Quote of the Day: “December is letting go of all the past year’s fails, and starting anew in January, as time again chases its tail.” – Stewart Stafford
Photo by: Annie Spratt
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?
In 2019, prospectors found a meteorite in Somalia while looking for opal which has now revealed three never-before-seen minerals that originated off-Earth.
Since minerals are a little like recipes, their formation can inform us as to the history of their making, and these are no exception; with scientists positing that they came from the surface of a planetary body near to a location that was struck by an ultra-fast impact which turned the rocks and metal nearby into liquid.
The El Ali meteorite is the ninth-largest ever found. Located near a watering hole in Somalia, generations of herders have made use of its high metallic content to sharpen their blades.
It was then moved to China for a potential sale, but before that samples were sent to Chris Herd, curator of the meteorite collection at the University of Alberta, who found 3 minerals with formationary patterns unknown from Earth’s processes.
Scientists have identified 5,800 minerals on our planet, and 480 that have come from elsewhere; 30% of which don’t form naturally on Earth.
Rather than being baked into the rock, the new minerals were formed in microscopic depressions around the surface of highly-metallic asteroids called inclusions.
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Herd’s hypothesis for the formation of the new minerals, which he named elaliite, for the location, and elkinstantonite and olsenite after two other scientists from the field, is that when molten metal is cooling down, different minerals solidify at different times.
Configurations that are easier to make chemically or because the right components are nearby form first, pushing still-liquid leftovers into a dwindling puddle of incompatible components, which eventually cool themselves to form the inclusions, and stranger mineral configurations.
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Herd believes this is less likely to have taken place in the center of an iron meteorite, than on the surface of a planetary body that was struck by an iron meteorite. At greater than 11,000 miles per hour, the collision would melt the rock, giving rise to the phenomenon of the inclusions.
Herd told National Geographic that studying the formation of minerals, particularly in meteorites, is a little like “armchair solar system exploration,” because it necessitates re-reading the recipes that made them.
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In a gangland part of London, youth are being recruited into the revitalization of historic stone buildings to keep them from getting into trouble.
Queen Mary’s Hospital for the East End was built to serve some of the most deprived London boroughs, and saw its fair share of history before being demolished in 1983.
What remains is a stately classic-modern stone arch, which was completely neglected until a Heritage of London Trust program brought 110 kids and adolescents to work alongside stonemasons in a complete restoration of the arch.
The kids aged 9 to 17 gathered together with stonemason’s trowels and chisels to help re-carve the inscription, pave over the cracks, and yank out the plants growing on top of the solitary archway.
Seeing all the kids loitering together with tools in their hands brought over some police, such is the reputation of the neighborhood, but one young man told The Guardian the arch could give he and his compatriots a sense of pride in their community.
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“It’s not the wealthiest of boroughs, so there’s a lot of stuff that goes on here,” said Ben Owen. “But being able to look at a place and be proud of it … brings that sense of community back and makes people feel proud to live here.”
Queen Mary’s Hospital for the East End was opened in 1861 by a local doctor, William Elliott, to serve West Ham and Stratford. Queen Mary visited the hospital regularly, becoming its patron.
“Nothing at all survives [of the building] but this arch, engraved with the lettering: ‘Queen Mary’s hospital for the East End,’” said Nicola Stacey, director of the Heritage of London Trust.
“The lettering was totally eroded and illegible; buddleia was growing out of the top; no one knew what it was until we started the restoration. It was in a terrible state. We’ve recarved the lettering. We’ve studied all the original archives and old newspapers. It now looks fantastic. It’s a spectacular piece.”
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“The arch was designed in a modern classic art deco style with geometric scrolls, using newly fashionable cast-stone blocks. Its elegance perfectly conveyed the hospital’s order and authority.”
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From Messi’s twilight triumph to bountiful showings of hospitality by the Qatari people, there was plenty to smile about during this year’s World Cup.
As the curtain came down on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, most fans of the sport will immediately look forward to enjoying the return of the domestic leagues, which the tournament’s December placement interrupted.
But this World Cup brought a ton of positivity to a sporting event that had been scrutinized for years leading up to kick off.
It’s difficult to say it was somehow uniquely positive, since in sport there must always be a loser, but it’s hard to ignore that, all politics aside, there were moments of progress, of real-life script writing, and of humanity that make such a statement a convincing argument.
For the man who most people are happy enough to designate as the greatest to ever play the sport, the 2022 World Cup was a crowning achievement on the most legendary of careers.
