Seniors Recreate Iconic Movie Posters For Calendar That’s Raising Thousands For Alzheimer’s – And They’re Amazing

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Aug 10, 2020

These seniors have been getting fancy with makeup and lights since long before COVID-19 spurred us all to creativity.

In genius photoshoots, residents at the Spiritwood Assisted Living in Washington State have been recreating iconic posters from classic movies for two years now. And the results are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The idea to transform seniors into Hollywood stars came to Jennifer Angell in 2018. She’s the community relations director at ‘Spiritwood at Pine Lake’. Her mission? To combine unique, enjoyable activities for the residents with something purposeful—like raising money for others.

Jennifer struck gold when she came up with an idea for a ‘film star’ calendar.

“For two years we have dressed up the seniors as Hollywood movie stars and Village Concepts, a family company that owns the senior home, produces the calendars for us,” she told GNN. “I photograph each senior after doing makeup, hair and costume. The best part is we sell each calendar and every penny earned goes to the Alzheimer’s Association.”

LOOK: Nursing Home Residents Recreate Classic Album Covers While in Lockdown – LOOK

“For the first calendar in 2019, the whole process took about four months,” says Jennifer. “I would do just one photo at a time, and when it was ready, I’d present it to the community at lunchtime. People passed the photo around and the featured resident would dress up in costume and parade around the lunchroom. It was so much fun for everyone.”

Jack Guptil, 83, who starred in the “Blues Brothers” photoshoot told the Issaquah Reporter in 2018, “When asked by Jennifer to be a part of the calendar, I didn’t want to be bothered, but when I saw how much fun people were having being someone else, I said that’s me—Elwood from the Blues Brothers.”

Fedoras, check. Sunglasses, check. Two ‘somebodies to love’, check.

The first three boxes sold out in just four days. “Resident families just loved it and swooped them right up,” says Jennifer.

After the Alzheimer’s Association posted them for sale on their blog in 2018 they raised around $14,000.

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

Jennifer gave GNN the inside scoop about the theme for the 2021 calendar. It will be ‘Iconic Figures’ including pop culture icons like Sonny and Cher, Willie Nelson, and Andy Warhol, alongside historical notables like Winston Churchill and Eleanor Roosevelt.

“The annual resident calendars bring so much joy to not only the residents but their families,” says Spiritwood’s Executive Director Michelle Strazis. “They feel good about themselves participating in something that makes them feel so special and to be contributing by helping raise money for such a worthy cause.”

Which iconic Hollywood image is your favorite? Scroll down to see them and share the ones you love the most.

Do you think this senior had maple syrup spaghetti cravings after their Elf photoshoot?

All Photos by Spiritwood Assisted Living

Here’s one ‘way cool’ version of Wayne’s World.

Spock and the gang are back in this futuristic tribute to Stars Wars—‘ ‘The Older Generation’.

Helen Mirren (and the world’s most famous Elizabeth) would surely bestow a crown on this lady for her homage to The Queen.

Tom, is that you? Here’s one senior with a need for speed… and an apparent love of Top Gun.

Oh Marilyn! Junita Oney brings old school glamor with this stylish rendering of Ms. Monroe.

Click below to see more photos and learn how to order a calendar…

Continue Reading on Page 2…

3D-Printer Completes the Largest 3D-Printed Home in Europe – With 2 Stories and 980 Square Feet – in Just 3 Weeks

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Andy Corbley

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Aug 10, 2020

3D printed house-ext-released-Kamp C & Jasmiens Smets — Kamp C & Jasmiens Smets

The largest 3D-printed home ever made in Europe—a two story affair with two living rooms, a kitchen, bathroom, and foyer—has recently been completed by the Belgian sustainable construction company Kamp C, hugely advancing the science of 3D-printed housing.

Kamp C used a 32 x 32 foot “gantry” printer, the largest of its kind in Europe, to create the shell of the two-story building. Using a special cement mixture ejected from the printer’s nozzle, the on-site work took only 3 weeks, with construction workers adding the roof, foundation, floor, windows, doors, plumbing, and electrical by hand. (See the time-lapse video below.)

The 980 square-foot building also featured some unique sustainable touches like underfloor heating and solar panels which were added later.

Of the benefits of 3D-printing, also known as “additive manufacturing,” the precise work of the machine cuts costs of materials—sometimes enormously.

Marijke Aerts, the project manager, told News Atlas: “The material’s compressive strength is three times greater than that of the conventional quick build brick. Besides the fibers in the concrete, the amount of wire-mesh reinforcement used is extremely limited. As a result of the printing technology used, the formwork was redundant, saving an estimated sixty percent on material, time, and budget.”

CHECK OUT: After Debuting World’s Largest 3D-Printed Building, Startup is Set to Bring Affordable Housing to US

In Europe, where homes are normally built with brick, mortar, and concrete, saving construction costs is not only great for one’s wallet, but for the environment as well; as it’s estimated that manufacturing concrete creates 1 ton of CO2 per every ton of material, making it one of the most carbon-intensive construction methods available to home builders.

Designed and carried out as a proof of concept, the house in Belgium was never actually intended to be lived in.

“Printing this building is mainly a statement,” Emiel Ascione, another project manager told Digital Trends. “It shows the construction industry the accessibility and potential of this technique. The benefits of additive manufacturing are already paying off in a wide range of other industries, he said. It’s about time that housing caught up with them.”

