Quote of the Day: “Well done is better than well said.” – Benjamin Franklin
Photo by: Joshua Earle for Unsplash+
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?
13 years/62 years ago today, two ladies became the first women to enter space for their respective nations. 62 years ago it was the first female Russian, Valentina Tereshkova, who was also the first woman ever to fly into space, while 13 years ago it was the first female Chinese astronaut aka a “taikonaut” Liu Yang. READ more about their respective flights… (1963/2012)
An Australian aviation startup has developed an adhesive film inspired by shark skin that reduces drag on aircraft due to its sandpaper-like texture.
Sharks are covered in tiny dermal grooves, often called riblets, which help a shark swim faster using less energy. When such microscopic grooves are applied via adhesive film to the exterior of an aircraft it can reduce drag by “smoothing air flow”.
MicroTau says that when its ‘Riblet Modification’ is applied to the wings, fuselage, and tail, the overall efficiency improvement is up to 4%.
“Across the global aviation fleet, this means billions of dollars in fuel saved and millions of tons of CO2 emissions prevented,” says a company statement.
Recently, Delta Air Lines signed an agreement with MicroTau to test the Riblet Modifications on Delta’s Boeing 767 fleet, as part of an “incubator lab” trying to revolutionize the industry to be more sustainable. The Lab includes partnerships with Airbus, Boeing, JetZero, and Ohio electric air taxi company, Joby Aviation.
As the airline industry continues to look to nature for inspiring ways to lessen its impact on carbon emissions (like using bio-fuel and designing new planes to be like migrating geese), this new partnership will assess the fuel savings created by MicroTau’s product on their way to a goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
FLYING GREEN IN DALLAS AND PITTSBURGH:
• Jet Engine Exhaust is Turned into Electricity to Power Dallas International Airport
• Turning a Landfill into a Solar Powerhouse, Pittsburgh Airport is Now Totally Energy-Independent
WATCH the Reuters news report about the startup below…
SHARE THIS NEW GREAT WHITE Shark Skin On Social Media…
The dog tag ID belonging to a fallen World War II soldier has been returned to his family 80 years after his death.
Joseph L. Gray was one of 31 servicemen who died in April 1945 when their plane, a B-17 Flying Fortress, crashed into a hill on the Isle of Man.
In 2010, around 65 years later, the Philadelphia soldier’s dog tags were unearthed by a metal detector and handed over to the Manx Aviation and Military Museum on the UK island.
It wasn’t until the great nephew of another soldier who died in the crash—Donald Madar, a friend of the museum—saw the tag this year and said he knew a relative of Gray’s through a Facebook group he runs.
Eight decades on, he returned the “prized possession”, taking it back where he said it belongs—to the technical sergeant’s great niece Bridgette Daily.
“It was a wonderful moment handing the tag over,” Donald told SWNS news agency.
“I could see the emotion rush into her. Her eyes began to tear up. I could tell it was so important for her family that they took possession of a piece of their history.”
Donald, also from Pennsylvania, had been researching the deadly accident of his ancestor for the last 20 years. In April of this year, the 63-year-old travelled from his home to the Isle to visit the crash site to commemorate its 80th anniversary.
While there, he met up with historian Ivor Ramsden from the Manx Museum who handed over the dog tag for him to return, alongside a personal note.
Donald recalled how he was only able to return the tag because Clare Quinn—another great niece of Gray’s—reached out to him during the pandemic in 2020 using the Facebook group he runs about the crash entitled ‘Isle of Man – 80th Anniversary’.
HAIL THE CANADIANS: Red Maple Trees Line English Road to Honor 418 Canadian Soldiers Who Died Defending Freedom Overseas
“She had asked about Joseph and told us all about him in a post she uploaded.
LOOK: 100-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor Granted Wish to Reunite with Sister One Last Time
“When I was visiting (the Isle of Man) and holding the tag, something stuck out about the name and I remembered the post she had written five years ago.”
