Two months after NASA crews reestablished diagnostic communications with Voyager 1, they just recently received scientific observational data as well.
Transmitted via the last remaining instruments still operational aboard the furthest man-made object from Earth, the data provides critical observations on plasma and magnetism in interstellar space.
It’s been 46 years and 7 months since Voyager 1 left Earth, and 11 years and 8 months since it bade Pluto farewell and left our solar system. It’s currently 15 billion miles, or 24 billion kilometers from Earth.
GNN reported that in March 2024, mission control for Voyager 1 at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at California Technical Institute, managed to hone in on the issue that was preventing two-way communication with the probe.
After diagnosing and fixing this issue by dividing corrupted computer code into short sections and storing them in different places on the probe’s flight data subsystem before ensuring the onboard computer could find them again, JPL once again issued commands to restart sending scientific data on May 19th.
Two of the four science instruments returned to their normal operating modes immediately. Two other instruments required some additional work, but now, all four are returning usable science data.
The four instruments study plasma waves, magnetic fields, and particles. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are the only spacecraft to directly sample interstellar space, which is the region outside the heliosphere — the protective bubble of magnetic fields and solar wind created by the Sun.
“We never know for sure what’s going to happen with the Voyagers, but it constantly amazes me when they just keep going,” Suzanne Dodd, Voyager’s project manager, told CNN in April.
In as little as one year or perhaps just a little longer, some of these four instruments will have to be powered because of the drain on the probe’s battery. By 2036, the probe will depart the Deep Space Network and be beyond all communications, carrying the Golden Record out into the unknown.
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Virginia ‘Ginger’ Hislop receives her Stanford master’s degree at age 105 – Credit: Charles Russo for Stanford University
Virginia ‘Ginny’ Hislop receives her Stanford master’s degree at age 105 – Credit: Charles Russo for Stanford University
Stanford University’s 2024 graduation ceremony featured a 105-year-old student completing a master’s degree in education—83 years after she started her coursework.
Eight decades ago her diploma was put on hold, in favor of the bounties of a husband and children, but Virginia Hislop finally earned the chance to don a cap and gown and grab that parchment, to the applause of her peers.
While attending Stanford in 1940, Hislop needed to write a master’s thesis in order to achieve a master’s degree—a significant challenge during the best of times. Alas, in the middle of the school year, the US entered the Second World War.
Her fiance, George, was called to serve in the military, so they quickly married and she join the homefront war effort. After the fighting was finished, Hislop began a long career of educational work, putting the teaching certificate she obtained via her bachelor’s degree in education to use, by serving on various school boards.
She described her career in a nutshell as trying to improve education opportunities for the largest number of people possible.
Decades went by, and Hislop eventually learned that the master’s thesis requirement had been removed—there was almost nothing stopping her from visiting a campus and picking up where she left off.
83 years later, in June, she finally did just that, with her grandkids and great-grandkids looking on.
“For a lot of people the degree is a badge of accomplishment, and it was great to be able to celebrate someone who cared so much about learning, and dedicated her lifetime to other people’s learning,” said Stanford Dean Daniel Schwartz on the occasion of the 105-year-old’s graduation.
Her son-in-law described her as a woman under whose feet “moss doesn’t grow” owing to her active lifestyle of volunteering, voracious reading, and walking around her garden.
WATCH the story below from GMA…
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Painted rock art at site AS19.100 - credit Cooper et al.
Painted rock art at site AS19.100 – credit Cooper et al.
Geologists have known for years that from 5,000 years ago and beyond, much of what is today called the Sahara Desert was a lush grassland.
Some exceptional evidence of this recently surfaced in Sudan, where a paper published on a survey done in 2018 reveals the presence of rock art that depicts cattle herders and even boats.
Discovered in a region of the eastern Sahara called Atbai, there hasn’t been rain enough to support cattle here for at least 5,000 years.
Another exciting discovery was rock carvings depicting 6 boats on a cave wall found 90 miles from the nearest branch of the Nile. Near the entrance to a naturally-formed tunnel in a large rock outcrop in the desert, the boats “are arranged in the manner of a ‘fleet’ or ‘flotilla’, all seemingly emanating from the tunnel interior,” the authors write.
Several anomalies exist in the discovery, chief among them is the dissimilarity of the boats to other known carvings, particularly because of how simple and straightforward they appear.
“This provides a hint as to the identity of the rock art makers, who were probably not present in this remote section of the desert as government officials, but were arguably rather ‘common people’ conveying popular traditions through rock art,” they add.
The cattle drawings, found elsewhere, were similarly isolated from any water source.
“The cattle rock art is very significant, as cattle can no longer live in this hyper-arid desert,” lead author Julien Cooper, an archaeologist at Macquarie University in Sydney, told Live Science in an email. “It tells us that the people that made the art had a close connection to cattle.”
Pottery found in connection to the petroglyph sites suggests that the fourth millennium BCE was when their carvers lived in the area. At the end of this millennium, around 5,000 years ago, conditions in the Atbai were becoming very arid.
credit Paul Wordsworth
Because of this, and because of the obvious connection between the boat carvings and a waterway of some kind, the authors hypothesize that the carvers were Neolithic groups of Nubians who were early gold prospectors, as golden items have been found in burials dating back to the end of the fourth millennium BCE.
“[P]astoralists may still have found ephemeral grasslands and periodic surface water in this desert east of Lower Nubia,” the authors write. “Roughly similar latitudes in the Western Desert still received some of the northerly reaches of the African monsoons as documented by surveys…”
In the cattle carving, the beast’s udder is clearly depicted, indicating that milking them was an integral part, as it still is today with pastoralists, of the man-animal relationship. However, to produce enough milk to feed the herders would require ample forage—another sign that whoever made these carvings had grown up in a tradition of pastoralism from wetter climes than Atbai, or at least wetter time periods.
The study authors conclude by describing the carvers as “the last embers of an ancient para-Nilotic nomadic pastoralism that existed before conditions ultimately dried to their present state.”
