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Dave Grohl Accepted This 10-Year-Old Girl’s Virtual Drum-Off Challenge–And It Wasn’t As Easy As it Sounds

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When Dave Grohl receives a drum challenge from a 10-year-old girl from England, of course he goes go all in and gives one rocking performance.

It all began with a viral clip since viewed millions of times online, in which Nandi Bushell gave the show of her life—drumming perfectly along to the Foo Fighters song “Everlong.”

In the caption to her video, she wrote, “My dream is to one day jam with Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins and all the @Foo Fighters! Mr Grohl I would love to have a drum battle with you! I LOVE Everlong it’s really hard to play as it’s so fast but so much FUN.”

By Saturday, Grohl let her know via Twitter that he was taking to his daughter Harper’s drum kit.

He was ready to rise to the drum-off challenge.

The superstar wrote, “I haven’t played [‘Everlong’] since the day I recorded it in 1997. Our drummer Taylor Hawkins plays that song on tour for us almost every night.”

RELATED: This Nigerian Boy Just Won A Scholarship After Dancing In The Rain Video Goes Viral (WATCH)

He then gave Nandi a new challenge: He wanted her to play “Dead End Friends” by the Crooked Vultures.

“I’m really flattered you picked some of my songs to do for your videos,” he wrote to her. “This is my response to your challenge. Now the ball is in your court.”

MORE: Gospel Singer’s Hilarious Song About Quarantine Snacking Goes Viral: ‘The Fridge Again!’

Bushell soon responded on Twitter to say, “Challenge Accepted! Mr Grohl you are amazing! Thank you so much.”

This isn’t the first time Grohl has acknowledged a talented young fan. In 2018, he pulled a guy onstage who nailed his debut.

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Star-Gazer Reveals Stunning Pictures of Space He Takes From His Back Garden

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Credit: SNWS

An astrophotographer has revealed the brilliant pictures of space he’s been taking right from his backyard.

Credit: SWNS

England’s Russell Discommode has always loved taking photos of the cosmos, but it was because of the lockdown that he was really able to devote himself to his passion.

Russell, from Cirencester in Gloucestershire, recently bought a star tracker and telescope to locate “deep sky” objects—some up which are up to 50 million light-years away.

He then used a special astrophotography camera to capture anything he spotted, producing some out-of-this-world images.

Russell said, “I have always loved astrophotography, however, the majority of my images have been wide angle landscapes of the Milky Way.

MORE: NASA Releases Breathtaking Time-Lapse of the Sun’s Surface Shot Over a Decade to Celebrate Satellite Anniversary

“I started taking photos with my regular camera equipment and a cheap star tracker. I was instantly hooked and so decided to invest in a telescope, bigger star tracker, and an astro camera. The photos I have taken ranges from nebula such as the Orion Nebula, Elephant’s Trunk Nebula and the Heart Nebula to other galaxies such as the Bode and Cigar Galaxy and the Needle Galaxy.

“The night sky fascinates me and it is alway amazing to see something and create an image that we can’t see with our eyes.

“It still blows my mind that the light leaving some objects and hitting my camera lens left the galaxy 30-500 million years ago.”

RELATED: Photographer Captures Dazzling Images of a Lightning Storm Dubbed the ‘Night of a Thousand Forks’

Are you ready to see the images Russell managed to capture from a patch of grass outside his home? Let’s take a look at some very, very far away places.

The space between the planets and stars is completely silent.

Credit: SNWS

An Australian National University study has estimated the number of stars in the known universe at 70 sextillion. That’s 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Credit: SNWS

The biggest stars in the universe are also the shortest lived… and the most unstable.

Credit: SNWS

To take photos like these, a sky tracker helps. Also known as an equatorial mount, it matches the Earth’s rotation with long exposure images, helping you get crisp and clear photographs of the night sky.

Credit: SNWS

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Send a Birthday Greeting to the Oldest Living World War II Vet in the U.S. as He Turns 111

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Courtesy of The National WWII Museum.

In a week’s time, the United States’ oldest living American to have served in the Second World War is going to turn the grand old age of 111.

To help him celebrate, the National World War II Museum is asking people from all around the world to send him a birthday greeting.

Courtesy of The National WWII Museum.

So what is life like for a 110-year-old? If you’re Lawrence Brooks—who in the early 1940s was stationed in the Pacific as part of the 91st Engineer Battalion—you spend lots of time doting on your five children and five stepchildren, your 12 grandkids, and an incredible 23 great grandchildren.

Courtesy of The National WWII Museum.

If you’re Lawrence, you also love celebrating your big day with others at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

On those jubilant occasions, there’s live music. There’s cupcakes. It’s a fun day for all.

