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World’s First Whole-Eye Transplant Gives Arkansas Man New Hope After Terrible Accident

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Andy Corbley
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First whole-eye transplant – NYU Langone Health
First whole-eye transplant – NYU Langone Health

In a 21-hour procedure, 140 surgeons and attendants completed the first whole eyeball transplant on a military veteran who had suffered a near-fatal electrocution.

Replacing the better part of his entire face, and connecting a donor eyeball to the optic nerves, the surgery was declared a success, and though it isn’t clear whether the patient will be able to see out of his eye again, it has meant an enormous step forward for transplantation science and incredible peace of mind for his family.

Aaron James was working on a powerline in Mississippi when he accidentally touched a live wire and received a 7,200-volt shock in June 2021. His wife was called at their home in Arkansas and was told only that her husband wouldn’t be dead by the time she reached the hospital where he was admitted.

James remembers only getting up to go to work, and then waking up days later in a Dallas hospital burn ward where he was flown. He felt okay, he told CNN, so he knew he was going to be okay, but he was missing his face, and taking a selfie allowed him to see inside his own skull.

Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, director of the Face Transplant Program at NYU Langone Health was briefed about James’ case, and after hearing that he was going to require his left eye amputated, told the surgeons to leave as much of the optic nerve intact for a possible transplant.

MORE PIONEERING EYE RESTORATION: World’s First 3D-Printed Eye Offers Digital Prosthetics

He remembers talking to Rodriquez and hearing that he may never see out of the donor eyeball.

“But I said ‘even if it don’t work, I’ll have an eye, and it will be at least normal-looking, and then you all could learn something off of this,’” Aaron told CNN. “You have to have a patient zero,” he said sportingly.

After donor tissue was acquired, James was treated at NYU Langone Health in two separate theaters. For the eye transplant, stem cells were injected into the optic nerve and the area around it in hopes of gradually restoring communication between the brain and the eye.

Aaron James and Dr. Rodriques – Langone Health NYU

Over time, the donor tissue gradually took and mended, and a much more human visage appeared in the mirror. Beard stubble began to grow through the skin, and Meagan, Aaron’s wife of 20 years, said it was a bag of emotions.

OTHER STUNNING SURGERIES: First of its Kind Brain Surgery on Baby Inside the Womb has Successfully Prevented Heart Failure

“It was a crazy, great, weird, strange, ecstatic, happy feeling,” Meagan said. “I was just happy he made it through, and everything was good in the moment.”

SHARE This First Ever Whole Face + Eyeball Transplant With Your Friends…

“Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.” – Oscar Wilde

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.” – Oscar Wilde

Photo by: Victor Malyushev

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?

Cutting Calories by 12% Can Help People Live Healthier, Longer Lives, Says Study

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Good News Network
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Cutting calorie intake by 12 percent can extend your life by boosting energy and rejuvenating muscles.

Curbing calories while maintaining vitamin and mineral levels, known as a calorie restriction diet, also lowers inflammation and increases metabolism, according to a new long-term study.

Calorie restriction, has long been known to delay the progression of age-related diseases in animal models. This new study, published by the National Institute on Aging (NIH), suggests the same biological mechanisms may also apply to humans.

The diet appears to stimulate healthy aging genes, allowing us to live longer and healthier lives.

Researchers analyzed data from the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE), a two-year study supported by the NIA that found that when the group was able to reach a 12% reduction in calories, it was enough to activate most of the biological pathways that are important in healthy aging.

“A 12% reduction in calorie intake is doable and may make a big difference in your health,” said corresponding author and NIA Scientific Director Luigi Ferrucci, M.D., Ph.D.

POPULAR: 8 Habits to Take Up by Age 40 if You Want to Live Decades Longer

The research team sought to understand the molecular underpinnings of the benefits seen in limited, previous research of calorie restriction in humans. One study showed that individuals on calorie restriction lost muscle mass and an average of 20 pounds of weight over the first year and maintained their weight for the second year.

However, despite losing muscle mass, calorie restriction participants did not lose muscle strength, indicating calorie restriction improved the amount of force generated by each unit of muscle mass, called muscle specific force.

Courtesy of NIA

For the current study, scientists used thigh muscle biopsies from CALERIE participants— a randomized controlled group of young and middle-aged non-obese healthy men and women—following up at one-year and two-year intervals.

The researchers confirmed calorie restriction affected the same gene pathways in humans as in mice and nonhuman primates. For example, a lower caloric intake upregulated genes responsible for energy generation and metabolism, and downregulated inflammatory genes leading to lower inflammation.

PREVENTION TIP: MIND and Mediterranean Diets are Associated with Fewer Alzheimer’s Plaques and Tangles

“Since inflammation and aging are strongly coupled, calorie restriction represents a powerful approach to preventing the pro-inflammatory state that is developed by many older people,” said Ferrucci.

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Fishermen Rescue Young Dolphin While its Mother Held it Afloat as it was Trapped in Anchor Line-WATCH

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Good News Network
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Jose Ramón Pérez and Miguel Rodríguez after their dolphin rescue -SWSN
Jose Ramón Pérez and Miguel Rodríguez after their dolphin rescue -SWSN

A video captured a heartwarming rescue after a pair of fishermen happened upon a juvenile dolphin tied up in fishing line.

Jose Ramón Pérez and Miguel Rodríguez were boating 10km off the coast of Almería, Spain when they found the animal tangled up, with its mother desperately trying to keep it afloat.

The baby’s tail was tangled in a rope that was pulling it underwater but the two men said its mother would not leave its side and kept trying to lift it up so it could breathe.

José Ramon, a warehouse worker, and Miguel, a greenhouse owner, wanted to help so they called local authorities, who put them through to Equinac, a local conservation charity.

“I saw something floating but it wasn’t actually floating at the surface. It was underneath,” said Ramón. “Miguel said it was a dolphin but I thought it was strange because it hadn’t moved at all.”

