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Thailand Boldly Plans to Start Banning Most Harmful Plastics As Soon As January 2020

By
Andy Corbley
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Thailand is set to begin phasing out all plastics that degrade into fragments by the end of this year. Not only that, the nation is also banning plastic bags, styrofoam, cups, and straws by 2022

In an effort to do their part to combat global plastic pollution, Thailand has put forward a bold plan for reducing the production of plastic. 43 large firms have come aboard a partnership of 33 state and municipal departments and ministries to produce Thailand’s Roadmap on Plastic Waste Management 2018-30.

Microbeads, cap seals, and oxo-degradable plastics are just three of the proposed reductions, and the bans on these objects are slated for implementation before the year’s end.

By 2021, a major ban on single-use plastic bags will go into effect, with government spokesmen urging the public to prepare for the change.

LOOK: Cameroon Man Uses Wasted Plastic Bottles to Build Canoes for Fishermen in Need

“We will be collaborating with 43 private companies in crafting out plastic ban guidelines,” said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa, “so I would like to tell all Thais to prepare paper or cloth bags before Thailand imposes its ban on single-use plastic bags in 2021.”

By 2022, the roadmap seeks to have established bans for lightweight plastic bags less than 36 microns thick, polystyrene food containers, plastic cups, and plastic straws.

The bans aim to reduce plastic waste in its most harmful manifestations—namely styrofoam and small plastic objects that degrade into particulates.

RELATED: Mexican Scientist Makes Edible, Biodegradable New Form of Plastic Out of Cactus Leaves

Airborne microplastic particles were found in a study to be flying over a remote mountain top in the Pyrenees to the tune of 400 particles per minute, while polystyrene foam has the longest half-life of any commonly used plastic.

Supant Mongkolsuthree, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) which is part of the private-public plastic ban partnership, has encouraged the government to invest more in recycling technology, specifically in regards to waste-generated electricity.

“So far, we have relied mostly on landfill as it is the cheapest way to manage waste,” Supont told Bangkok Post. “But waste-to-energy technologies have become better and cheaper as well. Their effectiveness in managing waste is high and can be expanded in many areas.”

CHECK OUT: Teen Awarded $50,000 Science Fair Prize for His Method of Removing Microplastics From Water

He reminded his readers that while government and industry play a big role in waste management, they as consumers carry a big responsibility of making sure their children grow up in a plastic waste-free Thailand.

“Consumers have to play their part in taking care of the environment,” the FTI chairman said. “For small vendors, plastic bags and containers are still the most cost-efficient choice. Consumers have to say no to them so that these businesses realize they have no choice but to adapt themselves.”

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American Woman Just Became First Paralyzed Veteran to Complete a Marathon Using a Robotic Exoskeleton

By
Andy Corbley
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Retired Army Sergeant Theresa Vereline just completed the New York City Marathon without use of her legs, or a wheelchair. Instead, Vereline became not just the first ever paralyzed American to finish the famous NYC event, but the first veteran in the world to complete it with an exoskeleton.

“Words cannot express the feelings I had crossing the finish line,” Vereline said in a press release. “This has been a dream of mine, and I hope I can serve as an inspiration to others that you too can achieve what seems like the impossible — especially all of the disabled children I meet across the country”.

Happy-footed Vereline completed the first 10 mile stretch of the marathon which runs through each of the 5 boroughs of New York City, over the course of three days under the supervision of the New York Road Runners, the organizers of the marathon.

Walking 10 miles of the 26.2 on Nov. 1st, and another 10 miles on the 2nd, she knocked out the last 6.2 on the day of the actual marathon. She crossed the finish line on November 3rd at 6:35 PM.

The ReWalk 5.0 exoskeleton suit is designed to help paraplegics move around with the help of crutches for balance, and they couldn’t have asked for a better spokesperson than Vereline.

RELATED: Woman Who Lives With 27 Sick Dogs Dubbed ‘Miracle Worker’ After Getting Paralyzed Pups to Walk Again

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs established a national procurement policy for retired service members who are eligible to receive one of the life-changing devices. 65-year-old Vereline, who became paralyzed in 2011 was the first veteran to receive a device following FDA clearance. She has traveled the world to speak about the impact the exoskeleton has had on her life and health.

“We are incredibly proud of her. Her achievement at the marathon and her efforts to help others with disability are inspirations to us all,” Andy Dolan, ReWalk’s vice president of marketing, told CNET in an email exchange.

Therapeutic exoskeletons are beginning to attract a lot of research dollars, with robotics companies like ReWalk, Ekso Bionics, Rex Bionics, and SuitX all offering models to help people with spinal cord injuries get moving again.