But because of the pandemic, on his birthday this year Lawrence won’t be able to celebrate with lots of others.

Courtesy of The National WWII Museum.

MORE: Woman Travels 130K Miles to Bow Down Before Every Korean War Memorial And Thank Vets for Their Service

Luckily, the museum has come up with a novel idea for Lawrence’s September 12 birthday this year: Well-wishers can send the supercentenarian a birthday card the old-fashioned way: by mail.

Lawrence, who lives with his daughter in New Orleans’ Central City neighborhood, reflected on his long and interesting life to National Geographic. And he gave a few words of wisdom. Eat right. Stay healthy. Most importantly? ”Be nice to people.”

RELATED: Sir Captain Tom Moore is ‘Over-Awed’ After Being Officially Knighted for His $40M Fundraiser

Now you know a little of Mr. Brooks’ story, perhaps it’s time to find that stash of letter paper, your fanciest pen, and celebrate by sending the veteran a card?

Here’s the mailing address you can send your birthday greeting to:

The National WWII Museum
c/o Happy 111th Mr. Brooks!
945 Magazine St.
​New Orleans, LA 70130

Happy writing! And be sure to check out the National World War II Museum’s social media on September 12 for a special birthday video.

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The World’s First Happiness Museum Opened in Copenhagen, and It’s Bound to Put a Smile on Your Face

By
Judy Cole
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Credit: Instagram

Happiness, like art, is often subjective, but unlike art, happiness isn’t something you’d expect to find hanging in a museum. Or, at least it wasn’t until an entire museum devoted to happiness opened in Copenhagen this past July.

The Happiness Research Institute—yes, there really is such a thing—is the driving force behind the new project. According to their mission statement, the independent think tank’s goal in exploring why some societies are happier than others “is to inform decision-makers of the causes and effects of human happiness, make subjective well-being part of the public policy debate, and improve [the] overall quality of life for citizens across the world.”

MORE: World’s Largest Open-Air Gallery Was Painted By People With Learning Disabilities—And It’s Breathtaking

“I think people imagine that the Institute is like a magical place,” CEO Meik Wiking joked in an interview with CNN, “a room full of puppies or ice cream—but we are just eight people sitting in front of computers looking at data.”

After receiving numerous public requests to visit their less-than-magical offices, the “Happiness Crew” was struck by a notion: If people truly wanted a place where they could gain a better understanding of what makes human happiness tick, why not give them one?

“We thought, why don’t we create a place where people can experience happiness from different perspectives and give them an exhibition where they can become a little bit wiser around some of the questions we try to solve?” Wiking explained.

On July 14, 2020, with strict COVID-19 protocols in place, the 2,585 square-foot museum made its debut. With a current maximum capacity of 50, visitors are invited to explore happiness from a global perspective that includes historical insights on how the concept of happiness has evolved over the ages, and the ways in which varying regional cultures define the term.

RELATED: Need to Escape Reality? This Dr. Seuss Exhibit Takes You to Another World

The museum houses a vast collection of donated artifacts that represent happiness to people from around the globe. “We might be Danish or Mexican or American or Chinese, but we are first and foremost people,” Wiking told CNN. “It’s the same things that drive happiness no matter where we’re from, and I hope that people will see that in the exhibition.”

It’s safe to say that Wiking, who wrote international bestseller “The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way To Live Well,” knows more than a thing or two about happiness. And he has some hopeful words for all of us in the pandemic.

“When we follow people over time,” he noted, “we can see that they are remarkable at overcoming the challenges that happen to them… Of course, it’s necessary to be optimistic in my profession, but I think we can overcome these times as well.”

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New Guinea’s Mysterious Singing Dogs Are Not Extinct After All – As Scientists Find Their Brothers

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Andy Corbley
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New Guinea Singing dog by R.G. Daniel - CC license

Scientists’ fears of genetic diversity loss among zoo-kept populations of New Guinea Singing dogs have been abated after another island dog pack, found loitering around a gold mine, was found to have nearly identical genetics.

Credit: Patti McNeal

The plaintive, lazy, haunting wail of the mysterious and reclusive singing dogs of New Guinea was once heard throughout the highlands until the species presumably went extinct in the wild in the 1970s. Now there are only about 200-300 animals kept in zoos around the world, and insular breeding has biologists worried about the species’ long-term chances for survival.

MORE: With No Male Northern White Rhinos Left, 10 Viable Eggs Offer Hope For the Species Through Embryo Transfer

However, another wild dog of New Guinea—the highland wild dog, could provide the genetic scaffolding to restore the howling pooches to their former glory.