“The mother was trying to call us. When we got there she didn’t leave (the dolphin’s) side for a second.”

“She was holding its head up the whole time and the rope was even chewed.”

Mother dolphin attempts to keep her calf afloat – SWNS

Equinac concluded that the situation was too dire to wait for their arrival, so assisted the fishermen over the phone.

The rope was tied to an anchor and the dolphin, but with guidance from the charity the pair was able to cut the rope.

Ramón continued: “It was so hard to pull it up. I could feel it chafing our hands as we did it. They were panicked. The baby was thrashing around and screaming.

“When it did that, the mother seemed like she was scolding it and trying to calm it down.”

CHECK OUT: Researchers Capture Rare Video of ‘Mourning’ Mother Dolphin Staying with Deceased Calf for Days (WATCH)

Little dolphin calf is seen trapped by anchor line – SWNS

“As much as I try I can’t express how it felt to be there. I will remember this for my whole life. it was a truly magical moment.”

DID YOU KNOW? Dolphin Moms Use ‘Baby Talk’ with Their Calves, Research Shows

Eva María Morón, a coordinator at Equinac, said, “If those boys hadn’t been there, the baby would have died. This animal owes them its life.”

Watch the video below…

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New Coral Adoption Program by 4ocean to Help Save Reefs–Every Bracelet Plants a Coral and Removes Ocean Plastic

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Good News Network
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4ocean
4ocean

Today, 4ocean announced a new partnership to help restore damaged coral reefs while removing trash from oceans, rivers, and coastlines.

4ocean has been making bracelets from the 30 million pounds of plastic they’ve remove from waterways—and now Coral Gardeners will plant a baby coral onto a damaged reef with every bracelet purchased. Choose one of five colors, each representing a different coral species to be planted—and with a live streaming camera you can watch them grow.

In fact, you will be able to track its growth until it is outplanted onto the reef in French Polynesia. The money for each bracelet will also pay for the removal of 5 lbs of trash.

Coral reefs are known as the rainforests of the sea and play a critical role in global ocean health. Unfortunately, scientists estimate that climate change and other human-induced factors have led to the loss of many of the planet’s coral reefs in the past 30 years.

The Restoration Collection from 4ocean and Coral Gardeners will help restore some of these damaged reefs through a coral adoption program. Every bracelet sold will plant a specific species of coral on the island of Mo’orea in French Polynesia, where customers can track its growth through regular Impact Reports and a live streaming underwater camera in the coral nursery.

The bracelets are handmade by 4ocean artisans in Bali using 100% recycled ocean plastic cord collected by 4ocean captains and crews. Each bracelet features a recycled glass bead and secondary colors that represent each planted coral.

4ocean

“The Restoration Collection is one of the most exciting campaigns that 4ocean has been a part of to date and will have a huge impact on the ocean,” said 4ocean CEO and Co-founder Alex Schulze.

Florida-based 4ocean is a cleanup company dedicated to ending the ocean plastic crisis. Since 2017, its professional, full-time captains and crews have removed more than 32 million pounds of plastic waste and other man-made debris from the world’s oceans, rivers, and coastlines.

Since 2017, the nonprofit organization Coral Gardeners have planted over 50,000 heat-resistant coral fragments across French Polynesia and are on a mission to plant 1 million around the world by 2025.

“We are thrilled to join forces with 4ocean to protect and restore the ocean. With this collaboration, everyone can join the movement and be able to watch their coral grow via our nursery livestream.” said Titouan Bernicot, Founder of Coral Gardeners.

4ocean / Coral Gardeners

The name and color of each bracelet is inspired by the five unique species of coral fragments available in the collection, including Verrucosa Pink, Grisea Glacier, Retusa Green, Muricata Blue, and Globiceps for a Glow-in-the-dark bracelet. Every bracelet from The Restoration Collection includes premiere packaging on sustainable wood, a limited edition bracelet, a collectible information card with frameable poster, a detailed campaign booklet, and a sticker.

GOOD NEWS: Pristine Coral Reefs Discovered Are Thousands of Years Old And Teeming With Life
CHECK OUT: 4 Decades of Data Suggests Pacific Coral Reefs Can Acclimate to Warming Oceans and Resist Future Bleaching

The Restoration Collection of four bracelets start at $34 each—or as a box set for $150. Watch their campaign video below and visit 4ocean.com to order and learn more.

HELP SAVE the Oceans By Sharing the Gift Opportunity on Social Media…

“The work must be conceived with fire in the soul but executed with clinical coolness.” – Joan Miró

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “The work must be conceived with fire in the soul but executed with clinical coolness.” – Joan Miró 

Photo by: jean louis mazieres – CC license (Joan Miró artwork cropped)

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?

Astronauts ‘Shoot’ For the Moon, Trying Out New Camera Made For Space in the Lunar-Like Terrain of Spain

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Good News Network
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ESA career astronaut Rosemary Coogan holds the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera – ESA / NASA / SWNS
ESA career astronaut Rosemary Coogan holds the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera – ESA / NASA / SWNS

Astronauts are ‘shooting’ for the Moon as they try out a new hi-tech space camera here on Earth.

The scientists from the European Space Agency have partnered with NASA’s Artemis imagery team to try out the kit.

Engineers behind the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) tested it within the lunar-like landscapes of Lanzarote, Spain, putting the new camera through its paces during the PANGAEA training program.

PANGAEA prepares astronauts to become effective field scientists for future missions to the Moon.

During the geological field trips, astronauts document their exploration work using the ESA tool that allows geology instructors at a base station to follow and support the crew with live audio and video in real time.

Astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission took iconic images of the Moon with a very different camera—a standalone, mechanical Hasselblad camera with a Harrison Schmidt 60 mm lens. During that mission, the astronauts collected 1,407 photos from four of these cameras on tripods.

Camera equipment attached to Apollo 12 lunar module pilot on the moon in 1969 – NASA / SWNS

The next time astronauts return to the Moon, they’ll take more pictures of the luner surface than ever—after this realistic taste of lunar surface exploration.