As with all sportsmen, it seemed the 35-year-old Lionel Messi would finish his career with a knock on him: that he never won a major trophy with Argentina. The legendary Argentine forward Diego Maradona took his nation to World Cup glory in 1986, and has carried a greater consideration in some ways to Messi.
There is now no easy argument to make that Messi isn’t the greatest of all time, not least because he didn’t merely play in a team that won the World Cup, he shined from the 1st match to the last, becoming the first player to score in a group stage match, round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final, and final. He netted his penalty in both shootouts Argentina played in, and scored two goals in the thrilling 3-3 final against France. He scored 8 goals this tournament.
It was telling that when Gonzalo Montiel stroked home the penalty which won Argentina the cup, the left back celebrated alone with the goalkeeper; every other player had jumped atop Lionel Messi.
For the first time in history, an African team made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Lead forward by standout performances from fullback Aschraf Hakimi, goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, and midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
Finishing first in a group that contained previous World Cup finalists Croatia, and highly-ranked Belgium, beating the latter 2-0, Morocco then eliminated Spain on penalties in the knockout round of 16 before beating Christiano Ronaldo and Portugal 1-0 to reach the semi-finals.
They would be defeated by a 2-0 scoreline against France. Morocco had more foreign-born players in their squad than any other team, with 14 of the 25 choosing to play for Morocco rather than various other nations such as France, Germany, or Spain.
“Pinch me, I’m dreaming,” Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou said. “Morocco is ready to face anyone in the world. We have changed the mentality of the generation coming after us. They’ll know Moroccan players can create miracles.”
Remaining on the topic of Africa, it was the most successful tournament for the continent: with 5 African teams all winning at least one group stage match, two emerging from the groups into the knockout rounds—a joint record—and a team making it to the semi-finals for the first time ever.
Furthermore, it was the first time ever that all 5 African teams were led by coaches born and raised in the same country as the squad. In other words, Africa trusted its own, and it paid off.
Huge strides were made in Asian football as well. Despite the elimination of Qatar, Iran, and Saudi Arabia in the group stage, three teams, South Korea, Japan, and Australia, made it into the round of 16 for the first time in the tournament’s history.
Japan finished 1st in their group which contained Euro-giants Germany and Spain, Australia finished 2nd in their group, beating both Denmark who were hopeful of a deep tournament run after a strong showing in the last EURO Championships, and Tunisia. South Korea needed a win or draw against Portugal in the final group match to advance, which they got at 2-1.
When Japan came from behind to beat Germany 2-1, Jose Mourinho said “it was not a big surprise.”
“I think at this moment in European football, there is a big focus on the individual, a big focus on egos… I have never coached Japanese players, but I’ve coached Asian players,” he said, perhaps chidingly. “In my case, I was lucky because I’ve coached the best Asian player, (Son Heung-min) and I understand that the mentality is really special.”
Stéphanie Frappart, Neuza Back, and Karen Diaz made history as the first all-female officiating team for a men’s association football match. And everything was completely normal.
It’s not particularly surprising, Frappart is very experienced, and like all great referees, is a bit cold and hard.
“The men’s World Cup is the most important sporting competition in the world. I was the first referee in France and in Europe, so I know how to deal with it,” Frappart, who also made history this year officiating a men’s UEFA Champions League match, told reporters.
While the fourth official was a man, the video assistant offside ref was a woman as well. It’s noteworthy this occurred before the eyes of a host nation where the de-facto places in society of men and women are not necessarily equal.
Qatar is a conservative nation, and restrictions on activities which infringe on religious customs were enforced. That didn’t stop the average people from recognizing that as hosts of the biggest event in the “World Game” it was their responsibility to provide warmth and welcome to all.
Early on in the tournament, videos were constantly surfacing on social media of locals helping visiting fans adjust or tie the traditional Qatari headdress, called the shayla, which was often being improvised out of a national flag of the visitor’s nation.
The government told fans not to wear Arabic headdresses or robes, but just before the opening match of the tournament, Qatar vs Ecuador, a video surfaced of a Qatari police officer helping none other than an Ecuadorian fan tie a headdress made of the Ecuadorian flag.
By all accounts they were a credit to their nation, and the sport’s international community.
Understandably dour Frenchmen will be rightfully excused from agreeing it was an excellent World Cup, but for neutrals there were so many positives to take away from a sporting event which could have been crushed by negativity.
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A “soft robot” can move its way through the human body solely by the changing of temperatures, and could be an excellent way to deliver precision doses of key medications.
These “gelbots” aren’t really robots at all, but little capsules filled with a water-based gel that through expansion and contraction, pushes the tiny robot along like an inchworm.
