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Ancient Hazelnuts are Being Used by Archaeologists to Reconstruct Prehistoric Woodlands

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Dr. Karl Ljung - Lund University / SWNS
By Nils Forshed, via Dr. Karl Ljung / Lund University / SWNS

Scientists have devised a method of analyzing preserved hazelnut shells to find out what the habitat was like in prehistoric times.

The Oxford University team note that their research could show not only what a local environment looked like thousands of years ago—whether sites were heavily forested or open and pasture-like—but also how humans may have impacted their habitats over time.

The scientists gathered hazelnuts from trees growing in varying light levels at three locations in southern Sweden, and analyzed their carbon quantities and the relationship between these values and the light levels the trees were exposed to.

They then investigated the carbon values of hazelnut shells from archaeological sites also found in southern Sweden.

They selected shell fragments from four Mesolithic sites and 11 sites ranging from the Neolithic to the Iron Age, some of which had been occupied in more than one period.

The Mesolithic, or middle stone age, ended around 10,000 years ago, the Neolithic was around 6,000 years ago and the Iron Age ended around 2,500 years ago.

The authors note that humans in northern Europe have been using hazel trees as a source of materials and food for thousands of years.

“The nuts are an excellent source of energy and protein, and they can be stored for long periods, consumed whole or ground,” said senior author Dr. Karl Ljung, of Lund University, Sweden. “The shells could also have been used as a fuel.”

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The ratio of carbon dioxide in hazel trees is heavily influenced by sunlight. Where there are fewer other trees to compete for the sunlight and rates of photosynthesis are higher, the hazels will have higher carbon isotope values.

Therefore, based on their analysis of carbon in hazelnut shells the team were able to assign their samples to one of three categories: closed, open, and semi-open.

“This means that a hazelnut shell recovered on an archaeological site provides a record of how open the environment was in which it was collected,” added Dr. Ljung. “This in turn tells us more about the habitats in which people were foraging.”

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology, shows that nuts from the Mesolithic had been collected from more closed environments, while nuts from more recent periods had been collected in more open environments.

By the Iron Age, most of the people who collected the hazelnuts sampled for this study had gathered the nuts from open areas, not woodlands. Their microhabitats had completely changed.

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The team hopes to do further research to directly date and measure the carbon isotopes of hazelnut shells from a wider range of sites and settings.

Lead author Dr. Amy Styring, from the University of Oxford said, “Our study has opened up new potential for directly tying environmental changes to people’s foraging activities and reconstructing the microhabitats that they exploited.”

“This will provide much more detailed insight into woodlands and landscapes in the past, which will help archaeologists to better understand the impact of people on their environment.”

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Sunday Funnies: Dog Tore into Cereal Box but Gets Caught With Sugar Puffs All Over Her Fur

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Heather Hunt / SWNS
Heather Hunt (before and after) via SWNS

A guilty pup was left covered with sugar puffs after she tore into the cereal box.

The hilarious moment was caught on camera by owner Heather Hunt coming home to discover her two-year-old Zuchon Crumpet completely covered from head to toe.

“For the love of God! Who left the cereal cupboard open?” exclaimed the 51-year-old as she arrived on the scene of the crime.

“I came back in from shopping and it was all over the floor everywhere,” said Heather.

“The sugar puff cereal is covered in honey so it stuck to her fur like tar.”

Getting it out of Crumpet’s fur proved impossible.

“I tried to wet them but it just turned them into wallpaper paste.

“When I finally decided to take her to the groomers, it took them them nearly three hours to wash her, cut all of the cereal out and make her look like a dog again—a completely different dog!”

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This isn’t the first time Crumpet has gotten into mischief: “She’s always getting into trouble.

“I can’t leave a (grocery) bag unattended as they’ll be straight into the ham.

“They drive me insane but I love them to death.”

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Scientists Unveil First Evidence That Triceratops Lived in Herds

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Tyrannosaurus herd depicted by artist Bart Bus. (Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands)
Tyrannosaurus herd depicted by artist Bart Bus. (Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands)

Despite films like Jurassic Park, depicting them traveling in herds, all known fossils of Triceratops (over 50 in total) have been solitary individuals found alone (or a couple of juveniles together).

But new Dutch research just completed suggests the iconic dinosaur species did, indeed, move in herds.

A group of paleontologists from Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands went to work in the US looking for a Tyrannosaurus, but ended up making the discovery of a lifetime—a herd of five triceratops.

The team was searching in Wyoming when they found the first Triceratops. And then, they found another one. And another one. And more.

The dig turned into a project that would last for more than ten years—and eventually uncover 1,200 bones and fragments of at least five individuals.

15 years ago, the best guess from scientists was that traveling together “wasn’t something they did full time.”

But the material unearthed in Wyoming was of “very good quality,” according to Dr. Jimmy de Rooij who just published the study as his doctorate at Utrecht University.

“Research into the physical and chemical properties of the hundreds of triceratops teeth tells of a migratory existence—one that was the same for all five of the dinosaurs.”

Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands

A team of professional and volunteer paleontologists and technicians spent years removing the remains from the quarry.

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“The details of the bone bed indicate that the five dinosaurs died together, possibly mired in a swamp,” said the doctoral student. “They are in a thin layer of rock, without bones of other species.”

