On this day in history, two masters of early ocean exploration returned to their prospective homes—Vasco da Gama 527 years ago to Lisbon, and Thomas Cavendish 438 years ago to Plymouth. The former had chartered the first European course to India via the Cape of Good Hope, while the latter completed the world’s first intentional circumnavigation. As it happened, Cavendish’s trip also saw the capture of the Santa Anna, the largest Spanish treasure ship ever to fall prey to English privateers. READ more about these accomplishments in seafaring… (1499, 1588)
FDA Immediately Approves Drug That’s Doubling Lifespan for Late Pancreatic Cancer Patients
Pancreatic cancer has long been a death sentence, and a rapid one at that, but a new two-a-day pill has seen patients live twice as long even after chemotherapy fails.
“Surviving” cancer refers to living more than 5 years post-diagnosis. Under that criteria, just 3% of patients survive pancreatic cancer, which usually requires particularly grueling chemotherapy.
For those whose cancer remains, there is now a simple option to extend lifespan that’s largely covered by insurance called daraxonrasib, manufactured by Revolution Medicine which received FDA approval for use in humans who have already tried chemotherapy after a review of just 35 days.
The phase 3 clinical trial which informed the FDA’s decision saw a doubling of lifespan in patients who’d tried chemo but whose cancer survived, from 7 months to more than 13.
Presented recently at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, in May, the attending physicians and scientists rose and applauded, some with tears in their eyes at the news, the New York Times reports.
“I have not seen anything like that before in trials we have run in pancreatic cancer,” Dr. Brian Wolpin of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and leader of the study, told the Times. “I just kept repeating, ‘Wow.’”
HOPE FOR SURVIVAL: Given Just 8 Months to Live, Teen Graduates Cancer-Free 4 Years Later Thanks to Doctor’s Promise (Watch)
The drug works by targeting a protein called KRAS which pancreatic cancer, as well as others, needs to live. For decades, it was thought KRAS was untargetable pharmaceutically because of its smooth surface, but daraxonrasib has been able to by gluing other molecules together in such a way as to allow the agglomeration to grab and stop KRAS from reaching the tumor.
It’s not just daraxonrasib, Revolution Medicine, and pancreatic cancer patients that will benefit from the drug’s success and approval, but a whole field of research into KRAS-inhibiting drugs. Colon and lung cancer, for example, also rely on KRAS for survival, and the Times claimed that “dozens” of KRAS-inhibiting medications are being tested—alone, with chemotherapy, and with immunotherapy—for their potential use.
MORE KRAS RESEARCH: Experimental Drug Generates Immune Response Against Pancreatic Cancer in People at High Risk
In some rare cases, daraxonrasib has curative effects in pancreatic cancer. One man in his 70s who was enrolled in the daraxonrasib clinical trial in 2022 had seen the cancer spread to his lymph nodes and assumed he was doomed. The pill shrunk the tumors such that he is not only still alive today, but that they can’t even be seen in scans.
Study and approval of the drug was made according to its use after chemotherapy had already failed, but the author of the Times story Gina Kolata said in reply to a commenter that the drug is now being evaluated for its potential efficacy at earlier stages.
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Armless Racing Driver Hits 110 mph Steering with His Feet–Aims to Make History at Le Mans
Meet the world’s only armless racing driver who uses his feet to steer.
23-year-old Callum Smith was born without arms but has already handled speeds of more than 110 mph on track.
Smith just signed his first driver contract with Team BRIT, the world’s only competitive racing team made up entirely of disabled drivers, and is now chasing a place on one of motorsport’s biggest stages: the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“My feet are like my hands—I write with my right foot, I play Xbox with my feet like FIFA and Call of Duty,” said Smith. “I play guitar with my feet, and I eat by myself use a normal knife and fork.”
Born without arms, Smith fell in love with racing at just 2 years old after watching bike racing with his grandad, Michael, but his racing dream began when he decided to send a bold email to Team BRIT.
“The racing started off with an email to Team BRIT expressing my interest in racing and I said if they were interested in making my dreams come true, I’d be forever grateful,” Smith remembered. “They got back to me and I passed some tests with instructors and did a skid test—it went from there.”