Ascione explained further that many people would like to be able to have a more unique or personalized structure to their home, but that manufacturing costs of things like towers, circular angles, sunken living rooms, and other creative designs run too high for most people.

Another company, in the United Arab Emirate, built a 3D printed home in Dubai using locally sourced materials, and finished theirs after just two weeks of construction—a beautiful modern design measuring 6,900 square feet (640 square meters).

“A huge benefit of this technique is that [it is free of] complexity,” added Ascione. “You could print a series of houses and make each of them unique without a considerable impact on the cost.”

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“Some days are better, some days are worse. Look for the blessing instead of the curse.” – Doe Zantamata

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Aug 10, 2020

Quote of the Day: “Some days are better, some days are worse. Look for the blessing instead of the curse.” – Doe Zantamata

Photo: by James Lee

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?

Satellites Reveal There Are 20% More Emperor Penguin Colonies in Antarctica Than Previously Thought

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Good News Network

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Aug 9, 2020

Emperor Penguins of Gould Bay by Christopher Michel, CC license

A new study using satellite mapping technology reveals there are nearly 20% more emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica than was previously thought.

Researchers reported this week how they used images from the European Commission’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite mission to locate the birds.

They found 11 new breeding colonies, three of which were previously identified but never confirmed. That takes the global census to 61 colonies around the continent.

Emperor penguins need sea ice to breed and are located in areas that are very difficult to study because they are remote and often inaccessible with temperatures as low as -50°C (-58 degrees Fahrenheit).

For the last 10 years, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists have been looking for new colonies by searching for their guano stains on the ice.

“This is an exciting discovery,” says lead author Dr Peter Fretwell, a geographer at BAS. “The new satellite images of Antarctica’s coastline have enabled us to find these new colonies.

The colonies are small but the numbers increase the overall population count by up to 10%—to just over half a million penguins or around 278,500 breeding pairs.

BAS survey image shows colonies in center that look like brown smudges.

Emperor penguins are known to be vulnerable to loss of sea ice, their favorite breeding habitat, so the data provides an important benchmark for monitoring the impact of climate change on the population of this iconic bird. With current projections of environmental changes, this habitat is likely to decline, and penguin populations could be lost “under a business‐as‐usual scenario, with unmitigated greenhouse gas emissions creating warmer temperatures.

WATCH: Penguins Go On Adorable ‘Field Trip’ Around Their Aquarium During Shutdowns

The study also found a number of colonies located up to 180 km offshore, situated on sea ice that has formed around icebergs that had grounded in shallow water—which is a surprising new finding in the behavior of this beloved species.

During the coldest part of the year (July–August), breeding emperor penguins return to discrete locations and huddle for protection from the wind and cold, especially during incubation of their eggs, as depicted in the iconic documentary March of the Penguins, narrated by Morgan Freeman.

The research, published in the journal Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, was funded by UKRI-NERC as part of the Wildlife from Space project.

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Box of Stained Glass Bought at Auction Solves 80-year Mystery of Church Windows Gone Missing During WWII

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Good News Network

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Aug 9, 2020

A wood carver who bought a box of stained glass at auction was shocked to discover he had unwittingly solved the 80-year mystery of their disappearance from a church during WWII.

Colin Mantripp, 63, purchased what he thought was a box of fragments of stained glass when it went up for auction, intending to use it to create original windows in his handcrafted doors.

But when he arrived in July last year at Roseberry’s Auctions in London to pick up what was sold as “a box of stained glass”, he was shocked to find an eight foot long and three foot wide box which weighed over 600 pounds.

It was covered in dirt and so massive they needed six people to carry it.

“I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I thought, this is an incredible amount of glass; I was delighted,” said Colin, from Bourne End, Buckinghamshire.

“For £300 I thought I bagged a bargain—and I didn’t even know about its history. They’re so beautifully done which is normal from that era when there was such an incredible attention to detail.

After spending a few months restoring and cleaning the beautifully intricate and colorful windows he noticed the words “St Mary’s” inscribed in the glass, and became curious about the origins of the Victorian windows from the 1850s.

It only took a quick search online to discover that some windows had gone missing at a once-thriving parish 80 years ago.

He was stunned to discover that the pieces he purchased were actually the windows from St Mary’s church in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, which had gone missing during the war.

In 1939, the majestic 20-by-12-foot neo-Gothic east window which shined down over the altar of St Mary’s was removed to protect it from Nazi bombers.

Along with other stained glass from the church, it had been hidden underground.

The location of the glass had been lost over the years and only rumors remained. After the church building had been devastated during the Sheffield bombing Blitz, it took almost 20 years before any restoration work began.

After making the discovery, Colin contacted the church’s vicar and offered to return the windows to their original home, but his offer was refused as the church had already replaced the windows.

Reverend Claire Dawson said, “The windows are an important part of the church’s history which dates back to 1830 but, as nice as it would be to see them, so much has changed for the church for the better and it wouldn’t be practical to have them back.

In 2009 the glass was replaced with a new £80,000 modern design.

“We are so much more than we were in 1939,” she added. “We have a beautiful new window which was installed above the altar and is a celebration of the journey from the church’s beginning to the present day.”

“I’m not sure what I’ll do with the glass now that I’ve cleaned it up but it’s great to have found a piece of history.”