“This enabled us to show that these triceratops grew really slowly.

“This species of dinosaur teamed up, at least occasionally, and that leads to all kinds of new questions (like) ‘How complex was this social behavior, exactly?’”

Professor Anne Schulp, de Rooij’s supervisor, said proudly: “The national natural history museum of the Netherlands now has the biggest triceratops find in the world.”

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De Rooij’s work didn’t just result in a dissertation, but also an entire exhibition surrounding his research of the herd. A national exhibit will kick off for free this summer in five cities around the Netherlands, and at the Naturalis museum in October.

“The five triceratops will be displayed as they lived and died 67 million years ago: together.”

HATCH SOME AWE By Sharing This With Your Herd on Social Media…

Photographer Captures Jaw-Dropping Photos of Moon Over Canadian Ice-scape

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The Moon over Canada's Nunavut province by Paul Goldstein – SWNS
The Moon over Canada’s Nunavut province by Paul Goldstein – SWNS

A British photographer has captured some exquisite pictures of a moonrise in Canada’s frozen North.

Paul Goldstein took a morning trek in minus-35 degree temperatures last week in Canada’s Nunavut province.

“This far north, the moon barely sets at this time of year. It is cold even for the Inuits.”

“But a few souls brave the temperature to photograph bears, the aurora, and indeed the full moon in this case,” said the Wimbledon-based nature guide.

“No such thing as cold, just poor equipment,” quipped the intrepid shooter who shares his pics on Instagram.

“This far North, no matter how many layers you cocoon yourself with—six in this case—the cold still seeps in. But who cares with a morning like this.”

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The Moon over ice in Canada’s Nunavut province on March 23, 2024 – Paul Goldstein via SWNS

Indeed, he took just a ten minute walk from their camp situated on a frozen fjord when the breathtaking scene unfolded.

“It is humbling to think of the trappers and explorers back in the day who had none of our comforts.

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“Even the moon looks cold!”

DON’T FREEZE OUT YOUR FRIENDS: Share The Beauty on Social Media…

New Research into Beethoven’s DNA Reveals He Didn’t Inherit his Musical Talent

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Beethoven in 1803 and 1820
Beethoven in 1803 and 1820

The famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven did not inherit much musical talent from his ancestors, according to a new study that shows his genes revealed quite a low predisposition for beat synchronization or musicality.

Researchers say the findings are a good example of how our DNA doesn’t determine what talents will be developed in life.

The team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, worked with colleagues from the Max Planck Institutes for Empirical Aesthetics in Germany and Holland.

They analyzed Beethoven’s DNA from a hair sample that was extracted for a different study last year.

They set out to investigate his genetic musical predisposition, an ability closely related to musicality—comparing his DNA to nearly 14,500 other people in databanks.

They used his recently sequenced DNA to calculate a polygenic score as an indicator for his genetic predisposition for beat synchronization.

“Interestingly, Beethoven, one of the most celebrated musicians in history, had an unremarkable polygenic score for general musicality—ranking between the 9th and 11th percentile based on modern samples,” said Vanderbilt doctoral candidate Tara Henechowicz.

His genetics were compared to population samples from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and Vanderbilt’s BioVU Repository.

The authors who published the study this week in the journal Current Biology said it would be wrong to conclude that the maestro had little talent, but it does highlight the problems in making predictions based purely on DNA.

Emily Bear by Pablokorona via flickr -cc license
By Pablokorona, CC license

“The mismatch between the DNA-based prediction and Beethoven’s musical genius provides a valuable teaching moment because it demonstrates that DNA tests cannot give us a definitive answer about whether a given child will end up being musically gifted,” said Ms. Henechowicz.

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Prior studies have found an average heritability, which is the proportion of individual differences explained by all genetic factors, of 42 percent for musicality.

“The current study and other recent work also suggest that environment plays a key role in musical ability and engagement as well,” added co-author Dr. Reyna Gordon.

“In the current era of ‘big data’, such as Vanderbilt’s BioVU repository, we have had the opportunity to look in fine detail at large groups of people to uncover the genetic underpinnings of traits such as rhythm ability or being musically active.”

ENCOURAGE A MUSICAL TALENT By Sharing the Motivation on Social Media…

“Idealism increases in direct proportion to one’s distance from the problem.” – John Galsworthy

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Quote of the Day: “Idealism increases in direct proportion to one’s distance from the problem.” – John Galsworthy

Photo by: Andrei Turca (in Romania)

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

How Americans Are ‘Paying it Forward’ Hundreds of Times Every Year

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SWNS
SWNS

Almost eight in 10 Americans believe that karma is real. And, perhaps inspired by that notion, 84% say they will go out of their way to “pay it forward” whenever possible.

That’s according to a poll of 2,000 U.S. adults that tallied 84% as agreeing with the idea that ‘what goes around comes around’.

Whether it’s to align their cosmic mojo or simply acting on their human nature, the respondents reported they are “paying it forward” in a number of ways, including:

  • treating their loved ones to something special (50%)
  • giving generous tips (48%)
  • helping out a neighbor by carrying their groceries or shoveling snow (46%)
  • donating money to organizations or charities (40%)

Almost four in ten said they volunteered their time to help friends and family, or supported locally-owned businesses.

