Quote of the Day: “Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” – Kahlil Gibran
Photo: by Valeri Pizhanski, CC license – levels adjusted
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A depressed bovine has finally been reunited with his best friend: a beloved therapy goat who was stolen out of their paddock last month.
Bunter the cow is just one of the animal residents at the Maungaturoto Hotel in Northland, New Zealand. Bunter used to share a paddock with his cousin Rosie until she passed away a few months ago.
As Bunter became more and more lethargic over the death of his friend, hotel owner Joe Robin became more concerned over the cow’s wellbeing.
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He then adopted Peaches the therapy goat in hopes that she would live Bunter’s spirits—and his plan worked like a charm.
“After Rosie passed away, Bunter got really depressed and we heard that goats were good therapy, and there was a lady who was willing to gift Peaches to us,” Robin told Newshub NZ. “As soon as Peaches arrived in the paddock, Bunter was a different cow, running around everywhere.”
However, Robin was left heartbroken after Peaches suddenly disappeared from the paddock in mid-December. Not only that, he suspected that she had been stolen because her paddock wiring had been cut.
As the community searched for Peaches, Robin and his wife feared the worst—until they caught sight of one particularly anxious goat standing away from its herd on a neighboring property. The goat had the same white fur as Peaches and it looked as if it did not belong with the other goats.
“We watch a lot of CI (Crime + Investigation), so we did our own investigating,” said Robin.
Sure enough, it was Peaches.
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Since the owners of the property later told police that they had bought Peaches at a market, no further legal action is being taken on the matter; although the rescued goat was given an official police escort back to her home at Maungaturoto Hotel.
Needless to say, Bunter was elated to be reunited with his friend.
“Now that Peaches is back, Bunter is overjoyed. They’ve been trying to share a kennel together but they don’t fit in,” Robin told Stuff NZ. “Peaches really does provide a ‘therapy’ for Bunter through her companionship. I’m so glad they are back together.”
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Last week, the BMW luxury car brand became the first automaker to join an international coalition for responsible mining.
Specifically, the BMW Group became the first member of the auto industry to join the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA): a precedent-setting global certification program for industrial-scale mine sites.
This is not the first time that BMW has been hailed for their drive towards sustainability; in addition to releasing their electrified new MINI Cooper, the company recently announced that they now have more than half a million cars on the roads—and they plan on doubling that number by the end of 2021.
With growing awareness and demand for ecologically and socially-responsible products, jewelers, electronics businesses, automakers, and others have sought assurances that the minerals they purchase are mined responsibly. As a member of IRMA, the BMW Group will be participating in IRMA programs to transform the industrial mining sector towards more responsible practices.
IRMA measures performance of mine sites against their Standard for Responsible Mining, which seeks to emulate for industrial-scale mine sites what has been done with certification programs in organic agriculture, responsible forestry, and sustainable fisheries.
“The auto sector is a powerful purchaser of materials that come from mines. We are happy to have the BMW Group join IRMA and we look forward to supporting their commitment to increasing environmental and social responsibility in their supply chains,” said Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director of IRMA.
The Standard for Responsible Mining reflects the input from over 100 companies, organizations and individuals worldwide. Members in IRMA include a variety of stakeholders in the mining supply chain or those affected by mining, including purchasers of mined materials Microsoft and Tiffany & Co; labor unions IndustriALL Global Union (that represents more than 50 million workers in mining and manufacturing in 140 countries); nonprofit organizations Earthworks and Human Rights Watch; and various mining companies and mining-affected communities.
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“Sustainability is an important aspect of our corporate strategy and we are fully aware of our responsibility in mineral value chains.” said Dr. Andreas Wendt, member of the board of management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network.
“For the BMW Group and its stakeholders, it is of the utmost importance that environmental and social standards are adhered to throughout the entire value chain. Raw materials form the basis for every industrial production process and our need will continue to grow accordingly,” underlined Wendt. “We believe that IRMA, with its ambitious certification standard, will contribute to enhancing responsibility in global value chains and improving environmental and social performance.”
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The Standard for Responsible Mining is the result of more than ten years of collaboration among groups from the mining industry, organized labor, nonprofit organizations, impacted communities, and businesses. The Standard’s best practice requirements for mining include elements such as health and safety for workers, human rights, community engagement, pollution control, mining in conflict-affected areas, rights of indigenous peoples, transparency in revenue payments from companies to governments, and land reclamation once mining is done.
