be tamped down, and a concrete-lime filling would follow, into which the Romans would stack stones as if the road were a wall, seeking the best and most natural fit between each stone to allow as little water and seed infiltration past the concrete. The road would be built in a slight arch to allow for quick drainage, just like modern motorways.

Sometimes, like in the Roman colonial city in Algeria, called Timgad, the roads had two lanes, also just like ours do today, (they drove on the right). A kind of mile marker and road sign would also be found, especially on the secondary roads.

WATCH a video production on the scope of the road system… 

 

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Driverless Electric Bus Eases Driver Shortages and Congestion In Madrid During Maiden Service

By
Andy Corbley
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- Courtesy of EMT ©, released to Euronews
– Courtesy of EMT ©, released to Euronews

After five years of testing, an autonomous electric bus has been deployed to a park in Madrid for one final, real-world experiment in driverless vehicles for public transit.

If it succeeds, the cute little caterpillar-shaped bus may become a mainstay in the Spanish capital, ferrying passengers around Casa de Campo park and beyond.

Developed through a partnership with the Madrid transit authority (EMT) and Automotive Technology Center of Galicia (CTAG), in northern Spain, the driverless bus has been in action between the 15th of September and 24th of October.

It drove in a circuit around Casa de Campo, picking up passengers at 6 stops, and operating for five of the city’s peak hours.

The vehicle is 100% electric, and though many of its body components were manufactured abroad, the brain, eyes, ears, and other software were made at CTAG.

“This bus is one of the best I have ever tested,” César Omar Chacón Fernández, head of the EMT’s Rolling Stock Planning Division, told Euronews. “It behaves very well dynamically. Let’s say that the technology is very well integrated, it doesn’t behave erratically or robotically like other buses.”

The aim of EMT and CTAG is not replacing drivers, but providing a suitable and safe alternative for predictable, shorter routes that can help cities address a current shortage of professional bus drivers.

Though fully autonomous, and capable of detecting pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders, scooters, animals, crosswalks, stop signs, traffic lights, and roundabouts, and making decisions over when to brake, accelerate, turn, and open/close the doors, a safety officer is always on board just in case.

MORE SPANISH IDEAS: 

“The vehicle detects any object, from a bicycle to an animal, and reacts accordingly to avoid collisions,” Chacón said. “It is a fully autonomous line, but we never leave anything to chance.”

A cute little thing, it joins a growing number of miniature, electric, European automotive options that fit better into crowds of cyclists, narrow streets, and cramped parking spaces.

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“Sometimes love is stronger than a man’s convictions.” – Isaac Bashevis Singer

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Good News Network
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By Travis Grossen

Quote of the Day: “Sometimes love is stronger than a man’s convictions.” – Isaac Bashevis Singer

Photo by: Travis Grossen

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?

By Travis Grossen

Good News in History, November 7

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Good News Network
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Jerry Sloan in 2010 - credit, Stephanie Young Merzel - CC 2.0

16 years ago today, Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan became the first in professional basketball history to win 1,000 games with a single team. Described as “one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history,” he spent nearly his entire 23-year coaching career at Utah, managing the team through good times and bad, leading some spectacular talent such as Carlos Boozer and Karl Malone, and making the Western Conference playoffs 16 times in a row. READ excerpts from his milestone victory… (2009)

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A Daycare Rewilded its Yard and the Children Became Healthier: Now the Whole Nation Is Doing it

By
Andy Corbley
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By Janko Ferlič
By Janko Ferlič

Finland is doubling down on evidence from four years ago that definitively shows how children can avoid diseases and allergies throughout their lives if they’re permitted to get down and dirty in daycare.

Dozens of comparative studies have previously found that children who live in rural areas and are in contact with nature have a lower probability of catching an illness resulting from disorders in the immune system—and a lower risk of developing coeliac disease, allergies, atopy, and even diabetes.

A 2021 study conducted at a Finnish daycare and published in Science Advances showed that repeated contact with nature-like elements five times a week diversified the body’s microbes which offered protection against diseases transmitted through the immune system in daycare children.

