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Scientists Find A Whole New Ecosystem Hiding Beneath Earth’s Seafloor

By
Andy Corbley
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Eelpout swims by a tower of tubeworms. (ROV SuBastianSchmidt Ocean InstituteCC BY-NC-SA)
Eelpout swims by a tower of tubeworms. (ROV SuBastianSchmidt Ocean InstituteCC BY-NC-SA)

Exploration and mapping of deep-sea life has come on in leaps and bounds over the last two decades, and the discoveries have been worth their weight in gold—like this new finding from the Schmidt Ocean Institute of life beneath undersea volcanic vents.

At a well-studied undersea volcano on the East Pacific Rise off Central America, an international team of marine biologists and oceanographers have discovered ecosystems of worms, snails, and bacteria living underground, under the seafloor.

Using an underwater robot, the science team overturned chunks of volcanic crust and discovered these narrow cave systems. Animals enter and exit them freely, adding a new dimension to hydrothermal vents, showing that their habitats exist both above and below the seafloor.

“On land we have long known of animals living in cavities underground, and in the ocean of animals living in sand and mud, but for the first time, scientists have looked for animals beneath hydrothermal vents,” says the institute’s executive director, Jyotika Virmani.

“This truly remarkable discovery of a new ecosystem, hidden beneath another ecosystem, provides fresh evidence that life exists in incredible places.”

Hydrothermal vents are fascinating underwater hotspots of life. As corals are the foundational creature of reefs, tube worms are a foundational species on the vents. However, their young have never been seen on the vents themselves, leading some scientists to hypothesize that they travel beneath them to reproduce.

To determine if the worms or other animals travel through vent fluids, the science team used Schmidt Ocean Institute’s underwater robot, ROV SuBastian, to conduct experiments by gluing mesh boxes over cracks in the earth’s crust. A non-toxic red pigment was released into the mesh box that colored all the animals inside.

The mesh box experiment. (ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute/CC BY-NC-SA)

When the boxes were removed after several days along with the crust they saw that animals living below the surface in hydrothermal cavities emerged and could be seen uncolored.

The discovery is reminiscent of other surveys of life in the deep places of the sea to which few people travel.

Undersea volcanoes off of Australia’s Cocos Keeling Islands were recently surveyed for life, and all manner of wild and wonderful species were discovered there.

Deep sea coral reefs are not well understood, and one was recently found 2,000 feet down in the Galapagos Islands marine protected area that was teeming with life. 

In 2020, the British Antarctic Survey sent a submersible down beneath the Antarctic shelf and instantly counted 36 species new to science living on a single boulder. 

“The discoveries made on each Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition reinforce the urgency of fully exploring our ocean so we know what exists in the deep sea,” said Wendy Schmidt, president and co-founder of Schmidt Ocean Institute. “The discovery of new creatures, landscapes, and now, an entirely new ecosystem underscores just how much we have yet to discover about our Ocean–and how important it is to protect what we don’t yet know or understand.”

WATCH the great video footage from the survey below…

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“Marriages, like careers, need constant nurturing—the secret of having it all is loving it all.” – Joyce Brothers

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Good News Network
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Morgan Rovang

Quote of the Day: “Marriages, like careers, need constant nurturing—the secret of having it all is loving it all.” – Joyce Brothers

Photo by: Morgan Rovang

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

How Lizards Regenerate their Tails Could Lead to Arthritis Treatments: Key Cartilage Cells Identified

By
Andy Corbley
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A green anole, which can regenerate its tail - Gary Youst, unsplash
A green anole, which can regenerate its tail – Gary Youst, unsplash

Lizards have the ability to shed their tails to escape predators, after which they will regrow in around 60 days’ time.

Although it looks like a normal tail, the original bone is actually replaced by softer cartilage.

Now researchers at the Keck School of Medicine in the University of Southern California have identified key cells that facilitate that cartilage regeneration.

They believe their discovery could unlock ways to rebuild cartilage damaged by osteoarthritis, a crippling degenerative disease for which at present there is no cure, and which affects 10% of all Americans.

Lizards are among the only higher vertebrates capable of regenerating cartilage that does not harden and are the closest relatives to mammals that can regenerate.

The team has published in the journal Nature Communications the first detailed description of the interplay between the two cell types that allow lizards to regenerate their tails.

“Lizards are kind of magical in their ability to regenerate cartilage because they can regenerate large amounts of cartilage and it doesn’t transition to bone,” said corresponding author Thomas Lozito, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery and stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

“The dream is to find a way to translate that process in humans because they cannot repair cartilage. This represents an important step because we need to understand the process in great detail before we can try to recreate it in mammals.”

Fibroblasts are the critical cell type that builds cartilage, and their research found that changes in gene activity that took place among certain fibroblast cells enabled de novo cartilage building.

They also discovered that a type of immune cell called a septoclast plays an important role in inhibiting fibrosis, or scarring, allowing the process of regeneration to take place.

MORE HUMAN REGENERATION: Regenerative Medicine Breakthrough: Cellular ‘Glue’ Heals Wounds, Potentially Regrows Nerves and Tissue

“Those two cell types working together laid the foundation for the beginning of the regenerative process,” explained Dr. Lozito. “A major difference between humans and lizards is that human tissue tends to scar and that scarring prevents tissue regeneration.”