He completed his first track day in July, 2025 and maxed out at 90 mph around Donington Park, one of the host tracks on the Superbike World Championship. Then 4 months ago he clocked an impressive 100 mph top speed on the Silverstone Formula One circuit in his own Audi A3.
Currently working towards gaining his racing license, he is putting Team BRIT’s modified BMW 1 Series through its paces at Donington Park while getting the hang of the unique set of controls, including a flat plate that allows him to use his feet to steer.
EYE-FOOT COORDINATION: An Archer With No Arms Aims to Win Gold at Summer Paralympic Games Joining Team USA – VIDEO
His left foot turns the steering plate while his right foot operates the accelerator and brake.
“On top of the accelerator I have an indicator switch which gives me buttons for the horn, [headlights], window wipers etc,” he said.
Despite the accommodations, Smith said it’s a challenge.
MORE INSPIRATIONAL FIGURES: Veteran Becomes First Double-Amputee to Climb Highest Peak on Every Continent: Conquering the 7 Summits
“It’s hard, there’s a lot of eye to foot coordination. The biggest surprise to me is how heavy the steering feels in a race car, everything is stiffer,” he said. “But I love it and I’m quite keen to get it sorted, I’m motivated to get it done.”
“I’m going to be the first person to be racing without any arms, the first one ever.”
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EMT Ran 1.5 Miles up 1,000 Feet of Elevation in 31 Minutes to Get Blood Transfusion for Injured Climber
Experienced rock climber and father Jacob Gregory was dying. Experienced rock climber and EMT Will Soper wasn’t going to let that happen.
Gregory had fallen 20 feet down a rock face on North Carolina’s Shortoff Mountain, suffered a critical injury and needed immediate medical attention. Soper was part of the teams called in to rescue him.
At the time the accident happened, Gregory was leading an ascent with his son who called emergency services after he had fallen, while Soper was actually teaching a training course around 2 hours away.
Hearing the details of the situation, Soper headed to the mountain, knowing that with circumstances as they were, rescue personnel needed all hands on deck.
“The rescue occurred in a notoriously remote and challenging place to access,” Soper, who volunteers for Burke Rescue Inc. and SAR, a volunteer lifesaving unit serving central North Carolina, told Outside. “As soon as I heard the dispatch, I knew it would be a challenging rescue.”
First responders had already reached Gregory when Soper arrived in his car at the trailhead. They found him in critical condition with internal bleeding. Soper had already gone halfway up the mountain when he received word over his radio that the patient needed blood to replace what he was rapidly losing.
The EMT headed back down, packed blood bags into a cooler with extra ice and all the accoutrements needed for a transfusion before turning back towards the slopes, carrying them all the way in a backpack.
At 28 years of age with ample climbing experience on both ice and rock, Soper reached the point where rescuers had already set up a rappel down to where Gregory was located in just 30 minutes—gaining some 1,000 feet of elevation over a short 1.5 miles—a lung-busting feat of mountain athleticism.
“In all honesty, ‘run’ is a little bit hyperbolic,” Soper said honestly. “I maintained a fast hiking or jogging pace and made sure I didn’t stop for any breaks.”
When the Gregory was somewhat stabilized, he was transported to Atrium Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, where his recovery status is uncertain. What is most definitely certain is that without Soper’s incredible physical conditioning and the truly impressive response time of the more than 20 agencies involved in the rescue, there wouldn’t be a ‘recovery’ status at all.
FROM THE FACES: Sherpa Convinces Climber to Let Him Make Rare ‘Death Zone’ Rescue on Mt. Everest
Soper told Outside that the area where Gregory fell is one of the most common for rescues. Near the top of the mountain, climbers go around 200 feet up a rock scramble before reaching a rappel point where they will lower themselves down into Linville Gorge. There, they find the bottoms to most of the climbing routes.
“To every responder who answered that call: thank you,” Gregory’s family wrote on a GoFundMe page to help support them during his recovery. “You saved a life and brought a husband, father, brother, son, friend, and loved one to safety.”
