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Self-Taught Oklahoma Architect Builds Round Barn Inspired by US Capitol and Fueled by Dedication–LOOK

By
Andy Corbley
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Jay Branson - YouTube
Jay Branson – YouTube

Jay Branson, a self-taught architect, started building a round barn in rural Oklahoma to process his grief.

Its beauty draws strangers off the highway in Oklahoma, and a gentle kind of obsession mixed with down-home prairie demeanor saw the barn turn into something more like a cathedral.

The story begins decades ago when Branson went to visit a friend in Washington D.C., where he stood under the dome of the US Capitol and wanted dearly forever after to build a round structure with a dome.

Growing up a chiseled farmhand turned handyman, Branson is entirely self-taught in architecture and home-building, and built houses in the tiny decaying town of Marshall, Oklahoma. When his first wife Julie passed away, he needed a project to keep his mind going.

Settling on a round barn to park his motor home, his neighbor suggested he turn it into a wedding venue, which struck him as a good idea.

After completing the large main area using interlocking concrete-filled foam and rebar blocks that fit together like LEGOS, he began to imagine what a dome might look like, and produced a sketch of the interlocking octagons and diamonds that would form the arched ribs of the dome to be built with poplar wood.

It draws the gaze up to an oculus where natural light floods the space and regularly causes visitors to shed a tear.

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For 7 years Jay Branson has been all alone out there on the plains, although he occasionally got help from his new wife and always has the company of his dog. But for the most part, this quiet, self-deprecating man has built one of the most impressive structures in the county, all by himself.

Jay Branson – YouTube

“I just started cutting,” Jay told his great-niece, Hailey Branson-Potts, reporting for the LA Times. “You know, if you figure the circumference of any structure that’s round, and divide it into segments, there’s a way. You’ve just got to make it even, get it exactly right, and just start building.”

MORE GREAT ARCHITECTURE: Secret to Durability of Roman Concrete that Has Stood Test of Time for Over 2,000 Years Finally Discovered

Round barns have a fascinating history. They were considered by early ranchers as more economic because feeding the animals becomes a continuous motion around the edge. They were also believed to be spiritually superior since the “devil couldn’t hide in the corners,” and the round shape doesn’t provide a flat wall to be knocked over by a tornado.

Branson is currently fighting a battle against recurrent prostate cancer, and is attempting to design demonstration-sized pieces for several unfinished areas like the bridal suite, so in case something should happen to him there is some evidence for someone else to understand how to move forward.

WATCH the stirring documentary report by the LA Times below… 

SHARE This Man’s Incredible Vision And Determination On Social Media…

Watch Heartwarming Reaction When Ukrainian Students Get Shocking News They Won Full College Scholarship in U.S

By
Joe O'Neill
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Dickinson College
Dickinson College

We bring you the uplifting moments when five students in war-torn Ukraine received the life-changing news that they will receive an all-expenses paid college education to study at a college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, thanks to the incredible generosity of philanthropist Sam Rose.

The retired lawyer and real-estate developer provided $2 million for scholarships to Dickinson College that will pay all costs for these students, giving them a chance for a future they may not have dreamed possible.

In addition to tuition for all four years, the Sam Rose ’58 International Scholarship will cover the costs of textbooks, dining and living expenses including support for travel, health insurance, and other basic needs through the academic year in addition to support during summer and winter breaks.

The five students were overwhelmed with emotion upon hearing the news from Dickinson College president, John Jones.

“Thanks to Sam’s incredible generosity, we are able to offer these students a world-class education away from the war in Ukraine,” said Jones, who placed a series of calls to Ukraine so he could personally share the scholarship offer with each student.

“We are excited to meet and learn from our new Ukrainian students, who will help us build a more interesting and engaging campus community.”

A LITTLE MORE PHILANTHROPY: Ocean Cleanup Nonprofit Gets $25Mil From Airbnb Co-Founder to Launch Massive Plastic Pollution Cleanup

Dickinson has a long history of supporting students around the world facing strife, including through the Conflict Zone Student Support Fund, which assists international students whose demonstrated financial need has increased because of extreme violence or war in their homeland.

More than 1,800 students are currently being supported through scholarships and grants, and more than 3,642 donors have contributed to make this possible, with gifts of all sizes helping to change lives through Dickinson. Including the establishment of the new scholarship, Rose has contributed $17.5 million to the Campaign for Scholarships.

Watch the priceless reactions of each of the scholarship winners…

SHARE This Home-Grown PA Philanthropy With Your Friends On Social Media…

500 Baby Sharks to be Released in Unprecedented Rewilding of the Ocean

By
Andy Corbley
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Released by Reshark.org / © Georgia Aquarium
Released by Reshark.org / © Georgia Aquarium

Out in the wilds of Indonesia, zebra sharks are extremely rare. Overhunted, these striped bottom dwellers were at risk of going extinct.

Now though, an international consortium of 44 aquariums in 15 countries is banding together to create a huge captive-breeding-and-release program that aims to reintroduce 500 sharks to their native waters.

Such an effort has never been undertaken before, and rewilding is typically reserved for mammals and other terrestrial species.

Protections of sharks and rays around Raja Ampat in Indonesia, one of the richest tropical marine environments known to man, have already allowed populations of these ancient creatures to rejuvenate.

The zebra shark seemingly hasn’t benefited, at least in Raja Ampat, from these protections. Oceans are difficult places to rewild. It’s extremely difficult, almost possible, to control territories, limit comings and goings, and keep track of threats.

Recently, the aquarium team, called ReShark, released their first eggs into the waters of Raja Ampat—90 miles from the nearest town, surrounded by limestone pinnacles hovering on the turquoise seas.

MORE OCEAN CONSERVATION: 8th Annual Ocean Conference Raises $20 Billion, And Pledges For Marine Protection

“It’s such a milestone,” Nesha Ichida, an Indonesian marine scientist helping manage this work for ReShark, told Nat Geo. “This is such a hopeful, momentous moment.”

Most sharks give birth to live young, but because the zebra shark lays eggs, that look like strange, gnarled, tree nut casings, they are much easier to breed in captivity for the aim of reintroduction.

“Conservation groups, local communities, local government, and the large public aquaria together in a coalition that has never really happened before, the potential is really amazing,” said Dr. Mark Erdmann, Vice President of Asia Pacific Marine Programs for Conservation International.

