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Photos Showing Victorians Painstakingly Rebuilding Stonehenge in 1901 Are Rewriting the Guidebooks

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Straightening a leaning stone at Stonehenge in 1901 – SWNS
Straightening a leaning stone at Stonehenge in 1901 – SWNS

Photos are shedding light on the painstaking rebuilding of Stonehenge by Victorians in 1901—depicting engineers trying to move the tallest stones back into their intricate prehistoric positions.

Britain’s most famous ancient monument on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire was built around 2500 BC, but after thousands of years some of the stones had fallen out of place.

Most guidebooks since the 1970s had made no mention of the facelift provided during the Victorian era—or other restorations completed around 1920, 1959, and 1964.

But the fascinating photos found by a researcher of history at the University of the West of England show the repairs in 1901.

The photo above shows stone #56, one of the tallest of them all, at 21 feet-6 inches.

It had fallen over, and work was undertaken to push it back up into its original position using pulleys and ropes.

1901 photo shows the tallest stone, and a dimple in one of the horizontal lintela on the ground. – SWNS

A ‘bobble’ called a tenon in the upright stones fit into holes made in the horizontal lintels.

It is believed that 14 of the stones were also set in concrete during these early renovations, and concealed under the turf—and only seven are in their original sockets.

RELATED: British Museum Unveils Ancient Artifacts Illuminating the World of Stonehenge in New Exhibit

Straightening a leaning stone at Stonehenge using pulleys, ropes and a wooden frame attached to the stone in 1901 – SWNS

English Heritage, which oversees Stonehenge, vowed 20 years ago to rewrite the official guidebooks to make sure the rebuilding is part of the story told to the one million visitors each year who come to marvel at the engineering prowess of our early ancestors.

“The work is a very important part of the history of Stonehenge and when people are told about it they are fascinated,” said English Heritage senior archaeologist Dave Batchelor.

View of leaning stone prior to straightening; with two members of the Society of Antiquaries in 1901 – SWNS

RELATED: A New Henge Was Discovered Near Stonehenge

But, he believes that most people, above all, are interested in why it was built in the first place.

SHARE the Fascinating Photos With History-Lovers  on Social Media…

Woman Discovers Exact Replica of Grandfather’s WWII Plane and Recreates 1942 Photo Before Getting a Special Ride

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Courtney Dohnt / SWNS
Courtney Dohnt / SWNS

An Australian woman got the ride of a lifetime after discovering a replica of her grandfather’s World War II plane—and traveling 9,000 miles to recreate her favorite photo.

Courtney Dohnt was never able to meet her Australian grandfather who fought alongside the Brits and Allied Forces, flying in a Hawker Hurricane.

The plane—called Pegs after his beloved wife Peggy—was shot down during a raid on German-occupied territory in 1942. Her grandfather, Charles Bryce Watson, survived, but passed away twenty years before Courtney was born.

His stories lived on through Courtney’s family, and a photo of him alongside the plane had a prominent place in their home Down Under in Geelong, Victoria.

They heard about a Hawker Hurricane being restored in Berkshire, England and got in touch in a bid to learn more about the plane.

They were astonished when they discovered restorers had coincidently used the ‘Pegs’ tag on the paintwork, along with the kangaroo logo from his original model.

“I was so excited when I heard about the plane. I jumped at the chance to see it,” said the 38-year-old. “That picture was on our wall at home as I grew up so this experience hit me like a ton of bricks.”

RELATED: Couple’s Love Still Blooms 40 Years On, As They Recreate First Photo Posing Alongside 12ft Sunflower (LOOK)

WWII RAF pilot Charles Bryce Watson with his Hawker Hurricane, ‘Pegs’ -SWNS

Courtney flew to the UK this month to see the plane, which is used for commemorative flights in the UK, and cleverly recreated her favorite photo.

“It was so overwhelming to be able to see that plane, with ‘Pegs’ painted on the side for my grandmother, just like in the photo of Charles.”

The restoration company, Hurricane Heritage, told her the plane was an identical model to her grandfather’s, which featured an image of a boxing kangaroo to represent his Australian background. It was part of the RAF Squadron no. 174 and flew out of Manston in northeast Kent.

“They were thrilled to hear from me,” Courtney told SWNS news agency.

She only expected to be able to view the plane and take her photos, but when she got there, to her amazement, they offered to take her up in Pegs 2.0.

LOOK: Nursing Home Residents Recreate Famous Portraits From History – And They’re Amazing

Courtney Dohnt / SWNS

“I jumped at the chance,” Courtney said.

“A pilot flew me out, and a spitfire pilot even flew out with us in formation. He flew beside us like cat and mouse.

“We were doing barrel rolls, loops and going upside down!”

CHECK OUT: 98-Year-old D-Day Veteran Recreates Photo With Belgian Boy Who Befriended Him During WWII

“But it was the most amazing experience as soon as I got there and saw ‘Pegs’ on the side.

“I got to not only see but fly in my grandfather’s RAF plane—how many people get the chance to do that?!”