MORE RESCUE STORIES: Students Use Makeshift Stretcher to Rescue Injured Hiker, a Skill They Had Been Practicing
Soper didn’t waste any time in encouraging those who believe they are able to volunteer and become trained mountain rescue.
“If you read this and thought, I want to help, please contact your local rescue squad or search and rescue team.”
LET Social Media Know About Soper’s Incredible Lifesaving Feat Of Stamina…
S. Carolina Aquarium Celebrates ‘Baby Boom’ of Critically-Endangered Penguin Chicks
5 baby penguins from a species considered Critically-Endangered have hatched at an aquarium down in South Carolina.
The 5 join 2 that hatched in May, and together make up a record nesting season for the organization’s resident African penguins.
Hatching at Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach, staff are calling it a “baby boom” and a major positive for the species at risk of disappearing from the Earth.
“We thought we were lucky with our first two chicks, but welcoming five more has made this an unforgettable year,” Courtnie Barnett, the aquarium’s general manager, said in a news release.
“This incredible milestone would not be possible without our amazing animal care team. Their dedication, expertise, and passion for these animals is truly what makes moments like this possible, and we are so proud to celebrate the Lucky Seven with our guests.”
The 5 new animals have not been named. The two hatched in May are called Chel and Vic.
PENGUIN CONSERVATION: South Africa Bans Commercial Fishing at Penguin Breeding Spots Where Food Supply Shortage Could Drive Extinction
African penguins are the only species of their kind found in the whole of the Old World, and live along the coast of South Africa and Namibia. Populations have been declining throughout the whole of the 21st century, but previous estimations suggested they would have been extinct by now.
In March of 2025, during the interim stages of a lawsuit launched by environmental groups against a combination of environment and fishing authorities in South African, a settlement was reached that would see substantially increased no-fishing zones established around 6 key penguin breeding colonies. It was the first legal action of its kind in the country, the BBC reported.
WATCH the hatchlings explore their new home below…
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“Great thoughts speak to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Quote of the Day: “Great thoughts speak to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Photo by: Ryan Stone (cropped)
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Good News in History, September 8
60 years ago, the first episode of Star Trek, featuring “Space: the final frontier” and the USS Enterprise, began its three-year mission of exploration on TV screens across America. The science-fiction television show created by Gene Roddenberry was set in the 23rd century and starred William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. The NBC show has since spawned multiple TV series, as well as comics, toys, and a movie empire. READ more about the show’s impact… (1966)
22-yo with Down Syndrome Becomes Certified Fitness Instructor, Leads Class of 60 at Local Gym
A 22-year-old Utahan with Down Syndrome has just become a certified fitness instructor for the popular fitness program UpBeat Barre.
UpBeat Barre instructor and co-owner of VASA Fitness in Kaysville, Jane Johnson, said she had kept her eye on Aubry Allbridge for some years, noticing how the young woman was exceptionally gifted in remembering the various routines and choreography of the classes.
“She has an incredible brain. Aubry can learn choreography so fast, and she retains it. She also knows all the lyrics to the songs, so she can sing along with the best of them,” she told KSL.
Allbridge had been attending several classes, including UpBeat Pilates, Zumba, SilverSneakers, and HIGH Fitness, but her favorite was UpBeat Barre, which according to its website “combines strength training, Pilates, cardio, and yoga into a high-energy fusion of fun.”
Having been recently certified as an instructor, the classes combine Allbridge’s favorite things: friends and fitness.
“I had such a fun time,” said the new instructor after leading her debut class of 60 people. “I love to be on stage. I love exercise. I loved to wear my mic and say every cue, and I love to meet with people and collecting friends. I want to help everyone feel included.”
In a recent post on her Instagram, announcing her arrival as a certified instructor, she said her favorite part of the course was motivational cuing and giving options, “to make everyone feel included.”
Johnson said she’s now helping Allbridge to take that certification and turn it into a full-time job at the gym where she works. Gainful, autonomous employment can do wonders for the mentally-challenged, while fitness activities also has transformative powers for those with Down Syndrome.
