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Boy Whose IQ is the Same as Einstein Joins Mensa to Make Some Friends

By
Andy Corbley
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12-year-old child genius Cyrus Leung earned a 160 IQ score in the official Mensa test – SWNS
12-year-old child genius Cyrus Leung earned a 160 IQ score in the official Mensa test – SWNS

After receiving the same IQ score as Einstein and Stephen Hawking on a test, a young immigrant to the UK joined a pretty cool club to make new friends.

Mensa is an international group for high-IQ individuals founded in 1947. The group welcomes children and adults in the 98th percentile of IQs worldwide in order to share ideas and help them reach their full potential.

12-year-old Cyrus Leung was born in Hong Kong, and was accepted into The Mensa Society after passing his test with 160, just two points short of the highest score.

“I read some articles about other children who have joined Mensa and thought it would be good for Cyrus…to find some friends who have a similar interest to him and then he can try and develop better in his interests,” said Cyrus’ father, Frank Leung.

Cyrus loves to play the piano and also enjoys science and math, if the glasses and 160 IQ weren’t enough to give it away.

“I am very proud of myself,” said the young man, who had apparently forgotten to bring his watch to the test and was nervous.

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“He was nervous he wouldn’t know how much time he’s got left and would run out of time to do the questions,” said Frank. “But he was really, really excited as he didn’t expect to get such a high score on the exam.”

“He’s really proud of himself and I think this is something he will remember for the rest of his life.”

RELATED: 2-Year-old Girl With a Genius IQ is the Youngest American to Become Member of Mensa

Mensa is based on the Latin word for ‘table,’ which inspires the idea of coming together to sit as equals. Chapters exist in over 100 countries, but the three largest are Germany, the UK, and the US.

It’s much less than a Skull and Bones Society-type organization, and much more like the membership to an academic journal as the activities involve writing in publications and holding workshops and events around ideas.

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Singing or Playing Music Throughout Life is Linked with Better Brain Health While You Age

By
Andy Corbley
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Metin Ozer - Unsplash
Metin Ozer – Unsplash

Playing a musical instrument has obvious rewards: the sense of fun and enjoyment, the ability to express feelings in different ways, and the satisfaction experienced as proficiency improves, but could it actually be making you smarter?

Well, scientists working on PROTECT, an online study open to people aged 40 and over, reviewed data from more than a thousand adults to see the effect of playing a musical instrument or singing on brain health, and what they found was that, apart from any benefits it has for emotional wellbeing, it actually improved the memory and cognitive speed of the 40-and-ups.

Over 25,000 people have signed up for the PROTECT study, which has been running for 10 years, and in order to come up with this exciting finding the team reviewed participants’ musical experience and lifetime exposure to music, alongside results of cognitive testing, to determine whether musicality helps to keep the brain sharp in later life.

The findings show that playing a musical instrument, particularly the piano, is linked to improved memory and the ability to solve complex tasks—known as executive function.

Continuing to play into later life provides even greater benefit. The work suggests that singing was also linked to better brain health, although this may also be due to the social factors of being part of a choir or group.

“A number of studies have looked at the effect of music on brain health. Our PROTECT study has given us a unique opportunity to explore the relationship between cognitive performance and music in a large cohort of older adults,” said Anne Corbett, Professor of Dementia Research at the University of Exeter.

“Overall, we think that being musical could be a way of harnessing the brain’s agility and resilience, known as cognitive reserve.”

“Although more research is needed to investigate this relationship, our findings indicate that promoting musical education would be a valuable part of public health initiatives to promote a protective lifestyle for brain health, as would encouraging older adults to return to music in later life,” she said in conclusion.

Raol Croes – Unplash

There is considerable evidence for the benefit of group music activities for individuals with dementia, and this approach could be extended as part of a healthy aging package for older adults to enable them to proactively reduce their risk and to promote brain health.”

Stuart Douglas, a 78-year-old accordion player from Cornwall, has played the instrument throughout his life and now plays with the Cober Valley Accordion Band as well as the Cornish Division of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Children Do Much Better in Math When Music is Added to the Lesson: New Study

“I learned to play the accordion as a boy living in a mining village in Fife and carried on throughout my career in the police force and beyond,” said Mr. Douglas. “These days I still play regularly, and playing in the band also keeps my calendar full, as we often perform in public.”

“We regularly play at memory cafes so have seen the effect that our music has on people with memory loss, and as older musicians ourselves we have no doubt that continuing with music into older age has played an important role in keeping our brains healthy,” he added.

LISTENING ALSO HELPS: Music Helps Reconnect Elderly Patients with their Memories in New Study

The idea for the study came from University of Exeter Medicine student Gaia Vetere, a keen pianist, who contacted the PROTECT study team.