IRMA emphasizes that The Standard is not simply a pass/fail system, instead focused on transparency, where different levels of performance are recognized and continuous improvement is encouraged, but where certification is still available for those industrial-scale mine sites meeting best practice requirements.
Be Sure And Drive The Good News Over To Your Friends By Sharing This To Social Media — Feature photo contribution by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, CC
This sweet story of Canadian kindness just goes to show that even Snowmageddon has its heroes.
Since Vancouver Island was covered in a foot of snowfall earlier this week, almost 100 citizens have offered up their jeeps and driving services to help nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers get to the local hospital.
The volunteers are all members of the Vancouver Island Toyota 4×4 public Facebook group for British Columbians who want to share their appreciation of big cars.
Many of the drivers provided free transportation to hospital workers during the harsh winter storms back in 2019—so when the weather forecast called for snow this week, the group reached out to Island Health in anticipation of shuttling the employees to work.
WATCH: Bald Eagle Weighed Down by Large Ball of Ice is Freed By Locals Who Jumped into Frozen Lake
“[Staffers at Victoria General Hospital] have patched me up a hundred times,” volunteer driver Shelby Newcombe told CTV News. “They also delivered my little boy here, and I was also born here, so it is nice to give back to them.”
Despite how they are providing the transportation to hospital workers for free, Newcombe says that many other community members have been “donating money for gas and banana bread, which was a big hit.”
Forecasts are now warning Vancouver Island residents to prepare for another foot of snowfall this week—but Newcombe and the other members of the VI Toyota 4×4 group are already prepared to continue giving rides to hospital workers until the weather abates.
(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by CTV News
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Scientists from New Zealand have just made the “remarkable discovery” of the brain having its own blood pressure sensors—and they say it could pave the way towards new treatments for dementia, high blood pressure, migraines, and a dozen other conditions.
For decades, scientists have suspected that the brain had a way of monitoring and regulating its own blood flow separate from the body-wide blood pressure control system—but until now, no one had proven this.
The brain needs more blood than any other organ to satisfy neurons’ relentless, high demand for oxygen, so it makes sense that it would have a way of buffering itself from blood flow fluctuations in the wider body.
Now, a research collaboration involving scientists from the University of Auckland, University College London, and Bristol University is the first ever to identify blood flow sensors within the brain.
In the researchers’ animal study, they found the sensors—tiny cells called astrocytes—strategically squeezed between blood vessels and nerve cells in rats’ brains. When the researchers stimulated these cells, the cells increased blood flow into the brain.
Professor Julian Paton from the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, a member of the research team, explains: “These astrocyte cells are exquisitely sensitive to reductions in brain blood flow. When blood supply is reduced, they release a chemical signal to nearby nerve cells that raise blood pressure, restoring blood flow to the brain.”
The researchers say this finding could potentially lead to new approaches to treating numerous diseases associated with reduced brain blood flow. Disturbances to brain blood flow are a known cause in many diseases; for example, sustained reduction in brain blood flow is a likely cause of cognitive decline, dementia, and neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s disease.
“What we have discovered is that the brain has an automatic way to make sure that brain blood flow is preserved. Unfortunately, in pathological conditions, this is happening at the expense of generating higher blood pressure in the rest of the body,” says Professor Paton.
“Our finding suggests that reducing activity in these blood flow-sensing astrocytes may be a way to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension (high blood pressure). It may also be a way to combat migraines and strokes. On the other hand, sensitizing these cells may help in conditions of dementia to improve brain blood flow.”
Collaborator Professor Alexander Gourine from University College London says: “We are very excited about this discovery; there has never been a formal description of a blood flow or blood pressure sensor within the brain before.
“Our new data identify astrocytes as brain blood flow sensors that are critically important for setting the normal level of systemic (arterial) blood pressure and in doing so ensures that the brain receives a sufficient amount of oxygen and nutrients to support the uninterrupted operation of the information processing machinery.”
The study was published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications.
Reprinted from the University of Auckland
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Conservationists are celebrating the success of a mission to save the world’s last remaining “dinosaur trees” from the Australian bushfires.
