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Michigan Clears Criminal Records for Thousands of Low-Level, Nonviolent Offenders–‘Meaningful 2nd Chances’

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Photo by Kit, CC license
Photo by Kit, CC license

Criminal justice reforms signed three years ago in the U.S. state of Michigan took effect last week, with nearly 850,000 residents seeing at least one conviction automatically set aside.

The bipartisan “Clean Slate” legislation, as advocates call it, triggered an automatic expungement process starting last Tuesday, wiping clean a range of convictions from people’s records following a defined waiting period.

Michigan has about 2.8 million people with criminal records. Many of those convictions are low-level, nonviolent offenses, while others were committed as juveniles. Before the new expungement laws, those offenses stuck to records and acted as barriers to housing and employment opportunities.

“We’re celebrating a historic step forward as Michigan becomes just the third state to implement automatic expungement,” said John Cooper, executive director of Safe & Just Michigan. “This reform will deliver immediate and automatic impact for more than a million people, all of whom are likely to see their access to housing and jobs improve overnight.”

On April 11 alone, when the automatic expungement program began, 252,417 Michiganders became conviction-free as their criminal records were sealed.

SLEUTH HEROES: New Evidence Unearthed by Podcasters Frees 2 Men Wrongfully Imprisoned for 25 Years

Other states that offer relief for criminal records include Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Utah, Florida, Georgia, Montana, and Maine.

“We are encouraged and hopeful that the State of Michigan will continue to advance meaningful second chances in the future,” said Antoniese “Tony” Gant, director of policy and program operations for the Lansing-based Nation Outside. “We know all too well how difficult, expensive, and embarrassing the expungement petition process (used to) be.”

The new program’s algorithm automatically searches the state’s criminal record database every day to find convictions newly eligible for expungement.

Offenses not eligible for expungement include arson, child abuse, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, first-degree murder, felonious assault, manslaughter, stalking, and others.

For misdemeanors punishable by less than 93 days in jail, courts will seal those records instead of the state police.

RELATED GOOD NEWS: President Biden Pardons Thousands Convicted of Cannabis Possession Under Federal Law

“This groundbreaking, nation-leading reform will be transformational for thousands of our neighbors in West Michigan, and for our member businesses who have thousands of job openings to fill,” said Josh Lunger, vice president of government affairs with the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce.

“Building sustainable talent pipelines and creating economic opportunity for more people is a critical piece of supporting a thriving and prosperous West Michigan for all.”

Research has shown favorable outcomes for employment and income for people whose records have been expunged, along with a lower re-offense rate than compared to the general public.

CHECK OUT: Thousands Have Donated $1.6 Million to Innocent Man Freed From Prison After 43-Year Wrongful Conviction

Safe & Just estimates that going forward, the program will expunge between 100,000 to 200,000 low-level, nonviolent criminal records annually.

Convictions will be eligible for permanent sealing after seven years for up to four misdemeanors; and after either 10 years for up to two nonviolent felonies or the completion of a prison term.

Written by Laina G. Stebbins and republished under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license from Michigan Advance

Method of Stopping Hair From Going Gray Might Finally Have Been Discovered

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By Dragisa Braunovic
By Dragisa Braunovic

The tell-tale sign of aging—gray hair—is something that many women and men have tried to hide for generations. Now, researchers have found that certain stem cells have a unique ability to move within hair follicles, which could maintain the original pigment in the strands.

They found that as our hair ages, sheds, and repeatedly grows back, more of these stem cells become stuck in a compartment called the hair follicle bulge. They remain here and fail to travel back to their original location in the compartment, where proteins would have helped them regenerate into pigment cells—thus helping hairs keep their color.

The study, led by researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, observed the physically-aged hairs of mice and found that more and more stem cells became stuck when aging. These cells were also found to remain incapable of regenerating or maturing into pigment-producing hairs that keep their color.

The scientists hope the new research may lead to the necessary answers for keeping hair healthy and colored long into old age.

The study focused on cells in the skin of mice which can also be found in humans, called ‘melanocyte stem cells’ or McSCs.

POPULAR: Cure for Baldness Could Be on the Horizon as Hair Cells Are Generated in a Lab

Our hair color is controlled by whether non-functional—but continually multiplying—pools of McSCs within hair follicles receive the signal necessary to become mature cells responsible for making the protein pigments.

The NYU study published this week in Nature found the McSCs are ‘plastic’ or adaptable, meaning that during normal hair growth, they continually move back and forth on the maturity axis as they move between compartments of the developing hair follicle.

It is inside these compartments that the McSCs are exposed to differing levels of maturity-influencing protein signals, which transform the cells between their most primitive stem cell state to the next stage of their maturation.

The scientists found that increasing numbers of McSCs get stuck—and once stuck, the McSCs remain in the bulge and fail to mature into the transit state that would help them travel back to their original location in the germ compartment where proteins could help them to regenerate into pigment cells.

RELATED: FDA Approves First Alopecia Drug That Restores Hair Growth in Many Patients

The researchers say McSC adaptability is not present in other self-regenerating stem cells, such as those making up the hair follicle itself, which are known to move in only one direction along an established timeline as they mature, which helps explain in part why hair can keep growing even while its pigmentation fails.

“Our study adds to our basic understanding of how melanocyte stem cells work to color hair,” said the study’s lead investigator, Dr Qi Sun, a postdoctoral fellow at NYU Langone Health. “The newfound mechanisms raise the possibility that the same fixed-positioning of melanocyte stem cells may exist in humans.”

“If so, it presents a potential pathway for reversing or preventing the graying of human hair by helping jammed cells to move again between developing hair follicle compartments.”

Joel Muniz

Earlier work by scientists at NYU showed that “WNT signaling was needed to stimulate the McSCs to mature and produce pigment”. That study had also shown that McSCs were many trillions of times less exposed to WNT signaling in the hair follicle bulge than in the hair germ compartment, which is situated directly below the bulge.