The average adult engages in five generous acts per week, which adds up to 260 random acts of kindness each year.

Beyond the mysterious karma benefit, these acts of paying it forward have real effects on more than those on the receiving end: Americans feel better about themselves (49%), their life overall (37%) and feel more confident (22%) when they extend kindness to others.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of the banking app Chime, the survey found that 72 percent of adults considered themselves to be generous, even while 43% felt somewhat insecure financially.

Some of the biggest generous acts respondents have done for others included scenarios like:

  • I opened my home for friend to move in during a health crisis.
  • I overheard a waitress discussing some unexpected bills she was worried about covering so left her a $200 tip.
  • I went to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina to work on restoring houses.

65% are likely to ‘keep the chain going’ and pay for the food of the person behind them in a drive-thru, if someone else paid for theirs.

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“We’re encouraged to see the ‘pay it forward’ spirit is alive and well in this country,” said Sara El-Amine, a VP at Chime.

No matter what triggers it, the results reveal that Americans are more than five times more likely to find their spirits are lifted more when they’re able to help someone else than when someone else helps them out (72% vs 13%).

Looking toward the future, a whopping 83% of respondents believe that they’d be even more generous if they were more financially secure.

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“Feeling good about your finances can mean more than just adding commas to your bank account.”

Others are sure to benefit, too.

BE a PAY IT FORWARD ADVOCATE by Sharing This with Comments on Social Media… 

Teaching Teens How to Understand Their Feelings is Key to Helping Them Grow and Mature

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Photo by hepingting, CC license
Photo by hepingting, CC license

Parents who solely focus on ‘fixing behavior’ will leave their teenager feeling misunderstood, according to a new book, How Do You Hug a Cactus?, which advocates for ‘Reflective Parenting’ and understanding what goes on in the teenage brain.

Teaching teenagers how to understand their feelings is “key” to helping them mature into resilient and independent adults, says the author, Dr. Sheila Redfern, a London-based clinical child psychologist.

Gleaning insight from 30 years of work, she says: rather than focusing on stamping out difficult behaviors, parents should teach their kids to manage their feelings and relationships in safe ways.

“Understanding the neuroscience of the changing teenage brain can really help parents to empathize and connect with their teenage children,” said Redfern.

Although parenting teenagers is uniquely challenging—with concerns about social media use, self-harm, and risk-taking—this stage can be very fulfilling for all.

Reflective parenting allows parents to support teenagers in coming up with their own ideas about how they are going to meet challenges when these arise.

“The focus is on keeping a connection with your teenager and helping them to manage, sometimes overwhelming and unwanted, feelings. This is one of the most important skills for life you can teach your teenager.

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“By drawing out from your teenager how they are planning to solve difficulties—without pointing out flaws but simply offering another perspective of any potential downsides—you will help them to gain independence and develop skills for life while staying connected to you.”

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One key concept of reflective parenting is for parents to check in with themselves: if they are experiencing strong emotions they should take some time and reflect, before launching a conversation.

Then the parent can approach a teen’s emotional distress using validation and empathy, by describing how they are feeling and avoiding putting their own opinion across.

“You take this self-reflective step first, then you can give your full attention and curiosity to your teenager’s perspective, and they will experience you as somebody steady, consistent and trustworthy,” explained Redfern.

“This can be extremely hard for parents as we worry a lot about our teenagers and regulating emotions (of our own) is difficult sometimes.”

She notes that the teenage years are an extremely crucial time for mental development, and teens are much more at risk of mental illness.

“This is not just a time of physical and neurological change, but also of great vulnerability. It’s during this period of development that teenagers are much more likely to engage in risky behavior and develop a mental illness.”

Research suggests that there are three basic bio-behavioral systems that enable humans to adapt to a complex social environment: the reward system; the ‘mentalizing’, or ‘social cognition’ system, which is our capacity to understand ourselves and others in terms of our feelings, desires, and values; and finally the stress and threat system.

CHECK OUT: 10 Things I Wish I Would Have Told My Kids

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Redfern says that during adolescence, these three bio-behavioral systems are being reorganized in the brain and this reorganization of the systems leads to patterns of thinking, behavior and responses to others that may be difficult to understand, seem illogical, highly reactive, or self-destructive.

This is because teens process information with the amygdala—the emotional part of the brain, leading them to be preoccupied with their own emotions, and less able to tune into other people.

“When we look at brain development, it’s factually inaccurate to describe an 18-year-old as an adult. Our brains haven’t fully developed until we’re in our mid-twenties. From the age of 18 until around 25 years old, sometimes even later, our brains are still developing.”

PARENTING POLL: Parents Are Most Proud of Their Child’s Ability to Show Empathy and Kindness, Says New Poll

She describes that this emotionally charged brain can make assumptions that feel like fact, and become a mindset—thoughts like ‘no one likes me, I am alone’.

When teens lose their ability to be reflective because of changes in their brains—resulting in frequent states of high emotional arousal—parents can step in and help guide the process.

While reflective parenting may bring about a greater connection between you and your teen, and hopefully even a calmness and enhanced understanding of your relationship – it is important to maintain strong boundaries.

“Reflecting on thoughts and feelings alone is not the type of parenting being advocated here. Boundaries still count, and so does parental authority,” concludes Redfern, whose website has many articles that explain more.