LOOK: 10-Year-old Mini-Monet Fetches Tens Of Thousands For Her Paintings – And Donates All The Money

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Small Town Business Owner Survives Pandemic By Live-Streaming Fashion Shows on Facebook

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Good News Network

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Aug 9, 2020

When COVID-19 hit, Virginia Sharp knew she had to keep paying her bills as the owner of a small boutique, so she decided to think outside the box.

Given mandated shelter-in-place orders, she transitioned her sales efforts from the brick-and-mortar location in Macon, Georgia, to social media which reaches the masses. Every Friday night she started streaming live fashion shows with a different theme each week—and it transformed her business.

From the first “White Party” three months ago, to a Girl’s Trip, a Yacht Party—and even a Coffee Chat that featured three colors, ‘black, cream, and sugar’—Sharp has found an online niche, and it has percolated sales coming from new customers as far away as Alaska.

A large part of her business is now packing up boxes to ship all over the country.

“Our community is loving the live theme shows on Facebook,” she told GNN.

Although she’s always loved fashion and wanted to be a model growing up, her parents didn’t approve, so she followed in her mother’s footsteps and worked a nurse for 30 years. But it didn’t diminish her dream to “one day own a cute shop.”

“Although I was in the medical field, I chose a position which still allowed me to be a fashionista because I was a nurse liaison who could dress and visit the hospitals and evaluate patients for acute and subacute rehab. That’s how I built my customer base because everyone knew me by the way I dressed.”

“I fell in love with nursing after being pushed into it, but I never stopped wishing to one day own my own business…I believed I could so I did!”

Six years ago, she made it a reality on Ingleside Avenue, opening Daemarii’s Unique Boutique.

Sharp vows to continue the virtual fashion shows on her Facebook page, as part of the brand, even if her shop gets back to full capacity.

“It’s exciting to see what we’re going to do next,” she told WMAZ News.

LOOK: Eco-Activist Hits Fashion Week Catwalk With Clothing Made Out of Abandoned Tents Collected From Music Festivals

Another reason for wanting to grow more nationwide is to encourage and inspire others to follow their dreams.

“Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”

“Do what you love and the money will follow. Never give up!”

(WATCH the feature story on WMAZ below…)

Need more positive stories and updates coming out of the COVID-19 challenge? For more uplifting coverage, click here.

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“You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.” – Timber Hawkeye

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Aug 9, 2020

Quote of the Day: “You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.” – Timber Hawkeye

Photo: by Nikolay Dimitrov

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?

The World’s Most Valuable Company Vows to Be 100% Carbon Neutral for its Supply Chain and Product Life-cycle by 2030

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Good News Network

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Aug 8, 2020

Apple store Thailand-Apple Newsroom — Apple’s new store in Bangkok

Apple last month unveiled its plan to become carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life-cycle for all its devices by 2030.

The world’s most valuable company is already carbon neutral today for its global corporate operations, and this new commitment means that by 2030, every Apple device sold will have net zero climate impact.

“Businesses have a profound opportunity to help build a more sustainable future, one born of our common concern for the planet we share,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The innovations powering our environmental journey are not only good for the planet — they’ve helped us make our products more energy efficient and bring new sources of clean energy online around the world. Climate action can be the foundation for a new era of innovative potential, job creation, and durable economic growth. With our commitment to carbon neutrality, we hope to be a ripple in the pond that creates a much larger change.”

Apple’s 2020 Environmental Progress Report, released July 21, details its plans to reduce emissions by 75 percent by 2030 while developing innovative carbon removal solutions for the remaining 25 percent of its comprehensive footprint.

The company’s 10-year climate roadmap will lower emissions by continuing to increase the use of low-carbon and recycled materials in its products, innovate its product recycling, and design products to be as energy efficient as possible.

Reusing rare minerals

Apple’s latest recycling innovation — a robot the company is calling “Dave” — disassembles the Taptic Engine from iPhone to better recover key materials such as rare earth magnets and tungsten while also enabling recovery of steel. The company’s Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas, which is focused on innovative electronics recycling technology, is now partnering with Carnegie Mellon University to further develop engineering solutions.

All iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch devices released in the past year are made with recycled content, including 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in the iPhone Taptic Engine — a first for Apple and for any smartphone.

Apple says it decreased its carbon footprint by 4.3 million metric tons in 2019 through design and recycling. Over the past 11 years, Apple has reduced the average energy needed for product use by 73 percent.

Apple’s new store in Bangkok – Apple Newsroom

The company is pledging to identify new ways to lower energy use at its corporate facilities and help its supply chain make the same transition through a new partnership with the US-China Green Fund, investing $100 million to accelerate energy efficiency for its suppliers. The number of facilities participating in Apple’s Supplier Energy Efficiency Program grew to 92 last year, with these facilities avoiding over 779,000 annualized metric tons of carbon emissions.

Renewable energy

Through a first-of-its-kind investment fund, Apple and 10 of its suppliers in China are investing nearly $300 million to develop projects to produce 1 gigawatt of renewable energy, and has generated commitments from over 70 suppliers to use 100 percent renewable energy — the equivalent of nearly 8 gigawatts. Once completed, these commitments will avoid over 14.3 million metric tons of CO2e annually — the equivalent of taking more than 3 million cars off the road each year.

