Farmer’s Donkey Acts Like a Dog After Spending Months Living In Home With Family Pups – LOOK

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Jan 15, 2022

A donkey ditched by its mom now thinks it’s a dog after it was raised among pooches.

John Nuttall and his partner Gražina Pervenis live on England’s east coast, and when they saw the mother of a miniature mule rejecting her own foal, they decided to hand-rear him in their homes.

3-month-old Kye had a tough start to his life after his mother turned on him, but Gražina, a dog trainer, suggested a hands-on approach.

The pair fitted the foal with a “doggie diaper” and shared caring duties over the next critical six weeks.

“I went to the pet shop and bought the big dog nappies because you don’t want donkey baby poo all over the house,” John, 64, told SWNS News.

In the first days, 40-year-old Gražina fed Kye with milk from his estranged mother through a tube to ensure the youngster got the right nutrients.

“She kept him on that for two-to-three weeks. She was feeding him every hour at that time – she was like a zombie.”

Soon, Kye began playing with their dogs—and began exhibiting hound-like behavior.

Kye now comes running with the dogs whenever John whistles.

“He even started playing with a ball and everything, and now, I can go for a walk down the road, and he’ll follow me like a dog.”

He would come back in the house every evening “because he also needed human contact.”

LOOK: Watch the Adorable Moment a Baby Gorilla Born Prematurely is Reunited With its Family

“If I get in my van to go out, he’ll see it going and chase after the van. He’s certainly a character.

Little Kye moved back into the paddock with other donkeys three weeks ago, and is getting stronger each day.

“He’s grown up. He’s got all his teeth, and he’s eating well.

“He’s going to live—that’s the main thing. My main concern was to keep him alive.”

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Album of Endangered Bird Songs Soars Above Taylor Swift to Number 3 on Music Chart

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 15, 2022

An album of Australia’s most-endangered birds and their calls has sold its way into the No.3 spot on national pop charts, beating Taylor Swift and ABBA in its flight path.

Songs of Disappearance is a 24-minute album of endangered birdcalls recorded by Australia’s best wildlife sound recordist, David Stewart. It sold over 2,000 copies and demonstrates the love of Australians who want to help their native species—with all proceeds going to conservation of our feathered friends.

Its genesis came when Stephen Garnett, a conservation professor at Charles Darwin University, finished the 2020 Action Plan for Australian Birds, a set of recommendations that found 1 in 6 native species are threatened with extinction. He had a conversation with his Ph.D. student Anthony Albrecht, a classical cellist and one-half of a two-person multimedia company called the Bowerbird Collective.

Albrecht asked his advisor if there was anything Bowerbird Collective could do to make people aware of the action plan. That was when they discussed the idea of an album.

“I knew it was an ambitious thing to suggest and—I don’t know—Stephen’s a little bit crazy like me, and he said, let’s do this,” Albrecht tells NPR.

The other half of Bowerbird, the violinist Simone Slattery, arranged a musical collage of all 53 birds on the record, while the remaining tracks are each bird’s individual songs recorded by Stewart.

“We did it! Thanks to your incredible support we reached #3 in the ARIA charts, ahead of Taylor Swift, ABBA, Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé,” the organizers wrote on their website, noting the Christmas-time bump given to the latter.

All proceeds of the album were donated to BirdLife Australia, which helped in production.

Some of the singing comes from birds that are Critically-Endangered, and one bird, the Night Parrot, wasn’t even known to science until 2013.

“When we last prepared an Australian bird action plan in 2010, we were not even sure Night Parrots and King Island Brown Thornbills existed – this CD has calls of both,” Professor Garnett said in a statement.

Each CD comes with a copy of the action plan, and a small guide to each bird and how to pick the sound of their calls out. The LP just became available internationally, so we all can enjoy the sounds and donate to the cause.

“The golden bowerbird sounds like a death ray from some cheesy ’70s sci-fi series,” says Sean Dooley, the national public affairs manager at BirdLife Australia.

“And then you get to the Christmas Island frigatebird. The male has a flap of skin under its chin that inflates like a giant red balloon, so when it’s doing these courtship sounds, it sounds bizarre—but looks incredible.”

LISTEN to some of the amazing sounds below…

CHECK Out: How To Help Hummingbirds During the Winter Months – Myths and Tips

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Scientists at Stanford Revitalize Batteries By Bringing ‘Dead’ Lithium Back to Life

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Good News Network

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Jan 15, 2022

dead battery back to life graphic by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory — SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University may have found a way to revitalize rechargeable lithium batteries, potentially boosting the range of electric vehicles and battery life in next-gen electronic devices.

As lithium batteries cycle, they accumulate little islands of inactive lithium that are cut off from the electrodes, decreasing the battery’s capacity to store charge. But the research team discovered that they could make this “dead” lithium creep like a worm toward one of the electrodes until it reconnects, partially reversing the unwanted process.

Adding this extra step slowed the degradation of their test battery and increased its lifetime by nearly 30%.

“We are now exploring the potential recovery of lost capacity in lithium-ion batteries using an extremely fast discharging step,” said Stanford postdoctoral fellow Fang Liu, the lead author of a study published Dec. 22 in Nature.

A great deal of research is focused on looking for ways to make rechargeable batteries with lighter weight, longer lifetimes, improved safety, and faster charging speeds than the lithium-ion technology currently used in cellphones, laptops and electric vehicles. A particular focus is on developing lithium-metal batteries, which could store more energy per volume or weight. For example, in electric cars, these next-generation batteries could increase the mileage per charge and possibly take up less trunk space.

Both battery types use positively charged lithium ions that shuttle back and forth between the electrodes. Over time, some of the metallic lithium becomes electrochemically inactive, forming isolated islands of lithium that no longer connect with the electrodes. This results in a loss of capacity and is a particular problem for lithium-metal technology and for the fast charging of lithium-ion batteries.