LOOK AT YOUR STRESS: Stress Can Accelerate Grays, But Hair Color Can Be Restored When Stress is Eliminated, Scientists Find

In the latest experiments, the NYU team ‘physically’ aged the hair of mice by plucking them out and forcing them to regrow. The number of hair follicles with McSCs lodged in the follicle bulge increased from 15 percent before plucking to nearly half afterward.

These cells remained incapable of either regenerating or maturing into pigment-producing melanocytes.

The stuck McSCs were found to have ceased their regenerative behavior as they were no longer exposed to enough WNT protein signaling and were unable to produce pigment in new hair follicles, which continued to grow.

In contrast, McSCs which continued to move back and forth between the follicle bulge and hair germ retained their ability to regenerate as McSCs, mature into melanocytes, and produce pigment over the entire study period of two years.

“It is the loss of chameleon-like function in melanocyte stem cells that may be responsible for graying and loss of hair color,” added Dr Mayumi Ito, a Langone Health professor.

MORE BREAKTHROUGHS: MIT Researchers Reverse Hearing Loss By Regenerating Inner Ear Hair Growth

“These findings suggest that melanocyte stem cell motility and reversible differentiation are key to keeping hair healthy and colored.”

The team now plans to investigate the potential means of restoring the motility of McSCs or physically moving them back to their germ compartment where they can produce pigment—thus stopping hairs from turning gray.

IF YOU HATE Gray Hair, Share The Good News With Friends on Social Media…

“Beauty is pointless wonder—and as vital as oxygen or B vitamins.” – William Sebrans

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Quote of the Day: “Beauty is pointless wonder—and as vital as oxygen or B vitamins.” – William Sebrans

Photo by: Patti Black

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?

Recycle Any Device For Free: Apple, Google, Staples, Walmart, Best Buy Are E-Cycling Heroes—Even Paying for Shipping

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By Luke Wroblewski, CC license, Flickr
By Luke Wroblewski, CC license, Flickr

“You make it, you recycle it.” A new poll found that half of Americans believe major companies need to be accountable for the waste their products generate—and five of the biggest corporations on the planet are doing just that.

One company leading the way is Apple. Since 1994, Apple has operated its own green gadget recycling program and soon began collecting devices, computers, and printers in many countries—even Android models and Windows computers, not just iPhones and Macs—diverting tons of electronic waste from landfills, and saving precious materials.

By 2010, they were recycling 19 million pounds of e-waste annually—nearly 30% of the product weight sold seven years earlier, which is considered the device’s lifecycle.

Apple not only recycles for free, they offer trade-in value if your devices are worth any money.

All the e-waste Apple collects in North America is processed in the US, and nothing is shipped overseas for disposal.

Other companies, like Google, offer credits or free recycling in exchange for trading-in used gadgets. Google gives you an option to request a free shipping label to mail in some used gadgets and electronics for recycling.

Staples will recycle lots of devices, regardless of the brand, condition, or store where you originally purchased them. They offer an expanded list of items eligible, not only your old desktop, laptop, tablet computers, and peripherals, but also eReaders, shredders, monitors, GPS devices, battery backups, digital cameras, MP3 players, ink and toner, external hard drives, cordless phones, wireless routers, and more, according to PC Magazine. Their green collections since 2012 have totaled nearly 166 million pounds.

Walmart Gadgets to Gift Cards program will pay you for phones, tablets, game controllers, speakers, laptops, and wearables as long as they have enough value—but no matter what condition the items are in, they’ll be recycled. Some electronics are even reused, repaired, and refurbished. To participate in the program, fill out an online form, and you’ll get a free prepaid shipping label from FedEx Ground. If your item has monetary value, you’ll also receive a Walmart e-gift card.

PCmag.com reports that Best Buy has, arguably, the best recycling program going. “Its website details exactly what the store will take, and a drop-down menu in each category gets specific for your state. You can bring in up to three items per day. Most of them can be recycled for free; others might make you eligible for a discount or get you a trade-in deal.”

CHECK OUT: Maine Becomes First US State to Make Corporations Pay for Recycling if They Don’t Use Sustainable Packaging

The new poll of 2,000 adults commissioned by Covanta, a resource in sustainable materials management, found over half of Americans (56%) are more likely to shop from a company that uses recycled materials in its products.

The majority of respondents answered the survey by OnePoll saying they wanted to see companies take responsibility of their waste stream: safely and securely destroy hazardous materials (59%), reuse and recycle materials when possible (58%), and make products with recyclable materials (53%)—which is another reason to salute Apple.

This week, ahead of Earth Day, the consumer giant announced “a major acceleration of its efforts to expand recycled materials”, including a new 2025 target to use 100 percent recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries and entirely-recycled rare earth elements in its magnets. All printed circuit boards will use 100% recycled tin soldering and gold plating. The company already sources over two-thirds of its aluminum, nearly three-quarters of all rare earth metals, and more than 95% of all tungsten, from 100 percent recycled material.

POPULAR: Scientists Develop Breakthrough Method for Recycling Industrial Plastics at Room Temperature in 20 Minutes

“Corporations have a massive impact on the environment,” said Chief Sustainability Officer Tequila Smith at Covanta. “And it’s in their favor to be responsible for the waste they generate. They can achieve this by utilizing sustainable service options that maximize product reuse that contributes to the circular economy.”

53 percent of those polled said they’d be more inclined to be sustainable in their own home or neighborhood if they saw a large company take a stronger stance on climate action.

“There is a clear ‘want’ people have for products made sustainably and a level of inspiration that people gain when they see a company they like doing something good for the environment,” Smith concluded.

MORE GOOD NEWS: New Technology is Recycling Tons of Lithium-Ion Batteries in Canada and the U.S.

Regardless of what other companies are doing, we can all celebrate Earth Day by taking a few minutes to recycle our old electronics, rather than hoarding them in a drawer and later tossing them in the trash.