The ancient Wollemi Pine was thought to be extinct until a small grouping of the prehistoric trees was discovered in the mountains roughly 124 miles northwest (200 kilometers) of Sydney back in 1996.
Fossil records show that the pines existed as far back as 200 million years ago—and since these 200 trees are the only known Wollemi Pines left in the wild, their location has remained a closely-kept secret in order to ensure their protection.
When Australian legislators heard that the bushfires—which have been raging across New South Wales since September—were edging closer to the Wollemi grove, a team of specialized firefighters was airlifted onto the scene.
“These pines outlived the dinosaurs, so when we saw the fire approaching we realized we had to do everything we could to save them,” said New South Wales state Environment Minister Matt Kean.
Just one week before the fires hit the surrounding forests, the firefighters sprayed the trees with fire retardant and installed an irrigation system to keep the area moist. As the fire drew closer, air tankers dumped water around the perimeter of the grove and kept the flames at bay.
LOOK: Thousands of Aussies Are Heartened by Photos of Charred Landscapes Already Recovering From Bushfires
Although a few of the dinosaur trees were lightly singed by the blaze, the safety measures successfully protected the grove—and the surrounding fires were reportedly contained earlier this week.
Richard Kingsford, director of the Center for Ecosystem Science at the University of NSW, hailed the firefighting success to The Sydney Morning Herald: “This is such a remarkable species in terms of ecology and evolution … and only found in Australia.”
“It’s something like the Opera House of the natural world,” he added. “Losing it would have added to the catastrophe we have seen elsewhere.”
(WATCH the AFP news coverage below) – Photo by AFP News Agency
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Quote of the Day: “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” – Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
Photo: Special Olympics, public domain on Flickr – cropped
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Raising just one child can be a tough job for any parent—which is why this woman is being honored for fostering more than 600 children over the course of five decades.
75-year-old Linda Herring from Johnson County, Iowa has been tirelessly providing food, clothing, love, and medical care to hundreds of foster kids since the 1970s.
When Herring first began fostering kids, she was also running a home daycare and working as a night custodian in a local high school. Additionally, she volunteered as a first responder for 50 years of her life, according to CNN.
Out of the hundreds of foster kids that Herring has taken under her wing, many of them experienced a range of medical conditions and special needs—but that never deterred Herring.
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“Linda mostly fostered young children and children with special medical needs and kept bins of clothes in her garage, stacked to the ceiling, labeled by size and gender,” read a statement from Johnson County officials. “No one had to worry about a child going without clothes at Linda’s, even if they arrived with nothing but what they were wearing.”
Anthony Herring, who was just 3 years old when he was adopted into the Iowa family, described his mother to CNN: “It’s hard to say in words her impact. She was always available and ready for a child in need.
“These kids were usually taken from a traumatic situation and she’d take them in, provide a warm bed, clean clothes, warm meals, and love,” Anthony told the news outlet. “She also worked hard to keep families together. Keeping siblings together. Helping biological parents make the changes needed to be able to keep their children.
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“She always makes sure a new child in her home was given a professional photograph that was placed on the wall in the living room,” he added. “That seems like a small thing, but it helps them feel like they’re at home.”
In light of how Ms. Herring announced her retirement from fostering new children in October due to health concerns, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors honored her with a special ceremony of appreciation this week.
Additionally, five of Herring’s biological children and three of her grandchildren have been carrying on her legacy as foster parents as well.
The Board of Supervisors, Department of Human Services and a standing room only crowd recognized Linda Faye Herring last night for nearly five decades of serving as a foster parent to more than 600 children in #JohnsonCountyIA. pic.twitter.com/wGV4jqEBMj
— Johnson County, Iowa (@JohnsonCountyIA) January 10, 2020
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Despite being the official mascot of the United States, there were only 4 bald eagle nests recorded across the state of Ohio as recently as 1979.
Now 41 years later, conservationists are happy to report that number has increased dramatically.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), 312 chicks were fledged from 221 nests in 2017. Showing no sign of slowing down, bald eagle breeding pairs have increased 22% between 2017 and 2018 alone.
“I am proud of our agency’s restoration efforts to bring back this iconic symbol of our nation, and thrilled the population is thriving here,” said Kendra Wecker, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife.