The new camera is built from professional off-the-shelf cameras with great sensitivity to light and state-of-the-art lenses, but with modifications from NASA—including adding a blanket for dust and thermal protection for temperatures which range from minus 200 to 120 degrees Celsius. A new set of ergonomic buttons now make it easy for astronauts in space suits to shoot pics wearing bulky gloves.

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet with Handheld Universal Lunar Camera in PANGAEA test program in Spain – ESA / NASA / SWNS

The teams have done extensive testing for the three major challenges of space: thermal, vacuum and radiation effects. On the Moon, one added challenge will be the abrasive nature of lunar dust. Last year, the camera was part of simulated moonwalk with the JETT 3 mission in Arizona, USA.

One of the most prolific European photographers in orbit, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, praised the design after using it at the PANGAEA test course. “The engineers have done a really good job reconfiguring the buttons and arranging a simple yet reliable protection for the camera.”

One objective of PANGAEA was to select the most suitable lenses. Pesquet and NASA astronaut candidate Jessica Wittner, along with Japanese space agency’s Takuya Onishi used the camera in broad daylight, but also in the darkness of volcanic caves to simulate extreme conditions for lunar photography.

It will be the first mirrorless camera for handheld use in space. Mirrorless cameras provide excellent image quality in low light situations, making it well suited to the challenging high contrast environment of the Moon.

MORE PHOTOGRAPHY IN SPACE: Watch a Stunning Solar Eclipse on Mars in Video Captured By NASA’s Perseverance Rover

“It was very useful to have the geologists’ point of view to make sure the photos had the right resolution, depth of field and exposure to maximize the science results,” explains Jeremy Myers, NASA’s lead for the HULC camera.

Jeremy Myers, NASA’s lead for the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC), gives an overview of the design to astronauts during the PANGAEA training program in Spain – ESA / NASA / SWNS

“It should be easy to use. The human factor is a big deal for us, because you want the camera to be intuitive and not taxing on the crew,” he adds.

ARTEMIS LUNAR PICS: NASA’s New ShadowCam Reveals Mysteries of Moon’s Darkest Corners in Stunning Glimpses

The camera will also record videos, which ESA will “provide situational awareness to the ground teams and help document the exploration of our nearest cosmic neighbor”.

Scientists with the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera in PANGAEA test program – ESA/NASA/SWNS

The Artemis III mission will land on the South Pole of the Moon, close to permanently shadowed craters where the crew will look for evidence of water ice. “Conditions for photography will be tricky in many ways, from operating the camera with the gloves on, to very low light levels and big contrast between bright and dark sources,” says Pesquet.

LOOK: Watch a Stunning Solar Eclipse on Mars in Video Captured By NASA’s Perseverance Rover

“We want astronauts to be able to take a detailed image of a crystalline structure in a rock and to capture landscapes, all with the right exposure,” explained Myers.

One version of the camera will soon fly to the International Space Station for additional testing in the near future.

SEND YOUR Photo Pals OVER the Moon By Sharing on Social Media…

National Geographic Unveils Top ‘Pictures of the Year’ Captured From Nat Geo Photographers in 2023

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Good News Network
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Photo by David Doubilet (For Nat Geo)
Photo winner of a venomous sea krait is featured on the December 2023 magazine cover – Credit: National Geographic

Each year, National Geographic photographers canvass the globe to uncover stories that offer a new understanding of our world; and every day, Nat Geo’s photo editors comb through their images, choosing those that “compel the eye and inspire the heart.”

This year, more than 160 National Geographic photographers working across every continent, even Antarctica, submitted 2.1 million images. From those, 29 were selected for PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2023.

“These are images that aren’t just striking—they tell a story and reveal something that makes you see and understand the world in a new way,” said National Geographic Editor-in-Chief Nathan Lump.

From venomous sea kraits in Palau to monarchs wintering in Mexico, the PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2023 take audiences behind these rarely seen subjects and rarely felt moments. The result is a curated collection that’s designed to incite curiosity and inspire a greater understanding of our world.

Their online edition also features videos and a series of tips from top Nat Geo photographers to help audiences take better pictures, including wildlife, portrait, nighttime and underwater photographs.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Otherworldly Images Show Breathtaking Beauty of Oceans in Photo Contest Winners

We chose our favorite five photos from the brand’s annual retrospective, which is available online now and on print newsstands.

Here’s Our Five Favorite Photos

Marine biologist Alexander Semenov calls the lion’s mane jellyfish the queen of the Arctic seas. He photographed this regal specimen in its final stage of life: Having reproduced, it has shrunk in size, digested or shed its hundreds of long tentacles, and become, in Semenov’s words, an “alien flower.” (Photo by Alexander Semenov)

Marine biologist Alexander Semenov calls the lion’s mane jellyfish the queen of the Arctic seas. He photographed this regal specimen in its final stage of life: Having reproduced, it has shrunk in size, digested or shed its hundreds of long tentacles, and become, in Semenov’s words, an “alien flower.” (Photo by Alexander Semenov)

Caver Valentina Mariani (top), National Geographic Explorer Kenny Broad (center), and Nadir Quarta prepare for a dive into the dark, toxic waters of Lago Verde. Such sunlight-starved ecosystems could offer a glimpse into the chemistry of life in alien seas. (Photo by Carsten Peter)

In the Canary Islands, National Geographic Explorer Kenny Broad joined Caver Valentina Mariani and Nadir Quarta preparing for a dive into the dark, toxic waters of Lago Verde. Such sunlight-starved ecosystems could offer a glimpse into the chemistry of life in alien seas. (Photo by Carsten Peter)

Pilgrims sing, dance, and play flamenco during a stop along their spring journey to the Virgin of Rocío shrine. Photographer Aitor Lara says that the group’s lyrics “reflect the magical experience of the pilgrimage and the joy of being able to present their fervor to the Virgin.” (Photo by Aitor Lara)