EASY EARTH DAY ACTION: Share This on Social Media With Friends Who Need a Nudge to Recycle…  

Scientists Discover Pristine Deep-Sea Coral Reefs in Galápagos Marine Reserve ‘Teeming With Life’

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Image courtesy of L. Robinson (U. Bristol), D. Fornari (WHOI), M. Taylor (U. Essex), D. Wanless (Boise State U.) NSF/NERC/HOV Alvin/WHOI MISO Facility, 2023 ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Image courtesy of L. Robinson (U. Bristol), D. Fornari (WHOI), M. Taylor (U. Essex), D. Wanless (Boise State U.) NSF/NERC/HOV Alvin/WHOI MISO Facility, 2023 ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Scientists have discovered extensive, ancient deep-sea coral reefs within the Galápagos Marine Reserve in Ecuador—the first of their kind ever to be documented inside the marine protected area since it was established in 1998.

The reef supports a breathtaking mix of deep marine life found at a depth of nearly 2,000 feet below the surface (400-600 meters deep).

Cresting the ridge of a submerged volcano, and stretching over several kilometers, the impressive reef structure was discovered by Dr. Michelle Taylor (University of Essex, UK) and Dr. Stuart Banks (Charles Darwin Foundation, Ecuador) while diving in the human-occupied vehicle known as Alvin. It was the first time Alvin had explored this region of the Reserve.

“The reef is pristine and teeming with life – pink octopus, batfish, squat lobsters and an array of deep-sea fish, sharks, and rays,” said Taylor. “This newly discovered reef is potentially an area of global significance – a canary in the mine for other reefs globally – a site we can monitor over time to see how a pristine habitat evolves with our current climate crisis.”

The submersible vehicle recently received an ultra-high definition 4K video imaging system, as well as enhanced sampling capabilities, which allowed for the stunningly clear video of the newly discovered reef sites, as well as the delicate sampling required of the reef.

POPULAR: New Shoreline Protection Looks Like Massive Lego Bricks and Doubles as Home for Marine Life

Prior to this discovery, Wellington Reef off the coast of Darwin Island in the far north of the archipelago was thought to be among the few structural shallow coral reefs in the Galápagos Islands to have survived the 1982-83 El Niño event. The new discovery shows that sheltered deep-water coral communities have likely persisted for centuries in the depths of the marine reserve, supporting rich, diverse, and potentially unique marine communities.

A marine geologist and researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Daniel Fornari, co-led the expedition. Fornari, Taylor, and Banks, are part of an international group of scientists on the Galápagos Deep 2023 expedition aboard the US Navy research vessel Atlantis, mapping the mysteries with Alvin (also owned by the Navy, but operated by Woods Hole).

CREDIT: Galápagos Deep 2023 Expedition

“21st-century seafloor mapping technologies and imaging techniques reveal the beauty and complexity of the volcanic and biological processes that makes the Galápagos so unique,” said Fornari, who has mapped and sampled the marine environment in the Galápagos for over 20 years. (See some of the video below.)

“The captivating thing about these reefs is that they are very old and essentially pristine, unlike those found in many other parts of the world’s oceans,” said Dr. Banks. “This gives us reference points to understand their importance for marine natural biodiversity heritage, connectivity with regional marine preserves (MPAs), as well as their role in providing goods and services such as carbon cycling and fisheries. It also helps us reconstruct past ocean environments to understand modern climate change.”

Taylor noted the importance of this discovery for deep sea habitats: “The discovered reef is novel for several reasons – in shallow reefs where finding 10-20% of coral cover would be considered a relatively unhealthy reef, in the deep-sea this is the norm. Dead coral skeletons making up the remaining 80-90% still provide homes for a huge diversity of life, which is less reliant on the live sections of coral. However, the reefs we’ve found in the last few days have 50-60% live coral in many areas, which is very rare indeed.”

CHECK OUT: Ocean Cleanup Hits Milestone of 220 Tons Removed From Pacific Garbage Patch (Watch)

And, it’s very likely there are more reef structures across different depths waiting to be explored.

Scientific findings such as this help inform effective management and conservation actions. The discovery also comes at a time when the Eastern Tropical Pacific countries of Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador are actively collaborating to create protected marine corridors that cross borders.

LOOK: Researchers Capture Video of Deepest Fish Ever Recorded–Almost 5 Miles Below Surface Near Japan

Newly protected sea territories, such as the Hermandad Marine Reserve, now connect seamounts in Ecuadorian waters to offshore marine environments such as Costa Rica’s Cocos Island National Park—all to protect foraging grounds and migratory routes for marine life, and enforce responsible fisheries.

“This groundbreaking discovery reaffirms our determination to establish new marine protected areas in Ecuador and to continue promoting the creation of a regional marine protected area in the Eastern Tropical Pacific,” declared Ecuador’s Minister of Environment, Jose Antonio Dávalos.

“The richness of the yet explored depths of our ocean is another reason to strive towards achieving the commitments of the Global Ocean Alliance 30×30, which aims to protect at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, aligning sustainable economic activities with conservation.”

SURPRISING NEWS: Seafood Delicacy That May Hold Cure for Cancer is Named Mollusk of the Year

SAIL the Reef Discovery to Ocean Lovers on Social Media…

Happy Earth Day: 11 Fun and Easy Ways to Help Honor the Planet

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sunflower-field-cc-TexasEagle-800px
(Photo by TexasEagle – CC license)

We don’t celebrate Earth Day by wasting paper, creating garbage, or needlessly using electricity. We do it by supporting our planet—and we make it fun, so it actually feels good.

No matter where you live or what your beliefs are, you can do something to honor and enhance the environment. Here are some ideas for celebrating Earth Day in a natural way—giving more and consuming less:

– Email or call a friend to say “Happy Earth Day!” and schedule a walk with them in any natural setting.

– Buy a packet of sunflower seeds, then give them to a child to plant.

– Turn off your lights and appliances which you are not using, for as long as you can. Every small effort counts. If it has a little LED light shining, it is using electricity.

– Bring some gloves and a bag to a roadside or shoreline and pick up some trash. You are cleaning up the planet just like you clean up your house. (And, you may find treasures. We always do.)