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“Each time an eagle soars overhead, Ohioans have the opportunity to experience the natural beauty in our state,” she added. “Nesting season is an exciting time, and I hope we can exceed 300 nests this year.”
In addition to teaming up with concerned and willing landowners, the ODNR Division of Wildlife partnered with various state zoos and rehabilitation services to create a climate that allowed bald eagles to recover in great numbers. In 2007, bald eagles were removed from the federal list of endangered species, and successfully soared off the Ohio state listing just 5 years after that.
Bald eagle populations in other US states such as Georgia and New Jersey have made notable comebacks as well.
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The bald eagle, on George Washington’s urging, was made a principal symbol of our nation because of the majestic animal’s standing as an icon of ultimate freedom. Ohio residents hoping to catch a glimpse of the magisterial bird in their viewfinders or binoculars should keep their eyes open in late March. The trees remain leafless; rivers and lakes are released from winter’s icy grip; and mating pairs have returned to their nests to lay eggs, typically in large trees like oaks and sycamores.
Another good time to find bald eagles is in mid-winter. Disruptions in the eagle’s hunting methods such as lakes being frozen and mammals hibernating underground force baldies to greatly expand their hunting range. The population of mid-winter eagles in Ohio was found in an annual survey to have increased 75% in just one year (2018 to 2019).
(WATCH the Great Big Story video on the bald eagle’s comeback below)
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A first title in three years for @serenawilliams !
— WTA (@WTA) January 12, 2020
She beats Pegula 6-3, 6-4 at @ASB_Classic ! pic.twitter.com/EUnWlLAQQe
It has been three years since tennis icon Serena Williams won a big game—but upon reentering the court for a title victory earlier this week, she announced she would be donating all of the prize money to Australian bushfire relief efforts.
Williams won the ASB Classic Match against American tennis player Jessica Pegula in Auckland, New Zealand in a 6–3, 6–4 match.
The victory, which is her first championship title since the birth of her daughter Olympia in 2017, came with a $43,000 prize—all of which she will be donating to Australian organizations fighting the bushfires across the southern provinces.
“I’ve been playing Australia for over 20 years and it’s been really hard for me to watch all the news and everything that’s been happening in Australia with all the fires,” Williams told reporters. “So I decided that I would donate all my prize money for a great cause.”
This week’s victory marks Williams’s 73rd career title. The 38-year-old athlete will now reportedly be headed to the Australia Open where she has previously won 7 of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
However, Williams is not the only celebrity to donate to Australian relief efforts; an online fundraiser created by Australian comedian Celeste Barber has raised a whopping $35 million in just two weeks alone.
Donations have also poured in from the likes of Pink, Chris Hemsworth, Nicole Kidman, Elton John, Lizzo, and Kylie Jenner.
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This trailblazing Canadian company is building a new standard for sustainability since they started recycling the bulk of their municipal plastic waste into lumber.
Roughly 80% of the plastic recyclables collected throughout Halifax, Nova Scotia are now being processed by Goodwood Plastic Products Ltd so they can be turned into building blocks.
The plastic lumber can be drilled, nailed, glued, and handled the same way as wooden lumber—but without any of the same deterioration.
The other 20% of municipal plastics are reportedly being sent to other Canadian recycling markets, but Halifax Solid Waste Division Manager Andrew Philopoulos says that provincial legislators are particularly grateful for Goodwood’s initiative.
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“We are very, very fortunate here in Nova Scotia to have that local company taking the material,” he told CBC’s Information Morning. “Without them, I think we would find it challenging to find a market for a lot of the plastic packaging that we are collecting.”
Goodwood also made a name for themselves back in December when they partnered with a Sobeys grocery store in order to create one of the nation’s first parking lots made entirely out of post-consumer plastics saved from local landfills.
Although the bulk of Goodwood’s recycled plastic comes from single-use bags, they also process food jars and other common consumer packaging.
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Thus far, CBC says that the lumber has been used to make everything from picnic tables and park benches to agricultural posting and guardrail structures—and Goodwood vice president Mike Chassie says he hopes their business model will inspire other regions to launch similar ventures.
“We can take this business—the knowledge and our skills—and we can export it and take it to other places,” he told the news outlet. “Post-consumer plastic is not going away, so we need to continue to find ways to give it a new life so it becomes a resource, instead of a waste.”
