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Stone ‘Bird Palaces’ Meld Historic Architecture with Islamic Love of Animals in Istanbul

By
Andy Corbley
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Birdhouse on the exterior of the Ayazma Mosque, Üsküdar, Istanbul. CC 3.0. R Prazeres
Birdhouse on the exterior of the Ayazma Mosque, Üsküdar, Istanbul. CC 3.0. R Prazeres

An empire which lasted 500 years was famous among writers for making a place in its society for animals, and the “bird palaces” of Istanbul are testament to that testimony.

Dating back as early as the 13th and 14th centuries, the bird palaces reflected an Ottoman Empire policy of compassion towards all living things, created as they are by god. Found on the sides of mosques, houses, fountains, libraries, baths, inns, and madrasas, these functional works of art make parts of the huge metropolis which is modern Istanbul an unlikely place for migratory birds like swallows and even storks.

“Storks and swallows can nest in birdhouses without fear of being shooed away. Dogs run loose on the streets, and people walk among them, carrying meat to feed cats and dogs,” wrote French traveler and painter Antoine-Laurent Castellan in 1812.

To wit, GNN reported just last year about how Istanbul pays for outdoor cat shelter areas for strays who become intertwined with the fabric of society due to their excellence as rat catchers and friendly companions.

RELATED: England Team Players Adopt ‘Big Dave’ the Stray Cat Who Made Himself a Social Media Star Like a Mascot

“28th Ottoman Sultan Selim III ordered two birdhouses in the form of mansions be built on the walls of Selimiye Mosque,” reports Betül Tilmaç for the Daily Sabah, who came up with the idea of sharing these interesting cultural relics with the world.

It’s a far cry from city ordinances on pigeon spikes covering important buildings in the West today.

Birdhouse on the exterior of the Selimiye Mosque (or Selim III Mosque) in Üsküdar, Istanbul CC 3.0. R Prazeres

Tilmaç continues the historical quotations by referencing another French traveler Jean de Thevenot, who wrote that the Turk’s “benevolence extends to animals and birds,” and that the people who built the bird palaces “gave these houses names such as “birdhouse,” “dove hut” and “sparrow palace.”

RELATED: Istanbul Improves the Lives of Thousands of Stray Cats with Elaborate Outdoor Cat Houses

In the 19th century, the Ottomans built the Gurabahane-i Laklakan—an animal hospital in the city for migratory birds, especially the aforementioned storks.

It’s a beautiful reminder that no matter how large a city might grow, and Istanbul has 15 million inhabitants, if there’s room in a human heart for our feathered brethren, there’s room in a city.

SHARE This Interesting Cultural Heart String From Istanbul With Your Friends…

90-Year-old Woodcutter Built his Own Hobbit House Where He Lives in Charming Comfort (LOOK)

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Stuart Grant Hobbit house – SWNS
Stuart Grant Hobbit house – SWNS

A woodcutter who built his own Hobbit house revealed he has never watched Lord of the Rings, but nevertheless lives in it almost off-grid despite being nearly 90.

Great-grandad Stuart Grant moved into the cottage he bought as a wreck with no roof and no doors in 1984 while he was renovating a house, but found it was so satisfying doing DIY on the quirky building which dated back 200 years, that he decided to make it his home.

He doesn’t have a mobile phone or use the internet and no longer drives due to his age, but he loves getting out and meeting people, which is good considering he has been inundated with visitors to his home in Tomich, near Inverness, after his house was posted on a French tourist board’s recommendations for north Scotland.

“I haven’t watched Lord of the Rings,” said Grant, who worked as a joiner and carpenter for decades. “it’s just a coincidence that my front door is almost the same shape and same kind of wood.”

“It was a shoemakers’ cottage and a croft. There was no roof, just four walls which are 200 years old. It is not a fancy house, it is made from other people’s leftovers.”

Stuart Grant Hobbit house – SWNS

The old house had doorways, but no doors; window frames, but no windows, and there was no roof either. Outside there were only cows, chickens, and a donkey as neighbors. Building everything by hand, he described as working in “slow motion,” while living in a shed near to the cabin.

“I was always a glutton for scenic beauty, beautiful houses, and thatched cottages in England,” said Grant. “I cut the wood myself from fallen trees and collected stones from the river for the stonework. I put the stairs in. It took quite a few years, I never counted it. I just enjoyed doing it so much—I was getting such a buzz out of doing it.”

CHECK OUT: Spend the Night in a Giant Flower Pot – AirBnb is Funding The Most Off-Beat Lodgings

As the tourists began coming—busloads—they would routinely apologize for disturbing him  say they would probably feel a lot better if there were a collection box. He eventually acquiesced but insists no one has to put anything in it. Fast-forward to present day and he’s pulled over £5,000 out of it.

“You get a real buzz out of doing interesting stuff. I’ll be 90 in less than two weeks but I feel like a teenager,” he added.

TAKE a tour and meet Grant for yourself…  

SHARE With Your Friends What One Man Can Do With Tools And Imagination… 

Astonishingly Wealthy Pompeii Home of Two Men Freed from Slavery Reopens to Public

By
Andy Corbley
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House of the Vettii © Silvia Vacca
House of the Vettii © Silvia Vacca

After years of complex restoration work, the villa of two of Pompeii’s richest citizens has been reopened.

Buried by Vesuvius in 79 CE, the House of the Vettii “tells the story of Roman society,” with elegant frescoes flaunting the wealth accumulated in the wine business by two freed slaves.

Their names were Aulus Vettius Restitutus and Aulus Vettius Conviva, and rather than being brothers, it was more likely based on Roman naming customs that they were buddies in slavery to a master named Aulus Vettius.

Whenever they returned as freedmen, they amassed a great fortune with which they bought a house in Pompeii’s wealthy district and filled it with art. The home is protected by the god Priapus—god of fertility, displayed in a wall frieze and marble statue with a comically-large phallus.