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Despite the UK being the world’s second-largest generator of electronic waste per capita, a flourishing sub-culture of ‘Repair Cafes’ and other social groups is helping to balance out the island’s wasteful side.
A featured story from the Guardian reports that 580 such repair cafes are hosting regular events where volunteer fixers and tinkerers spend several hours sitting with people to troubleshoot, diagnose, and repair a litany of household items.
Author Sally Howard interviewed over half a dozen participants and organizers, and found the benefits to be legion: helping old people stay involved in the community, keeping undegradable waste out of the landfills, keeping carbon out of the atmosphere, disseminating knowledge on repairing electronics, keeping old skills like tailoring and cobbling alive, and even combating loneliness.
“Anyone can mend a toaster if they have the right tools; this knowledge is a gift we need to share as widely as possible,” said Stefania Fantini, a 59-year-old sound engineer who hosts Rosie the Restarter, a social group for women and non-binaries who want to learn how to repair household items.
Rosie the Restarter works under the organizational umbrella of the Restart Project, a non-profit coordinating and advocacy group that finds places and volunteers to host repair cafes, works to pass legislation in Parliament under the Right to Repair Europe banner, and produces educational literature about the burden of e-waste in our societies.
Electronic waste, being modular in nature, is a growing burden on the landfill system worldwide. Millions of tons of broken electronics are thrown out every year for four chief reasons.
Many people don’t know how to fix mechanical or electronic components or don’t have the tools to do so. The urge to toss something is greater than ever as companies have been able to make most consumer electronics delightfully inexpensive, allowing low and middle-income countries to afford them as well; in other words, replacing things isn’t all that much more expensive than repairing them.
As regards repairs, the third reason for the growth in e-waste is that many small item repair shops—the cobbler for example—are disappearing from streets across Europe and North America, and the fourth is that many companies deliberately make it difficult to repair their products—being particularly true of big-ticket items like laptops and smartphones.
Government action to address this last problem is progressing, but slowly. In the meanwhile, repair cafes, libraries of things, and other such establishments are fighting back against the loss of these small shops, the knowledge of repairing things, and the growing e-waste burden.
“We conducted a study at a recycling center, and found that half of electricals being thrown away could have been reused, many needing only minor repairs,” said Shelini Kotecha from the Restart Project.
“Restart Parties are about enabling communities to learn how to fix their things for free, keeping items in circulation for longer and lowering our negative impact on the planet. They have a fun and collaborative spirit where everyone is welcome to learn new skills and meet new people”
The Restart Project is one entity playing a big role—especially in London where they have an objective to put a repair cafe in every neighborhood in every borough. It took them 6 months to find a partner and location that could be accessible to the people of Islington, London.
Spreading the word that the Islington Climate Centre was going to be the site of the new repair cafe, 20 interested volunteers visited to see what the event was about—Restart Project needed people to collect data and be part of the organizing team.
Then opening day came, and 30 Islingtonians brought in items in need of repair.
“A printer!” one of the organizers yelled after a local brought in a broken one. “Who wants to fix a printer?”
Soon, the visitor was sitting with a volunteer doing a diagnosis—a new print head was needed.
48% of everything that was brought in was repaired the same day, which Restart Project said saved 391 kilograms of carbon emissions.
Others are more established, for example The Repairium in Bristol. Open every Sunday from Lunchtime until half past four, the repair cafe at The Repairium will soon open a second-hand electronics shop of all the goods donated.
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Quote of the Day: “There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew.” – Marshall McLuhan, Canadian philosopher
Watercolor by: Elena Mozhvilo
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?
Detail of a mosaic taken by NASA’s Perseverance rover shows a boulder field on “Mount Washburn” Credit: NASA / Western Washington University / SWNS
Detail of image taken by NASA’s Perseverance rover shows boulder field on “Mount Washburn” Credit: NASA / Western Washington University / SWNS
Scientists are puzzling over a bright white rock, of the type never before observed on Mars.
NASA’s Perseverance rover spotted the 14-inch-high boulder starkly standing out in a large field covered with dark rocks in a region named Mount Washburn, inside the massive Jezero crater.
Nicknamed Atoko Point by researchers, the boulder is 18 inches wide and has speckles on a light-toned surface.
Instrument analysis by Perseverance’s SuperCam and Mastcam-Z indicates that the rock is at least partly composed of the minerals pyroxene and feldspar.
“In terms of the size, shape, and arrangement of its mineral grains and crystals—and potentially its chemical composition—Atoko Point it is in a league of its own,” said NASA in a news release.
“The diversity of textures and compositions at Mount Washburn was an exciting discovery for the team, as these rocks represent a grab bag of geologic gifts brought down from the crater rim and potentially beyond,” said team co-leader Brad Garczynski of Western Washington University.
“Among all these different rocks, there was one that really caught our attention.”
Perseverance, which landed on the Red Planet in 2021 specifically to probe the ancient crater, encountered the sparkly boulder while traversing a dried river delta that once flowed billions of years ago. On its way to an area inside the rim where rocky outcrops are being examined for sediment that could shed light on Mars’ history, the rover changed course to avoid rough terrain. It took a short cut through a dune field and reached the hill strewn with boulders.
Composed of 18 images, this natural-color mosaic from Mars shows the boulder field inside Jezero Crater – NASA / SWNS / Western Washington University
Some of the Perseverance scientists speculate the minerals that make up Atoko Point were produced in a subsurface body of magma that is possibly exposed now on the crater rim.
Others on the team have suggested the boulder may have been created far beyond the walls of the Red Planet’s 28-mile-wide Jezero crater and transported there by the “swift Martian waters” eons ago.
“Either way, the team believes that while Atoko is the first of its kind they’ve seen, it won’t be the last,” says NASA.
A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including caching samples that may contain signs of ancient microbial life.
The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, with the aim to pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.