“As a pianist, I was interested in researching the impact of music and cognition. Being fairly new to the world of research and publishing, this was a challenging but also truly enriching experience,” she told the University of Exeter press. 

The paper was published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

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Hoard of Bronze Jewelry Found in Polish Lake Reveals Ancient Celtic Water Burial Ritual

By
Andy Corbley
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A. Piasecka / Antiquity Publications Ltd.
A. Piasecka / Antiquity Publications Ltd.

A hoard of bronze jewelry was found along with the remains of dozens of humans in a dried-up lakebed in Poland.

The amazing find bears witness to rapid advancement in the understanding of the Chełmno group’s ceremonial behavior, and shows how some people had jewelry interred with them—after they themselves were buried.

The Chełmno were a group of ancient Poles from the Late Bronze/Early Iron Age culture known as Lusatia. The Lusatians were related to the Hallstatt culture, which was probably Celtic in language and culture, and aspects of their jewelry-making and water-related burials certainly support the idea the Chełmno were Celtic in some way, though it was once aptly said that a Celt is anyone who believes themselves to be a Celt.

The hoard was discovered at Papowo Biskupie, a long dried-up lakebed. Metal detectives found 550 artifacts and the remains of several humans, making it “one of the most eloquent testimonies of ritual activity from the Lusatian period in Poland,” according to a study published this week in the journal Antiquity.

At least 33 human bodies of various ages were identified, and radiocarbon dating placed their activity at Papowo Biskupie to between 1,000 and 750 BCE. The bronze ornaments included arm rings, necklaces, and trinkets. A glass bead from the Mediterranean region was also uncovered which indicates they may have been engaged in wider European trade.

All the pieces were buried in the lake after the bodies, which the archaeologists say could demonstrate a shift in cultural activities in lockstep with the rise in metal use.

A. Fisz / Antiquity Publications Ltd.

The Chełmno were not, throughout most of their existence, prolific workers or consumers of metal objects. Other Lusatians were, but the Chełmno may only have aligned with these commercial, and perhaps ritual practices, later on.

OTHER ANCIENT EUROPEAN ACTIVITIES: Earliest Evidence of Modern Humans in Europe Dates back 65K years–After Jaw Bone is Discovered in Spain

Bog burials, including events of human sacrifice, had been practiced by other Celts from the period in other parts of Europe, but not in the region the Chełmno were active.

“Papowo Biskupie may thus reflect a shift from human sacrifice to metal offerings in the local wetland landscape during the cultural conversion of the Lusatian power elites to Hallstatt culture,” the authors wrote as part of their study’s conclusion.

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“The consequences of this development are seen in the contents of the metal deposits at the site—the female ornaments accompanied by horse-related accessories belong to a wider pattern of Hallstatt finds which are often taken as evidence that women were an important medium in votive depositions.”

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She’s a Pet Detective Who’s Tracked Down and Reunited 330 Lost Dogs with Owners for Free–Using Thermal Imaging

By
Andy Corbley
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Erica Hart with her thermal imaging drone-SWNS
Erica Hart with her thermal imaging drone – SWNS

Meet the pet detective who has helped track down and reunite 330 lost dogs with their owners for free—using a thermal imaging drone.

She doesn’t accept a penny for her work, saying that the joy when an owner is reunited with their animal is all the reward she needs.

Erica Hart, 44, got her first drone as a present from her father in April 2018.

After practicing with it, Her dad told Erica a dog was missing in their local area and suggested she use her drone to help find it.

Erica called the owner of the missing dog—a schnauzer that went missing on a walk—and went out to help him find it, which she did.

Word spread and Erica said it “snowballed” from there. She has since been on 330 dog rescue missions with her drone. She’s even kept a few of the pooches she’s found. From Scotland to Somerset in the UK, Erica is the first one called in the nation for such missions.

“I don’t just help find dogs though, I have found, cats, emus, cows and helped mountain rescue locate missing people,” said Erica. “It is in my nature to help out.”

MORE KIND SOULS: Man Heads Into Wildfire to Rescue Dozens of Pets After Northwest Territories Evacuation: ‘I didn’t want them to be forgotten’

“I do everything for the love of dogs. Imagine not seeing your mum for 10 years and then seeing her all of a sudden—it is that feeling.”

She estimated she’s been through 30 drones since she started out, and reiterated that the human element of the work is the most important for her.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Houston Woman Spent Three Days Crawling in Storm Drains Trying to Rescue Puppies

“I have seen large, 6-foot men burst into tears; it is priceless to see their faces,” she remembers. “Some people can’t have kids so they will get a dog, they are comfort for some people.”