“This is the first in which these changes offering protection against diseases have been found when adding diversified aspects of nature to an urban environment”, said Aki Sinkkonen, a research scientist who led the study for the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) at the time.

Each human individual is actually an environment in themselves: a host of trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These collectively outnumber our own cells 4-1, and are emerging as one of the most influential forces—if not truly the single most—in human health and function.

LUKE took its findings to heart in a big way, and is now launching a nationwide survey—of 43 daycares compared to the previous sample of merely 75 children at daycares—on how increased microbial exposure from yard landscaping changes the microbial composition of children’s skin, gut, and oral microbiomes.

A mixture of hair, saliva, and stool samples will be taken in addition to questionnaires about infectious diseases among the children by parents, in order to robustly measure the impact of a wilder daycare on children’s immune health.

The Guardian recently reported on some of the fruits of this initiative which saw €1 million in grants given out to the 43 daycare centers for the purpose of adding more garden space, planter boxes, compost heaps, and other such natural features to their properties.

Sinkkonen was there too—inspecting a “chocolate cake” baked with love out of mud and sand by a five-year-old at Humpula daycare center in Lahti, north of Helsinki. The daycare boasts a vegetable patch, which uses the daycare’s composter to provide dirt-covered, healthy veggies for the center’s kitchen. It was the location of the original study from 2021, and is now the flagship daycare in the new, larger trial.

FINLAND NEWS: Potential New Source for Drugs to Fight Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Found Deep in Arctic Ocean

Sinkkonen’s original study with LUKE at Humpula identified lower levels of Clostridium bacteria—linked with inflammatory bowel disease—in the 75 kids’ gut microbiomes. Their blood samples showed higher levels of circulating immune agents called T cells, while their skin carried lower densities of infectious disease-causing Streptococcus bacteria.

If that profile can be replicated nation wide, a huge financial and health burden could be lifted from the national community.

PARENTING STRATEGIES: Parents Should Sing More to Their Babies For the Positive Impact on Infant’s Mood–And Their Own

It’s no surprise then that Humpula has gone a little bit crazy with the idea. The daycare substituted its grass garden for a giant pizza slice of forest floor 107 square feet in area and 12 inches deep. It came pre-loaded with wild lingon and blueberry seeds which grew into plants which produced berries, as well as bugs, mosses and lichen, and, most importantly, God-only-knows-how-many trillions of microbes.

“This area has not been forested for 200 years so this is a substitute,” Sinkkonen told the Guardian.

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Bizarre Deep-Sea Creature – a ‘Death Ball’ Sponge – Discovered in One of the Most Remote Corners of the Planet

By
Andy Corbley
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New Carnivorous death ball sponge found 3601 meters deep east of Montagu Island – Credit: The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Schmidt Ocean Institute ©2025
New Carnivorous death ball sponge found 3601 meters deep east of Montagu Island – Credit: The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Schmidt Ocean Institute ©2025

30 previously unknown deep-sea species, including the carnivorous “death-ball” sponge, have been confirmed from one of the most remote parts of the planet.

The animals were collected during a pair of 2025 research cruises to the waters around Antarctica which yielded stunning discoveries in their own right.

But the honor of the discovery and the naming of the death-ball sponge belongs to the Nippon Foundation of Japan, conducting what they called the Nekton Ocean Census.

At the conclusion of the trip in August, the researchers got to work at the Southern Ocean Species Discovery Workshop, where an international team of taxonomists fast-tracked species verification by triaging, imaging, and comparing specimens on site at the University of the Magallanes, in Punta Arenas, Chile.

A standout discovery was this new predatory sponge (Chondrocladia sp. nov.) Its spherical form is covered in tiny hooks that trap prey, a clear contrast to the gentle, passive, filter-feeding undertaken by most sponges.

‘Zombie worms’ (Osedax) were also observed. Although not thought to be new to science, much remains to be learned about these worms—which have no mouth or gut and rely on symbiotic bacteria to break down fats inside the bones of whales and other large vertebrates.