Remarkably, the researchers were able to induce cartilage regeneration in the limbs of lizards, which do not regrow like their tails.

They now hope to test whether they can induce cartilage building in mammals, beginning with mice, using the techniques they employed in their experiments on lizard limbs.

MORE HUMAN REGENERATION: World’s First ‘Tooth Regrowth’ Medicine Moves Toward Clinical Trials in Japan

It opens an interesting avenue of imagination—of regenerating joints of all sorts in a non-invasive procedure. It’s the kind of thing a football coach dreams about.

SHARE This Inspiring First Step With Your Friends… 

Editor’s note: This story has had its image changed to reflect the correct reptile species.

Apple Committed $2.5 Billion to Build Affordable Housing and Thousands of Units Have Already been Built

By
Andy Corbley
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Page Street Studios - San Jose.gov
Page Street Studios – San Jose.gov

Citing a profound civic responsibility in the tech-heavy city of San Jose, CEO of Apple Inc. Tim Cook created a corporate fund to advance affordable housing projects in the city four years ago.

Now, $1.5 billion has already been spent, and it’s resulted in the creation of thousands of housing units across the city and county, and more.

As one might expect from the world’s largest company by market cap and revenue, the funding has been targeted, strategic, and effective, thanks to a plan to plug critical gaps in existing housing projects or innovate when necessary.

“We really look for projects and programs where not only do we have a deep impact, but we actually see the impact fairly quickly,” Kristina Raspe, Apple’s vice president of worldwide real estate and facilities, told Fast Company.

“That’s why we’ve chosen to focus on funding projects that need that last tranche of funding in order to be built, as opposed to projects that are still in the conceptual phase.”

Raspe and Apple have achieved that by relying on affordable housing non-profit partners like Housing Trust Silicon Valley, which provides Apple with lists of apartment and housing units that already went through planning and approval, but which hit last-minute snags.

MORE FORTUNE 500 FUNDING: IKEA Buys 11,000 Acres of U.S. Forest to Keep It From Being Developed

For example, Apple’s housing fund was able to get a 94-unit apartment building called the Villas at 4th Street in San Jose’s Japantown unstuck and open for chronically-unhoused senior citizens. Housing Trust Silicon Valley has also managed to secure the completion of another 82-unit building in San Jose on 333 Page Street, and a 30-unit building in the nearby city of Pittsburgh.

MORE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: Airbnb Will Chip In for Its Hosts’ Green Upgrades

In the Bay Area, Destination: Home, another of Apple’s partners, have been able to secure some of the fund’s money to build thousands of “extremely-affordable” homes in the county, as well as provide limited financial support to 24,000 people at the highest risk of losing their homes.

Apple has also traded 5 acres of land in Cupertino, where the company is headquartered, with the county to facilitate the construction of affordable housing for teachers near the schools where they work. The county will give Apple a smaller parcel of land elsewhere.

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Police Officer Jumps Fence to Save Chained Dog from Fire, Not Giving Up Even When Heat Turned Severe

By
Andy Corbley
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credit Arvin Police Department
credit Arvin Police Department

With a heart of gold and nerves of steel, an officer in Arvin, California vaulted over a fence and worked amid blazing heat to save a chained dog from a raging fire.

Chained just outside a burning mobile home, Officer Calderon comforted the dog with kind words before eventually using hedge clippers to free the pooch, all the while protecting the dog with his own body.

Hearing about Calderon’s heroics, recorded in a 6-minute section of body cam footage, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) decided to present the man with their Compassionate Action Award.

“His actions were truly heroic. And we want to reward him to recognize that and also because we hope that it will inspire more people to be heroes for animals,” said Ashley Byrne, PETA’s director of outreach communications.

The process of freeing the dog started after Calderon used his strength to clamber over a rickety 6-foot fence. The dog was frightened and ran away from Calderon at first, but he pulled it close to him via the chain while struggling to try and find some way to disconnect it.

At first, he tried to bend a pin holding two sections of chain apart, but it wouldn’t budge. Then, coaxing the dog to hide behind a large horizontal kitchen or bathroom sink in the yard, he breached the friendship barrier and was able to scratch the pit bull or bull terrier behind the ears.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Stranded Dog Wags His Tail With Joy as Fire Crews Rescue Him From Sheer Cliff Face–WATCH

Calderon pushed the sink closer to the wooden fence behind it, creating a shield to protect the dog from the heat of the fire while trying to break through the fence and allow the dog to go into the adjacent property.

The smart pooch understood what was happening, and when a passageway had been made it went through. In the neighbor’s yard, Calderon found a pair of hedge clippers which allowed him to finally free the dog from its bonds.

MORE ANIMAL RESCUES: A Dog Rescued From a Ledge 50 Feet Above a Colorado Creek Had Been Missing for Weeks

“My back was already on fire. Whenever I was able to shelter the dog, my back was burning, and at one point I thought I was going to have to give up,” Calderon said in an interview with Eyewitness News.

“A wall of fire and scorching heat didn’t stop Officer Calderon from fighting to save this terrified, trapped dog, and we salute him,” said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk.