MORE: D-Day Hero’s Lost Postcard Finally Delivered to his Family 77 Years After Being Sent

Watch the vintage planes take off and fly in tandem…

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Your Halloween 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 October 29, 2022 (Halloween Edition)
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
I guess it would be difficult to create a practical snake costume for Halloween. How would you move around? You’d have to slither across the floor and the ground everywhere you go. So maybe instead you could be a snake priest or snake priestess—a magic conjurer wearing snake-themed jewelry and clothes and crown. Maybe your wand could be a caduceus. I’m nudging you in this direction because I think you will benefit from embodying the mythic attributes of a snake. As you know, the creature sheds its old skin to let new skin emerge. That’s a perfect symbol for rebirth, fertility, transformation, and healing. I’d love those themes to be your specialties in the coming weeks.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
“I need my sleep,” proclaimed Sagittarian comedian Bill Hicks. “I need about eight hours a day and about ten at night.” I don’t think you will need as much slumber as Hicks in the coming nights, Sagittarius. On the other hand, I hope you won’t scrimp on your travels in the land of dreams. Your decisions in the waking world will improve as you give yourself maximum rest. The teachings you will be given while dreaming will make you extra smart and responsive to the transformations unfolding in your waking life. Halloween costume suggestion: dancing sleepwalker; snoozing genius; angel banishing a nightmare; fantastic dream creature.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Recently, my mom told me my dad only spoke the Slovakian language, never English, until he started first grade in a school near Detroit, Michigan. Both of his parents had grown up in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but immigrated to the United States in their youth. When I related this story to my Slovakian cousin Robert Brežny, he assured me it’s not true. He met my dad’s mother several times, and he says she could not speak Slovakian. He thinks she was Hungarian, in fact. So it’s unlikely my dad spoke Slovakian as a child. I guess all families have odd secrets and mysteries and illusions, and this is one of mine. How about you, Capricorn? I’m happy to say that the coming months will be a favorable time to dig down to the roots of your family’s secrets and mysteries and illusions. Get started! Halloween costume suggestion: your most fascinating ancestor.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
My Aquarian friend told me about a dream, “A demon turned me into a monster who had to devour human beings to get my necessary protein…” What about you, Aquarius? If you woke up one morning and found you had transformed into a giant wolf-dragon that ate people, who would you put on your menu? I think it’s a good time to meditate on this hypothetical question. You’re primed to activate more ferocity about determining who you want inside your life. Halloween costume suggestion: a giant wolf-dragon with good friends.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Do you value the feeling of wildness? Is that an experience you seek and cultivate? If so, what conditions rouse it? How does it feel? When it visits you, does it have a healthy impact? Are you motivated by your pleasurable brushes with wildness to reconfigure the unsatisfying and unwild parts of your life? These are questions I hope you will contemplate in the coming weeks. The astrological omens suggest you have more power than usual to access wildness. Halloween costume suggestion: whatever makes you feel wild.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Of all the rich philanthropists in the world, Aries author MacKenzie Scott is the most generous. During a recent 12-month period, she gave away $8.5 billion to nonprofits addressing racial inequality, pandemic relief, social services, and the climate emergency. She disburses her donations quickly and without strings attached, and prefers to avoid hoopla and ego aggrandizement. I suggest we make her your inspirational role model in the coming weeks. May she motivate you to gleefully share your unique gifts and blessings. I think you will reap selfish benefits by exploring the perks of generosity. Halloween costume suggestion: philanthropist, Santa Claus, compassion freak.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
What animal best represents your soul? Which species do you love the most? Now would be a good time to try this imaginative exercise. You’re in a phase when you’ll thrive by nurturing your inner wild thing. You will give yourself blessings by stoking your creature intelligence. All of us are part-beast, and this is your special time to foster the beauty of your beast. Halloween costume suggestion: your favorite animal or the animal that symbolizes your soul.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
During the tyrannical reign of Spain’s fascist government in the 1930s, Gemini poet Federico García Lorca creatively resisted and revolted with great courage. One critic said Lorca “was all freedom inside, abandon and wildness. A tulip, growing at the foot of a concrete bulwark.” I invite you to be inspired by Lorca’s untamed, heartfelt beauty in the coming weeks, Gemini. It’s a favorable time to rebel with exuberance against the thing that bothers you most, whether that’s bigotry, injustice, misogyny, creeping authoritarianism, or anything else. Halloween costume suggestion: a high-spirited protestor.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
If the trickster god Mercury gave you permission to do one mischievous thing today and a naughty thing tomorrow and a rascally thing two days from now, what would you choose? Now is the perfect time for you Cancerians to engage in roguish, playful, puckish actions. You are especially likely to get away with them, karma-free—and probably even benefit from them—especially if they are motivated by love. Are you interested in taking advantage of this weird grace period? Halloween costume suggestion: prankster, joker, fairy, elf.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Everyone’s mind constantly chatters with agitated fervor—what I call the ever-flickering flux. We might as well accept this as a fundamental element of being human. It’s a main feature, not a bug. Yet there are ways to tone down the inner commotion. Meditation can help. Communing with nature often works. Doing housework sometimes quells the clamor for me. The good news for you, Leo, is that you’re in a phase when it should be easier than usual to cultivate mental calm. Halloween costume suggestion: meditation champion; tranquility superstar; gold medalist in the relaxation tournament.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
“Education is an admirable thing,” said author Oscar Wilde. “But it is well to remember that nothing worth knowing can be taught.” What?! That’s an exasperating theory. I don’t like it. In fact, I protest it. I reject it. I am especially opposed to it right now as I contemplate your enhanced power to learn amazing lessons and useful knowledge and life-changing wisdom. So here’s my message for you, Virgo: What Oscar Wilde said DOES NOT APPLY to you these days. Now get out there and soak up all the inspiring teachings that are available to you. Halloween costume suggestion: top student.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
To celebrate Halloween, I suggest you costume yourself as a character you were in a past life. A jeweler in first-century Rome? A midwife in 11th-century China? A salt trader in 14th-century Timbuktu? If you don’t have any intuitions about your past lives, be playful and invent one. Who knows? You might make an accurate guess. Why am I inviting you to try this fun exercise? Because now is an excellent time to re-access resources and powers and potentials you possessed long ago—even as far back as your previous incarnations.