The Southern Ocean expeditions also revealed new armored and iridescent scale worms (Eulagisca sp. nov.), previously unknown species of sea stars (Brisingidae, Benthopectinidae and Paxillosidae); new crustaceans, including isopods and amphipods, with material under review that may represent a new amphipod family; and rare gastropods and bivalves adapted to volcanic and hydrothermal-influenced habitats.

Additional possible new species, among them black corals and a potential sea-pen genus, are undergoing expert assessment.

A new species of iridescent scale worm, – credit, Jialing Cai The Nippon Foundation Nekton-Ocean Census / Schmidt Ocean Institute © 2025

The fact that all of this has been released just three months after the conclusion of the voyage is down to this new ocean-to-lab model trialed at the Species Discovery Workshop. It was described by the Nippon Foundation as a newer, faster, and more collaborative approach to species discovery for the global community, addressing the major roadblock in traditional taxonomy of limited funding and capacity that leaves samples sitting in jars for years.

“Advanced tools—from precise seafloor mapping to high-definition ROV imagery—allow us to explore and gather data from places never seen before by humans,” said Dr. Jyotika Virmani, Executive Director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, which organized both the research cruises, wrote in a statement.

THE WONDERS OF THE DEEP: First-Known Sighting of a ‘Massive’ Antarctic Squid is Caught on Camera During Nat Geo Expedition

“The goal we share with Ocean Census to accelerate discoveries has resulted in the first confirmed sighting of a juvenile colossal squid and new species, and exemplifies what becomes possible when technology, ship time, and a global science network work as one.”

“The Southern Ocean remains profoundly under-sampled. To date, we have only assessed under 30% of the samples collected from this expedition, so confirming 30 new species already shows how much biodiversity is still undocumented,” said Dr. Michelle Taylor, Head of Science at The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census.

“By coupling expeditions with species discovery workshops, we compress what often takes more than a decade into a faster pathway while maintaining scientific rigor by having world experts involved.”

DEEP SEA STORIES: Rare ‘Doomsday’ Fish Surfaces in California–Just the 20th Discovered in the State Since 1901

The researchers from the Ocean Census traveled aboard the RV Falkor, operated by the Schmidt Institute, to a pair of locations. The first was a series of hydrothermal volcanic vents near the South Sandwich Islands, and the second was a section of the Bellingshausen Sea made available after an iceberg the size of Chicago broke off and revealed a totally isolated marine community.

The South Sandwich cruise included the first ever sighting of a colossal squid, though it was only a juvenile.

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Archaeologists Uncover 5,500-year-old ‘Ritual Landscape’ in Jordan

By
Andy Corbley
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A dolmen found at Murayghat in Jordan - credit, Susanne Kerner, University of Copenhagen
A dolmen found at Murayghat in Jordan – credit, Susanne Kerner, University of Copenhagen

During the dawning years of civilization, a landscape in what is today Jordan was undergoing a transformation from an agricultural, residential one to a ritualistic one with an intense focus on the afterlife and communal events.

This is described in a paper that debuts the discovery of a series of ancient ritual structures, including standing stones, burial tombs called dolmens, and megalithic buildings that point to a reorganization of society towards the intangible and away from the tangible.

Located largely on a plateau, around 120 miles away from the capital of Aqaba, the site of Murayghat has been under excavation by archaeologists from the University of Copenhagen for the last 11 years.

It emerged after the decline of a truly Stone Age culture designated the Chalcolithic, which exited between 4,500 and 3,500 BCE, a period known for its domestic settlements, rich symbolic traditions, copper artifacts, and small cultic shrines.

In this era of pastoral quietude, that rich symbolism was nevertheless confined to the household level, as the small size of the shrines and the ritual objects like ivory-carved figurines suggest.

But around that later date, signs of a world in crisis abound in the archaeological record. Environmental data suggest the climate may have turned drier for a few hundred years. The symbolic Chalcolithic language, expressed in metal objects, but also in pottery and stone, comes to an end. The production of copper ritual and status objects also comes to an end, indicating a potential breakdown in trade relations with whoever was exporting the metal.

The frequency with which burial grounds were disturbed and looted greatly increased during this period. It all speaks of a crisis, both in tangible aspects of society such as crop yield, as well as the intangible aspects—respect for the dead.