– Sprinkle some wildflower seeds in a place that needs a smile. Some ideas are on a bike path, athletic field, at a school, or along a public sidewalk.

– Plant something. Start with a potted tomato plant or some lettuce seeds and see how wonderful it is to grow your own food and nurture another living thing.

– Make a choice to buy organic food. After all, our choices send a powerful message.

– Stop using household chemicals. Dish soap, baking soda and white vinegar are ALL you need for an easy spring cleaning.

– Start using canvas bags when you shop. Keep some in your car.

– Vow to end chemical treatments on your lawn and plants. These can leach into our watershed and harm bees.

– Decide to organize an Earth Day party or festival next year—but, you gotta Plan-et!

We hope these tips can help you have an Earth Day to remember.

By Marilyn El-Abidin

Your Inspiring 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 April 22, 2023
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Satirical Taurus author Karl Kraus defined “sentimental irony” as “a dog that bays at the moon while pissing on graves.” Please avoid that decadent emotion in the coming weeks, Taurus. You will also be wise to reject any other useless or counterproductive feelings that rise up within you or hurtle toward you from other people, like “clever cruelty” or “noble self-pity” or “sweet revenge.” In fact, I hope you will be rigorous about what moods you feed and what influences you allow into your sphere. You have a right and a duty to be highly discerning about shaping both your inner and outer environments. Renewal time is imminent.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In his poem October Fullness, Pablo Neruda says, “Our own wounds heal with weeping, / Our own wounds heal with singing.” I agree. I believe that weeping and singing are two effective ways to recover from emotional pain and distress. The more weeping and singing we do, the better. I especially recommend these therapeutic actions to you now, Gemini. You are in a phase when you can accomplish far more curative and restorative transformations than usual.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
After careful analysis of the astrological omens and a deep-diving meditation, I have concluded that the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to indulge in an unprecedented binge of convivial revelry and pleasure. My advice is to engage in as much feasting and carousing as you can without completely ignoring your responsibilities. I know this may sound extreme, but I am inviting you to have more fun than you have ever had—even more fun than you imagine you deserve. (You do deserve it, though.) I hope you will break all your previous records for frequency and intensity of laughter.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
In 1886, Vincent van Gogh bought a pair of worn-out shoes at a Paris flea market. When he got home, he realized they didn’t fit. Rather than discard them, he made them the centerpiece of one of his paintings. Eventually, they became famous. In 2009, a renowned gallery in Cologne, Germany, built an entire exhibit around the scruffy brown leather shoes. In the course of their celebrated career, six major philosophers and art historians have written about them as if they were potent symbols worthy of profound consideration. I propose that we regard their history as an inspirational metaphor for you in the coming weeks. What humble influence might be ready for evocative consideration and inspirational use?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Gliding away from the routine for rendezvous with fun riddles? I approve! Delivering your gorgeous self into the vicinity of a possibly righteous temptation? OK. But go slowly, please. Size up the situation with your gut intuition and long-range vision as well as your itchy fervor. In general, I am pleased with your willingness to slip outside your comfortable enclaves and play freely in the frontier zones. It makes me happy to see you experimenting with AHA and WHAT-IF and MAYBE BABY. I hope you summon the chutzpah to find and reveal veiled parts of your authentic self.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The German word Sehnsucht refers to when we have a profound, poignant yearning for something, but we don’t quite know what that something is. I suspect you may soon be in the grip of your personal Sehnsucht. But I also believe you are close to identifying an experience that will quench the seemingly impossible longing. You will either discover a novel source of deep gratification, or you will be able to transform an existing gratification to accommodate your Sehnsucht. Sounds like spectacular fun to me. Clear some space in your schedule to welcome it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Most of us have at some time in the past been mean and cruel to people we loved. We acted unconsciously or unintentionally, perhaps, but the bottom line is that we caused pain. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to atone for any such hurts you have dispensed. I encourage you to be creative as you offer healing and correction for any mistakes you’ve made with important allies. I’m not necessarily suggesting you try to resume your bond with ex-lovers and former friends. The goal is to purge your iffy karma and graduate from the past. Perform whatever magic you have at your disposal to transform suffering with love.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
The blues singer-songwriter B. B. King wasn’t always known by that name. He was born Riley B. King. In his twenties, when he began working at a Memphis radio station, he acquired the nickname “Beale Street Blues Boy.” Later, that was shortened to “Blues Boy,” and eventually to “B. B.” In the spirit of B. B. King’s evolution and in accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to identify areas of your life with cumbersome or unnecessary complexities that might benefit from simplification.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Proboscis monkeys live in Borneo and nowhere else on earth. Their diet consists largely of fruits and leaves from trees that grow only on Borneo and nowhere else. I propose we make them your anti-role model in the coming months. In my astrological opinion, you need to diversify your sources of nourishment, both the literal and metaphorical varieties. You will also be wise to draw influences from a wide variety of humans and experiences. I further suggest that you expand your financial life so you have multiple sources of income and diversified investments.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
It’s challenging to track down the sources of quotes on the Internet. Today, for instance, I found these words attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato: “I enjoy the simple things in life, like recklessly spending my cash and being a disappointment to my family.” That can’t be right. I’m sure Plato didn’t actually say such things. Elsewhere, I came upon a review of George Orwell’s book Animal Farm that was supposedly penned by pop star Taylor Swift: “Not a very good instructional guide on farming. Would NOT recommend to first-time farmers.” Again, I’m sure that wasn’t written by Swift. I bring this up, Aquarius, because one of your crucial tasks these days is to be dogged and discerning as you track down the true origins of things. Not just online quotes, but everything else, as well—including rumors, theories, and evidence. Go to the source, the roots, the foundations.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In accordance with astrological omens, I’m turning over this horoscope to Piscean teacher Esther Hicks. Here are affirmations she advises you to embody: “I’m going to be happy. I’m going to skip and dance. I will be glad. I will smile a lot. I will be easy. I will count my blessings. I will look for reasons to feel good. I will dig up positive things from the past. I will look for positive things where I am right now. I will look for positive things in the future. It is my natural state to be a happy person. It’s natural for me to love and laugh. I am a happy person!”