However, in the new study, the researchers demonstrated that they could mobilize and recover the isolated lithium to extend battery life.

“I always thought of isolated lithium as bad, since it causes batteries to decay and even catch on fire,” said Yi Cui, a professor at Stanford and SLAC and investigator with the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Research (SIMES) who led the research. “But we have discovered how to electrically reconnect this ‘dead’ lithium with the negative electrode to reactivate it.”

Creeping, not dead

The idea for the study was born when Cui speculated that applying a voltage to a battery’s cathode and anode could make an isolated island of lithium physically move between the electrodes—a process his team has now confirmed with their experiments.

By Greg Stewart / SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

The scientists fabricated an optical cell with a lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide (NMC) cathode, a lithium anode and an isolated lithium island in between. This test device allowed them to track in real time what happens inside a battery when in use.

They discovered that the isolated lithium island wasn’t “dead” at all but responded to battery operations. When charging the cell, the island slowly moved towards the cathode; when discharging, it crept in the opposite direction.

“It’s like a very slow worm that inches its head forward and pulls its tail in to move nanometer by nanometer,” Cui said. “In this case, it transports by dissolving away on one end and depositing material to the other end. If we can keep the lithium worm moving, it will eventually touch the anode and reestablish the electrical connection.”

WATCH: Our Biggest Moments From Mars in 2021: Riding on the Shoulders of NASA’s Perseverance Rover

Boosting lifetime

The results, which the scientists validated with other test batteries and through computer simulations, also demonstrate how isolated lithium could be recovered in a real battery by modifying the charging protocol.

“We found that we can move the detached lithium toward the anode during discharging, and these motions are faster under higher currents,” said Liu. “So we added a fast, high-current discharging step right after the battery charges, which moved the isolated lithium far enough to reconnect it with the anode. This reactivates the lithium so it can participate in the life of the battery.”

LOOK: Researchers Solve Mystery of Scattered Black Glass in Chilean Desert – it Was Made by an Exploding Comet

“Our findings also have wide implications for the design and development of more robust lithium-metal batteries.”

Source: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

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This Week’s Inspiring Horoscopes From Rob Brezsny’s ‘Free Will Astrology’

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Good News Network

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Jan 15, 2022

Our partner Rob Brezsny provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of January 15, 2022
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Capricorn biologist Robin Wall Kimmerer wrote a meditative book about moss. It was her response to questions she had been wondering about: Why has this inconspicuous plant persevered for 350 million years? While so many other species have gone extinct, why has moss had staying power through all the Earth’s climate changes and upheavals? And what lessons does its success have for us? Here are Kimmerer’s conclusions: Moss teaches us the value “of being small, of giving more than you take, of working with natural law, sticking together.” In accordance with astrological omens in 2022, Capricorn, I believe moss should be your role model.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Author Joyce Carol Oates has been very successful and has won several major awards. But she describes her job as arduous and time-consuming. “I work very slowly,” she testifies. “It’s like building a ladder, where you’re building your own ladder rung by rung, and you’re climbing the ladder. It’s not the best way to build a ladder, but I don’t know any other way.” I wouldn’t always recommend her approach for you, Aquarius, but I will in 2022. As long as you’re willing to accept gradual, incremental progress, you’ll get a lot of fine work done.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
I’ve selected a quote for you to use as one of your guiding principles in 2022. I urge you to undertake a specific action in the next 24 hours that will prove you mean to take it seriously. Here’s the wisdom articulated by Piscean rabbi and philosopher Marc-Alain Ouaknin: “People must break with the illusion that their lives have already been written and their paths already determined.” It’s reinvention time, dear Pisces.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
The coming months will be an excellent time for you to explore the art of Soulful Bragging. Do you deserve any of the titles below? If so, feel free to use them liberally throughout 2022. 1. Practical Idealist with Flexible Strategies. 2. Genius of Interesting Intimacy. 3. Jaunty Healer with Boisterous Knowledge of the Soul’s Ways. 4. Free-Wheeling Joker Who Makes People Laugh for Righteous and Healing Reasons. 5. Skillful Struggler. 6. Empathy Master with a Specialty in Creative Compassion. 7. Playful Reservoir of Smart Eros. 8. Purveyor of Feisty Wisdom and Cute Boldness. 9. Crafty Joy-Summoner.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Most people who use tobacco products are at risk of having shorter life spans than they might have otherwise had. Smoking is detrimental to health. Those who smoke in their twenties and thirties may cut ten years off their longevity. But here’s some good news: If you kick your tobacco habit before age 40, you will regain most of those ten years. I bring this to your attention because I’d like it to serve as a motivational tale for you in 2022. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you will have more power than ever before to escape any harmful addictions and compulsions you have—and begin reclaiming your full vitality.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In May 1974, the Grateful Dead introduced a new wrinkle to their live musical performances. Playing at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, they amplified their music through a “Wall of Sound”: 604 speakers piled high, together channeling 26,000 watts of energy. Had any band ever treated their fans to a louder volume and crisper tones? I’d like to make this breakthrough event one of your top metaphors for 2022. According to my analysis, it will be a great year for you to boost your signal. I invite you to distribute your message with maximum confidence and clarity. Show the world who you are with all the buoyant flair you can rouse.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Philosopher Emil Cioran said he despised wise philosophers. Why? Because they practice prudent equanimity, which he regarded as empty and sterile. In Cioran’s view, these deep thinkers avoid strong feelings so they can live in cool safety, free from life’s nerve-wracking paradoxes. I agree with him that such a state is undesirable. However, Cioran contrasted it with the lives of the normal people he admired, who are “full of irreconcilable contradictions” and who “suffer from limitless anxiety.” My question for Cioran: Are there no other options between those two extremes? And my answer: Of course there are! And you can be proof of that in 2022, Cancerian. I expect you’ll be full of deep feelings, eager for new experiences, and infused with a lust for life—with less anxiety and fewer irreconcilable contradictions than ever before.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
In 1838, 29-year-old naturalist Charles Darwin was early in his career. He had not developed his theory of evolution, and was not yet a superstar of science. He began ruminating about the possibility of proposing marriage to his cousin Emma Wedgwood. If married, he wrote: “constant companion and a friend in old age; the charms of music and female chit-chat—good things for one’s health.” If not married: “no children; no one to care for one in old age; less money for books, loss of time, and a duty to work for money.” I bring this to your attention, Leo, because I suspect that in 2022, you may be tempted and inspired to deeply interweave your fate with the fates of interesting characters. A spouse or partner or collaborator? Could be. Maybe a beloved animal or spirit guide? Have fun making your list of pros and cons!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
What were your favorite toys when you were a child? Now would be a good time to retrieve fond memories of them, and even acquire modern versions so you can revive the joy they gave you. In my astrological analysis, you’ll be wise to invite your inner child to play a bigger role in your life as you engage in a wide range of playtime activities. So yes, consider the possibility of buying yourself crayons, Legos, dolls and puppets, video games, squirt guns, roller skates, yo-yos, jump ropes, and board games. And don’t neglect the pleasures of blanket forts, cardboard boxes, mud pies, and plain old sticks.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
In his novel The Story of a Marriage, Andrew Sean Greer asks, “Does love always form, like a pearl, around the hardened bits of life?” My answer would be, “No, not always, but when it does, it’s often extra sweet and enduring.” One of my wishes and predictions for you in 2022, Libra, is that love will form around your hardened bits. For best results, be open to the possibility that difficulty can blossom into grace. Look for opportunities that are seeded by strenuous work.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
“It is worth living long enough to outlast whatever sense of grievance you may acquire.” Author Marilynne Robinson wrote that, and I recommend her thought as one of your uplifting meditations in 2022. According to my reading of the astrological omens, the coming months will be a favorable time to dismantle and dissolve as many old grievances as you can. This could and should be the year you liberate yourself from psychic grunge—for the sake of your own mental, physical, and spiritual health as much as for the sake of others’.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Some critics view author Diana Wynne Jones as a genius in her chosen field: fantasy novels for children and young adults. She had a generous spirit, asserting, “I have this very strong feeling that everybody is probably a genius at something; it’s just a question of finding this.” If you are still unsure what your unique genius consists of, Sagittarius, I believe 2022 will show you in detailed glory. And if you do already know, the coming months will be a time when you dramatically deepen your ability to access and express your genius.