36-year-old Dan MacGauley, has Down Syndrome, autism, and is deaf in his left ear. He underwent 2 rounds of open-heart surgery when he was a toddler, and was wheelchair bound as a teen when he started lifting weights as part of an urgent need to lose weight.
In 2023, GNN reported that MacGauley took first place in the European Bench Press Championship, posting 154 lbs. (70 kg) classic, and 198 lbs. (90 kg) equipped—meaning with a weight belt and gloves—which was a new personal best.
“Loads of people have said to us that they go to work and come home after a long day and it’s an effort to go to the gym,” said his mother Judith, who’s also a powerlifter. “But that they see Dan there, smiling and laughing despite all his problems, and it gives them the motivation they need.”
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Firm Buys Texas Coal Plant to Leverage its Grid Connections for New Massive Solar Project
Coal power has a huge role still to play in the American energy mix—by turning over its substantial grid infrastructure to renewable energy projects.
Energy investment firm Panamint is putting up $1.7 billion to build Big Rooter Power, an enormous solar-storage power complex in Robertson, Texas that will add 1.2 gigawatts of solar power to the local grid.
It’s strategic placement next to the Twin Oaks coal-fired plant will allow it to leverage tens of million of dollars worth of existing infrastructure to deliver electricity from the Sun to millions of Texans.
“We believe deploying new capacity at existing energy sites is the clearest way to benefit communities, ratepayers, and the environment alike,” said Apolka Totth, CEO of Panamint.
It replicates a growing movement across the nation to build solar and wind energy resources on brownfields sites like mines that are no longer in operation. Brownfields refers to land that’s already been converted for extractive, industrial, or productive uses, and is much cheaper than developing “greenfields” or undeveloped land.
Canary Media recently published a roundup of such projects, including in Illinois, Kentucky, and Louisiana, all of which went up or are being built on reclaimed mine land.
Planning Big Rooter near the Twin Oaks coal plant was done “with the express intention of leveraging the site’s existing characteristics to massively and rapidly expand generating capability at the lowest possible cost,” Totth told Canary Media by email.
For clean energy purists, however, the news might raise an eyebrow or two, since Panamint which backed by the national investment fund KKR, not only has no intention of closing the Twin Oaks plant and mine, but is in fact investigating the expansion of them both, part of Panamint’s strategy of squeezing the most out of aged fossil fuel projects while simultaneously constructing massive solar and wind infrastructure.
And Big Rooter will indeed by massive: one of the largest solar projects in the country, and that’s saying a lot because Texas has already gone big—as is her wont—on renewable energy.
AMERICAN ENERGY: USA’s Largest Renewable Project Comes Online–With More Power Than the Hoover Dam
Texas accounts for 30% of national wind energy production—thrice as much as its nearest competitor and neighbor Oklahoma, and 8-times as much as the West Coast stronghold of California, which while leading the nation in solar power with 55 installed gigawatts, only sits a hair above the Lone Star State.
Big Rooter, as is often the case with exceedingly large infrastructure projects like mines, power plants, or railways, will take place in stages. The first stage is already under construction and will see 491 megawatts of solar panels come online in August 2028.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Right to Build Offshore Wind Power Upheld by US Judge for 5th Time Since Attempted White House Ban
The second stage, slated for ground-breaking that December, will seek to have the remaining 658 MW available in August of 2029. These will be delivered with 1.6 GW of battery storage, and 20 miles of new, high-transmission power lines.
Taking advantage of previous tax incentives, long lead-time items like transformers and circuit breakers have already been ordered, and the project is believed to qualify for a Federal investment tax credit worth 50% of the project’s costs.
SHARE This Enormous Solar Expansion With Your Friends On Social Media…
Fitted with a Berlin Heart, Little Macs Is ‘Absolutely Thriving’ While He Waits for a Heart Transplant
From the UK comes the story of a baby called Macs, who seemed poised for final-stage heart failure, but who has been saved by a device called a Berlin Heart.
The only device of its kind available for babies and children with severe heart failure, the Berlin Heart takes over pumping of the heart while the patient awaits a transplant.
A seemingly normal baby, Macs Green suddenly suffered two cardiac arrests and was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease which can lead to heart failure.