New and completed renewable energy projects in Arizona, Oregon, and Illinois are Apple-owned and generate power that can run over 150,000 homes a year. It is also launching one of the largest new solar arrays in Scandinavia, as well as two new projects providing power to underserved communities in the Philippines and Thailand.

Apple is supporting the development of the first-ever direct carbon-free aluminum smelting process through a partnership with two of its aluminum suppliers, with the first batch due to be used in manufacturing the 16-inch MacBook Pro. A new aluminum production method will release oxygen, rather than greenhouse gases, during the smelting process.

Greening the planet

The company also announced in July a first-of-its-kind carbon fund to invest in the restoration and protection of forests and ecosystems in Kenya and Colombia, in partnership with Conservation International. The company has invested in management of over 1 million acres of forests and natural climate solutions in China and the US, as well.

The company’s complete plan and how it measures its carbon footprint can be found in its 2020 Environmental Progress Report at apple.com/environment. Progress on its supplier commitments can be found here.

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Free Internet Coming For 35,000 Low-Income Philly Families in Public-Private Partnership As Classrooms Stay Closed

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Good News Network

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Aug 8, 2020

Philadelphia wants to ensure that all its K-12 students have internet access, so they have what they need to learn remotely during the pandemic, especially as the city’s schools will remain closed to in-person classes this fall.

Since the coronavirus forced the school closures this spring, the city has been working with foundations and partners to mobilize funding that will provide broadband internet access for 35,000 kids—and this week they’ve unveiled a program that will make it happen.

PHLConnectED will connect eligible student households with two years of high-speed internet, without any out-of-pocket expenses or installation fees.

Using Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, or a high-speed mobile hotspot for families who are housing-insecure, the program will also ensure K-12 public school students have the devices they need (such as a laptop or tablet)—and also tech support to keep it all running smoothly.

The Philadelphia School District recently distributed over 128,000 devices to students who lack them at home. The School District and Charter Schools will continue to work with schools and families to make sure they have the resources they need to succeed.

PHLConnectED is the first stage of the city’s larger “digital equity” initiative to support digital literacy and access for all Philadelphia residents.

The bulk of the funding is being provided by private foundations, including $7 million from the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation, $1 million each from the William Penn Foundation and Philadelphia School Partnership, and others. The city will also use $2 million in local CARES Act funding, without dipping into its general fund, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Mayor Jim Kenney said it was “transformational moment” triggered by the pandemic, and the program will go a long way to closing the digital divide.

SHARE The Good News With Online Students On Social Media… (Photo via PHLConnectED)

FDA Approves Low-Cost Ventilator Designed by Team of Volunteers – Including the Jeopardy Teen Champion

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Good News Network

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Aug 8, 2020

Since March, more than 180 volunteer doctors, engineers, and tinkerers have been working together in their spare time to design a cheaper ventilator that can save lives while still costing much less.

And, last week their device received emergency approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on patients.

One of the volunteers who helped design the ventilator’s user interface is an 18-year-old software engineer, Avi Gupta, who is the youngest member of the team—and also the reigning Jeopardy! Teen Tournament champion.

“The original prototype which was fully functional was made in our garages,” Gupta told KGW News. “So it’s truly something that can be deployed worldwide.”

Developers said the LifeMech Adapted Ventilator System (A-VS) will cost around $400 to manufacture, and the plans are Open Source, so anyone who has the need and ability to make one, can see the plans.

The nonprofit, which has filed with the IRS to be recognized as 501(c)(3) tax deductible entity, has already raised $25,000 to cover costs of parts and testing, but needs more money to move into manufacturing.

Their goal is to get the ventilators into the hands of doctors who need them in developing countries like Zambia, Nigeria and Bangladesh.

ALSO: Single Dose of Covid-19 Vaccine Proved Successful in Pre-Clinical Study, Human Safety Trials Begin

You can help the developers by donating on their GoFundMe page.

(WATCH the news coverage below…) – Photos by LifeMech Adapted Ventilator System

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89% of People Think Happiness Can Be Controlled – And They Are Much Happier For It

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Good News Network

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Aug 8, 2020

You'd smile, too, if you just got a job after being unemployed for the last six months! — Ed Yourdon, CC license

How far can the self-belief that you make your own happiness carry you, creating conditions for a self-fulfilling prophecy? A new study shows there is a happy correlation.

A new survey of 1,155 respondents found that 89% of people think that their happiness can be controlled—and these people are 32% happier than those who don’t think that happiness can be controlled.

The average happiness rating given by participants who think happiness is controllable is 7.39. In contrast, the average happiness rating of people who think happiness is out of their control is 5.61.

Even taking into account the so-called self-serving bias, which is the common habit of a person taking credit for positive events or outcomes, but blaming outside factors for negative events, the author believes the research is noteworthy.

“I didn’t expect such a big difference in happiness ratings between the people who think happiness can be controlled and those who don’t,” Hugo Huyer, the study’s author, told GNN. “In social science, a lot of correlations are far less clear, as results are often influenced by factors that cannot be excluded in a study.”

“However, the study is consistent with others in the field and hints at the fact that the happiest people have learned that some aspects of our lives are within our control. By focusing on these areas, you are more inclined to feel happy.”

Less happy people were less likely to feel in control of happiness

Respondents were asked, ‘Is happiness something that you can control?’ and
‘If you look back at the last year of your life, how would you rate your happiness on a scale from 1 to 10?’