In Spain, pilgrims sing, dance, and play flamenco during a stop along their spring journey to the Virgin of Rocío shrine. Photographer Aitor Lara says that the group’s lyrics “reflect the magical experience of the pilgrimage and the joy of being able to present their fervor to the Virgin.” (Photo by Aitor Lara)

Streaked with sunlight and crowded together for warmth in winter, monarch butterflies blanket fir trees in El Rosario Sanctuary. Rojo received special permits to work outside the sanctuary’s operating hours. He made this photograph shortly before sunset. (Photo by Jaime Rojo)

In Mexico, monarch butterflies blanket fir trees in El Rosario Sanctuary, crowding together for warmth during the winter. The photographer received special permits to work outside the sanctuary’s operating hours, and made this photograph shortly before sunset. (Photo by Jaime Rojo)

A seven-foot-long zebra shark glides through an exhibit at Shedd Aquarium, one of several aquariums where endangered zebra sharks are breeding to produce eggs for shipment to Indonesia. They will be raised and released into a marine protected area in Raja Ampat to rebuild its wild population. (Photo by David Doubilet)

This beautiful image of a seven-foot-long zebra shark depicts the story of extraordinary conservation. It glides through an exhibit at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, one of several institutions where endangered zebra sharks are breeding to produce eggs for shipment to Indonesia. There, they will be raised and released into a marine protected area in Raja Ampat to rebuild the wild population. (Photo by David Doubilet)

LOOK: Couple Get ‘Best Ever’ Wedding Pictures When Northern Lights Break Out Over their Big Day

For more on this story, visit Natgeo.com.

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Texas Grandmas are ‘The Knit Wits’ Who Craft Homemade Hats and Toys For Children in Hospitals and War Zones

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Good News Network
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Three Knit Wits – Credit: Edgemere
Three Knit Wits – Credit: Edgemere

For over twenty years, a colorful collective of ladies residing at a senior living community in Dallas have crafted thousands of hand-knit items, bringing warmth and support to children both in Texas and overseas.

And, with sass and swing, they call themselves the Knit Wits.

Every Friday, they gather around a long table with yarn and knitting needles to lend a hand from their home at Edgemere—and their latest project is a collaboration with Children’s Health in Dallas to create homemade caps for infants facing heart problems.

Knit Wits member Mary Ann Stover got the idea while talking with her daughter, a cardiologist at the hospital, and for the past year, the group has sent dozens of beanies for the babies.

“The caps are themed around the holidays,” Stover says, with designs evoking autumn, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Fourth of July, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and Spring. (See the video at the bottom…)

“They have become a colorful symbol of hope and joy for the center’s littlest patients and their families,” said Betsy Beall, the hospital’s child life specialist.

The Knit Wits – Credit: Holly Gaddy

The mini hats also can play a role in fostering the bond between infants and caregivers, preserving the scent of the adult next to baby’s skin.

“Caregivers are able to wear the hat on their body to transfer their scent before placing the hat back on the baby, encouraging bonding and easing the infant’s stress.”

AMAZING: Volunteer Knitters Are Finishing Craft Projects for Loved Ones Who’ve Passed

Beall said the collaboration has had an “overwhelmingly positive impact” on the center’s infant population, noting one example of a tiny patient who’d been treated for nearly a year.

Throughout the infant’s admission, many holidays were celebrated, but often the infant was too critical to be dressed up for photos the family had planned. Thanks to the generosity of the Knit Wits, the infant hat provided the perfect festive touch.

“When we started this group we were making helmet liners for the troops that were in Afghanistan,” Marianne Mead told NBC’s KXAS-TV this week. She was in her 80s then. Today, she’s 102 years old and still knitting. “Being creative, being busy, and having something good to think about.”

The Knit Wits toys – Credit: Edgemere

The Knit Wits also sent cuddly knit dolls to orphans from Ukraine—interlacing love with service, one yarn loop at a time.

The executive director of their Edgemere home said, “They’ve proven that a simple act of kindness can make such a difference in the lives of those facing challenging circumstances.”

LOOK: Hospital Crochets ‘Mr. Rogers’ Sweaters for All the Newborns in Honor of World Kindness Day