From his hospital bed at Bristol Royal Children’s Hospital where he sat on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine, the doctors told his parents Dylan and Catrin, that they should make preparations for an end of life scenario.
Then, it became clear that Macs could receive a Berlin Heart, a type of ventricular assist device (VAD) that works through air power to mechanically pump the heart to send blood around the body.
Manufactured in Berlin, the device has changed pediatric cardiology in a dramatic way. It comes in two formats, INCOR and EXCOR, with the former supporting left ventricular flow and the latter providing comprehensive heart support. The first European Berlin Heart patient received the device in the year 1990, and the first American received one in 2000.
In 2012, a toddler set a record for living with the EXCOR for 2.5 years, while in 2014 there had been 1,500 Berlin Hearts fitted to children and infant patients.
“It means he can come off the drugs which have been sedating him. Since then, he’s a completely different baby,” Dylan said of his 3rd son after receiving the Berlin Heart.
“He’s smiling, he’s responding to us. Before now, he’s just been a small baby lying on a bed.”
SIMILAR DEVICES: Man Lives for 100 Days with Artificial Titanium Heart in Successful New Trial
His wife Catrin agreed, saying that since the operation it has been “like having our baby back,” and that Macs was “absolutely thriving.”
It’s unclear how long Macs will have to wait to receive a heart transplant. It may take years, but it seems the Berlin Heart is up to the challenge.
SHARE Brave Macs’ Story Of Survival Thanks To This Incredible Device…
Chance Encounter Between 2 Indiana Graduates Rescues Former College Ball Star from Homelessness
See that red backpack there? Sampson James used it to carry around his meager possessions during a stint of homelessness.
Little did James know at the time this photo was taken, however, that it was also carrying around his salvation.
This remarkable story of fraternity—philosophical and literal—comes from Steve Hartman’s “On the Road” segment at CBS News, and starts with a walk in the park.
“I saw the Indiana University athletic backpack, and since I had just graduated from Indiana, we had that commonality,” recalled Jasper Steinmetz, a recent IU graduate who was living in Austin, Texas. “And I figured, you know, why not talk to him?”
Steinmetz shook the man’s hand and got his name. He learned he was indeed from Indiana and had been homeless for 8 months.
On a lark, Steinmetz googled the name and was shocked to discover that the very same homeless man with the red IU backpack had been the Indiana Hoosier’s star running back: “an amazing athlete,” Steinmetz called him.
Tragically, James’ NFL dream gave out along with his knee. Shortly thereafter he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, dropped out of university, and ended up homeless. With nothing in common but the same education entry on their CVs and the design on their backpacks, Steinmetz felt it was enough that he should act. He decided to set up a GoFundMe to see if he could tap into his Hoosier heritage and raise some money to get James back on his feet.
He raised $20,000 for the former running back, giving him a 1st down to try and get his life back on track.
ENDURING COLLEGE CONNECTIONS: College Athlete Learns His Teammate Donates Plasma to Afford School–So He Gave Him His Scholarship
“Thanks to an overwhelming wave of support—including generous donations from former IU teammates we successfully got Sampson out of homelessness,” Steinmetz wrote in a GoFundMe update.
“The initial funds allowed us to secure a safe rental apartment for him, supply him with essential clothing, food, and household furniture, and give him the foundation he needed to rebuild his life and achieve stability.”
MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Homeless Woman Sleeping on Late Husband’s Grave Visited by an ‘Angel,’ with a Tiny Home
James recalled to CBS News what it was like first meeting the young man.
“He told me he went to IU as well. So I was like, wow, that’s amazing, go Hoosiers,” James said. He recognized the Hoosier community was counting on him to make the blessing count, and said he was not going to let them down.
WATCH the story below from CBS News…
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“By raising the living standards of millions, labor unions miraculously created a market for industry and lifted the whole nation to undreamed of levels of production.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Quote of the Day: “By raising the living standards of millions, labor unions miraculously created a market for industry and lifted the whole nation to undreamed of levels of production…
(quote continues…) “Those who attack labor forget these simple truths, but history remembers them.” – Martin Luther King Jr. – HAPPY LABOR DAY in USA!