“And obviously we’re going to recover zebra sharks in Raja Ampat, but this is just the start I mean the potential to do this with other endangered shark and ray species all around the world is immense.”

WATCH the first eggs arrive in Raja Ampat… 

SHARE This Wonderful World First For The Oceans With Your Friends… 

More Efficient Way to Suck Up CO2 From Air By Storing it in Baking Soda and Water

By
Andy Corbley
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Carbfix
Existing carbon capture storage infrastructure, Carbfix

A new study shows that methods of sucking up atmospheric air and filtering out the CO2 can be improved by adding copper to the filter material, potentially opening up the technology to dozens more uses that could produce a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change.

The addition of copper also converts the captured CO2 to a harmless baking soda that could be stored in the oceans, or turned into a saleable product.

Some scientists say the only way to limit the warming of the Earth to less than 1.5°C over this century is if humanity starts to extract some of the CO2 they’ve added to the atmosphere through carbon capture methods.

These machines come in two forms: one that uses large fans to pull regular air from the environment, filter out the CO2, and then store that underground or produce other chemical products, and a second that does the work directly at the exhaust point of large factories, power plants, or natural gas wells.

The former method deals with CO2 at very few parts per million, while the latter does so at much higher concentrations, but with placement limited to industrial facilities.

Now, a study published in Science Advances shows that when copper is added to the ammine-based filter devices on the large ambient carbon-capture machines, they filter out CO2 three times as much, reducing cost and improving efficiency.

“To my knowledge, there is no absorbing material which even at 100,000 ppm, shows the capacity we get it in direct air capture of 400 ppm,” said lead author Professor Arup Sengupta from Lehigh University in the US.

DON’T DESPAIR HEADLINES: Growth in Carbon Capture Projects This Year is Dramatic, Showing Global Determination to Cut Emissions

But more than the increased performance, the addition of the copper opens up a new possibility for where the absorbed CO2 can be placed—in the ocean.

The ocean is one of the three major carbon storehouses on Earth, and the climate change body of science shows that too much CO2 causes the oceans to acidify, but the copper and amine created a chemical reaction in seawater than turned the captured CO2 in the study into non-acidifying, sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda.

MORE CARBON CAPTURE HEADLINES: New Wyoming Carbon Capture Project Will Eliminate 5 Million Tons of CO2 Per Year

With the potential of storing captured carbon in the ocean, the placement of carbon-capture facilities would go from being limited to places with significant underground storage capacity and existing drill infrastructure to anywhere there’s a coastline.

“I am happy to see this paper in the published literature, it is very exciting, and it stands a good chance of transforming the CO2 capture efforts,” Professor Catherine Peters from Princeton University told the BBC who wasn’t involved in the research project.

While Sengupta’s new method turns the CO2 into baking soda for depositing in the seas, other methods actually involve baking soda.

Last July, GNN reported that Tata Chemicals Europe opened the UK’s first industrial-scale carbon capture and usage plant. The plant captures 40,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year—the equivalent to taking over 20,000 cars off the roads.

SHARE This Positive Climate Headline With Your Friends… 

“Prosperity tries the fortunate, adversity the great.” – Rose Kennedy

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Prosperity tries the fortunate, adversity the great.” – Rose Kennedy 

Photo by: MV Vacation

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Top Strategies to Beat Snoring, According to New Poll of Sleepless Adults

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Good News Network
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Shane hfvFunLkFgg
Shane hfvFunLkFgg

52% of American adults either snore or have a partner who does, according to a new poll, and 72% of them have resorted to a host of tricks to try and silence the noise.

The top strategies to beat snoring include using extra pillows and drinking water before bed – some even attest to putting a tennis ball in your pajamas to stop you lying on your back.

Nasal strips, dilators, a hot shower before bed, and even sleeping while sitting up also featured in the top 30 list.

But while some avoid alcohol before bed or even at all (both 15%), one in 10 swear by a drink before nodding off to stop snoring.

Others have resorted to taping their mouth, putting a clothes pin on their nose, and even sleeping with their head at the end of the bed.

The survey by Onepoll of 2,000 adults was part of the 2023 Sleep & Snore Report commissioned by MuteSnoring.com in partnership with WebMD. It revealed that 53% of those who snore or live with a snorer are so fed up with the noise, they would do anything do stop it.

This sees them spend an average of $45.30 a year on items to try and silence it, but they would be willing to spend up to $596.60 if it meant it would stop for good.

More than four in 10 (42%) would even consider surgery in a bid to bring an end to the habit.

“While some of these are proven to help with snoring— like using extra pillows, humidifiers, and opening up the airways, things like sleeping upside down in the bed and wearing an eye mask aren’t likely to help that much,” according to Michael Johnson, CEO of Rhinomed.

It also emerged that, due to sleep disruption, 38% of partners have ended up sleeping in separate bedrooms—and 60% have admitted they’ve simply come to accept that it’s never going to go away.

In a bid to stop snoring, 42% have turned to the internet for advice, and 37% have sought help from health professionals.

Those classed as obese are more likely to be snorers (57%), compared to those who have an underweight (19%) or healthy body-mass index (29%).

Michael Johnson added: “Snoring doesn’t have to be something you simply put up with. With sound strategies, you really can reduce or even eliminate the snoring noise in your bedroom – and not surprisingly, improving your nasal breathing is one of the best things snorers can do.”

TOP STRATEGIES RESPONDENTS HAVE TRIED TO STOP SNORING

1. Using extra pillows
2. Nasal strips/ dilator
3. Hot shower or bath before bed
4. Drinking more water
5. Having a humidifier on
6. Sleeping sitting up
7. Sleeping the other way round e.g. head at the end of the bed
8. Avoiding alcohol before bed
9. Nasal spray before bed
10. Saline rinses/ sprays
11. Sipping warm honey and lemon before bed
12. Using a mouthguard
13. Rubbing decongestant onto your chest before bed
14. Exercise before bed
15. Wearing an eye mask
16. Eating mints before bed
17. Buying anti-snore pillows
18. Wearing compression socks
19. Snoring exercises
20. Buy a snoring ring that’s meant to stop you snoring
21. Rubbing Vaseline on the tip of your nose
22. Put a tennis ball in your Pjs to stop you lying on your back
23. Drinking alcohol before bed
24. Thyme oil on your feet
25. Acupuncture

The sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo offers these tips to reduce snoring:

1. Sleep on your side – By sleeping on your back, you exacerbate snoring. Sleeping on your side, or at the very least, having your face on the side, reduces it.