Just as secretive as its cousin, and known only to science through anecdotal accounts and two photographs taken in the 20th and 21st centuries, the highland wild dog isn’t well understood, but has been hypothesized as a relative, or even the same as the singing dog. (Hear the dogs below.)

RELATED: Super Rare Wolverines Haven’t Been Seen For a Century in Mt. Rainier—Now They’re Back in a Family Way

Closely resembling and related to Australia’s dingoes, the pair of New Guinean dogs might have been able to arrive on the island 3,500 years ago, possibly via a boat.

In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, zoologist James McIntyre published a paper recently on the results of DNA tests conducted on a pack of around 15 highland wild dogs that he found near the world’s largest gold mine.

New Guinea Singing dog by R.G. Daniel – CC license

He compared the samples to 1,000 other dogs representing 161 different dog breeds including dingoes, the singing dogs, and other Asian species like the shiba-inu and Akita.

His results demonstrated that the genetic material of the highland wild dogs and the singing dogs were nearly identical, and advised that the highland wild dogs be used for “conservation efforts to rebuild this unique canid population.”

And it’s worth it, because as far as animal vocalization goes, the singing dog is “totally unique in nature,” says one scientist speaking to Science Magazine.

Restoring its population could go a long way toward understanding the evolution of mammalian vocal abilities, as well as the off-chance that a reintroduction of the singing pooches to the highlands of New Guinea could provide thousands in tourism revenues.

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“I call upon the power within, to sweep away all thoughts of doubt, lack, loss, worry, failure, resentment.” – Florence Scovel Shinn

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Quote of the Day: “I call upon the power within, to sweep away all thoughts of doubt, lack, loss, worry, failure, resentment.” – Florence Scovel Shinn

Photo: by Juniper Photon

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

 

Man‘s Best Buddy is a Red Robin That Helped Him Through Trauma – Watch it Feed From His Hand

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SWNS
SWNS

An English gardener became best friends with a European robin that comes flying whenever he hears the sound of the van turning up the driveway.

A couple years ago Tony Putman named the bird ‘Bob’, and began taking pictures of him in a garden where he worked twice a week.

Thanks to Bob, the landscaper has turned into an aspiring wildlife photographer, taking pictures of the friendly robin and the honeybees that collect nectar from the flowers.

Bob regularly collects meals directly from Tony’s hand every time he visits the garden.

”Bob is a bold, confident little robin,” said the 38-year-old who lives in Crowborough, East Sussex. “I’m basically a walking bird feeder and he knows it… although, I can also call him.”

Bob’s friendship couldn’t have come at a better time. Tony was going through a rough time when two dear friends became very ill.

“The saying is, ‘When a robin appears, a loved one is near,'” said Tony, who is often returning the favor.

SWNS

RELATED: Mesmerizing Photos Show the Patterns Created by Murmurations of Starlings

“I’ll often pop in after work to see him, especially during the winter to make sure he has plenty of food. It’s a harsh time for the little birds.”

Tony started a Putman and Robin Facebook page in 2015 after he’d photographed Bob for the first time.

“Working with him takes me to another world—it’s nice going to another world sometimes.”

(WATCH Putnam and Robin’s sweet bond in the BBC video below.)

MORE: New Bird Song That ‘Went Viral’ Across This Species of Sparrow Was Tracked by Scientists For the First Time

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From Lemurs to Birds, Listen to Various Woodlands From Around the World With This Forest Sound Map

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Andy Corbley
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Casey Gorner

When an annual music and arts festival held in the middle of an English national forest had to be canceled because of COVID-19, the organizers saw an opportunity to connect people, art, and nature all over the world—not only in Britain.

With normal levels of noise pollution disappearing during the coronavirus pandemic, they decided to create a free audio-library called ‘Sounds of the Forest,’ while inviting anyone who was interested in collaborating to publish some sound clips to help expand it.

Featuring a map of the world, forest-goers can record the sounds of their local woodland and upload it via Soundcloud to appear as a dot on the map where anyone can click and listen to it. Some contributors are knowledgeable enough to add in field notes to help listeners understand what they are hearing.

For instance, in Tamin Negara National Park, Malaysia, one recordist notes the sounds of magpies and robins in the late-morning hours.

A biologist in Madagascar shared the ghostly holler of the lemur species Indri, which is the largest of them all.

A May evening battle between two nightingale songs was captured in Slovakia by yet another contributor.

 

Born of a Love for Forests

Since social distancing meant, in some cases, governments cutting off access to parks, and in other cases making nature the only viable place to go in order to get out of the house, it was the most logical way to bring the spirit of the Timber Festival into people’s lives.

RELATED: This Opera House is Reopening With a Concert Performed Exclusively for 2,200 Potted Plants –With a Special Donation

Appropriately named Sarah Bird, the director of the festival’s partner Wild Rumpus, talked about the impact in an email with Tree Hugger.