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When this doting husband proposed to his wife in her favorite restaurant, social media users from all over the world gushed over the South African couple’s sweet story—but not every internet comment was enthusiastic.
A few people posted snide remarks about the man’s financial status and his decision to propose inside of a KFC.
Because of the negative comments, however, thousands of individual people and companies rallied together to organize the couple’s dream wedding.
This is not the first time that the groom, Hector Mkansi, has proposed to Nonhlanhla Soldaat; the couple has been inseparable since they met at a funeral in 2010. Shortly after meeting each other, they got married in a small, traditional wedding ceremony in 2012.
At the time, it was all they could afford—but Mkansi hoped to one day be able to give his wife the wedding ring and ceremony that she deserved.
Then in November, Mkansi bought a bigger ring and made plans to re-propose to Soldaat inside of her favorite restaurant: KFC.
Mzansi please help us find this beautiful couple, re batla ho ba blesser 😊 DM us any leads, there might be a Finger Lickin' Good surprise in it for you too. Batho ba Vaal re thuseng! We love love 😍❤️ #KFCProposal pic.twitter.com/6bj89dtj4j
— KFC South Africa (@KFCSA) November 7, 2019
When Mkansi asked the staffers for help orchestrating the proposal, they were surprised, but happy to help; so when the couple collected their order from the counter, Soldaat opened the KFC bag and was stunned to find a wedding ring sitting on top of the food.
A random restaurant patron managed to film the heartwarming moment that 37-year-old Mkansi got down on one knee. The KFC headquarters in South Africa later shared the video to their Twitter page asking for help identifying the couple.
Not only did the video rack up more than 4 million views, the fast food chain managed to identify the couple and hire an event planner to organize their dream wedding.
South Africa, you guys are amazing! We’ve found the beautiful couple, and looks like we’re having a #StreetwiseWedding y’all 🥳 We’re meeting Bhut’ Hector and his lovely bride Nonhlanhla we’ll keep you posted. #KFCProposal
— KFC South Africa (@KFCSA) November 8, 2019
Dozens of South African donors and businesses then volunteered to provide free spa treatments, wedding jewelry, flowers, gifts, and home furniture for the couple. A number of airlines and car companies even offered up free transportation for their honeymoon as well.
Mkansi and Soldaat ended up tying the knot on New Year’s Eve—and the ceremony was apparently more beautiful than they could have imagined. Furthermore, Mkansi says that they are still overwhelmed with appreciation for all the love and support they have received since their story went viral.
“We are still in disbelief,” Mkansi told CNN. “Both of us have to ask each other if this is really happening from time to time. We couldn’t be more grateful to God and every single person that has shared in our little love story.
Ke bana batho bana, batho bana ke bana 💃🏾🕺🏾
— KFC South Africa (@KFCSA) December 31, 2019
Ababahle aba! Alililili shateee👏🏾😍😍🥳#KFCWEDDING #KFCProposal pic.twitter.com/EZbsgDnVLF
When asked about the negative comments that followed his KFC proposal, he simply told the news outlet: “We didn’t even know about it (negative comments) until much later. We are not really bothered by that.
“Our dream has come true. We never in a million years thought something like this would happen to us.”
— KFC South Africa (@KFCSA) December 31, 2019
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Quote of the Day: “Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.” – Emily Dickinson
Painted photo: (c) Donnie Nunley, CC license on Flickr – cropped
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A hiker has captured these magnificent images of a rare weather phenomenon that looks like a “rainbow halo” on top of an English mountain.
39-year-old Adrian Conchie was walking on a fell in the Lake District when he looked down and clocked the spectacular display, known as the Brocken specter.
The dad-of-one described the moment, which took place at 11:30AM on New Year’s Eve, as “magical” and “absolutely incredible”.
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According to the Met Office, the Brocken specter appears when a person stands above the upper surface of a cloud—on a mountain or high ground—with the sun behind them.
“When they view their shadow, the light is reflected back in such a way that a spooky circular ‘glory’ appears around the point directly opposite the sun,” the Met Office said.
Conchie, who runs an engraving business in Knutsford, Cheshire, was on an 11-mile hike at Swirl How near Coniston when the Brocken specter appeared to him.
“I had always wanted to see one after seeing pictures online and hearing about how amazing they are from friends,” said Conchie. “When we got to the summit I looked down and there it was—it was so vivid.