Watch a sweet video from local NBC news coverage…

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Your Weekly Horoscope: A ‘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 November 18, 2023
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Icelandic singer Bjork is a triple Scorpio, with sun, moon, and ascendant in your sign. Neptune is there, too, giving her even more Scorpionic intensity. It’s not surprising that she describes her daily practice like this: “I have to re-create the universe every morning when I wake up and kill it in the evening.” In another quote, she places greater emphasis on the rebirth: “To wake up in the morning and actually find the day exciting is the biggest victory you can have.” In accordance with current astrological omens, I invite you to exalt and celebrate the post-resurrection aspects of your life’s work. It’s time for you to shine and sparkle and shimmer and bedazzle.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I prophesy that what has been lost will be found. What was last may not catapult all the way into the first spot, but it might—and will at least be close to the first. Here are more zingers for you as you move into the climactic stages of the Season of Turnarounds and Switcheroos: A difficult test will boost your intelligence; a rut will be disrupted, freeing you to find a smooth new groove; an unsettling twist will ultimately bring you delightful support. To get the best out of the upcoming challenges, Sagittarius, welcome them as opportunities to expand your understanding of how the world works.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Many cultures throughout history have staged rites of passage to mark the transformation from childhood to puberty. In ancient Greece, for example, kids formally relinquished their toys, symbolizing the intention to move into a new phase of their destinies. In accordance with astrological omens, I want to tweak this custom for your use, Capricorn. I propose that you embrace your second childhood. Fantasize about how you might refurbish your innocence, curiosity, playfulness, and spontaneous joy. Then select an object that embodies a burdensome or unpleasant aspect of adulthood. Discard it. Find an object that signifies the fresh young spirit you’d like to awaken within you. Kiss it, sing to it, and keep it in a prominent place.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
For advice about money, I talk with a banker who sometimes analyzes financial trends using Tarot cards. To keep abreast of politics on the ground level, I consult with a courtesan who has a Ph.D. in political science and cultivates intimate relations with governmental leaders. For guidance about rowdy ethics and etiquette, I seek input from an activist singer in an all-women punk band. How about you, Aquarius? Now is a favorable time to take an inventory of your posse of teachers, helpers, and counselors. Make sure it’s serving you well and providing maximum inspiration and support. Hot tip: It may be time to add a new facilitator or two to your entourage.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Now and then, you glide through a phase I describe as Freedom from Cosmic Compulsion. During these grace periods, fate has a reduced role in shaping your destiny. Your past doesn’t have its typical power to limit you or entrance you. According to my astrological analysis, you are now enjoying such a chapter. That’s why I predict that an infertile status quo will soon crumble. A boring, inflexible rule will become irrelevant. These and other breakthrough developments will give you extra leeway to innovate and invent. You will have a big, bright emptiness to work and play around in.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In accordance with astrological omens, I would love you to experiment with blending the sacred and mundane. Bring your deep self into the daily routine and imbue ordinary rhythms with tender care. Here are a few fun rituals to get you in the groove: 1. Say prayers or chant ecstatic poems while you’re shopping. 2. Build a shrine in a parking lot. 3. Stir up an inspired epiphany while doing housework. 4. If you find yourself in a confusing or awkward situation, dance like a holy person to conjure a blessing. 5. Commune with the Divine Creator during crazy-good sex.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
I’ve met many people who feel their love lives are jinxed. Often, they believe this nonsense because a creepy fortune-teller declared they will forever be denied a satisfying intimate relationship. I hate that! Any astrologer who delivers such crippling bewitchments should be outed as a charlatan. The good news for you, Taurus, is that you are in a grace period for all matters regarding romance, intimacy, and togetherness. If you have ever worried there is a curse, obstruction, or bad habit inhibiting your love life, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to free yourself from it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Gemini comedian Drew Carey says, “If I didn’t run from my fears, I wouldn’t get any exercise at all.” Let’s discuss his approach in relation to you. After analyzing the astrological omens, I believe that as 2023 draws to a close and 2024 unfolds, you will feel less and less motivated to run from your fears. In part, that’s because you will face them with more courage and poise; they won’t have the same power over you. In addition, I suspect your fears will become objectively less scary. They will be less likely to come to pass. More and more, your fine mind will see how they trick you into imagining they’re more threatening than they truly are. Congratulations in advance, Gemini!

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
I would love to see you intensify your devotion to your masterpiece—however you understand “masterpiece.” It could be a work of art or an innovation in your job or business. It could be a new baby, an adopted pet, a redefinition of what family means, or an invigorated community. Might even be a beautiful alliance or enhanced connection with the divine or a refinement of the best gift you give the world. Life will conspire to help you in unexpected ways during the coming months if you rededicate yourself to this treasure.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Dear Sun, our one and only star: We love you and appreciate you! It’s amazing that you consume five million tons of yourself every second to generate the colossal energy you send in our direction. Thank you, beloved Sun! Is it OK with you if we think of you as a god? You are a superpowered genius of nourishment! And by the way, do you know who adores you the best? I’ll tell you: the Leo people here on Earth. They comprehend your grandeur and majesty better than anyone else. Would you consider giving them extra rewards in the coming weeks? They need and deserve a massive delivery of your bounty. Please fill them up with even more charisma, personal magnetism, vitality, and generosity of spirit than usual. I promise they will use it wisely.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Virgo musician and actor Shirley Manson has a message for you. She testifies, “I say embrace the total geek in yourself and just enjoy it. Life is too short to be cool.” This will be especially helpful and inspirational counsel for you in the coming months, dear Virgo. The wish to appear chic or trendy or hip should be so far down on your list of priorities that it drops off the list entirely. Your assignment is to be passionately devoted to your deepest truths, unique desires, and imaginative experiments.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
If you’re given a choice to advocate for either a dull, mediocre truth or a beautiful, invigorating truth, give your love to the latter. If you wonder whether you should ask a polite question that engenders harmony or a provocative question that pries loose agendas that have been half hidden, opt for the latter. If you feel nostalgic about an old tradition that stirs up little passion or fresh insight, let it go. Instead, dream up a new tradition that moves you emotionally and excites your mind.

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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“To wake up in the morning and actually find the day exciting is the biggest victory you can have.” – Bjork

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “To wake up in the morning and actually find the day exciting is the biggest victory you can have.” – Bjork

Photo by: Moritz Knöringer

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?

 

Removing Just One Spoon of Salt from Diet Can Lower Blood Pressure as Well or Better Than Medications

By
Andy Corbley
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Even patients already on blood pressure medication can bring theirs down further by not adding additional salt above a certain limit to their food, scientists from a trio of universities found in a new paper.

Consuming one less teaspoon of salt a day resulted in a systolic blood pressure decline comparable to the effect achieved with medications, proving that prevention often does beat a cure.

Furthermore, the study of American participants is the first to show that people already on blood pressure drugs could further lower the crucial reading by reducing salt consumption.

The research was conducted by Northwestern Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and the University of Alabama.

“We found that 70 to 75 percent of all people, regardless of whether they are already on blood pressure medications or not, are likely to see a reduction in their blood pressure if they lower the sodium in their diet,” said Professor Norrina Allen of Northwestern University, a co-principal investigator on the study who added that they didn’t know beforehand if people already on blood pressure medication could lower it further by reducing sodium intake.

The study is one of the largest to investigate the effect of reducing salt in the diet on blood pressure to include people with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, and already on medications. It was a randomized controlled trial, the gold standard of research, and one that’s often difficult to use in dietary interventions.

Professor Allen said the total daily sodium intake recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) is less than 1,500 milligrams, and the study was designed to decrease it even lower than that.