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7th century Saxon gold sword pommel found in a field – Noonans Mayfair auction house / SWNS
7th century Saxon gold sword pommel found in a field – Noonans Mayfair auction house / SWNS
A stunning gold Saxon sword pommel that was unearthed in a field in Leicestershire, England by an 81-year-old woman has sold at auction for $22,000 (£16k).
The rare 7th-century artifact was found in 2021 while the long-time metal detector enthusiast was searching a field during a local gathering of detectives.
They told her that there was nothing to be found in the field where she was searching, but she persevered and found the gold pommel seven inches beneath the ground.
Described as “a beautiful example of fine Anglo-Saxon gold”, the sword handle decorated by beaded wire filigree features two dragon-like beasts facing each other, with their heads and front paws touching, and an interlaced snake-like pattern on the reverse side (pictured below).
“This was a stunning piece,” said Nigel Mills, Artifact and Coin expert at Noonans Mayfair auction house. “The imagery displayed would have imbued a mystical power to the sword.”
“Further research has shown that the town where it was found, Billesdon, means ‘sword hill’.
“So it’s very apt that the pommel—which we think would have belonged to an Anglo-Saxon chief who probably lost it in a battle with a Viking—was found there.”
Weighing 20.5 grams, the pommel—which the Leicester Museum declined to purchase—would have been fixed to the end of the sword handle both as a counterbalance and to stop the hand from slipping.
The woman who found the pommel, who wished to remain anonymous, has been metal detecting for 60 years. When she started detecting back in the 1960s people asked her what she was doing, and she always told them she was “looking for bombs”. Since then, she has found many Medieval and Roman coins, but the pommel discovery has been one of the most exciting.
“I was at a local detector meeting searching a field that everybody said had nothing in it when I had a signal from my Minelab Deus 2.”
“After digging to a depth of seven inches, I discovered a gold sword pommel.”
She will use her half of the sale price to buy a new car, while the other half will be given to the landowner.
The auction experts said the artifact compares with the detectorist-found Staffordshire hoard of gold jewelry, while the motif of the confronting beasts can also be seen on a shield from the Sutton Hoo ship burial.
Noonans Mayfair auction house – SWNS
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Former orthopedics patient Romino, ten years after his surgery, revisits the Africa Mercy - SWNS
Former orthopedics patient Romino, nine years after his surgery, revisiting the Africa Mercy – SWNS
A boy who was given life-changing leg surgery as a toddler has returned to the same hospital ship a decade later, declaring he wants to become a doctor himself.
Romino developed bowed legs in early childhood which prevented him from walking properly. Doctors in his Madagascar hometown suggested leg massages to correct the issue, but nothing seemed to work.
Then, in 2015, his worried mother Claudia brought her three-year-old to a charity hospital ship called Africa Mercy, while it was docked nearby.
Doctors on board performed surgery on the little lad, so he could grow up running, walking, and playing football just like his friends.
This year, Africa Mercy returned to Madagascar—and Romino stepped aboard again, in an emotional return.
He told the staff that he wants to become a doctor himself, inspired by the Mercy Ships surgeons that saved his legs nine years ago.
“I remember when Mercy Ships taught me how to walk again and when they picked us up at our house,” said the 12-year-old. “Now I want to give people the same healing that I received.”
Claudia started to notice her son’s bowed legs developing when he was two-and-a-half years old—and it became more and more clear as he began to walk.
She couldn’t believe her luck when she learned Mercy Ships was coming to her country to provide free surgical care for children.
The Mercy Ships vessel in 1993 – SWNS
After the toddler’s surgery, he recovered well and grew up with healthy straight legs. In fact, Romino, who is nicknamed Tilos, says he wins most races he runs against his friends today.
“People are surprised when they see him, because no one believed that he would look like this,” said Claudia.
“However, he’s like this now, and they always ask ‘Is it you? Is this Tilos?’”
Romino had faint memories of the giant hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, and the people who helped him, but his experiences inspired him to want to help others.
But he never imagined he would step back aboard the vessel of compassion.
This marks Mercy Ships’ fourth field service in Madagascar, following previous visits in 1996, 2015 and 2016.
“I’m so happy,” said Romino. “I’m happy because I never thought I was coming back here to see the ship again.”
Over the course of previous visits to the island nation of Madagascar, Mercy Ships collaborated with the government Ministry of Health to provide more than 6,425 life-changing surgical procedures and over 52,395 dental procedures, while also training local health care providers in new techniques.
Don and Deyon Stephens founded the interdenominational Christian organization in Switzerland in 1978 with the purchase of their first ship. Since then, various Mercy Ships have visited more than 55 developing nations—and 18 developed nations around the world—with a focus on Africa. They currently operate a two-ship fleet consisting of the Global Mercy and the Africa Mercy.
They describe their mission as “bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor, following the 2,000-year-old model of Jesus”. So far, they’ve treated 2.87 million patients free of charge—including more than 117,000 surgeries and a half million dental procedures—without regard to religion, race, age, or gender.
And they inspire little boys to become doctors.
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A remarkable new genus of giant horned dinosaur has been unveiled at the Natural History Museum of Utah.
First discovered in the badlands of northern Montana in 2019, it’s among the largest and most ornate ever found, with two huge blade-like horns on the back of its frill—a distinctive horn pattern that inspired its name, Lokiceratops (‘Loki’s horned face’), to honor the blade-wielding Norse god Loki.
Estimated to be 22 feet long (6.7 meters) and weighing around five tons (11,000 lbs), the Lokiceratops rangiformis appeared at least 12 million years earlier than its famous cousin Triceratops, and was the largest horned dinosaur of its time.
“This new dinosaur pushes the envelope on bizarre ceratopsian headgear, sporting the largest frill horns ever seen in a ceratopsian,” said Joseph Sertich, a paleontologist with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Colorado State University, who announced the new species this week in a published study.
“We started to realize that it was different than anything that anyone’s ever seen before,” said co-lead author Mark Loewen, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum of Utah and geology professor at the University of Utah.
