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For the First Time Ever, a Woman is Awarded the Most Prestigious Mathematics Award in the World

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For the first time in its history, the world’s most prestigious mathematics prize is being awarded to a woman.

This year, the Abel Prize is being awarded to 76-year-old Karen Keskulla Uhlenbeck “for her pioneering achievements in geometric partial differential equations, gauge theory and integrable systems, and for the fundamental impact of her work on analysis, geometry and mathematical physics.”

The award – which has been called the “Nobel” prize of mathematics – also comes with a $700,000 prize. The king of Norway will be presenting the prize to Uhlenbeck in Oslo in May.

According to the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, they decided to award the prize to Uhlenbeck for her decades of scientific contributions, the most notable of which includes her work with predictive mathematics inspired by soap bubbles.

RELATED: After Decades of Research, Mexican Scientist Successfully Eliminates HPV From Dozens of Her Patients

“Her theories have revolutionized our understanding of minimal surfaces, such as those formed by soap bubbles, and more general minimization problems in higher dimensions,”  said Hans Munthe-Kaas, the chairman of the Abel Committee.

In addition to being a mathematician, Uhlenbeck is also a role model and an advocate for gender equality in science and mathematics. As a child, she loved reading and dreamed of becoming a scientist. Today, Uhlenbeck is a contributing scholar at Princeton University as well as the Institute for Advanced Study. She is one of the founders of the Park City Mathematics Institute, which aims to train young researchers and promote mutual understanding of the interests and challenges in mathematics.

She is also the co-founder of the Institute’s Women and Mathematics program, created in 1993 to recruit and empower women to lead in mathematics research at all stages of their academic careers.

MORE: Watch the Badass Footage of Africa’s First All-Female Anti-Poaching Team in Action

Uhlenbeck developed tools and methods in global analysis, which are now in the toolbox of every geometer and analyst. Her work also lays the foundation for contemporary geometric models in mathematics and physics.

“The recognition of Uhlenbeck’s achievements should have been far greater, for her work has led to some of the most important advances in mathematics in the last 40 years,” said Jim Al-Khalili, Royal Society Fellow.

It’s Not Hard To Calculate That You Should Share The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Andrea Kane / Institute for Advanced Study

After Exhausting Day of Hard Work, Two Friends Find Fridge Full of Cold Beers in the Middle of a Field

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McKinley Corbley
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These two friends from Nebraska received the most unexpected reward for spending their weekend cleaning up in the aftermath of the state’s recent flooding.

Throughout the week, various Midwestern regions have been experiencing historic levels of floodwaters.

Kyle Simpson’s crop of land in Lincoln, Nebraska is just one of the properties that was flooded by the Platte River nearby. Thankfully, the cabin that Simpson built on the land is perched on top of stilts that saved it from the waters.

That being said, he and his friend Gayland Stouffer spent their entire Sunday cleaning up the muck and debris from his cabin property.

RELATED: Search for Cat Litter Led Woman to Fateful Encounter With Stranger Who Adopted Her Beloved Persian

Exhausted from their day of labor, they had just started wading back through chest-high floodwaters in order to get back to their car when Stouffer saw what looked like a refrigerator tangled up in some foliage.

Stouffer hiked the 50-foot distance between him and the fridge and was stunned to find that it was filled with beers. Not only that, they were ice cold.

“It was a gift sent from the heavens,” Simpson told the Lincoln Journal Star in disbelief.

 

The two men could hardly believe their luck, but they decided to go ahead and crack open a few cold ones as rewards for their long day of hard work.

Simpson and Stouffer drank a few beers, snapped some photos of their fortunate find – one of which was Simpson’s first ever selfie – and later posted them to a Nebraska Facebook group.

Within hours, their photos had been shared thousands of times until they eventually resurfaced on the newsfeed of Brian Healy, the refrigerator’s rightful owner.

CHECK OUT: Beer Deliveryman Prevents Suicide on a Bridge By Offering a Cold One—While Channeling Denzel Washington

Healy recognized the little appliance from his own cabin located 4 miles upstream – especially after he noticed that the fridge’s contents contained a mixture of his family’s favorite brews.

In addition to surviving a cabin fire in 2007, the brave little fridge somehow managed to survive the floodwaters as well. Healy and Simpson have since been in contact with each other, and Simpson has promised to return the fridge so that it can live to fight another day in the future.