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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“Moderation of your temper is always a virtue; but moderation of principle is always a vice.” – Thomas Paine

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Quote of the Day: “Moderation of your temper is always a virtue; but moderation of principle is always a vice.” – Thomas Paine

Photo by: Mark Leishman

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?

Being Around Birds Boosts Our Mental Well-Being Even 8 Hours After Hearing Them

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Andy Corbley
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Being around birds make people feel ‘chirpy’ boosting mental well-being, according to a new study.

Seeing or hearing birds provides a lift to mental health—with the boost lasting for up to eight hours, according to the findings.

Researchers used a phone app called Urban Mind. People were asked three times a day whether they could see or hear birds, and afterwards they responded to questions about their mental wellbeing.

“There is growing evidence on the mental health benefits of being around nature and we intuitively think that the presence of birdsong and birds would help lift our mood,” said lead author Ryan Hammoud of King’s College London.

“However, there is little research that has actually investigated the impact of birds on mental health in real-time and in a real environment. By using the Urban Mind app we have for the first time showed the direct link between seeing or hearing birds and positive mood.”

The 3-year study involved more than 1,200 participants who completed over 26,800 assessments using the Urban Mind app. These participants were mainly based in the UK, the EU and the US.

The study also collected information on existing diagnoses of mental health conditions such as depression. Through their findings they found that hearing and seeing birdlife improved the mental health of people with and without depression.

RELATED: Urban Forests Create a Birdlife Boom in New Zealand Cities – Even Species Absent for Generations

An interesting data point showed that the birds’ habitat, such as the sun-dabbled wood or the babbling brook, were not required for this improvement in mood.

“The term ecosystem services is often used to describe the benefits of certain aspects of the natural environment on our physical and mental health. However, it can be difficult to prove these benefits scientifically,” said senior author Professor Andrea Mechelli, of King’s College London.

“Our study provides an evidence base for creating and supporting biodiverse spaces that harbor birdlife, since this is strongly linked with our mental health.”

READ ALSO: Being Around Birds Makes Us Much Happier Says New Science

“In addition, the findings support the implementation of measures to increase opportunities for people to come across birdlife, particularly for those living with mental health conditions such as depression,” he said.

The finds aren’t particularly surprising, in 2021, GNN reported that German scientists has  found that being surrounding by a wide variety of birds can offer increasing life satisfaction equivalent to $150 per week of added income.

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Short Brisk Walks Instead of Long Strolls May Cut Risk of Heart Disease, Says Key Study of 88,000

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Photo by Maurice T (CC license)
Photo by Maurice T (CC license)

When it comes to exercise, intensity is everything, and while a brisk daily 15-minute walk is enough to cut the risk of heart disease, a leisurely 30-minute stroll is not.

Scientists studying data from heart-rate wearables say doing more exercise doesn’t do much to reduce your risk from cardiovascular conditions unless it is of at least moderate intensity.

When people did more exercise overall but the amount of moderate to vigorous exercise they did remained the same, there was little improvement in heart health.

The researchers from the NIH Care Research Center at Cambridge add that easy activities such as washing the car or doing laundry, which have counted as exercise in earlier research, are not enough to stave off heart problems.

However, doing just two brisk walks for an hour and fifteen minutes a week or one run for the same amount of time a week is enough to keep the condition at bay.

This is considered the bare minimum for preventing the elevated risk of heart diseases like coronary artery disease and stroke connected with modern sedentary life, and should not be looked at as enough to improve cardiovascular strength.

The study collected data via an activity tracker on the wrist of more than 88,000 middle-aged adults, and followed up on their heart health for an average of around 7 years.

SIMILAR: Intensive Exercise the ‘Best Way to Alleviate Symptoms of Chronic Anxiety Without Drugs or Therapy’

When activity levels doubled there was no significant boost to heart health when the amount of moderate to vigorous activity someone did remained at 10%.

When that vigorous proportion rose by 20% disease risk fell by 23%. When it rose by 40%. disease risk fell by 40%.

Rates of heart disease were 14% when moderate-to-vigorous physical activity accounted for 20% rather than 10% of overall physical activity, even in people who did not exercise much.

This difference is equivalent to turning a daily 30-minute stroll into a brisk 15-minute walk.

MORE EXERCISE NEWS: Pioneering Scientists Find Evidence of How Exercise Counters Diabetes Damage

Obviously the participants who did the most exercise overall, and did more tough exercise as a proportion of that, had the lowest risk of developing heart disease.

These findings were made from wrist accelerometer data from 88,000 people whose health information is stored in the UK Biobank, a large database containing information about the health of half a million Brits.

Most large existing studies have relied on questionnaire responses to work out how much exercise participants got up to.