Lokiceratops rangiformis reconstruction by Ddinodan – CC BY 4.0
“These skull ornaments are one of the keys to unlocking horned dinosaur diversity and demonstrate that evolutionary selection for showy displays contributed to the dizzying richness of Cretaceous ecosystems,” added Sertich.
The second name, rangiformis, which means ‘looks like a caribou’, refers to the differing horn lengths on each side of the frill, similar to the asymmetric antlers of caribou and reindeer.
Like other ceratopsian (horned) dinosaurs, Lokiceratops had a mouth filled with more than 200 teeth honed into a shearing, cutting surface that could chop vegetation and small branches.
While ceratopsian ancestors were widespread across the northern hemisphere throughout the Cretaceous period, their isolation on Laramidia—the island continent that stood alone where Montana now sits, a few miles from Canada—led to the evolution of huge body sizes and distinctive patterns of horns above their eyes and noses, on their cheeks, and along the edges of their elongated head frills.
Lokiceratops rangiformis skull fossil bones – Museum of Evolution in Denmark
More than 78 million years ago, Lokiceratops inhabited the swamps and floodplains along the eastern shore of Laramidia, the island that was created when a great seaway divided the continent around 100 million years ago. Mountain building and dramatic changes in climate and sea level have since altered the hothouse world of Laramidia where Lokiceratops thrived.
Fossils recovered from this region suggest horned dinosaurs were evolving in a small geographic area—found nowhere else—implying the dinosaur diversity here is underestimated.
“Previously, paleontologists thought a maximum of two species of horned dinosaurs could coexist at the same place and time,” said Professor Loewen. “Incredibly, we have identified five living together at the same time.”
The skull of Lokiceratops rangiformis is dramatically different from the other four animals it lived alongside.
It possesses several unique features, among them are the absence of a nose horn, huge, curving blade-like horns on the back of the frill—the largest ever found on a horned dinosaur—and a distinct, asymmetric spike in the middle of the frill.
Paleontologist Mark Loewen stands next to casts of the head and skull of Lokiceratops rangiformis – Photo by Mark Johnston / Natural History Museum of Utah
Overall, the horned ceratopsids evolved around 92 million years ago (during the Late Cretaceous), and diversified into a myriad of fantastically ornamented species that survived until the end of the time of dinosaurs.
Scientists have argued about the patterns of evolution within the group of horned dinosaurs for years.
“Rapid evolution may have led to the 100- to 200-thousand-year turnover of individual species of these horned dinosaurs,” said Loewen.
This rapid evolution is most consistent with sexual selection acting upon these animals. “Sexual selection acting on the genes responsible for the horns of the frill would produce modifications to cis-regulatory elements that would express differences in the size and shape of individual frill horns producing the variations in patterns we see in these animals,” said coauthor Jingmai O’Connor of the Field Museum in Chicago.
Quote of the Day: “A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.” – Arnold H. Glasow
Photo by: Helena Lopes (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?
Over half of Americans say their parent is their best friend, according to a new survey.
The poll of 2,000 Americans over the age of 40 revealed that 58% feel closer to their aging parents, now more than ever before.
Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Comfort Keepers for the National Day of Joy on June 26, the survey asked respondents about experiences with parents ‘in their golden years’.
88% of respondents said engaging in shared activities with senior loved ones had an overwhelmingly positive impact on their parent-child relationship.
33% said they were going out shopping with mom or dad, 26% were trying new restaurants, and 16% are traveling to places they’ve never been before.
Half of those polled said such bonding moments made them more grateful for their time together, and 50% said it improved their loved one’s mood, as an added result.
Notably, 64% of respondents reported their parents were keeping a positive attitude about aging.
The activities they did together had the added benefit of inspiring some parents to stay more active (35%) and made them more open to trying new things (30%).
“Sharing in activities with senior loved ones isn’t just about creating memories and moments of joy for older Americans, it’s about forging lasting connections that enrich the lives of both generations,” said Sherri Snelling, gerontologist, author and spokesperson for Comfort Keepers.
“These bonding experiences not only bring happiness but also contribute to a positive mindset towards aging, ultimately promoting longevity and well-being for all ages.”
Hanging out with your favorite silver senior also means learning more about them.
Four in 10 said they learned something about their parent’s youth that surprised them—including previous marriages, military service, or celebrity connections.
Twenty-five percent learned that they’re more similar to their parents than they thought previously—and over half (58%) said that discovering these things about their parents made them much more relatable.
Closer parental bonds also allow for honesty around possible health issues. In that way, it’s more important than earlier in life for parental friendships to be nurtured, so communications lines stay open and free-flowing.
The Maclean brothers rowing practice for the Pacific Ocean voyage – The Rare Whisky 101 Pacific Row / SWNS
The Maclean brothers rowing practice for Pacific Ocean voyage, The Rare Whisky 101 Pacific Row – SWNS
A trio of brothers are on a quest to row across the Pacific Ocean in a custom made boat—completing a record-breaking voyage with the goal of raising tens of thousands for charity.
Ewan, Jamie, and Lachlan Maclean are planning to row 9,000 miles from Peru to Australia (14,400-km) in a boat they designed and built to go faster than any before.
The trio from Edinburgh broke records in January 2020, when they became the first three brothers to row across any ocean, and the youngest—and fastest—trio to row across the Atlantic Ocean in their 35 day trip. (That GNN story is here)
Today, the brothers range in age from 26-32 and on their upcoming trip they hope to become the quickest to cross the Pacific—within 120 days—shaving 42 days off the current record.
They “thoroughly enjoyed” their previous ocean-crossing experience, and came up with the idea of starting a charity foundation during the long hours rowing. After setting up the Maclean Foundation, once they returned home, the brothers quickly decided to complete an even longer row to raise money.
“Even before we’d set foot back on land, we’d decided that we’d like to go on to do another challenge – but we didn’t know what that would be,” said Jamie, 30.
“Pretty soon, we came back around to the idea of doing another row. We’ll be doing a full Pacific row from South America to Australia, approximately 9,000 miles, after we add-in wiggling around islands.”