WATCH the raw footage below BUT beware of profanity… 

India Succeeds in Reducing Emissions Rate by 33% Over 14 Years, on Track to Meet all Targets

By
Andy Corbley
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A coal power plant in India - credit Rawpixel
A coal power plant in India – credit Rawpixel

According to officials speaking with Reuters, India has reduced her greenhouse gas emissions by one-third since 2009.

The climate triumph was achieved by increased renewable energy production and increased forest cover, leaving the world’s-most populous country on track to meet all her current emissions targets.

The measurement of emissions in the report is referred to as “emissions intensity” which describes a measure of greenhouse gases emitted against a ratio of GDP.

According to the report, which is the third official report submitted to the UN’s Convention on Climate Change, India has increased her annual reductions of emissions to 3% annually in the period 2016-2019, from just about 1.5% in the preceding period of 2014 to 2016.

Forest cover and tree cover in India, according to the nation’s 2019 State of the Forest report, increased by 2,000 square miles, between 2017 and 2019. This is credited with increasing the total carbon stored in the soils of India by 42.6 million tonnes.

Recent estimates of India’s electricity mix show that renewable energy accounted for 25.3% of India’s total power generation along with nuclear.

MORE EMISSIONS TARGETS MET: EU Smashes 2020 Climate Target, Records 34% Drop in Emissions to Lowest Level Since 1990

India relies heavily on coal for power, and the officials speaking with Reuters said by demonstrating that a mixture of traffic management, renewable energy utilization, and forest management can meet the nation’s emissions targets, the government won’t need to practice widespread decommissioning of coal-fired power plants.

India has already invested heavily in future coal projects. Abandoning them would not only cause massive losses for the state’s coffers, but also a significant loss of confidence in Indian capital markets, and in state governments’ ability to manage taxpayer money.

SHARE This Good Green Indian News With Your Friends… 

“A man must not deny his manifest abilities, for that is to evade his obligations.” – William Feather

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “A man must not deny his manifest abilities, for that is to evade his obligations.” – William Feather 

Photo by: Maarten van den Heuvel

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?

Do You Know Anyone Named Bacon? Four of Them Could Win $10,000

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Good News Network
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Wright Brand

After 100 years of making hand-trimmed wood-smoked bacon, the Wright Brand wants to help fellow Bacons become their best selves through its first-ever Better Bacons Contest.

Wright says it knows a thing or two about making the best bacon. That’s why they’re setting out to help fellow Bacons across America become the best version of themselves.

Whether it’s through a kitchen makeover, a much-needed vacation, or an updated wardrobe, ten grand awaits four different Bacons.

“The Better Bacons contest is about paying it forward and delivering on improving the lives of those who have a special connection to bacon through their name,” said Lindsey Rice, brand manager for Wright Brand.

“Four applicants will receive $10,000 to ultimately help make them a better Bacon.”

To launch the nationwide call, Wright found a Mr. Bacon located near Chicago to help improve his life, giving a taste of what’s to come for four others lucky enough to carry such a delicious surname.

Wright’s first winner in Illinois

To win the contest, Mr. or Ms. Bacon should submit a one-minute video—or a written entry— explaining why they are deserving and what area of their life they’d like to level up.

To submit and view official contest rules, visit betterbacons.com and enter by August 21.

BRILLIANT WIN: 14-yo Crowned ‘America’s Top Young Scientist’ for Headphones That Treat Ear Infections With Blue Light

SHARE With ‘Bacons’ Everywhere on Social Media!

Grandma Runs Week-long Summer Camp for 11 Grandchildren–With Daily Menu, Activity Schedule, Homemade Trophies

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Good News Network
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Narnie with some of her grandchildren at her week longlong summer camp - SWNS
Narnie with some of her grandchildren at her week longlong summer camp – SWNS

A dedicated grandma has run a week-long summer camp to bring her 11 grandchildren together for daily meals, and activity schedules, with homemade trophies and gold medals.

Narnie Shyrel Mack has four daughters and takes looking after her grandchildren very seriously.

The kids, aged seven months to 18 years, live hours apart and only see each other during holidays, so she hosts a ‘camp’ at her home to bring them all together.

‘Camp Narnie 2023’ saw them enjoy a busy schedule of outdoor sports, games, crafts, and challenges.

The unmarried 68-year-old even went the extra mile with meal plans, homemade awards and medals for the game winners, at her four-bed home in Kingsland, Georgia.

Daughter Vycki Gaines says her mom has always been good at coming up with fun activities—and would run their local church summer camps when Vycki was young.

“I think she really enjoys it. Not just summer camps, but graduations, birthdays, church camps.”

SWNS

“She runs ideas by us and we have to ask ‘mom, are you sure you want to do all that?’ but she always does it. This year’s was the best one yet—it’s definitely going to be something they’ll never forget.

ABOVE AND BEYOND DAD: New Jersey Dad Drives 1,000 Miles After Wife and Kids Had Flight to Disney Cancelled: ‘He’s Our Rock’

“It’s an amazing feeling knowing whenever they go to stay at Narnie’s I have nothing to worry about – in fact they never want to leave!”

The grandkids stayed for a week in July—with the exception of the baby who only came during the day—and Narnie catered to the cousins’ every need. Its actually not a big house but the kids love to sleep on the floor.

The daughter didn’t know she made personal schedules until she came to pick them up.

“She came up with the trophies on the spot and made homemade labels on the computer.”