RELATED: There’s ‘No Link’ Between Exercise and Developing Arthritis in the Knee

However, physical activity levels can be difficult to recall, especially when they relate to low-intensity activities such as washing the car or doing laundry.

“Our findings support simple behavior-change messages that ‘every move counts’ to encourage people to increase their overall physical activity, and if possible to do so by incorporating more moderately intense activities,” said senior author Professor Tom Yates, of Leicester University.

“This could be as simple as converting a leisurely stroll into a brisk walk, but a variety of approaches should encourage and help individuals to find whatever is most practical or enjoyable for them.”

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Rooftop Forest Planned for London Courthouse Includes 100 Trees, 10,000 Plants, and Much More

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Andy Corbley
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- Fabrix Roots in the Sky
– Fabrix Roots in the Sky

An old courthouse in London is set to host one of the largest rooftop forests in all of Europe, as it welcomes 125 trees and more than 10,000 plants in total.

Access to the public will be provided to those seeking to immerse themselves in this forest in the sky, and green-thumbed Londoners will have access to gardening sheds and beds to grow in, as well as a community seed bank and barn.

Roots in The Sky as it’s being called, was given to Fabrix, an architecture, design, and technology company that looks to breathe new life into underused urban spaces.

The rooftop area will include a bar, swimming pool, and private terraces for the offices below. The greenery will benefit from a passive water capture and irrigation system, and hopefully can reintroduce wildlife to the city.

From the top of the 1.4 acre urban woodland, visitors will have an exceptional view of The Shard and the whole London skyline.

– Fabrix Roots in the Sky.

To support the 1,300 tons of soil to be loaded onto the rooftop, the design team have created a hybrid structure of steel and cross laminated timbers.

The building itself is called “Blackfriars Crown Court,” and used to hear court cases on Pocock Street, in Southwark, before being sold off by the government. In terms of the exterior it’s a brutalist bureaucrat’s dream of grey concrete and brick.

RELATED: ‘Best New Skyscraper’ Mimics Nature: Looks Like 2 Mountains With a Valley, Water, and Greenery Between – LOOK

Roots in the Sky will also be turning that hard exterior and the court rooms inside, into a modern, welcoming office space totaling almost 400,000 square feet on 7 floors.

Work is set to begin in January.

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Incredible Birth of Endangered Baby Rhino is Captured on Zoo’s Cameras, and Galloping Within Minutes (WATCH)

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Andy Corbley
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Rare greater one-horned rhino with new calf – Chester Zoo / SWNS
Rare greater one-horned rhino with new calf – Chester Zoo / SWNS

Zookeepers in England were thrilled to watch their resident rhino give birth to a calf, who was up and charging around within hours of accommodating herself to the world

The birth was captured in the late afternoon on the Chester Zoo’s video cameras.

The calf was born already weighing a hefty 120 pounds (50 kg) and will grow to around 1.7 tons.

15-year-old mom Asha is an endangered greater one-horned rhino, and had been pregnant for 15 months.

Heartwarming video footage shows the youngster arriving into the world before Asha turns around to tenderly nuzzle her newborn, while adorable photos show the new arrival already trying to run, sporting the same slightly wrinkled armored plating as her parents.

“We’re absolutely thrilled with Asha and her new arrival,” said Sam Harley, rhino team manager at Chester Zoo. “On the day the calf was born, we noticed that Asha was uncharacteristically lethargic and off her food, so we had a suspicion that she was soon to give birth.”

Rare greater one-horned rhino with calf – Chester Zoo / SWNS

Greater one-horned rhinos were once found roaming across the entire northern part of the Indian subcontinent.

RELATED: Number of Greater One-Horned Rhinos Reaches New High – Up From Just 100 Individuals

Conservationists are celebrating the birth of the endangered species, as only 4,000 of them remain in the wild. Times have been much tougher though, as only around 100 could be found back in the 1970s.

“At one point, there were less than 200 in the wild so it’s a real privilege to be able to care for this newborn,” said Harley. “Not everyone is lucky enough to see a rhino in the wild, but Asha, dad Beni, and their new calf help our two million visitors a year to connect with this magnificent species.”

SIMIALR: Two Zoos, Two Sets of Big Cat Twins: Welcoming the Newborn Cubs in Nashville and Oklahoma

Keepers have picked three names for the new calf and the public can vote for their favorite.

The final names are Thuli, which is a river in Nepal, Jiya, which is the Indian meaning for sunshine, and Bahula, which is the Indian meaning for star.

WATCH the rhino calf get used to the world.

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“We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” – Charles Kingsley

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Quote of the Day: “We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” – Charles Kingsley

Photo by: Anthony Fomin

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?

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

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Andy Corbley
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SWNS
SWNS

Workmen have uncovered a suspected Roman road in a field dating back 2,000 years that could be the only one of its kind in Britain and of ‘world importance.’

Archeologists say the cobbled ford uncovered in Worcestershire could be the finest Roman example of its type in the UK. In fact, the only existing roads in such a state of preservation are found in Pompeii and Rome.

The stretch, measuring 32-ft by 9.6 feet wide (10 x 2.9 meter), was discovered during routine utility work by Severn Trent Water a few weeks ago in an area called Evesham. 

The exact location of the discovery is being concealed but it was found by a river where a Roman-era villa complex was previously uncovered four years ago.

Excavations are now taking place to find out more about the site, but experts say everything points to it being a genuine Roman structure—built 1,900 years ago.