The brothers made several trips to Amsterdam to help fellow ocean rower Mark Slatts build the boat—which they described as the “lightest and strongest ocean rowing boat ever made”.
The Maclean brothers in Campbeltown practicing for The Rare Whisky 101 Pacific Row – SWNS
At just 617 lbs., it’s only slightly heavier than the three brothers themselves (280 kg) and it is only a quarter of the weight of their last boat, thanks to the ultra-light carbon fibre technology most commonly seen in Formula One cars.
“It’s a true first of its kind”, said 32-year-old Ewan, who works as a design engineer for Dyson.
“Being involved in that process—from design through to construction, sanding and painting—was an incredible experience.
“So much can go wrong when you’re at sea, so it was important for us to understand every single inch of the boat. We already feel like we’re at one with the boat, and we’ll have plenty more time to get to know it.”
Jamie explained that they want to “keep the boat moving as fast as we possibly can” for the full crossing. They’re aiming for 120 days at sea, but it could be longer because it is so dependent on the weather.
They will have limited opportunities to sleep at night, but someone will need to be on the oars to keep the boat moving 24 hours a day.
The Maclean brothers in new boat for The Rare Whisky 101 Pacific Row -SWNS
“It takes its toll on you, physically and mentally, so we started training in earnest about a month ago.”
To prepare for the journey, the brothers have been working with a coach who specializes in injury prevention, and spending 1-3 hours in the gym each day.
The trip is partly sponsored by their father, Charlie Maclean, one of the world’s leading whisky experts, and thus has been dubbed ‘The Rare Whisky 101 Pacific Row’.
Their previous ocean crossing raised money that was used to dig four clean water wells serving 800 people in rural Madagascar.
Youngest brother Lachlan, 26, said: “Clean water is the most basic human necessity on the planet, yet 10% of people worldwide don’t have access to it. We’re doing something to change that.
“The more we talked uninterrupted with the clarity of being on the ocean, the more we realized this is what we wanted to do.”
“It’s incredibly inspiring to go out and see how the money raised is converted into the provision of clean water to people that don’t have it,” added Jamie.
The Maclean brothers playing instruments while on a break from rowing in Campbeltown – SWNS
For entertainment on the boat, the three musicians will each bring an instrument along for the trip. Ewan plays the guitar, Jamie plays the bagpipes, and Lachlan plays the accordion.
“For the Atlantic (voyage), I took a set of bagpipes so that I could play them out in the ocean—but also so I could pipe us into the finish line in Antigua,” Jamie told SWNS news. “I’ll be doing the same for the Pacific, because it’s a longer crossing and there will be more time to pass.
“During the day, there are a fair few hours that you’re not on the oars, but if you’re not eating or trying to rest, it’s nice to have something to distract you.”
Set to spend nearly 3,000 hours together at sea, the three believe the challenge will bring them closer together—something the Atlantic Ocean tested, for sure.
“That was our biggest strength for the Atlantic, the fact that we’re brothers,” Jamie said. “We get on incredibly well and always have.”
“It means that we trust each other and know each other’s thresholds and breaking points. We know when each other needs a helping hand.
“When you’re thousands of miles from shore and you’re sleep deprived, you’re essentially at your worst. You need to know you’re in it with people you trust.
Mike Scotland with some of his group, Community Clean Up (via SWNS)
Mike Scotland with some of his group, Community Clean Up (via SWNS)
A 32-year-old began picking up litter to help his mental health and now his whole family spends quality time together on the clean-ups, while helping their community.
Mike Scotland began experiencing depression in his late 20s. After struggling for some time, he found himself by the bank of the River Don in his hometown of Aberdeen, Scotland, surrounded by litter and ready to take his own life.
Thankfully, his mind was changed—but whenever Mike would pass the river, a known local dumping ground, the rubbish would remind him of that dark day. So he decided to take matters into his own hands.
“I was in a really dark place,” Mike told SWNS news. “I was saved by a phone call that stopped me there and then—but after that, whenever I’d walk past that area, I felt like a dark shadow was haunting me.
“One day, I took three black bags and went down to the riverside and just started picking up litter.
“There was a person on a bike that stopped me and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was litter picking and he asked if I wanted a hand.
“He parked his bike, and me and this guy ended up spending the next couple of hours picking up litter together and having the most open and honest chats about anything and everything.
Before Mike headed home, he told the stranger that he was going to start a litter-picking group.
True to his word, the next day Mike started the group Community Clean Up, and over the next few months they gathered weekly to beautify the land around the river. To date, they’ve collected almost 30,000 pounds of litter (13,500kg), and pulled a whopping 5,500 pounds of metal (2,500kg) from the river bottom.
Nikki Scotland with their two youngest kids at a Community Clean-Up (via SWNS)
“There were about four to six people that showed up (for the first one), but we ended up cleaning up over 300kg (660 pounds) of litter over a couple of hours.
The following weekend, ten people showed up and they doubled their haul. Soon, they actually saw otters swim upstream for the first time in 40 years.
“We transformed that whole area as a community—we gave it life again.”
Mike is now a father of three and says the whole family now picks up litter regularly, especially his five-year-old son, Lucio, who picked up his first piece of trash as a toddler.
“I remember taking my son to the park when he was 18 months old, and he spotted an empty bottle. Even then, he went and picked it up and put it in the bin.”
Mike Scotland and his litter-loathing son Lucio (via SWNS)
“One of the things we used to do as father and son was go out dressed as Batman and ‘fight the litter’. It’s a great way to get him outside and teach him about the environment.
Last year, in the aftermath of Storm Babet, Mike recalls the “horrible” amount of litter that washed up.
“I’d never seen anything like it. My son couldn’t understand why people were just walking past it, and he really wanted to help clean it up. He asked if I could find people to help us, so I went on Facebook and did a live video showing everyone the mess that was down there, and I asked for help.”