“I thought it would disappear there and then but it stayed for a few minutes, it was a really magical experience.”
Miraculously, Conchie and his friend Bryony stumbled upon another Brocken specter later that very same day up a nearby mountain called Wetherlam.
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The sanctuary of Machu Picchu, one of the most incredible wonders of the medieval world, is about to get a much-needed eco-friendly makeover.
Last week, Peruvian President Martin Viscarra launched a reforestation campaign to plant one million trees around the 86,000-acre (35,000-hectare) complex of the iconic archaeological site and surrounding hills.
“We’re here to begin the planting of a million trees in the protected zone around the Machu Picchu sanctuary … [as] a commitment from the government, the region, the municipality and all the citizens who want to protect this world wonder,” said Vizcarra, according to the AFP.
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The danger of mudslides resulting from heavy winter rains and summer forest fires has led environmental ministers to stress the importance of reforesting the site.
Since tree root structures help reduce soil erosion, they represent one of the best natural defenses against mudslides.
The Incan Empire ruled vast tracts of the Andes Mountains in northern and western South America—stretching from Ecuador in the north to Chile in the south. In the Incan language, Machu Picchu means “Old Mountain” and was a religious center and palace built during the reign of the Incan emperor Pachacuti (1438-1471), also known as “Earthshaker”.
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In 2017, the government imposed limitations on how many tourists are allowed to visit the site for fear that Machu Picchu was being loved to death; around 1.5 million tourists were visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site every year, causing damage to the structures and the surrounding area.
Now only 12,000 people are able to travel up the Sacred Valley to Old Mountain every day, and some of the more vulnerable areas have been closed to free-venturing individuals in order to ensure the stately citadel endures for another 600 years.
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A 30-year-old man was finally rescued from the Alaskan wilderness after his cabin burned down, leaving him stranded in the snow for almost three weeks.
Tyson Steele had been living alone for several months in a small house in Skwentna, a town located 70 miles northwest of Anchorage. He had been burning a fire in his woodstove back in December when a piece of flaming cardboard flew up his fireplace chimney and landed on his roof, which started a slow fire that eventually left the cabin in ruins.
Since Skwentna only has a population of about 35 people, Steele’s nearest neighbor lived about 20 miles away. With no means of communication to call for help, Steele endured sub-zero temperatures and brutal weather conditions wearing long johns, boots with no socks, and a heavy wool sweater.
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When his family and friends hadn’t heard from Steele for several weeks, they requested a welfare check from Alaska State Troopers. As a helicopter flew over the area, they caught sight of Steele waving his arms in the air next to a massive “SOS” sign that he had stamped into the snow.
Steele had collectively spent 20 days in the cold. After he was rescued, he reportedly requested two things: a shower and a number two McDonald’s breakfast meal.
Now that he is in relatively good health, Steele plans on regrouping with his family in Salt Lake City before returning to his beloved home state of Alaska.
(WATCH the news coverage below)
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A 17-year-old high school student is being hailed for discovering a new planet that is roughly 6.9 times larger than the Earth—and he did it on his third day of an internship with NASA.
Now a senior at Scarsdale High School in New York, Wolf Cukier landed a 2-month internship with NASA back in the summer of 2019. The internship required him to examine variations of star brightness through NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
Upon noticing a slight dip in the brightness readings, Cukier thought the variation was simply due to a stellar eclipse. He then examined the data further and discovered that the dip was actually coming from a planet.
“I was looking through the data for everything the volunteers had flagged as an eclipsing binary, a system where two stars circle around each other and from our view eclipse each other every orbit,” Cukier said.
“About three days into my internship, I saw a signal from a system called TOI 1338,” he added. “At first I thought it was a stellar eclipse, but the timing was wrong. It turned out to be a planet.”
Since NASA confirmed the teen’s findings, they announced the discovery on their website this week.
TOI 1338 b, as it is now called, is TESS’s first circumbinary planet—a world orbiting two stars. The discovery was featured in a panel discussion earlier this month at the 235th American Astronomical Society meeting in Honolulu.
A paper, which Cukier co-authored along with scientists from Goddard, San Diego State University, the University of Chicago and other institutions, has also been submitted to a scientific journal.