Robots are made almost exclusively of hard materials like metals and plastics, a fundamental obstacle in the push to create robots ideal for human biomedical advancements.
Water-based gels, which feel like gummy bears, are one of the most promising materials in the field of soft robotics. Researchers have previously demonstrated that gels which swell or shrink in response to temperature can be used to create smart structures.
Here, the Johns Hopkins University team demonstrated for the first time, how swelling and shrinking of gels can be strategically manipulated to move robots forward and backward on flat surfaces, or to essentially have them crawl in certain directions with an undulating, wave-like motion.
“It seems very simplistic but this is an object moving without batteries, without wiring, without an external power supply of any kind—just on the swelling and shrinking of gel,” said senior author David Gracias, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
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“Our study shows how the manipulation of shape, dimensions and patterning of gels can tune morphology to embody a kind of intelligence for locomotion.”
As well as potentially delivering targeted medications inside the human body, the development team considers them ideal for oceanfloor monitoring.
Made of little more than simple stuff, the team 3D-printed all their gelbots, and posit it as another advantage of soft robotics over hard robotics.
Gracias hopes to train the gelbots to crawl in response to variations in human biomarkers and biochemicals, although skin surface temperature manipulation with hot and cold objects could also work to inch it along.
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He also plans to test other worm and marine organism-inspired shapes and forms and would like to incorporate cameras and sensors on their bodies.
Locamotive robots, even until recently, have remained pretty near to human and other animal forms. Softer robotic configurations allow engineers to stretch their mind out, such as another inchworm inspired robot from MIT.
It uses 12-sided hollow cubes as both its own body parts and as a flexible building material. Allowing it to construct more robots and dissassemble them in relation to the job on hand.
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Quote of the Day: “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” – Aristotle
Photo by: freestocks
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?
The Lesson: What if donanting to charity was as simple as walking your dog? Oftentimes when things become easier, more people can participate, but it also drives greater enthusiasm among those already impassioned.
Notable Excerpt: “One member didn’t just go across the United States, but he started in Key West and went to the northwest tip of Washington state, diagonally, 4,5000 miles and he was 11-years-old. When you have things like that, and not just people doing incredible feats, but people who walk their dogs every day and tell me what that means to them, we’ve had people lose over 100 pounds, we have parents who do it with their kids… it’s been an incredible honor to be a part of this community”
The Guest: Gene Gurkoff is the founder of Charity Miles, an app that enables people to earn money for Charity when they walk, run or bike. Charity Miles is regularly featured as one of the top health and fitness apps, and is the #1 charity app. It has won several awards, including a Webby and the People’s Choice award at SXSW. Gene is also a marathoner, avid Bruce Springsteen fan, husband and father.
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:
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
Every one of the 105 Kansas residents in a town called Tampa were invited on a free trip to visit the sunny city with the same name in Florida—so they can experience ‘the other Tampa’.
Most of the group of 95 Kansans had never been to Florida, and most of the children had never flown in a plane.
The surprise vacation came courtesy of Visit Tampa Bay and Southwest Airlines and almost the entire town’s population arrived at the Tampa International Airport last week for their quick holiday vacation.
The welcoming contingent of Floridians waved blue signs reading, ‘You’re not in Tampa, Kansas anymore,’ adopting a famous line from The Wizard of Oz.
The Midwestern contingent included about 30 children, who were treated to excursions to Busch Gardens, ZooTampa, and the Florida Aquarium.
“We want to welcome our Kansas cousins for what is sure to be the trip of a lifetime,” said TPA Executive Vice President for Marketing and Communications Chris Minner.
“TPA is proud to be able to give this group its first impression of the entire Tampa Bay region.”
The group stayed for three nights in the Floridan Hotel, and had passes to the Tampa Museum of Art and the Glazer Children’s Museum, before heading back on a nonstop flight to Kansas City.
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A woman who hated exercise took up powerlifting to help combat her arthritis and is now slaying it as a commonwealth gold medalist in the sport.
She says she’s now fitter than when she was in her 20s, and has now won gold, silver, and bronze medals in weightlifting.
Arthritis prevented 58-year-old Kelly Clark from doing so much as close the trunk of her car. Her obesity worsened the condition, and facing both severe joint inflammation and a “cocktail of drugs” prescribed for it, she took up weightlifting instead.
Clark first visited doctors when she was 49 for a pain in her side and the inability to complete simple tasks around the house.
They diagnosed her with osteoarthritis, an agonizing condition which leaves sufferers with stiff and sore joints.
But 9 years later, Clark lost a third of her body weight. Her bench is at 165 lbs. (75 kg), and she was able to get off all her medications.