Photo by: Getty Images for Unsplash+
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Good News in History, September 7
90 years ago today, Buddy Holly was born into poverty in a musical family in Lubbock, Texas. In just 18 months, from his first #1 hit song, That’ll Be The Day, to when he died in a tragic plane crash at age 22, the prolific singer-songwriter topped the charts with more than a dozen Top 40 hits worldwide. Unlike his hero, Elvis Presley, Holly was an innovator for writing his own material and experimenting with double tracking and orchestration. He also pioneered and popularized the now-standard use of two guitars, bass, and drums by rock bands. READ more, such as how he got his famous glasses… (1936)
Teen Discovers Coconut Fungi Can Filter Plastic and Sunscreen From Sea—And Wins Science Fair
An East Honolulu high school student discovered a fungi in coconut husks that could clean up plastics and sunscreen from the ocean—and her won multiple awards at the Hawaiʻi State Science & Engineering Fair.
Vera Wang, a senior at Kaiser High School, won in multiple categories after conducting experiments in Anthony Amend’s lab at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. And she qualified for the International Science & Engineering Fair taking place next May in Arizona.
Her science fair success, including the discovery that the fungi may be a previously-uncharacterized species, all began during her sophomore year.
Ms. Wang designed and built an ocean filter that removed sunscreen and microplastics from the surface water which was inspired by traditional Polynesian weaving while incorporating modern environmental science.
It was not only scientifically effective, but was sustainably made entirely from coconut byproduct waste. Soon, Wang realized that removing the pollutants from water is only part of the problem. The next challenge she considered was how to dispose of them responsibly—and again found success.
“I learned that the pore structure of coconut fiber supports the movement of air and water, which can create a favorable environment for microbes,” Wang said. “That led me to wonder whether coconut husk could do more than physically capture pollutants. So this year, my research at the Amend Lab began exploring the fungal communities living in coconut husks and studying their growth and degradation abilities on sunscreen and plastic media.”
They discovered that fungi found naturally on coconut husks can biodegrade (decompose) sunscreen and plastic, and that a tannin compound can be used to identify sunscreen- and plastic-degrading fungi. The tannins present in the fibers might be encouraging growth of these complex degraders.
Additionally, their genetic testing showed that some of the fungal species did not have a match to anything in the world’s largest reference database of known genes and genomes, indicating that these may be previously uncharacterized species.
MORE SCIENCE FAIR WINS: Youth is Fighting Microplastic Pollution with Magnetic Liquid After Winning Google Science Fair
Among her awards, Wang’s project earned 1st place in the Microbiology category and a scholarship award from the McInerny Foundation.
“I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to pursue my project in the Amend Lab,” said Wang, who worked closely with Kaylee Christensen, a graduate student in the Marine Biology Graduate Program.
“My research would have never, ever, been possible without Anthony and Kaylee. This project has been part of a much longer journey, so having it recognized feels both surreal and deeply rewarding.”
“This work was made possible because of Vera’s vision, and it gives me such optimism about the future of science in Hawaiʻi,” said Amend, who is based in the Pacific Biosciences Research Center at School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST).
“Her success is a testament to our public school system which is doing a wonderful job supporting and training our next generation of students. I can’t wait to see what discoveries she makes in college.”
SHARE THE TEEN-GENUITY With Science Students on Social Media…
Astronomers Create Gallery of 16 ‘Cosmic Gems’ to Show Variety of Shapes a Galaxy Can Be
Space scientists have put together a photo gallery of ‘cosmic gems’ to showcase the variety of sizes, shapes, and high-energy features of distant galaxies.
Astronomers put galaxies into three main categories: spirals like our own Milky Way with arms emanating from their cores, ellipticals that are older and likely the results of mergers, and irregulars that can encompass a wide range of galactic phenomena.
Each one of the 16 new pictures contain X-ray telescope data from NASA’s Chandra Observatory collected across decades of operation. (See the gallery in full, here.)