Brew Up Some Positivity By Sharing This Surprising Story With Your Friends On Social Media…

Watch 800-Pound Bison Perform Adorable ‘Happy Dance’ in Celebration of the First Day of Spring

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If you think that you’ve got spring fever, wait until you see this 800-pound bison.

Staffers at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro posted a video of their resident bison doing “her happy dance” in celebration of the first day of spring – and her jubilance is absolutely contagious.

Even though the massive mammal, who is named “Calf”, is one of four American Bison at the zoo, she is clearly the most dextrous with her hooves.

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by the North Carolina Zoo

Do A Happy Dance With Your Friends And Share This Cute Clip To Social Media…

“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest.” ― Ernest Hemingway

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Quote of the Day: “When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Photo: by GWC, Copyright 2006

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?

 

Muslim Doctors Use Ohio Mosque to Open First Free Clinic in the Region – and It’s Open to Everyone

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McKinley Corbley
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Rather than letting dust gather on the shelves of their storage space, this mosque in northern Ohio has converted its spare rooms into the region’s first free clinic.

The Cleveland Ibn Sina Clinic is located inside of the Islamic Center of Cleveland in Parma. Although the facility is being run by 20 different Muslim doctors volunteering their skills, its doors will be open to uninsured patients from all religions and walks of life.

More importantly, all of the clinic’s services will be free of charge – the only thing that patients will have to worry about is the cost of prescriptions.

Instead, the facility will be financing their operations through monthly fundraisers and donations.

RELATED: Instead of Families Having to Drive Two Hours, This Mosque Inside a Church Brings People Together

The clinic, which was sponsored by the Muslim community, will only be open on the weekends. The doctors will be traveling from across Akron and Cleveland in order to volunteer at the facility on a rotating basis.

In addition to offering primary care services, the clinic will also offer treatment for sleep disorders, asthma, allergies, respiratory medicine, and mental health conditions.

Dr. Mansoor Ahmed, who is one of the doctors volunteering at the clinic, told WEWS-TV: “We have the ability, we have the potential, we have the resources. Giving a little bit of your time, I think, goes a long way in making a difference in people’s lives.”

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by Islamic Center of Cleveland

Cure Your Friends Of Negativity By Sharing The Inspiring Story To Social Media…

Five Days After Disappearing, Dog is Finally Found and Rescued From Underground Rabbit Hole

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A distraught pet owner has been reunited with her beloved dog after he was found trapped in a rabbit hole five days after disappearing.

33-year-old Sarah Mclellan was left devastated after her beloved dog Ralph disappeared while out on a walk near their English home in Haworth, West Yorkshire last week.

Mclellan and her husband then spent their weekend searching for the wire-haired Dachshund. They recruited volunteers; made posts for “Lost Dog” Facebook groups; and even had a woman create a website for Ralph – all to no avail.

“On Friday it was horrendous weather, it was freezing and we just couldn’t find him anywhere,” said Mclellan. “As you can imagine at this point your mind goes wild thinking, ‘what’s happened? Has he drowned? Has something bad happened?’

LOOK: Good Samaritans Save Drowning Animal From Frozen River Only to Discover It Was a Wild Wolf

“My son had asking us where Ralphy was. He was opening the front door and shouting for him – it was heartbreaking,” she added. “We just had to tell him that Daddy was looking for him.”

Miraculously, the terrified pooch was eventually sniffed out by his sister Edie while she was out on a walk with Mclellan’s husband on Monday.

Ralph was trapped five feet underground in a maze of rabbit runs located just half a mile from his home. After two hours of careful digging, the pup was finally rescued.

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“The rabbit holes are like mazes and he must have gone through one hole and got stuck – he had made himself a hole in the middle but he couldn’t get out again,” said Mclellan. “When he got out the hole he went for a wee – and then carried on as if nothing had happened!

“When I got back home I opened the door and there he was in the kitchen,” she added. “I couldn’t believe it.”

MORE: Thousands Are Rejoicing Over Photos of a Chubby Rat’s Rescue From a Manhole Cover

Despite losing weight while he was trapped in the hole, Ralph was not left with any serious injuries.

“Ralph is completely knackered and he has worn down his nails from where he was trying to dig himself out, but he is otherwise fine,” said Mclellan. “He’s lost weight and he’s so tired – he just needs time to build himself back up again.”