“I couldn’t close my car boot. I couldn’t have a shoulder bag on one shoulder, and I couldn’t reach into kitchen cupboards if they were above my head,” said Clark, from South Yorkshire. “It’s changed my life in so many different ways. I’ve gone from totally unfit on arthritis medication to coming off it and lifting.”
“I was traveling around for work a lot, so not having a routine of any sort of exercise,” said Clark. “That meant staying in hotels and eating the wrong stuff and living out of the glove box.
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“But when I was put on medication, that was really the trigger, like I don’t want to carry on being like that,” she added, saying that it interfered with her sleep.
The weightlifting cured it all, but her recovery also inspired her to take up the competition side of it.
In 2017 she was volunteering as a referee at a Special Olympics event when she decided she wanted to try it out.
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By 2019, she had qualified to compete in the World Powerlifting Championships for Team Great Britain, before going on to the World Bench Press Championships in 2021. After that she was hooked.
She kept going and claimed gold and silver medals for England in the bi-annual Commonwealth Championships in New Zealand last month after lifting a record weight in ‘equipped bench press’ event in her weight category.
She came home with a gold medal in the ‘equipped bench press’ and a silver medal in the ‘classic bench press’—her best results at a world competition to date.
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“Both competitions took place on the same day, which was quite difficult. You have to keep your body weight within a certain limit, so I had to do two weigh-ins,” said Clark. “I was running between the weighing room for the second competition and the podium. If you miss the time slot for weighing in, you’re in a bit of trouble.”
Kelly, who bagged her gold with a winning lift of 132 lbs. (60kg), said it was a “dream” to take part in world competition, which was funded by her employer, Keepmoat.
“If someone had told me I would be this mobile, let alone competing in international competitions ten years ago I would never have believed them.”
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An EMT continued his heroic work into his day off, when during a ski trip he located a man buried by an avalanche, dug him out, and spent 8 hours by his side on the mountain waiting for search and rescue.
Wild amounts of Utah snowing last week left the slopes in Neffs Canyon ripe for an avalanche. Experienced backcountry skier Travis Haussener took it “one tiny step too far” by passing through a loose snow pack and triggering one.
Hearing the “Wumpf,” he realized he was probably a goner. After it overtook him he was buried entirely but for a single arm, breaking his femur and hurting his arm in the process.
After about 45 minutes of pain, digging, and shouting for help, an EMT with the Unified Fire Authority, passing by on his own skiing trip, heard his cries for help.
The as-yet unidentified EMT called search and rescue, but weather conditions prevented a helicopter from getting there. Equipment issues caused further delays, and it wasn’t until 7pm—8 hours later, that they got Haussner off the mountain.
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Speaking of the EMT, Michael Finger, a squad leader with Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue called him a hero.
“I mean the guy’s a hero, it’s incredible, went skiing, it’s his day off, and he spent his whole day up there with this poor guy,” said Finger.
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“He was off-duty, just out enjoying some recreation time when he spotted someone in trouble and responded and has been up there all day and the reality is he could have come down at any point,” added Sgt. Melody Cutler with Unified Police Department.
WATCH local news coverage below…
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The skipper of a scallop trawler became an unlikely hero after a dinghy filled with refugees attempting to cross the English channel in wintertime broke apart.
His vigilance and mariner skill saved 31 lives of men and children that night from the freezing water.
It was dark and cold in early December after a cold snap fell over the Channel, dropping the water temp to just above freezing. Around 4AM Ben Squires, the owner of Oceanian Drifter Fishing, got a call from the captain of one of his boats, the Arcturus.
The captain said that migrants in a flimsy inflatable dinghy had managed to make a distress call to a charity, and that he was close enough to affect some kind of rescue in what was a fairly-small fishing vessel.
“The bottom of their boat had gone so they were all in the water in the freezing cold, panicking and extremely scared,” Squire told the Plymouth Herald.
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Thousands of migrants try to cross the channel every year in unseaworthy vessels.
Most of the 43 onboard the dinghy were men, but 4 children were also rescued. The French and British coastal guards, as well as the navies and police assisted in the efforts after the Arcturus had done all it could.
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“He’s a really professional skipper… he kept calm… and his training obviously kicked in,” Squire said in another interview. “Amazingly he got right in next to the sinking boat and managed to come alongside and safely get 31 people on board the boat as it unfolded.”
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Quote of the Day: “I’m not going to continue knocking that old door that doesn’t open for me. I’m going to create my own door and walk through that.” – Ava DuVernay
Photo by: Edgar
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?