2. Ensure you are at a healthy weight – Weight reduction can in some cases eliminate symptoms.

3. Consider a nasal dilator for a simple, straightforward solution that can help to make breathing easier at night.

4. Reduce alcohol intake – Alcohol is a risk factor for snoring because it relaxes the muscles in the upper airways, causing them to collapse through the night and amplify snoring.

Do you have more snoring tips to share? Share in the comments below or on Social Media…

Football Fans on Delayed Train Ordered Beer Delivery with Just 60 Seconds to Spare at Next Station–WATCH the Hilarity

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Good News Network
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Jordan Sullivan – Kennedy News and Media via SWNS license
Jordan Sullivan – Kennedy News and Media via SWNS license

A group of English football fans were so thirsty while stuck on a delayed train that they ordered a beer delivery from Uber Eats mid-journey—and gambled on being able to collect it with exquisite timing upon arrival at the next station.

Daniel Adams and Jordan Sullivan were on their way to watch West Ham play a match against Brighton on March 5th—but delays saw their one-hour journey turn into three-and-a-half hours.

The spunky duo along with five friends had packed two beers each for their 10am train from London, which didn’t arrive in Brighton until 1.30pm.

As they were approaching Three Bridges station in Crawley, West Sussex, Jordan was inspired to put in an order with Uber Eats hoping that they’d be able to time their arrival at the next station with the delivery driver.

32-year-old Daniel was so convinced that they wouldn’t be able to pull off the plan that he promised to tip the delivery driver an extra 20 if he managed to get the four beers and two ciders to them in time.

Friends captured the ensuing hilarity on video as the pair communicating with determined delivery driver Gino, who was waiting for them clutching their order at platform five.

The nerve-wracking clip shows Jordan, who only had a one-minute window, hopping off the train frenetically searching for Gino.

Daniel, from East London, said, “Our first instinct was that it was never going to work. How would the driver get through the barriers?

“When we were coming up to the station, we had about 20 minutes and Jordan said we should order.

“I said if he wanted to try and waste his money then he could, by all means, but I wasn’t trying it. When he ordered, I said that was £20 down the drain!”

But Jordan was in constant contact by phone with Gino the deliveryman who was waiting at the platform for the revelers.

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Jordan Sullivan on train –Kennedy News and Media via SWNS license

“If it went wrong, he would have had eight beers at the station,” said Daniel.

When the train arrived, the video below shows Jordan bolting outside to find the driver, eventually grabbing the drinks, while Daniel stood with his foot in the door so he didn’t get left behind.

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Luckily the group got to the game on time, despite the 2.5 hour delay, all the while chanting the name of the delivery driver, Gino.

The train journey ended up being the best part of the day, because their team lost 4-0.

SHARE the Brilliant Beer Run With Sports Fans on Social Media…

CRISPR Gene Editing Reverses ‘Permanent’ Vision Loss in Mice–Offering Hope for Retinitis Pigmentosa Patients

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Good News Network
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Professor Kai Yao – SWNS
Professor Kai Yao – SWNS

The ‘three blind mice’ of song could actually be seeing again after scientists restored vision in breakthrough research that could reverse the condition in people as well.

The hereditary condition retinitis pigmentosa is one of the most common causes of blindness, affecting one in every 4,000 people. Now, researchers in China have used a genome-editing technique to correct a mutation that leads to the condition in both mice and humans.

Not only did the genetic correction lead to the mice regaining their sight, but the mice were shown to retain their sight well into old age.

The study team, from the Wuhan University of Science and Technology, hope this promising new method could soon be used to similarly restore people’s vision in years to come.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) can be caused by mutations in more than 100 different genes. Symptoms begin with the dysfunction and death of dim light-sensing rod cells, before the disease spreads to cone cells required for color vision. Eventually, RP leads to severe and irreversible loss of vision.

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Led by Professor Kai Yao, the team attempted to rescue the vision of mice with RP caused by mutations in the gene encoding a critical enzyme – called PDE6β – by engineering a new use for the CRISPR genome editing tool.

When the system was programmed to target the harmful mutant gene (PDE6β), it was shown to be able to correct the mutation and restore the enzyme’s activity in the retinas of the mice.

This correction prevented the death of rod and cone photoreceptors in the eye and helped to restore the mice’s normal electrical responses to light.

The authors published the breakthrough study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, then performed a series of behavioral tests with the mice to evaluate their sight.

They found that the mice were able to navigate their way out of a visually-guided water maze almost as well as those with normal eyesight, and showed typical head movements in response to visual stimuli. The mice retained their good vision even into old age.

MORE: CRISPR Gene-Editing Experiment Partly Restores Vision In Legally Blind Patients

Yao praised his team’s findings, but tempered their successful experiment by saying that further studies were required.

“The ability to edit the genome of neural retinal cells—particularly unhealthy or dying photoreceptors—would provide much more convincing evidence for the potential applications of these genome-editing tools in treating diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa.

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“However, our study provides substantial evidence for the in vivo, a process occurring inside a living organism, applicability of this new genome-editing strategy, and its potential in diverse research and therapeutic contexts—in particular for inherited retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa.”

DON’T HESITATE to Open Eyes to This Breakthrough on Social Media…

Descendants of Charles Dickens and ‘Jacob Marley’ Meet-up 180 Years After Author Named Character in Christmas Carol

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Good News Network
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Lucinda Hawksley and Mark Dickens - SWNS
Lucinda Hawksley and Mark Dickens – SWNS

The family of Charles Dickens met the descendants of the real-life Jacob Marley Friday—180 years to the day that the author decided to immortalize him in ‘A Christmas Carol’.

Mark Dickens and Lucinda Hawksley from the Dickens family met Christopher Marley, a relative of the late Dr. Miles Marley.

Marley’s name was used by Dickens in 1843 when he developed the character of Jacob Marley, the regretful business partner of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge.

Dr. Marley was an Irishman in London who held a St. Patrick’s Day party where Dickens was a guest.

During dinner the subject of strange surnames came up and Dr. Marley said he thought his name was a “most uncommon one”. Dickens reportedly declared: ”Your name shall be a household word before the year is out”.

‘Marley’, indeed, would soon become a name indelibly linked with the iconic holiday tale ‘A Christmas Carol’.