“It was after we launched the project that we realized just how mindful the process of recording would be and how it makes you stop and listen to the harmonies of the natural world.”

Wild Rumpus, the “social enterprise” that aims to create public arts and culture events in natural spaces, helps to organize the Timber Festival every year at Feanedock in the English National Forest where musicians, artists, crafters, writers, speakers, and other presenters spend three days creating, sharing, and camping out under the trees.

MORE: How to Build a Rainforest in Just Eight Years (WATCH)

“We’re thrilled with how many recordings have been contributed from forests and woodlands all over the world for our digital forest soundmap,” says Bird.

For the entire map, head over to Timber Festival’s website and click Sounds of the Forest where you can listen to forests across the world.

There are currently only a couple dozen audio files uploaded from North America so, if you live there, why not take some time to upload your own woodland wind chimes.

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Brave Hospital Staff Stays Behind in Hurricane to Care for 19 Babies in Intensive Care

By
Judy Cole
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Credit: Unsplash/FEMA

All newborn babies are fragile, but none more so than those whose first days are spent in neonatal intensive care.

When the category-4 Hurricane Laura threatened the city of Lake Charles in Louisiana, a mandatory evacuation was ordered, but for 19 of its newest residents, leaving was pretty much impossible.

Staff members at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital were adamant: If the babies couldn’t be evacuated safely, they’d remain behind with them until the danger passed.

With wind gusts of up to 135 miles per hour hammering the town, neonatologist Dr. Juan Bossano along with a team of 14 nurses, two neonatal nurse practitioners, and three respiratory therapists stayed behind in the NICU, caring for their tiny charges in shifts as the storm raged through the night.

Earlier in the day, the babies had been ferried from the single-story Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women to the hospital’s sturdier 10-floor main building. Some of the infants were on respirators or ventilators; some were born premature—as early as 23 weeks

RELATED: Cruise Passengers Turn Their Trip into Humanitarian Mission by Helping the Crew Prepare Meals for Hurricane Victims.

Matt Felder, director of communications for Lake Charles Memorial Health system told CNN, “We transferred 19 NICU babies from that facility to our main campus…in record time—19 babies across the city in under two hours.”

Doctors, hospital residents, members of the sheriff’s department, and a host of others all pitched in to make sure the babies and everything necessary for their care—including respirators and incubators—safely made the trip.

By the time the worst of the storm hit, the staff and the babies were hunkered down in the hallways, as far away from the howling winds and whipping rain as they could get.

“It’s important to know the dedication of all the nurses and the respiratory therapists to keep taking care of the babies when they don’t even know the condition of their homes,” Dr. Bossano told CNN. “In a small town like this, people have to pull together. I’m proud of them.”

MORE: Bar Employees Spend a Month Taking Down Dollar Bill Decor to Collect $15,000 for Hurricane Relief

During the night, the air conditioning was knocked out and the hospital lost water service. Throughout the ordeal, Dr. Bossano kept anxious parents and relatives updated via frequent posts to his Facebook page.

With the storm over, and all of the little patients faring well, the babies were set to be transferred to other area NICUs where vital services hadn’t been interrupted by the hurricane. “This morning because the babies were stable, I got a couple of hours of sleep—we are still in the hospital,” Bossano said.

WATCH: High School Football Team Swoops in After Derecho Leaves Paralyzed Man’s Yard in Chaos

The old lullaby warns, ‘When the wind blows, the cradles will rock,’ but for the heroic staffers at this hospital, letting them fall simply wasn’t an option.

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Animal Owners Can Now Wear Face Masks Adorned With Their Pets’ Faces – and The Results Are Impawsibly Fun

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Credit: SWNS

Animal owners can now wear face masks adorned with their pets’ mouths. And the results? They’re fun, sweet, and often hilarious.

Credit: SWNS

Dogs And Dorks, an Etsy shop, will print a mask with the snout of your beloved dog or cat and has already sold 100 of the personalized items in just three weeks.

Danielle Schule, who owns the shop with her friend Denise Smandych, said she was inspired by her dog Ragley’s crooked teeth.

The operations manager from Calgary, Canada, said, “I was staring at my computer and my Boston terrier smiled at me.

“I snapped a picture of him, his teeth are so gross and funny and I decided to put them on a mask.”

The fun face coverings have proved popular and orders have flooded in.

Delighted customers even send Danielle pictures of them wearing the masks beside their bemused pets.

WATCH: 89-Year-Old Sews 600 Masks While Listening to The Beatles

“They make people laugh,” Danielle said. “I have received a lot of requests because it makes it more fun for the kids to wear masks.”