“At the moment everything is ticking the boxes for it to be Roman but it still feels too good to be true so we are keeping an open mind,” said Aidan Smyth, archeology officer from Wychavon District Council where the water works were being dug, adding that seeing it first hand “took his breath away.”

SWNS

The owners of the property contacted Wychavon District Council and a team from Historic England is now expected to analyze the excavations.

The road is a ‘ford,’ or a small river crossing, and also has ruts in the stones indicating it was was used by carts for a long time.

“If it is a first-century Roman feature it is the only one of its kind to be found in Britain to date,” said Smith, who noted no one was building roads like this during the Medieval Period.

Aidan Smyth investigates the Roman road – Wychavon District Council

“If it was to be a Roman feature, with its only comparisons in Rome and Pompeii, you could argue it’s of world importance, not just of national importance. The stonework is absolutely perfect.”

Smith explains in the video below how the Romans were the only road builders to ever build their roads like they built walls. During excavations Smith explains the team found “batted” stone curbs, meaning to be laid at a steep angle rather than vertically. They were made of a different stone than the flat cobbles passersby would walk upon.

“Now I’ve lots of evidence in this part of Evesham for Medieval batted stone walls, my problem is I’ve not got anything Roman to compare it with,” Smith said. “So it’s not that it isn’t Roman, it just could have a Medieval phase to it.”

SIMILAR: Viking Age Shipyard Uncovered at Birka is Like Nothing Ever Found Before

Wychavon District Council has confirmed as of yet, no dateable finds such as pieces of pottery or coins have been discovered which are usually used to help date the site.

Worcestershire is fertile ground for important archaeological finds as Worcester was possibly the site of the Roman town of Vertis. The Roman army passed through the area now known as Worcestershire in the 40s and 50s CE as it pushed west to reach the River Severn on its way to Wales.

RELATED: Incredible Discovery Beneath the Southern Amazon Reveals Urban-Agrarian Society Never Seen Before

Gravel will be taken from under the cobblestones and above them in the flood material called alluvium, to get a good idea of when each sets of minerals saw the sun last.

Readers looking to pursue a career in archeology should watch the video below, as it’s a very accurate depiction of the profession.

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New Rooftop CO2 Ventilators Funnel Fumes into Fertilizer that Makes Spinach Grow 4x Bigger in Roof Gardens

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- SWNS
– SWNS

New carbon dioxide ventilators could turn fumes into fertilizer to bring vegetable patches to high rise rooftops, suggests a new study.

It wasn’t just suggested, the study included an experiment that found spinach by the new air vents grew four-times larger than the other plants.

The breakthrough is a promising development for healthier city life, say scientists.

Scientists at Boston University created new technology that turned carbon dioxide (CO2) pumped from building air vents into fertilizer to improve the challenging plant-growing conditions for rooftop plant-life.

Rooftop vegetable gardens—big ones even—can be found in cities around the world, but they’re mostly hydroponic systems, receiving nutrients and water via a special mist channeled through tubes.

Rooftop farms and gardens are often suggested as ways to improve air quality, but conditions are difficult. Plants are often smaller and less healthy because the sites catch more solar radiation, wind exposure, and the soil is less moist.

The researchers decided to intercede by repurposing the CO2 emitted from building exhaust into a fertilizer.

ALSO READ: Rooftop Panels of Tiny Plants Can Cleanse Polluted Air at 100 Times the Rate of a Single Tree

Dr. Sarabeth Buckley, now at the University of Cambridge, began growing corn and spinach on a Boston University campus roof in an experiment named BIG GRO.

“We wanted to test whether there is an untapped resource inside buildings that could be used to make plants grow larger in rooftop farms,” she said. “Creating more favorable conditions that increase growth could help make rooftop farms more successful and therefore more viable options for installation on buildings.”

SIMILAR: World’s Biggest Rooftop Greenhouse in Montreal is as Big as 3 Football Fields – Now Can Feed 2% of the City

Dr. Buckley and her team chose corn and spinach because they are common edible plants that are more sensitive to high CO2 levels when they photosynthesize, versus other plants. They then placed the plants near the exhaust vents, and another control group near simple fans.

CO2 levels in the classrooms below were regularly measured to figure out how much extra CO2 the plants were receiving. High concentrations were found both inside classrooms and at rooftop exhaust vents when people were in the building.

“CO2 levels averaged above 1000 parts per million—the recommended limit—in classrooms and above 800ppm—high enough to increase growth in plants—at the rooftop exhaust vents,” said Dr. Buckley.

While growing, plants were monitored for size, number of leaves, and wet and dry biomass after harvesting.

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

The results were striking: spinach grown beside the exhaust vents had four-times the biomass of spinach grown next to a control fan.

High winds decreased the size advantage in some plants, but they were still twice as large as the controls.

Dr. Buckley cautioned there was still more work to be done before the system can be used.

“There are still many aspects of this system that must be determined before it can be implemented…” she said. “There is a decrease in growth with increased wind speed, so the optimal wind speed would need to be found and incorporated into the system design.”

“We are hoping this could lead to the further development of this system and eventual implementation in rooftop gardens and farms. If that happens, then hopefully more rooftop farms will be installed.”

“They could provide a multitude of environmental and social benefits such as energy savings for the building, carbon drawdown, climate mitigation, urban heat reduction, local food production, community building opportunities, and aesthetic and mental health benefits.”