They were grouped into three categories based on how high they rated their happiness. People with low happiness ratings (6 or lower) are 5 times more likely to feel like happiness is out of their control compared to people with high (9 or 10) happiness ratings (20.33% versus 4.29%).

Digging into the demographic questions, the study examined ranging from gender to employment status.

There was no difference between genders. Both male and female respondents showed the same results. 89% of people think that happiness is controllable.

A self-described “data junkie” and “happiness tracker” for over 6 years, Huyer and his team of researchers in the Netherland say their study showed that people with a higher educational background are more likely to feel like happiness can be controlled. Interestingly though, it’s the students that are least likely to feel like happiness can be controlled, when compared to other employment statuses of our respondents. The study shows that part-time and full-time employees are most likely to feel like happiness can be controlled.

Based on the analysis, when transitioning from being a college student to being employed, you can expect to feel more in control of happiness (on average, from 75% to 90%).

Control over happiness changes as you age

Age seems to have a significant influence on the average respondent. The amount of control we have over our happiness decreases in our mid-life and increases as we grow older again.

One interesting finding is that age plays a significant role. In well-researched studies on happiness vs age, researchers have found a “U-curve” in our happiness, showing that happiness decreases from age 18 and reaches peak unhappiness at approximately age 47. From there, the happiness levels gradually increase again. This has been confirmed around the world.

CHECK OUT: These Are The Best Things About Aging, as Voted By People Over 50

Similar to this “U-curve” in happiness, our feelings of control over happiness tend to reach a negative peak during our midlife, according to this study. Since actual happiness and control over happiness is correlated, it is logical that our mid-lives align with a feeling of lower control over happiness.

The good news is that feelings of control over happiness increase at an older age again, so in mid-life we can expect a trend toward happiness in the future.

Need more self-help articles that could help you feel in control? Check out our large collection of articles on how to be happier on GNN.

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“Normality is a paved road. It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.” – Vincent Van Gogh

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Aug 8, 2020

Quote of the Day: “Normality is a paved road. It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.” – Vincent Van Gogh

Photo: by Mohammed lak

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?

New Mexico Girl Wins $250,000 Top Prize in Teen Science Fair For Inventing Tool That Could Prevent Starvation in Africa

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Good News Network

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Aug 7, 2020

The nation’s oldest and most prestigious STEM competition for high school seniors just awarded more than $1.8 million to ten finalists who exhibited exceptional problem-solving abilities and scientific leadership.

For the first time in its 78-year history, the Regeneron Science Talent Search competition (formerly the Westinghouse Science Talent Search) took place virtually, but that didn’t quell the excitement as the top winners were announced—and Lillian Kay Petersen of Los Alamos, New Mexico won a quarter million dollars.

The 17-year-old invented a simple tool for predicting harvests early in the growing season, which helps to improve food distribution planning and offers a promising resource to aid groups working on global food insecurity.

Lillian first validated her tool, which analyzes daily satellite imagery using accepted measures of vegetation health, on known domestic crop data. She then tested it for countries in Africa and successfully predicted harvests with terrific accuracy when compared with reported yields.

She was motivated to do research in this field after her parents adopted children who faced food insecurity and, later, she read about Ethiopia where a famine had affected millions of people leading to developmental learning problems in children.

The moment the winner was announced – Regeneron Science Talent Search

Second place and $175,000 went to Jagdeep Bhatia, 18, of Green Brook, New Jersey for developing two fast and simple machine learning algorithms for computer programs that are attempting to learn new concepts under the tutelage of an instructor, either a computer or human. His algorithms do not only ask random questions but, like a savvy detective, ask just the right ones. His AI algorithms could help train robots and other automated devices faster and easier.

Third place and $150,000 went to Brendan Crotty, 18, of Muskogee, Oklahoma for his project where he designed and built an efficient hybrid gas burner that could help reduce the ecological impact of industries like power generation and materials manufacturing. His specialized burner system operates at higher temperatures than current industrial burners yet emits 19 percent less polluting nitrogen dioxide gas. To build his model, Brendan had to become proficient in computer design software, metal casting and machining.

“Congratulations to the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020 winners,” said Maya Ajmera, President of the Society for Science & the Public, which runs the contest, and 1985 Science Talent Search alumna.

WATCH: 17-Year-old Hero Catches a Falling Toddler Who Fell Out of a Second-Story Window

“Students like Lillian Petersen are the stewards of our future. The current pandemic has made it clear how important science is to our wellbeing. With these finalists at the forefront of scientific and engineering discovery, I know we are in good hands. They will be solving the world’s most intractable problems.”

WATCH the video below, and LEARN about all the teen finalists on their website.

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

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Ailsa Ross

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Aug 7, 2020

An illustration of a couple holding hands in space — Image by Great Big Story

Once upon a time, a couple fell in love while sharing a passion for space.

Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker met at a wedding in 1950, and after a year of sending each other long-distance letters, the loved-up pair got married.

A decade later, President John F. Kennedy announced that the nation would be sending a man to the moon, and Eugene was thrilled. As a geologist who specialized in studying craters—he had a promising chance of joining the NASA mission.

Then after a series of medical tests to examine his fitness, they learned that Shoemaker had Addison’s disease, an uncommon disorder that affects the adrenal glands. There was no possibility of him reaching the moon now.