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In English, the phrase “growing pains” refers to stresses that emerge during times of rapid ripening or vigorous development. Although they might feel uncomfortable, they are often signs that the ongoing transformations are invigorating. Any project that doesn’t have at least some growing pains may lack ambition. If we hope to transcend our previous limits and become a more complete expression of our destiny, we must stretch ourselves in ways that inconvenience our old selves. I’m expecting growing pains to be one of your key motifs in the coming weeks, dear Aries. It’s important that you don’t try to repress the discomfort. On the other hand, it’s also crucial not to obsess over them. Keep a clear vision of what these sacrifices will make possible for you.

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)

SHARE The Wisdom With Friends Who Are Stars in Your Life on Social Media…

“Great men are like eagles, and build their nest on some lofty solitude.” – Arthur Schopenhauer

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Quote of the Day: “Great men are like eagles, and build their nest on some lofty solitude.” – Arthur Schopenhauer

Photo by: Ray Hennessy

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?

Baby Says ‘I Love You’ to Dad By Copying His Lip Movements–WATCH

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Andy Corbley
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A user of the online bulletin board Reddit got hold of a great little video to uplift the heart and remind all parents of those special moments of immense pride.

In the video, a relatively new father has a toddler resting in his arms and is attempting to talk with him.

Clearly not of talking age yet, the little boy seems confused at first, until he picks up on his father’s attempts to sound out the words “I love you.”

With all the effort he can manage he contorts his mouth to imitate his dad—and the room erupts with joy.

“It’s moments like these that make all the sleepless nights and diaper changes worth it, LOL,” one commenter noted.

Watch the moment of elation below…

Baby boy says "I love you" to Dad copying his lip movements.
by u/lonely_fucker69 in MadeMeSmile

SHARE The Video With Any New Dads, OR Someone Who Needs A Pick Me Up…  

Contraceptive Pill for Men Nears Reality After Major Breakthrough

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Andy Corbley
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A ground-breaking contraceptive pill for men could be just around the corner after scientists identified a gene that, once removed, temporarily renders sperm infertile.

The potentially historic breakthrough contraceptive pill would also have no hormonal side effects and could be additionally used on animals to quell overpopulation and replace castrations.

The research team discovered a protein encoded by this gene, found solely in the testicular tissue of most mammals, which reduced sperm counts and deformed remaining sperm to make them incapable of fertilizing an egg when altered.

Crucially, and exactly like the female contraceptive pill, the destabilization of the infertility protein is not permanent, meaning sperm will recover once the person or animal stops taking the pills.

The team from Washington State University (WSU) observed that male mice lacking the gene called Arrdc5 located in testicular tissues produced 28% less sperm which moved 2.8 times slower than in normal mice.

The results of the study appear to indicate that the protein encoded by this gene is essential for normal sperm production.

Study authors Dr. Jon Oatley and Dr. Mariana Giassetti have already filed a provisional patent for the development of a male contraceptive based on this gene and the protein it encodes.

MORE DRUG DEVELOPMENTS: Life-Saving Overdose Drug Narcan Approved by FDA for Over-the-Counter and Online Sale

The WSU team next plans to work on designing a drug that would inhibit the production or function of this protein.

But disruption will not require any hormonal interference; a key hurdle considering the multiple roles testosterone plays beyond sperm production in men, including the building of bone mass and muscle strength as well as red blood cell production.

“You don’t want to wipe out the ability to ever make sperm—just to stop the sperm that are being made from being made correctly,” said Dr. Oatley, senior author and a professor in WSU’s School of Molecular Biosciences. “Then, in theory, you could remove the drug and the sperm would start being built normally again.”

MORE FAMILY NEWS: Twin ‘Saved Sister’s Life’ in Womb by Sending Distress Signal Forcing Early Delivery That Uncovered Major Problem

The scientists analyzed available data on DNA and protein sequences in mammals and found this particular gene in nearly every known mammal species.

This, Oatley said, has the potential to open up development for male contraception in animals which could replace cruel castrations in livestock populations and help manage the overpopulation of some wild animals.

However, the WSU scientists insist they are for now focused on producing an effective contraceptive pill for men to hand them more control over their reproduction.

“Right now, we don’t really have anything on the male side for contraception other than surgery, and only a small percentage of men choose vasectomies,” said Dr. Oatley. “If we can develop this discovery into a solution for contraception, it could have far-ranging impacts.”

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Compostable Plastic Wrap Made from Seaweed Can Withstand Heat–and Biodegrade in Weeks

By
Andy Corbley
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Sargassum seaweed - rjsinenomine CC 2.0.
Sargassum seaweed – rjsinenomine CC 2.0.

An invasive seaweed species from the Caribbean has been turned into a compostable plastic wrap that has the potential for mass production.

Furthermore, it may have the properties to transform the whole supply chain of this ubiquitous product used in huge quantities every day in restaurants around the world.

The breakthrough comes from the University of Leeds, in the UK, where Keeran Reed and his colleagues were looking to turn the brown seaweed species called sargassum, (Sargassum natans) which inundates the shores of Reed’s home of Trinidad and Tobago, into a sort of biopolymer.

Sargassum is made up of long chains of molecules similar to those found in conventional plastic. the researchers found that mixing it with acid, salt, and some chemicals rendered it thicker and pliable.

They then turned it into sheets of film like normal plastic wrap to study how it held up in heated conditions, and when thrown into the compost bin. Existing biodegradable plastics can take months, even more than a year, to break down in a compost heap. By contrast, the sargassum needed two to three weeks.

Despite this rapid decomposition, the films were robust and held together at temperatures of around 450°F (230°C). Also, the film didn’t leach out any of the chemicals when left in water over a period of 10 days, meaning it can be safely used to cover moist containers of food like chopped fruit.

“Studying the whole supply chain really is where ideas for sustainable materials make it or don’t. We want to find one best application for our material and study the environmental impact of pursuing it from the lab to the consumer,” Koon-Yang Lee at Imperial College London, part of the research team, told New Scientist.