Inside, the walls are lined with a large frieze of Cupids doing craftwork, probably representing the business the two men owned, and of other deities like Neptune (Poseidon the god of the sea).

The focal point of the dwelling is a large square garden filled with water fountains and statues.

RELATED: Piece of Ancient Graffiti Reveals New Clues About the Day Pompeii Was Destroyed

In a room beyond the kitchen it’s believed the two men ran a brothel, as the decorations became a lot raunchier. Next to Priapus at the entrance is a small inscription in Latin which refers to a Greek woman with “nice manners.”

House of the Vettii © Silvia Vacca
House of the Vettii © Silvia Vacca

It seems the men who had whittled away some years in slavery were not going to waste any time missing out on a chance to enrich themselves.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, told the Guardian that if there were one house he could visit in a time machine before the famous volcano buried the city, it would be the House of the Vettii, describing the number of treasures uncovered within as “absolutely astonishing.”

MORE ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS: Exquisite Mosaic Unearthed by Farmer Planting Olive Tree, ‘Perfectly Preserved’ From Byzantine Era

This is the house which tells the story of Roman society,” he said. “On the one hand you have the artwork, paintings and statues, and on the other you have the social story [of the freed slaves]. The house is one of the relatively few in Pompeii for which we have the names of the owners.”

SHARE This Astonishing House And Story With Your Friends…

“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Photo by: Daniel Salcius

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?

Livin’ Good Currency Ep. 29: Carrie Rich on How to Show Up, Learn, and Listen to Make Entrepreneurial Good in the World

By
Andy Corbley
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The Lesson: Expressing genuine interest in learning, in a job, in what other people have to say, in showing up even when you aren’t necessarily needed, this is a behavior which boardrooms around the world will want to vacuum up, as long as one makes certain they see it.

Notable Excerpt: “One of the things I’ve learned is that every human adds value to our collective story; you have to believe that. If you’re really going to believe in making the world a better place, you have to believe that every human adds value. And if you believe that then you’re open to having meaningful conversations with everyone no matter where they are in this moment in life, so I don’t care if I’m on a bus, or a plane, or a train, or the street, or the slum, or the boardroom, I’m genuinely interested in learning from the people next to me.”

The Guest: Carrie Rich believes in making the world better through business and leadership. That is why she co-founded The Global Good Fund ten years ago to invest in high potential, overlooked social entrepreneurs. She also founded the Global Impact Fund, which is dedicated to investing in socially impactful businesses primarily led by black, brown and women founders.

Carrie’s fourth book, Impact The World: Live Your Values and Drive Changes as a Citizen Statesperson, was published by Wiley in May 2022 and is now a WSJ and Amazon Best Seller. Carrie is the recipient of the POLITICO Women Who Rule Award, Washington Business Journal 40 under 40, and many others.

The Podcast: Livin’ Good Currency explores the relationship of time to our lives. It focuses on learning how super-successful people align their purpose with their passions to do good for themselves and others daily, and features a co-host who knows better than anyone the value of time (see below). How do you want to spend your life? This hour can inspire you, along with upcoming guests, to be sure you are ‘Livin’ Good Currency’ and never get caught running out of time.

The Hosts: Good News Network fans will know Tony (Anthony) Samadani as the co-owner of GNN and its Chief of Strategic Partnerships. Co-host Tobias Tubbs was handed a double life sentence without the possibility of parole for a crime he didn’t commit. Behind bars, he used his own version of the Livin’ Good Currency formula to inspire young men in prison to turn their hours into honors. An expert in conflict resolution, spirituality, and philosophy, Tobias is a master gardener who employs ex-felons to grow their Good Currency by planting crops and feeding neighborhoods.

Episode Resources:

Carrie Rich | Twitter
Global Good Fund | Website
Global Good Fund | Twitter
Global Good Fund | Instagram

Are you ready to start your health journey today? Go to viome.com/goodcurrency to get $50 off Viome’s Full Body Intelligence test or bundle, the most advanced at-home health test currently available to consumers. Use Promo Code: CURRENCY50

Gardening Could Help Reduce Cancer Risk, Boost Mental Health and Bring Communities Together

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Good News Network
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SWNS
SWNS

Gardening could help reduce the risk of cancer, boost mental health and bring communities together, according to new research.

Scientists say it leads to eating more fibrous fruits and vegetables, exercising more and building social connections, which together can ease stress and anxiety and lower the risk of various illnesses.

“No matter where you go, people say there’s just something about gardening that makes them feel better,” said Dr. Jill Litt, a professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

In a classic case of correlation or causation, while it’s known that those who garden tend to be a healthier weight and eat more fruit and vegetables, it’s unclear whether healthier people just tend to garden more or whether gardening influences health.

To find the answer, Dr. Litt recruited 291 non-gardening adults with an average age of 41 from the Denver area.

Half were assigned to the community gardening group and the other half were put in a control group that was asked to wait one year to start gardening.

CHECK OUT GNN’s GOOD GARDENING SECTION: Good Gardening Week 7: What Are Your Best Gardening Hacks? Check Out Last Week’s Answers

The gardening group received a free community garden plot, some seeds and seedlings, and an introductory gardening course.

Both groups were surveyed about their nutritional intake and mental health. They also underwent body measurements and wore activity monitors.

The group started in spring and by autumn those in the gardening group were eating on average 1.4 grams, or 7% more fiber per day than the control group. It may seem like a small difference, but it isn’t.

“An increase of one gram of fiber can have large, positive effects on health,” said co-author James Hebert, director of the University of South Carolina’s cancer prevention and control program.

The gardening group also upped their physical activity by around 42 minutes per week, and saw their stress and anxiety levels decrease, with those who came in the most stressed and anxious seeing the biggest drop in mental health issues.