Archaeologists have uncovered an “astonishing” 1,300-year-old necklace in Northamptonshire, England, discovered during excavations for a housing development.
Researchers from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) say the necklace is the richest of its type ever uncovered in Britain—with a staggering 30 pendants and beads made of Roman coins, gold, garnets, glass and semi-precious stones.
It was found in a high-status female burial containing other intriguing items that are still being investigated. The collection has been dubbed the ‘Harpole Treasure’, based on the name of the local parish. Experts believe this is the most significant female burial from the era ever discovered in Britain.
“When the first glints of gold started to emerge from the soil we knew this was something significant,” said MOLA Site Supervisor, Levente-Bence Balázs. “However, we didn’t quite realize how special this was going to be.”
A rectangular pendant with a cross motif forms the centerpiece of the necklace and is the largest and most intricate element. Made of red garnets set in gold, MOLA specialists believe it was originally half of a hinged clasp before it was re-used.
X-rays taken on soil revealed a further tantalizing find—a striking and elaborately decorated cross, featuring highly unusual depictions of human faces cast in silver.
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The soil blocks are currently being micro-excavated by MOLA Conservators, but this large and ornate piece suggests the woman may have been an early Christian leader.
The skeleton itself has fully decomposed (with the exception of tiny fragments of tooth enamel). However, the Harpole Treasure suggests that this was a very devout high status woman such as an abbess, royalty, or perhaps both.
“We are lucky to be able to use modern methods of analysis on the finds and surrounding burial to gain a much deeper insight into the life of this person and their final rites.”
“This find is truly a once-in-a-lifetime discovery—the sort of thing you read about in textbooks, and not something you expect to see coming out of the ground in front of you,” said an RPS Archaeology consultant, Simon Mortimer, who was involved with the excavation for the planned development and accorded a unique opportunity to investigate the site.
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“Had they not funded this work this remarkable burial may never have been found.”
Painstaking work is being undertaken by MOLA Conservators to examine and conserve the finds. This includes identifying and recording traces of organic remains within the burial and on the surface of the artifacts. It is possible the deceased was placed on a bed within the grave and traces of soft furnishings may be found. Analysis could also detect residues that show how artifacts were used in life or in the burial ritual.
Surprisingly, the area surrounding the elite burial was completely unremarkable. One other burial was present nearby but did not contain any high-status grave goods nor has been firmly dated.
A handful of similar necklaces from this time have previously been discovered in other regions of England, but none are as ornate as Harpole.
LOOK: Exquisite Mosaic Unearthed by Farmer Planting Olive Tree, ‘Perfectly Preserved’ From Byzantine Era
The Harpole Treasure will be featured in BBC Two’s Digging for Britain, where Professor Alice Roberts will be getting an exclusive look at this extraordinary find and delving deeper into the ongoing conservation and analysis. The new series of Digging for Britain starts on BBC Two in early January 2023.
The discovery also serves as a reminder of the importance of archaeology in the planning and development process.
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Nothing says ‘Happy Holidays’ like a healthy dose of nostalgia—and what better way to feel the spirit of the season than watching a holiday classic.
A new poll of 2,000 Americans who celebrate the festive season found it was the top tradition—with 72% choosing the tradition of watching Christmas movies, beating out decorating the tree (66%) and baking cookies (55%).
Among the top-watched shows during the season are A Charlie Brown Christmas (42%), Home Alone (42%), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (35%), The Polar Express (32%), A Christmas Story (31%), and White Christmas (30%).
But, the most beloved holiday movie to watch during the holiday? It’s a Wonderful Life.
Their favorite holiday character was Kevin McCallister in Home Alone (30%) and Tim Allen who plays the jolly toymaker in The Santa Clause (29%).
Commissioned by global streaming media platform Plex and conducted by OnePoll, the random double-opt-in survey found that 52% believe that watching holiday movies helps them bond with their family.
The top TV favorites of the festive season are Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (60%), Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (37%), Friends “The One With the Holiday Armadillo” (19%), and South Park “Christmas Snow” (14%).
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Four in 10 binge-watch movies during the holiday season more than any other time of year. Over half of women surveyed said they go out of their way to make sure they can watch their favorite holiday movies and shows each and every holiday season.
A third of respondents said they would even download and/or subscribe to a new streaming service that has their favorite holiday movie just to scratch their festive watching itch.
Although 63 percent say the holidays are stressful, the nostalgia of holiday movies provides comfort and joy. Over half (52%) believe the holidays would feel “incomplete” if they weren’t able to watch their favorite movies.