MORE MATERIALS NEWS: Making Building Materials Out of Fast-Growing Grasses Capture More Carbon Than Trees for US Startup

For that, they would need to test just how flexible and stretchy the material could be when subjected to the conditions of mass production. In factories that produce plastic clinging wrap, the plastic is formed into sheets by being blown into huge bubbles.

If that existing production method couldn’t be utilized as is, then the researchers would need to determine how much water and energy new methods might take.

MORE SUSTAINABILITY NEWS: Build With Compost: Researchers Turn Food Scraps Into Materials Stronger Than Concrete

Seaweed is ridiculously versatile, and countries around the world are testing it out as a material for all sorts of applications.

These diapers are made out of seaweed and are good for a baby’s skin, while Turkey and Denmark are using seaweeds like algae as a fuel for cars and planes. Scientists in Australia are using it to clear methane from cows’ stomachs, others in the Netherlands are using it to clean up harbor pollutants in Rotterdam, and a Baltic-to-Caribbean startup is harvesting invasive algae for all manner of products like packaging, foodstuffs, and cosmetics.

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She’s Happily Married with 6 Kids–All Because of a Text Sent to the Wrong Number

By
Andy Corbley
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Photo from first date (Courtesy Brenda Rivera Stearns)
Photo from first date (Courtesy Brenda Rivera Stearns)

When a woman texted an uplifting Bible verse to the wrong number, she couldn’t have imagined what this small mishap would lead to.

It was 2009, and Brenda Rivera hoped merely to cheer up her friend with the Lord’s council of “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,” but instead cheered up a total stranger named Isiah Stearns.

Isiah replied, “Amen to that, who is this?” and Brenda quickly realized she had the wrong number, and so apologized. But Isiah saw it differently.

He told TODAY he saw someone trying to help with his walk with god, and resolved not to let the happening pass quietly.

The next day he called her, which left Brenda “a little creeped out” but who nevertheless hoped the stranger would leave a voicemail—which he did—saying the Bible verse really brightened up his day.

“I could just tell he was very genuine. So I decided OK — I’m gonna call him back,’” Brenda said, adding that she learned he lived just 50 minutes away from her parents and sister in Ohio. “I said maybe we could meet up when I visited my family. We had an immediate connection.”

MORE ROMANCE STORIES: Love in the Time of Corona: An American Traveler Survives Italian Lockdown, and Finds True Love

So began a little long-distance romance with a type Brenda never thought she would be with—a bare-shaven white guy who didn’t know how to dance.

But love works in mysterious ways, and after Brenda offered to set up a sort of interview with Isiah and her mom, he sportingly agreed.

Her mom came back from lunch with an 11 out of 10 rating for the suitor, telling her daughter she would “marry this guy.”

MORE ROMANCE STORIES: After Their Flights Were Canceled, They Spent 24 Hours Falling in Love

Today, Isiah and Brenda Stearns have had 13 years of marriage and 6 children: Victoria, 11, Veronica, 10, Samuel, 9, Vanessa, 7, Benjamin, 4, and Ezra, 1. Isiah meanwhile ditched the skinhead look for a thick head rug of salt and pepper.

The Lord works in mysterious ways, and Brenda said that she could never imagine having such a brood without Isiah beside her.

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“Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better.” – William Shakespeare

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better.” – William Shakespeare 

Photo by: Becca Tapert

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Device Pulls Dozens of Liters of Water from the Air–Already Being Installed in Jordanian Desert Homes

By
Andy Corbley
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Aquaporo's home device - Aquaporo
Aquaporo’s home device – Aquaporo

Entrepreneurs in Jordan have created a sophisticated machine that pulls water from the desert air at a rate that could cure the country’s water woes.

1,000 units of their flagship device have already been pre-ordered by the Jordanian government, and the success of the invention has allowed the innovators to attract dozens of promising scientists who can hopefully expand on their success and bring water resources up to speed in the relatively-stable Near Eastern nation.

Jordan has an interesting contradiction of celebrating the highest academic involvement in the Arab world, but also suffering in one of its least-successful entrepreneurial landscapes and from a problem with water insecurity that ranks among the highest in the world.

Stepping up to address this problem is Aquaporo, a relatively straightforward, air conditioning-sized machine that can harvest 35 liters of water every day in a desert climate of 20% humidity.

Much of Jordan’s population may only have access to 200 cubic meters of water per year, and only 36 hours of tap water per week provisioned by the authorities. The WHO warns these levels can create harm to human health and economic development.

Aquaporo CEO Kyle Cordova and engineering director Husam Almassad got their start at Jordan’s Royal Scientific Society with a group of trainees. Their invention looked a bit like a chest freezer, but now more an A/C unit above a normal water cooler.

Inside, rows of nanomaterials formed into tubes and other shapes act like a sieve that filters water out of the air. The physics behind it are much the same as those found in this Classical Indian architectural feature and takes advantage of air’s tendency to speed up as it moves through a narrow passageway; called the Venturi Effect.

MORE NEAR EAST NEWS: Lebanese Man Builds Wind Turbine from Recycled Plastic–Producing Electricity for his Family and Neighbors

It leaves behind the heavier water vapor, which condenses, drops into a collection apparatus, and is fed then into a reservoir in a Jordanian home, for example.

Research on the efficacy of Aquaporo’s invention shows it can achieve levels of water purity greater than Nestle brand bottled water, and collects it from the air at double the rate of existing moisture capture technology.

Indeed, humans have been harvesting water from the air for thousands of years. More and more, these old ways of doing things are being utilized in desert areas in developing nations. This company is using fog nets, for example, to harvest the water in low-lying clouds coming off the ocean in southern Morocco.

MORE DESERT NEWS: This Ancient AC System will Cool your House Without Electricity

“This was a Jordanian invention, made for Jordan. Young people in Jordan have great ideas,” Cordova told Fast Company. “My job is to show that research can make it out of the lab.”