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Study Finds that Eating Dinner as a Family Makes 91% of Families Less Stressed

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Credit: Didriks

Everyone knows your family can be a pain in the neck sometimes, but regular family dinners can be the key to reduced stress levels in the household.

This was found in a survey by the American Heart Association (AHA), who research chronic stress which can increase rates for all manner of non-communicable heart diseases.

Of the 1,000 U.S. adults nationwide surveyed in September 2022 by Wakefield Research on behalf of the AHA, 91% of respondents said their family was less stressed when they share meals together.

84% say they wish they could share a meal more often with loved ones.

“Sharing meals with others is a great way to reduces stress, boost self-esteem and improve social connection, particularly for kids,” said Erin Michos, M.D, M.H.S, and American Heart Association volunteer from Johns Hopkins.

“Chronic, constant stress can also increase your lifetime risk of heart disease and stroke, so it is important for people to find ways to reduce and manage stress as much as possible, as soon as possible.”

RELATED: Years After Accidental Holiday Text, Man Still Gets Together With the Grandma Who Invited Him to Thanksgiving Dinner

Connecting with friends, family, coworkers and neighbors benefits people beyond stress relief. In fact, the AHA survey found 67% of people say sharing a meal reminds them of the importance of connecting with other people, and 54% say it reminds them to slow down and take a break.

The survey also identified the majority (65%) of adults say they are at least somewhat stressed and more than a quarter (27%) are extremely or very stressed.

Nearly 7 in 10 of survey respondents who are employed full or part-time said they would feel less stressed at work if they had more time to take a break and share a meal with a co-worker.

Those surveyed say they are more likely (59%) to make healthier food choices when eating with other people but have difficulty aligning schedules with their friends or family to do so, according to the survey. Overall, respondents reported eating alone about half of the time.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 7 Ways to Navigate Uncomfortable Conversations at the Holiday Dinner Table

“We know it’s not always as easy as it sounds to get people together at mealtime. Like other healthy habits, give yourself permission to start small and build from there,” Michos said.

“Set a goal to gather friends, family or coworkers for one more meal together each week. If you can’t get together in person, think about how you can share a meal together over the phone or a computer.”

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First French Memorial for ‘Hero Dogs’ Honoring Their Military Service With New Monument – LOOK

By
Andy Corbley
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The military dogs of the 132nd Infantry Regiment and their handlers - Centrale Canine.
The military dogs of the 132nd Infantry Regiment and their handlers – Courtesy of Centrale Canine.

Many countries have monuments to their fallen soldiers, but the French have recently inaugurated a sort of “Tomb of the Unknown Canine,” to honor the contributions of dogs to the civil, police, and military service of the nation.

From lending their noses to counter-banditry operations across the Sahel, to tracking down the perpetrators of the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, to rescuing people from buildings and the mountains, dogs have every right to be considered just as heroic as the officers and soldiers leading them in these endeavors.

At the end of 2018, when the centenary of the end of the First World War was celebrated, France’s national kennel club, Centrale Canine, had expressed its desire to erect a work paying tribute to hero dogs who also participated, alongside their masters, to military operations.

To this end, they enlisted the help of French-Colombian sculpture Milthon depicting a WWI solder and a dog huddled together.

Located at the crossroads of the sites of Verdun and the town of Suippes, an area that saw extremely heavy fighting in the First World War, it represented a location that was all the more symbolic as it is home to the 132nd infantry regiment, who have been training French military dogs for 45 years.

RELATED: Watch Therapy Dogs Surprise National Guard Troops in Washington, D.C. Who May Be Missing Their Own Pets

Many representatives of the armed forces were able to attend the inauguration ceremony, including General Elrick Irastorza, former Chief of Staff of the Army who agreed to be the sponsor of the memorial.

In WWI, dogs were used to deliver messages and supplies, and seek out wounded soldiers in No Man’s Land, and whether on purpose or not, contributed vital moral support to men in the trenches.

Courtesy of Centrale Canine.

“It’s very important [recognition] because dogs, like human beings, carry out missions, but we don’t ask them for their opinion. So to me, it’s fair to give them back a medal,” Johann, an adjutant in a combat unit, told AP, reporting on the news.

The inauguration saw a squadron of military dogs stand alongside their trainers wearing their military medals.

SIMILAR: These Specially-Trained Dogs Have Saved 45 Rhinos From Poachers in South Africa—And Counting

Many of the breeds are German or Belgian shepherds—animals that can withstand cold, heat, exhaustion, and stressful situations. The trainers work with them, mostly through their olfactory capabilities, to locate wounded soldiers, detect mines, improvised bombs, and other explosives, and track extremist groups across the North African Sahel once upon a time in places like Mali.

There were no treats, jokes, or puppy-dog talk at the inauguration, it was a serious ceremony with a serious atmosphere under a steel-grey sky in Suippes, a fine testament to the honor, value, and esteem those assembled on two legs had for those on four.

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“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” – Thomas Paine

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” – Thomas Paine

Photo by: Phillip Goldsberry

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High Schooler Self-Publishes Fantasy Novel Over Lockdowns as Break From Video Games-Gets Orders Worldwide

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Good News Network
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Dylan Brennan author of Noble Betrayed - SWNS.
Dylan Brennan author of Noble Betrayed – SWNS.