After sharing videos of ‘Camp Narnie’ online, people were amazed at Shyrel’s effort.

Narnie (right) takes her family bowling – SWNS

“We always knew she was special, but I didn’t realize how many people go without that until I started reading the comments.

LOOK: Grandson Accompanies His 93-year-old Grandma to Visit All 63 National Parks: ‘Greatest privilege of my life’

“It was heartwarming, because my mom has always been the family’s backbone—she keeps us on our toes and keeps our heads held high.”

WATCH the video from Tiktok…

@vyckigaines So Blessed that mine and my sisters’ children are able to experience this kind of love from our Mom 💙 She kept all of her Grandbabies for the week and called it “Narnie Camp”. She made a full schedule, menu, and awards for everyone. And kids had a blast! #summer #grandmotherslove #summercamp #kidsoftiktok #fyp ♬ Summertime (Instrumental) - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

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A Third of Americans Claim They’re the Best Bargain Hunter They Know: Here’s a Few of Their Tips

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Good News Network
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CardMapr.nl
CardMapr.nl

Inflation may come and go, but bargain hunters are here to stay, with a third of Americans claiming they’re the best bargain hunter they know (34%), according to a new poll.

The survey of 2,000 Americans’ shopping habits found that 36% of respondents will always look for a deal even when their finances are doing well.

In fact, 87% of these respondents said they’ll carry money-saving habits with them forever.

Conducted by OnePoll for Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, the survey found that eight in 10 believe that finding items on sale is important in today’s economy—and 66% are confident they can find a deal on any item.

They shared with pollsters a few of their favorite hacks for saving money:

  • looking for items off-season that are on clearance and saving them until I need them
  • checking multiple stores to find the most ‘bang for my buck’ on items
  • putting “$1.00 in a jar for each hour you watch TV.”
  • avoiding impulse shopping
  • doing lots of research beforehand
  • searching for coupon codes on the internet for specific stores

Finding bargains can also affect people’s emotional health: 85% of those in this random double-opt-in survey said finding a good deal on something “makes their day”.

What makes a “good deal?” On average, Americans estimate an item needs to be at least 36% off in order to consider it a bargain.

More than half of respondents said that even if they needed an item urgently, they would hold off on purchasing it to see if they could find it discounted first (56%).

“Today’s shopper is more knowledgeable than ever before. They know a good deal when they see one and won’t settle for full retail price,” said John Swygert, president and chief executive officer at Ollie’s. “Contrary to what many may believe, deals do exist on brand name items. It’s important for consumers to explore all of the options available to them to get the most savings on the products they love.”

There are 487 Ollie’s discount stores throughout the East Coast, Midwest, and Texas.

Your Weekly Horoscope From Rob Brezsny: A ‘Free Will Astrology’