Erica is on call seven days a week and has been out looking on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The longest rescue Erica has been part of lasted 12 days but she said the length of the rescue depends on whether the animal missing goes into fight or flight mode.

WATCH the interview below… 

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“You struggle with money. You struggle without money. You struggle with love. You struggle without love. But it’s how you manage; you have to keep laughing.” – Pierce Brosnan

By
Good News Network
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By Gui França

Quote of the Day: “You struggle with money. You struggle without money. You struggle with love. You struggle without love. But it’s how you manage; you have to keep laughing.” – Pierce Brosnan

Photo by: Gui França

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?

Newly Released NASA Collection of Spiral Galaxies May Leave Viewers ‘Mesmerized’

By
Andy Corbley
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Spiral galaxies as captured by the James Webb Space Telescope – NASA / SWNS
Spiral galaxies as captured by the James Webb Space Telescope – NASA / SWNS

These jaw-dropping pictures of 13 different spiral galaxies were released in a bundle by NASA, and are the result of the space agency’s work using the James Webb Space Telescope.

It wasn’t just hobbyist stargazing however, they are actually part of a long-standing project called the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) program, which is supported by more than 150 astronomers worldwide.

“It’s oh-so-easy to be absolutely mesmerized by these spiral galaxies. Follow their clearly defined arms, which are brimming with stars, to their centers, where there may be old star clusters and – sometimes – active supermassive black holes,” NASA wrote alongside the photo dump.

“Only NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope can deliver highly detailed scenes of nearby galaxies in a combination of near and mid-infrared light.”

One especially cool part of their release to the public is that it replicates how the NASA astronomers themselves were able to see them for the first time—when they flooded the NASA servers after being processed into visible light.

“Webb’s new images are extraordinary. They’re mind-blowing even for researchers who have studied these same galaxies for decades,” explains Janice Lee, a project scientist for strategic initiatives at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. “Bubbles and filaments are resolved down to the smallest scales ever observed, and tell a story about the star formation cycle.”

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The reason for this is that many of the fainter stars or clouds of gas and dust simply don’t produce or reflect enough light on their own to be visible in anything other than the infrared spectrum—a frequency of light that the human eye cannot detect.

A spiral galaxy as captured by the James Webb Space Telescope – NASA / SWNS

“I feel like our team lives in a constant state of being overwhelmed—in a positive way—by the amount of detail in these images,” adds Thomas Williams, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

MORE WEBB IMAGES: New James Webb Image Shows ‘Crowded, Tumultuous’ Heart of Our Galaxy in Never-Before-Seen Detail

Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) captured millions of stars in these images, which sparkle in blue tones. Some stars are spread throughout the spiral arms, but others are clumped tightly together in star clusters.

The telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) data highlights glowing dust, showing us where it exists around and between stars. It also reveals stars that haven’t yet fully formed; which are still encased in the gas and dust that feed their growth, like bright red seeds at the tips of dusty peaks.

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Improving Physical Fitness with Cardio May Cut Prostate Cancer Risk by More Than a Third

By
Andy Corbley
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Men in the study had their cardiorespiratory fitness measured on stationary bikes - credit, Sam Moghadam Khamseh - Unsplash
Men in the study had their cardiorespiratory fitness measured on stationary bikes – credit, Sam Moghadam Khamseh – Unsplash

Researchers found those who increased their annual cardiorespiratory fitness activity (CRF) by 3% or more were up to 35% less likely to develop prostate cancer.

This small-change-big-result finding was established by a Swedish team, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, who hope to encourage men to improve their fitness in a bid to steer clear of the disease.

There are relatively few known risk factors for prostate cancer, which is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. The American Cancer Society’s estimates are that 35,000 men will die this year in the nation from prostate cancer, and nearly 300,000 will develop it.

While evidence exists as to the beneficial effects of physical activity on the risk of several cancers, associations with prostate cancer are less clear-cut.

The majority of previous studies have assessed fitness only at a single point in time, and none have looked at the potential impact of fitness on both the risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer.

Therefore, researchers from the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH) sought to discover whether improvements in men’s fitness could offset the risk of developing the disease.

“This is the largest study to examine the relationships between change in CRF (cardiorespiratory fitness) and cancer incidence and mortality, and the first study to examine change in CRF specifically on prostate cancer incidence and mortality,” said Dr. Kate Bolam, a lead author from the Department of Physical Activity and Health at GIH.

“Improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness in adult men should be encouraged and may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.”

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They analyzed data from a national occupational health profile in Sweden, containing information on physical activity, lifestyle, perceived health, measurements of body mass and height, and the results of at least two CRF tests.

The tests measured CRF performance in Zone 2 and the VO2 max of 57,652 Swedish men as they peddled on a stationary bike.