RELATED: If Overly Anxious or Depressed, Study Shows That Focus on Past Successes Can Improve Judgement

None of us can be a reflective parent all of the time, because our emotions rise and fall along with events, but we can try to do better next time by learning some of these best practices.

NOTE: If parents have serious concerns about their teen’s mental health, please seek professional help, or call 911. You could try calling Parents Anonymous, a 50-year-old helpline for moms and dads in the US (at 1-855-427-2736) In England and Wales, you can try Family Line by calling 0808 800 2222.

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

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

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of March 30, 2024
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In the coming days, your hunger will be so inexhaustible that you may feel driven to devour extravagant amounts of food and drink. It’s possible you will gain ten pounds in a very short time. Who Knows? You might even enter an extreme eating contest and devour 46 dozen oysters in ten minutes!… APRIL FOOL! Although what I just said is remotely plausible, I foresee that you will sublimate your exorbitant hunger. You will realize it is spiritual in nature and can’t be gratified by eating food. As you explore your voracious longings, you will hopefully discover a half-hidden psychological need you have been suppressing. And then you will liberate that need and feed it what it craves!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Taurus novelist Lionel Shriver writes, “There’s a freedom in apathy, a wild, dizzying liberation on which you can almost get drunk.” In accordance with astrological omens, I recommend you experiment with Shriver’s strategy in the coming weeks… APRIL FOOL! I lied. In fact, Lionel Shriver’s comment is one of the dumbest thoughts I have ever heard. Why would anyone want the cheap, damaged liberation that comes from feeling indifferent, numb, and passionless? Please do all you can to disrupt and dissolve any attraction you may have to that state, Taurus. In my opinion, you now have a sacred duty to cultivate extra helpings of enthusiasm, zeal, liveliness, and ambition.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
At enormous cost and after years of study, I have finally figured out the meaning of life, at least as it applies to you Geminis. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to reveal it to you unless you send me $1,000 and a case of Veuve Clicquot champagne. I’ve got to recoup my investment, right?! … APRIL FOOL! Most of what I just said was a dirty lie. It’s true that I have worked hard to uncover the meaning of life for you Geminis. But I haven’t found it yet. And even if I did, I would of course provide it to you free. Luckily, you are now in a prime position to make dramatic progress in deciphering the meaning of life for yourself.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
For a limited time only, you have permission from the cosmos to be a wildly charismatic egomaniac who brags incessantly and insists on getting your selfish needs met at all times and in all places. Please feel free to have maximum amounts of narcissistic fun, Cancerian! … APRIL FOOL! I was exaggerating a bit, hoping to offer you medicinal encouragement so you will stop being so damn humble and self-effacing all the time. But the truth is, now is indeed an excellent time to assert your authority, expand your clout, and flaunt your potency and sovereignty.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Michael Scott was a character in the TV sitcom The Office. He was the boss of a paper company. Played by Leo actor Steve Carell, he was notoriously self-centered and obnoxious. However, there was one famous scene I will urge you to emulate. He was asked if he would rather be feared or loved. He replied, “Um, easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.” Be like Michael Scott, Leo! … APRIL FOOL! I was half-kidding. It’s true I’m quite excited by the likelihood that you will receive floods of love in the coming weeks. It’s also true that I think you should do everything possible to boost this likelihood. But I would rather that people be amazed and pleased at how much they love you, not afraid.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Now would be an excellent time for you to snag a Sugar Daddy or Sugar Momma or Sugar Nurturer. The astrological omens are telling me that life is expanding its willingness and capacity to provide you with help, support, and maybe even extra cash. I dare you to dangle yourself as bait and sell your soul to the highest bidder… APRIL FOOL! I was half-kidding. While I do believe it’s prime time to ask for and receive more help, support, and extra cash, I don’t believe you will have to sell your soul to get any of it. Just be yourself!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Happy Unbirthday, Libra! It’s that time halfway between your last birthday and your next. Here are the presents I plan to give you: a boost in your receptivity to be loved and needed; a constructive relationship with obsession; more power to accomplish the half-right thing when it’s hard to do the totally right thing; the disposal of 85 percent of the psychic trash left over from the time between 2018 and 2023; and a provocative new invitation to transcend an outworn old taboo… APRIL FOOL! The truth is, I can’t possibly supply every one of you with these fine offerings, so please bestow them on yourself. Luckily, the cosmic currents will conspire with you to make these things happen.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Now would be an excellent time to seek liposuction, a facelift, Botox, buttocks augmentation, or hair transplants. Cosmic rhythms will be on your side if you change how you look… APRIL FOOL! Everything I just said was a lie. I’ve got nothing against cosmetic surgery, but now is not the right time to alter your appearance. Here’s the correct oracle: Shed your disguises, stop hiding anything about who you really are, and show how proud you are of your idiosyncrasies.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
I command you to love Jesus and Buddha! If you don’t, you will burn in Hell! … APRIL FOOL! I was just kidding. I was being sensationalistic to grab your attention. Here’s my real, true oracle for you: Love everybody, including Jesus and Buddha. And I mean love them all twice as strong and wild and tender. The cosmic powers ask it of you! The health of your immortal soul depends on it! Yes, Sagittarius, for your own selfish sake, you need to pour out more adoration and care and compassion than you ever have before. I’m not exaggerating! Be a lavish Fountain of Love!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
If you gave me permission, I would cast a spell to arouse in you a case of ergophobia, i.e., an aversion to work. I think you need to take a sweet sabbatical from doing business as usual… APRIL FOOL! I was just joking about casting a spell on you. But I do wish you would indulge in a lazy, do-nothing retreat. If you want your ambitions to thrive later, you will be wise to enjoy a brief period of delightful emptiness and relaxing dormancy. As Buddhist teacher Sylvia Boorstein recommends, “Don’t just do something! Sit there!”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
In accordance with current astrological omens, I suggest you get the book Brain Surgery for Beginners by Steven Parker and David West. You now have the power to learn and even master complex new skills, and this would be a excellent place to start… APRIL FOOL! I was half-kidding. I don’t really think you should take a scalpel to the gray matter of your friends and family members—or yourself, for that matter. But I am quite certain that you currently have an enhanced power to learn and even master new skills. It’s time to raise your educational ambitions to a higher octave. Find out what lessons and training you need most, then make plans to get them.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In the religious beliefs of Louisiana Voodoo, one God presides over the universe but never meddles in the details of life. But there are also many spirits who are intervening and tinkering, intimately involved in the daily rhythm. They might do nice things for people or play tricks on them—and everything in between. In alignment with current astrological omens, I urge you to convert to the Louisiana Voodoo religion and try ingenious strategies to get the spirits to do your bidding… APRIL FOOL! I don’t really think you should convert. However, I believe it would be fun and righteous for you to proceed as if spirits are everywhere—and assume that you have the power to harness them to work on your behalf.