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The relieved owner hopes that her happy ending will give others hope that their pets will also be found.

“It was such a drama and I was still in shock when I saw him – I was up till 1am last night just cuddling him.

“He does like chasing rabbits and he does that a lot but he just took it too far this time. Hopefully he has learnt his lesson this time.”

Be Sure And Share The Pawesome Rescue Story With Your Friends On Social Media…

FDA Approves First Ever Drug Treatment for Postpartum Depression

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For the first time in history, the FDA has approved a treatment specifically for adult women experiencing postpartum depression (PPD).

Up until now, postpartum treatments have only consisted of mental health counseling, therapy, and standard antidepressants, many of which can take weeks – even months – to take effect.

Now, this newly-approved drug, which is being sold by Sage Therapeutics under the brand name Zulresso, was shown to relieve depressive symptoms within hours of being administered in three different clinical trials – and it continued to show success throughout their 30-day followups.

Though the treatment can only be administered via a 60-hour long IV drip session in a clinical setting, researchers are saying that the historic new treatment promises to help thousands of mothers.

Dr. Samantha Meltzer Brody, director of the Perinatal Psychiatry Program at the UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders and primary investigator of the Zulresso clinical trials, hailed the drug as “a game-changing approach to treating PPD.”

RELATED: Exciting New Study Shows That Zapping the Brain ‘Acutely’ Relieves Symptoms of Depression

“The potential to rapidly reduce symptoms in this critical disorder is an exciting milestone in women’s mental health,” said Brody. “PPD is recognized to have a significant and long-term impact on women and their families, but with Zulresso we may finally have the opportunity to change that.”

Postpartum depression is the most common medical complication of childbirth, affecting approximately one in nine women who have given birth in the U.S. and 400,000 women annually. Though the condition is a distinct and readily identified major depressive disorder that can occur during pregnancy and after giving birth, more than half of these cases can go undiagnosed without proper screening.

Symptoms can last for months, sometimes even years after pregnancy, which can have devastating consequences for a woman and for her family, some of which may include significant functional impairment, depressed mood, loss of interest in her newborn, and associated symptoms of depression such as loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, motor challenges, lack of concentration, loss of energy and poor self-esteem. Additionally, suicide is the leading cause of maternal death following childbirth.

MORE: FDA Grants ‘Breakthrough’ Status to Psilocybin Mushroom Therapy for Untreatable Depression

This week’s FDA approval of Zulresso is based on findings from three multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trials, designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Zulresso in women with moderate and severe PPD, aged between 18 and 45 years who were both 6 months postpartum or less at the time of screening and had onset of symptoms no earlier than the third trimester and no later than the first four weeks following delivery.

The trials were conducted across 30 different US research clinics between 2017 and 2018, and the results were published in The Lancet in August.

In all trials at all doses, Zulresso achieved the primary endpoint, which was a significant mean reduction in commonly used depression measurement scales, at 60 hours compared to placebo. A reduction of depressive symptoms was also seen as early as 24 hours, and Zulresso maintained effect through the 30-day follow-up. The most common adverse side effects in the studies were sleepiness, dry mouth, loss of consciousness, and flushing.

LISTEN: Neuroscientists Discover a Song That Reduces Anxiety By 65%

Stephanie Hathaway, a mother-of-two who was a participant in the drug trials, told CNN that she opted for the treatment after her mental health took an ominous turn following the birth of her second child – and she noticed an immediate change in her mood.

“It was a 60-hour infusion and in the first 12 to 18 hours I felt the biggest difference,” said Hathaway. “The first two weeks [after pregnancy] I was crying excessively … after that, I had intrusive thoughts. Those were, ‘Your daughter deserves a better mom,’ and ‘Your husband deserves a better wife.’

“Those intrusive thoughts that played on repeat in my head, those went away and didn’t come back.”

RELATED: Watching Birds Near Your Home is Good For Your Mental Health

According to Jeff Jonas, chief executive officer of Sage Therapeutics, the treatment is set to be available to the public in June—but at a very expensive price point, tens of thousands of dollars.

“We believe Zulresso will address an important need for women’s mental health,” said Jonas. “Zulresso will be a catalyst in starting a new dialogue emphasizing the importance of women’s mental health, and the importance of diagnosing and treating PPD.”