“There’s a certain sense of charm in holiday movies—especially the older classics,” said Jason Williams, Product Director at Plex. “Seeing these top choices all grouped together is a reminder of how timeless some of these movies are and how long-lasting their impact is on how we celebrate the holiday season.”
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Respondents also shared their favorite movies they consider holiday films, without explicitly being so, including Die Hard (25%), Frozen (23%), The Sound of Music (21%), Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone (12%).
In addition to the abundance of holiday-themed content, 29% said they go further to create a cozy ambiance during the holiday season by streaming virtual Yule Logs.
“Pouring yourself a mug of hot chocolate and streaming your favorite content can truly bring out the magic of the holidays.”
TOP 10 HOLIDAY MOVIES
-It’s a Wonderful Life – 43%
-A Charlie Brown Christmas – 42%
-Home Alone – 42%
-How the Grinch Stole Christmas – 35%
-The Polar Express – 32%
-A Christmas Story – 31%
-White Christmas – 30%
-National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – 29%
-The Santa Clause – 27%
-Elf – 27%
Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!
A man who quit his mechanical engineering job and is now earning thousands of dollars by creating stunning sand art portraits.
James Sun was going through a difficult breakup in Toronto, Canada, when he began looking to make a new start that could reduce the stress.
“I was heartbroken. I needed something to heal my heart, so I looked online, and when I saw sand art it really made me calm.”
He searched online for people who made the type of art he envisioned, and spent $30,000 to travel to China and Japan to learn from the masters.
The 36-year-old said he “just kept practicing”, and because he is a really big sports fan and passionate about pop culture, he started making celebrity portraits of sportsmen like Ronaldo and Messi, and TV characters like Wednesday Addams.
“When I made the change everyone thought I was crazy,” he told SWNS news. “But, looking back, it was the best decision that I ever made.”
James now has five employees and is also making sponsored sand art logos and character portraits for companies like BMW, F.C Barcelona, and Nickelodeon.
After five years, his custom pieces now sell for $1,500, while his work for brand promotion costs upwards of $4,500.
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“I get the chance to work with all these great brands, and I make way more money than I used to.”
It was 2018 when he started posting on TikTok. “That was when it really changed.”
He amassed more than 3.4 million followers and now creates between 10 and 15 pieces a month, spending around 10 hours per day on his craft.
He uses a small spoon to sprinkle colored sand into the container and a custom needle to pack it into the shape he needs. (See the process in the video below…)
The pieces can take anywhere between a few hours, for the simpler logos, to three days for the more complex portraits.
“I just do it one grain at a time,” Mr. Sun said. “I take breaks when I’m doing it, because I really need to focus, but I really enjoy it—it really relieves my stress so much.”
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“Mentally, it has healed me. It mended my broken heart.
The doubters in his life have now turned into supporters—and James has become the master, fielding requests from others who want to learn how to do it.
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With the need for critical battery minerals growing, a company has proved that sustainable ocean mining is possible with a discriminating robot miner.
Below the waves, seafloors are covered in “polymetallic nodules” a fancy word for stones with many different metals in them.
Impossible Metals recently proved that it’s possible to harvest these nodules with precision and smart learning rather than dredging with large destructive plows. Their method is the Eureka 1, the world’s first undersea selective mining robot.
Full of lithium, nickel, and cobalt, the nodules could provide battery manufacturing with a more sustainable supply that doesn’t involve carbon-intensive mining, and avoids the geopolitical difficulties associated with pursuing these minerals in conflict zones or unstable states.
“Our harvesting machines don’t touch the seafloor,” said Renee Grogan, Chief Sustainability Officer and Co-founder. “What we’re designing is a fleet of underwater robotic vehicles. And they are not tethered to the vessel. They don’t make contact with the seabed. They hover above it.”
Once hovering above an area of seabed, an AI-powered computer will pick out nodules from other matter, and command a host of horseshoe crab-like grabber arms on the underside of the robot to pick them up and feed them through a hose into a collection chamber.
In November, the Eureka 1 dove to depths of 25 feet, successfully differentiated nodules from rocks, and utilized a special buoyancy compensation engine to bring them back to the surface.
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“This shallow water milestone demonstrates progression of our principles of avoiding serious harm to the seabed by replacing dredging technology with an alternative that prevents biodiversity loss and large sediment plumes” said Oliver Gunasekara, CEO & Co-Founder.
Impossible Metals believes the Eureka 1 could be in large-scale production by 2026.
WATCH the robot in action below.
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There’s no substituting the need for family, and one young man raised in the foster care system hoped to find one in a pair of perspective car buyers he met last year.