MORE: Breakthrough Device Restores Visual Perception to the Blind So They Can See Light and Motion

Patients with spinal cord injuries often require far more routine care than others. They suffer from increased risk of cardiovascular disease, urinary tract infections, bone-density loss, chronic pain, and pressure ulcers. Just being able to stand up and walk around, however unsteady, increases blood circulation and oxygen intake, normalizes and improves ventricular function, and can fortify cardiovascular health.

– Photo credit: CBS Screenshot of photo by Shelby Brown

WATCH an interview with Vereline from CBS News via YouTube…

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“December has the clarity, the simplicity, and the silence you need for the best FRESH START of your life.” – Vivian Swift

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “December has the clarity, the simplicity, and the silence you need for the best FRESH START of your life.” – Vivian Swift (When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler’s Journal of Staying Put)

Photo: by McKinley Claire, copyright 2016

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Once Numbering Less Than 400, Majestic Bukhara Deer Return To The Wilds Of Kazakhstan

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Good News Network
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Photo by Sarefo, CC

A deep connection to their wild untamed steppe lands has influenced many central Asian governments to launch successful rewilding projects since the fall of the Soviet Union.

In a bid to reestablish tigers in the area, five Bukhara deer have stepped foot onto the shores of Lake Balkhash in central Kazakhstan, where they have been entirely absent for 100 years. WWF Russia and the Ministry of Ecology, Geology, and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan are planning to release several hundred deer over 5-6 years.

This recent effort in the Ili-Balkhash Nature Reserve is just one of several deer reintroductions taking place here, and in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

These three nations in particular have so far brought the population of Bukhara deer back from the brink, and they now number close to 1,400 individuals across multiple countries.

But that’s not the only goal for which these hoof tracks are paving the way. The main purpose of the deer project is to aid in the reintroduction of a tiger species back into Kazakhstan and other central Asian countries, where they once roamed.

Photo by Sarefo, CC license

If successful, Kazakhstan would be the first country to reintroduce tigers of any subspecies into an area where they have been extirpated—and conservation of big cats has already been successful here in recent years.

RELATED: Humpback Whale Population Bounces Back From Near-Extinction—From Just 450, to Over 25,000

The last decade and a half has seen the work of the Global Snow Leopard Forum, an international conservation organization founded in Kyrgyzstan, lift the snow leopard off the endangered list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

“It is a great honor for us to be the first country that implements such an important and large-scale project that returns the tiger to its lands. It is just as important for us that during the program the ecosystem of the unique Ili-Balkhash region will be fully restored,” said the Kazakhstani Minister of Agriculture Askar Myrzakhmetov.

“Our successful cooperation in creating new reserves and restoring rare species such as the Bukhara deer and kulan gives us every reason to believe that a tiger will return to the Balkhash tugai in a few years,” said Igor Chestin, director of WWF Russia.

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Since the subspecies that once roamed the area by Lake Balkhash, the Caspian Tiger, sadly became extinct in the 1970s, the reintroduction efforts would involve Amur tigers, also known as the Siberian tiger – a species that according to WWF Chair in Conservation Genetics, Carlos Driscoll, is actually so similar to the extinct Caspian tiger as to not even qualify as being two different subspecies.

Whenever scientists embark on a species reintroduction plan, the first step is to find a population that can spare individuals. In this case, Russia would be the most likely donor of endangered Amur tigers.

However one of the benefits of establishing separate populations, even if it means reducing numbers in one particular area, is reducing the chance of extinction due to a localized catastrophe such as disease outbreaks.

Maintaining two geographically-separated populations of any animal has been shown many different times, for instance when the United States was bringing the California condor back, to increase the overall species robustness.

The pristine wilderness of Lake Balkhash would provide the perfect home for the Amur tigers and the deer species it once hunted. If Kazakhstan can continue to provide the will, nature may just find a way.

Hat-Tip to World At Large, the news website of nature, science, health, politics, and travel. 

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Majority of Americans Wish They Could Give Patience and Peace to Their Loved Ones This Holiday

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Good News Network
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A new survey of 2,000 Americans found that the holiday spirit transcends the physical realm, as half of those polled said they wished they could give somebody in their life something intangible this year.

Of that half, 70% wish they could give somebody good health, while another 43% wish they could gift somebody with patience.

With one in three Americans wishing they could gift somebody “less stress” this holiday season, the perfect gift is probably not hiding in a department store after all.

In fact, the study, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Slumber Cloud, found that 60% wished they could gift somebody in their life with peace of mind.

LOOK: ‘Best Boyfriend Ever’ Fills Anniversary Gift – a Prescription of ‘Love Pills’– With Tiny Notes

Another 42% wished they could give somebody rest and 47% said they wish they could give the gift of time.