The participants were then divided into groups according to whether their fitness levels had changed, and followed them from the date of their last assessment to the date of their prostate cancer diagnosis, their death from any cause, or until 31 December 2019— whichever came first.

During an average period of nearly seven years, the researchers saw that 592 men—1% of the total sample—were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 46 died of their disease.

SIMILAR OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH: Yoga Can Help Cancer Patients Cut the Risk of Disease Spreading or Returning: Study

When the participants were grouped according to whether their cardiorespiratory fitness had increased, remained stable, or fallen, those whose fitness had improved by 3% or more a year were found to be 35% less likely to develop prostate cancer than those whose fitness had declined, after accounting for potentially influential factors.

However, as the study was purely observational, it was unable to establish causal or genetic factors that have a major role in both a person’s cardiorespiratory fitness and cancer risk.

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The World’s Highest Spokeless Ferris Wheel Set for Construction

By
Andy Corbley
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Seoul Twin Eye spokeless Ferris wheel – By UNStudio via SWNS
Seoul Twin Eye spokeless Ferris wheel – By UNStudio via SWNS

A new enormous Ferris wheel to go up in South Korea is set to break not only the record for the world’s largest, but break the conformity of what this classic attraction can look like.

Dwarfing the London Eye, the Seoul ‘Twin Eye’ will stand 591 feet high (180 meters), 40 feet taller than the Washington Monument, but won’t have a single supporting spoke.

Described by Dutch design firm UNStudio as the first ever of its kind, the Twin Eye will operate as a spokeless Ferris wheel with two intersecting rings.

Each ring carries pods that seamlessly revolve around inside and outside tracks.

In total, it can provide rides to more than 1,400 people in 64 capsules simultaneously, almost doubling the capacity of the 443-foot (135-meter) London Eye.

The structure is slated to be built in Peace Park on the edge of the Han River next to the World Cup Stadium.

UNStudio, who teamed up with Arup and local firm Heerim Architecture for the concept, says they focused on the principle of unity as a symbol for the design. The wheel is inspired by the Honcheonsigye, an astronomical clock that represents the movement of celestial objects through time.

The Twin Eye spokeless Ferris wheel is coming to Seoul, S. Korea – By UNStudio via SWNS

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“Located in the heart of the city, this spokeless design references Korea’s boundless ambition for innovation and spirit of progress, seamlessly blending cutting-edge technology with a timeless appreciation for stability and beauty,” states Ben van Berkel, founder and principal architect of UNStudio.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government says it plans to begin construction around 2025 after undergoing a final phase review by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. Completion is planned for 2028.

The proposal also included plans to build a monorail connecting the subway station to the Ferris wheel, as well as a zip line to add an extra experience for visitors.

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Two Snowboarders Save the Lives of Skiers After Nearly Losing Their Own in Palisades Avalanche

By
Andy Corbley
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Selfie with friend Ben Erskine – by Loren Ennis
Selfie with friend Ben Erskine – by Loren Ennis

Just minutes after being buried alive by a terrifying avalanche, two snowboarders dug themselves out and found that fate had placed them in a unique position.

Loren Ennis and his best friend Ben Erskine both discovered other people had been buried next to them, and both were able to save a life, after nearly losing their own.

At Palisades ski resort in early January, Ennis and Erskine were shocked to find the chair lift for the KT-22 run was open and operating. Though the wind and snow made the avalanche risk high, the two figured that it was safe enough that morning seeing as the lift was operational.

However, by the time they arrived at the top of the KT-22 run, conditions had worsened to a near white-out, and it wasn’t long before they realized—from the calling of the other skiers on the lifts—that Mother Nature was thundering towards them.

For a period they were able to use their skills to travel with the avalanche before being swallowed.

“It was like a locked-in water slide. It was the most surreal, crazy thing ever. You could not move anything in your lower body. It was like a million-pound weighted blanket,” Ennis told CBS.

MORE MOUNTAIN RESCUES: All His Training Pays Off: Slackliner Wins Carnegie Medal for Ski Lift Rescue Over Cables

Against the odds, the pair came to a halt near each other, as well as in a position that allowed them to dig themselves out. Once their heads were above the snow, they realized two skiers were buried mere feet from them, and that they had to be the first responders.

Janet He, a skier in her 40s, couldn’t leverage her strength to dig herself out, and in such a situation death from asphyxiation can arrive within minutes. But Ennis arrived sooner, digging her out with reassuring words that He admitted she would remember for the rest of her life. Erskine also dug out a man.