Video shows the Wilkinsons family, who walked off the lot with a car and a new friend in April 2021, reacting tearfully to salesman Davon Woods’ recorded message asking them to become his ‘forever family’ and whether he could take their last name.
Growing up in the foster care system, the 27-year-old Woods said he never had a relationship with any parent ever, and after Sarah Wilkonson heard her story, she kept her and her parents in touch with Woods, attempting to reach out when they could
The Wilkinsons invited Davon for dinner on his birthday in August 2021 and to join them again for Thanksgiving later that year at their Savannah Georgia home. More than a year after their first encounter, Woods asked to become part of the family.
Although no legal adoption process has taken place, the Wilkinsons now treat Davon like family—which is all that really matters—and gave him the green light to become Davon Wilkinson.
“It was weird to be in a loving environment. I’ve never had a relationship with any parents ever, adoptive or biological,” said Woods. “It was something I’d always wanted. I’ve always wanted to say ‘this is my family.'”
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Davon has since quit his job and founded Foster Kids Matter, an organization dedicated to serving foster children in Georgia.
“I was inspired to become a foster kids advocate. If I hadn’t had that experience I would never have done it,” he added. “When you go without love for a long time and are presented with it, it’s weird. It feels like you’re starting a new job.”
LISTEN To Woods’ prepared speech.
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In the latest CRISPR success story, a 13-year-old girl whose leukemia had not responded to other treatments now has no detectable cancer cells.
She received a dose of immune cells that were genetically edited to attack the leukemia, a method that’s been used with other cancers.
A form of cancer in the bone marrow tissue, leukemia is caused by mutated immune cells and is normally treated by killing all bone marrow cells in the patient’s body before receiving a transplant from a donor. If this falls, the Nobel Prize-winning CAR-T cell therapy can be used instead.
This was the case of Alyssa, a 13-year-old girl from the UK, who received a dose of common immune system weapons called T cells that had been modified to attack cancerous cells in her body. To avoid the extreme costs associated with this, the Great Ormond Street Hospital team at University College London further modified the donor T cells.
“This is quite remarkable, although it is still a preliminary result, which needs to be monitored and confirmed over the next few months,” said Robert Chiesa, one of the doctors treating Alyssa, in a statement released by Great Ormond Street Hospital.
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While she has no detectable cancer now, it will take several years to determine whether she’s truly cancer-free.
This procedure was used before to save the life of a 1-year-old girl, Layla, also in the UK last year, and is now approved by the NHS as a treatment for people with leukemia arising from mutated B cells, another group of immune cells that can lead to the cancer.
RELATED: Revolutionary CRISPR-based Genome Editing System Destroys Cancer Cells ‘Permanently’ in Lab
New Scientist explains that lead researcher Waseem Qasim at University College London had applied four edits to the cells’ DNA, which puts them at risk for dangerous mutations. To circumvent this, he used a different method of the CRISPR gene editing protein that ” changes one DNA letter to another,” a technique called base-editing.
Alyssa is the first person ever to be treated with base-editing.
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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 December 17, 2022
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
I applaud your expansive curiosity. I admire your yearning to learn more and more about our mysterious world as you add to your understanding of how the game of life works. Your greed for interesting experiences is good greed! It is one of your most beautiful qualities. But now and then, there come times when you need to scale down your quest for fresh, raw truths and work on integrating what you have already absorbed. The coming weeks will be one of those times.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Better than most, you have a rich potential to attune yourself to the cyclical patterns of life. It’s your birthright to become skilled at discerning natural rhythms at work in the human comedy. Even more fortunately, Capricorn, you can be deeply comforted by this awareness. Educated by it. Motivated by it. I hope that in 2023, you will develop your capacity to the next level. The cosmic flow will be on your side as you strive to feel the cosmic flow—and place yourself in closer and closer alignment with it.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Anne, a character in a book by L. M. Montgomery, says she prefers the word “dusk” over “twilight” because it sounds so “velvety and shadowy.” She continues, “In daylight, I belong to the world . . . in the night to sleep and eternity. But in the dusk, I’m free from both and belong only to myself.” According to my astrological assessment, you Aquarians will go through a dusk-like phase in the coming weeks: a time when you will belong solely to yourself and any other creature you choose to join you in your velvety, shadowy emancipation.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