While giving somebody an intangible gift would be great, most of us must settle for spending money on something physical.

Excluding gifts for their partner, the average American plans to spend $170 this year on gifts for their loved ones—and that money will be spread across an average of eight people.

CHECK OUT: Child With ‘Nothing to Give’ Sacrifices the ‘Best Part of Her Breakfast’ as Gift for Her Teacher

However, if money were no object, what would Americans splurge on?

WHAT AMERICANS WOULD GET SOMEBODY IF MONEY WEREN’T AN ISSUE…

“A new car for my mom.”
“A ticket to the Philippines for my mom to visit her family.”
“A home for my mom.”
“A happier life and peace of mind for my mom.”
“A more comfortable motorized wheelchair for my husband.”
“A paid college tuition for my friend.”
“A small retirement home for my husband and I so he would be under less stress.”
“A trip to Italy for my dad.”
“A secluded island for my mom to relax.”
“A front row meet and greet Neil Diamond ticket for my mom.”

If you find yourself in a last-minute situation—and you can’t find a way to gift them patience—another OnePoll survey suggested that the majority of Americans preferred to receive a heartfelt present rather than something from a store.

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Scientists Are Using Speakers to Revive Damaged Coral Reefs By Luring Fish Back With Healthy Reef Sounds

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Good News Network
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Photo by Harry Harding / University of Bristol
Photo by Harry Harding / University of Bristol

Dying coral might be revived by playing the sounds of healthy reefs via underwater loudspeakers to attract young fish, suggests a new study.

Experts say the “acoustic enrichment” could be a valuable tool in helping to restore damaged coral reefs.

Working on Australia’s recently devastated Great Barrier Reef, the international research team from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol, Australia’s James Cook University, and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, placed loudspeakers underwater playing healthy reef recordings in patches of dead coral.

RELATED: Humpback Whale Population Bounces Back From Near-Extinction—From Just 450, to Over 25,000

They found that twice as many fish arrived—and stayed—at the reefs compared to equivalent patches where no sound was played.

“Fish are crucial for coral reefs to function as healthy ecosystems,” said study lead author Tim Gordon, a PhD student at Exeter University. “Boosting fish populations in this way could help to kick-start natural recovery processes, counteracting the damage we’re seeing on many coral reefs around the world.”

The new technique works by regenerating the sounds that are lost when reefs are quietened by degradation, according to the findings published in Nature Communications.

WATCH: Hope on Horizon for Escaped ‘Russian Spy Whale‘ After Video of Its Rugby Skills Goes Viral

Senior author Professor Steve Simpson, also of Exeter University, explained: “Healthy coral reefs are remarkably noisy places—the crackle of snapping shrimp and the whoops and grunts of fish combine to form a dazzling biological soundscape.

“Juvenile fish home in on these sounds when they’re looking for a place to settle. Reefs become ghostly quiet when they are degraded, as the shrimps and fish disappear, but by using loudspeakers to restore this lost soundscape, we can attract young fish back again.”

Photo by Harry Harding / University of Bristol

Fish biologist Dr Mark Meekan, of the Australian Institute of Marine Science added: “Of course, attracting fish to a dead reef won’t bring it back to life automatically, but recovery is underpinned by fish that clean the reef and create space for corals to regrow.”

The study found that broadcasting healthy reef sound doubled the total number of fish arriving onto experimental patches of reef habitat, as well as increasing the number of species present by 50%.

The researchers said that the diversity included species from all sections of the food web: herbivores, detritivores, planktivores, and predatory piscivores.

LOOK: 633 Divers Just Set the World Record for Largest Ocean Cleanup After Collecting 1,600 Pounds of Trash

Different groups of fish provide different functions on coral reefs, meaning an abundant and diverse fish population is an important factor in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

Study co-author Professor Andy Radford, of Bristol University, said: “Acoustic enrichment is a promising technique for management on a local basis. If combined with habitat restoration and other conservation measures, rebuilding fish communities in this manner might accelerate ecosystem recovery.

“However, we still need to tackle a host of other threats including climate change, overfishing and water pollution in order to protect these fragile ecosystems.”

MORE: 7-Year-Old Sea Turtle Activist Convinces L.L. Bean to Change Company Policy

Mr. Gordon added: “Whilst attracting more fish won’t save coral reefs on its own, new techniques like this give us more tools in the fight to save these precious and vulnerable ecosystems.

“From local management innovations to international political action, we need meaningful progress at all levels to paint a better future for reefs worldwide.”