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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“You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.” – H. L. Mencken

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jan 15, 2022

Quote of the Day: “You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.” – H. L. Mencken

Photo: by Nithin P John

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?

These Seaweed-Inspired Generators Create Underwater Wave Power

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 14, 2022

wave energy released american chemical society — American Chemical Society

A prototype renewable energy device modeled after seaweed generates kinetic energy while it gently lolls about under the waves.

While only a proven concept, at a large enough scale the small filaments could provide energy to power major electrical appliances in coastal habitations such as floating buoys, coastal power stations, submerged devices, water monitoring equipment, or even a lighthouse.

Renewable energy doesn’t always look like something created from nature, but it certainly sometimes is inspired by nature. Already there are intelligent solar panels that track the sun across the sky like sunflowers, “tidal kites” that swim about like fish, and now these energy-generating seaweed strips.

The way they generate power is through triboelectric nanogenerators, or (TENGs) which harvest the excess energy from the transfer of electrons from one surface to another such as with static electricity.

After four years, a pair of scientists working to develop a seaweed-mimicking power supply settled on using FEP, a copolymer used to make flexible tubing around cables, and PET, one of the most common plastics, both coated in conductive ink.

As the waves move the seaweed TENGs back and forth, the coating is repeatedly connected and disconnected, generating electricity. In a recent paper describing their success, the scientists showed how just a few of these seaweed TENGs were able to power a string of 30 LED lights.

As they don’t produce heat, light, or sound, they may have no impact at all on their marine environment. Some tidal energy generators are big heavy machines full of right angles which the salt of the sea can bite into, but since these effortlessly swing back and forth, corrosion is suspected to be low.

MORE: Wind Turbines Are Using Cameras and AI to See Birds –And Shut Down When They Approach

Minyi Xu, a professor in marine engineering at and visiting scholar to Georgia Institute of Technology who helped develop the seaweed TENGs, estimates that, provided the underwater energy is enough to stimulate the TENGs two or three times a second, a tidal farm equaling the size of Georgia could meet the entire world’s energy needs, and while that’s enormously impractical due to the infrastructure that would be needed to transport that energy to say, Iowa, one can infer that a much smaller area of seaweed TENGs could provide the energy of a coastal city.

(WATCH the video for this story below.)

ENERGIZE Those News Feeds With This Great News…

Home Covid Tests Will be Free, Covered by Most Insurers Starting Saturday

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 14, 2022

Every insured American citizen will be able to be reimbursed for eight at-home COVID-19 tests per month starting Saturday the 15th, as a part of a new White House order to improve testing.

Since the current evidence shows Omicron is proving much more contagious for the vaccinated and those without the vaccine, but also less severe the Biden team are working to ensure that people can easily test themselves.

“We are requiring insurers and group health plans to make tests free for millions of Americans. This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp-up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests at no cost,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, in a statement.

Products containing multiple tests count as one of eight for purposes of coverage. Any tests ordered and administered by a physician don’t count towards the eight, and a list of FDA-approved and deductible PCR tests can be found here, and antigenic tests here.

For those without insurance, testing will now be free at any HHS testing center.