My Piscean friend Venus told me, “We Pisceans feel everything very intensely, but alas, we do not possess the survival skills of a Scorpio or the enough-is-enough, self-protective mechanism of the Cancerians. We are the water sign most susceptible to being engulfed and flooded and overwhelmed.” I think Venus is somewhat correct in her assessment. But I also believe you Fishes have a potent asset that you may not fully appreciate or call on enough. Your ability to tune into the very deepest levels of emotion potentially provides you with access to a divine power source beyond your personality. If you allow it to give you all of its gifts, it will keep you shielded and safe and supported.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Aries painter Vincent van Gogh was renowned for translating his sublime and unruly passions into colors and shapes on canvas. It was a demanding task. He careened between torment and ecstasy. “I put my heart and soul into my work,” he said, “and I have lost my mind in the process.” That’s sad! But I have good news for you, Aries. In the coming months, you will have the potential to reach unprecedented new depths of zest as you put your heart and soul into your work and play. And hallelujah, you won’t lose your mind in the process! In fact, I suspect you will become more mentally healthy than you’ve been in a long time.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
“The soul is silent,” writes Taurus poet Louise Glück. “If it speaks at all, it speaks in dreams.” I don’t agree with her in general, and I especially don’t agree with her in regard to your life in the coming weeks. I believe your soul will be singing, telling jokes, whispering in the dark, and flinging out unexpected observations. Your soul will be extra alive and alert and awake, tempting you to dance in the grocery store and fling out random praise and fantasize about having your own podcast. Don’t underestimate how vivacious your soul might be, Taurus. Give it permission to be as fun and funny as it yearns to be.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
The coming weeks will be an excellent time to expand your understanding about the nature of stress. Here are three study aids: 1. High stress levels are not healthy for your mind and body, but low to moderate stress can be good for you. 2. Low to moderate stress is even better for you if it involves dilemmas that you can ultimately solve. 3. There is a thing called “eustress,” which means beneficial stress. It arises from a challenge that evokes your vigor, resilience, and willpower. As you deal with it, you feel hopeful and hardy. It’s meaningful and interesting. I bring these ideas to your attention, dear Gemini, because you are primed to enjoy a rousing upgrade in your relationship with stress.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Long before he launched his illustrious career, Cancerian inventor Buckminster Fuller was accepted to enroll at Harvard University. Studying at such a prestigious educational institution was a high honor and set him up for a bright future. Alas, he was expelled for partying too hard. Soon he was working at odd jobs. His fortunes dwindled, and he grew depressed. But at age 32, he had a pivotal mystical experience. He seemed to be immersed in a globe of white light hovering above the ground. A disembodied voice spoke, telling him he “belonged to the universe” and that he would fulfill his life purpose if he applied himself to serving “the highest advantage of others.” How would you like a Buckminster Fuller-style intervention, Cancerian? It’s available if you want it and ask for it.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Leo-born Judith Love Cohen was an electrical engineer who worked on NASA’s Apollo Space Program. She was also the mother of the famous actor Jack Black. When she was nine months pregnant with Jack, on the day she went into labor, she performed a heroic service. On their way to the moon, the three astronauts aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft had encountered a major systems failure. In the midst of her birth process, Judith Love Cohen carried out advanced troubleshooting that helped save their lives and bring their vehicle safely back to Earth. I don’t expect you to achieve such a monumental feat in the coming days, Leo. But I suspect you will be extra intrepid and even epic in your efforts. And your ability to magically multitask will be at a peak.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
When you’re at the height of your powers, you provide the people in your life with high-quality help and support. And I believe you could perform this role even stronger in 2023. Here are some of the best benefits you can offer: 1. Assist your allies in extracting bright ideas from confusing mishmashes. 2. Help them cull fertile seeds from decaying dross. 3. As they wander through messy abysses, aid them in finding where the redemption is. 4. Cheer on their successes with wit and charm.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
A blogger named Daydreamydyke explains the art of bestowing soulful gifts. Don’t give people you care for generic consumer goods, she tells us. Instead, say to them, “I picked up this cool rock I found on the ground that reminded me of you,” or “I bought you this necklace for 50 cents at a yard sale because I thought you’d like it,” or “I’ve had this odd little treasure since childhood, but I feel like it could be of use to you or give you comfort, so I want you to have it.” That’s the spirit I hope you will adopt during the holiday season, Libra—as well as for all of 2023, which will be the year you could become a virtuoso gift-giver.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
In 1957, engineers Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes invented three-dimensional plastic wallpaper. No one bought the stuff, though. A few years later, they rebranded it as Bubble Wrap and marketed it as material to protect packages during shipment. Success! Its new use has been popular ever since. I suspect you are in a phase comparable to the time between when their plastic wallpaper flopped and before they dreamed up Bubble Wrap. Have faith in the possibility of there being a Second Act, Scorpio. Be alert for new applications of possibilities that didn’t quite make a splash the first time around.
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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