And it’s not just cute pups and sweet kittens being printed onto masks. One snake owner even asked for a mask printed with the fangs of his pet reptile.

“He sent us a fantastic picture and we did it and he was ecstatic.”

The masks cost $15 [$20CAD] and owners supply their favorite picture of their pet for Danielle to use.

She added that she hoped the amusing masks will make more people inclined to wear them.

RELATED: Woman Creates Neighborhood ‘Giving Tree’ With Her Free Homemade Face Masks

“If we can create something that makes mask-wearing a bit more fun, we want to do that. Ready to take a look at one unique pet-people fashion show?

Who wore it best? We think they both look great.

Credit: SWNS

The color matching between this pet owner and her pup is so on point.

Credit: SWNS

Aww, well at least one of them is smiling for the camera.

Credit: SWNS
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“In proportion as anger comes, sense departs.” – Turkish proverb

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Quote of the Day: “In proportion as anger comes, sense departs.” – Turkish proverb

Photo: by cyrus gomez

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

 

Photographer Captures His Passion for the Flight of the Butterfly, Detailing 17 Species in 3-Year Study

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Credit: SWNS

A dedicated wildlife photographer has spent three years amassing a stunning collection of images of the UK’s most beautiful butterfly species—some of which he took right from his backyard during lockdown.

Credit: SWNS

Andrew Fusek Peters has captured the series of colorful shots after studying the behavior of butterflies in the British countryside since 2017.

Incredible photographs show 17 different species of the winged insects in full flight or taking off from flowers across Worcestershire and Shropshire.

Andrew says he took over 150,000 frames to achieve his unique collection of images and believes he is the first person to shoot such a variety of butterfly species.

His photos include everything from the painted lady, green hairstreak, marbled white, silver studded bleu, and red admiral, to the dark green fritiallary and Essex skipper butterflies.

The 54-year-old from Lydbury North said, “I’ve spent three years studying the behavior of UK butterflies and working to capture them in motion. It was worth the effort to show their incredible delicacy and beauty in flight… quite a lot during lockdown were in my garden.

“I’m using a very high speed camera to shoot the butterfly in flight and it also requires understanding and knowledge of when the butterfly is going to take off.

MORE: Large Blue Butterflies Were Extinct in England, But Now Those Beauties Are Back After 50 Years

“There are very few shots like these in the world because there are very few people who can capture a butterfly in focus as it takes off from a flower.

“I shoot at 50 frames per second and I haven’t got them in a studio. I’m out in the wild and I’m able to get up close and personal.

“My favourite is the Brimstone because of its beautiful, buttery colour. They say the word butterfly from Old English comes from the color of the Brimstone.

In my image, “you can actually see the shadow of the proboscis, which it uses to drink nectar from a flower. It is extraordinarily clear.

Credit: SWNS

“The wood white is quite rare and an extraordinary color and beautiful in flight.

RELATED: Man Single-handedly Repopulated Butterfly Species in a City Using His Backyard

“The clouded yellow is fairly rare and flies over from Europe, but what’s super rare is to get them all in flight.

“My next big project will be to take flight shots of every single one of the UK’s butterfly species. I’ve set myself a mad challenge as there’s been 71 recorded in Britain.

“I think that will take another five years and require a lot more travel across the entire country.”

LOOK: Over 1 Million Gardeners Have United to Create Global Network of Greenery That Nourishes Bees and Butterflies

Have you ever tested your photography skills on flying butterflies? Get some tips by looking at Andrew’s excellent images below.

An easy way to tell a butterfly from a moth? Only butterfly antenna are shaped like clubs, with a bulb at the end of a long shaft.

Credit: SWNS

Lavender is one of the herbs many butterflies love.

Credit: SWNS

Butterfly? Or tiny leaves falling through the sky?

Credit: SWNS

Butterflies may come in many different colors, but they all evolved from the same common ancestor over 225 million years ago.

Credit: SWNS

Can you see the shadow of this brimstone’s proboscis?

Credit: SWNS

And… lift off!

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This Woman Couldn’t Find Soap For Her Son’s Fragile Skin, So She Turned To YouTube And Made Her Own

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Good News Network
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Determined to create a natural cleanser to help her infant son’s eczema and allergies, this Alabama mom learned how to create an allergen-free soap with the help of YouTube tutorials.

Credit: YouTube

Krystn Keller tells GNN, “I started Googling how to make soap, and then it took me to YouTube. After months of trial and error and watching endless amounts of tutorials, I finally perfected a recipe that worked for Elliott.”

She didn’t stop there. Krystn really wanted to share her natural, hypoallergenic recipe and help others who might be struggling with eczema and other issues, so she created her own soap line. Now Keller Works is a nationally sold brand.