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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“Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Quote of the Day: “Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

Photo by: Derrick Treadwell

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Swedish Maidens’ Choir Sings in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Elvish Language to the Delight of LotR Fans

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Andy Corbley
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Courtesy of @EldandiliFantasy Instagram / FB
Courtesy of @EldandiliFantasy Instagram / FB

A choir of cosplaying elves in Sweden sings and performs lyrical works written in Elvish by J.R.R. Tolkien in the ultimate expression of Lord of the Rings fandom.

Called “Eldandili Fantasy” they actually sing choir pieces from all kinds of fantasy staples, such as World of Warcraft, and The Witcher, but these cannot boast the depth and scope of material which Tolkien infused with his own made-up language.

To wit, Tolkien’s Middle Earth as we read about it in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, is born through song—as the first deity, Eru Illuvatar, sings companion deities—The Ainur—into existence, and who in turn sing the world of Middle Earth into form.

In another historiographical fiction of Middle Earth written by Tolkien, The Legendarium, the elves, we are told, learned to sing before they could speak.

Tolkien wrote hundreds of words in Elvish, and it gave groups like Eldandili Fantasy, based in Sweden, the lyrical flexibility to try and write pieces that replicate how the author described Elvish music to be.

A British composer once whipped up a piece of music to pair with an elvish poem, Namárië, meaning “Be Well” but after he had played it, Tolkien replied that he had heard it differently in his head, and began to hum something like Gregorian chant.

In The Lord of the Rings, the elves sing in choir-like harmony, in which short sections are sung loudest by a single voice which afterward withdraws and allows another voice to highlight another short section.

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These are the kinds of clues that Eldandili Fantasy combines with the written language of Elvish and Howard Shore’s Academy Award-winning score for The Lord of the Rings films to make their Elvish songs.

A member of the choir and cosplay group, Jennie Tiderman-Österberg, profiled their work in a long blog post in Smithsonian Magazine, and spoke with one of the sopranos.

“A language is a very intense identity marker,” said soprano Kerstin Koij. “It’s of no wonder that the elven languages in [Middle Earth] are formulated to be both political and historical, with certain aesthetical qualities dependent on cultural context. They enhance the sense of being genuine and legitimate even though everything is fictional.”

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It’s interesting, Koij notes, for a Swede, whose language is fairly guttural, to sing in Elvish in which many of the consonants occur forward in the mouth, and are sung in a voiceless manner. She also notes the challenge of singing the emotional content.

“The Passing of the Elves for example, sounds like both longing and sorrow all at once—longing [for] Aman, but a sadness to leave the shores of Middle-earth,” she notes.

It’s clear that a lot of thought and work goes into the choir, which boasts dozens of singers and over 13 instruments, and their effort is worthy of the fantasy world Tolkien left to us.

Information on Eldandili Fantasy choir performances can be found on their website.

LISTEN to that piece and others below…

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Kombucha Can Mimic the Effects of Fasting in the Body, According to a Study

By
Andy Corbley
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Tyler Nix - Unsplash
Tyler Nix – Unsplash

The microbes in the fizzy, fermented drink called kombucha, make several changes to the way fat is metabolized in the gut and intestines that are remarkably similar to those seen in fasting periods.

An antique saying in medicine goes “fasting is the cure for all ailments” and while this is certainly hyperbole, like all wisdom of the ancestors, there are grains of truth contained within it.

Most people will probably think of fasting as a religious penance or a political act of protest, but when the body enters a state of fasting, several a-priori biological processes responsible for the cleanup and repair of our cells and tissues are able to work without interference from the massive influences of the metabolic systems.