Dr. Marley died in Port Isaac in Cornwall, England, in 1854, but now decedents of the two families have met—including Dickens’ great, great, grandson Mark, and great, great, great, granddaughter Lucinda.

Miles Marley’s grave at the St. Endellion Church near Port Isaac, Cornwall – SWNS

To enhance the ceremony, they even met at the same address where their two ancestors met—11 Cork Street in London, the real Marley’s former practice.

“My great, great grandfather was constantly on the lookout for interesting names to use for the important characters in his novels,” said Mark. “He took a long time to settle on the right ones, and because of this so many of them are household names today.

Jacob Marley, the late partner of Ebenezer Scrooge and the first ghost to visit him in A Christmas Carol is, of course, one.

“Reconnecting with the descendants of Dr. Miles Marley who was acquainted with Charles Dickens is a wonderful moment.”

Lucinda added, “He was a wonderful magpie of a writer, always collecting names and personality traits to use in his novels.

“That he was such a keen observer of human nature and the world, helped him to write relatable characters who remain relevant even today.

“Opportunities such as meeting the descendants of the original ‘Marley’ (in name, not in personality!) are a really lovely benefit of having a famous ancestor.”

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Charles Dickens photo, 1858
Charles Dickens photo, 1858

Organizer, historian Barry West said, “This is an historically important moment. Dickens and Marley are reputed to have had their initial and important conversation 180 years ago today—in this very same place.

“The name Marley was immortalized through books, plays, theatre performances, and education. The families met to remember the wonderful gift Charles Dickens gave us and the world in what was to become the timeless story that is still as relevant today.

“Perhaps one day we will see a blue plaque to commemorate the location the conversation and the wonderful novella A Christmas Carol,” he added, referring to a national historical marker.

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Paul Graham, Honorary Secretary of the Dickens Fellowship confirmed: ”On 25th March, 1938, a letter from Miss M.M. Lloyd appeared in The Daily Telegraph relating how her grandfather, Dr. Miles Marley, had met Dickens at a St. Patrick’s Day dinner he held at his office in Piccadilly on March 17th, 1843.

Miss Lloyd’s story was picked up and retold in the pages of The Dickensian, the journal of the Dickens Fellowship.

“It was unusual, but not unknown, for Dickens, who delighted in inventing names for his characters, to use the names of real people he had met in his fiction. Fagin in Oliver Twist was named after Bob Fagin, a fellow worker with the young Dickens in the infamous blacking workhouse where he labored whilst a child.

“The odious Bentley Drummle in Great Expectations was named after one of Dickens’s early publishers, Richard Bentley, with whom Dickens had quarreled.

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“Major characters in the Carol, except for Marley, have names that Dickens invented for his purpose. Scrooge, Cratchit, and Fezziwig are names that would not be encountered in the streets of London.

“Marley stands alone as being unusual in belonging to a real person.”

SHARE the Historic Literary Meeting With Book-Lovers on Social Media…

“If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further in. Go a bit out of your depth.” – David Bowie

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further in. Go a bit out of your depth.” – David Bowie 

Photo by: Wynand Uys

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?

Two Sisters Put Up for Adoption at End of WWII Finally Reunite After 75 Years Apart

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Good News Network
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Annie ljpelaar and Sheila Anne Fry – SWNS
Annie ljpelaar and Sheila Anne Fry – SWNSgen

It took 75 years but, two sisters who were placed up for adoption at the end of World War II were finally reunited.

Annie Ijpelaar and Sheila Anne Fry, both in their late 70s, have Sheila’s daughter-in-law and Anne’s son to thank for the reunion, after they took it upon themselves separated to track their long-lost relatives.

Adopted in the UK as an infant in 1946, Sheila had no knowledge of who her birth parents were—but using a DNA product, they discovered she had a half-sister who lived in the Netherlands, born just a few months after her to the same father.

Sheila’s daughter-in-law, Karen, was messaged by Annie’s son, Marc, and both sisters did a DNA test which confirmed that they were related.

After meeting for the first time last year, Sheila said, “It was like looking in the mirror and talking to myself. It was amazing.”

“We have the same hobbies, and the same medical complaints—it is very strange.”

She always knew she was adopted because her parents told her: “I was special because mummy and daddy picked me.”

They said her father was a Canadian soldier who fought against the Nazis in Europe and returned home after the war.

The search for Sheila’s birth father had remained unsuccessful for eight years, leading the family to believe they’d hit a dead end.

CHECK OUT: Sisters Find Each Other After 45 Years Apart – Living in the Same City With Sons Going to the Same School

Annie and Sheila Anne comparing their crafts – SWNS

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, Annie was also trying to uncover her family history, after finding out her stepfather was not her biological father. Annie only discovered the truth after overhearing a conversation between relatives and searching through family documents.

Annie’s biological father was a Canadian soldier who had fought in World War II and participated in the liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi occupation.

Annie’s 50-year-old son, Marc, made a breakthrough when a joke between cousins led to him ordering a DNA test. When the email arrived announcing a DNA match, Marc was astonished to discover that his mother had a half-sister.

After verifying the DNA connection by testing both sisters, Marc finally told his mother he had found her a sister and arranged a video call in May 2022.

WATCH: Puppy Siblings Adopted by Different Families Immediately Recognize Each Other During Walks One Year Later

“They had an amazing conversation,” said Marc. “They look the same, they have the same hobbies. It was amazing.”

The face-to-face meeting took place in the Netherlands a couple months later.

“We both love to crochet, and we both knit and do crafts,” said Sheila, who joked, adding “I must say, Annie is a lot better than me.”

Annie agrees that the meeting was “very special”.

“We immediately connected… and although the language was a problem it felt very natural to see and talk to my sister after all these years.

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“It can be difficult to keep in touch as we are not very good with computers and phones.

“My English is not good, but I am trying to learn. I wish she lived closer.”

SHARE the Reunion With Your Own Sisters, With Gratitude That You Know Them…

8th Annual Ocean Conference Raises $20 Billion, And Pledges For Marine Protection

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Good News Network
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The Ocean Agency / Richard Vevers
The Ocean Agency / Richard Vevers

By Elizabeth Claire Alberts

International delegates attending the eighth annual Our Ocean Conference in Panama March 2-3 have pledged billions to protect the world’s oceans. Participants made 341 commitments worth nearly $20 billion, including funding for expanding and improving marine protected areas and biodiversity corridors.