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Our partner Rob Brezsny 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 August 12, 2023
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Now and then, there comes a time when I acquire an uncanny knack for seeing the totality of who you really are. I tune in to everything you do that few others know about or appreciate. I behold the big picture of your best possible future. One of those magic moments has now arrived. And it’s no accident that your energy matches mine. In other words, my power to consecrate you reflects your ability to bless yourself. So give yourself the ultimate gift, please.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
In the 17th century, Virgo musician Johann Pachelbel composed a piece of music he called the Canon in D. It soon went out of style and disappeared into obscurity. But over 250 years later, a French chamber orchestra rediscovered it, and by the 1980s, it was everywhere. Ever since, Pachelbel’s Canon has been used in many pop songs and is a common anthem at weddings and funerals. I’m predicting a comparable revival for you, Virgo. An influence, creation, or person that has been gone for a while will re-emerge as a presence in your life. Be decisive in adopting it for your benefit.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Author Iain S. Thomas tells us, “There is magic even in gridlock, in loneliness, in too much work, in late nights gone on too long, in shopping carts with broken wheels, in boredom, in tax returns.” He says it’s the same magic that prompted Joan of Arc to believe that God spoke to her and empowered her to lead an army. I wouldn’t agree that it’s the same magic. But I do advise us all to be alert for enchantment and interesting mysteries even in the most mundane affairs. I am a champion of the quest for holiness, delight, and marvels in seemingly unlikely locations. In the coming weeks, Libra, you will have a special talent for finding these revelatory joys.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Poet Rainer Maria Rilke said, “Self-transformation is precisely what life is.” If that’s true, you are in luck. Of all the zodiac signs, you are the most skillful self-transformer. Moreover, you are entering a prolonged phase when your instinct and talent for self-transformation will be even more potent than usual. I plan to observe you closely in the hope of learning your tricks for changing into an ever-better version of yourself. Show us all how it’s done, dear Scorpio!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Born under the sign of Sagittarius, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) was one of history’s most influential composers of classical music. His elegant, lyrical works are still widely played today. He was also a revolutionary innovator who expanded the scope of many musical genres. One composition, Piano Sonata No. 32, prefigures elements of ragtime, jazz, and boogie-woogie—70 years before those styles emerged. In this spirit, I invite you to plant a seed for the future. You will soon get glimpses of creative shifts that will someday be possible. And you will have an enhanced ability to instigate the inventive momentum that generates those shifts.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Let’s be honest. Most of us—maybe all of us!—fail to grasp the world objectively. Our perceptions get filtered through our opinions and beliefs and habit minds. The events we think we see are shaped by our expectations about them. Our projections often overrule the possibility of unbiased impartiality. We are serial misinterpreters. But there’s no need to be ashamed! It’s a universal human tendency. Having said all that, however, I believe you will have a special knack, in the coming weeks, for observing reality with more clarity and open-mindedness than usual. You will have an unprecedented opportunity to see accurately and gather fresh, raw truths.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Is this a phase of your cycle when you’ll be prone to saying things like “Why do you take me for granted?” and “I’m feeling cranky” and “It’s not what you said, it’s the way you said it”? Or are you in a time when the following expressions are more likely to emerge from your mouth: “I have come to understand you in a totally new and interesting way” and “Life has blessed me by removing one of my unnecessary obstacles” and “I would love to learn more about the arts of cooperation and collaboration”? Here’s what I think, Aquarius: Which way you go will depend on how clearly you set your intentions. Life will respond in kind to the moods you cultivate and the specific requests you make.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Our bodies are imperfect. They are often less than 100 percent completely healthy. They don’t always do what we wish they would. Yet even when we feel less than our best, our body continually carries out millions of biochemical marvels, mostly below the level of our conscious awareness. As the creation of an evolutionary process that has unfolded for eons, our precious organism is an amazing work of art that we have every right to regard as miraculous. According to my astrological reckoning, the coming weeks are the best time this year to honor and celebrate your body. What does it need to flourish? Ask your intuition to show you.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In Stephen King’s novel It, a character named Beverly is in love with a man who projects a sense of authority but also listens well. He is strong-minded but receptive; confident but willing to be changed; self-possessed but open to influence. That’s an apt description of the allies I wish for you to attract into your life in the coming months. Whether they are lovers or partners, companions or collaborators, friends or colleagues, you need and deserve the high-quality, emotionally intelligent exchanges they offer.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Seventy-year-old Taurus-born Eric Bogosian is a prolific playwright and author renowned for his hard-edged satire. The title of one of his books is Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead. But one critic speculates he may be softening as he ages, noting that he “seems more amused than disgusted by the decaying world around him, as if his anger has been tempered by a touch of hope.” The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to cultivate a comparable reshaping, dear Taurus. Can you tenderize what has been tough? Is it possible to find redemption or entertainment in situations that have been challenging? Are you willing to add more levity and geniality to your perspective?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Decca is a UK-based record label that has produced the work of many major musicians, including Billie Holliday, the Rolling Stones, and Tori Amos. They made a huge mistake in 1962, though. A fledgling group named The Beatles tried to get signed to Decca. An executive at the company declined, saying, “We don’t like their sound. Groups of guitars are on their way out.” Oops. The Beatles eventually became the best-selling and most influential band of all time. I don’t think you’re at risk of making as monumental a misstep, Gemini. But please be alert to the possibility of a key opportunity coming into view. Don’t underestimate it, even if it’s different from what you imagine you want.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
I’m a Cancerian who used to be overly reactive to people’s carelessness. If someone was in a bad mood and flung a rash insult at me, I might take offense too easily. If a friend misunderstood me, even with no malice intended, I may have sulked. Thankfully, over time, I have learned to be more like a honey badger, whose thick skin protects it well against stings and pricks. I bring this up because the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to practice my approach. First step: Understand how people sometimes direct their frustration about life toward undeserving recipients. Second step: Vow to take things less personally. Third step: Give yourself regular compliments. Actually say them aloud.

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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“I love not man the less, but Nature more.” – Lord Byron

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Quote of the Day: “I love not man the less, but Nature more.” – Lord Byron

Photo: hummingbird by a.koto (CC license)

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?

Plastic Waste Can Now be Turned into Soap Thanks to Eureka Moment from Virginia Tech

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Andy Corbley
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credit Steven Mackay for Virginia Tech.
credit Steven Mackay for Virginia Tech

Polyethylene, one of the most common plastics used today, is actually very similar in chemical structure to the chief fatty acid in soap, and a scientist at Virginia Tech has discovered a long sought-after way to convert one into the other.

The compound, called a surfactant, is now being seen as an effective way to upcycle polyethylene plastics into soap, detergents, and more.

Guoliang Liu, a researcher at VA Tech, felt that there must be some way to divide the long polyethylene chains into shorter, but not too short, fatty acid chains that could be used to make soap.

Liu believed there was the potential for a new upcycling method that could take low-value plastic waste and turn it into a high-value, useful commodity.

Having considered the question for some time, Liu was struck by inspiration while enjoying a winter evening by a fireplace. He watched the smoke rise from the fire and thought about how the smoke was made up of tiny particles produced during the wood’s combustion.

Although plastics should never be burned in a fireplace for safety and environmental reasons, Liu began to wonder what would happen if polyethylene could be burned in a safe laboratory setting. Would the incomplete combustion of polyethylene produce “smoke” just like burning wood does? If someone were to capture that smoke, what would it be made of?

“Firewood is mostly made of polymers such as cellulose. The combustion of firewood breaks these polymers into short chains, and then into small gaseous molecules before full oxidation to carbon dioxide,” said Liu.