Overview of the central knoll at area 1 – credit, The Ritual Landscapes of Murayghat Project, Susanne Kerner

“People had to find mechanisms to deal with a situation in which the traditional values and patterns of behavior no longer worked,” the Copenhagen researchers wrote in their paper, published in the scientific journal Levant. “Thus, new ways to organize life (and death) had to be found, and found within a society with weak hierarchical structures, still dealing with a major disruption to everyday patterns of life.”

Their proposal, based on hundreds of finds and examinations of the megalithic architecture, is that de novo organization is exactly what happened.

Many of the structures built of large stones included neither hearth nor roof, making them unsuitable for habitation on the desert heights where winds blow frigid after dark. More than 95 dolmen remains have been documented by the archaeologists, and the central hilltop of the site contains stone-built enclosures and carved bedrock features that also suggest ceremonial use.

READ MORE ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS: Pair of Ancient Megalithic Tombs Identified That Date Back to ‘Polish Pyramid’ Builders

The pottery record sees personalized bowls replaced by large, communal bowls or storage vessels, and the other apparatus of feasting or craft replace the personalized copper trinkets and figurines of the earlier period.

Hadjar al-Mansub, the largest of the single standing stones – credit, The Ritual Landscapes of Murayghat Project, Susanne Kerner

Murayghat is perched atop a natural vantage point—a wadi—and if none of the buildings indicate an intention to stay, the archaeologists wonder if maybe it was a meeting place, where disparate groups gathered for feasting and other social activities. Seemingly large variations in building style, particularly among the dolmens, support the idea that different communities were bringing their designs with them.

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST: Like Indiana Jones, Archaeologists Find a Tomb with a Grail Underneath the Treasury at Petra

“Murayghat gives us, we believe, fascinating new insights into how early societies coped with disruption by building monuments, redefining social roles, and creating new forms of community,” said project leader and archaeologist Susanne Kerner to the Univ. of Copenhagen press.

Many of these monuments were identified and surveyed for the first time in a modern context, and they include stunning examples of ancient stone work, such as the Hadjar al-Mansub, the largest standing stone at the site.

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Polar Bear Gleefully Eating a 1,400-Pound Pumpkin Donated for His Dinner iS a Sight to Behold

By
Andy Corbley
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Polar bear eating pumpkin – Photo courtesy of Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat
Polar bear eating pumpkin – Photo courtesy of Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat

It’s not every day that Henry the polar bear sees something that weighs more than he does.

At 1,200-pounds, the polar bear is the world’s largest land predator, but here was something substantially heavier, and it was just sitting there in his enclosure.

Henry the polar bear eating pumpkin – Photo courtesy of Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat

Defensive at first, Henry eventually dug into the sweet crunchy flesh of a giant, 1,400 lbs. pumpkin that was donated to the nonprofit that looks after him. The photos will steal a chuckle out of anyone.

Reported first by CTV News, the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat received the pumpkin as a total coincidence, and the organization’s manager Amy Baxendell-Young told the outlet how it happened.

“One of my staff was driving up from down south and ended up directly behind this pumpkin as it was on the highway,” she said.

Her staff member gave her a call, and said that the truck carrying the massive gourd had a logo on the side: Aidie Creek Gardens. Baxendell-Young decided to call them up.

“And pretty quickly they got back to me and said, if we don’t take it, it’s just going in the compost. Henry actually came out and didn’t know what it was—and got actually quite defensive … because I think he was just quite shocked at this new thing in his enclosure.”

Evolved to eat mostly baby seals which are all fat, a polar bear can zoom through a pumpkin without putting on any weight at all. Unlike for humans, for whom a pumpkin or squash is a complex carb with polyphenols and fiber, for a bear it’s all empty calories.

Henry having eaten his fill – Photo courtesy of Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat

The Cochrane Habitat in Ontario is the world’s only nonprofit organization that provides sanctuary to polar bears in need of human care and who can’t live in the wild anymore. They often receive presents for their bears around Polar Bear Awareness Week.

MORE PHOTOGENIC BEARS:

Photos released by the habitat show Henry in something of a food coma after smashing around a third of the pumpkin in one sitting.

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