Be Sure And Share The Exciting News With Your Friends On Social Media – File photo by George Ruiz, CC

Why Smiling Is Good for You – and Five Photos That Guarantee Grins on World Happiness Day

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Chinese girl dances with fan -Giacomo Pirozzi/UNICEF

Chinese girl dances with fan -Giacomo Pirozzi/UNICEF

Never underestimate the power and impact of one simple facial gesture: your smile.

Universally understood even by infants, the movement of upturning your lips can create happy feelings—even when you are not feeling happy.

Everyone has seen how an infant responds to a smile. The response is instinctive. Dr. David Chamberlain studied babies beginning at conception, and studied brain activity in infants. Contrary to popular belief, early smiles are not all “gas”.

Smile centers in the brain are active from a very early prenatal stage of development, and they are now considered to be an important part of learning how to cope with the world, even before we see our first glimpse of daylight, according to Smile! The The Powerful Science of Smiling.

Dr. Norman Cousins was reportedly able to reverse his own cancer with laughter because the body has its own biochemical system of responses, so that even a fake smile can lead to real happiness. Studies of brain waves have revealed that faking a real smile was sufficient to activate the pleasure centers in the brain.

Try it right now. You will likely feel a response.

WATCH: Terminal Cancer Survivor Spends Days Smiling and Waving at Drivers

The smile may be more useful in defusing a negative situation than any persuasion. It is the easiest way to uplift someone’s day, especially a stranger who may be experiencing tough times.

Today, March 20th, is the annual International Day of Happiness celebrated by the United Nations – so here are five stories and photos to ignite your smile…

Photo by Gianna Snell Photography

5. Couple’s Breathtaking Engagement Photoshoot Shows it’s Never Too Late For Love

 

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4. Formerly Homeless Bus Driver Wins Awards Because He Never Stops Smiling – And His Passengers Love It

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3. Watch Dick Van Dyke Celebrate 90th Birthday With Flash Mob of Chimney Sweeps

“Smiley” Dog Born Without Eyes Serves as Beacon for Disabled – Joanne George, FB
Photo by Joanne George

2. This “Smiley” Dog Born Without Eyes Serves as Beacon for Disabled

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1. This UN Photo Shows Women in Liberia Celebrating Ten Tears of Peace and an Ebola-free Country

 

SHARE some Good News with your Friends to Help them Smile! (Top Photo by Giacomo Pirozzi for UNICEF)

Internet-Famous ‘Crying Kid’ Proudly Agrees to Resuscitate His Notoriety for Charity Instead of Financial Gain

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McKinley Corbley
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It’s been two years since John Phillips’s heartbroken face became an internet sensation – but rather than being ashamed of his online notoriety, the compassionate teenager is now proudly using his fame for charity.

John is a passionate fan of the Northwestern Wildcats basketball team. Back in 2017, the youngster was heartbroken when the team lost against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the NCAA “March Madness” Tournament during the final seven and a half minutes of the game.

Northwestern lost 79-73 after the referee called a foul against the team. At the pinnacle of the game’s devastating conclusion, several news outlets captured footage of John throwing up his arms in emotion and tearfully yelling over the defeat.

The clip of his “What-Just-Happened Wail” reaction went viral, earning him the “Northwestern Kid” nickname.

LOOK: Viral Internet Challenge is Spurring People Around the World to Pick Up Tons of Trash and Then Snap Photos

Becoming a meme meant that John received a fair amount of mean comments and snide messages from social media users – but it has also made his face a beloved part of internet culture. Now 14 years old, he says that he has been approached by dozens of people on the street asking for selfies and autographs.

The good-natured teenager also says that he has been happy to be so synonymous with his favorite team – and he was recently given the chance to take advantage of the online fame.

With basketball fans now revving up for this year’s “March Madness” tournament, Pizza Hut approached John’s family and asked for permission to use the iconic photo of his face for their tournament ad campaign.

MORE: Rather Than Hiding Treasures in a Trophy Room, NBA Legend is ‘Selling It All’ for Underprivileged Kids

His family was “not interested in exploiting John’s notoriety for personal gain,” so they left the decision up to him.

Upon researching Pizza Hut’s charity programs, John realized that he could use his celebrity status to help raise money and awareness for two different causes: providing books to children in need and donating surplus food supplies to the hungry.

The teenager agreed to the campaign, and Pizza Hut even offered to pay him a significant sum of money for his participation, but he insisted that it all be donated to the company’s charity programs instead. Although his family declined to disclose the sum, The Chicago Tribune estimates it is at least over $50,000.