WATCH: Listen to What These Couples From Around the World Have to Say About Being Married for More Than 30 Years

The news was one of the greatest disappointments of Shoemaker’s life, Carolyn told Great Big Story. He “felt like his goal had suddenly disappeared.”

Still, Eugene’s life was full of big achievements. He dedicated himself to training astronauts like Neil Armstrong for their space expeditions. He combined the study of geology and astronomy, helping create the field of planetary science. He co-discovered a comet—Shoemaker-Levy 9—alongside his scientist wife and the astronomer David Levy.

Shoemaker’s life came to a sudden end in a car crash in 1997, while in Australia exploring a meteor crash site with his wife. Exploring craters like this one had always been a favorite passion for Eugene.

While she recovered in the hospital, Carolyn received an unexpected call from NASA. Would she be interested in having some of Eugene’s ashes join the Lunar Prospector mission to the moon?

She thought that would be wonderful.

The Prospector headed for the moon the following year and the most amazing thing happened: When the mission was finished, the unmanned vehicle ran out of fuel and crashed into the moon’s South Pole, creating a crater where Shoemaker’s ashes remain today.

You could say it was an accident made in heaven.

(Watch the video from our partners at Great Big Story below…)

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Spectacles Belonging to Gandhi Were Mailed to an Auction House–With Owner Having No Idea of Their Value

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Aug 7, 2020

Gandhi glasses-at-auction-SWNS — A pair of spectacles belonging to Gandhi set to fetch thousands of pounds at auction. See SWNS story SWBRghandi; The gold-coloured glasses were gifted to the current owner's uncle by the famous leader during a trip to South Africa in the 1920s. The rare item was then passed down through generations before ending up in the letterbox of an auction house in Bristol. A sale price has now been set at between £10,000 and £15,000 for the spectacles - although it is thought that they could eventually go for much more. Gandhi - named as 'Man of the Year' by the magazine Time in 1930 - was a lawyer, political activist and ambassador for peace. He led the campaign for Indian independence from the rule of Britain in the 20th century by using non-violent resistance. He developed a distinctive look in later life which many may recognise him by - which included the iconic glasses. Andrew Stowe, from East Bristol Auctions, said: "We came in one morning, and there, poking rather precariously out of our letter box, was a small envelope.

A pair of spectacles belonging to Mahatma Gandhi are expected to fetch thousands at auction, after the owner mailed them in an envelope to the auctioneers, hoping to get a few bucks.

The gold-colored glasses were gifted to the current owner’s uncle by the famous leader during a trip to South Africa in the 1920s.

The rare item was then passed down through generations before ending up in the mailbox of an auction house in Bristol, England.

A sale price has now been set at between £10,000 and £15,000 for the spectacles—although it is thought that they could eventually go for much more.

Gandhi, named ‘Man of the Year’ by Time magazine in 1930, was a lawyer and activist whose non-violent campaign successfully freed India from British rule.

Much like John Lennon, he developed a distinctive look in later life, which always included the iconic glasses.

Andrew Stowe, from East Bristol Auctions, said, “We came in one morning, and there, poking rather precariously out of our letter box, was a small envelope.

“In the envelope was the pair of spectacles, along with note which read, ‘These were Gandhi’s glasses,’ and a phone number for the owner.

“It was the most bizarre five minutes of my career! A telephone call later and we learned the full story and set about our research.

“Once we dug a little deeper, we realized these glasses were find of huge historical importance.

“Gandhi is an iconic figure in world history. When one thinks of him you conjure up the image of his shawl, his sandals and, of course, his glasses.”

Andrew added that Gandhi was known to give away his personal possessions to those who helped him.

“The uncle in question worked for British Petroleum at the time, and the family legend was that he had helped Gandhi in some way during his visit and in return for the favor, he was gifted these glasses.

“It’s just the most incredible story, because the owner had no idea of their value, and would’ve been quite happy to receive fifty pounds for them I’m sure!

“When I told him of the valuation, the line went quiet for a moment—he was rather surprised.

“It’s one of those moments we all dream of—discovering something we’ve owned for years is worth thousands of pounds.

“It’s always a complete joy to make these discoveries.”

Lots relating to Gandhi have fetched a lot of money at auction, with a small shawl worn by him selling in 2013 for £40,000. A pair of well-worn sandals sold in the same year for £13,000.

The glasses are due to go under the hammer during the East Bristol Auctions’ specialist ‘Military & History Auction’ taking place online at 10am on August 21.

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Old Toy Horse Left in Trash Becomes Local Celebrity, With Villagers Moving it Daily From Home to Home

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Aug 7, 2020

An old stuffed toy horse left out on the pavement for trash pick-up went on to a life of celebrity, after residents of a small village in Norfolk, England adopted him as their face-mask-wearing mascot.

It all started about a week ago when a gentleman in Hethersett who had recently lost his wife, was cleaning out his house and the horse was one of the things he was throwing away.

It is believed that some children picked him up and played with him, leaving him on a grassy knoll—the rest of the story is filled with the kind of whimsy we all need in this time of restricted community.

At first, a lady posted on a local Facebook page asking if anybody had lost him, and obviously a lot of comments with horse-y puns ensued.