He then reached out to her and hatched a plan to return it to the family through her sister.
When he returned to America, he drove 40 minutes to meet Bridgette last month at a restaurant—and surprised her with the letter and tag.
“She had come with her husband. We sat down and talked about the event, the history, and, of course, Joseph.
“It was great to get to know him through her stories.
SHINE SOME HISTORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA – Share the Love!
Dr. Z never required a copay.
Michael Zollicoffer, known to his patients as Dr. Z, spent the last four decades serving the residents of Baltimore’s poorest neighborhoods—and the family physician never turned anyone away, even if they couldn’t afford to pay.
“Forget that dollar bill,” the 66-year-old told CBS News. “I’m going to see you no matter what. You walk in that door, you will be seen. You bring your grandma with you, I’ll see her, too.”
Dr. Zollicoffer built goodwill in his Maryland community instead of a massive bank account, a practice that may have looked misguided a few months ago when suddenly the doctor became the patient—diagnosed with a double dose of cancers, one renal and one rectal.
To make matters worse, he discovered that his own insurance had lapsed due to a policy complication with Medicare. His treatment was suddenly going to cost about $150,000.
As the news trickled out to all those patients Dr. Z had helped over the years, one of his high school friends, Michael Haynie, started a GoFundMe campaign online.
Before long, all the gratitude and all the goodwill Dr. Z. had nurtured over many decades became a groundswell of support. More than 3,400 people came to his rescue, donating over $280,000 to take care of the selfless doctor in his time of need.
THE VALUE OF DOCTORS: After 6 Months Searching for New Doctor, Small Town’s Viral Video was ‘Just What the Doctor Ordered’
Zollicoffer’s story also caught the attention of Maryland Congressman Kweisi Mfume. Mfume rose to the front of the House floor to insert a written statement about Zollicoffer’s legacy into the Congressional Record, preserving a testimonial of Dr. Z’s grace within U.S. history.
“Mister Speaker, you would be hard-pressed to find another individual with as much passion for healing and love for his community as Dr. Michael Zollicoffer,” Mfume read aloud. “For his kindness, his selflessness, and his God-given abilities, Dr. Z has been a pillar of the Baltimore community for decades. His cancer prognoses are positive and, God willing, he’ll be practicing in our City for years to come.”
Zollicoffer’s insurance has since been restored and he’s continuing to see patients regularly. Most of all, he’s grateful.
“I’m going to say something that may seem crazy as heck,” Zollicoffer told Steve Hartman in the video below. “I’m thankful that I got cancer, because I am the happiest man on the planet, no matter what the outcome.”
DOC’S DEDICATION: For 3 Hours Doctors Continued CPR on Toddler with No Pulse–Until Life Returned
“This is what you’re about! We are about giving: I can’t make it without them, nor can they make it without me.”
Donate to the ongoing fund if you can, because even more people have arrived at his clinic since this story aired nationwide, looking for the compassion Dr. Z pays forward every day.
INSPIRE YOUR COMMUNITY By Sharing Dr. Z’s Story on Social Media…
Her graduation from Boswell High School was only hours away—yet she was about to miss one of life’s most memorable moments.
Laura Wiley’s kidney had become infected and the illness soon turned into severe sepsis, and she had to be admitted to the hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, on the night before her senior graduation.
The timing was terrible.
“I was saying, ‘Why couldn’t this have happened a week or two ago?” Laura recalled in an interview with WFAA-TV in Dallas.
As news about the teen missing out on a major milestone spread throughout the buildings at both the high school and the hospital, doctors, nurses, and school officials worked together to create their own graduation ceremony—right inside Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital.
Hospital staff hustled alongside Laura’s mom to decorate a lounge area with tablecloths and stars, and signs that said “Congrats Grad” and “Class of 2025.” Everywhere you looked, there was blue and gold, the school colors of Boswell High.