RELATED: 8 in 10 Youth Think Gardening is Cool, and Half Would Rather Visit a Garden Center Than a Nightclub

Many of the participants live in areas where access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables is extremely limited.

Some were low-income immigrants living in gardenless apartments, and having a garden plot allowed them to grow food cheaply. Community gardening can also build social connections within communities and offer a space for people to share their culture.

“Even if you come to the garden looking to grow your food on your own in a quiet place, you start to look at your neighbor’s plot and share techniques and recipes, and over time relationships bloom,” said Dr. Litt.

“It’s not just about the fruits and vegetables. It’s also about being in a natural space outdoors together with others.”

SHARE This Great Health News, And Check Out Our Good Gardening Archives…

The First African-Produced Tests to Diagnose Cancer will Cut Costs and Waiting Times Across the Continent

By
Andy Corbley
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Oussama Benbila/Courtesy of MAScIR
Oussama Benbila/Courtesy of MAScIR

With the debut of a Moroccan-born test for breast cancer and leukemia, the continent has achieved its first domestic cancer test, one that could reduce cost and wait times significantly.

Most diagnostics kits are imported from Europe or North America, and as such require time and money which many hospitals in poorer countries may not have.

“The price of the kit can be double that of what it would cost to manufacture it locally. It is also a long process. It can take weeks or months for the kits to arrive,” said Hassan Sefrioui, an executive board member of the Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research (MASciR), which developed the new tests.

Apart from the other nations of the Colorful Continent, Morocco herself will be helped greatly by the tests. Breast cancer, reports the Guardian, is the most prevalent form in the country, and a leading killer of women.

Moreover, the results of imported tests for some cancers have to be exported back to France for diagnosis. MASciR’s leukemia test has already been used on 400 people, and can instead gather results in a few hours.

MORE MEDICINE NEWS: Aggressive Breast Cancer Could Be Tamed By Ingredient Found in Cardamom Spice, Say Scientists

MASciR was one of the first firms in Africa to develop a COVID-19 test, which was sold in the Francophone nations of Tunisia, Senegal, and Ivory Coast, as well as Rwanda. The cancer tests will likely be available in these countries first.

Because of the need to import raw materials, it’s likely the tests will still be more expensive than imported European ones, at least for the first few years. Officials at the African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation believe that if MASciR is well-supported the costs will come down quickly and significantly.

SHARE This Milestone for African Innovation With Your Friends… 

Urban Trees at the End of Life Are Turned into Valuable Products, Rather Than Chipped for Landfil

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - Urban Hardwoods Seattle
credit – Urban Hardwoods Seattle

Across America, cities are choosing to upcycle their felled urban trees into valuable products rather than chipping them, burning them, or dumping them into the landfill.

Along with being more generally favorable to the environment, it’s a trend that’s leading to entrepreneurial innovation, as a network of urban woodworkers has coalesced around municipalities looking to do something more productive with waste lumber.

When processed, sold, and utilized to its highest value, the U.S. could produce nearly 8 billion board-feet of urban-sourced lumber annually, or around 10% of the production that the traditional lumber industry gathers from America’s forests.

An article from Pew Charitable Trusts reports that in 2018, city leaders in Harrisonburg, Virginia, began a wood utilization effort that saw felled municipal trees go into making park benches, planter boxes, and conference room desks.

The article continues in Maryland, where the Baltimore Wood Project, a U.S. Forest Service-led effort to promote urban wood reclamation, has provided more than 65,000 board-feet for city constructions of fishing piers, pedestrian bridges, and wellness centers.

Out west, West Coast Arborists are serving this cause in 350 cities across California and Arizona, lobbying for city ordinances on shade trees and other urban tree planting programs to adopt the planting of tree species with a high end-use value for the purpose of upcycling and reclamation.

Recently, West Coast Arborists began supplying lumber from felled urban trees to Taylor Guitars, who were looking for Shamel ash and red ironbark eucalyptus trees for several of their models.

CHECK OUT: European Cities Are Turning Rooftops Into Community and Sustainability Hubs: ‘A revolution in urban planning’

Urban Hardwoods, a Seattle-based bespoke furniture maker, runs its own sawmill for the processing of trees received through Urban Wood Network, an industry collaborator that connects municipalities, sawmills, arborists, finished goods producers, and others in a giant web of urban wood reclamation activity.

All of Urban Hardwoods’ beautiful furniture is made from trees cut down as part of the tree-surgeon work in Seattle within a 15-mile radius of the store.

Nearby, Oregon also has a program from its environmental department for the recycling of shrubs, limbs, and other wood that can’t be turned into high-end products. It instead turns them into biochar, a recently developed soil amendment that involves heating wood over fire without access to oxygen.

RELATED: Tree Corps Has A Green Job For You: Planting the ‘Healing Power’ of Trees in Low-Income Neighborhoods

When placed in soil, biochar acts like a sponge to soak up minerals and water, as well as acting as something nice, nutritious and solid for a tree or shrub to wrap its roots around.

It’s not as carbon-neutral as furniture, but making biochar and other fertilizers produces less CO2 than shredding trees into chips, burning them, or loading up a landfill.

Upcycle This Good Idea For Waste Trees With Your Friends…

Green Comet in the Sky This Week Is Rare ‘Messenger from the Outer Reaches of Our Solar System’

By
Andy Corbley
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A photo of comet C2022 E3 ZTF taken on Dec. 26, 2022 in Payson, Arizona by Chris Schur.
A photo of comet C2022 E3 ZTF taken on Dec. 26, 2022 in Payson, Arizona by Chris Schur.

A bright green comet is passing through our solar system and has astrophotographers elated for the chance at a once-in-a-lifetime image.

Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) is its name, and the last time it passed close enough to Earth it would have been seen by human and Neanderthal alike—around 50,000 years ago.