Researchers at the Univ. of North Carolina looked at how the microbes in kombucha affected the overall microbiome of the GI tract, and what they found highlights why millions of people, including many celebrities, are forthcoming for their love of the fizzy drink.

As the yeast and bacteria colonized the gut in the scientists’ animal model, expression in the genes responsible for fatty acid metabolism changed. Specifically, the changes coded for more proteins that break fat down, and coded for fewer proteins that agglomerate fats into triglycerides.

Interestingly, this change in genetic expression is similar to what is seen in the bodies of people undergoing fasting.

Dr. Robert Dowen who co-led the study described his team as being “surprised” to see that the microbes in kombucha had the ability to induce a fasting-like state even during periods of eating.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Time-Restricted Eating Could Prevent Work-Related Health Issues, Says New Study

Our ancestors didn’t live in a calorie-rich environment like we do today. The ideas of “three square meals” and “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” are purely modern conceptions reflected in the abundance of food available, and have no basis in biology.

In reality, Homo sapiens was able to grow a strong athletic body in conditions when meals came in increments of days rather than hours. As such, the fasted state had to have advantages.

MORE DIETARY ADDITIONS: Holy Mackerel! Fish Really Is Brain Food – Even if You Only Eat a Small Amount

Along with increasing the speed at which damaged cells were repaired and dead cells were removed, a process called apoptosis, metabolism changed to the utilization of energy stores in the muscle tissue; a process called glycolysis.

By cleaving apart and using fats for energy rather than for storage, the microbes in the kombucha replicate fasting.

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8-year-old Boy Becomes Youngest Player to Beat a Chess Grandmaster: ‘I felt amazing’

By
Andy Corbley
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credit Carleton Lim/Singapore Chess Federation
credit Carleton Lim/Singapore Chess Federation

At the tender age of eight years, six months, and 11 days, Singaporean Ashwath Kaushik became the youngest player ever to defeat a grandmaster in classical tournament chess.

He beat out the previous record holder by 4 months after defeating Poland’s Jacek Stopa, 37, in round four of the Burgdorfer Stadthaus Open in Switzerland.

CNN describes his parents seeing the “inevitability” of their son spending more time than they did growing up looking at screens, and explained they tried to get out ahead of the habit by introducing the boy to the ancient board game through ChessKid.com.

Then as the pandemic arrived and Singaporean authorities instituted strict lockdowns, Kaushik had all the time in the world to practice.

“I feel proud of my game and how I played. I felt amazing, just unbelievable,” Ashwath told CNN Sport in the wake of his victory.

“I practice a lot each day,” Ashwath says. “A lot of children have a natural talent, so I think I’ve got a natural talent at chess.”

Born in India, Ashwath has been living with his family in Singapore for 6 years. In the Bergdorfer Open, he finished in 12th place after beating Stopa, and losing to International Master Harry Grieve. He is set to pick up 84 rating points, settling him at 1894—extremely close to the highest rating of any player under 8.

OTHER CHILD PRODIGIES: Teen Awarded $50,000 Science Fair Prize for His Method of Removing Microplastics From Water

His parents aren’t pushing him, they merely allow him the time and space to pursue chess as far as he wishes. He currently enjoys the personal coaching of Chess GM Kevin Goh Wei Ming, CEO of the Singapore Chess Foundation, and recently completed GM Jacob Aagaard’s entire Grandmaster series without using a board, something which Ashwath’s father attributes to his “photographic memory.”

CHESS STORIES: Homeless Nigerian Boy Becomes U.S. Chess Champion at 10-Years-old After Immigrating to US

The coaches say his tactical nouse is very developed, but that he needs to work on his strategy.

His next stop? A 2,000 rating, and then world champion, the youth says.

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Scientists Reveal Incredible Image of Magnetic Fields Spiraling from Supermassive Black Hole

By
Andy Corbley
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The new image of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) of Sagittarius A. - SWNS
The new image of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) of Sagittarius A. and M87 – SWNS

As part of humanity’s continued attempts to image a black hole, a telescope array recently captured the swirling magnetic fields around two of the closest supermassive black holes to Earth.

Seen in polarized light for the first time, this new view of the black hole Sagittarius A. at the heart of the Milky Way Galaxy has revealed a magnetic field structure strikingly similar to that of the black hole at the center of the Messier 87 galaxy, suggesting that strong magnetic fields may be common to all black holes.

This similarity also hints toward a hidden jet in Sgr A*. The results were published today in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Scientists unveiled the first image of Sgr A*—which is approximately 27,000 light-years away from Earth—in 2022, revealing that while the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole is more than a thousand times smaller and less massive than M87’s, it looks remarkably similar. This made scientists wonder whether the two shared common traits outside of their looks.

To find out, the team decided to study Sgr A* in polarized light. Previous studies of light around M87* revealed that the magnetic fields around the black hole giant allowed it to launch powerful jets of material back into the surrounding environment. Building on this work, the new images have revealed that the same may be true for Sgr A*.

“What we’re seeing now is that there are strong, twisted, and organized magnetic fields near the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy,” said Sara Issaoun, NASA Hubble Fellowship Program from Harvard and the Smithsonian who co-led the project.

“Along with Sgr A* having a strikingly similar polarization structure to that seen in the much larger and more powerful M87* black hole, we’ve learned that strong and ordered magnetic fields are critical to how black holes interact with the gas and matter around them.”