“High blood pressure can lead to heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes because it puts extra pressure on your arteries. It affects the heart’s ability to work effectively and pump blood,” said Allen’s colleague Deepak Gupta, associate professor of medicine and director of the Vanderbilt Translational and Clinical Cardiovascular Research Center.

Just putting table salt on your food is a difficult way to create these outcomes, especially if balanced out by exercise, and most of the risk associated with high sodium intake comes from salt’s hidden presence in packaged and processed foods.

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Participants in their 50s, 60s, and 70s from Birmingham, Alabama, and Chicago were put on either a high-sodium diet (2,200 mg per day on top of their usual diet) or a low-sodium diet (500 mg in total per day) for a week, after which they crossed over to the opposite diet for a week.

On the day before each study visit, participants wore blood pressure monitors and collected their urine for 24 hours.

Among the 213 participants, systolic blood pressure was “significantly lowered” when they were on the low-sodium diet compared with the high-sodium diet.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Bone Broth Strengthens Immunity, Body, and Joints, And You Don’t Need To Spend A Bunch To Make It

“Just as any physical activity is better than none for most people, any sodium reduction from the current usual diet is likely better than none for most people with regards to blood pressure,” said Professor Gupta.

The blood pressure-lowering effect of dietary salt reduction was achieved rapidly and safely within one week, according to the research team; a real strong point of the study because it means folks interested in lowering their blood pressure can go out and make the consumer choices to do so immediately.

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Satellite Images Reveal Serbia’s Hidden Bronze Age Settlements–100 Previously Unknown Sites ‘Connect the Dots’

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SERBIA
credit – NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SERBIA

In 2015, a research team got the idea to use aerial surveying and satellite imagery to map the expanse of Bronze Age settlements in Northeast Serbia’s Pannonian Plane. What they found was shocking—over 100 previously unknown habitations that pull the history of the Balkans down squarely into the time of the Myceneans, the ancient Egyptians, and Babylon.

The character of society on the Pannonian Plane 3,000 years ago, the authors write, was almost unique in the world, as it consisted of dozens of large enclosures protected by ditches and earthen ramparts, some of which were over 2,400 acres in internal area, with over 15 miles of defensive works.

These enclosures were built close to major rivers like the Tisza, Bega, and Timis, and ran about 100 miles along a north-south corridor which the researchers believe was part of a key trading network for bronze that was going down to the Mediterranean, part of what is now being called the Lower Pannonian Network, and which crosses into Romania as well.

So that’s the macro element of the discovery, but what about the micro; who were the people who made these enclosures and what were their lives like?

The discovery was made by a large international team from Serbia, Ireland, England, and Slovenia, and it started in 2015 when they began to use satellite photos to look at the flat agricultural area in the northeast of the country. Once they identified unusual shapes in the land, the team used a small aircraft to survey them from the sky before visiting some on foot and conducting excavations.

The excavations turned up a lot of household refuse, animal bones, pottery shards, and other everyday elements that provided a way to radiocarbon date the sites, which produced the timeline of about 1,600 BCE to 1,200 BCE.

Aerial surveys made it possible to see the long-degraded sites. credit – BARRY MOLLOY AND DARJA GROSMAN

“It’s a new story that changes our knowledge of the late Bronze Age and the Balkans,” study co-author Dragan Jovanović, an archaeologist at the City Museum of Vršac, told Science Magazine. “It’s pretty amazing it remained hidden until now.”

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Hard details about the people and their culture remain unknown, including evidence of buildings, and so historians are hesitant to ascribe any certainty to the character of the sites. They could be ceremonial centers or even a way to protect cattle or sheep.

However, one aspect which is noteworthy is the proximity of each one to all the others. From the top of the raised earth walls, a Bronze Age Serb would have been able to see another such enclosure or even several others. The researchers hypothesize that they were made and maintained by something like a clan, or a small collection of families, that may have collectively been involved in the bronze trade.

A recent analysis of tin collected from shipwrecks in the Mediterranean found that in order to satisfy the market demand for bronze in the civilizations of the time, tin to make bronze had to be imported all the way from Uzbekistan.

This necessitated a network of small-scale local communities of middlemen or nomads, or both, that had to be able to negotiate, protect their goods, and travel within a vast, disparate network that relied on inter-lingual, inter-cultural, and inter-geographic exchange.

MORE ON THE BRONZE AGE: Historians Stunned: Uzbekistan Nomads Supplied a Third of the Bronze Used Across Ancient Mediterranean

Certain evidence of warfare is present, such as a bronze sword and clay models of chariots discovered in cemeteries in the enclosures, but the builders of the enclosures were doing their construction within sight of their neighbors.

“They’ve opened up a whole new avenue for excavation and research,” University College London archaeologist Miljana Radivojević, who was not part of the new research, told Science. “These dots weren’t connected before, which makes this research valuable.”

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Iowa Teen Has Donated 7,000 Pounds of Produce from Her Own Garden to Food Banks: ‘A really good feeling’

By
Andy Corbley
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Lauren Schroeder - FFA, Facebook.
Lauren Schroeder – FFA, Facebook.

When Iowa teen Lauren Schroeder showed up to a community food drive during COVID, she didn’t see a lot that actually nourished people—just a lot of boxed and canned goods.

She decided to become the change she wanted to see, and after receiving a half-acre of land from her parents, she grew 7,000 pounds of produce with a market value of around $15,000 and gave it all away to food banks and non-profits in the Quad Cities area.

The senior from Calamus-Wheatland High School likes to tend cattle and play softball, and had never managed a garden before, but according to her mother Katie Schroeder, she took studies of agronomy and gardening to heart.

Her work drew the attention of the education-industry organization called Future Farmers of America, which gave her a small grant for supplies and seeds. She received help from her younger siblings, but still put in the hard yards of watering and deweeding—2 to 3 hours in total every day.