“From what started as a small business in my backyard has now turned into a full skincare brand, with customers based all over the country,” she said proudly. “We’re able to provide jobs to our local community in Mobile, all while making a positive impact and helping other families in need.”

These days, Krystn is still exploring new soap recipes on YouTube—all while providing millions of people with all-natural soaps that are gentle on sensitive skin.

(WATCH her inspiring tale below.)

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Realtor Updates Flood Maps on 14 Million Properties So US Homeowners Can Better Prepare For The Future

By
Andy Corbley
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Credit: TBEP/Unsplash

Since buying a home will be the most significant financial decision of most people’s lives, prospective buyers deserve to understand the full cost of their investment. That’s why a nonprofit, First Street Foundation, is compiling an updated list of the flood-insurance risks for millions more properties nationwide and publishing their findings online for all to see.

Credit: TBEP/Unsplash

As changing climatic conditions have resulted in storms of greater strength and in greater numbers, the nonprofit group is filling in the massive gaps in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood zone designations.

“Unfortunately, inaccurate FEMA flood maps and nonexistent or weak real estate disclosure laws make it extremely difficult for home buyers to learn of a property’s flood risk or even its flood history,” Joel Scata who studies flood risk at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told NPR.

RELATED: Mangrove Trees Can Save Americans Tens of Billions in Flood Damages– So New Alliance Gets Planting

FEMA has around nine million properties in flooding zones, wherein homeowners would be required or advised to buy flood insurance, however First Street Foundation’s clever combination of data has produced a more accurate flood risk map that takes into account climate change, sea level rise, and altered rainfall patterns and storm paths, and that will continue to update faster and more efficiently than FEMA’s flooding maps.

Through the unprecedented partnership of more than 80 world-renowned scientists, technologists, and analysts working together, First Street was able to identify an additional 14.5 million homes that are in potential flood areas.

Their tool, Flood Factor, allows you to enter a zip code and bring up anything that’s available on homes in that area.

Realtor.com

However, the effort has been looked at glumly by major real estate companies and homeowners alike who are worried that flood risk designations would diminish the property value of their homes.

But Realtor.com agrees that buyers deserve to know everything, risks included, about a home before making a purchase, and now all 110 million listed properties on their website contain either publicly or privately assembled flooding data.

MORE: A Poor State in India Learned From Its Mistakes: How It Saved a Million People From the Devastating Cyclone

“They can elevate their home on stilts. They can add a sump pump into the basement. They can install a rain garden outside,” Realtor.com executive Leslie Jordan told NPR. “But they must know their risk first.”

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This Vending Machine Refills Cleaning Products—Reining in Plastic And Saving You Money

By
Andy Corbley
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Credit: Algramo/Instagram

A Chilean startup is bringing their successful model of cleaning product vending machines to New York City, helping residents save money and avoid single-use plastics.

Credit: Algramo/Instagram

Buying by weight at a fixed price, can help low-income consumers avoid the higher averaged costs of buying smaller versions of products, when they have limited dollars.

Back in Santiago, Algramo operates electric-tricycles with the vending machines mounted on the back, while in Brooklyn, the idea is to leave them at commonly visited shopping locations such as laundromats.

At the machine, customers can use the Algramno app and digital wallet.

They use reusable bottles with RFID codes to buy as much of the product as they need while receiving a discount if they use the same bottle code again.

The initiative is funded by a grant from Closed Loop Ventures, a New York-based venture capital firm that funnels investment money to startups that contribute to their vision of the circular economy: a strategy in which all waste products are used in other production systems.

MORE: Nigerian Entrepreneur Invents Giant Solar-Powered Refrigerators That Cut Spoilage to Help Farmers Earn 25% More

Buying in bulk saves 140%

Algramo’s founder Jose Manuel Moller launched the product in low-income grocery stores selling staples like rice instead of cleaning supplies. Here he recognized one of Algramo’s true advantages—the ability to allow consumers cheaper ways to buy in bulk, which can allow Chileans to save 140% on groceries bought in small amounts over a certain period.

LOOK: Young Scientists Make Eco-Friendly Industrial Cleaners From Yeast, Transforming Chemical Industry

This kind of poverty tax is something which low-income earners understand all too well.

“When you buy in small formats, you pay from 30% to 50% more for the product, depending on what the product is,” Brian Bauer, who works on the circular economy and strategic alliances at Algramo, told Fast Company.

“And then in doing that, you also produce a lot of packaging waste. That’s typically the type of packaging waste that’s most likely to escape into the environment because it’s smaller format, and it’s also in low-resource areas where there aren’t very good waste management systems in place. So there’s a lot of that packaging that ends up in the environment, ultimately, in oceans or other places it shouldn’t be.”