The space had been completely transformed. It was ready for a graduation—one that would totally take her by surprise.
Laura was told she could view the graduation on a livestream from her hospital bed, so she got dressed up in her cap and gown (complete with a Hello Kitty design on the top of her cap depicting the pink cat holding a diploma).
The 17-year-old watched as her classmates walked to the stage and then they announced her name.
Hospital staffers had gathered to form a reception line in the lounge, as Laura was pushed along in a wheelchair amid the sound of cheers and applause echoing all around her. (See the video below…)
The school’s assistant principal provided another surprise, after she’d driven to the hospital to present a diploma to Ms. Wiley, who rose from her chair to accept it.
“I was just completely surprised, especially when I saw my assistant principal there,” Laura told WFAA-TV News. “I just started sobbing.”
Afterward, she took photos with everyone, capturing all the same memories of a more traditional graduation. People filled her guest book with notes of congratulations and well-wishes for her future.
It wasn’t the graduation Laura was expecting, but she told the WFAA news reporter that, in the end, it was perfect.
“I think I would not have changed anything.”
MORE LOVE FOR GRADS:
• GoFundMe for Teen Who Rushed to Work Instead of Partying After Graduation Skyrockets to $180K
• All 4 Daughters Named Valedictorian of Their High School–Outsmarting the Odds of 1 in 11 Billion
• Unforgettable Commencement Speaker Surprises Each Graduate With $1,000 Cash–Asking Them to Give Away Half (WATCH)
After her health issues were treated and Wiley was discharged one day later, she may have gained one more lesson on that last day of high school.
Life is unpredictable. But you’ll often find people willing to help you out along the way.
“I’m just blown away,” Wiley’s mother Brandie said when asked about the makeshift graduation’s meaning.
“Graduation is just so special. From the very first day of school, you imagine that moment. It’s the end of a journey. We both cried a lot of tears over it.”
LOVING THE TEXAS HOSPITAL-ITY? Share The Sweet Story on Social Media…
Quote of the Day: “To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.” – Tia Walker (Happy Father’s Day!)
Photo by: Getty Images for Unsplash+
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?
On this day 810 years ago, England’s King John put his seal to the Magna Carta. The historic document established the foundations of parliamentary democracy, human rights and the supremacy of law for rebellious English Barons demanding freedom and legal due process. Its importance isn’t only that the document itself reflected the emergence of English common law, but the scenario out of which it was born—local holders of wealth extracting concessions from a European crown head—reflects the importance of Europe in developing all modern societies. READ why that occurred… (1215)
A 22-year-old has built his own secure box for delivery packages after having a parcel stolen by a ‘porch pirate’.
Frustration swelled last year after Brandon Mejia lost a sentimental delivery to thieves. He had ordered a necklace for Mother’s Day and it was stolen while he was in the shower, shortly after it was delivered.
He researched online intending to buy a secure box, but found the best available options too complicated or expensive.
Using his welding experience, he teamed up with his father and spent $100 on stainless steel to build his own custom security box for just $100 (£73).
The box has an automatic locking mechanism, that only locks after a package is put inside. It stays open for the delivery people and once the parcel is placed inside and the lid is shut, it locks automatically—and can only be opened using a personal four-digit code.
“We’ve been using the box since December 2024 and it’s been working great,” said Brandon from Frederick, Maryland.
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“I’d say we’ve had about 15 packages delivered in that time and they’ve all arrived safely.
“As a welder, I know where to buy the materials for a project like this, how to cut metals and I already have the necessary tools. Once the steel sections were cut, I welded them together from both the outside and inside to make the box waterproof.
“I then painted it black, so it wouldn’t attract too much attention, and attached the lid with the built-in automatic keypad lock.
“To make it clear to delivery drivers, I also added some delivery company logo stickers I found online and placed the box outside my door.”