Light is an oscillating, or moving, electromagnetic wave that allows us to see objects. Sometimes, light oscillates in a preferred orientation, and we call it “polarized.” Although polarized light surrounds us, to human eyes it is indistinguishable from “normal” light. In the plasma around these black holes, particles whirling around magnetic field lines impart a polarization pattern perpendicular to the field.

This allows astronomers to see in increasingly vivid detail what’s happening in black hole regions and map their magnetic field lines.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Astronomers Detect Oldest Black Hole Ever Observed Dating ‘From the Dawn of the Universe’

“By imaging polarized light from hot glowing gas near black holes, we are directly inferring the structure and strength of the magnetic fields that thread the flow of gas and matter that the black hole feeds on and ejects,” said Harvard Black Hole Initiative Fellow and project co-lead Angelo Ricarte. “Polarized light teaches us a lot more about the astrophysics, the properties of the gas, and mechanisms that take place as a black hole feeds.”

The new image of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) of Sagittarius A. – SWNS

Imaging the supermassive black hole requires sophisticated tools above and beyond those previously used for capturing M87*, a much steadier target.

“Making a polarized image is like opening the book after you have only seen the cover. Because Sgr A* moves around while we try to take its picture, it was difficult to construct even the unpolarized image,” said EHT Project Scientist Geoffrey Bower. “We were relieved that polarized imaging was even possible. Some models were far too scrambled and turbulent to construct a polarized image, but nature was not so cruel.”

BLACK HOLE IMAGES: Black Hole at the Heart of Our Own Galaxy is Pictured For First Time

The result is that the images of Sgr A* is a composite of multiple images.

The EHT has conducted several observations since 2017 and is scheduled to observe Sgr A* again in April 2024. Each year, the images improve as the EHT incorporates new telescopes, larger bandwidth, and new observing frequencies.

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“The pleasures of love are always in proportion to our fears.” – Stendhal

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “The pleasures of love are always in proportion to our fears.” – Stendhal

Photo by: chester wade

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Thousands in Donations Pour into Animal Shelter Where Jon Stewart Adopted His Beloved Dog That Just Passed Away

By
Andy Corbley
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Jon Stewart with his children and dog, Dipper, outside Animal Haven in New York City about 12 years ago - credit Animal Haven
Jon Stewart with his children and dog, Dipper, outside Animal Haven in New York City about 12 years ago – credit
Animal Haven

The return of American political comedian/commentator Jon Stewart to The Daily Show enriched many lives across the country, but even more so for a special NYC animal shelter.

On an episode of his show, Stewart stole a bit of air time to eulogize “the best” dog, his three-legged Dipper, after he died at the age of 12. Calling out the no-kill Manhattan-based Animal Haven shelter by name, donations began to flood in after the show aired.

“We are at $60,000 now and they are still dripping in,” Tiffany Lacey, Animal Haven’s executive director, told CBS News last Friday.

Stewart implored his audience to adopt—not specifically from Animal Haven—although he did mention he and his family had found several lovable beasties there.

“It’s good news for the cats, as kitten and cat adoptions are way up,” Lacey said, echoing Stewart’s urging for people to “donate, adopt, volunteer—always adopt, don’t shop.”

On the segment, Stewart recalled the day he went into Animal Haven, and was introduced to a “one-ish year-old brindle pit bull hit by a car in Brooklyn and lost his right leg,” which both Lacey and the award-winning TV host describing it as love at first sight.

WATCH the segment below but keep the tissues handy…

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Woman Given New 3D-Printed Windpipe in World First

By
Andy Corbley
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T&R Biofab's special 3D printer. Provided to GNN by T&R Biofab
T&R Biofab’s special 3D printer. Provided to GNN by T&R Biofab

A biotech company has established a stunning milestone for prosthetics as their firm became the first and only one in the world to produce a bio-3D-printed windpipe that was successfully transplanted into a human body.

Nasal stem cells and cartilage cells were obtained from other patients who underwent other procedures, and these were replicated and combined with polycaprolactone (PCL) for structural support as well as a special ink made from living cells to make the windpipe, or trachea.

The transplant procedure was performed at St. Mary’s Hospital in Seoul on a woman in her 50s who lost part of her own trachea during thyroid removal surgery. The one-of-a-kind 3D printer, designed with over a decade of research and testing, was provided by the company T&R Biofab.

The hospital and T&R both hope that the artificial trachea will allow her to live a relatively normal life until its expiration date five years from now, at which point the hypothesis is that her body will have regenerated her own.

According to the BBC, the patient did not require any immunosuppressants, a medicine used to prevent the body from rejecting the new organ. Additionally, six months after the operation, the windpipe is not only healing well but new blood vessels are starting to form.

OTHER MEDICAL TECH BREAKTHROUGHS: A Paralyzed Man Walks Again Using Device that Connects His Thoughts to His Spinal Cord

The dimensions for the trachea had to be exact, as you might imagine. MRIs and CT scans were undertaken to ensure there would be no problems with the ‘fit’.

T&R Biofab designed the printer to specialize in printing hollow tubular structures with high-precision technology, and the BBC said that the earliest work was done in 2004 to devise this miracle machine which the company says had to work in perfect harmony with the servers of St. Mary’s Hospital, and as such can’t be taken to other hospitals.