MORE: Self-Compassion Is Actually Good for Your Heart Health

Claims are made through a primary insurer, provided the consumer keeps the testing receipt. Reimbursements up to $12.00 are authorized for testing done outside of an insurer’s network.

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Man Who Found World’s Deepest-Dwelling Octopus and Jellyfish Scores 3-of-a-Kind, With Deepest-Dwelling Squid

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 14, 2022

deepet squid not copyrighted magnapinnid noaa — NOAA

There’s a dynamic duo of divers out there that can’t seem to keep to stop finding tentacled animals in the deepest of undersea zones, where pressure and temperature prohibit the vast majority of ocean life from surviving.

Whilst poring over film from their submersible’s recent dive to the bottom of the Philippines Trench, deep sea researcher Alan Jamieson noticed a squid that was gliding past the camera a mile below the deepest previously-recorded squid sighting.

The species in question is known as a magnapinnid or big-finned squid. The individual they saw was probably a juvenile, which suggests that there is an ecosystem down 6,200 meters, or nearly four miles below the surface, with which to sustain prominent predators.

“They’re really weird,” says Mike Vecchione, a Smithsonian Institute researcher and who Jamieson first forwarded the footage to. “They drift along with their arms spread out and these really long, skinny, spaghetti-like extensions dangling down underneath them.” Microscopic hooks and stickers catch unwary sea life which stray too close to the tentacles, and are thus eaten.

The dive was part of an expedition sponsored by Caladan Oceanic to discover the 1944 wreck of the USS Johnston which sank during the largest naval battle in history.

CHECK OUT: Watch This Massive Ocean Sunfish Swim With Paddle Boarders Off the California Coast

The wreck was found, and looked as if it “came down yesterday” remarked Caladon’s founder Victor Vescovo, the pilot of the submersible which found both the wreck and the squid.

Zoning regulations

The Abyssopelagic Zone was long-considered the deepest part of the ocean. With fewer words more severe than “abyss” to name the proposed subsequently-deeper marine zone, scientists settled on “Hadalpelagic” from the Greek word for the underworld, “Hades.”

This zone is reserved for ocean trenches and other depressions at a depth of 6,000 meters to 11,000 meters.

Last year, the same scientists, Mike Vecchione and Alan Jamieson, along with Vescovo, recoded the deepest-living octopus, a discovery which expanded the total marine mileage in which octopuses can live to 99% of the world’s oceans.

No octopus had been found at a depth greater than 5,100 meters (around 3 miles) since 1971, but during a dive into the Java Trench they found a Dumbo octopus, named for its big ear-like fins, at just shy of 7,000 meters down (4.3 miles), at which point the pressure becomes about the same as a Tyrannosaurus’s jaws on your head.

In 2020 Vecchione and Jamieson discovered the deepest-dwelling jellyfish, which swam by the camera on Vescovo’s submersible at 9 kilometers, or 5.4 miles below the surface.

MORE: Whales Once Walked Along the Coasts of North America … Wait, What?

Vescovo would video tape another jellyfish in 2021—a trachymedusa at 10 kilometers, or a mind-boggling six miles straight down. At this depth the pressure is around 1,100-times greater than the pressure enforced by the Earth’s atmosphere, and would be like if your head was somehow being bitten by both Tyrannosaurus rex, and a smaller Tyrannosaurus rex.

(WATCH a video for this story below.)

Just two weeks ago, it appears we beat our own 2020 record of 9000m for the deepest jellyfish ever filmed. This clip is from 10,000m in the Philippine Trench, a gorgeous trachymedusae called Crossata. (Identified by Prof. Alan Jamieson, our Chief Scientist) pic.twitter.com/eBhKlYvAi2
— Victor Vescovo (@VictorVescovo) April 5, 2021

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KFC Launches Plant-based ‘Chicken’ Nuggets Across the US – And Reviews Say They’re Finger Lickin’ Good

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Good News Network

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Jan 14, 2022

Kentucky Fried Chicken has kicked off the new year across the U.S. this week by rolling out a plant-based chicken that is ‘still finger lickin’ good.’

Called Beyond Fried Chicken, the bucket of nuggets contain a non-meat ‘chicken’ that was developed by the Beyond Meat company. Created exclusively for KFC, the company says it is “packed with delicious flavor and the juicy satisfaction that you’d expect from KFC.”

“The mission from day one was simple – make the world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken from plants,” said Kevin Hochman, president, KFC U.S. “And now over two years later we can say, ‘mission accomplished.'”

The move follows a test run two years ago in Atlanta that was an overwhelming success, and sneak peeks in select restaurants in Nashville, Charlotte, and Southern California in 2020 that sold out in days.

“We couldn’t be prouder to partner with KFC to offer a best-in-class product that delivers the delicious experience consumers expect from this iconic chain,” said Ethan Brown, Founder and CEO, Beyond Meat. “We are truly thrilled to make it available to consumers nationwide.”

TRY THIS FOR OBESITY: How Self-Compassion Can Help People Achieve Weight Loss Goals Despite Setbacks–and Resume Dieting Faster

Burger King is currently piloting similar nuggets created in collaboration with Impossible Foods, but KFC launched its product first.

One of the reasons why the product has sold-out, with good reviews, is that it is “crunchy, crunchy, crunchy,” and does not lack for seasoning. However—and KFC points this out with an asterisk—it is fried in the same oil as the real chicken, so hard-core vegetarians may not be willing to try it.

Beyond Fried Chicken is served with a choice of your favorite KFC dipping sauce– Honey BBQ, Ranch, Honey Mustard and KFC Sauce. It is available as a combo meal with fries and a medium drink, or à la carte in six or 12-piece orders. Prices will start at $6.99—and availability may vary by location.

MORE: One Man Set Out to Make the Perfect Pasta Shape, And it’s So Popular That Orders are Backed Up for Months

With non-meat ‘chicken’ now available, KFC is calling it a a Kentucky Fried Miracle.