You can watch how the unit works by visiting the Aquaporo website here.

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A Lightning Strike Produced a Brand-New Phosphorus Mineral Never Before Seen on Earth

By
Andy Corbley
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Close up of a fulgurite – SWN
Matthew Pasek holding a fossilized lighting bolt – SWNS

A lightning strike has produced a brand new phosphorus mineral, similar to that found on meteorites and in space.

The bolt created a chemical reaction in a rock, leading to what could be a member of a new mineral group, somewhere between space minerals and minerals found on Earth.

And researchers believe strikes like this one might have produced chemicals that kick-started life on Earth.

The find was made following the strike on a tree in New Port Richey, Florida, when a fulgurite was sold by the landowners to a geoscientist who then had it analyzed.

Fulgurites are formed by the high-energy electrical discharge of lightning through rock, soil, and sand, melting them all together in a small tube—effectively making a fossil out of a lightning strike.

Fulgurites have been studied in the desert landscapes of the Sahara to try and map out the weather patterns of a pre-desertified North Africa.

“When lightning strikes a tree, the ground typically explodes out and the surrounding grass dies, forming a scar and sending electric discharge through nearby rock, soil, and sand, forming fulgurites,” said Professor Matthew Pasek, from the University of South Florida.

“Minerals similar to it can be found in meteorites and space, but we’ve never seen this exact material anywhere.

The study containing the discovery was published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, and came about after Professor Pasek teamed up with Luca Bindi, a professor of mineralogy and crystallography at the University of Florence in Italy.

Together, the team set out to investigate unusual minerals that bear the element phosphorus, especially those formed by lightning, to better understand high-energy phenomena.

Inside the fulgurite, which formed when lightning not only melted the iron in the tree roots, but also the carbon in the roots, a colorful, crystal-like matter revealed a material never before discovered.

Co-principal investigator Dr. Tian Feng, a graduate of USF’s geology program, attempted to remake the material in a lab but failed.

MORE GEOLOGICAL NEWS: China’s New Moon Rock Samples Contain Beautiful Crystal New to Geology

This indicates the material likely forms quickly under precise conditions, and if heated too long, will turn into the mineral found in meteorites.

“Previous researchers indicate that lightning reduction of phosphate to have been a widespread phenomenon on the early Earth,” said Dr. Feng.

“However, there is an environmental phosphite reservoir issue in Earth that these solid phosphite materials are hard to restore.”

MORE SCIENCE NEWS: Man Finding an American Lion Tooth Fossil in Shallow Mississippi is ‘the Biggest of Deals‘ to Scientists

Dr. Feng said this research may reveal other forms of reduced minerals are plausible and many could have been important in the development of life on Earth.

Professors Pasek and Bindi plan to further investigate the material to determine if it could be officially declared a mineral and bring additional awareness to the scientific community.

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Paper Airplane Designed by Boeing Engineers Breaks World Record–Nearly Flying Length of Football Field

By
Andy Corbley
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Courtesy Dominic Alberico
Courtesy Dominic Alberico

A duo of third-generation Boeing engineers aimed a little lower than a 757, and designed the world’s best paper airplane.

As one would expect from aerospace engineers, the pair of young men knew what they were doing, and it took 20 minutes to fold the airplane which eventually flew 290 feet—a Guinness World Record.

Boeing engineers Dillon Ruble and Garrett Jensen grew up the sons of Boeing engineers and loved folding paper airplanes at company picnics.

In Middle school, they attended paper airplane contests hosted by the company.

Far from your classic paper airplane design, they used their knowledge of aeronautics and origami to design something with the same characteristics as a supersonic aircraft.

“We tried to mimic the design of various hypersonic vehicles, which travel at speeds over Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). So, we decided to call our plane Mach 5,” Ruble told Boeing news.

Their prototype airplane

When the day to try for the record came, the pair were carefully watched by witnesses. They selected the A4, or European-size paper, with the maximum weight of 100 grams per square meter, reasoning that the heavier the airplane, the farther one could throw it.

“We found the optimal angle is about 40 degrees off the ground. Once you’re aiming that high, you throw as hard as possible. That gives us our best distance,” Jensen said. “It took simulations to figure that out. I didn’t think we could get useful data from a simulation on a paper airplane. Turns out, we could.”

MORE NICHE WORLD RECORDS: Idaho Man Breaks 52 World Records in 52 Weeks – Watch the Highlights of His Wild Year

Stepping up, Ruble threw the plane as hard as he could. It caught a bit of wind in its wings and sailed for about 6 seconds before striking the ground. They broke the previous world record of 252 feet by 38 feet, but told CNN that they had no intention of touching the record for total air time.

“The design objectives for an air-time record would be vastly different from the low-drag version we built for the longest-distance record,” Ruble said via email. “Increasing the wingspan and decreasing the aspect ratio would be the first steps in producing this type of plane.”

WATCH the record being made below… 

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Photographer Captures Jaw-Dropping Mysterious Spiral Over the Aurora with a Simple Explanation–(LOOK)

By
Andy Corbley
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credit Todd Slatt with permission - www.aurorahunter.com
credit Todd Slatt with permission – www.aurorahunter.com

For Todd Slatt, a.k.a the “Aurora Hunter” photographing the northern lights is nothing out of the ordinary, but last Saturday, he witnessed something emerging from the darkness of the night sky that shocked and inspired him.

A spiral of pale blue light began to form in the distance, growing ever larger and coming ever closer to the man holding his camera and his breath.

Eventually, it completely passed over his viewing spot in Delta Junction, Alaska, leaving the expert photographer mystified.

“It was a beautiful piece of art in the sky,” Slatt told Anchorage News Daily. “I would say this was maybe the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Residents farther north, who are used to wild weather phenomenon, also saw the spiral and wondered what it was.

MORE WILD WEATHER: Hiker Captures Video of Rare Ice Disk Vortex Spinning in Scottish Winter Weather Phenomenon–WATCH

Like many others that night, Slatt did some research and soon appeared on his Facebook with a stunning image of the spiral and a surprising explanation for its origin.