MORE 3D BIOPRINTING: This Portable 3D Printer Could Print Skin Over Wounds in Under 2 Minutes

“While it’s too soon to say that 3D-bioprinting could be the solution for the current shortage of organs for transplantation, it definitely increases the hopes to partially solve the issue for some organs or some specific indications, or at least fill the gap between classic medical devices and organ transplants,” Dr. Paulo Marinho, head of scientific strategy at T&R Biofab, told BBC Science Focus.

Tracheotoemies are typically performed in the causes of trauma to the windpipe, thyroid cancer, or congenital anomalies.

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She Wanted Her Son with Autism to Explore Nature So She Created a Whimsical Fairy Forest Trail

By
Andy Corbley
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Creator of the Fairy Trail Therese Ojibway and her son
Creator of the Fairy Trail Therese Ojibway and her son

They say the best thing an artist can aspire to be is a child. For one New Jersey mom, it took the inspiration of her own to find that magical spark. As for what she did with it, the only word is magical.

Therese Ojibway, a mother from Milburn, originally began to leave tiny houses and traces of fairies in the forests around the Rahway Trail in the South Mountain Conservancy as a way to enrich her autistic son’s experience in nature.

Over time, the fairy homes, fairy footprints, and fairy dust began to accumulate, and once the park authorities caught wind of the project, they let her continue on for 10 whole years.

Today ‘The Fairy Trail’ is a volunteer-led organization that provides a fantastical space for children to let their imaginations swirl like dry leaves in an autumn wind.

“She thought this was a dynamic way of getting little children into nature, getting them to use their imaginations, getting them to tap into their creativity and stimulate both early childhood and special needs children,” said Beth Kelly, a trail keeper.

“This is really about a magical feeling when you come here … it touches your heart, it gives you a sense of wonder, imagination, creativity, it all blends and bonds with nature,” Kelly told CBS News. 

ARTISTIC PROJECTS IN NATURE: Artist Decorates Underwater Sculpture Park With 25 Figures of Local Island People in the Caribbean

Ojibwe and her son actually moved out of the area some years back, but the local attraction had become so beloved that Kelly and her colleague Julie Gould continue to maintain the Fairy Trail standards in her absence.

Kelly found the trail and its magic during the pandemic when she needed a place where her two little boys could go out and explore and breathe fresh air, while Gould came upon it through her work in Pre through K schooling.

MORE STORIES OF PRICELESS CREATIVITY: Man Transforms an Old Farmhouse into a Barbie Dreamhouse Fulfilling a Childhood Dream-LOOK

Over 100 tiny homes have been built in the area and tucked into the nooks and crannies of the forest—the perfect place for fairies to dwell in peace away from prying eyes. Made of natural elements, some scavenged from the forest itself, and always with subdued colors, the homes will eventually biodegrade without a trace.

According to Kelly, the children who visit firmly believe she gets to talk and meet the fairies, while they, as just visitors, report only catching glimpses of them through the trees—perhaps bounding up a tree on the saddle of a chipmunk, or disappearing down into the pollen of a forest flower.

WATCH the story below from CBS News…

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‘A Beautiful Idea’: This French Town Is Making its Cemetery a Source of Solar Energy

By
Andy Corbley
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Copyright Ville de Saint-Joachim
Copyright Ville de Saint-Joachim

A community on the Loire in France has come up with a solar-powered idea that will clear two hurdles in a single leap.

The town of Saint-Joachim is located near the Brière marsh, a peat bog that becomes easily inundated with water. The local graveyard rests at 0 feet above sea level and standing water has become a major problem.

The mayor eventually proposed covering the graveyard to divert the rainwater into catch tanks to water the grass around the cemetery and nearby sporting complex in the dry summer months.

Solar panels—clear, see-through ones, were also proposed for the otherwise basic overhead covering, with each resident receiving a letter explaining the proposal and asking for their opinion on the idea.

97% of Saint-Joachim’s residents liked the concept and a power-sharing scheme was quickly determined whereby each resident would pay €5.00 for a share of the power generated there, which might be enough to supply around 1,000 people with enough solar power to save a couple hundred euro every year on their electric bills.

The power company in charge of the project designed an algorithm that gathers data on energy usage and determines how much each home needs to meet a fixed percentile of their overall consumption. That way everyone, from a supermarket to the hairdresser to a single-family home, receives the same energy savings from the cemetery solar power.

MORE INNOVATIVE SOLAR IDEAS: Switzerland Set to Roll Out Solar Panels Between Railway Tracks–A World First

The municipality will fully finance the €3.35 million ($3.6 million), 1.2-acre installation, using a 7% property tax increase.

MORE INNOVATIVE SOLAR IDEAS: These ‘Invisible’ Solar Panels Appear Just Like Historic Italian Terracotta Roofs and Can Help Green Historic Buildings

“I think it is a beautiful idea,” Éric Broquaire, local resident and president of Brier’energie, told Euronews. “The purpose was to make it simple, to avoid someone saying ‘why don’t I have electricity for free’. Everybody, even companies, will have the same level.”

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“Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.” – John Boyle O’Reilly

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.” – John Boyle O’Reilly

Photo by: Karl Magnuson

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

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