Most lockboxes cost between $100 and $300, but you’ll have to pay a little more if you want high-quality smart features or keypads.
Some of the boxes for sale are quite lightweight and thieves can simply carry them away. So if you are looking to secure your packages, the heavier the box is, the better—or attach the box to the porch somehow.
CLEVER: Man Used 80 Discarded Vape Batteries to Power an Electric Scooter Proving the Importance of E-Waste
Watch Brandon’s DIY video below…
SUGGEST A PROJECT By Sharing the Idea With Friends on Social Media…
Girl Scouts in Massachusetts just sent nearly 14,000 boxes of cookies to members of the US military this month.
The donation was part of their Project Care and Share—and five of the region’s top cookie sellers were on hand to help load the trucks.
“Every scout, every person, can make an impact in their own way,” said Shaylynne Rappazini, a Girl Scout Senior and the top cookie seller for the Share and Care program.
Selling Girl Scout Cookies is a proud tradition that teaches goal setting, people skills, and entrepreneurship—but it also funds Girl Scout service projects that directly benefit the community.
In addition to raising funds for their own programs, Girl Scouts give back to others—and so do their customers who can purchase cookies to be donated to local nonprofits or service members.
1,771 Girl Scouts in the Central and Western Massachusetts region participated in this year’s donation initiative, collected 13,989 boxes of cookies (1,166 cases) to give away.
Trucks were loaded in Westfield, Massachusetts on June 6 bound for Barnes Air National Guard and the USO, which will distribute the donations to those currently serving in the US military.
MORE INSPIRING SCOUTS: Handy with a Hammer and Saw, Eagle Scout Renovates Oklahoma Nun’s Food Bank
Demonstrating leadership, teamwork, and a spirit of giving, the girls showed how Thin Mints and Samoas gave them the chance to learn about gratitude and the power of collective generosity.
“The Girl Scout Cookie Program is about so much more than cookies. Through Project Care and Share, girls learn how to give back,” said Theresa Lynn, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts.
“It’s a gesture of gratitude led by the girls themselves.”
YOU GO, GIRL! This Cancer Surviving Girl Scout Broke the Record, Selling 32K Boxes of Cookies – With Proceeds Going to Sick Kids
SHARE THE YUMMY KINDNESS With Your Community on Social Media…
A cat miraculously survived a 380-foot fall after she sadly went over the railing with her owners at Bryce Canyon—but she was soon adopted by the pilot who rescued her.
The owners, a 45-year-old male and 58-year-old female, were found at the bottom of the gorge in Utah by tourists who alerted rangers. No one suspected their cat Mirage was nearby.
Chelsea Tugaw, the search and rescue pilot who was on-duty that day, noticed what looked like a dusty backpack, but it turned out to be a soft-sided pet carrier.
“We couldn’t believe the cat was alive,” exclaimed Chelsea who flies for the Utah Department of Public Safety.
The 12-year-old cat was whisked away to the Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah where a veterinary team diagnosed her with two broken ribs and smashed teeth. But X-rays revealed no need for surgery.
“I thought she was injured, but I was uncertain of her future,” said Chelsea who took comfort knowing the newly-orphaned cat was in good hands.
HAPPY SURPRISE: Man is ‘Overwhelmed’ as His Bengal Cat is Returned From 16-year Absence After a Phone Call
When Mirage recovered, the sanctuary reached out to the grieving families, but they weren’t able to adopt Mirage themselves.
After feeling a “special connection” to Mirage, Chelsea returned to the sanctuary to adopt the cat and bring her home.
“I’m so ecstatic to be taking Mirage home. I felt there was a special connection with us rescuing her.
“I hope I can give her the perfect retirement life and let her be a nice lazy cat in her old age. She’s going to a really loving home.”
We have a feeling Mirage will ‘fall’ in love during her next one of nine lives.