On January 12th it passed the closest point to the sun, and in the two weeks leading up to February 1st, its closest approach to Earth, it can be viewed with binoculars and even the naked eye.

Space.com did a roundup of astrophotographers working with telescopic lenses, and one by Chris Schur from Payton, Arizona stands out.

“Here is a really deep hour and a half exposure of the comet, showing the colors of the dust tail very well and a long tortured gas tail,” Schur told Space in an email.

The Planetary Society has the details on how to see this green marvel.

“Observers in the Northern Hemisphere will have the best chance of spotting the comet if they look in the northwestern skies before dawn,” wrote Kate Howells. “Without a telescope, Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) will most likely look like a faint, greenish smudge in the sky rather than a bright object.”

MORE LIKE THIS: ‘Orion’s Fireplace’: Flame Nebula is Ablaze With Color and Captured in Stunning New Images

More specific details about how to find this comet can be found on Earthsky, where they have its placement among constellations across several dates.

Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) is a traveler from deep in the outer solar system, where its orbit has it spending thousands of years beyond our sight. Astronomers don’t know whether it gathers enough speed to move into interstellar space, or if its elliptical orbit keeps it bound to us.

SHARE This Great Stargazing Opportunity Before It Passes!

“There is a wonderful intelligence to the unconscious. It’s always smarter than we are.” – Russell Banks

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “There is a wonderful intelligence to the unconscious. It’s always smarter than we are.” – Russell Banks 

Photo by: Edurne Tx (enhanced)

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?

Singing Bus Driver Becomes a Star After Making Music Video to Show Family in India What He Did for Work (WATCH)

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Good News Network
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Ranjit Singh with fellow drivers - YouTube / SWNS
Ranjit Singh – SWNS

A singing bus driver has become an unlikely Youtube sensation after a feel-good music video he made about his job racked up tens of thousands of views.

Ranjit Singh wanted to show his family in India what he did for a living so he made the film with the help of his colleagues at National Express.

His song celebrates multi-cultural Britain and what it’s like to serve a multi-faith community while driving buses across the industrial heartlands of the Black Country.

Despite what some might consider a mundane subject matter, the heart-warming video about the pride Ranjit takes in his work has attracted him thousands of adorning fans.

Since the four-minute long footage was uploaded to Youtube, a video which was originally just meant for family, has been viewed more than 66,000 times.

The uplifting track was recorded against the backdrop of one of the company’s garages and at West Bromwich Bus Station.

“I have a great passion for driving and singing, so I wanted to combine the two together,” said the 59-year-old from West Bromwich in the West Midlands of England.

“I thought there was no better way than a video to show my family back home what I do for a living.

WATCH: New U.S. Citizen From Cuba Celebrates ‘First Paycheck in America’ in Viral Video

“I have worked at National Express West Midlands for 13 years and take great pride in what I do.

“There’s a real team spirit and I wanted to do something that celebrated the many different communities we have at our West Bromwich depot and how we all work together as one team.”

Ranjit Singh with fellow drivers – YouTube / SWNS

Recorded in the Punjabi language, but with English subtitles, sprightly Ranjit dances away as he sings: “Friends drive buses together.”

“With honest working hands, we drive the buses. From different countries brothers drive buses together…we all drive the buses from our different faiths.

“All the different cultures and nations drive buses together as friends. Working in the offices as brothers. We sit together in the canteen as brothers.

“Doing overtime shifts we exhaust the buses. Within different countries friends drive the buses together.

LOOK: Watch Elephant Give Back a Child’s Shoe That Fell Into Zoo Enclosure – SO SWEET

“If any drivers need moral support we give it to each other. Health and safety priorities must be taken before holding the steering wheel.

“We check the bus condition before holding the steering wheel.

“Sisters also drive the buses from different cultures and nations from all over the world. Sisters also became bus drivers within the UK.

“Staying happy and in high spirits we work together singing with our brother Ranjit.”

“Fabulous!” said one fan on YouTube. “Thanks to Ranjit and everyone working so hard to keep us all moving.”

Another gushed, “This is why we should be proud of multi-cultural Britain. All colours and creeds coming together. Keep up the good work Ranjit.”

POPULAR: Man in Pakistan Needed Surgery in Alabama – Got So Much Love That He Invited the Entire City to His Wedding

David Bradford, managing director for National Express West Midlands, said: “Our staff really are our greatest assets.

“They all work incredibly hard to keep our customers moving, and to see the enthusiasm that they have for their roles in the company is great.

WATCH the music video below…

SHARE The Inspiring Video to Inspire Friends on Social Media… 

Two-Thirds Feel Guilty For Getting Rid of Sentimental Items, So Resale Stores are Thriving

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By Robyn Budlender
By Robyn Budlender

Most of the items within the average American household arrived there secondhand, a new poll suggests—with 66% reporting that more than half of the items in their home were previously owned by someone else.

In the survey of 2,000 respondents, three-fourths of people (77%) reported forming emotional connections with the items in their home, regardless of whether or not those items have been used.

Maybe that’s why almost two-thirds (63%) feel guilty tossing an item that “still has a little bit of life left in it,” or that could be passed on to another household.

One in five (20%) even experience significant guilt every time they declutter—which for half of respondents happens once every six to 12 months.

And, 39% would part with one of their belongings if they believe “someone else will enjoy it more” than they do.

When it comes time to declutter, respondents are most likely to relinquish clothing (46%) and papers or other files (44%) above other items like books (29%), toys (25%) or appliances (24%).

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of resale company Winmark, the random double-opt-in survey also confirmed that a whopping 92% of respondents have shopped at secondhand, thrift or resale shops—which a third (33%) believe are among the “most fun” stores to shop at—at least once in their lives.

RELATED: More Than Half of Adults Would Welcome a Pre-Owned Gift

“Shopping at your local resale store is a great way to keep money circulating in your home community,” Winmark Chief Executive Officer Brett Heffes said. “In particular, it cuts down on shipping-related fuel and packaging consumption, which can be just as wasteful as the product manufacturing process itself.”