“Within about 45 minutes, there were 25 people who’d come down to help.
It was such a mess, that the dynamic duo spent the next couple of weeks setting up an event and speaking to the local media, until around 350 people showed up to finish the job—removing over 400 bags of storm debris.
“It was really uplifting to see that there’s a lot of people out there that want to do good.”
“Their mindset is focused on doing a good thing for the right reasons. They’re not doing it for attention or praise, they’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do.
“Over time, it should hopefully reduce the amount of people littering in the first place.
“It’s a long goal. I don’t know if I’ll achieve it in my lifetime, but I’ll certainly try my best.”
SEND INSPIRATION FOR DEPRESSION to Litter-Loathing Pals On Social Media…
Glass bottles of cherries found in cellar of George Washington’s Mount Vernon home – Credit: The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
Glass bottles of cherries found in cellar of George Washington’s Mount Vernon home – Credit: The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
Archaeologists have unearthed an astounding 35 glass bottles from the 18th century in the cellar of George Washington’s home.
The five storage pits buried in the dirt under Mount Vernon included 29 intact bottles of perfectly preserved cherries, a fruit associated with America’s first president who was touted as telling the truth after he cut down a cherry tree.
Workers discovered the stash amidst an ongoing renovation of Washington’s manor to repair sections of the framing and masonry.
“Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine this spectacular archaeological discovery,” said Mount Vernon President & CEO Doug Bradburn. “We were ecstatic.”
“To our knowledge, this is an unprecedented find and nothing of this scale and significance has ever been excavated in North America.”
The contents of each bottle, some of which contained berries like currants, have been carefully extracted and refrigerated at Mount Vernon, and will undergo scientific analysis. The bottles are slowly drying in the Mount Vernon archaeology lab, so will be sent off-site for conservation. (WATCH the video below…)
17th c. bottle found in George Washington’s home filled with cherries – Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
“These artifacts likely haven’t seen the light of day since before the American Revolution, perhaps forgotten when George Washington departed Mount Vernon to take command of the Continental Army.”
“These perfectly preserved fruits picked and prepared more than 250 years ago are a testament to the knowledge and skill of the enslaved people who managed the food preparations from tree to table, including Doll, the cook brought to Mount Vernon by Martha Washington in 1759 and charged with oversight of the estate’s kitchen.”
“(They) provide an incredibly rare opportunity to contribute to our knowledge of the 18th-century environment, plantation food methods, and the origins of American cuisine.”
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (MVLA)
Mount Vernon has partnered with the US Department of Agriculture’s Research Service to analyze the contents of these historic bottles.
54 cherry pits and 23 stems, likely of a tart variety, have already been identified thus far, and microscopy suggests that the cherries, with their stems neatly cut, were likely harvested by snipping them from trees with shears. The cherries may be candidates for DNA extraction, which could be compared against a database of heirloom varieties to determine the precise species.
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (MVLA)
Everyone working at the 290-year-old historic monument, which is visited by thousands daily, is now crossing their fingers that some of the pits undergoing examination will be viable for growing future fruit trees—especially as the county is poised to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.
Bradburn says the building renovation project that uncovered the pre-Revolutionary War artifacts, is Mount Vernon’s $40 million birthday gift to America.
RAISE A GLASS TO HISTORY By Sharing The Sweet Discovery on Social Media…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of June 22, 2024
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
I suspect you may have metaphorical resemblances to a lightning rod in the coming weeks. Just in case I’m right, I urge you not to stroll across open fields during thunderstorms. On the other hand, I recommend that you be fully available to receive bolts of inspiration and insight. Put yourself in the presence of fascinating events, intriguing people, and stirring art. Make yourself ready and eager for the marvelous.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
“It’s hard to get lost if you don’t know where you’re going,” said experimental filmmaker Jim Jarmusch. He’s implying that there’s potential value in getting lost. Unexpected discoveries might arrive that contribute to the creative process. But that will only happen if you first have a clear vision of where you’re headed. Jarmusch’s movies benefit from this approach. They’re fun for me to watch because he knows exactly what he wants to create but is also willing to get lost and wander around in search of serendipitous inspirations. This is the approach I recommend for you in the coming weeks, dear Leo.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Does any person or institution own a part of you? Has anyone stolen some of your power? Does anyone insist that only they can give you what you need? If there are people who fit those descriptions, Virgo, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to fix the problems. According to my understanding of life’s rhythms, you can summon the ingenuity and strength to reclaim what rightfully belongs to you. You can recover any sovereignty and authority you may have surrendered or lost.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
In ancient Greek myth, Sisyphus was a forlorn character punished by the gods. He was required to push a boulder from the bottom to the top of a hill. But each time he neared the peak, the big rock, which had been enchanted by the crabby god Zeus, slipped away and rolled back down the hill. The story says that Sisyphus had to do this for all eternity. If there have been even minor similarities between you and him, Libra, that will change in the coming months. I predict you will finally succeed—is this your fifth attempt?—in finishing a task or project that has, up until now, been frustrating.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Is it possible to reap spiritual epiphanies while playing your favorite sport? Can intense physical pleasure be a meditation that provokes enlightened awareness? Can joy and bliss bring learning experiences as valuable as teachings that arise from suffering? Here are my answers to those three questions, Scorpio, especially for you during the next four weeks: yes, yes, and yes. My astrological ruminations tell me that you are primed to harvest divine favors as you quest for delight.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Your animal magnetism and charisma could be wildly potent in the coming weeks. I’m worried that as a result, you may be susceptible to narcissistic feelings of entitlement. You will be extra attractive, maybe even irresistible! But now that you have received my little warning, I hope you will avoid that fate. Instead, you will harness your personal charm to spread blessings everywhere you go. You will activate a generosity of spirit in yourself that awakens and inspires others. Do not underestimate the electrifying energy pouring out of you, Sagittarius. Vow to make it a healing medicine and not a chaotic disruptor.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