(WATCH the university video below)

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“Dance with the waves, move with the sea, let the rhythm of the water set your soul free.” – Christy Ann Martine

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Dance with the waves, move with the sea, let the rhythm of the water set your soul free.” – Christy Ann Martine

Photo: by GWC, copyright 2017

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

 

49ers Player Surprises School Principal By Handing Him a Check to Pay Off All Outstanding Cafeteria Debts

By
McKinley Corbley
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The San Francisco 49ers may have earned a few new fans this week, but it’s not because of their most recent win on the football field—it’s because one of their players went out of his way to eliminate the cafeteria debt at a local middle school.

Richard Sherman, the 49ers cornerback player, paid off all $7,500 of the outstanding lunch debt at Cabrillo Middle School this week.

Cabrillo Principal Stan Garber had been working as a docent at the nearby 49ers museum when Sherman pulled him aside and handed him the check.

Garber later told ABC News that the donation will benefit more than 60 young students with unpaid lunch balances. “It’s the most generous thing to happen for these kids,” he told reporters. “It was the perfect way to give back and help them. It was the kindest, most generous gesture.”

RELATED: Billionaire Who Promised to Pay Off College Debt for Grads is Now Paying Off Their Parents’ School Debt Too

The donation was made through the football player’s Richard Sherman Family Foundation, a charitable organization that “was formed in 2013 by Richard Sherman to provide students in low-income communities with school supplies and clothing so they can more adequately achieve their goals.”

According to KPIX, Sherman’s foundation later sent a letter to Cabrillo Middle’s Nutrition Services Department saying, “We have found that eliminating student lunch debt is one way to help assist students and their families in relieving some of the stress that comes with attending school on a daily basis.

“The last thing any child should have to worry about is being able to afford eating breakfast and lunch at school; we aim to do our part in eliminating that obstacle,” it concluded.

Richard Sherman and Principal Garber (Photo by Cabrillo Middle School)

This is not the first time that Sherman has paid off school lunch debt; last month, he wrote a check to pay off all $20,000 in lunch debt for the Tacoma Public School System.

Collectively over the course of the last month six years, the foundation has reportedly raised more than $1.5 million to benefit underserved schools, students, and communities.

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After Australian Bushfires, People Knit Mittens for Burnt Koalas and Raise Almost $2 Million to Help

By
McKinley Corbley
-

 

People from all over the world are rallying to help save one of the most iconic animals of Australia.

Since bushfires began sweeping through New South Wales and Queensland last month, dozens of koalas have been rescued from the fires and sent to animal hospitals for treatment.

Many of these rescued marsupials are now being treated for burns on their paws. As a means of protecting the critters’ paws from sustaining further injury, Australians have been encouraging crafty activists to send handmade mittens to their animal hospitals.

WATCH: 11-Year-old Crocheting Prodigy is Raising Thousands of Dollars for Orphans–One Stitch at a Time

Not only that, rescuers have been accepting blankets, baskets, bat wraps, nests, and pouches for other animals injured by the fires.

A group of Dutch knitting enthusiasts from the Quilt Shop 100 in the Netherlands has already crafted more than 400 pairs of mittens for an Australian koala hospital.

The Animal Rescue Freecycle Craft Guild has also been publishing free sewing, crocheting, and knitting patterns to their Facebook group.

Photo by Quilt Shop 100

Since the collective has garnered international traction, they have received thousands of handcrafted donations from around the world. They recently asked their followers to hold off on sending any further donations until they have taken stock of all their shipments, although their are still accepting donations for emergency supplies such as food, water, and medicine.

“If you wanted to take a break from crafting for a week, now is the time. Send out what you have and give your hands a break for a week. We will have an updated inventory needed list over the coming days,” wrote the organization. “All 150 wildlife groups, 1,230 rescuers and hundreds of vets have been contacted and large supply loads are with them now or on the way. The hubs are starting to fill so we are being mindful not to waste anything and to ensure resources are working on the best outcomes!”

The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital has also been raising money for their koala treatments, as well as other Australian wildlife organizations. Since launching a GoFundMe campaign last month, they have surged past their original goal and raised almost $2 million for their rescue efforts.

LOOK: When Bird Rescuers Ask for Help During Nesting Season, Thousands of People Donate Hand-Knitted Nests

“Initially, the hospital’s aim was to raise money to purchase and distribute automatic drinking stations which will be installed in the burnt areas to help in koala and wildlife survival,” reads the campaign. “The number of drinking stations being built has now been increased and they will be shared with other wildlife organizations in fire affected regions across New South Wales. Two are being built for dispatch to the northern rivers fire area next week.

“We are also purchasing a water carrying vehicle with fire fighting capabilities to replenish the drinking stations with water as needed.”

With koalas listed as a “vulnerable” species, the group also plans on using the funding to launch a breeding program for surviving koalas in a healthy habitat zone.