Four in 10 purported to be frequent secondhand shoppers, with almost one in 10 (11%) claiming they “exclusively” purchase pre-owned items.

Among those polled, secondhand stores are also thought to offer the most value (37%), just ahead of dollar stores (36%) and outlets (34%).

INTERESTING: Six in 10 Americans Believe They Can Build Generational Wealth in Several Ways

Although 33% consider an item’s value to be of top importance, sustainability also plays a meaningful role in consumers’ choices.

TOP ITEMS DISCARDED WHILE DECLUTTERING

1. Clothing – 46%
2. Papers/files – 44%
3. Books – 29%
4. Toys – 25%
5. Hobby equipment or supplies – 25%
6. Appliances – 24%
7. Kids’ items – 24%
8. Furniture – 22%
9. Sports/exercise equipment – 20%

Compounds That Can Stop COVID From Infecting Human Cells Discovered in a Sea Sponge

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Good News Network
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Dr. Jimena Perez-Vargas working in the Jean lab – Credit: Paul Joseph
Dr. Jimena Perez-Vargas working in the Jean lab – Credit: Paul Joseph

Compounds that could stop coronavirus and flu viruses from infecting human cells have been discovered in sea sponges.

Researchers unearthed 26 such compounds found in nature, including in plants and fungi.

The international research team say their discovery paves the way for new “natural” medicines and antivirals than can help treat contagious viruses.

They claim the compounds will help tackle existing and future variants—as well as flu—because they target human cells, which evolve more slowly than viruses.

They are effective in very small doses in the lab, where the compounds completely stopped viral infection in human cells.

“The advantage of these compounds is that they are targeting the cells, rather than the virus, blocking the virus from replicating and helping the cell to recover,” explained Dr. Jimena Pérez-Vargas from the University of British Columbia in Canada, who co-authored the study.

For the study, which was published in the journal Antiviral Research, the team investigated more than 350 compounds derived from natural sources including plants, fungi, and marine sponges, in a bid to find new antiviral drugs that can be used to treat the novel disease—or in 26 cases, completely stop coronavirus infection in cells.

They bathed human lung cells in solutions made from these compounds and then infected the cells with Covid variants.

Human lung cells to go bright green when they became infected with COVID-19 variants – Credit: Perez-Vargus et al, Antiviral Research

The researchers used a version of the coronavirus which causes cells to go bright green when they are infected, as well as a special screening technique, to make the discovery.

They say the fluorescent virus is a powerful tool that enable scientists to check thousands of compounds, track the virus as it moves from one cell to another and makes extremely laborious steps that used to be necessary completely redundant.

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All three of the most effective compounds were found in Canada: alotaketal C, from a sea sponge in Howe Sound, British Columbia; bafilomycin D from a marine bacteria in Barkley Sound, British Columbia; and holyrine A from marine bacteria collected in waters off Newfoundland.

Further tests showed the three compounds were effective against the delta variant and several omicron variants.

Bafilomycin D was found to work synergistically with an existing antiviral nasal spray against omicron sub-variant BA.2. This paves the way for multi-drug treatments that work against the coronavirus as well as other common viruses.

MORE: New Nasal Spray That Could Protect People From All COVID Variants to Start Human Trials

The team now want to test the compounds in animal models in the next six months.

The study’s senior author, UBC’s Dr. François Jean, added: “Our research is also paving the way for large-scale testing of natural product medicines that can block infection associated with other respiratory viruses of great concern in Canada and around the world, such as influenza A and RSV.”

SPREAD the Good News Like a Virus By Sharing the Breakthrough on Social Media…

Bizarre Creature From China Had a Dinosaur Head on Bird’s Body – a Missing Link From 120 Million Years Ago

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Good News Network
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Cratonavis zhui – Chinese Academy of Sciences via SWNS
Cratonavis zhui – Chinese Academy of Sciences via SWNS

The evolution of dinosaurs into birds is a transition that encompasses such dramatic morphological changes that paleontologists are still scratching their heads to understand how the fantastic event occurred.

Now, a new 120-million-year-old fossil of a creature in China, called ‘bizarre’ by scientists, shines fresh light on the mystery with its T-rex-like skull attached to the body of a bird.

Named Cratonavis zhui, the chicken-sized hybrid had long shoulder blades, or scapulas, and claws. But its large skull was shaped in an almost identical way to that of T Rex and other meat-eating theropods.

The fossil, with its surprisingly elongate shoulder blade (scapula) and first metatarsal, makes it stand out from all other birds—including fossil ones—and fills in some of the gaps as to how some dinosaurs evolved into birds.

The news, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution on Jan. 2, describes a study conducted by paleontologists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

“The primitive cranial features speak to the fact that most Cretaceous birds such as Cratonavis could not move their upper bill independently with respect to the lower jaw,” said lead author Dr. Li Zhiheng. “This is a functional innovation widely distributed among living birds that contributes to their enormous ecological diversity.”

In the avian evolutionary tree, Cratonavis came before Ornithothoraces, which evolved to have many traits of modern birds.

Birds have been dubbed ‘living dinosaurs’; the first primitive species looked like a small, feathered dinosaur. Their mouths still contained sharp teeth. But over time, birds lost them and evolved beaks.

POPULAR: At Long Last, Paleontologists Find the Remains of a Swimming Dinosaur—’a Cretaceous Cormorant’

Life reconstruction of the 120-million-year-old bird Cratonavis zhui – Chinese Academy of Sciences via SWNS

Corresponding author Dr. Wang Min commented on the shoulder extension discovered in the fossil: “The scapula is functionally vital to avian flight and it conveys stability and flexibility.