I’ve had thousands of crucial teachers. There would be no such thing as me without their life-changing influences. Among that vast array have been 28 teachers whose wisdom has been especially riveting. I feel gratitude for them every day. And among those 28 have been five geniuses who taught me so much so fast in a short period of time that I am still integrating their lessons. One of those is Capricorn storyteller and mythologist Michael Meade. I offer you these thoughts because I suspect you are close to getting a major download from a guide who can be for you what Meade has been for me. At the very least, you will engage with an educational source akin to my top 28.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
In one of my previous lifetimes, I was a bricoleur—a collector and seller of junk who re-used the castaway stuff in new ways. That’s one reason why, during my current destiny, I am a passionate advocate for recycling, renewal, and redemption—both in the literal and metaphorical senses. I am tuned in to splendor that might be hidden within decay, treasures that are embedded in trash, and bliss that can be retrieved from pain. So I’m excited about your prospects in the coming weeks, Aquarius. If you so desire, you can specialize in my specialties.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Some people imagine that being creative means having nonstop spontaneous fun. They think it’s primarily exuberant, adventurous, and liberating. As a person who prizes imaginative artistry, I can testify that this description is accurate some of the time. But more often, the creative process involves meticulous organization and discipline, periods of trial-and-error experimentation, and plenty of doubt and uncertainty. It’s hard work that requires persistence and faith. Having said that, Pisces, I am happy to say you are now in a phase when the freewheeling aspects of creativity will be extra available. You’re more likely than usual to enjoy spontaneous fun while dreaming up novel ideas and fresh approaches. Channel this energy into an art form or simply into the way you live your life.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
I love being logical and reasonable! The scientific method is one of my favorite ways to understand how the world works. I am a big fan of trying to ascertain the objective facts about any situation I am in. However, I also love being intuitive and open to mystical perceptions. I don’t trust every one of my feelings as an infallible source of truth, but I rely on them a lot to guide my decisions. And I also believe that it’s sometimes impossible to figure out the objective facts. In the coming weeks, Aries, I suggest you give more weight than usual to the second set of perspectives I described. Don’t be crazily illogical, but proceed as if logic alone won’t provide the insights you need most.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
In their book Your Symphony of Selves, Jordan Gruber and James Fadiman propose a refreshing theory about human nature. They say that each of us is a community of multiple selves. It’s perfectly natural and healthy for us to be an amalgam of various voices, each with distinctive needs and forms of expression. We should celebrate our multifaceted identity and honor the richness it affords us. According to my analysis of astrological omens, the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to exult in your own symphony of selves and make it a central feature of your self-understanding.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In the second half of 2012 and the first half of 2013, you launched a journey that will finally culminate soon. What a long, strange, and interesting trip it has been! The innovations you activated during that time have mostly ripened, though not entirely. The hopes that arose in you have brought mixed results, but the predominant themes have been *entertaining lessons* and *soulful success*. I hope you will give yourself a congratulatory gift, dear Gemini. I hope you will luxuriate in a ritual celebration to commemorate your epic journey. The process hasn’t been perfect, but even the imperfections have been magical additions to your life story.
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
Quote of the Day: “Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another.” – Juvenal
Photo by: Professor Habits
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?
A former news reporter recently organized a fundraiser so that a 90-year-old Air Force veteran, who had to work to pay his bills, could retire.
Coming upon him pushing carts in the parking lot of a Louisiana grocery store in humid 90°F weather, the reporter shot a video that inspired over $200,000 in donations.
Karen Swensen was a New Orleans news anchor, and would have no doubt presented some amazing stories in her career, but was nevertheless stunned when she saw 90-year-old Dillon McCormick pushing carts in the Metairie store parking lot.
A former Air Force member who served in Colorado and Greenland, McCormick told Swensen that he needed about $2,500 to make ends meet, but got only half of that from his Social Security checks, which is why he took the job.
Interviewing other shoppers in the parking lot, they told Swensen that he had been working there a long time and is always rounding up shopping carts. Two men said they sometimes stopped to help him, leaving Swensen moved and motivated to do something.
“He is a veteran of the United States Military. It’s Memorial Day. It’s hot. Mr. McCormick was born in 1933, making him a part of the Silent Generation. Please, America, let us be his voice. We can do this,” she wrote in the introduction of a GoFundMe with a target of $35,000.
“No longer will the 90-year-old veteran have to push shopping carts in triple-digit heat to put food on his table,” Swensen wrote in an update posted to the GoFundMe page. “Should he choose to remain working, it will be just that—his choice.”
“Tomorrow we will begin the process of transferring the funds. What a delightful day awaits for him!”
WATCH McCormick push his final carts…
SHARE This Amazing Act Of Kindness For A US Veteran With Your Friends…
Millions of people who suffer back pain can ease their symptoms simply by walking more, claims new research.
Adults with a history of lower backache went nearly twice as long without a recurrence if they walked regularly, according to the findings of the first-ever study of its kind.
Around 800 million people worldwide suffer low back pain which in 7 out of 10 people tends to be recurring, and therefore a leading cause of disability and reduced quality of life.
A clinical trial recently conducted by Macquarie University’s Spinal Pain Research Group in Sydney, looked at whether walking could be an effective, cost-efficient, and accessible intervention.
The Australian researchers followed 701 adults who had recently recovered from an episode of low back pain, allocating them to either an individualized walking program and six physiotherapist-guided education sessions over six months, or to a control group.
The participants were followed for between one and three years, depending on when they joined.
Senior author Mark Hancock, Macquarie University Professor of Physiotherapy, says the findings, published in The Lancet, could have a “profound” impact on how back pain is managed globally.
“The intervention group had fewer occurrences of activity limiting pain compared to the control group, and a longer average period before they had a recurrence, with a median of 208 days compared to 112 days,” said Hancock. “Walking is a low-cost, widely accessible and simple exercise that almost anyone can engage in, regardless of geographic location, age or socio-economic status.”