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After Learning Denny’s Waitress Walked 14 Miles For Work Every Day, Couple Buys Her New Car Hours Later

By
McKinley Corbley
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Adrianna Edwards used to have to walk four and a half long hours in order to get to work every day.

Edwards, who works at a Denny’s restaurant in Galveston, Texas, had been scrimping and saving to buy herself a car so she would no longer have to make the 14-mile trek to and from her job.

Thankfully, the hardworking waitress now has a new car to call her own—but it’s not one that she bought with her own money.

An anonymous couple who Edwards had been serving at her restaurant earlier this week was spurred to buy a car for their hardworking waitress after they learned about her grueling commute.

LOOK: When Young Waffle House Worker Was Left Alone to Run Entire Restaurant, Empathetic Customers Jump In to Help

Hours after they paid their bill, they returned to the restaurant with a 2011 Nissan Sentra and handed the keys to a dumbfounded Edwards. Their only condition for the gift was that Edwards simply pay the good deed forward.

Now that she is freed from having to buy a car, Edwards says that she will be able to put herself through college much sooner than she expected—and she is already planning on using her good fortune to help others.

“I still feel like I’m dreaming. Every two hours, I come look out my window to see if there’s still a car there,” Edwards told WSLS. “When I see somebody in need, I’ll probably be more likely to help them out (and) to do everything that I can to help them out.”

(WATCH the news coverage below)

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In World First, German Steelmakers Power Their Furnace Using Only Hydrogen Instead of Coal

By
McKinley Corbley
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In what is being hailed as a world-first, a German steel plant has just succeeded in powering one of their blast furnaces entirely with hydrogen.

Up until Thyssenkrupp Steel announced their groundbreaking achievement earlier this month, steel had been made exclusively using coal-powered furnaces. Reports say that the steelmaking industry uses about 1 billion tons of coal every year, which contributes to about 7% of global carbon emissions.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, burning one ton of coal produces almost three tons of carbon dioxide. Using hydrogen, however, produces only water vapor.

Since Thyssenkrupp successfully managed to power their “Furnace 9” with hydrogen in place of coal, the company now plans on powering all three of their Duisburg-based steel furnaces with hydrogen by 2023.

CHECK OUT: This Revolutionary Blast Furnace Vaporizes Trash and Turns It into Clean Energy (Without Any Emissions)

The company—which is also known for being one of the world’s leading suppliers of carbon steel flat products—also plans to reduce their total emission output by at least 30% before 2030, and achieve carbon-neutrality by 2050.

“Today is a groundbreaking day for the steel industry,” said Premal Desai, Chairman of Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe. “We are doing pioneering work here. The use of hydrogen is the key lever for climate-neutral steel production. Today’s test is another step in the transformation of our production which will culminate in green steel. At the same time, we see what is possible when business and government work together towards a common goal.”

RELATED: First Fully Rechargeable Carbon Dioxide Battery is Seven Times More Efficient Than Lithium Ion

Despite how Germany has been a notorious consumer of coal, the government has actively been working to phase out coal. Since Germany is also known as Europe’s largest economy, conservationists were delighted to report in January that renewable energy sources had overtaken coal as the leading source of power in Germany for the first time in history.

In 2018, studies showed that wind, solar, biomass, and hydro power sources produced 4.3% more power than they did in 2017, accounting for 40% of the nation’s total energy output—a notable improvement from renewables producing only 19.1% of their power in 2010.

(WATCH the announcement video below)

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Dad’s Panicked Text Messages Over Losing His Daughter’s Hamster Might Be the Sweetest Thing Ever

By
McKinley Corbley
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A doting dad’s frantic text messages to his daughter about their missing hamster might be the most wholesome conversation to appear on the internet this week.

After Steph Veerman left for college, she charged her father Daniel with taking care of her beloved pet hamster Chester.

Since he began looking after Chester, Daniel formed quite an attachment to the little critter—which is why he was so distraught to discover that Chester had disappeared from his cage earlier this week.

RELATED: Dad Admits Hilarious—Yet Heartwarming—Texting Blunder After He Learns the Meaning of ‘LOL’

In a panic, Daniel immediately texted his daughter to alert her to the situation.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry honey, I’m so sorry, I’m looking everywhere,” he wrote. “This is the absolute worst ever. I’m never going to forgive myself if he doesn’t come back.”

As Steph did her best to try and soothe her father’s nerves over text messages, Daniel went about searching the house. He tactfully left out a few blobs of peanut butter in hopes of baiting Chester out of hiding. He set up flour traps so he would be able to track Chester’s footprints in the event that the escaped housepet scurried by.