That high-energy data has been combined with data from space telescopes like Webb and Hubble, as well as several other arrays both on the ground and in space—including the IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer), Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, and NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array).
NASA says that studying galaxies offers a way to learn about our own.
“Galaxies are like cosmic gems, each with characteristics including size and shape that make them distinct,” says Megan Watzke of the Chandra X-ray Center.
“Just as gems reveal the history of Earth through how they were forged over billions of years, these galactic gems are a way to study Earth’s place in our home galaxy of the Milky Way.
MORE SPACE PICS:
• Photographer Captures Incredible Luminous Event Over His Italian Town–For the Second Time
• Stunning Photo Captures Gaseous Wings of Butterfly Nebula from the Gemini Telescope
“By looking outward to other galaxies, we learn more about our own – including clues to its past and future.”
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Stuck in Debt, Single Mom Pays Off $25K in 5 Months by Decluttering 410 Items
A British mom who racked up £23,000 in debt ($31K) has paid back $25,000 (£19,000) in just five months by decluttering and selling 410 household items on Vinted, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace.
32-year-old Ellie says her debt began to “snowball” after she became a single mom in 2022 and she took out a short-term loan of £15,000 and another loan of £8,000 to get by.
Over the next four years she found herself spending on “silly things” like take-out food and online shopping—£1,000 in one month using three credit cards, for instance.
Despite making some payments over the years, she’d still built up that much debt by April of this year.
“I felt sick, to be honest—and embarrassed that I’d let it get to that point.
“I work for a bank, so financially I’m very literate, and I understand how credit cards work, how loans work, and all of that.
“But I knew I had to deal with it regardless, and worked through it.”
Ellie combed through her house and sold off 410 household items, including toys, clothing, jewelry, kitchen gadgets, and room decor items online.
Through her job she took the opportunity to invest in stocks and bonds, and when they had matured last month, she cashed in £13,000 worth, putting £11,333 towards her debt.
Ellie estimates she has paid back £19,733 so far ($26K) by also saving on “random purchases”. She still has £8,700 of interest to pay off.
“I was so stressed about money I was finding ways to feel less stressed that cost more money, rather than focusing on the actual debt.
“The first thing I did was I broke down week-by-week what I was spending.
“I am a bit of a collector, and there was so much stuff in the house, and just got really strict and tough with it.
“I went through my wardrobe and said, ‘If I haven’t worn it in the past six months—weather depending, obviously—I’ll put on Vinted’.
“I got brutal and thought I don’t need all this stuff; I need the money more than I need a house full of things.”
When Ellie’s maternity leave was approaching, she realized her pay would be dropping, and began assessing her finances. Now in a new relationship and recently welcoming her third child with partner Lee, Ellie is taking sole responsibility for the debt.
She says her relationship has allowed her to contribute more to her debt as she’s splitting other costs, but it’s more the “emotional support” she has benefitted from.
“If I want to spend I can talk to him about it, rather than just spending.”
Ellie cuts costs where she can, by cooking at home more and avoiding buying expensive pre-prepared groceries.
“In the run up to having the baby, we spent a whole day batch-cooking four weeks’ worth of meals we could pop in the oven or the slow cooker if we are tired so we’re not tempted to get a takeaway.”
She started up her TikTok page documenting her journey.
“By posting online, people have shared the way they cope with curbing their spending habits and what they do to distract themselves.
“I’ve shared that there have been moments I’ve really wanted to spend money recklessly with really no reason other than a bit of dopamine chasing, I guess.
“It’s been a really nice way of community building, and it keeps me accountable, really.”
FOLLOW Ellie’s journey on TikTok@chaostocash4–And Share The Advice With Friends…
“Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.” – Jean Anouilh
Quote of the Day: “Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.” – Jean Anouilh
Photo by: Sdf Rahbar
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?