MORE CHEMICAL UPCYCLING: Breakthrough: Polyethylene Bags and Jugs Can Finally be Upcycled to Solve Several Problems at Once

“If we similarly break down the synthetic polyethylene molecules but stop the process before they break all the way down to small gaseous molecules, then we should obtain short-chain, polyethylene-like molecules.”

Two Ph.D. chemistry students in Liu’s lab aided the curious researcher in building a laboratory oven for the experiement, where they could heat polyethylene in a process called temperature-gradient thermolysis. At the bottom, the oven is at a high enough temperature to break the polymer chains, and at the top, the oven is cooled to a low enough temperature to stop any further breakdown.

After the thermolysis, they gathered the residue—similar to cleaning soot from a chimney—and found that Liu’s hunch had been right: It was composed of “short-chain polyethylene,” or more precisely, waxes.

MORE CHEMISTRY BREAKTHROUGHS: Life-Saving Breakthrough for Antibiotics Uses Shapeshifting Chemistry that Won 2022 Nobel Prize

This was the first step in developing a method for upcycling plastics into soap, Liu said. Upon adding a few more steps, including saponification, the team made the world’s first soap out of plastics. To continue the process, the team enlisted the help of experts in computational modeling, economic analysis, and more.

“Our research demonstrates a new route for plastic upcycling without using novel catalysts or complex procedures. In this work, we have shown the potential of a tandem strategy for plastic recycling,” said Zhen Xu, lead author on the paper published in Science, and one of the Ph.D. students. “This will enlighten people to develop more creative designs of upcycling procedures in the future.”

SHARE This Awesome Bit Of Chemistry With Your Friends… 

Comedy Pets Photography Awards Celebrates the Crazy Lives of Our Fur Babies– LOOK

By
Andy Corbley
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A Life-Changing Event, Beirut, Lebanon. © Michel Zoghzoghi/Comedy Pet Awards,

Now in its fourth year, the Comedy Pet Awards, a photography contest looking to capture the playful, the bizarre, and the hilarious character we all know resides within our fur babies, just concluded in London.

The winner this year was Michel Zoghzoghi, who travels the world shooting pictures of big and fearsome cats among other wildlife. He took first prize when he captured his playful rescues in action, with the rambunctious Max ambushing the timid Alex.

As the winner of the top prize, Michel received £500 cash, a fantastic camera bag
from ThinkTank, and a beautiful bespoke trophy.

“This is still a very young competition in the whole scheme of things, but within a few short years we are already receiving some of the most uplifting, life-affirming hilarious images of pets in the world!” stated Tom Sullam, Co-founder of the Comedy Pet Awards.

“I couldn’t be more excited to share these with you all. Pets have played a fundamental role during the COVID years, and to be able to laugh out loud with these loveable creatures is the reason this competition exists.”

Barkin! New York City, USA © Chris Porsz/Comedy Pet Awards.

“In March 2019 I was sitting in the Union Square New York dog run when I spotted a lady with a pink bag on her hand (to keep her hand clean) throwing a ball to her dog which was sat down facing her. The dog then launched itself and flipped in mid-air to face me and snap!”

Football free kick, Fukuoka, Japan.© Kenichi Morinaga/Comedy Pet Awards
The Three Greys. Landstuhlh, Germany. © Klaus-Peter Selzer/Comedy Pet Awards.

“Karin and her two dogs, don’t they look the same?

Zorro Reborn. Fahrdorf, Germany. © Karl Goldhamer/Comedy Pet Awards

“The avenger of the poor is back, but this time as a dog and not on a horse, but in a car! The obligatory black mask is a must, of course.”

Uplift Anyone’s Day With These Cute And Hilarious Photographs… 

Miami Police Officer Honored After Saving Boy With Autism from Drowning

By
Andy Corbley
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Ofiicer Ernesto Fernandez (center) honored at the Friendship Circle organization - Miami Police Department retrieved from Facebook
Officer Ernesto Fernandez (center) honored at the Friendship Circle organization – Miami Police Department retrieved from Facebook

Officer Ernesto Fernandez knew only that he had to save a life and worry about the rest later as he jumped into a Miami river to save a drowning child.

The ‘rest’ in this case was the 10-year-old boy’s Autism condition, and how it would affect the rescue attempt.

It wasn’t much of a concern to Fernandez, whose own son is on the Autism spectrum. To the contrary, the devoted husband and father was all the more committed to ensuring the accident didn’t end in tragedy.

Bodycam footage captured of the July rescue shows a fellow officer arriving in time to help Fernandez safely get the child into the car seat of the police cruiser, while the man’s black uniform was soaked through from his heroics.

On August 2nd, Officer Fernandez was honored in a ceremony held by the Friendship Circle Miami, an organization that provides friendship and acceptance to individuals with special needs.

“I know you jumped out of your car because you knew what that child really is,” said Rabbi Yossi Harling of Friendship Circle Miami, in a speech.

MORE NEWS LIKE THIS: Caught on Camera: Teen Hero Dives Into Bay to Save Drowning Woman From Sinking Car

“One of the greatest fears that parents have raising a child on the spectrum—and if you’re raising a child you know exactly what I’m talking about—is your child will be somewhere, and the person won’t understand their action,” said Harling.

“You look at an incidence [sic] like this, and the power that it has not only to those who are involved, but to the community at large, it is an incredible, incredible touching moment,” said Chief of Police Manuel Morales.