HAIL THIS CAT’S HARDINESS By Sharing On Social Media…
Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)
Here is your weekly horoscope…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of June 14, 2025
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
I’ve always had the impression that honeybees are restless wanderers, randomly hopping from flower to flower as they gradually accumulate nectar. But I recently discovered that they only meander until they find a single good fount of nourishment, whereupon they sup deeply and make a beeline back to the hive. I am advocating their approach to you in the coming weeks. Engage in exploratory missions, but don’t dawdle, and don’t sip small amounts from many different sites. Instead, be intent on finding a single source that provides the quality and quantity you want, then fulfill your quest and head back to your sanctuary.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Let’s talk about innovation. I suspect it will be your specialty in the coming weeks and months. One form that innovation takes is the generation of a new idea, approach, or product. Another kind of innovation comes through updating something that already exists. A third may emerge from finding new relationships between two or more older ways of doing things—creative recombinations that redefine the nature of the blended elements. All these styles of innovation are now ripe for you to employ.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Leo psychotherapist Carl Jung was halfway through his life of 85 years when he experienced the ultimate midlife crisis. Besieged by feelings of failure and psychological disarray, he began to see visions and hear voices in his head. Determined to capitalize on the chaotic but fertile opportunity, he undertook an intense period of self-examination and self-healing. He wrote in journals that were eventually published as The Red Book: Liber Novus. He emerged healthy and whole from this trying time, far wiser about his nature and his mission in life. I invite you to initiate your own period of renewal in the coming months, Leo. Consider writing your personal Red Book: Liber Novus.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
In the coming weeks, you will have chances to glide deeper than you have previously dared to go into experiences, relationships, and opportunities that are meaningful to you. How much bold curiosity will you summon as you penetrate further than ever before into the heart of the gorgeous mysteries? How wild and unpredictable will you be as you explore territory that has been off-limits? Your words of power: probe, dive down, decipher.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
When traditional Japanese swordsmiths crafted a blade, they wrapped hard outer layers around a softer inner core. This strategy gave their handiwork a sharp cutting edge while also imbuing it with flexibility and a resistance to breakage. I recommend a similar approach for you, Libra. Create balance, yes, but do so through integration rather than compromise. Like the artisans of old, don’t choose between hardness and flexibility, but find ways to incorporate both. Call on your natural sense of harmony to blend opposites that complement each other.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Scorpio journalist Martha Gelhorn (1908–1998) was an excellent war correspondent. During her six decades on the job, she reported on many of the world’s major conflicts. But she initially had a problem when trying to get into France to report on D-Day, June 6, 1945. Her application for press credentials was denied, along with all those of other women journalists. Surprise! Through subterfuge and daring, Gelhorn stowed away on a hospital ship and reached France in time to report on the climactic events. I counsel you to also use extraordinary measures to achieve your goals, Scorpio. Innovative circumspection and ethical trickery are allowed. Breaking the rules may be necessary and warranted.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
My spirit guides enjoy reminding me that breakthrough insights and innovations may initially emerge not as complete solutions, but as partial answers to questions that need further exploration. I don’t always like it, but I listen anyway, when they tell me that progress typically comes through incremental steps. The Sagittarian part of my nature wants total victory and comprehensive results NOW. It would rather not wait for the slow, gradual approach to unfold its gifts. So I empathize if you are a bit frustrated by the piecemeal process you are nursing. But I’m here to say that your patience will be well rewarded.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
“Sometimes I’ve got to pause and relax my focused striving, because that’s the only way my unconscious mind can work its magic.” My Capricorn friend Alicia says that about her creative process as a novelist. The solution to a knotty challenge may not come from redoubling her efforts but instead from making a strategic retreat into silence and emptiness. I invite you to consider a similar approach, Capricorn. Experiment with the hypothesis that significant breakthroughs will arrive when you aren’t actively seeking them. Trust in the fertile void of not-knowing. Allow life’s meandering serendipity to reveal unexpected benefits.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Are you interested in graduating to the next level of love and intimacy? If so, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to intensify your efforts. Life will be on your side if you dare to get smarter about how to make your relationships work better than they ever have. To inspire your imagination and incite you to venture into the frontiers of togetherness, I offer you a vivacious quote from author Anais Nin. Say it to your favorite soul friend or simply use it as a motivational prayer. Nin wrote, “You are the fever in my blood, the tide that carries me to undiscovered shores. You are my alchemist, transmuting my fears into wild, gold-spun passion. With you, my body is a poem. You are the labyrinth where I lose and find myself, the unwritten book of ecstasies that only you can read.”