CHECK OUT: After Saving Money for Two Years, Teen Finally Gets to Surprise His Friend With New Electric Wheelchair

“I am not interested in getting any more fame from this, believe me, but when the chance came to help others, that’s when I agreed to it and I’m honored to make a positive change out of this,’’ John told The Tribune.

“I see those pictures and that video and I’m reminded of who I truly am at the center because that’s a raw version of me, no sugar-coating, and it reminds me to not shy away from it or my passions: my love of sports, Northwestern and my family,’’ he added. “It also reminds me of one of the greatest weekends of my life.’’

Score Big With Your Friends By Sharing The Inspiring Story To Social Media…

“Lust is easy. Love is hard. Like is most important.” – Carl Reiner (97-years-old today)

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KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

Quote of the Day: “Lust is easy. Love is hard. Like is most important.” – Carl Reiner (97-years-old today)

Photo: by kayugee, CC license via 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?

 

Stray Pup in Nepal Follows Mountain Climbers to The Top in Amazing Feat – Maybe The World Record for a Dog

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McKinley Corbley
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LISTEN to this tale on the radio from The Good News Guru (GNN founder), or READ the FULL story below...

After braving wind, snow, and dizzying elevations in the Himalayan mountains, this tenacious stray dog may have broken a world record without even knowing it.

The mutt in Nepal began following a group of climbers who were getting ready to scale to the top of nearby Mount Baruntse.

The Kathmandu-based peak stands just south of Mount Everest at 23,389 feet tall. Though it is a formidable climb for any experienced daredevil, the dog dubbed “Mera” completed most of the climb without any protection for her paws—or human help at all, except for a short zip line ride.

Mera was quite skittish when they first met her down in the village of Khare, so they were shocked when she suddenly bounded up next to them while they were in the midst of descending another mountain at 17,000 feet.

She’d already passed dozens of other climbers that she could have charmed—in exchange for food or attention—but mysteriously, she fixated her attention on the leader of this month-long expedition, Seattle-based Don Wargowsky.

LOOK: Traveling Baby Daughter is About to Own a World Record at 5 Months Old – and the Pictures Are Adorable


The crew spent the next two weeks hiking to the Mount Baruntse Base Camp, and Don happily shared his sleeping bag, tent, and meals with his new canine companion the entire way. They quickly became inseparable.

“I learned how to work with her despite the language barrier and discovered that she was a very intelligent animal,” Wargowsky wrote in a blog post. “She came when called, would wait outside the dinning tent while I ate, and never chewed on any of my gear.”

MORE: This 10-Year-old Boy Just Beat Michael Phelps’s Most Enduring Swimming Record

When it finally came time to depart from the base camp and begin their ascent up the mountain, Don knew the trek was too dangerous for a dog. Though he was heartbroken to say goodbye to his friend, he made her a leash and collar and tied her up near the camp staffers so she couldn’t follow them.

“She yelps and whines as the team and I walk away,” says Wargowsky. “Half an hour into our climb I feel a tickle on the back of my knee. I look down and see Mera following right behind me just like before.”

After days of frigid temperatures and treacherous mountain peaks, Don’s Nepalese climbing guides went from being “tolerant” of the pup to “reverent”, calling her “lucky and blessed”.

After reaching the last mountain camp before the summit, the climbing crew left Mera sleeping in Wargowsky’s tent with the hopes that she would not try to follow them up the steep climb.

Wargowsky was then stunned when he later turned around at 22,000 feet in order to take a photo of the ridge they had just climbed only to see Mera charging up to meet them.

RELATED: Girl Who Wanted to ‘Be Closer to Her Dad’ Becomes Youngest Female to Hike Mount Kilimanjaro

“We’ve been climbing for seven hours and she’s almost caught up with us,” says Wargowski. “The next thing that I know she is in my lap. I have no idea how she scaled the vertical wall of snow, but she’s with us now and keen to climb.

“I have never been so surprised or happy to see a dog in my life. The [Nepalese climbers] are absolutely stunned! They all throw their fists in the air and cheer.”

Finally after a long arduous climb, they reached the summit and took photos celebrating the first dog to ascend Mount Baruntse.

Not only that, Outdoor Magazine says that Mera may have climbed to the highest elevation ever reached by a dog in recorded history.