A SIMILAR STORY: Dramatic Moment Skier Rescued a Snowboarder Who Was Buried Head First in Snow and Running Out of Air (Watch)

The mountain gives and the mountain takes away—and though one man died in that avalanche, and the two friends had only miraculously survived a near-death experience, they were already prepared to return for some shredding by the time CBS reported on the news. Janet He was on the slopes the very next morning.

WATCH the incredible news report from CBS: to viewers outside the USA, watch on their website… 

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“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” – Thomas Merton

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” – Thomas Merton

Photo by: Ante Hamersmit

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?

Bride Donates $15,000 Reception to Special Needs Families After Calling off Her Wedding

By
Andy Corbley
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Thomas William - Unsplash
Thomas William – Unsplash

In the true definition of a worst-case scenario, an unnamed California bride-to-be is reported to have called off her entire non-refundable wedding reception worth $15,000, after learning something about her fiance.

But Fox News details that she took the disaster and turned it on its head, donating the reception party complete with dinner, dessert, drinks, DJ, dancing, and photo booth to a non-profit called Parents Helping Parents which provides community support to parents with children who have special needs.

“It makes me feel grateful for the resilience and kindness of people—that this bride could do something so generous and thoughtful in the face of her own sadness is inspiring,” said Maria Daane, executive director of Parents Helping Parents (PHP).

Organizers at PHP sent out invitations for the “Ball for All” and had all the seats reserved 48 hours before the event. The bride had detailed the party was to be for all the special needs folks, from “0 to 100” and the gesture touched the hearts of all involved.

“Nearly everyone [there] was a young adult with special needs, their parent or a member of the care team,” Daane said. “Their joy and delight really told the story about how special and unique this event was—the moment the ballroom was opened, and we all filed into a beautiful candlelit room with tables draped in white linen.”

MORE WEDDING TIME DONATIONS: Brides Across America Begin Donating Wedding Gowns to Support the Marriages of Frontline Healthcare Workers

Daane added that the bride’s generosity took the organization totally by surprise. She told Fox News that having worked her whole career in the not-for-profit sector, the most rewarding aspect is watching decent causes bring out the best and most altruistic tendancies in people.

The bride’s donation of her wedding reception is a cake topper in Daane’s long career of joyful moments.

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Special Police Unit Tracks Down $27 Million in Stolen Cars Including Crates Full of Snagged Luxury Vehicles

By
Andy Corbley
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Officers Phil Pentelow and Paul Gerrish of the SVIU - SWNS
Officers Phil Pentelow and Paul Gerrish of the SVIU – SWNS

A specialist police unit just concluded a banner year in which their task force identified and recovered 737 stolen cars worth over 30 million dollars.

The Essex-based Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit (SVIU) specializes in recovering stolen vehicles and using evidence gathered during their retrieval to inform future searches of missing cars.

The team has retrieved more than £1 million, ($1.28 million) of vehicles in the final week of December alone, after intercepting shipping containers hiding a Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, and Range Rover belonging to Premier League soccer players.

Once a car is taken, thieves may look to quickly sell it on—even for way under the market value—strip it for parts, or ship either the whole car or parts of the car to areas including the Middle East and Africa. There, the vehicles can be sold for two or three times more than they would cost in the UK.

Officers Phil Pentelow and Paul Gerrish, referred to in press reports by their British policing titles “Police Constable (PC)” said that it isn’t just handsomely-paid athletes being targeted by carjackers, but everyday Britons as well.

A Rolls-Royce Cullinan worth £360,000 that was recovered by the SVIU – credit SWNS, via Essex Police.

“We are seeing a trend at the moment of thieves targeting family cars, Hyundais, Toyotas, Lexuses, and pushing them back out into the market with false identities. These are the vehicles that make a huge difference to people’s daily lives,” said Officer Gerrish.

“It’s very satisfying when we return a car to a family who need it to drive the children to school, or we take a van back to someone who relies on it for their job.”

Since the start of 2021, the team has recovered or identified more than 1,800 vehicles worth over $60 million, with 626 cars being recovered in 2022 a 30% increase over 2021.

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“We are continuing to dismantle the organized criminal networks behind these thefts,” said Gerrish proudly. “We’ve tracked down a record number of vehicles in the past year and recently we’ve had three very big jobs where we’ve recovered huge hauls of cars.”

In 2022, Pentelow, Gerrish, and their analytics partner Hannah Gerrish, who is also part of the team, were presented with awards by the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators for their ‘outstanding contribution in the fight against vehicle crime,’ and have built up such a CV that luxury manufacturers like Mercedes and Jaguar are beginning to work with the SVIU on how they can improve security and tracking on their models.

MORE GREAT CRIME FIGHTING WORK: ‘World’s Most Dangerous Malware’ Gang Taken Down in International Cyber Crime Effort

Another big part of the SVIU’s work is the identification and dismantling of illegal chop shops, where cars are stripped or have their identification changed. The SVIU have closed down over 100 such grey and black market garages like this since the team’s inception.