“The next thing we knew, he got put outside someone’s door, and she took him in and named him Derek Trotter,” said resident Kim Rout—a reference to the character from an 80s TV sitcom Only Fools and Horses.

Derek has since trotted from home to home, with villagers keeping track of his whereabouts on a Facebook group that Kim set up called Derek Trotter the Globetrotting Pony.

The Facebook group, which has gained nearly 400 followers, has been a hilarious addition to people’s day.

“A couple of days later, there was Rodney left at a bus stop, waiting for a bus.”

People have been sharing photos of him appearing on their doorsteps, or ‘grazing’ on grass and flowers in their gardens.

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Derek has been taken out on ‘walks’ with some residents, and he has even gained a horsey friend, with the mysterious emergence of a smaller toy horse, which has been named Rodney, and now travels around beside Derek.

Kim, who has a 15-year-old son, said, “It feels like it’s come at just the right time, what with everyone having been in lockdown.

“It’s really brightened up the village. People have told me that they sit and wait for posts on the Facebook page, to see where the boys have been and what they’ve been up to.

“They’ll spend the night with somebody, and then get passed on further down the road, or to somebody in the Facebook group.”

Derek and Rodney have also been on the occasional excursion out of the village.

This week, Kim drove them five miles to Wymondham, where they had a paddle at the edge of a river, and tried their hoofs at ‘abseiling’ from the top of a wooden observation tower.

And Sharon Watts, 52, who runs the local village Brownies group, said Derek and Rodney have made two visits to the group, and have proven themselves to be very popular among the girls.

“Derek and Rodney joined in with the meetings and even got given a Brownies uniform – although we don’t usually allow boys in!”

Kim said she hopes the two horses will end up being passed further afield than Hethersett once they have “exhausted” their adventures.

“We’d like to see how far their new celebrity status can reach.”

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“Even in a time of elephantine vanity and greed, one never has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people.” – Garrison Keillor (turns 78 today)

Quote of the Day

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Aug 7, 2020

Quote of the Day: “Even in a time of elephantine vanity and greed, one never has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people.” – Garrison Keillor (turns 78 today)

Photo: by Tanner Larson

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?

New Transparent Spray-on Coating For Windows Can Block Heat And Conduct Electricity For Cheap Smart Solution

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Aug 6, 2020

clear glass coating-released-RMIT University — RMIT University

After the Empire State Building in New York reported installing smart glass windows, they cut energy usage by $2.4 million and their carbon emissions by 4,000 metric tons, but smart windows are costly.

That’s why news of a new transparent spray-on coating that is much more cost-effective—while providing similar performance—is worth shouting from the tops of skyscrapers.

The simple method for adding a clear coating to existing windows to block heat and also conduct electricity could radically cut the cost of energy-saving smart windows and heat-repelling glass.

The spray-on coatings developed by researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, are ultra-thin, and rival the performance of current industry standards for transparent electrodes.

Transparent electrodes combine the best properties of glass and metals in a single component, which is a highly conductive clear coating that allows visible light through. Those coatings—key components of smart windows, touchscreen displays, LED lighting and solar panels—are currently made through time-consuming processes that rely on expensive raw materials.

The new spray-on method is fast, scalable and based on cheaper materials that are readily available. The method could simplify the fabrication of smart windows, which can be both energy-saving and dimmable, as well as low-emissivity glass, where a conventional glass panel is coated with a special layer to minimize ultraviolet and infrared light.

Lead investigator Dr Enrico Della Gaspera said the pioneering approach could be used to substantially bring down the cost of energy-saving windows and potentially make them a standard part of new builds and retrofits.

“Smart windows and low-E glass can help regulate temperatures inside a building, delivering major environmental benefits and financial savings, but they remain expensive and challenging to manufacture,” said Della Gaspera, a senior lecturer and Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow at RMIT.

“The ultimate aim is to make smart windows much more widely accessible, cutting energy costs and reducing the carbon footprint of new and retrofitted buildings.”

The new method can also be precisely optimized to produce coatings tailored to the transparency and conductivity requirements of the many different applications of transparent electrodes.

How the tech works

The standard approach for manufacturing transparent electrodes is based on indium, a rare and expensive element, and vacuum deposition methods, which are bulky, slow and costly. This makes transparent electrodes a major cost in the production of any optoelectronic device.

In the new study, published August 5 in Advanced Materials Interfaces, researchers in RMIT’s School of Science made transparent electrodes using the far cheaper material tin oxide, spiked with a special combination of chemicals to enhance conductivity and transparency.

The ultra-thin transparent coatings, which are over 100 times thinner than a human hair, only allow visible light through, while blocking both harmful UV light and heat in the form of infrared radiation.

The scientists used a process called “ultrasonic spray pyrolysis” to fabricate smooth, uniform coatings of high optical and electrical quality.

A precursor solution is nebulized, using commercially available technology to create a fine spray mist that forms ultra-small and uniformly-sized droplets. This solution is sprayed on a heated support layer, such as glass.

When the solution hits the hot layer a chemical reaction is triggered, decomposing the precursor into a solid residue that is deposited as an ultra-thin coating. All the by-products of the reaction are eliminated as vapors, leaving a pure coating with the desired composition.

Global demand for smart glazing

The global market size for smart glass and smart windows is expected to reach $6.9 billion by 2022, while the global low-E glass market is set to reach an estimated $39.4 billion by 2024.