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
What deep longing of yours is both fascinating and frustrating? To describe it further: It keeps pushing you to new frontiers yet always eludes complete satisfaction. It teaches you valuable life lessons but sometimes spoofs you and confuses you. Here’s the good news about this deep longing, Pisces: You now have the power to tap into its nourishing fuel in unprecedented ways. It is ready to give you riches it has never before provided. Here’s the “bad” news: You will have to raise your levels of self-knowledge to claim all of its blessings. (And of course, that’s not really bad!)
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Your definition of home is due for revamping, deepening, and expansion. Your sense of where you truly belong is ripe to be adjusted and perhaps even revolutionized. A half-conscious desire you have not previously been ready to fully acknowledge is ready for you to explore. Can you handle these subtly shocking opportunities? Do you have any glimmerings about how to open yourself to the revelations that life would love to offer you about your roots, your foundations, and your prime resources? Here are your words of power: source and soul.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Do you have any frustrations about how you express yourself or create close connections? Are there problems in your ability to be heard and appreciated? Do you wish you could be more persuasive and influential? If so, your luck is changing. In the coming months, you will have extraordinary powers to innovate, expand, and deepen the ways you communicate. Even if you are already fairly pleased with the flow of information and energy between you and those you care for, surprising upgrades could be in the works. To launch this new phase of fostering links, affinities, and collaborations, devise fun experiments that encourage you to reach out and be reached.
WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com
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Quote of the Day: “A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.” – Walt Whitman
Photo by: Ashlee Marie (Heavenly Blue variety of Morning Glory)
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?
79 years ago today, sumptuous singer Nat King Cole recorded The Christmas Song, written by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells, for the first time. It is still today, lo-fi be darned, one of the most preferred versions of this icon of iconic yuletide tunes. While it’s a little early in the year for Christmas songs, YouTube has the man singing the song on his short-lived variety show, The Nat King Cole Show. READ more and watch the video… (1946)
A German bio-tech company has developed a naturally-occurring enzyme discovered in a cemetery into a near-market ready solution for recycling plastic without any loss of quality.
In 2022, GNN reported on a paper published by Leipzig-based scientists who first identified the enzyme. At the time, the enzyme was subject to a small side-by-side test, and caused the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic to decompose by a whopping 90%.
Fast forward to the spring of 2025 and those same scientists have perfected the capabilities of that enzyme, called PHL7, and have founded ESTER Biotech to bring those capabilities to market.
Their initial plan to be finished next year is a bathtub-sized pilot project reactor. If successful, their 2030 plan will be four 350 cubic-meter reactors capable of processing 45,000 metric tons of PET plastic every year.
PHL7 and ESTER Biotech boast several advantages over chemical and thermal recycling methods. For starters, once the polymers of PET are broken by the enzyme into monomers, or single component parts, they have suffered no degradation of their material characteristics unlike some recycled plastic which is weaker or less stable.
Additionally, PHL7 is exceptionally stable from 32 to 203 degrees Fahrenheit (0-95°C), and per kilogram of plastic, a dose of only 0.02% to 0.06% of the enzyme is required—substantially less than existing alternatives. Their new version of the enzyme also recycles the plastic several hours faster.