“Our work stretches beyond recovering individual stolen cars and encompasses the wider network of criminality behind each theft,” said Gerrish. “We aim to make this a hostile county for car thieves to operate in.

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Simple Scanner the Size of a Coffee Grinder Will Tell You Exactly How Long Fruit and Veggies Will Last

By
Andy Corbley
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A worker scans a strawberry with OneThird - released to the press by OneThird
A worker scans a strawberry with OneThird – released to the press by OneThird

A wise balding man once said, “fruit’s a gamble,” but what if producers and retailers had a way of knowing the odds before the fruit reached the shelves in the supermarket?

A novel device by a British company that scans fruit and detects the molecular level of freshness is being made available inside supermarkets, at distribution centers, and supply-chain hubs.

By penetrating a strawberry with light, algorithms detect the configurations of water, sugars, and other compounds like ethyls and alcohols, and make a precise calculation on how many days that piece of fruit can be enjoyed. Once a determination is made, suppliers and retailers can make judgment calls about the best use for it.

The company is called OneThird, and took the name as a bit of awareness raising since one-third of food produced by humans tends to be wasted. In part this is because produce is shipped across such vast distances, and certain goods are unpredictably perishable.

With OneThird’s food scanner, the firm hopes to cut back on the loss which is a bellyache for everyone involved. Not only are there people in every country on Earth that go hungry, but just 24 hours of extra shelf life on a batch of produce can mean the difference between a million dollars in loss or a million dollars in profit when it comes to the largest grocery chains.

MORE CLEVER AG-TECH: British Company Develops First Tractor in the World to be Completely Powered by Cow Dung

Furthermore, farmers are using water, land, and fertilizer to produce it all, and produce that’s wasted gets thrown into landfills which produces unnecessary extra quantities of methane which may warm the planet over 9-year time horizons.

OneThird’s portable scanners were based on technology originally developed in the medical sector.

“I dove in and looked at the challenges in the food supply chain, which is kind of broken,” Marco Snikkers, founder and CEO of OneThird, told Fast Company Magazine. “We started to talk to people in the industry and found out that 40% of food waste is fresh produce. One of the biggest causes of waste is that nobody knows shelf life.”

Currently capable of determining the shelf life of strawberries, tomatoes, avocados, and blueberries, the company is soon to release an update to include grapes, bananas, mangoes, and raspberries.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Scientists Find Methane is Actually Offsetting 30% of its Own Heating Effect on Planet

Each fruit will have its own unique molecular fingerprint as to when it’s close to rotting, and must be studied individually. Once the scanner makes a determination on the shelf life, the supplier could, for example, send a batch of tomatoes with 48 hours of good taste left to a canning company rather than be sold on the vine in a supermarket.

For workers at a grocery store, more accurate readings can inform the correct times to put fruit on discount, or more accurate best-by dates on produce. If it comes to it, the store will also know when to call the foodbank and ship off something before it goes bad.

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Japan Moon Lander Comes Back to Life After Wonky Angle for its Solar Panel, but ‘Unprecedented Pinpoint Landing’

By
Andy Corbley
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Lunar surface image of the Slim spacecraft rotated 90 degrees from how it should be. The picture was taken by small robot LEV-2 SORA-Q (Photo released by JAXA / SWNS)
Lunar surface image of the Slim spacecraft rotated 90 degrees from how it should be. The picture was taken by small robot LEV-2 SORA-Q (Photo released by JAXA / SWNS)

It’s a case of five alive for the Japanese space program, when their craft, which was set to make them the fifth nation to land on the Moon, seemed to have been lost after a wonky landing.

Landing on its side with its solar panels pointing away from the Sun, the small lander was shut down for days, and this mistake nearly cost the mission everything.

But as has been the case with the recent history of spacefaring, the problem was resolved, and the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon or “SLIM” made Japan the fifth nation after the USA, Soviet Union, China, and India to achieve a soft landing on our nearest body.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) posted on X that a change in the lighting conditions allowed the solar panels to recharge the batteries, which had been shut off by authorities in the early hours of the start of the mission on January 20th.

MORE MOON MISSIONS: NASA’s New ShadowCam Reveals Mysteries of Moon’s Darkest Corners in Stunning Glimpses

It’s a good thing too because the spacecraft pulled off what JAXA described as an “unprecedented pinpoint landing” of 180 feet of the targeted area, the highest precision landing ever achieved on the Moon, and an achievement that would have been hard to boast about if the craft had landed on its side, immediately lost power, and died.