“We trace changes of the scapula across the Theropod-Bird transition, and posit that the elongate scapula could augment the mechanical advantage of muscle for wingbone retraction and rotation.

“It compensates for the overall underdeveloped flight apparatus in this early bird, and these differences represent morphological experimentation in flight behavior early in bird diversification.”

LOOK: ‘Impossible Fossil’ Preserves the Exact Moment the Dinosaurs Died: ‘It’s Absolutely Bonkers’

The study also found the first metatarsal (big toe) was subjected to selection, during the dinosaur-bird transition, to favor a shorter one.

It then lost its evolutionary flexibility toward change once it reached optimal size—less than a quarter of the length of the second metatarsal.

Co-author Dr. Thomas Stidham said: “It may have resulted from conflicting demands associated with its direct employment of the first toe in locomotion and feeding.”

For Cratonavis, it likely stemmed from a selection advantage for catching prey. It was a carnivore that ate small reptiles, amphibians, mammals and insects.

RELATED: This 120-Million Year Old Bird/Dinosaur Hybrid Is Teaching Us How Birds Came to Be

The abnormal anatomy preserved in the fossil highlights the breadth of skeletal plasticity in early birds, explained co-author Dr. Zhou Zhonghe.

He said: “Changes in these elements across the theropod tree show clade-specific evolutionary lability resulting from the interplay among development, natural selection and ecological opportunity.”

Cratonavis stands out from all other birds—including fossil ones—illuminating how our feathered friends evolved from the largest animals that ever roamed land.

DON’T MISS the Chance to Fly This Wonder to Friends on Social Media…

“If someone asks me what inspires me, I always say, ‘That which is missing.’” – Pharrell Williams

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Quote of the Day: “If someone asks me what inspires me, I always say, ‘That which is missing.’” – Pharrell Williams

Photo by: Christopher Kumm (chriscrosscrash)

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?

Professional Puzzler in Jigsaw Championships Can Complete a 500-piece Puzzle in 50 Minutes (LOOK)

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Professional puzzler Karen Kavett / SWNS
Professional puzzler Karen Kavett / SWNS

Meet the 32-year-old who became a professional puzzler and now competes in jigsaw championships.

Karen Kavett has always loved puzzles and she turned her hobby into her job, after sharing videos of her skills over the last five years.

The Los Angeles-based content creator likes to try her hand at jigsaws with a twist—such as gradient and patterned puzzles—and has even completed one with her feet.

She’s so good that when she competed in the National Jigsaw Puzzle Championships in San Diego, California in October, she finished in second place even though her entire puzzle edge fell on the floor. She clocked a time of 50 minutes for the 500-piece puzzle while competing against 99 top puzzlers.

“I was less than a minute away from winning,” said told SWNS news. “It was so exciting and so validating after the many hours I have spent doing puzzles.”

During the lockdown puzzle boom, Karen decided to focus her YouTube channel on her hobby after she discovered their popularity. She says “people like to see me suffer and try tricky puzzles”.

She uses time-lapse to creates satisfying videos for her 202,000 subscribers, including her quest to finish a 24,000-piece puzzle (which took 157 hours) and a 9,000-piece Despicable Me jigsaw that took 67 hours.

LOOK: Artist Makes Spectacular Sand Art Portraits That Sell for Thousands After Quitting His Engineering Job

Karen Kavett / SWNS

A second bedroom in her home has been turned into her puzzle studio, where she has even completed a tiny puzzle that she needed to do with tweezers. (Watch a great video below…)

She became part of a global community of speed puzzlers and hopes to compete in the world championships this year.

WATCH: He Taught Parents How to Play Drums and Bass So he’d Have People to Jam With–Now They Have Album

Karen has now designed her own puzzle and was able to complete it herself for the first time recently.

“It was so surreal solving my puzzle for the first time,” she said. “It’s a puzzle of a puzzle.

Karen continues to grow her puzzle collection, consisting of around 400 jigsaws—and gives away dozens that she doesn’t want to keep.

See the most difficult puzzle she ever tried in the video below—a plain brown one with weird shapes that she will definitely be giving away. “I’ll never be doing this puzzle EVER again,” she joked.

INSPIRE Your Friends to Turn Their Hobby into a Gig By Sharing on Social Media…

How Successful Has the Endangered Species Act Been in its 5 Decades of Protection? Hint: It’s Very Good News

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Credit: Jongsun Lee
Jongsun Lee photo of bald eagle with fish

Reprinted via EarthTalk®, From the Editors of E – The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: The Endangered Species Act has been around for five decades. How successful has it been in protecting and restoring threatened and endangered species? – A.J. Munson, Bern, North Carolina

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been successful in preventing the extinction of hundreds of wildlife species and in promoting the recovery of thousands more since its inception in 1973.

Some of the species that have successfully recovered and been removed from the list of threatened and endangered species include American alligators, gray wolves, bald eagles (which soared off the list in 2007), peregrine falcons (the fastest animal on Earth), and humpback whales, which leapt off the list over a decade ago.

According to the Center of Biological Diversity, a leading nonprofit with the simple mission of “saving life on Earth,” the ESA has protected more than 1,600 species in the U.S., preventing the extinction of 99 percent of the species listed under it.

Hundreds of species would have gone extinct

Without the ESA, at least 227 species would likely have gone extinct by now since the law’s passage in 1973. In addition, 110 species have seen tremendous recovery since being protected by the act.

The ESA also supports conservation outside the U.S., as the federal government uses the law to enforce the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a global agreement between nations to regulate trade on species under threat. Examples of the ESA’s reach beyond U.S. borders is in helping save giant pandas as well as several species of tiger.

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However, it’s important to note that some species have not recovered as expected, despite being protected under the Act, especially in more recent years. There are many factors that can affect the success or failure of recovery efforts—including habitat loss, climate change, and disease.