“After doing some online research, this phenomenon appears to be rocket engine exhaust from a SpaceX Transporter-7 mission that launched on the Falcon 9 about three hours earlier in California,” he wrote.

“Water vapor in the exhaust (or jettisoned fuel causing it to spiral?) from the second stage engine freezes and catches high-altitude sunlight, effectively glowing and creating this spiral-galaxy-looking display of light.”

The beauty of the aurora is augmented no end by the blue spiral atop it, and serves to make the sky look somewhat like a national flag.

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“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” – Havelock Ellis

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” – Havelock Ellis

Photo by: Paul Felberbauer

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Clever Tenant Uses ChatGPT to Force Landlord to Fix Washer and Dryer in Her Building

By
Andy Corbley
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Svetlana's request and ChatGPT's response - via SWNS

When a New Yorker received a notice from her landlord about a rent increase after two years of neglecting to fix the washer/dryer unit in her building, she saved money on a lawyer and used ChatGPT instead.

Svetlana, who didn’t wish to reveal her last name, used the chatbot to write an email in “legalese” to her landlord, which saw them agree to fix her washer and dryer.

The exchange with her landlord started after she received a rent increase notice of 0.4%, from $1,389 to $1,395, just days after she had filed for a decrease in rent because her washer and dryer had been out of order for more than two years.

The 28-year-old feared she wouldn’t be able to get her point across herself, so she asked the AI chatbot to act like a housing lawyer and draft an email opposing the rent raise.

Svetlana’s attempt was successful, and her landlord fixed both machines that month.

“The rent increase alone was not my gripe!” Svetlana said. “It was the audacity to increase the rent, seemingly in retaliation after I filed a complaint and request for a rent decrease on the basis of decreased building-wide services.”

In two and half years, Svetlana had lodged several complaints with her landlord to get the machines fixed, but she never received a response.

“I prompted Chat GPT to add more legalese,” she said. “It’s like a super-smart, objective, real-time sounding board.”

Svetlana’s request and ChatGPT’s response – via SWNS

ChatGPT even quoted specific sections of the New York rent stabilization code and posited that the rent increase was retaliatory.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Artificial Intelligence ‘Can Help Spot Early Signs of Cancer in Chest X-Rays’

Svetlana, an executive assistant, already uses the AI chatbot for work, but the experience has her considering using it to resolve other legal conflicts.

“I never received an official response from my landlord, but there was a sign posted in my building announcing that the laundry rooms were back in service.”

“It’s definitely reinforced my faith in the, what feels to be, limitless future of AI. We’re living in super fun times and it’s clear that we’re only just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”

MORE CREATIVE AI USES: Korea is Using Artificial Intelligence to Prevent Suicide Attempts on Bridges

There are now no shortage of precautionary voices and stories of these AI services, whether for photo and image manipulation, or instances like this one, but it’s nice to see it being used to tackle a situation almost all of us can relate to.

CHIME In On The ChatGBT Convo On Social Media With This Cool Story…

Hubble Sees a Possible Runaway Black Hole Creating a Trail of Stars

By
Andy Corbley
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Artist illustration of the runaway black hole NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI)
Artist illustration of the runaway black hole NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI)

Perhaps the most astonishing phenomenon ever discovered by astronomers was recently observed “accidentally” by the Hubble Space Telescope.

What Hubble saw was a supermassive black hole three times the diameter of our whole galaxy, speeding through the universe so fast that it would pass the Earth and arrive at the Moon in just 14 minutes.

Almost as amazing was what was behind it—a bright “contrail” of newborn stars clearly visible in the telescope image like a colorful scratch on a record. The trail was so unusual that scientists originally dismissed it as the result of a malfunction, but follow-up spectroscopic observations revealed it was a 200,000-light-year-long chain of young blue stars.

Nothing even remotely similar to this has ever been seen before, and scientists are speculating it was the result of a sort of “cosmic billiards” when two or perhaps three large black holes bounced into one another.

“Rather than gobbling up stars ahead of it, like a cosmic Pac-Man, the speedy black hole is plowing into gas in front of it to trigger new star formation along a narrow corridor,” NASA press writers reported.

“The black hole is streaking too fast to take time for a snack. Nothing like it has ever been seen before, but it was captured accidentally by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.”

credit NASA, ESA, Pieter van Dokkum (Yale); Image Processing Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

A very bright ball of ionized oxygen can be seen at one end of the column, a result of the black hole’s speed of movement.

“Gas in front of it gets shocked because of this supersonic, very high-velocity impact of the black hole moving through the gas. How it works exactly is not really known,” said Pieter van Dokkum of Yale University. “This is pure serendipity that we stumbled across it.”

While looking for globular star clusters in a nearby dwarf galaxy, van Dokkum spotted the trail of stars and dismissed it as a cosmic ray refracting in the lens of the telescope, but after they removed all cosmic rays, it was still there, prompting a spectroscopy analysis at the Kek Observatories in Hawai’i.

SIMILAR STORIES: Hubble Captures Rare Event: Star Eaten By a Black Hole 300 Million Light Years Away (LOOK)

Confirmations of the star formation in the contrail led to the theory of it being a black hole, which van Dokkum and colleagues then had to explain.

The idea is that two supermassive black holes merged to form a spinning binary black hole system around 50 million years ago. Along came a third galaxy which also had a supermassive black hole in the middle of it, and as it was pulled into the existing binary, the violent gravitational force was so strong that it pinged the third black hole out of its own galaxy and sent it whizzing away.

MORE ASTROPHYSICS: Unprecedented Gamma-Ray Burst is ‘The BOAT’ – Brightest of All Time in Human History

The original binary may still be intact, or it could have similarly rebounded in another direction like the third one did. There is a feature seen on the opposite side of the host galaxy that might be the runaway binary black hole. Circumstantial evidence for this is that there is no sign of an active black hole remaining at the galaxy’s core.

Follow-up observations are planned with the more sensitive James Webb Space Telescope, and the research was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

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