MORE BRILLIANT TEENS: Teens Transform Liquor Store into a Needed Food Market, Choosing The Best Way To Serve Chicago

Her work, and FFA’s trust, soon bore fruit, and she began donating 15 types of veggies to organizations like Carroll Assistance Center, Wheatland Nursing Home, Café on Vine, River Bend Food Bank, Lost Nation Food Pantry, Family Resources, Lady of the Prairie, and Community Action of Eastern Iowa.

“It was a really good feeling to know that anyone who wanted fresh vegetables would be able to get them,” Lauren told the Washington Post. “I knew that I wanted to keep going.”

After receiving a second grant from Future Farmers of America, she turned her half acre into a full acre, and expanded the number of vegetables to 20 different species.

MORE NEWS FROM THE HEARTLAND: Minnesota Teens Hook Wallet Full of Cash on a Lake Then Return it to Iowa Farmer–WATCH

Her goal is to donate 20,000 pounds of vegetables by the time she graduates next June.

“How could you not be proud,” said her mother Katie, “she really chose to focus on learning about agronomy, learning about gardening, learning about vegetables, but just really taking it to the next level and actually helping people out with it.”

SHARE This Inspiring Teen Greenthumb With Your Friends… 

Robotic Hand with Bones, Ligaments and Tendons Created for First Time Using 3D Printing

By
Andy Corbley
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Soft robotic hand – ETH Zurich / SWNS
Soft robotic hand – ETH Zurich / SWNS

Using new innovations in 3D printing, scientists at ETH Zurich have succeeded for the first time in printing a robotic hand with bones, ligaments, and tendons—all made of different polymers in one go.

The various polymers can be fine-tuned to replicate the elasticity or rigidity of a human hand, representing a major advancement over existing 3D-printed prosthetics.

While 3D printing technology was previously limited to fast-curing plastics, researchers have now made it suitable for slow-curing plastics as well.

They say these materials have “decisive” advantages as they have enhanced elastic properties and are more durable and robust.

The use of such polymers is made possible by new technology developed by researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and a US startup from Mass. Institute of Technology which can be used to create delicate structures and parts with cavities as desired. InkBit from MIT now offers the technology and prints complex objects on customer request.

The technology also makes it easy to combine soft, elastic, and rigid materials.

MORE FROM ETH ZURICH: ‘Wearable Muscles’ Restore Mobility in Those Who Have Trouble Moving Their Arms

“We wouldn’t have been able to make this hand with the fast-curing polyacrylates we’ve been using in 3D printing so far,” said Thomas Buchner, a doctoral student from ETH Zurich who led the authorship of the paper published on their work.

“We’re now using slow-curing thiolene polymers. These have very good elastic properties and return to their original state much faster after bending than polyacrylates,” he said, adding this makes them ideal for making complex prosthetics.

3D-PRINTING FEATS: Chinese Scientists Create Way to 3D Print Ceramic Engineering Components Suspended in Air Without Support

“Robots made of soft materials, such as the hand we developed, have advantages over conventional robots made of metal,” said ETH Zurich robotics professor Robert Katzschmann. “Because they’re soft, there is less risk of injury when they work with humans, and they are better suited to handling fragile goods.”

Usually, 3D printers produce objects layer by layer: nozzles deposit a given material in viscous form at each point; a UV lamp then cures each layer immediately.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: This Man Learned Robotics on YouTube, Now He’s Creating Affordable 3D Prosthetics For Others—WATCH

To accommodate the use of slow-curing polymers, the researchers added a 3D laser scanner that immediately checks each printed layer for any surface irregularities.

A feedback mechanism compensates for these irregularities when printing the next layer by calculating any necessary adjustments to the amount of material to be printed in real-time and with pinpoint accuracy.

The researchers from Switzerland and the US jointly published the technology and their sample applications in the journal Nature.

WATCH the details of their innovations in this cool video…

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“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” – Carl Sagan

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” – Carl Sagan

Photo by: Johannes Plenio

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?

 

Young Inventor Surprised With 2023 Dyson Award for ‘The Life Chariot’ Designed to Save Lives in Ukraine

By
Andy Corbley
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Life Chariot and its inventor Piotr Tłuszcz - James Dyson Foundation
Life Chariot and its inventor Piotr Tłuszcz – James Dyson Foundation

As he watched the conflict unfold in Ukraine, young Polish inventor Piotr Tłuszcz observed the challenges of medical evacuations across the rough terrain of the frontline.

This inspired him to design The Life Chariot, a MEDEVAC off-road ambulance that can attach to any vehicle with a towing hook or eye.

The vehicle’s low weight and suspension make it safer for a casualty to travel in than the boot of a car—the typical method for the often-stretched Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Piotr’s interest in designing trailers started with off-road trips with his family through the Balkans and Pyrenees. He then spent the next 10 years and the course of his bachelor’s and master’s degrees designing off-road and cave rescue trailers, before creating The Life Chariot which debuted at the Łódź Design Festival this year.

The Life Chariot increases the evacuation capabilities of rescue teams by adding room for one injured person on a stretcher and two more seats for medics or the lightly wounded. (Watch it in action in a video below…)

The first two trailers were given to the Ukrainian Medical Military Unit and the Polish Voluntary Medic Unit of Damian Duda “W Międzyczasie” Foundation, having been tested in terrains such as mountain trails, forests, caves, and mines. Their feedback provided and informed weatherproofing upgrades.

SHE WON A 2022 DYSON AWARD: New Scoliosis Brace that Grows With Patients Wins Dyson Award For Grad Student Who Wants to Make a Difference

“This year the James Dyson Award gives a special Humanitarian prize to Piotr, who has designed an ingenious way of recovering injured people from challenging terrain,” said Sir James Dyson, Founder and Chief Engineer at Dyson in a statement.

“The Life Chariot can be towed by anything—allowing medics to do their life-saving work with the resources they have at hand. It’s also brilliant to see his iterative design process continue in response to feedback from those using it on the ground.”