A picture of the Lunar surface from SLIM, featuring a rock close at hand which JAXA referred to as a “toy poodle” – JAXA, via SWNS

In fact, the technology used to land SLIM could bring craft down safely onto Lunar hilltops, which are theorized as perfect places to look for various chemicals like oxygen and hydrogen to fuel the production of water and air for astronauts in the future.

Late last year, India’s Chandrayaan-3 rover mission touched down on the Moon’s south pole—an area never seen or explored before, to rapturous celebrations in Earth’s most populous nation.

SHARE This Milestone Moment For Japan With Your Space-Loving Friends… 

“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” – Anthony D’Angelo

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo

Photo by: Mel Elías

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?

Video of Black Labrador Rescuing a Drowning Fawn Goes Viral via Surprising Twitter Account (WATCH)

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Andy Corbley
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credit - @AnimalNmlfckng

When followers of an X (Twitter) account called “Animals Dying” saw a video of a dark shape swimming through muddy water with a deer fawn in its jaws, most probably were not tuning in for a happy ending.

But they were in for a heartwarming surprise, because even though at certain points the beast in the grainy video appears like an alligator, it soon shows itself to be a floppy-go-lucky Labrador retriever.

As for the little fawn stuck between its jaws, it was drowning, and the retriever saved its life.

The owner of the dog can be heard behind the camera praising it for the heroic save.

Surprisingly, the video was shared by the owner of the account with the caption, “Made My Day.”

One commenter wrote, “Who thought it was a crocodile?” after the video made it to social media.

WATCH the video below… 

SHARE This Wholesome Video Of Domestic Rescuing Wild… 

One of Scotland’s Last Master Kilt Tailors Creates Unique Online Course to Keep the Artform Alive

By
Andy Corbley
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Traditional kiltmaker Marion Foster, the founder of the Askival of Strathearn Kilt College - SWNS
Traditional kiltmaker Marion Foster, the founder of the Askival of Strathearn Kilt College – SWNS

Last week, GNN reported on a specialty highlandwear company reproducing the world’s oldest known tartan for sale today based on a 16th-century sample preserved in a bog.

In other highlandwear news, master kilt tailor Marion Foster has created a unique online course and accreditation program that will help preserve the art form among professionals and amateurs for centuries to come.

The first kilt Foster ever sewed was done in the course of assembling her uniform as a Cub Scout leader, but that was only possible because she meticulously studied the construction of a kilt since there was very little information available about how to do so with traditional means.

She “always had an aptitude for sewing” and even after successfully sewing together a kilt, wanted to know more.

“In my late forties, I heard of a school that one of the military’s master kilt tailors had set up, because he recognized all of the knowledge and skill that had been created over a couple of centuries,” said Foster.

“There is a craft behind the kilt that is dying out, because the people who have known the craft haven’t had the experience and the knowledge to create training programs. It’s been a huge amount of work, but I think it’s very valuable. There’s more than just me out there, and now the knowledge won’t just stop at mine,” she adds.

Called the Askival of Strathearn Kilt College, Foster’s unique kilt tailoring mastery program can be carried out entirely online with twice weekly tutorials over Zoom from her workshop in Perthshire.

She also has videos and tutorials on the basics which break down each step.

“I recognized that information was disappearing. I’m sure things are being lost because nothing was written down,” she says.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: They Accidentally Bought a Run-Down House in Scotland But Restored it With Love After Whoopsie Auction (LOOK)

“As I went on, I had the opportunity to have an experienced tailor come and visit me, who really enlightened me about the tailoring, the stitching, and the way you create a garment to fit the shape of the person.”

The Askival of Strathearn Kilt College homepage – SWNS

“Part of what I’ve wanted to do throughout my life is to become an expert and then pass it on and support other people – and I want this craft to continue.”

Marion started offering her online qualifications in 2020, after creating hours of training videos and writing manuals over lockdown. Her hope is that the accreditation will allow her students to set up traditional highlandwear businesses, restore historic kilts, and create special occasion kilts for their loved ones.

“High street shops still want to say that they’re selling handmade kilts, but they’re flat, made to measure, and very different. High street kiltmakers will make a kilt in a day and a half, whereas I’d be doing the fittings and take nine days,” Foster says.

“I’ve got students in America, Australia, Shetland, and Germany… we have a gathering every month with guest speakers, historians, leather workers, and sporran makers to talk about what they do, and we record all those.”

MORE SCOTTISH HERITAGE: A 16th c. Scottish Plaid was Found in a Bog–Now Becomes Oldest Historical Tartan Available to Wear Today

She further explained that kilt restoration is an important part of the training program, and which isn’t offered at the aforementioned high street kiltmakers.