 

The devastated dad even promised to call out of work the following day if he was unable to find Chester. Steph simply texted back saying: “You shouldn’t skip work. You are a lawyer and he is a hamster.”

Luckily, Steph received a response from Daniel saying that he had indeed found Chester. Not only that, he had found Chester sitting innocently in his cage.

After Steph published screenshots of the conversation to Twitter, she made sure to tell her followers that she had also been concerned for Chester’s disappearance, although she had not wanted him to feel bad about it.

LOOK: Dad Has Been Using His Town’s Roadside Message Board to Make Thousands of People Laugh

“[Chester is] the light of my life and not ‘just a hamster,’” wrote Steph. “However, my dad was having a panic attack so I tried to calm him down by saying that!!”

Steph says that the text conversation, which has already been shared by hundreds of thousands of people in a matter of days, is simply a perfect example of “how truly pure” her father is.

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“Make compassion the cotton, contentment the thread, modesty the knot and truth the twist. This is the sacred thread of the soul”. – Guru Nanak (born 550 years ago)

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Make compassion the cotton, contentment the thread, modesty the knot and truth the twist. This is the sacred thread of the soul”. – Guru Nanak (born 550 years ago today)

Photo: by AnnaKika, CC license on Flickr, cropped

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Watch Iconic Soccer Star Surprise a Superfan at Work—Followed By the Best Day Ever

By
Andy Corbley
-

This diehard Liverpool Football Club fan is always making sure to cheer on his beloved team whenever they play—and thanks to a letter from his doting older brother, the team was recently able to return the favor.

Ian, a Liverpool City resident who hoped his hometown soccer team would do something special for his brother David, wrote a letter to the club about David’s condition.

Since David was starved of oxygen as an infant, he developed differently than other kids. Though David struggled academically, his enduring obsession with Liverpool FC never left him, and he is well-known in the community as being a great lad and a passionate fan.

RELATED: Ireland Will Finally Get Its Own Ice Hockey Rink Thanks to a Very Famous Canadian

David is a season ticket holder who tries to go see Liverpool play as many times as he can—but now thanks to Nivea Men, one of the members of the team went to go see David while he was at work.

Liverpool FC defender Virgil Van Dijk, who is considered to be the best defender and one of the best players in the world, visited David’s place of work to give him the surprise of a lifetime: a trip to Liverpool FC’s training ground to meet the team.

Not only that, Van Dijk presented David with tickets for all the remaining away games of the season to make sure they had his support from the stands for every one of the 25 remaining games this season.

(WATCH the sweet video below)

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Playing Traditional Games Protects Your Thinking Skills As You Age, Says New 68-Year Study

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Good News Network
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People who play games—such as cards and board games—are more likely to stay mentally sharp in later life, a study suggests.

According to psychologists from the University of Edinburgh, people who regularly played non-digital games scored better on memory and thinking tests in their 70s.

They also found that a behavior change in later life could still make a difference; people who increased game-playing during their 70s were more likely to maintain certain thinking skills as they grew older. The results were published this week in The Journals of Gerontology.

The research team tested more than 1,000 people aged 70 for memory, problem-solving, thinking speed and general thinking ability. The participants then repeated the same thinking tests every three years until aged 79.

CHECK OUT: Apples, Tea, and Moderation—The 3 Ingredients for a Long Life

The group was also asked how often they played games like cards, chess, bingo, or crosswords at ages 70 and 76.

Researchers then used statistical models to analyze the relationship between a person’s level of game playing and their thinking skills. The team took into account lifestyle factors such as education, socio-economic status, and activity levels, as well as the results of an intelligence test that the participants completed when they were 11 years old.

People who increased game-playing in later years were found to have experienced less decline in thinking skills in their 70s, particularly in memory function and thinking speed.

MORE: Next Time You’re Feeling Stressed or Anxious, This Study Says You Should Play Tetris

Researchers say the findings help to better understand what kinds of lifestyles and behaviors might be associated with better outcomes for cognitive health in later life.

The study may also help people make decisions about how best to protect their thinking skills as they age.

“These latest findings add to evidence that being more engaged in activities during the life course might be associated with better thinking skills in later life,” said Dr. Drew Altschul of the University’s School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences “For those in their 70s or beyond, another message seems to be that playing non-digital games may be a positive behavior in terms of reducing cognitive decline.”

RELATED: Americans Who Drink This Much Water a Day Are More Likely to Report Feeling ‘Very Happy’

The participants were part of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study, a group of individuals who were born in 1936 and took part in the Scottish Mental Survey of 1947.

Since 1999, researchers have been working with the Lothian Birth Cohorts to chart how a person’s thinking power changes over their lifetime. The follow-up times in the cohorts are among the longest in the world.