“Our technology makes it possible to bring material flows that are currently burned back to the beginning of the cycle at the molecular level,” says Christian Sonnendecker, lead author on the paper of the enzyme’s discovery, and co-founder of ESTER Biotech at the University of Leipzig. “And with high energy efficiency and scalability.”
“We are only at the beginning. But we are convinced that when science, entrepreneurial spirit and social responsibility come together, a cemetery enzyme can become a beacon of hope for a better future.”
RECYCLING BREAKTHROUGHS:
ESTER Biotech’s enzyme is able to separate certain multilayer composites which are normally thought of as unrecyclable. In addition to the infrastructure of the pilot project, ESTER is currently working with two medium-sized partners to build a cost-efficient supply chain with an aim to reduce the enzyme price to between 100 and 200 euros per kilogram.
Though no currently-commercialized recycling method can compete with the cost of virgin plastic, a price between 100 and 200 euros will put it in line with existing competitors.
Fortunately for anyone in the space, the EU is not afraid to use heavy-handed regulation to guarantee plastic recycling rates. By 2040, under existing EU legislation, 65% of plastic production will be mandated to come from recycled sources. ESTER believes that with its potential to offer a higher quality “recyclate,” the incentive to pursue and expand enzymatic methods will increase.
SHARE This Great Update On A Tremendous Discovery With Your Friends…
A Spanish startup has successfully tested a new thruster for spacecraft that runs on a ‘green’ propellant to replace the ultra-toxic hydrazine commonly used in the industry.
It uses hydrogen peroxide, and is then not only less toxic but also substantially less expensive to run. Arkadia Space, which invented the thruster system, celebrated an in-orbit demonstration in early June.
Codenamed the DARK propulsion system, it powered an ION spacecraft from the aerospace company D-ORBIT during a controlled test in which the propellant was able to generate 5 newtons of thrust during thousands of small, fraction-of-a-second firings, as well as longer steady burns of five seconds or longer.
“What we have found is that it is exactly the same as the ground data,” Francho Garcia, chief executive and co-founder of Arkadia Space, said in a recent interview of the thruster’s in-space performance. “It was much better than what we were expecting, honestly.”
The company was able to demonstrate the incredible cost savings when it launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-13 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base. A 2008 study by Purdue School of Aeronautics and Astronautics found that hydrogen peroxide fuel comes in at around $10.36 per kilogram, while hydrazine topped the cost chart at around $75.8/kg.
It also would have rolled out the propellant with little more than hand and eye protection, compared to complete hazmat equipment as would be the case with hydrazine.
Former US Air Force corporal and ground crew engineer Anthony Urankar told GNN’s Andrew Corbley that hydrazine is one of the most significant contaminants any Air Force technician could come in contact with.
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Urankar recounted one instance of a crashed F-16 fighter jet—which uses the material as a fuel for emergency burns in the event of an engine stall—leaking hydrazine onto the crash site. Hazmat crews used excavators to scoop up all the dirt across an area far in excess of that affected by the crash. All those who participated were then referred for cancer screenings, as hydrazine is considered a probable carcinogen.
As a result of its expense, and the added expense such toxicity demands for handling and safety requirements, Garcia noted that companies have told him they need to run “green” propellant-powered satellites, or SpaceX won’t include their craft onboard rideshare launches.
MORE SPACE INNOVATION: Tiny Spacecraft is ‘Solar Sailing’ in Orbit Using Only Sunlight, a Revolution in Space Exploration
Garcia also said that the company, which currently designs thrust systems for satellites and spacecraft, have been contacted about the possibility of scaling the technology up for use in launch and re-entry vehicles.
“We believe that with the data that we have, we should have no problems signing the first customers,” Garcia said, according to Space News.
SHARE This Advancement In Non-Toxic Space-Tech With Your Friends…
Two paintings have been recovered 40 years after they were stolen from an art museum in New Mexico, the FBI has reported.