“People come in with historic kilts that have been left to them,” she says. “We have the technical knowledge of how to restore and reweave the cloth, and deconstruct it and reconstruct it to fit that person.”

“It’s amazing to see a filthy First World War kilt be cleaned and restored, the stitching recovered, and made to fit that young grandson or great-grandson.”

WATCH a short interview with Marion Foster below… 

SHARE This Ambitious Woman’s Mission To Preserve History… 

Jade Funerary Mask of Great Mayan King Found at Little-Known Site in Guatemala

By
Andy Corbley
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Credit: Facebook / University of Alabama, Department of Anthropology
The jade mask and bones carved with hieroglyphs. credit – Facebook / University of Alabama, Department of Anthropology

At a little-known historical site from the Mayan Empire in Guatemala, the jade funerary mask of a great king was discovered by archaeologists.

In the country’s northeastern state of Peten, the city of Chochkitam, which dates to the Pre-Classic Period of Mayan history, was first discovered in 1909, but a chamber underneath the royal pyramid that had been missed by tomb robbers was identified using LiDAR.

A team from Tulane University in Louisiana and the Univ. of Alabama, along with Guatemalan representatives and scientists, then began excavating the chamber and discovered a treasure trove of continental significance.

Inside were a human skull, a stone coffin-like box, other human bones carved with hieroglyphs, funerary offerings of oyster shells and ceramics, and pieces of jade which when placed together formed the stunning mask seen above.

“Everything suggests to me that this was a Maya king who was part of a network of Maya royalty in the sphere of influence of Tikal and Teotihuacán,” said Francisco Estrada-Belli, a professor at Tulane University, speaking with Nat Geo.

Alexandre Tokovinine, a University of Alabama epigraphist, deciphered the hieroglyphs on the bones and found they contained the name “Itzam Kokaj Bahlam,” which is believed to be the name of the king who ruled Chockitam nearly 1,700 years ago.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: While Building New Industrial Park Crew Stumbles on ‘Remarkable’ 1,400-yo Ruins of Maya City

It’s believed the mask was an object used in royal ceremonies when the king would adopt the persona of the storm god worshiped by the Maya. One of the bones was carved with the depiction of the king holding a head of similar dimensions to the mask.

Tokovinine and Estrada-Belli are training a team of Guatemalan archaeologists for the task of continuing excavations, which have been ongoing since 2019.

MORE MAYAN DISCOVERIES: Hundreds of Mayan Cities and Towns with Ball Courts and Roads Discovered in LiDAR Survey in Guatemala

Far from the Mayan heartland in Mexico, Chockitam is now the center of a usurping theory about the nature of royal society in the Mayan empire which posits that Mayan royal custom and character were heavily influenced by the ruling dynasties of other centers of power in Mesoamerica at the time.

SHARE This Incredible Discovery In Guatemala On Facebook… 

Largest US Solar Storage Project Goes Online – Enough for a Quarter Million Homes

By
Andy Corbley
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Edwards Sanborn Solar Storage project - credit, Mortenson, released.
Edwards Sanborn Solar Storage project – credit, Mortenson, released.

The nation’s largest solar energy and storage project came online in California last week, offering 875 megawatt-hours of solar capacity, and 3 gigawatt-hours of storage.

Partially located on Edwards Air Force Base grounds in Kern County, California, the Edwards & Sanborn Solar + Energy Storage project is expected to provide the California grid with enough renewable energy to power 233,000 homes.

A half-dozen companies teamed up with the Department of Defense for the project, including LG, Samsung, Terra-Gen, Mortenson, and others, and it consists of 1.9 million US-made solar panels.

“Now fully operational, this facility is a transformational project in the industry and is providing resiliency to the grid,” said Brian Gorda, vice president of engineering at Terra-Gen. “The Mortenson team was tasked with an extremely difficult goal to build this project, and they proved to be the right partner for the job.”

The farm spans 4,600 acres of sunny desert flatland. Edwards & Sanborn will send its electricity to the city of San Jose, Southern California Edison, the utility companies of Pacific Gas & Electric and Clean Power Alliance, and the headquarters of the Starbucks corporation.

MORE PROJECTS LIKE THAT: Solar Farms Erected in Gobi Desert are Set to Power 1.5 Million Chinese Households

Approximately 320,000 tons of CO2 will be mitigated with the incredible scope of the project which was funded with several big-money financing rounds that included JP Morgan Chase and Deutsche Bank as investors.

SHARE This Incredible Power Achievement With Your Friends…

“The interesting thing is always to see if you can find a fact that will change your mind about something, to test and see if you can. – Diane Sawyer

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “The interesting thing is always to see if you can find a fact that will change your mind about something, to test and see if you can. – Diane Sawyer

Photo by: Kenny Eliason

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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