“In our Lothian sample, it’s not just general intellectual and social activity, it seems; it is something in this group of games that has this small but detectable association with better cognitive aging,” said Professor Ian Deary, Director of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology. “It’d be good to find out if some of these games are more potent than others. We also point out that several other things are related to better cognitive aging, such as being physically fit and not smoking.”

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Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, also added: “Even though some people’s thinking skills can decline as we get older, this research is further evidence that it doesn’t have to be inevitable. The connection between playing board games and other non-digital games later in life and sharper thinking and memory skills adds to what we know about steps we can take to protect our cognitive health, including not drinking excess alcohol, being active and eating a healthy diet.”

Reprinted from the University of Edinburgh

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Boy’s Reaction to Trying On Colorblind Glasses is Helping Finance Hundreds of Pairs for Other Kids Like Him

By
McKinley Corbley
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12-year-old Jonathan Jones was filmed trying on colorblind-corrective glasses for the first time in his life during his high school science class last week—and his reaction is now helping to distribute those glasses to other colorblind students just like him.

Jonathan is just one of Principal Scott Hanson’s students at Lakeview High School in Cottonwood, Minnesota, but they do share the same problem of being unable to see color. Prior to trying on the glasses, Jonathan had never been able to differentiate between the periodic table color groupings.

The specially-designed EnChroma glasses belonged to Hanson. Since he had been given the glasses as a Christmas gift several years ago, he has always made sure to bring them to school as an educational tool for genetics lessons in science class.

Upon learning that one of his students shared the same condition, Hanson brought the glasses into his class so Jonathan could try them on—and the youngster’s reaction was priceless.

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“I’ve been in education for 25 years, and to see that reaction on his face, and that pure joy and overwhelming happiness and sadness, all those emotions at once, was just an awesome experience,” Hanson told The Washington Post.

Jonathan’s parents—who were present for his monumental classroom experience—immediately launched a GoFundMe page so they could try to raise enough money to buy Jonathan his own pair of glasses, which typically cost upwards of $270.

Luckily, Jonathan’s brother uploaded a video of the boy’s reaction to Twitter where it has since been viewed thousands of times.

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Their GoFundMe campaign has now raised more than $29,000, and Jonathan’s family is working with EnChroma to use the money as a means of distributing free glasses to other colorblind students who may not be able to afford their own pair.

Furthermore, the company is donating a pair of glasses for every set that is purchased through the fundraiser.

(WATCH the emotional video below)

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In World First, Scientists Reprogram Bacteria to Exist Solely By Consuming CO2 From the Air

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Good News Network
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Israeli scientists have succeeded in editing the genes of microorganisms so that they stop eating all of their normal solid foods and switch to a strict diet of only eating carbon dioxide (CO2) from their environment.

This means that the bacteria were able to build all of their biomass from air. This feat, which involved nearly a decade of rational design, genetic engineering and a sped-up version of evolution in the lab, point to an exciting new means of developing carbon-neutral fuels.

The research, which was conducted in the laboratory of Professor Ron Milo of the Weizmann Institute of Science, was reported this week in Cell.

The study began by identifying crucial genes for the process of carbon fixation—the way plants take carbon from CO2 for the purpose of turning it into such biological molecules as protein and DNA. After adding and rewiring the needed genes, the researchers found that many of the “parts” for the machinery that were already present in the bacterial genome could be used as is.

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They also inserted a gene that allowed the bacteria to get energy from a readily available substance called formate that can be produced directly from electricity and air and which is apt to “give up” electrons to the bacteria.

As it turns out, simply giving the bacteria the “means of production” was not enough for them to make the switch. The team still needed another trick to get the bacteria to use this machinery properly, and this involved a delicate balancing act.

Together with several other members of Milo’s team in the Institute’s Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, the researchers used lab evolution, as the technique is known; in essence, the bacteria were gradually weaned off the sugar they were used to eating.

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At each stage, cultured bacteria were given just enough sugar to keep them from complete starvation, as well as plenty of CO2 and formate. As some “learned” to develop a taste for CO2 (giving them an evolutionary edge over those that stuck to sugar), their descendants were given less and less sugar until after about a year of adapting to the new diet some of them eventually made the complete switch, living and multiplying in an environment that served up pure CO2.

To check whether the bacteria were not somehow “snacking” on other nutrients, some of the evolved E. coli were fed CO2 containing a heavy isotope: C13. Then the bacterial body parts were weighed, and the weight they had gained checked against the mass that would be added from eating the heavier version of carbon. The analysis showed the carbon atoms in the body of the bacteria were all extracted directly from CO2 alone.