GREAT YOUNG INVENTOR: 12-year-old Develops Fire Detection System That Wins Her $25,000 and Top Junior Scientist Award

Piotr is continuing to implement upgrades to The Life Chariot based on feedback received from medics working on the front line. He is also working on adapting the vehicle for mountain rescue purposes.

“I hope that The Life Chariot, with support from the James Dyson Award, will continue to save lives, whether in frontline evacuations or rescues from accidents in inaccessible places,” Piotr said on the occasion of the award.

SEE Piotr’s invention and THEN his reaction to his recognition by Dyson…

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Bumper Snowfall to Start Early Ski Season in Europe: ‘One of the best starts I can remember’

By
Andy Corbley
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The slopes in Cervinia, Valle d'Aosta. © Andrew Corbley
The slopes in Cervinia, Valle d’Aosta. © Andrew Corbley

Last week, ski resorts from the French Alps right the way down to the Dolomites are reporting over 3 feet, or a meter of fresh powder, kicking off an early start to the skiing season.

It was assumed that Europe’s favorite winter pastime was going to be delayed after a persistently warm October, but November temps fell to a crisp 1990s sort of climate.

In dozens of locations across the Alps, towns and communes experienced 2 meters of snow, or over 6 feet, falling on them in just 24 hours.

Big resorts in France, Switzerland, Italy, and Austria have all moved the opening date of the season up at least a week to November 18th. This includes big resorts like Tignes and Val Thorens in France, Passo del Tonale, Temu, and Madonna di Campiglio in Italy, Kitzbühel in Austria, and Davos, Zermatt, and Verbier in Switzerland, with the latter opening three weeks earlier than last year.

“Storms have been piling into the Alps for the last two weeks, with snow accumulations of more than 100cm quite widespread now on the upper slopes,” managing director of Ski Solutions holiday company, Ian McIlrath told Travel Weekly.

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“This will ensure a solid base for the winter ahead, and with a lot more snow in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be one of the best starts to the winter ski season that I can remember.”

Some ski resorts lower down the mountains have been forced to close as the climate changes, and like the record snowfall in California and Utah last spring, the news comes as a nice reminder that you can always count on the weather, precisely because you can never count on the weather.

SHARE This Winter Wonderland With Your Friends Planning A Winter Getaway…

Flying Car You Can Park in Your Garage Lifts Off on Maiden Voyage: Meet the $200,000 Switchblade

By
Andy Corbley
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The Samson Sky Switchblade – SWNS
The Samson Sky Switchblade – SWNS

Last year, GNN reported on the Samson Switchblade, a street-legal car that had received its airworthiness certificate from the FAA, and was ready to begin testing.

Last week, a veteran pilot took the Switchblade up on its maiden flight; driving it to the airport, deploying its wings and tail, and taking off for a 6-minute flight 500 feet above the ground.

The highly-anticipated two-seater received 2,300 reservations from 57 countries and all 50 states in the US, and the news of the successful maiden flight will likely see that grow.

Here’s exactly how it works. It needs an airport runway to take off and a private pilot’s license to fly. It uses unleaded gasoline rather than leaded airplane fuel and needs three minutes to switch into flying mode.

The aircraft can then be flown to the airport nearest your destination at up to 200mph and within a range of 450 miles. It can reach altitudes of 13,000 feet supposedly. Once landed, it folds in its wings and tail and is small enough to be parked in a normal garage.

“Today is the culmination of many years of hard work and persistence to make the vision of a flying sports car a reality,” said Sam Bousfield, Samson Sky CEO and designer of the Switchblade. “This puts us on the path towards producing thousands of Switchblades to meet the large and enthusiastic demand we’re receiving.”

The Samson Switchblade in Flight – SWNS via Samson Flight

The Samson Team will use flight test data to finalize production engineering and build several production prototypes.

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The Switchblade comes in two kit types, a $180k model that permits a pilot to operate in clear weather conditions, and a $200k version to fly under different weather conditions, including flying into clouds and with zero visibility.

All models are shipped in a kit format, and must be assembled by a professional.

MORE FLYING CARS: Flying Taxi Takes Off for the First Time in Public Display From XPeng Motors – VIDEO

Perhaps the closest competitor to the Switchblade is the AirCar, a Slovakian flying car that received its own airworthiness certificate.

“AirCar certification opens the door for mass production of very efficient flying cars,” its creator, Professor Stefan Klein, said last year. “It is official and the final confirmation of our ability to change mid-distance travel forever.”

WATCH it take off… 

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Dominica Creates World’s First Sperm Whale Reserve–for the 200 That Call the Island Home

By
Andy Corbley
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Will Falcon aka Vitaly Sokol, CC license
Will Falcon aka Vitaly Sokol, CC license

Sperm whales are the ocean’s greatest nomads, but one island in the Caribbean is creating a permanent home for them.

A roughly 300 square mile patch of ocean in the territorial waters of Dominica is the only place known on Earth where sperm whales can be seen regularly throughout the year when they arrive to breed, and it’s here that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of the island nation has established the world’s first sperm whale reserve.

“The 200 or so sperm whales that call our sea home are prized citizens of Dominica,” Mr. Skerrit said.

“Their ancestors likely inhabited Dominica before humans arrived. We want to ensure these majestic and highly intelligent animals are safe from harm and continue keeping our waters and our climate healthy.”

The marine reserve covers 800 square kilometers for those using metric, an area where commercial shipping and fishing will be forbidden from entering. Large ships can harm sperm whales, but smaller vessels, designated in the law as artisanal fishing, will be permitted inside the reserve provided their methods do not harm the whales.

MORE PROTECTIONS FOR WHALES: Blue Whales Return to California at Levels Not Seen Since Before the Whaling Industry

Sperm whales have the biggest teeth in the animal kingdom. They also have the biggest brains, and can pass down a unique cetacean culture that includes dialects of their clicking language.

Tourists will be able to view and swim with the creatures in sustainable numbers, BBC reports. 

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