Previous Our Ocean conferences have generated more than 1,800 commitments worth approximately $108 billion.

The president of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, who inaugurated the event, said the conference was an opportunity for “countries of the world to hold frank conversations with the purpose of committing ourselves to actions for the preservation and strengthening of life in the ocean.

“As Panamanians we inhabit a narrow strip surrounded by blue,” Cohen said in a statement. “To protect it, we should all think of the ocean as a source of life and recognize it as a great ally in our fight against the climate and biodiversity crises.”

Panama, the first Latin American country to host an Our Ocean conference, announced at the event that it was adding 36,058 square miles to its existing Banco Volcán Marine Protected Area in the Caribbean Sea, an area characterized by deep-sea mountain ranges and high biodiversity. The Banco Volcán was established in 2015 ​​with the protection of 5,487 square miles. Its expansion would bring the total amount of ocean protection within Panama’s exclusive economic zone to more than 54%.

Ocean sponges and algae on Gulf of Mexico coral -NOAA

“With the protection of more than half of its seas, including extensive ocean reserves on both sides of the isthmus, Panama is not only ensuring the conservation of its marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of the people who depend on these ecosystems in the long-term, but is also positioned to lead a much more ambitious regional effort,” said Héctor Guzmán, a marine biologist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and co-founder of the marine conservation network MigraMar.

Panama’s Ministry of Environment also stated at the conference that the country intended to stop more than 160,000 tons of plastic from being imported and consumed in the country by eliminating single-use plastics like cups and utensils, plastic packaging and virgin plastic.

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Another commitment came from charitable organizations Bloomberg Philanthropies and Arcadia, which established a fund worth $51 million to help support Indigenous peoples and local communities, NGOs and governments to improve and expand marine protection and to help nations protect 30% of oceans by 2030, a goal of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

An alliance of organizations, foundations and private donors also committed to a donation of $5 million to help developing countries join the high seas treaty that was being negotiated — and eventually agreed upon — in New York at the same time as the Our Ocean Conference.

A coalition of groups, known as the Connect to Protect Eastern Tropical Pacific Coalition, also announced a recent commitment of $118.5 million in private and public funds to strengthen marine protections for the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR), an area encompassing more than 500,000 square kilometers (193,000 square miles) of highly productive and biodiverse waters of Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica.

The U.S. and the European Union also pledged large sums—about $6 billion and $865 million, respectively—to help protect marine biodiversity.

Shawn McCready, CC license

Dan Crockett, the oceans and climate director at the nonprofit Blue Marine Foundation, who attended the conference, said the amount and worth of the commitments made were “impressive.”

“There was a strength to the amount of money being put on the table,” Crockett told Mongabay.

CHECK OUT: Parts of the Great Barrier Reef Show Highest Coral Cover in 36 Years

Crockett said he also felt encouraged to see countries working collaboratively to create marine protected areas across political boundaries, such as the development of CMAR, which can help protect migratory species that “do not know about or respect” country boundaries.

“That really was and continues to be incredibly inspiring and encouraging,” Crockett said. “If environment ministers can set down their differences and come together around ambitious ocean conservation, it provides a lot of hope.”

Tony Long, chief executive officer of the platform Global Fishing Watch said that conference attendees showed a “clear commitment to providing ocean sustainability” and motivation to enact those changes.

RELATED IN ASIA: Fishermen Getting Paid to Collect Plastic Trash at Sea, As Indonesia Slashes Pollution

He added that pushing these commitments into action would be the crucial next step.

“There have been some fantastic commitments here, but we still need those actions to take place,” Long said. “The more we see the community come together to drive those actions forward, the quicker the health of our ocean will be maintained.”

Originally published by Mongabay (CC BY-ND 4.0 license)

SAIL This Progress to Ocean Lovers on Social Media…

93-Year-old Grandma Creates 6-foot Buckingham Palace Entirely Out of Wool-Look at the Incredible Details

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Good News Network
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Knitted Buckingham - SWNS
Keiron Tovell – SWNS

A great-great grandmother dubbed the ‘Queen of Knitting’ has created a massive six-foot long replica of Buckingham Palace made entirely out of wool.

Margaret Seaman spent eight months knitting the model of His Majesty’s main residence in London, after taking up the craft seriously just 10 years ago.

Even better, the 93-year-old has used her craft to raise over $120,000 for charities and gets stopped on the street because of her new celebrity status.

“Now, when I sit in the car whilst we’re out, people knock on my window and say, ‘are you the lady that does the knitting?

“But I don’t feel any different—I’m still Margaret.”

Her most recent creation, the woolly Buckingham Palace, has been lovingly built over months with polystyrene blocks for structure and wiring to create the gates.

It features tiny guards with bear-skin hats and pedestrians staring up at the grand palace, with landscaping and trees around the structure.

Knitted Buckingham – SWNS

It is now standing on display at The Forum in Norwich’s Norfolk Makers Festival until March 19.

Despite the adoration she has received she won’t commit to creating any more of the royal estates, saying the intricate gate detail was the hardest thing to make.

“I just love a big challenge and I like to keep myself busy. I never dreamed it would lead to all this excitement.”

The mother of four is grandmother to 13, great-grandmother to two, and a great-great-grandmother to one little boy.

“I find it hard to walk,” said the widow from Caistor-on-Sea in Norfolk. “My gardening and walking days are over but I can sit and knit and raise money for good causes.”

Knitted Buckingham gates – SWNS

She joined a knitting club for the company after she lost her 86-year-old husband Fred.

The retired amusement park owner rose to fame after she spent 13 hours a day creating the royal Sandringham Palace in Norfolk in 2019, complete with stables.

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

She then got bored during the Covid-19 pandemic and turned 34 balls of wool into an NHS ‘Knittinghale Hospital’.

She lost count of how many balls of wool she used for Buckingham Palace, estimating “at least 100” balls were used, donated from the Wool Warehouse.

Margaret, who lives with her 74-year-old daughter says, “I usually knit for about eight or nine hours during the day and then I go to bed at 9pm and I knit for another three or four hours.

“It’s all in my head normally, I don’t stop to write things down. I always think that’s a waste of time.

“I start on a piece, work so far on it and then if I get stuck and can’t think what to do next, I leave it and start on something else. Usually I’ve got five or six pieces on the go at the same time and I work on whichever one my brain tells me to do.”