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“Happiness is pretty simple: someone to love, something to do, something to look forward to.” – Rita Mae Brown

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jan 14, 2022

grandmother-and little girl-family-love-publicdomain-Ekaterina Shakharova — Photo by Ekaterina Shakharova

Quote of the Day: “Happiness is pretty simple: someone to love, something to do, something to look forward to.” – Rita Mae Brown

Photo: by Ekaterina Shakharova

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?

7 Things You Must Keep in Your Car – Learn From Stranded Drivers on Freezing Interstate Highways For 21-48 Hours

By

Andy Corbley

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Jan 13, 2022

emergency vehicle in snowstorm abbyladybug-cc — By abbyladybug - CC license

Recently, winter storms left drivers stranded on interstate highways in their cars— sometimes without food or water—for up to 48 hours. What can you do to prepare for such an emergency?

One hour of fair-weather shopping can spare you hours of misery if you found yourself stuck in your car during flooding or snowstorms. Furthermore, what may cost a few dollars at a gas station or general store could save hundreds in towing fees or thousands in hospital bills.

Make yourself a car emergency kit, and you may want to keep it in a canvass bag, or plastic storage container to allow for easy transfer between vehicles.

The 7 basics

Water bottles, gallons of them
Non-perishable high energy foods (nuts, granola, sardines, beef jerky, power bars, etc.)
Battery-powered flashlight (with extra batteries) and a car phone charger
Jumper cables (if your car battery dies)
Ice scraper (to clear the windows before the traffic gets moving again)
Personal hygiene products
Blankets and warm clothing, like extra socks, hats, hand warmers—also a candle and matches to provide heat if gas is low

These items will prepare you for normal conditions as well, especially if we accidentally leave the lights in our car on, and the battery dies (and you are grateful for the jumper cables).

Water is not only great to have in case you need to quench your thirst. A gallon can save your car from overheating in case something goes wrong with the coolant.

Paper towels, period products, diapers, soap, and bags to stow trash can be important for several reasons. Soap not only allows one to stay germ-free, but scrubbing long enough will remove gasoline if it gets on your hands.

CHECK OUT: What Are the Top Sounds Most Likely to Trigger Your Happy Memories? Poll Names Top 40

Jumper cables – Daniel at bestjumpstarterreview.com

The Five Cs

An old preparatory rule is to follow the Five Cs: “Cutting, Combustion, Covering, Container, Cordage.”

A cutting tool is more important on a hiking trip than a car emergency, but the second C, a combustion device, (matches or a lighter) is vital as it leads to fire, which is the ticket to warmth, rescue, and comfort in almost any emergency situation. Be sure to put a candle and plenty of matches in the car, which can provide heat if your car needs to be shut down to preserve gas.

Covering could mean a winter coat and hat, a blanket, or even a tarp. Remaining warm is key, but what you don’t need to wear can be used to insulate the windows. If you think keeping a blanket in your car is overdoing it, just imagine sleeping in January without a blanket on your bed. Store several blankets for passengers and yourself.

Containers are arguably the most important tool in a car emergency. Without a funnel for example, it’s difficult to pour gasoline or other important oils into a car tank or engine if you don’t have a gas can. A container to melt snow into water, if stuck on a wintery highway for 48 hours, is also important.

Cordage in a lost hiker scenario would mean simple nylon rope, but in a car breakdown one is probably better off with something capable of towing, or lashing something down to a roof rack: think tow lines and bungie cords.

Ready if your car gets stuck in the snow

For those who live in remote areas, this kit may not be enough. Here are some things for the motorist who needs to prepare for roads that remain snowed over for weeks.

Portable battery or crank-powered radio
Tire chains for icy roads
Tire inflator
Solar-powered device charger
Water purifying supplies
Bag of cat litter or sand

It’s difficult, especially for younger people, to remember the utility the radio once had. If cell towers are down, how will you get information on weather or emergency services? Running your car radio will draw battery away, so a battery or crank-powered radio can keep the stranded motorist informed.

Winter tires or tire chains are actually obligatory in some locales, and are sold in a 12×12 box to stow in the truck. They are a bit expensive, but cheaper than a tow, and cheaper than a set of winter tires. Plus they can turn nearly any car no matter how dinky into an ice road warrior.

Portable compressors to re-inflate tires may not save you the cost of changing your tire, but can offer a 10 minute to two-hour mobility boost, depending on the size of the puncture, to get out of a tough situation like falling into a ditch.

MORE: This Cabin’s Flexible Design Can Open To Nature or Enclose into Cozy Space Again (Watch)

Water purification tablets often contain iodine, and are usually pretty cheap. The homesteader may opt for a more permanent solution like the Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration system that can fit onto the threads of most water bottles, and is guaranteed to filter 99.9% of bacteria and heavy metals across a lifespan of 8 million liters.

In case your car needs traction on a patch of ice to get out of jam, carry some cat litter or sand—they can be poured around the wheels to provide better traction on slick roads.

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New Study Further Resolves Stephen Hawking’s Black Hole Paradox – With String Theory

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Good News Network

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Jan 13, 2022

black hole illustration-cc license on wikipedia-Alain r — Black hole illustration by Alain r (CC license on Wikipedia)

Black holes really are giant fuzzballs, a new study says.

The study attempts to put to rest the debate over Stephen Hawking’s famous information paradox, the problem created by Hawking’s conclusion that any data that enters a black hole can never leave. This conclusion accorded with the laws of thermodynamics, but opposed the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics.

“What we found from string theory is that all the mass of a black hole is not getting sucked in to the center,” said Samir Mathur, lead author of the study and professor of physics at The Ohio State University. “The black hole tries to squeeze things to a point, but then the particles get stretched into these strings, and the strings start to stretch and expand and it becomes this fuzzball that expands to fill up the entirety of the black hole.”