Trying to distract himself from his PlayStation during COVID lockdowns, a London high schooler self-published a fantasy novel that’s now selling as far away as Australia.

16-year-old Dylan Brennan started writing Noble: Betrayed in April 2020, after recognizing he was spending too much time playing video games.

The aspiring lawyer said he had long dreamt of publishing a book, and lockdown gave him the perfect opportunity to knock out the first full draft in 9 months, before the final copy was released in October 2022.

The book was inspired by Dylan’s favorite authors: George R. R. Martin, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Andrzej Sapkowski, who wrote The Witcher, the latter of which was turned into three award-winning role-playing video games.

“It’s amazing! It’s a dream I’ve always had,” said Dylan. “I’m so pleased with it but I can’t stop here, I’m already working on the next one. I love fantasy, it’s just my genre.”

RELATED: Once Bullied For Her Love Of Bugs, 8-Year-old Co-Authors Scientific Paper

Writing and publishing a book has never been easier, but at the same time Dylan’s decision to forfeit the easy dopamine hit of video games to do it speaks volumes about his character.

Yet at the same time Dylan’s influences were obviously heavily inspired in part by his fantasy video gaming—the right balance is key.

The tale revolves around the main character Lord Simon Pargion visiting the court of close friend King Emannar Woodgairrd before uncovering a plot to kill him.

It combines the stereotypical elements of fantasy with the sense of community and atmosphere of living in London, he said, and some of the characters are named after his teachers at St. George’s Catholic School, in Maida Vale.

SIMILAR: Teen Sends Fan Letter to Her Favorite Author; 3 Years Later, They Have Finished Co-Writing Her Debut Novel

Dylan says he has already bagged £150 in sales from Spain, Germany, the USA and Australia.

“I think 50 copies is the expected number of sales for a self-published first book,” he said. “There’s so much technology you can use to publish for yourself now which takes out a few steps, and publishers always have their own direction they want you to take.”

“I enjoyed exploring the big divide in London. Like the Royal Family who are a tight unit with lots of drama, alongside the less well off people struggling to get by.”

Dylan plans to study to become a lawyer but wants to keep writing as a side hustle, adding he’s aiming for a crime novel next.

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A City in China is Planning an Offshore Wind Farm So Big It Could Power All of Norway

By
Andy Corbley
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The new wind farm will likely use this Goldwind wind turbine, the largest in the world - released.
The new wind farm will likely use this Goldwind wind turbine, the largest in the world – released.

The “Classic Tourist City” of Chaozhou is going to build an offshore wind farm so large that it could power all of Norway.

Detailed in the city’s recent 5-year plan, the 43.3-gigawatt windfarm will grant significant amounts of green energy to the two-and-a-half million inhabitants.

Located in Guangdong Province, and neighbor to the largest inhabited city on Earth in Guangzhou, Chaozhou has unique offshore topography that creates gusty seas ideal for harvesting wind energy.

Capable of running the turbines around 49% of the year, it’s to be located between 47 and 115 miles (75 and 185 km) off the city’s coast.

READ ALSO: Mini Wind Turbines For Rooftops: ‘Up to 50% More Power’ and No Spinning Blades

China is big on wind power, and in 2021 the country installed more wind energy resources than all the rest of the world put together for five years running. Statistics on these large civic projects coming out of the PRC are not always reliable; their mass tree-planting operations along the Gobi Desert are notoriously murky.

China recently debuted the world’s largest turbine at the 20th Party Congress in Beijing. The diameter of the rotors are 827 feet (252 meters) and they are billed as capable of producing 63.5 million kWh per year assuming ideal conditions.

Other large wind farmers are Norway, who boast 38 gigawatts of installed turbines, and the UK, who should currently have the largest offshore wind farm on Earth provided they’ve finished installing all the turbines.

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Russell Crowe Ensures Survival of Dragon Tales Book Shop With Surprise Donation: ‘It’s Bonkers’

By
Andy Corbley
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Owners Dan and Leanne Fridd.

A small book store is a wonderful place—that’s what Russell Crowe thought when he surprised Bookbugs and Dragon Tales Book Shop with a large donation to help its survival.

Leanne Fridd and her husband Dan “squealed” when after launching a Crowdfunding campaign to do more school literacy outreach and give the business “breathing room,” they saw a large donation from Russel Ira Crowe.

“It’s bonkers,” they said of the surprise, that had them chanting “Russell Crowe, Russell Crowe,” nearly the entirety of the following day.

Even back in 1998, when You’ve Got Mail came out, society heard more and more stories about the small neighborhood book store at risk of disappearing in the face of big corporate booksellers.

In a remarkably bad bit of luck, Bookbugs and Dragon Tales in Norfolk opened its doors in 2019—just before the pandemic. Having had to face COVID shutdowns, and now the British cost-of-living crisis, most people wouldn’t blame them for quitting—but Leanne and Dan say that donations have flooded in from unlikely places—the star of The Gladiator, not withstanding.

RELATED: As the Pandemic Got Worse, Americans Donated More Generously Than Ever – to Record Levels

“We’ve had £100 from the customer who lost her house in a fire,” said Leanne. “I know she can’t afford that.”

They’re also quite sure that it wasn’t a generous prankster masquerading as Crowe through the anonymity of the internet, since they know that a mutual friend of theirs and Crowe’s retweeted their Crowdfunding link.