LOOK: Quarantined Needleworkers Around the World Unite to Create Record-Breaking String of 79,000 Flags

By displaying her incredible works she has raised over £100,000 ($120,000) for different causes and she just donated £10,000 to the three major hospitals in Norfolk.

The Producer of the Norfolk Makers Festival, Jayne Evans, said she was not shocked when Margaret was awarded the British Empire medal (BEM) after she first displayed her Knitted Sandringham—based on the Royal family’s country estate.

Knitted Sandringham – SWNS

“Margaret has wowed the crowds at our Festival for years now. She is a role model for both older people and younger generations and has become like a dear Grandmother to me.”

THE BEST BOY: 11-Year-old Crocheting Prodigy is Raising Thousands of Dollars for Orphans–One Stitch at a Time

She was also aptly awarded the ‘Oldie Champion Knitter of the Year’ bestowed by the Oldie Magazine and presented by the Duchess of Cornwall in 2021.

With her latest project, Margaret hopes to raise money for the new children’s hospice in Addenbrookes Hospital, in Cambs.

SHARE The Intricate Knitting With Friends and Family on Social Media…

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

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Good News Network
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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 March 18, 2023
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In describing her process, Piscean sculptor Anne Truitt wrote, “The most demanding part of living a lifetime as an artist is the strict discipline of forcing oneself to work steadfastly along the nerve of one’s own most intimate sensitivity.” I propose that many Pisceans, both artists and non-artists, can thrive from living like that. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to give yourself to such an approach with eagerness and devotion. I urge you to think hard and feel deeply as you ruminate on the question of how to work steadfastly along the nerve of your own most intimate sensitivity.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
I highly recommend the following experiences: 1. ruminating about what you learned in a relationship that ended—and how those lessons might be useful now. 2. ruminating about a beloved place you once regarded as home—and how the lessons you learned while there might be inspiring now. 3. ruminating about a riddle that has long mystified you—and how clarifying insights you receive in the coming weeks could help you finally understand it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
For “those who escape hell,” wrote Charles Bukowksi, “nothing much bothers them after that.” Believe it or not, Taurus, I think that in the coming weeks, you can *permanently* escape your own personal version of hell—and never, ever have to return. I offer you my congratulations in advance. One strategy that will be useful in your escape is this idea from Bukowski: “Stop insisting on clearing your head—clear your f*cking heart instead.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Gemini paleontologist Louis Agassiz (1807–1883) was a foundational contributor to the scientific tradition. Among his specialties was his hands-on research into the mysteries of fossilized fish. Though he was meticulously logical, he once called on his nightly dreams to solve a problem he faced. Here’s the story: A potentially crucial specimen was largely concealed inside a stone. He wanted to chisel away the stone to get at the fossil, but was hesitant to proceed for fear of damaging the treasure inside. On three successive nights, his dreams revealed to him how he should approach the work. This information proved perfectly useful. Agassiz hammered away at the slab exactly as his dreams suggested and freed the fossilized fish. I bring this marvel to your attention, Gemini, because I suspect that you, too, need to carve or cut away an obstruction that is hiding something valuable. Can you get help from your dreams? Yes, or else in deep reverie or meditation.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Will you flicker and sputter in the coming weeks, Cancerian? Or will you spout and surge? That is, will you be enfeebled by barren doubts, or will you embolden yourself with hearty oaths? Will you take nervous sips or audacious guzzles? Will you hide and equivocate, or else reveal and pounce? Dabble gingerly or pursue the joy of mastery? I’m here to tell you that which fork you take will depend on your intention and your willpower, not on the caprices of fate. So which will it be: Will you mope and fritter or untangle and illuminate?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
I applaud psychologists who tell us how important it is to feel safe. One of the most crucial human rights is the confidence that we won’t be physically or emotionally abused. But there’s another meaning of safety that applies to those of us who yearn to express ourselves creatively. Singer-songwriter David Bowie articulated the truth: “If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a bit out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re in the right place to do something exciting.” I think this is a wise strategy for most of us, even those who don’t identify as artists. Almost everyone benefits from being imaginative and inventive and even a bit daring in their own particular sphere. And this will be especially applicable to you in the coming weeks, Leo.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
You are in the sweet, deep phase of the Receiving Season. And so you have a right and a duty to show the world you are ready and available to be blessed with what you need and want. I urge you to do everything necessary to become a welcoming beacon that attracts a wealth of invigorating and healing influences. For inspiration, read this quote by author John Steinbeck: “It is so easy to give, so exquisitely rewarding. Receiving, on the other hand, if it be well done, requires a fine balance of self-knowledge and kindness. It requires humility and tact and great understanding of relationships . . . It requires a self-esteem to receive—a pleasant acquaintance and liking for oneself.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Libran poet E. E. Cummings wrote that daffodils “know the goal of living is to grow.” Is his sweet sentiment true? I would argue it’s only partially accurate. I believe that if we want to shape our destinies with courage and creativity, we need to periodically go through phases of decay and decline. They make periods of growth possible. So I would say, “The goal of life is to grow and wither and grow and wither and grow.” Is it more fun to grow than to wither? Maybe. But sometimes, withering is educational and necessary. Anyway, Libra, I suspect you are finishing a time of withering and will soon embark on a series of germinations and blossoms.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
All of us have elements of genius. Every person on the planet possesses at least one special talent or knack that is a gift to others. It could be subtle or unostentatious, like a skill for communicating with animals or for seeing what’s best in people. Or maybe it’s more spectacular, like composing beautiful music or raising children to be strong and compassionate. I mention this, Scorpio, because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to identify your unique genius in great detail—and then nurture it and celebrate it in every way you can imagine.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
The emblem associated with Sagittarius is an archer holding a bow with the arrow pointed upwards. This figure represents your tribe’s natural ambition to always aim higher. I bring this to your attention because your symbolic quiver is now full of arrows. But what about your bow? Is it in tip-top condition? I suggest you do some maintenance. Is the bow string in perfect shape? Are there any tiny frays? Has it been waxed recently? And what about the grip? Are there any small cracks or wobbles? Is it as steady and stable as it needs to be? I have one further suggestion as you prepare for the target-shooting season. Choose one or at most two targets to aim at rather than four or five.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
It’s prime time to feel liberated from the urge to prove yourself to anyone. It’s a phase when your self-approval should be the only kind of approval you need, a period when you have the right to remove yourself from any situation that is weighed down with gloomy confusion or apathetic passivity. This is exciting news! You have an unprecedented opportunity to recharge your psychic batteries and replenish your physical vitality.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
I suspect you can now accomplish healthy corrections without getting tangled up in messy karma. Here are my recommendations: 1. As you strive to improve situations that are awry or askew, act primarily out of love rather than guilt or pity. 2. Fight tenderly in behalf of beautiful justice, but don’t fight harshly for ugly justice. 3. Ask yourself how you might serve as a kind of divine intervention in the lives of those you care about—and then carry out those divine interventions.