The study, published Dec. 28 in the Turkish Journal of Physics, found that string theory almost certainly holds the answer to Hawking’s paradox, as the paper’s authors had originally believed. The physicists proved theorems to show that the fuzzball theory remains the most likely solution for Hawking’s information paradox.

Mathur published a study in 2004 that theorized black holes were similar to very large, very messy balls of yarn – “fuzzballs” that become larger and messier as new objects get sucked in.

“The bigger the black hole, the more energy that goes in, and the bigger the fuzzball becomes,” Mathur said. The 2004 study found that string theory, the physics theory that holds that all particles in the universe are made of tiny vibrating strings, could be the solution to Hawking’s paradox.

With this fuzzball structure, the hole radiates like any normal body, and there is no puzzle.

After Mathur’s 2004 study and other, similar works, “many people thought the problem was solved,” he said. “But in fact, a section of people in the string theory community itself thought they would look for a different solution to Hawking’s information paradox. They were bothered that, in physical terms, the whole structure of the black hole had changed.”

Studies in recent years attempted to reconcile Hawking’s conclusions with the old picture of the hole, where one can think of the black hole as being “empty space with all its mass in the center.” One theory, the wormhole paradigm, suggested that black holes might be one end of a bridge in the space-time continuum, meaning anything that entered a black hole might appear on the other end of the bridge – the other end of the wormhole – in a different place in space and time.

In order for the wormhole picture to work, though, some low-energy radiation would have to escape from the black hole at its edges.

This recent study proved a theorem – the “effective small corrections theorem” – to show that if that were to happen, black holes would not appear to radiate in the way that they do.

MORE: This is What it Looks Like When a Black Hole Snacks on a Star

The researchers also examined physical properties from black holes, including topology change in quantum gravity, to determine whether the wormhole paradigm would work.

“In each of the versions that have been proposed for the wormhole approach, we found that the physics was not consistent,” Mathur said. “The wormhole paradigm tries to argue that, in some way, you could still think of the black hole as being effectively empty with all the mass in the center. And the theorems we prove show that such a picture of the hole is not a possibility.”

CHECK OUT: Astronomers Capture Black Hole Eruption Spanning 16 Times the Full Moon in the Sky

The researchers have also published an essay showing how this work may resolve longstanding puzzles in cosmology; in the International Journal of Modern Physics.

(Source: Ohio State University)

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Working at His Father’s NYC Motel, Actor Now Gives Free Rooms to Those in Need – And Has Fun Along the Way

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Judy Cole

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Jan 13, 2022

tiktok lincoln motel social media embed — TikTok

If you’re having a hard time seeing the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, we suggest trying the view from a different tunnel—the Lincoln Tunnel to be exact.

It’s there, on the New Jersey side, that one compassionate motel worker is making sure people have a roof over their heads by offering free rooms to folks in need.

North Bergen’s Lincoln Tunnel Motel has been in Brian Arya’s family for years. Although he harbored aspirations of an acting career, Arya began working the night shift there in 2012—then his father gifted him partial ownership five years ago.

At the onset of the pandemic, Arya saw firsthand the rising need for affordable places to stay. “People started getting quarantined, lockdowns starting happening, and then we started seeing an influx of unhoused people. You know, they just couldn’t afford rent anymore and so, they’d come to our motel,” he told CBS News.

Now, thanks to its creative co-proprietor, the humble hostelry is “internet famous.”

Tapping into his theater roots, Arya put together a steady stream of humorous, and often poignant videos and posted them to TikTok. The satirically dubbed “Motel Hell” series currently boasts a fan base of more than 880,000 followers.

MORE: Anonymous Shopper Buys Iconic Pantera Guitar For Young Rocker Who Always Came in the Shop to Play it

With such a sizable audience, Arya was struck with a notion: What would happen if he made free rooms available to TikTok followers who needed a place to stay?

@ltmotel thank u for helping our community! #motelhell #newjersey #TikTokGGT ♬ more than a woman x hot in herre - Lilli

Rather than simply ponder the notion, Arya turned it into a reality, launching a “Free Room for You” program offering accommodations at no charge to anyone without viable housing.

From there, he says, his good deed simply “snowballed.”

Donations of food, toiletries, and funding to front room charges started pouring in. Local college students trucked over a stack of supplies from their food pantry. Arya’s Amazon Wish List was quickly maxed out with generous donations from supporters nationwide.

As winter’s chill set in and temperatures began to fall, the motel’s “pay it forward brigade” rose to the challenge. About the time the thermometer tipped a chilly 18°, Arya cites the efforts of one anonymous donor who dropped off about 20 homemade care packages filled with the necessities, which he was then able to distribute to motel residents as well as people who come in off the street seeking help.

Arya estimates he’s given away in the neighborhood of between 50 to 60 free rooms so far. He notes that those long-term guests whose housing evaporated at the pandemic’s onset have formed a bond that’s akin to family. “There’s definitely a community there,” Arya told CBS. “[You’ve] just got to get to know people, get to know their stories. And I’m fortunate I get to do that.”

With new coronavirus variants in the picture, there may still be dark days ahead. Until such times pass, however—to paraphrase the famous Motel 6 slogan—at this one New Jersey motel at least, “We’ll leave the light at the end of the tunnel on for you.”

(WATCH the video for this story below; Editor’s Note: Viewers outside the U.S. can watch the CBS video here.)

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“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person… Think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” – Albert Schweitzer

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jan 13, 2022

Quote of the Day: “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person… Think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” – Albert Schweitzer

Photo: by Moodywalk

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?