Slated for its Big Apple debut later this year, the rollout of the Algramo machines has been accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with some partners like Clorox and Colgate-Palmolive already on board.

RELATED: BeyondPlastic Awards For Innovative Packaging: Bags that Melt When Boiled and Sustainable Toothpaste Tube

Algramo is also in talks with different apartment complexes about providing Algramo hand-sanitizer refill stations in shared areas like laundry rooms. They may not delight the appetite in the same way a slurpee machine might, but these vending machines are helping the planet and helping wallets. That’s enough.

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The First Time a 10-Year-old Boy Uses His Birthday Metal Detector, He Unearths a Centuries-Old Sword

By
Judy Cole
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Credit: Clonoe Gallery/Facebook

Once upon a time in a green and pleasant land lived a boy who dreamed of buried treasure. Armed with a brand-new magic wand, he set out one day to see what he could find. He’d scarcely waved the wand once when, lo and behold, an ancient sword was revealed to him.

Credit: Clonoe Gallery/Facebook

Only this wasn’t a fairy tale. It was real life. (Okay, so the magic wand was a metal detector.)

When 10-year-old Fionntan Hughes of Northern Ireland got a metal detector for his birthday in July, he was eager to try it—and the first time he did, he found a buried treasure—or more accurately, the remains of a 300-year-old sword buried on the banks of the River Blackwater near his family home.

“I felt excited… it was a sword and it was just here… I didn’t really expect anything too big,” Fionntan told BBC Newsline.

The metal detector’s first two pings turned up nothing significant, but the third ping turned out to be the charm.

Fionntan was with his father, Paul Hughes, and a cousin, when he made the discovery in Derrylaughan in County Tyrone.

MORE: Lucky Dented Penny That Saved Soldier’s Life During WWI Comes to Light 100 Years Later

The trio had no idea what the mud-covered object they dug up might be until they brought it home and cleaned it up—it was a centuries-old sword.

Philip Spooner, an antique arms dealer with 30 years’ experience, told the BBC he believes the sword’s ornate design and “plum pudding” pommel points to it most likely having belonged to an English officer.

“[It’s] a basket hilt-type sword as used by English officers and dragoons from about 1720 to 1780, or it could be a Scottish basket hilt of about 1700 to 1850.”

Once the Hughes family realized what they found, they reached out to the National Museum’s Northern Ireland archaeology curator Greer Ramsey to better identify the sword. “The last thing I want is for it to be left rusting away in my garage, deteriorating by the day,” the elder Hughes said.

Credit: Clonoe Gallery/Facebook

For the moment, the fate of the sword remains up in the air. Where it ultimately ends up will be determined by the authorities per the U.K.’s Treasure Act of 1996.

LOOK: Man Saves Ancient Books From Dumpster Only to Look Inside Months Later and Find Amazing Inscription

Where once in a myth, a boy named Arthur pulled the enchanted sword Excalibur from a stone to become the rightful king of Britain, Fiontann Hughes won’t soon be inheriting England’s throne—but, at the end of the day, being able to find and hold a piece of living history in his hand might just prove magic enough.

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“At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.” – Plato

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.” – Plato

Photo: by Davids Kokainis

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

 

This Romantic Husband and Wife Broke the Record for World’s Oldest Married Couple

By
Good News Network
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Credit: Guinness World Records

This sweet Ecuadorian pair had their wedding nearly eight decades ago. Now, 79 years after tying the knot, they’ve been officially named the world’s oldest married couple.

Courtesy: Guinness World Records

110 year-old Julio Cesar Mora Tapia and 104-year-old Waldramina Maclovia Quinteros have an aggregate age of 214 years and 358 days.

Born in Ecuador before the invention of television, they met when Waldramina went to see her sister during school vacation. Julio Cesar lived in her sister’s apartment building. The pair met and became fast friends.

Julio Cesar fell in love with Waldramina’s beauty, her conversation, and her big heart. Waldramina found in Julio Cesar a poet with a young spirit.

Seven years later, the captivated pair said ‘I do’ on February 7, 1941 at the oldest church in Quito: La Iglesia de El Belén.

RELATED: Scientist’s Dream Was to Visit the Moon–After His Death, He Finally Made It There

Since then, they’ve had five children, 11 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and nine great-great-grandchildren.

Their advice for a long-lasting marriage? “The secret formula = love + maturity + mutual respect,” the couple told Guinness World Records.

“It is true that at this time it is difficult because we are overwhelmed by the pandemic that affects the world and we still do not have a solution. However, the first step for us to follow the rules with respect and love the life.”