MORE: One Giant Leap for Mankind—Top 10 Scientific Breakthroughs of 2019
The TOI 1338 system lies 1,300 light-years away in the constellation Pictor. The two stars orbit each other every 15 days. One is about 10% more massive than our Sun, while the other is cooler, dimmer and only one-third the Sun’s mass.
TOI 1338 b is the only known planet in the system. It’s around 6.9 times larger than Earth, or between the sizes of Neptune and Saturn. The planet orbits in almost exactly the same plane as the stars, so it experiences regular stellar eclipses.
(WATCH the news coverage below) – Feature photo by NBC News 4 / NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
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After a 95-year-old woman was robbed of her life savings, her community managed to replace it all by serving spaghetti.
Last summer, Barbara Hinckley’s bank accounts were emptied of about $16,000 after she was targeted by a conman who convinced her she had won second place in a Publisher’s Clearinghouse contest with a prize of $2.5 million and a Mercedes-Benz.
The senior from Auburn later told news reporters about the scam in hopes that it would deter other people from falling prey to the same scheme. When former Maine Gov. John Baldacci heard about the incident on the news in November, however, he was immediately spurred to help.
“Stealing from the elderly is not the Maine Way,” said Baldacci, as reported by the Bangor Daily News. “Let’s turn something bad into something positive by showing the world our true Maine character.”
Baldacci spearheaded a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for Hinckley earlier this month. With 60 pounds of noodles, 17 gallons of sauce, and dozens of cases of vegetables, Baldacci told the Sun Journal that his goal was to not have any food left over by the end of the night.
After 400 people attended the fundraiser, they raised a whopping $18,000—which is even more than what Hinckley was swindled out of.
Hinckley’s daughter Marsha Donahue told the Press Herald that she and the rest of their family had been amazed by people’s compassion during the dinner.
“From the unexpected $1,000 checks to the obviously financially struggling people in line that gave extra above their tickets, I have been bowled over by people’s generosity,” said Donahue. “It has been a roller coaster ride for her and all of us in the family, too, from destitution to solvency.”
Hinckley also says that she is glad that her story could serve as a warning for others—and she has reassured reporters that she will no longer be allowed to spend any of her new life savings without first getting her family’s permission.
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Swiss researchers have succeeded in developing a machine that repairs injured human livers and keeps them alive outside the body for seven days.
Until now, livers could be stored safely outside the body for only a few hours. With the novel new perfusion technology, livers—and even injured livers—can now be kept alive outside of the body for an entire week.
This is a major breakthrough in transplantation medicine, which may increase the number of available organs for transplantation and save many lives of patients suffering from severe liver disease or a variety of cancers.
Additionally, injured cadaveric livers, initially not suitable for use in transplantation, may regain full function while perfused in the new machine for several days.
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The basis for this technology is a complex perfusion system, mimicking most core body functions close to physiology. The device was developed by researchers from the University Hospital Zurich (USZ), ETH Zurich, Wyss Zurich and the University of Zurich corresponding study was published this week in the scientific journal Nature Biotechnology.
“The success of this unique perfusion system—developed over a four-year period by a group of surgeons, biologists and engineers—paves the way for many new applications in transplantation and cancer medicine helping patients with no liver grafts available,” explained Professor Pierre-Alain Clavien, Chairman of the Department of Surgery and Transplantation at the USZ.
When the project started in 2015, livers could only be kept on the machine for 12 hours. The seven-day successful perfusion of poor-quality livers now allows for a wide range of strategies, e.g. repair of preexisting injury, cleaning of fat deposits in the liver or even regeneration of partial livers.
The Liver4Life project was developed under the umbrella of Wyss Zurich institute, which brought together the highly specialized technical know-how and biomedical knowledge of experts from the various institutions.
“The biggest challenge in the initial phase of our project was to find a common language that would allow communication between the clinicians and engineers,” said Professor Philipp Rudolf von Rohr, Professor of Process Engineering at ETH Zurich and co-leader with Professor Clavien of the study.
The inaugural study shows that six of ten perfused poor-quality human livers, declined for transplantation by all centers in Europe, recovered to full function within one week of perfusion on the machine. The next step will be to use these organs for transplantation. The proposed technology opens a large avenue for many applications offering a new life for many patients with end stage liver disease or cancer.
Reprinted from the University of Zurich
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