WATCH the full bodycam footage below from the Miami Herald…

DIVE Into Social Media Below With This Rescue Of A Drowning Child… 

After 17 Years, A Spacecraft Makes its First Visit Home Having Made History

By
Andy Corbley
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Artist's illustration of STEREO-A: credit NASA-JPL via SWNS
Artist’s illustration of STEREO-A: credit NASA-JPL via SWNS

A spacecraft that gave us our first multiple-perspective view of the Sun is set to fly by Earth for the first time since launching 17 years ago.

NASA’s STEREO-A spacecraft will pass between the Sun and Earth on Saturday, August 12th, with the agency exclaiming “our teenage spacecraft is visiting home.”

The twin STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) spacecraft launched on October 25th, 2006 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Prior to the mission, we could only observe the Sun one side at a time. The two crafts’ flights enabled a stereoscopic three-dimensional view.

STEREO-A (for “Ahead”) advanced its lead on Earth as STEREO-B (for “Behind”) lagged behind, both charting Earth-like orbits around the Sun.

During the first years after launch, the dual-spacecraft mission achieved its landmark goal: providing the first stereoscopic, or multiple-perspective, view of our closest star.

“On Feb. 6, 2011, the mission achieved another landmark: STEREO-A and -B reached a 180-degree separation in their orbits. For the first time, humanity saw our Sun as a complete sphere,” wrote NASA.

“Prior to that we were ‘tethered’ to the Sun-Earth line—we only saw one side of the Sun at a time,” explained Lika Guhathakurta, STEREO program scientist at NASA. “STEREO broke that tether and gave us a view of the Sun as a three-dimensional object.”

On Saturday, STEREO-A’s lead on Earth will have grown to one full revolution as the spacecraft “laps” us in our orbit around the Sun.

“In the few weeks before and after STEREO-A’s flyby, scientists are seizing the opportunity to ask questions normally beyond the mission’s reach.”

NASA explains that when a plume of solar material known as a coronal mass ejection, or CME, arrives at Earth, it can disrupt satellite and radio signals, or even cause surges in our power grids. Or, it may have hardly any effect at all. It all depends on the magnetic field embedded within it, which can change dramatically in the 93 million miles between the Sun and Earth.

During the months before and after STEREO-A’s Earth flyby, any Earth-directed CMEs will pass over STEREO-A and other near-Earth spacecraft, giving scientists much-needed multipoint measurements from inside a CME.

MORE NEWS LIKE THIS: NASA Probe Enters the Sun’s Atmosphere for the First Time, Immediately Teaching Us New Things About Our Star

“To understand how a CME’s magnetic field evolves on the way to Earth, scientists build computer models of these solar eruptions, updating them with each new spacecraft observation,” NASA writes.

Toni Galvin, a professor at the University of New Hampshire and principal investigator for one of STEREO-A’s instruments, compares our ability to gather data on CMEs with the parable about the blind men and the elephant.

“[One] feels the legs says ‘it’s like a tree trunk,’ and the one who feels the tail says ‘it’s like a snake,” says Galvin. “That’s what we’re stuck with right now with CMEs, because we typically only have one or two spacecraft right next to each other measuring it.”

MORE SPACECRAFT STORIES: Scientists See Red Planet in New Light, Unveiling Two Incredible New Images

Scientists are excited as the flyby comes at a time the Sun is fairly active as we approach the solar maximum predicted for 2025.

In this phase of the solar cycle, STEREO-A will be passing by a fundamentally different Sun. There is so much knowledge to be gained from that.

SHARE This Cool And Unique Outer Space Reunion With Your  Friends… 

“A somebody was once a nobody who wanted to and did.” – John Burroughs

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “A somebody was once a nobody who wanted to and did.” – John Burroughs

Photo by: Andrej Nihil

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?

Brain Matter May Remain Higher In People Who Love Taking a Nap

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - Lauren BL on Unsplash
credit – Lauren BL on Unsplash

A study recently found a potentially-causal link between habitual daytime napping and total brain volume, which could carry implications for staving off the effects of aging.

The difference was not a small one, and it equated to the difference in brain volume between people with normal cognitive function and mild cognitive impairment, or between 2.6 and 6.5 years of brain volume loss due to aging.

The study was conducted via data on genetic polymorphisms recorded in the UK Biobank, a population-level database that combines health questionaries with gene-wide association studies to link various self-reported activities and choices with genetic variation and disease outcomes.

In this study, published in Sleep Health, the authors used a core group of 92 single-nucleotide polymorphisms to identify people who were genetically predisposed to daytime napping and separated those who had these SNPs into groups based on their answers to a question of how often they napped during the day, with the answers being never, rarely, sometimes, and often.

The genetic predisposition is important, as there are some people, the authors write, who simply never reach a point of daytime tiredness where they feel the need to nap, and studies have shown that these people may have higher brain volumes at baseline.

Sleep quality and duration are key factors in the speed of cognitive decline, of cognitive ability, and total brain mass. Sleep quality tends to diminish with age, as does cognitive ability and total brain mass. Furthermore, frequency of napping tends to increase with age after 60. For these reasons, the authors indicate that research on the effects of napping is paramount to understanding cognitive decline in later years.