70 New Species Were Discovered in 2021 – Including 2 Guitarfish and a Pink Pygmy Pipehorse

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Good News Network

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Jan 12, 2022

pygmy pipehorse seahorse Cylix tupareomanaia-Credit-Richard Smith — Pygmy pipehorse by Richard Smith

From the lowland forests of Madagascar to Easter Island’s coral reefs, dozens of new flora and fauna were added to the scientific tree of life in 2021, proving that our vast and dynamic planet still contains unexplored places with never-before recorded plants and animals.

Researchers at the California Academy of Sciences announced the 70 new plant and animal species, including 14 beetles, 12 sea slugs, nine ants, seven fish, six scorpions, five sea stars, five flowering plants, four sharks, three spiders, two sea pens, one moss, one pygmy pipehorse, and one caecilian.

More than a dozen Academy scientists and several dozen international collaborators described the new species, which were discovered on five continents and three oceans.

Researchers sifted through forest floors, ventured into vast deserts, and dived to extreme ocean depths.

“Our relationship to nature improves with each new species, deepening our understanding of how our planet works,” said Dr. Shannon Bennett, Academy virologist and Chief of Science.

WATCH: The Adorable Moment a Baby Gorilla Born Prematurely is Reunited With its Family

Easter egg weevil

Among the new discovery was Pachyrhynchus obumanuvu, a brightly colored Easter egg weevil from the forested mountaintops of the Philippines.

At 3,000 feet (914 meters) above sea level, the weevils live in the canopy of the moist, moss-covered cloud forest. Unlike most weevils, which tend to be a single color, P. obumanuvu boasts complex patterns of iridescent yellows and greens. Its coloration mimics the traditional garments of its namesake, the Indigenous Obu Manuvu tribe.

Dr. Cabras, who named the species, believes the power of a name can instill a sense of pride and stewardship for a species within a community.

“How can we teach conservation and wildlife regeneration if we can’t put a name to a face?”

P. obumanuvu was found in a small patch of primary forest – one of few remaining in the region due to centuries of farming and over-logging.

LOOK: Watch 2 Cats Experience Snow For the First Time – Adorably Shaking Their Paws With Each Step

Pink pygmy pipehorse

Cylix tupareomanaia, a new species of pygmy pipehorse and close cousin to seahorses, was the first new genus of pipehorse to be reported in New Zealand in 100 years.

Academy Research Associate Dr. Graham Short noted, “This discovery underscores how little we know about the reefs of New Zealand we’ve been exploring for centuries.

“If you dive a little deeper, I expect we’ll identify several more new species of fish.”

Blue-spotted guitarfish

Ichthyology Research Associate Dr. David Ebert described two blue-spotted guitarfish from Madagascar (Acroteriobatus andysabini) and Socotra (Acroteriobatus stehmanni).

Guitarfish by Jot Powers, CC license on Wikimedia

These are coastal rays with elongated bodies and flattened heads that resemble guitars.

Because of their close proximity to humans and ability to be easily fished, these shark-like rays are among the most endangered of all cartilaginous fish, a class that contains sharks, rays, and chimeras.

Dr. Ebert’s conclusion that there are in fact two distinct species has helped to spur Madagascar’s first national plan of action to protect sharks and rays.

Collaborating with local fisheries to incorporate species identification in their practice, Dr Ebert is hopeful for harmony between guitarfish and the neighboring coastal communities they sustain.

‘Fire’ sea star

Over the past year, Invertebrate Zoology Research Associate Dr. Christopher Mah described five new-to-science echinoderms—a group of marine animals that includes sea stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers—from Easter Island and New Caledonia.

After careful examination of images from a remotely-operated vehicle and sea star specimens, Dr Mah described the Indo-Pacific sea star Uokeaster ahi.

Uokeaster ahi by Terry Gosliner, CC license

Setting the reef ablaze with its bright orange color, U. ahi is aptly named for its fiery hue—ahi, meaning ‘fire’ in the Rapa Nui language.

‘Uokeaster’ is derived from the mythological sea deity Uoke, who, according to legend, submerged the once-continental Rapa Nui beneath the sea, leaving only its tallest mountain peaks exposed. U. ahi resides in the reefs just beneath the surface.

Dr. Mah explained that sea stars are important contributors to healthy coral reefs. Remove them, and the ecosystem falls out of balance.

CHECK OUT: How To Help Hummingbirds During the Winter Months – Myths and Tips

“You never know what benefit will come of studying the unknown,” said Mah. “Whether that’s a tangible benefit like an anti-cancer drug or an ecological benefit in protecting coral reefs.”

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Young Woman Makes a Special Pouch For Her Cat to Take Him Traveling Around Italy – His Favorite Hobby

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 12, 2022

cat woman facebook social media lo e el mio catze di gatto facebook — @IoeIlMioCatzedigatto /Facebook

Bounty is a traveling cat who loves to discover new places. Snuggled up in his special backpack slung over owner Doina Muravschi, he has enjoyed cycling tours of Italy, mountaineering, and camping, all the while seeing sights that would make the front page of National Geographic.

Just recently, Bounty has presumably become the first house cat to summit La Grignetta, a 7,100-foot mountain in the Italian Alps, “without even a meow of protest,” as La Repubblica reports.

Four months ago, Muravschi saved Bounty as a one-year-old kitty heading to a cat sanctuary. As in America, black cats in Italy suffer the lowest adoption rates, and many have to wait until adolescence to find homes.

“I handmade a special pouch for him, because cat carriers are not adapted to certain journeys,” joked Muravschi, who documents her travel with Bounty on her Facebook page.

“Together we’ve already gone on trips of more than a month—last autumn, when we went from Ballabio to Matera by bike,” she told La Repubblica. For those unfamiliar with Italian geography, that is cycling the entire length of the Italian peninsula from the knee-line to the instep of the ‘boot’.

“At the start Bounty was a little agitated, but after the first few days started to enjoy himself. While I peddled, he slept in the carrier.”