“I have heard that this is what he is like – he is really supportive and just wants to make a difference,” Leanne told the BBC. “I doubt he will come into the shop, but who knows, if he is in the area in the future, he might.”

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Tiny Home Village for Salt Lake City‘s Homeless Gets Green Light for 430 Units

By
Andy Corbley
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Other Side Academy village in Utah - released.
Plan by The Other Side Academy

Taking the lead to fight the homelessness epidemic in America, the Salt Lake City council has moved forward with a plan to lease 8 acres of city land to build a village of tiny homes.

Described as “recovery housing,” the 430 units would provide an additional transition between total homelessness and total stability.

The plan was introduced in April of 2021, and has taken awhile to gain traction. On Tuesday, the city council listened to concerns from the community about the use of city resources.

Costing $13.8 million, the village was dreamt up by The Other Side Academy, which provides training and teaches pro-social, vocational, and life skills, allowing attendees to emerge with a healthy life on “the other side” of criminal detention, substance abuse, or homelessness.

But all are looking to change the direction of their lives.

RELATED: She Invited a Homeless Man For Dinner – Now Her Crowdfunding Has Secured Her New Friend a Tiny Home

The SLC council voted unanimously, 7-0, in favor of the project, which is envisioned to be funded largely by contributions and donations rather than public money.

No date has been given for a start date of construction, but the village concept art has shown a large circular village with paths extending into the various quarters, centered around a central pagoda.

The square would include retail shops, on-site healthcare offices, and gardens.

SIMILAR: Tiny Home Village in Albuquerque Helps Homeless Transition With Social Services and Opportunities

Cities around the country are grappling with the homelessness epidemic in different ways. Tiny homes are often touted as a worthwhile solution to investigate, because it’s very difficult, even with financial assistance, to acquire a bank account, housing, various medical assistance, or a job, without having a permanent address.

The plan is similar to a successful village in Austin, Texas. Elsewhere, Acres of Hope is a project of tiny homes for single moms in California.

In Seattle is changing zoning laws to allow a non-profit to build tiny homes for perspective citizens in the backyards of volunteers.

WATCH local Salt Lake City news report on the project. 

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“Even a single lamp dispels the deepest darkness” – Mahatma Gandhi

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Even a single lamp dispels the deepest darkness” – Mahatma Gandhi

Photo by: Vladimir Fedotov

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Battery Tech Breakthrough Paves Way for Mass Adoption of Affordable/Fast Charging Electric Cars

By
Andy Corbley
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Credit: EC Power.
Credit: EC Power.

A breakthrough in electric vehicle fast charging battery design from Penn State has enabled a 10-minute charge time for a typical EV battery.

The record-breaking combination of a shorter charge time and more energy required for longer travel range came from heating the battery to a Goldilocks Zone which has proven difficult for engineers thus far.

Their findings are hoped to accelerate the sale of EVs, and were announced on October 12th, in the journal Nature.

“The need for smaller, faster-charging batteries is greater than ever,” said Chao-Yang Wang, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State and lead author on the study.

“There are simply not enough batteries and critical raw materials, especially those produced domestically, to meet anticipated demand.”

MORE GOOD EV NEWS: Full Battery Charge in 15 Minutes: World’s Fastest Electric Car Charger is Launched

In August, California’s Air Resources Board passed an extensive plan to restrict and ultimately ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars within the state. By 2035, the largest auto market in the United States will effectively retire the internal combustion engine.

If new car sales are going to shift to battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs), Wang explained, they’ll need to overcome two major drawbacks: they are too slow to recharge and too large to be efficient and affordable. Instead of taking a few minutes at the gas pump, depending on the battery, some EVs can take all day to recharge.

“Our fast-charging technology works for most energy-dense batteries and will open a new possibility to downsize electric vehicle batteries from 150 to 50 kWh without causing drivers to feel range anxiety,” said Wang, whose lab partnered with State College-based startup EC Power to develop the technology.

“The smaller, faster-charging batteries will dramatically cut down battery cost and usage of critical raw materials such as cobalt, graphite and lithium, enabling mass adoption of affordable electric cars.”

RELATED: 5 Midwestern Governors Sign Up to Create EV Charging Network to Keep Electric Vehicles Moving

The technology relies on internal thermal modulation, an active method of temperature control to demand the best performance possible from the battery, Wang explained.

Batteries operate most efficiently when they are hot, but not too hot. Keeping batteries consistently at just the right temperature has been a major challenge for battery engineers. Historically, they have relied on external, bulky heating and cooling systems to regulate battery temperature, which respond slowly and waste a lot of energy.

Wang and his team decided to instead regulate the temperature from inside the battery. The researchers developed a new battery structure that adds an ultrathin nickel foil as the fourth component besides anode, electrolyte and cathode.

SIMIALR: Innovative ‘Sand Battery’ is Heating Small City, Storing Green Energy for Months at a Time

Acting as a stimulus, the nickel foil self-regulates the battery’s temperature and reactivity which allows for 10-minute fast charging on just about any EV battery, Wang explained.

“True fast-charging batteries would have immediate impact,” the researchers write. “Since there are not enough raw minerals for every internal combustion engine car to be replaced by a 150 kWh-equipped EV, fast charging is imperative for EVs to go mainstream.”

The study’s partner, EC Power, is working to manufacture and commercialize the fast-charging battery for an affordable and sustainable future of vehicle electrification.

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