MORE HEALTHY BRAINS: Probiotics Enhances Cognitive Abilities Through the Gut: A Key to Aging Brain Health

With over 350,000 participants from the UK Biobank analyzed with a mean age of 57, the authors found a causal association between genetically-disposed daytime napping and 15.3 cubic centimeters of increased brain volume, or around a 1.6% difference.

Secondary outcomes were hippocampus volume, and two measures of cognitive performance, visual memory, and reaction time. None of these showed any associated increases with habitual daytime napping.

This was a surprise for the scientists. The hippocampus is where, among other things, short-term visual memory is processed into long-term memory storage.

MORE SLEEP SCIENCE: Smell of Simple Fragrance While Sleeping Produces Major Memory Boost in Older Adults

“Our hypothesis was based on the fact that the hippocampus, as a brain structure that plays a crucial role in memory, could be a useful proxy of the variations in memory performance reported to be associated with daytime napping,” the authors wrote. “However, we did not find this association, nor an association between genetic liability to habitual daytime napping and visual memory performance.”

For the scientists, the takeaway was that more research is needed. For the layman, the findings may suggest that for those genetically predisposed to habitual daytime, i.e. for those who feel the urge to take a nap in the middle of the day, it could be a small natural defense against cognitive decline as they age.

SHARE This Fascinating Finding With Your Friends Who Like A Nice Nap… 

College Athlete Learns His Teammate Donates Plasma to Afford School–So He Gave Him His Scholarship

By
Andy Corbley
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A collegiate athlete who had won a scholarship to Eastern Michigan University to play football gave it all away to his teammate who was struggling to pay tuition bills.

Without a doubt, offensive lineman Brian Dooley would have been extremely proud to have earned a full-ride scholarship to undergraduate and graduate school at EMU, but as much as he saw his dedication to the sport pay off, there was something that always pushed him to work harder.

It was the grind and ethic of his partner on the offensive line, Zack Conti, who made it onto the team as a “walk-on” meaning without a scholarship. Conti paid his $7,000 per semester tuition and associated expenses all on his own, even going as far as selling his blood plasma to make the payments.

“Football is something I really love, so ever since I got to school, I’ve had to do whatever it takes to stay here and stay in a good position with academics and football and everything,” Conti, a senior at Eastern Michigan, said in a video shared by the university with ABC News. “So I work a landscaping job and I rip out carpets and I demo tile floors whenever I’m not working or not doing football or going to school.”

Everyone on the team was aware of the situation, and despite the camaraderie, Conti said it was always difficult to ask for help.

MORE FOOTBALL NEWS: 6 High School Football Players Combine Their Strength to Rescue Injured Woman Trapped in a Wrecked Car

Dooley wasn’t about to wait around for Conti to ask, though, after he heard that Conti was considering quitting the team as the bills piled up around him.

He walked into coach Chris Creighton’s office and asked if there were any way he could transfer his scholarship to Conti to keep his friend on the team, something he had never heard or seen before from a student.

“The o [offensive]-line brotherhood is something that is hard to break. We have each other’s back. That’s why I wanted to get Conti’s back,” Dooley told Good Morning America. “If Conti wasn’t here, I’d give it to somebody else too. If somebody is working that hard and they deserve a scholarship, I want to give it to them.”

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One day during a team meeting, Coach Creighton began praising Conti’s work ethic, before saying that Brian Dooley wanted to recognize his effort and hand over their scholarship. He asked Brian Dooley to stand up and the two young men shared an embrace that the whole team celebrated.

Their season starts September 1st, and although Dooley will now have to take on his own university expenses, he is currently in his final year of eligibility.

WATCH the coach’s speech and the teammates’ embrace… 

SHARE This Inspiring Story Of Generosity And Hard Work… 

Stray Cat Finds a New Life in the Public Library– From Hitting the Streets to Hitting the Books

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - WTOL 11
credit – WTOL 11

In an Ohio public library, one of the most valuable employees can’t even reach the top shelf of books.

He provides another service, however, one that’s better suited to paws than hands.

Benny the cat is a three-month old attendent at Swanton Public Library in Ohio. Encouraging children to read by visiting them during story time, or zooming around the place thanks to the conspicuous absense of books on the bottom shelves, he’s becoming a little star among the library staff.

The tuxedo cat was rescued by the Wood County Humane Society after being thrown out of a truck window. He was adopted by Anna Burwell, the adult services coordinator at the library, who decided to bring the little fellow to work one day.

Anna noticed how the kids became much more enaged with the books after the simple addition of an adorable kitten, who would chase them, and subject himself to being chased, bringing smiles out of everyone in the place.

Benny begins each day by running around the aisles via passageways left for him on the lowest shelves, but even though he’s not technically on the payroll, he’s an irreplaceable member of the team.

MORE PAWESOME MASCOTS: Stray Cats Saved a Restaurant During the Pandemic By Lounging On Miniature Models in the Window (LOOK)

Benny particularly enjoys coming upon the children during storytime, when he sees what they are doing, and then “passes out” creating the perfect idol of peace and quiet.

“We’ve had a couple of people come up to the desk and ask for him,” Burwell told local news WTOL 11. “Benny is a good listener. He makes the children feel comfortable.”

Indeed, the library staff are considering training him as a therapy cat.

WATCH Benny go in the video below… 

SHARE This Beautiful Little Boy With His Big Job…

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