Because of the ESA, Arctic oil drilling was not allowed because of the threat to polar bears – Photo by Hans-Jurgen Mager

But researchers from Columbia and Princeton concluded in their October 2022 study that one threat looms even larger: lack of adequate funding for conservation efforts.

Since 1985, ESA funding has decreased by almost 50 percent when measured on a per species basis. Furthermore, they uncovered that the average wait time for a species to be listed has almost doubled over the decades from 5.9 years during the 1990s to some 9.1 years more recently. The upshot is that by the time a species receives protection, it may have already reached a point where the ESA may be ineffective.

But, the ESA, which is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife agency, has played a crucial role and continues to be a key tool for protecting and recovering these species. This groundbreaking piece of legislation, now in its 50th year, has done incredible things for American wildlife.

SEE MORE SPECIES SAVED: Endangered Species Act Turns 40, With Hundreds of Comeback Stories

It continues to protected precious species of plants and animals, bringing them back to sustainability.

EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss for the 501(c)3 nonprofit EarthTalk. See more at emagazine.com. To donate, visit Earthtalk.org. Send questions to: [email protected].

HAIL This Government Successes by Sharing With Earth Lovers on Social Media…

New Artificial Pancreas for Type 2 Diabetes Manages Blood Sugar Twice as Well as Jabs –Now Approved in UK

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Towfiqu barbhuiya

Scientists at Cambridge University just completed a successful trial of their artificial pancreas that helps Type 2 diabetes patients better manage their blood sugar levels.

In fact, researchers say the device and app, powered by an algorithm, doubled the duration of time that patients’ blood sugar levels were on target. It also reduced by 50% the time they spent with blood sugar that was too high.

The announcement comes just days after UK’s National Health Service gave the green light to its usage for patients.

The device, created by the University’s Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, combines an off-the-shelf glucose monitor and insulin pump with an app known as CamAPS HX.

The app predicts how much insulin is needed to keep blood glucose at healthy levels.

Earlier studies, including one based on 875 patients, have found that an artificial pancreas running on a similar algorithm works in patients with type-1 diabetes, including very young children.

Unlike the earlier devices, this new one runs completely automatically and patients do not need to tell their artificial pancreas when they are about to eat.

Charlotte Abbott-Pierce with her artificial pancreas to manage type-1 diabetes – NHS

For the study, the researchers recruited 26 patients from a Cambridge diabetes clinic and patients were randomly assigned to two groups.

The first group tried the artificial pancreas for eight weeks and then switched to the standard therapy of multiple daily insulin injections while the second group began on standard therapy and then switched to the artificial pancreas after eight weeks.

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The team used several measures to assess the effectiveness of the artificial pancreas. The first was the proportion of time that patients spent with their glucose levels within a target range of between 3.9 and 10 millimoles per liter, the standard measure of glucose levels in blood.

Patients using the artificial pancreas spent two thirds (66 percent) of their time with their glucose levels within target range, double that for the control group (32 percent).

In contrast, patients taking the standard therapy spent 67 percent of their time with high glucose levels, which halved to 33 per cent when they used the artificial pancreas.

Average glucose levels fell from 12.6 millimoles/liter when taking the control therapy to 9.2 when they used the artificial pancreas. The app also reduced levels of a molecule known as glycated hemoglobin in patients.

NHS

Glycated hemoglobin develops when hemoglobin, a protein within red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body, joins with glucose in the blood and becomes ‘glycated’. By measuring it, doctors are able to get an overall picture of what a person’s average blood sugar levels have been over a period of weeks or months. For people with diabetes, the higher the glycated hemoglobin levels, the greater the risk of developing diabetes-related complications.

RELATED: Stem-Cell Based ‘Cure’ for Type-1 Diabetes Draws Nearer, With FDA Trials Launched

After the control therapy, average levels of glycated hemoglobin were 8.7 percent but this fell to 7.3 percent while using the artificial pancreas.

No patients experienced dangerously-low blood sugar levels, known as hypoglycemia, according to the findings published January 2 in the journal Nature Medicine.

Participants said they were happy to have their blood sugar managed in this way and nine out of ten of them reported spending less time overall managing their condition. Users liked the fact that they no longer needed to jab themselves and say it made them more confident in managing their blood sugar.

Downsides were increased anxiety about developing hyperglycaemia, which the team say may reflect greater awareness and monitoring of blood sugar levels, and practical annoyances with wearing devices.

The team also successfully tried out their creation on patients who need kidney dialysis.

“The artificial pancreas can provide a safe and effective approach to help them, and the technology is simple to use and can be implemented safely at home,” said study co-lead author Dr. Charlotte Boughton.

Study author Dr. Aideen Daly added: “One of the barriers to widespread use of insulin therapy has been concern over the risk of severe ‘hypos’ – dangerously low blood sugar levels.

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“We found that no patients on our trial experienced these and patients spent very little time with blood sugar levels lower than the target levels.”

Globally, around 415 million people suffer from the condition, with more than 4.9 million Brits having diabetes which is estimated to cost the NHS £10 billion per year.

Ordinarily, blood sugar levels are controlled by the release of insulin, but in patients with type two diabetes insulin production is disrupted—and if left untreated can cause serious problems including eye, kidney, and nerve damage as well as heart disease.

The team now plan to carry out a much larger study to build on their findings and have submitted the device for regulatory approval in the hope it will become commercially available for patients.