The researchers believe that the bacteria’s new “health kick” could ultimately be healthy for the planet. Milo points out that today, biotech companies use cell cultures to produce commodity chemicals. Such cells—yeast or bacteria—could be induced to live on a diet of CO2 and renewable electricity, and thus be weaned from the large amounts of corn syrup they live on today.

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Bacteria could also be further adapted so that rather than taking their energy from a substance such as formate, they might be able to get it straight up—say electrons from a solar collector—and then store that energy for later use as fuel in the form of carbon fixed in their cells. Such fuel would be carbon-neutral if the source of its carbon was atmospheric CO2.

“Our lab was the first to pursue the idea of changing the diet of a normal heterotroph (one that eats organic substances) to convert it to autotrophism (‘living on air’),” says Milo. “It sounded impossible at first, but it has taught us numerous lessons along the way, and in the end we showed it indeed can be done. Our findings are a significant milestone toward our goal of efficient, green scientific applications.”

Reprinted from Weizmann Institute of Science

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Years After Accidental Holiday Text, Man Still Gets Together With the Grandma Who Invited Him to Thanksgiving Dinner

By
McKinley Corbley
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Photo by Jamal Hinton

It has been several years since the world fell in love with this 20-year-old man and his “grandma”—and their fans can be happy to know that their friendship is still going strong.

Back in 2016, Jamal Hinton received a text message from Wanda Dench inviting him to her Thanksgiving dinner. The message had been intended for Dench’s grandson—but upon realizing her mistake, Dench invited him to dinner anyways, saying “that’s what grandmas do… feed everyone.”

Despite how Hinton lives in Phoenix—which is an hour and a half from where Dench lives in Mesa—he did indeed stop by for dinner and their serendipitous holiday mixup went viral.

Hinton has been to every single one of Dench’s Thanksgiving dinners since the mixup. Not only that, they make sure to regularly text each other and maintain contact throughout the year. In addition to meeting for dinner every few months, the two recently also went pumpkin-picking with Dench’s husband and Hinton’s longtime girlfriend Mikaela.

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“We are both really passionate and love talking about our story and how many people have reached out to us and told us how it affects them,” Hinton told The New York Post. “I love when people tell me it restores their faith in humanity which I get A LOT. It makes me feel good knowing something I was a part of affected so many people in a good way.”

“We are both very happy and grateful that we could be the centerpiece to such an amazing story and bring joy and faith in so many different people.”

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“Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgivings, turn routine into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” – William Arthur Ward

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Good News Network
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Faith Goble, CC license

Quote of the Day: “Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgivings, turn routine into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” – William Arthur Ward

Photo: by Faith Goble, CC license on Flickr

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

 

Man Transforms His Pub into the Most Festive Bar in All of UK So He Can Raise Money for Sick Children

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Good News Network
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SWNS
SWNS

Welcome to the most festive pub in the UK.

The Queen Victoria Inn on the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England has been transformed into “The Gingerbread Inn” with 60,000 fairy lights and a 22-foot (6.7-meter) snowman made of beer bottles.

It took four days for a team of four people to cover the exterior walls of the pub in gingerbread men, sweets, candy canes, and thousands of bulbs requiring 3 miles (5 kilometers) of wiring.

SWNS

The stunning display is hooked up to its own circuit board separate from the pub’s main electricity supply.

52-year-old landlord Mark Walton started the tradition four years ago in aid of the Children’s Hospice South West charity—and he managed to raise nearly $6,400 (£5,000) last year alone.

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This year, however, he added a giant snowman made out of 2,500 empty beer bottles to the grounds of the pub. Outside the pub, he has placed two large buckets for people to leave donations so he can achieve his goal of raising $7,700 (£6,000) during this year’s celebration.

“When people see it, they just say ‘wow’,” said Walton, who is also a father-of-three and a grandfather-of-one. “People come from all over the world to visit us at Christmas. It’s good for business and the charity does very well out of it.

SWNS

“When we did the switch-on, it was great to see if all lit up for the first time. I was taken back because it was so awesome.

“Seeing the photos is one thing, but it’s hard to comprehend the size of it until you’re actually here,” he added. “It’s quite a sight and it’s worth all of the hard work.”

In fact, Walton’s pub gets so busy in December, he no longer accepts bookings for the whole month—so people will travel for hours to see his lights.

SWNS

“Traditionally we are a country pub in the middle of nowhere and people do travel a long way to see us,” said Walton. “It is amazing to look at. I’ve known people travel up from Southampton and down from the midlands.

“We have covered every inch of the pub—and at this time of the year, it does become the centerpiece of the village.”

This year’s lights—which were officially turned on for the 2019 festive period on the evening of November 24th—will remain illuminated until early January.

SWNS

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