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…

“Rebellion without truth is like spring in a bleak, arid desert.” – Khalil Gibran

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Rebellion without truth is like spring in a bleak, arid desert.” – Khalil Gibran

Photo by: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona

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?

4 Years After Discovery, the First Viking Ship Burial Found in Over 100 Years Reveals its Lost Secrets

By
Andy Corbley
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illustration from gjellestadstory.no
illustration from gjellestadstory.no

Reprinted with permission from World at Large, an independent news outlet covering conflict, travel, science, conservation, and health and fitness.

When news broke in 2018 that another Viking-Age ship burial had been found on the shores of the Oslo Fjord, it quickly became one of the finds of the century.

Compared to its truly legendary predecessors of the Gokstad and Oseburg ships, the newly-found Gjellestad ship is not going to be mounted in a museum any time soon; most of the woods has disintegrated.

That hasn’t stopped Norwegian archaeologists from figuring out a lot about what was going on from the time of the burial and the ship.

Excavations began in 2020 and concluded in October of 2021. Early on it was clear that nothing like a ship could be removed from the earth, not only for the condition of the wood, but also the rivets. More than 1,300 of them lined the clinker-built hull, but the iron flaked away at the slightest disturbance, requiring the excavators to remove them in blocks of dirt for CT scans.

However, at the bottom of a central trench, the team found the ship’s keel, which is the beam of wood that sits underwater along the central spine of the ship. Viking Age boats are famous for having a shallow draft, in part because of their small keels. This allowed them not only to go to sea, but sail up shallow rivers as well.

Tree-ring analysis and carbon dating showed the wood for the keel was felled in the 700s, meaning the ship probably saw action between the late 8th century to the 10th century—primetime for Vikings in that part of the world.

The keel was removed and preserved by immersing it in a water-soluble wax called polyethylene glycol which impregnates archaeological wood samples found underwater or in sodden soil. Gradually the wax takes the place of the water molecules, and after the wood is dried out, the wax forms a reinforcing part of the structure.

Rivets on the ship were stored in 8 x 12 cm blocks of dirt in plastic bags to prevent oxidation. They represent the most important piece of data for what the researchers hope to do which is to digitally reconstruct the ship.

The rivets could contain vital clues just as wood residue and other evidence of how it was built and with what materials.

The keel being preserved – credit Ruben WithKHM, UiO

Journey to the east

The Gjellestad ship will tell the story of the eastern shore of the massive Oslo Fjord. The great Gokstad and Oseburg ship burials, filled as they were with treasure, weapons, sacrifices, and of course, complete Viking boats, represented that the western shore—an area called Vestfold, was a flourishing power center even as early as 700 CE

By contrast, less is known about the elite class in Østfold, in the area called Viken today, where the Gjellestad ship was found. Historians however have dated settlements in the area to an earlier period compared to the Vestfold.

Nearby lies Norway’s second-largest burial mound, the Jellehaugen, which was erected in 500 CE, but there had been settlements there 2,000 years before.

MORE FROM NORWAY: Norway Closes Down Its Last Arctic Coal Mine and Transforms Land into Giant National Park

“The area was thus a well-established burial ground when the Gjellestad ship and the person, or persons on board, were buried here,” writes Mari Wammer at the Museum of the Viking Age, Univ. of Oslo. “It has probably been a sacred place, which has evolved from a classic Iron Age society with settlement and burial mounds side by side, to becoming a burial ground only.”

As yet, no one has been found inside the Gjellestad ship burial, though archaeologists believe that there’s no question either someone is still inside waiting to be discovered, or someone had been there but was moved.

The latter is likely the truth, because in a summary of their findings reported on by National Geographic, the archaeologists determined through soil samples that tomb robbers entered the mound around the year 950 CE by tunneling underneath the soil and cutting a hole through the hull to get at the loot inside, where they also may have exposed the remains of whoever was buried inside to oxygen.

OTHER ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRIUMPHS: 2,000-Year-Old Roman Road Uncovered in British Field is Like No Other–And of ‘Global Importance’

Ship burials were the ultimate expression of power, and the ceremony of internment would have gone on for days and involved for days, while the grave itself continued as a center of communion with the dead. It’s a sign that the Østfold Norwegians possessed similar wealth and population density to those of the Vestfold.

“This is the first half of the Viking Age, and it indicates concurrency with the other major ship finds we know in Norway. The ship fits into a context we already know, while at the same time it is a new ship that will further complement the story,” said Christian Løchsen Rødsrud, who was project manager during the excavations last fall.

MORE VIKING NEWS: Viking Age Shipyard Uncovered at Birka is Like Nothing Ever Found Before

After the excavations were concluded, the team took all the appropriate measures to preserve the imprint of the 60-foot-long ship at the bottom of the burial by re-burying it in the hope that soon the county will have the money to construct a visitor center over the pit.

Meanwhile “Viking Nativity” a big organized survey and metal detecting project, is scouring all the nearby areas for other gravesites, building remains, or artifacts to help flush out the picture of Viking Age Viken.

Take an interactive journey through the history of the ship and its story at Gjellestad Story.no — a must for Viking enthusiasts.

Everyone Likes Vikings, SHARE The Summary Of This Incredible Discovery…

Lions in India Get New Sanctuary as Numbers of Asiatic Lions Soar in Their Last Stronghold

By
Andy Corbley
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A family of Asiatic Lions in Gir National Forest - CC 3.0. Mayankvagadiya
A family of Asiatic Lions in Gir National Forest – CC 3.0. Mayankvagadiya

The Indian state of Gujarat is the only place outside of Africa where one can hear the roar of a lion in its natural habitat.

Now, conservation programs have raised the numbers of these animals so much that the state government will be relocating some to a new wildlife sanctuary to expand their territory and ensure this growth continues.