The paintings, by Victor Higgins and Joseph Henry Sharp, were stolen in March of 1985 from the Harwood Museum of Art at the University of New Mexico, which was primarily a public library at the time with a museum on the second floor.
After being notified in the spring of 2024, the local FBI field office reviewed the documentation provided by the museum and opened an investigation. The paintings were located, recovered, and ultimately returned to the Harwood Museum of Art on May 12th.
The paintings were Higgins’ oil on canvas Aspens (1932) and Sharp’s portrait Oklahoma Cheyenne aka Indian Boy in Full Dress (1915). Sharp and Higgins were members of the Taos Society of Artists, and the latter was a founding board member of the Harwood museum.
The investigation was prompted by a phone call from an Arizona investigative reporter who claimed to have substantial evidence that whoever stole the two works was the same person who targeted the University of Arizona Museum of Art 32 years ago. The criminal made off with Willem de Kooning’s Woman-Ocher (1954–55), which was recovered in 2017 from the home of Rita and Jerry Alter.
During a search of their house, a photograph was taken in which Aspens and Oklahoma Cheyenne could be seen hanging on the wall in the background. One year after the photo was taken, the paintings were sold at an Arizona auction house, the FBI later learned.
OTHER FBI ART BUSTS:
The Scottsdale Auction House’s 2018 auction catalog advertised the paintings with changed titles Fall Landscape and Indian in a War Bonnet, names unconnected to any documentation from Sharp or Higgins.
“We are grateful for the cooperation of all parties involved,” said Margaret Girard, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “The recovery of these stolen paintings is a powerful reminder that the FBI continues to commit investigative resources to recover cultural property and return these stolen items to their rightful owners.”
“This homecoming means so much—not just to our staff, board, and members, but to the entire arts and cultural community of Taos. We can’t wait to celebrate their return with everyone,” said Harwood’s Executive Director Juniper Leherissey.
SHARE This 40-Year Cold Case Resolved And Two Beloved Paintings Returned…
An architecture firm is having fun building microlibraries across Java with playful designs that offer respite from the heat.
Envisioned as an excellent way to increase literacy, they attract children with the designs who then get to enjoy a reading environment that inspires imagination and creativity. They were recently profiled in a Guardian photo essay.
The Dutch/German firm SHAU uses a combination of local materials and passive cooling principles used for centuries among islands’ kingdoms to shave off several degrees from the tropical air.
Shading, cross ventilation, and the principle that air speeds up and chills down when forced through small openings help keep these spaces cool for students.
Ongoing since 2012, the project has completed 8 libraries across the country. FSC-certified wood and lightweight concrete feature heavily in their builds, but the designers are not afraid to think outside the box.
The facade of the Bima microlibrary in Bandung is made up of 2,000 locally-produced and recycled ice cream tubs with the bottoms cut out. The transparency and airflow they provide offer a mixture of reading light, shade, and breeze to those enjoying a book inside.
MORE LIBRARY STORIES: Meet the Street Librarian Changing the Lives of Baltimore Youth and Beyond
The Warak Kayu microlibrary in central Java is set on stilts, allowing the breezes to pass underneath. Above and inside, the floor is a rope net.
The partnership hopes to continue on in this way for the next 20 years until 100 of these microlibraries have been built.
SHARE This Creative Way To Keep Children Turning Pages In Indonesia…
Quote of the Day: “Zeal is a volcano, the peak of which the grass of indecisiveness does not grow.” – Kahlil Gibran
Photo by: Fellipe Ditadi for Unsplash+
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?
70 years ago today, Alan Hansen, one of the greatest Scottish footballers of all time and one of the greatest defenders to ever play in England, was born. Transforming the role of the central defender with his delicate touch and incisive passing, he won 8 top-flight English titles with Liverpool FC, including a period that saw three in a row between 1981 and 1984, during which they also won the club’s first-ever English League Cup, as well as its first three European Cups. READ more about this legendary player… (1955)