Good News in History, September 6
31 years ago today, Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s baseball record when he played in his 2,131st consecutive game. Once considered a near-impossible feat, “the streak,” which continued for 2,632 games, earned Cal the nickname, Iron Man. The televised game, between the Orioles and the California Angels, still ranks as one of the most watched baseball events, with Cal’s kids throwing out the first pitch. In the fifth inning, as it was tallied a full game, the crowds in the stands, the opposing players, and the four umpires gave Ripken a standing ovation lasting more than 22 minutes, one of the longest ovations for any athlete. WATCH a series of interviews throughout this long streak… (1995)
Gym Installed For Homeless Improves Their Health And Habits–Without Leaving the Shelter
A gym equipment company from Finland is bringing physical fitness to the homeless community of Paris.
Inactivity is a growing public health concern, but especially in lower income communities.
To address this challenge, Omnigym installed an outdoor gym at a homeless shelter in the French capital.
They tested whether easy access to exercise would improve physical and mental wellbeing.
The project collected anonymous data from residents as well as self-assessments to evaluate the impact.
Now, one month later, Omnigym reached out to GNN to share some of their findings.
The residents were asked to assess their physical health, mental well-being, sleep, mood, and energy levels—as well as answer a few questions.
80% of respondents reported improved physical health, since the equipment arrived.
The new gym also delivered broader benefits. And respondents reported positive behavioral changes.
90% of respondents said it has helped them meet or talk to other people.
When asked what they appreciate most about the gym, one user said, “A change in behavior. I smoke less.”
Another resident simply described it as “a change” in their life, “even if only a little”.
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Omnigym partnered with Emmaüs Solidarité, a French nonprofit that supports people experiencing homelessness, to pilot the courtyard fitness unit.
Kirsti Laasio, CEO of Omnigym, calls it The People’s Gym, and says the initiative addresses a need that is often overlooked.
“We want to democratize physical training and make it accessible to everyone.”
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Red Sea Coral Dying From Heat Stress is Being Revived With Probiotics
Coral dying from heat stress has been revived after scientists successfully applied probiotic and post-biotic treatments in open seas for the the first time.
Although probiotics have previously been shown to rehabilitate corals in South Florida and in aquarium environments, the research team explored whether this and other microbial therapy would work in the Red Sea.
The study was a success. It established that both live probiotic and inactivated post-biotic treatments improve coral health—even while it’s under thermal stress during a natural marine heatwave.
“We urgently need to understand both the natural mechanisms that allow some corals to tolerate heat and how we can safely enhance those mechanisms,” said co-lead author Dr. Erika Santoro.
She explained that corals host several beneficial bacteria, including types that help them adapt to their environment.
The aim of microbial therapy is to restore not just the corals themselves but also the microbiomes they sustain.
Probiotics are groups of living microbes obtained from healthy corals that may be applied to stressed corals.
Post-biotics, on the other hand, are inactivated probiotics and/or their bioactive components—and a major goal of this study, published in the journal Cell Reports, was to see whether post-biotics could also boost coral health.
“The possibility of using post-biotics is particularly exciting… potentially offer practical advantages, such as longer shelf life, easier storage and transportation, and reduced production costs,” explained Dr. Santoro, a postdoctoral fellow at KAUST University in Saudi Arabia.
The team treated Valid Acropora coral in the central Red Sea during a heatwave in 2022 when daily average seawater temperatures ranged from 87.6°F to 89.5°F (30.9°C to 31.9°C).
Throughout the 15-day field experiment, the researchers isolated beneficial bacterial strains from Red Sea corals to concoct two probiotic treatments and their post-biotic counterparts.
They then measured coral health by evaluating the animals’ colors – white or “bleached” hues indicate poor health – and the photosynthetic efficiency of the algae that live inside them.
After 15 days of treatment, one of the probiotic and one of the post-biotic formulas had “significantly improved” coral health.
“When an innovative idea like this actually works—particularly under field conditions—we are positively surprised,” said Santoro.
“The most exciting takeaway is that this study opens a new avenue for coral microbial therapies.”
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The research team also ran genetic and metabolic tests on the treated corals, which revealed that the probiotic and post-biotic therapies had restructured their microbial and metabolic profiles in different ways.
Specifically, post-biotic-treated corals showed an increase in strains of Cobetia, a type of bacteria that helps corals tolerate heat stress.
And, that’s the overall goal for coral researchers no matter where in the world they’re working.
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