The northern lion subspecies once stretched from West Africa to India, and several regional populations, including the now-extinct Barbary and Caspian lions, and the Asiatic lion in the case of India, developed unique genetic signatures.

Iran is the only place left where Asiatic cheetahs can be found, and India, where the cheetah was extirpated, managed to hold onto the Asiatic lion.

Gir National Park is 544 square miles of ideal lion territory. In 2015, the lion population was 523, while in 2010 it was 411, and 359 in 2005. With so many lions about, other states become curious if it were possible for Gujarat to share.

MORE BIG CAT NEWS:

For the moment, they will remain in Gujarat, though nearby Barda Wildlife Sanctuary will soon become the second protected area on Earth where these animals can be seen.

In 2013, an Indian Supreme Court ruling ordered some of the lions in Gir to be moved elsewhere to prevent disease and other dangers from imperiling the whole of the population.

SHARE This Good Conservation News With Your Friends… 

New Yellowstone Spin-off Series Dramatizes Life of Historic Black U.S. Marshall Bass Reeves in the Wild West

By
Andy Corbley
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(left) David Oyelowo (right) Bass Reeves - credit CBS press gallery, University of Oklahoma Library.
(left) David Oyelowo (right) Bass Reeves – credit CBS press gallery, University of Oklahoma Library.

The popular television drama Yellowstone is producing a spinoff season to dramatize one of the most legendary figures in the Wild West, Bass Reeves.

Interest in Reeves as a historical figure with as much potential for film and television as Wyatt Earp, has grown since the turn of the millennium.

For those who aren’t read up on potentially the greatest lawman of the West, GNN reported on his career and life in 2022 for Black History Month.

Born in 1838, Bass Reeves made over 3,000 arrests over a 32-year career as a deputy marshal and shot down 14 criminals in self-defense in a part of the country where one-third of all law enforcement agents were killed by outlaws.

A freed slave who knocked his enslaver out during a fight over a card game, Reeves fled to the Indian Territory and lived among the Cherokee, Creeks, and Seminoles until he was freed by the 13th Amendment, after which he moved to Arkansas to start a new life as a farmer.

Now, nearly 200 years later, British actor David Oyelowo is set to portray Reeves in a spinoff series of the popular Paramount Pictures TV drama, Yellowstone. 

Following a lackluster reception for its debut, Yellowstone became a sensation over the following three seasons, at one point scoring a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. After its modern-day version ran 5 seasons, another series called 1883 followed the characters’ ancestors moving to the Yellowstone area along the Oregon Trail.

In the new series set at the same time, entitled simply Bass Reeves, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan is once again taking the lead, while Dennis Quaid has joined on to play a deputy US marshall.

Perhaps trying to capitalize on the recent success of Corsicana, a feature-length motion picture of Bass Reeves’ life, the connection between Reeves and the intergenerational family of the Duttons in Yellowstone is unclear.

But it’s sure to be a wild ride, and you can learn all about it with this explainer video below, though there are multiple spoilers of past seasons if you had any desire to start Yellowstone from the beginning.

SPOILER ALERT below…

KNOW Any Yellowstone Fans? SHARE This Awesome Spinoff With Them…

Evidence of Cheese-Making to Circumvent Lactose Intolerance 6,000 Years Ago Found in Poland

By
Andy Corbley
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Azzedine Rouichi - Unsplash
Azzedine Rouichi – Unsplash

Analysis of neolithic pottery shards shows that in Northern Europe, where poor soils and low sunlight made primitive agriculture extremely difficult, people were making cheese in places like Poland potentially as far back as 9,000 years ago.

Examinations of perforated vessels not only found the presence of the dairy protein casein which suggests the creation of curd-enriched products from raw milk, but casein from cows, goats, and sheep, suggesting they were making a kind La Tur long before most other forms of modern food production ever reached the continent.

Common arguments for cutting out dairy products from the diet stem from the idea that we have only been consuming dairy for a few thousand years, and that no other mammal consumes lactose after infancy.

Rather than a few, new research points to dairy consumption from herd animals as far back as at least the sixth millennium BCE—or 8,000 years ago.

Researchers from the University of York point out that lactose intolerance would have been common in nearly all European populations at the time, but that the processing methods still used today to create yogurt, kefir, and cheese were being used to overcome this intolerance.

“Whilst previous research has shown that dairy products were widely available in some European regions during this period, here, for the first time, we have clear evidence for a diversified dairy herd, including cattle, sheep, and goats, from the analysis of ceramics,” said Dr. Harry Robson, from the Department of Archaeology at the University of York.

credit: Robson et al. Royal Society Open Publishing

Robson and his colleagues along with a team from the University of Krakow looked at a neolithic site in Poland called Sławęcinek, which shows activity from around 3,600 BCE.

Small numbers of vessels had a white mineral residue that when examined via proteomic and lipid analyses revealed evidence of dairying from cattle and caprids, probably both sheep and goats.

MORE STONE AGE NEWS: Ancient Cave Markings Finally Decoded By Amateur Scientist–A Calendar of When Animals Mated 20,000 Years Ago

“The dominance of caseins… could suggest that the residues formed on these vessels are the result of the presence of casein-rich curd products, rather than milk or whey products,” the authors write in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

“Cheese is composed primarily of curd proteins while the whey proteins and the majority of the lactose remain in the whey portion when the curds coagulate.”

MORE ANCIENT DIETS: Remains of Prehistoric BBQ Suggests Dinner was Served 780,000 Years Ago–600,000 Years Earlier than we Thought

This shows that the clever ancient Poles were managing to circumnavigate their own genetic lactose intolerance to add a sustainable and protein-rich food source to their diets.

Today, people who are lactose intolerant can still eat well-aged cheeses, owing to the removal of lactose both during the cheese-making and aging process, although they probably don’t realize this knowledge is as ancient as pottery.

SHARE This Neolithic Heritage With Your Cheese-Loving Friends… 

“You can’t hear Irish tunes without knowing you’re Irish, and wanting to pound that fact into the floor.” – Jennifer Armstrong (Happy St. Patrick’s Day)

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “You can’t hear Irish tunes without knowing you’re Irish—and wanting to pound that fact into the floor.” – Jennifer Armstrong  (HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!)

Photo by: Jazz-Guy, CC license – The Tír na nÓg Irish Pub in New York City

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

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