The objective of her journey, and that of her Facebook page devoted to their travels, is to educate those who believe that cats only long for the sofa—and that the only pawed-companion for long journeys is a dog.

(WATCH the Facebook video to meet Bounty in his pouch below.)

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Rookie Lifeguard Faced With Saving a Kangaroo From Rough Surf in Her First Ever Rescue

By

Andy Corbley

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Jan 12, 2022

kangaroo rescue abc australia youtube social media embed — ABC Australia/YouTube

A kangaroo was saved after taking a dunk in the ocean off the coast of Australia by a rookie lifeguard.

Onlookers enjoying the surf and scenery on a rock shelf over-hanging the ocean in Bundjalung National Park were surprised to see an eastern grey kangaroo jumping across rock pools and tumbling into rough surf.

“My other workmate, Carissa and I, we were sitting on the tractor and she goes, ‘Oh my God, there’s a kangaroo jumping off the rocks!'” said 17-year old Lillian Bee-Young, a new lifeguard who had a surfboard nearby. “We were just figuring out what we should do… because we’ve never had that happen before.”

There were rough conditions that day on the north coast of New South Wales. Lillian believed the kangaroo was trying to avoid some fishermen and just “got wiped out by a set (of waves).”

Lillian told ABC News Australia that she didn’t quite know how to proceed as she paddled out with the rescue board. She didn’t know whether to try and get it onto the board, for example, or if that would put her in danger and stress the marsupial out even more.

It was just managing to keep its head above the water, but didn’t want to come ashore due to a gathering crowd.

Her friend Carissa cleared an avenue to allow Roo to feel comfortable, and after a few stumbles, it made it back onto dry land and immediately went off into the bushes.

“It was quite special. There were people cheering and clapping… and then [the kangaroo] was just sitting there up in the bushes, almost, I thought, as a thank you… It was really serene,” Lillian said.

(WATCH the video of the daring rescue below.)

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These Solar Shingles on Your Roof Could Be Producing Energy With Simple Installation

By

Andy Corbley

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Jan 12, 2022

For the entire history of human civilization, entrepreneurs have found that the easiest way to sell a brand new technology is to adapt it into the existing ones: hence the evolution from solar panels to solar roofs.

Now the largest roofer in America is taking that one step further, by turning a solar roof into solar shingles, installed with nothing more than a nail gun, and which costs the same as rack-mounted panels.

A normal family home can be shingled with solar-celled roof material that’s fireproof, waterproof, and tough enough to walk over, in just two days due to their similarity with regular shingles.

The producer of Timberline Solar Energy Shingle, GAF Energy, is owned by Standard Industries, the largest and longest-lived roofer in the country.

This familiarity with the business and access to resources allowed the company to use materials available only on a wide-scale, and avoid specialist components that are more expensive and harder to source.

MORE: Hundreds of Solar Farms Built Atop Closed Landfills Are Turning Brownfields into Green Fields

“We’re half the cost of a Tesla solar roof,” said Martin DeBono, President of GAF Energy, to Fast Company. “But we are in line with traditional solar rack mounted solar. And this really makes the decision for a homeowner who is thinking about going solar very easy to get a solar roof—it’s a superior product.”

The aesthetics are much better than regular panels, as the shingles are smaller and lower, and can’t be seen close-up.

However they generate just as much electricity as regular solar. GAF Energy has its own software to calculate where the sun will be and how much energy a roof can generate.

It’s won a whole bunch of awards, too, including Best of Innovation in “Smart Cities” at the Consumer Electronics Show, and is approved compliant, safe, and effective by one of the world’s largest third-party compliance testers, UL.

Currently roofing and solar installation are different industries, but DeBono believes that by tapping into a market which sees five million roofs replaced every year, solar shingles have a chance to rapidly eclipse market share compared to the bulkier panels.

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“Let the root of love be within. Of this root can nothing spring but what is good.” – Augustine of Hippo

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jan 12, 2022

love you hearts locks-pubdomain-engin akyurt — By engin akyurt

Quote of the Day: “Let the root of love be within. Of this root can nothing spring but what is good.” – Augustine of Hippo

Photo: by engin akyurt

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?

Anonymous Shopper Buys Iconic Pantera Guitar For Young Rocker Who Always Came in the Shop to Play it

By

Andy Corbley

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Jan 11, 2022

pantera guitar with boy in music shop-FB-J.B. Hart Music Co. — J.B. Hart Music Co.

When a good Samaritan took notice of a boy’s overt fondness for a particular guitar in a Colorado music store, he decided to buy the instrument for him as an anonymous gift.

Fallon often came in to J.B. Hart Music Co. in Grand Junction, Colorado, with a request to play “the Pantera guitar” referring to a model made iconic by the guitarist for the heavy metal band Pantera.

“Fallon is impacted by Williams Syndrome and has an excellent knowledge and a love for music,” the music store wrote in a Facebook post. “His dream was to own this guitar.”

“Eight months ago, when he was in the store playing it, another customer took notice of Fallon. It moved this customer so much that he returned to the store later, and asked us to give the guitar to Fallon anonymously the next time we saw him.”

He purchased the $800 Dean “Dimebag” Darrell ML Guitar, and they waited for the boy to return, but Fallon didn’t come into the shop for eight months.

His family had moved to Texas, but when they were back in Colorado they popped into the store, and were shocked by the surprise that awaited them..

“His mom burst into tears, and Fallon beamed with excitement. It was a special moment,” they wrote. “There are still good people in this world.”

That special moment drew the attention of the remaining members of Pantera themselves, seeing as it was the guitar made famous by the dearly departed “Dimebag” Darrel, whose music Fallon was so admired.

Not only that, according to the music store, band manager Kim Davis contacted the family with news that Pantera’s Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown would be sending him a rocking care package.

WATCH his reaction moments after receiving the gift…

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