MORE: Stunned Couple Reunited With Wedding Photos Stolen at Their Reception Party 35 Years Ago

“Respect and love the life.” That sounds like just the right words to live by right now.

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Gardener Grows Britain’s Biggest Tomato… Using Pantyhose

By
Good News Network
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Credit: SWNS

A green-fingered father has broken the record for growing Britain’s largest tomato… with the help of some sheer pantyhose.

Credit: SWNS

Hertfordshire’s Douglas Smith spent around two months carefully growing the giant tomato, which is, in fact, six regular beef steak tomatoes fused into one.

The huge fruit, which had to be suspended using a pair of tights so it did not fall off the stem, weighed in at a whopping 3.106kg, and measured 27.5 inches in circumference.

It was grown from seed from a variety known as Big Zac.

Douglas’s giant fruit has edged him ahead of the previous UK record-holder, Peter Glazebrook, whose record-winning tomato last year weighed 2.9kg.

RELATED: Trailblazing Gardener Discovers How to Grow Vegetables in Winter—Now He’s Helping Others Do It Too

Douglas said, “Giant tomatoes have been my main focus in terms of competitive vegetable growing… my attempts have been just shy of [Glazebrook’s] each time. But this time, I’ve finally edged it.”

Credit: SWNS

So how did the 42-year-old do it? Methodically. He got seeds from US tomato grower Larry Hill, from Minnesota, USA—who yielded the seeds from his own, 3.47kg tomato plant. He cut back any other flowers on the plant to maximize all the growth into the one ‘megashoot’. He watered his tomato plant at least once every day for over two months, using water with a bit of liquid seaweed mix. He also gave the plant a ‘weekly compost tea feed’.

MORE: This Green-Fingered Gardener Has Grown Something Amazing – A Sunflower With 27 Heads

“You’ve also got to keep the tomato shaded” explains Douglas. “Covering it with a dishcloth will do—as this keeps the skin more supple so it can grow.”

Credit: SWNS

Douglas will now keep the seeds from his huge tomato to continue growing more of the fruit.

And how about that big tomato? Will it end up in a beautiful Greek salad, or perhaps as part of one giant bruschetta? No. It’s due to be sent to butchers’ shop Churchgate Sausages in Harlow, Essex, to be made into tomato and basil sausages.

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‘SharkCam’ Reveals Secret Breeding Life Of The Endangered Basking Shark Species

By
Good News Network
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Credit: SWNS

The first successful tracking of basking sharks has taken place—with a robotic underwater camera.

Credit: SWNS

A ‘SharkCam’ underwater vehicle (AUV) is one of the world’s ‘most advanced’ pieces of animal tracking technology. It was used in the Hebrides off Scotland’s west coast for the time last summer to observe and gather footage of basking sharks, the world’s second-largest fish after the whale shark.

Little is known about the underwater traits of the globally endangered species—filter feeders that eat plankton and grow to around eight metres in length—despite
basking sharks being prevalent in Scottish waters.

So the SharkCam recorded the behavior of three such sharks from a distance as they swam off the coast of Coll and Tiree.

Analysis of the footage revealed the sharks spending an unexpected amount of time swimming near the seabed, a behavior which has not often been reported.

Notably, the sharks were not seen to be feeding, which researchers believe adds weight to the theory that the species visits Scottish waters not to feed but to breed.

Credit: SWNS

Dr. Suzanne Henderson, NatureScot Marine Ecosystems manager, said, “While we weren’t lucky enough to capture courtship or mating behavior on camera this time, this innovative study has shed more light on the lives of these spectacular giant fish.

MORE: Predators Have a Soft Side: Grey Reef Sharks Found To Form Long-Lasting ‘Friendships’ Says Study

“The fact that the sharks spent much more time swimming just above the seabed than we previously thought, and with their mouths closed, is really interesting, particularly as the species is often seen as a pelagic or near-surface filter-feeding shark.

“It suggests we may have to rethink not only how many basking sharks are in Scottish waters, but why they are here, as it’s likely not only the plankton they come for.”

Dr Lyndsey Dodds, head of Marine Policy at WWF UK, which helped support the AUV study, said, “These missions have given us a wonderful new window into the mysterious underwater world of this huge fish, highlighting previously unseen behavior, close to the seabed.

“And the more we know about basking sharks, the better we can protect them.”

Amy Kukulya, WHOI research engineer and SharkCam principal investigator, noted, “Every time we deploy our tags and SharkCam, not only do we observe something unexpected, but we collect valuable insights that enable us to keep improving this revolutionary technology.

RELATED: Two Beluga Whales Are Free for the First Time Since 2011 With a New Life On The Icelandic Coast

“Longer tracks and a larger sample could uncover why these amazing animals are hugging the seafloor.”

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