SHARE This Sweet Breakthrough For Diabetes Patients on Social Media…

Your Inspired 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 January 14, 2023
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
When he was 74 years old, Capricorn author Norman Maclean published his first novel, A River Runs Through It. It became a best-seller. Capricorn film director Takeshi Kitano directed his first film at age 42. Now 75, he has since won many awards for his work in his native Japan. Capricorn activist Melchora Aquino, who was a leader in the Philippines’ fight for independence from Spain, launched her career as a revolutionary when she was in her eighties. She’s known as the “Mother of the Revolution.” I hope these heroes inspire you, dear Capricorn. I believe that 2023 is the year you will get an upgrade in any area of your life where you have seemed to be a late bloomer.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you will soon be called upon to summon grace under pressure; to express magnanimity while being challenged; to prove that your devotion to your high standards is more important than the transitory agendas of your ego. The good news is that you are primed and ready to succeed at these exact assignments. I have confidence in your power to activate the necessary courage and integrity with maximum poise and composure.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
“By dying daily, I have come to be,” wrote poet Theodore Roethke. He didn’t mean he suffered literal deaths. He was referring to the discipline of letting go of the past; shedding worn-out habits; leaving behind theories and attitudes that once served him well but no longer did; killing off parts of himself that were interfering with the arrival of the fresh future. I recommend his strategy to you, Pisces. To the degree that you agree to die daily, you will earn the right to be reborn big-time in a few weeks.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Nigerian author Wole Soyinka reworked the ancient Greek play, The Bacchae. In one passage, the god Dionysus criticizes King Pentheus, who is supposedly all-powerful. “You are a man of chains,” Dionysus tells him. “You love chains. You breathe chains, talk chains, eat chains, dream chains, think chains. Your world is bound in manacles.” The bad news, Aries, is that many of us have some resemblances to Pentheus. The good news is that the coming months will be a favorable time to shed at least some of your chains. Have fun liberating yourself! Try to help a few others wriggle free from their chains, too. Doing so will aid your own emancipation.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
The coming weeks will be a great time to fill your journal with more intense ruminations than you have for many moons. If you don’t have a journal, think about starting one. Reveal yourself to yourself, Taurus! Make conscious that which has been vague, unnamed, or hiding. Here are assignments to help launch your flood of intimate self-talk. 1. Write passionately about an experience you’ve always wanted to try but have never done. 2. Conduct imaginary interviews with people who rouse strong feelings in you. 3. Describe what deity, superhero, or animal you are and how your special intelligence works. 4. Visualize a dream in which you appear as a bolder, more confident version of yourself. 5. Talk about a time you felt rousingly alive and how you plan to feel that way again.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
A stranger approached me at Wild Birds Unlimited, a store that sells bird food and accessories. “You write the horoscopes, right?” she asked. “I’m a Gemini, and I want to thank you for helping me tone down my relentless fidgeting. You made me realize I have been secretly proud of tapping my fingers on the table while talking with people, and constantly darting my eyes around the room to check out the ever-changing views. I’d unconsciously believed that stuff was a sign of my incredible vitality. But you’ve been a steadying influence. You’ve shown me ways to settle down and focus my energy better. I can see how restlessness sometimes saps my energy.” I told the woman, “You’re welcome!” and let her know that 2023 will be a favorable time to do much more of this good work. Homework: Meditate on channeling your incredible vitality into being grounded and centered.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
According to Cancerian author Ronald Sukenick, the writer’s work is “to destroy restrictive viewpoints, notice the unnoticed, speak the unspeakable, shake stale habits, ward off evil, give vent to sorrow, pulverize doctrine, attack and uphold tradition as needed, and make life worth living.” I believe 2023 will be an excellent time for you to carry out those actions, even if you’re not a writer. You will have abundant power to bless and heal through creative rebellion and disruption. You will thrive as you seek out interesting novelty.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Psychotherapist Ryan Howes has wisdom you’ll benefit from heeding in the coming weeks. “We need to accept our age,” he writes. “We need to accept illnesses and addictions. We need to accept the past. We need to accept others as they are.” He goes on to say that this doesn’t mean we must like all these situations. And we can certainly try to make the best of them. But when we don’t struggle in vain to change what’s beyond our control to change, we have more energy for things that we can actually affect.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Here’s testimony from musician Pharrell Williams: “If someone asks me what inspires me, I always say, ‘That which is missing.'” Yes! This is an apt message for you, Virgo. The best way for you to generate motivation and excitement in the coming weeks will be to explore what is lacking, what is invisible, what’s lost or incomplete. Check in with your deep intuition right now. Do you feel a stirring in your gut? It may tell you where to find important and intriguing things that are missing.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
“Every animal knows far more than you do,” declares a proverb of the Nimíipuu people, also known as the Nez Perce. Author Russell Banks provides further testimony to convince us we should be humble about our powers of awareness. “There is a wonderful intelligence to the unconscious,” he says. “It’s always smarter than we are.” These are good pointers for you to heed in the coming weeks, Libra. You will have a special power to enhance your understanding of the world by calling on the savvy of animals and your unconscious mind. They will be especially rich sources of wisdom. Seek out their educational input!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Psychologist Carl Jung said that the whole point of Jesus Christ’s story was not that we should become exactly like him. Rather, we should aspire to be our best and highest selves in the same way that he fulfilled his unique mission. I bring these meditations to your attention, Scorpio, because I believe life in 2023 will conspire to make you, more than ever before, the hero of your own destiny. You will be inspired to honor only your own standards of success and reject all others’. You will clearly see that you are progressing at your own natural and righteous pace, which is why it makes no sense to compare your evolution to anyone else’s.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
A reader named Mary Roseberry describes her experience of being a Sagittarius: “I hate to be bored. I hate imperfections. I hate to wait. I hate sadness. I hate conflict. I hate to be wrong. I hate tension.” Wow! I admire Mary’s succinct understanding of who she doesn’t want to be and what she doesn’t like to do. I invite you to compose a similar testimony. You would benefit from getting clear about the experiences you intend to avoid in 2023. Once you have done that, write a list of the interesting feelings and situations you will seek out with intense devotion during the coming months.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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“Ask yourself, and yourself alone, one question. Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good.” – Carlos Castañeda

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Quote of the Day: “Ask yourself, and yourself alone, one question. Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good.” – Carlos Castañeda

Photo by: Jack Skinner

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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