“We don’t know exactly why walking is so good for preventing back pain, but it is likely to include the combination of the gentle oscillatory movements, loading and strengthening the spinal structures and muscles, relaxation and stress relief, and release of ‘feel-good’ endorphins,” he added.
“And of course, we also know that walking comes with many other health benefits, including cardiovascular health, bone density, healthy weight, and improved mental health.”
Study lead author Dr. Natasha Pocovi says that as well as providing participants with longer pain-free periods, the program was also very cost-effective.
“It not only improved people’s quality of life, but it reduced their need both to seek healthcare support and the amount of time taken off work by approximately half.”
The research team now plans to explore how they can integrate the preventive approach into the routine care of patients who suffer recurrent back problems.
SHARE This Simple Program With Anyone You Know Who Suffers Back Pain…
credit - LIFE project NAT E 008609, Lynx pardinus, European Environment Agency
credit – LIFE project NAT E 008609, Lynx pardinus, European Environment Agency
The greatest feline conservation success story isn’t the doubling of the world tiger population, nor the rescues of the Amur tiger and Northern lion from falling into the abyss of biological history—it’s the comeback of a lynx species on the Iberian Peninsula.
This scrawny, mottled cat with characteristic pointed ears and tufts of fur all over its face and feet has grown from 62 individuals counted in a 2002 survey to around 2,000 in the latest estimates.
For a beast that ranges across the rarely wild countries of Spain and Portugal, it’s a remarkable achievement that has come from the work of many individuals.
“The greatest recovery of a cat species ever achieved through conservation (…) is the result of committed collaboration between public bodies, scientific institutions, NGOs, private companies, and community members including local landowners, farmers, gamekeepers, and hunters,” Francisco Javier Salcedo Ortiz, who coordinates the EU-funded LIFE Lynx-Connect project, said in a statement.
The collapse in the Iberian lynx population coincided with a fall in the population of the European rabbit, their main food source, as the latter was persecuted for the damage it caused to agriculture.
Restoring the rabbit population was coupled with habitat restoration and breeding programs for the lynx.
Groups like the IUCN also worked closely with ranchers and landowners to help get them onside with the idea of recovering and protecting the lynx, further reducing their deaths from poaching, reprisal killings for taking livestock, and roadkill.
Since 2010, AP reports that more than 400 Iberian lynx have been reintroduced to parts of Portugal and Spain, where over 600 adult lynx are now raising cubs and roaming across over 1,200 square miles.
As a result of all this coordinated work, a recent update to the IUCN Red List saw the animal lowered from ‘Endangered’ to ‘Vulnerable’—and only just vulnerable at that.
The only thing keeping the world’s leading conservation organization from declaring the lynx a species of ‘Least Concern’ is the lynx’ vulnerability to sudden threats, including wildfires, a dramatic drop in the rabbit population which can happen through disease, or a sudden rollback in any of its existing protections.
SHARE This Truly One-Of-A-Kind Success Story With Your Friends…
In the U.S. where soccer takes a backseat to other sports, most stories about football fans in Europe make it across the Atlantic because of their hooliganism.
What’s missed are the heartwarming, sometimes tear-jerking, scenes of European culture and neighborliness playing out during their international country-vs-country tournament, the European Championships.
With a week’s worth of matches already concluded, GNN has created a round-up of videos and stories of fans having fun, obeying the law, and being sweethearts—from Scotland down to Slovenia.
Hosted in Germany this year, the police have already made dozens of arrests for disorderly conduct—but they’ve often swirled at the center of a good-natured party. Check out this officer enjoying a spot of traditional dance with the Albanian fans.
The police also have been the first ones to salute fans for creating “a special atmosphere” like in Munich, where nearly 200,000 of Scotland’s supporters descended on the city in advance of the tournament’s opening match—Germany vs Scotland.
Vielen Dank an die schottischen Fans, die in den letzten Tagen für die großartige Stimmung gesorgt haben. Viel Erfolg bei der #EURO2024 und eine gute Weiterreise.
A Scottish newspaper, The National, spoke with one German fan who said they tried to create “a very relaxed and happy atmosphere” in Munich. Another said the Scottish fans were “people of honor”.
More on Scotland later… Also from the British Isles, English fans decided to boogie with an old woman they met on the streets in advance of England’s first game against Slovakia. And, can she boogie!
Austrians were captured on video straining national relations with the French, ahead of their opening game against France, taunting their opposition by snapping baguettes in front of them while jeering. And, quickly hugging afterward.
Displaying their disrespect for Italian cooking with equal cheek, Albanians decided to taunt the Italian fans in a similar way—by demonstrating exactly how they cook spaghetti.
From funny to emotional, the Washington Post shared a video from a fan zone in Berlin that captured the beautiful sunset singing of Spanish, Croatian, and German fans standing shoulder to shoulder.
Featured at the European Championships for the first time in the nation’s history, Georgia lost their opening match 3-1 against Turkey. But when the Georgians tied it up when down 1-0 in the first half, one journalist couldn’t hold back the tears.
Lovely moment Georgian journalist is overcome with emotion in press box after witnessing his country score their first goal at a major tournament against Turkey.
Now, back to Scotland: The world’s oldest formalized international team arrived in stunning fashion, with visiting fans saying the Berlin Airport might as well have been Glasgow.
Whatever atmosphere they created ahead of their match against Germany, it paled in comparison to their Scottish invasion of Cologne where they took on the Swiss. They descended in a giant parade of the ‘Tartan Army’ led by dozens of bagpipes, walking shoulder to shoulder with the police towards the cathedral and stadium (where the nations played to a draw, 1-1).
NOBODY DOES IT LIKE THE TARTAN ARMY. 🏴
Thousands of Scotland fans march through Cologne, led by bagpipes. Incredible sight before their showdown with the Swiss. pic.twitter.com/qstw9dBwXd
The fun and the kindness have been ongoing—from one young local who decided to empty his fridge of beers and drop them to thirsty Scots from his balcony, to an old man with a walker kept dry when Scottish umbrellas came to the rescue.