Eureka Tower in Melbourne features a dramatic use of smart glass in its “Edge” tourist attraction, a glass cube that projects 3m out of the building and suspends visitors 300m over the city. The glass is opaque as the cube moves out over the edge of the building and becomes clear once fully extended.

First author Jaewon Kim, a PhD researcher in Applied Chemistry at RMIT, said the next steps in the research were developing precursors that will decompose at lower temperatures, allowing the coatings to be deposited on plastics and used in flexible electronics, as well as producing larger prototypes by scaling up the deposition.

“The spray coater we use can be automatically controlled and programmed, so fabricating bigger proof-of-concept panels will be relatively simple,” he said.

SOURCE: RMIT University

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Teen Abandoned at Birth Now Raises Money to Give Senior Dogs the Love She Found With a Forever Home

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Aug 6, 2020

Abandoned in a basket on a college campus in India as an infant, Meena Kumar knows what it’s like to need a little love. That’s why she’s drawn to the pups that are most often overlooked—senior dogs living out their golden years in animal shelters.

Snuggling with four-legged seniors became her passion, and that dedication is helping to support second-chances for dozens of dogs, even after being told she was too young to volunteer.

“More people should adopt senior dogs,” she told CNN. “They give you the same unconditional love as any other dog.”

The 14-year-old’s love for canines began when she was no taller than a Schnauzer.

She spent a year in an Indian orphanage, before being adopted by a couple in Mumbai. As a two-year-old, she lovingly spent hours caring for newborn pups in her family’s apartment.

“My parents were worried about how to keep me amused in a small place,” she told TODAY. “Thankfully, a dog had laid a litter of puppies, and I used to spend hours every day watching and playing with them.”

Kumar’s doggie dedication continued when she was brought to San Jose, California, where she insisted the family make regular visits to the Humane Society. When she was eight, they adopted Bambie, a mixed-breed pooch that she spent hours training to do tricks.

Two years ago, as she was walking Bambie, she met a neighbor who had adopted through Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. She told Kumar about the nonprofit’s cage-free rescue operation that gives senior dogs a “second chance at life.” The organization rescues about 1,000 dogs per year and runs mostly through the help of volunteers.

“I know what it feels like to be left behind,” Kumar thought. “The dogs may be senior and old, but they’re so friendly and cute. They’re the most gentle and loyal creatures.”

She enjoyed visiting the aging dogs at the rescue, but because she was 12 at the time, Kumar was five years too young to volunteer.

The zealous girl wouldn’t let ageist rules stop her. Instead, she decided to raise money for them, because, “You’re never to young to start a business,” she said with a smile.

She launched a petsitting business called Pet Fairy Services—and it took off. With rates of $35 per day, Kumar raised an impressive $7,000 in two years—and she donated it all to Muttville. A matching grant through Intel, where her dad works, meant her donation ended up topping $14,000.

Even though the coronavirus pandemic has slowed things down for many nonprofits, the popularity of fostering and adopting dogs has skyrocketed.

“It feels great to know that I’ve saved many dogs’ lives and given them another chance to enjoy life for their last years of living,” she told TODAY. “I feel like all dogs should get a forever home just like I did.”

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Britain to Roll Out Five Million Coronavirus Tests That Get Results in 90 Minutes

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Aug 6, 2020

Millions of “ground-breaking” rapid coronavirus tests will be rolled out to hospitals, care homes and labs across the UK to increase testing capacity ahead of winter. The tests will enable clinicians and the NHS to quickly test and trace to stop any future spread of the virus.

A recent study suggests measures already taken to limit transmission in care homes and hospitals had been working effectively through early July, with continued reduction of the virus, even while some restrictions were eased in May and June.

The two new tests—both able to detect the virus in just 90 minutes—will be made available to NHS hospitals, care homes and labs. The 2 tests will be able to detect both COVID-19 and other winter viruses such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), yet do not require a trained health professional to operate—meaning they can be rolled out in more non-clinical settings.

“The fact these tests can detect flu as well as COVID-19 will be hugely beneficial as we head into winter, so patients can follow the right advice to protect themselves and others,” said Health Secretary Matt Hancock in an August 3 statement.

Almost a half million LamPORE swab tests will be available across adult care settings and laboratories starting next week, supplied by Oxford Nanopore. The new test will be able to process swab and saliva samples to detect the presence of COVID-19 in 60 to 90 minutes.

The second test uses DNA to detect the virus, with 5,000 DNA machines supplied by the maker, DnaNudge, being rolled out next month to NHS hospitals allowing 5.8 million tests in the coming months.

The machines will analyze DNA from nose swabs, providing a positive or negative result for COVID-19 in 90 minutes, at the point of care. The machines will process up to 15 tests on the spot each day without the need for a laboratory.

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The DNA COVID-19 test machines are currently operating in 8 London hospitals—and are located in cancer wards and maternity wards to protect those most at risk.

The LamPORE test has the same sensitivity as the widely used PCR swab test, but can be used to process swabs in labs, as well as on-location through ‘pop up’ labs. The desktop GridION machine can process up to 15,000 tests a day, or the palm-sized MinION can process up to 2,000 tests a day for deployment in a near-community ‘pop-up’ lab, according to the Health Ministry.

Need more positive stories and updates coming out of the COVID-19 challenge? For more uplifting coverage, click here.

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