LOOK: Stray Dog Crashes A Wedding And Finds His Own Happily Ever After

When they arrived back into town, Don was distraught over the thought of abandoning “the world’s greatest mountain dog,” but one of his Nepalese guides was quick to offer the amazing pup a home.

Don recalls, “He said, ‘No way, she’s special. She’s coming with me.’”

Mera now receives all the meat and loving head-pats a pup could want—although she has been renamed “Baru” in honor of the mountain she conquered.

Be Sure And Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends On Social Media…

Stray Pup in Nepal Follows Mountain Climbers to The Top in Amazing Feat – May Be the World Record for a Dog (GNN Podcast)

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A tenacious stray dog may have just set a world record for the highest elevation ever reached by a canine – and it also resulted in a loving new home. Hear our Good News Guru tell the inspiring story on the radio in Los Angeles—during the March 15, 2019 Ellen K. Morning Show on KOST-103.5.

SEE Full Story with more pics at GNN…

Subscribe to our Good News podcast on iTunes, or for Android devices on Podbean. (Photo by Don Wargowsky, Facebook)

Also, Check Out Our Little Paperback Book of Good News—Buy on Amazon or White Cloud Press! 

This Company is Paying for You (and Your Neighborhood) to Recycle Your Razors – Here’s How You Can Start

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McKinley Corbley
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Rather than tossing your used razors in the trash and having them contribute to excessive landfill waste, Gillette is paying for them to be recycled – and they’re encouraging people to get their communities to do it as well.

Consumers can now recycle their razors and all of their disposable packaging by shipping the used hygiene products to Terracycle, a US-based company that specializes in recycling items that are generally non-recyclable, such as cigarette butts, light bulbs, batteries, and hazardous waste.

Gillette isn’t just partnering with Terracycle to process their own razor brands, either; participants can send in razor-related trash generated by any other rival shaving company – and Gillette will still foot the bill for free.

RELATED: We May Soon Be Able to Build Houses Out of the Byproducts From Our Bathroom Breaks

All participants have to do to recycle their razors is visit the Terracycle website, sign up for a free account, print out a free shipping label, and send their trash off for processing.

Furthermore, Terracycle is allowing people to create community recycling outposts so that organizations, workplaces, school campuses, and neighborhood spaces can collectively package and send their shaving-related trash in one shipment.

Once properly cleaned, separated, and processed, the trash can then be used to make new park benches, picnic tables, and other useful community items.

MORE: In Bid to Cut Food Waste, Kellogg’s is Using Their Rejected Cornflakes to Make Beer

“Through this innovative, first-of-its-kind program, disposable razors, replaceable-blade cartridge units and their associated packaging are now nationally recyclable through the Gillette Recycling Program,” said TerraCycle CEO and founder Tom Szaky. “We are proud to partner with this forward-thinking company to offer consumers a way to divert razor waste from landfills.”

The program is currently only available in the United States, but Gillette representatives say that they are working on rolling out similar initiatives in other countries.

Go Green By Sharing The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media…

Man Praises Taco Bell Hot Sauce for ‘Saving’ His Life After Being Trapped in His Car for 5 Days

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McKinley Corbley
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When heavy snow forced this 36-year-old Oregon man to spend five days in his car awaiting rescue, he says that he was “saved” by some leftover packets of hot sauce.

Jeremy Taylor had been driving through Deschutes County earlier this month when his SUV got stuck in the powder.

Hoping that the weather would ease up during the night, Taylor resigned himself to sleeping in his car alongside his dog Ally. The next day, however, the record-breaking snowfall had only made things worse. Taylor and Ally tried to hike through the snow for help, but the snow was so deep, he knew that it would be too risky to try and find help.

Taylor and Ally then hunkered down in his car and waited for rescuers to arrive. The two of them spent the next five days in his car, during which he would periodically eat leftover Taco Bell fire sauce for energy and turn on his car for occasional heating during the frigid nighttime temperatures.

MORE: Rescuers Pull Car From Frigid Water, Find a Driver Who Survived for 5 Hours Using an Air Bubble

After days of slurping down hot sauce packets, Taylor was finally found by a snowmobile rider who discovered his car and called the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

“Jeremy and Ally were found to be in good condition, but hungry after being stuck in the snow for five days,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.

Upon being brought back to civilization, Taylor made his own social media post to thank his friends and family for their support, saying: “I’m safe, my Ally dog is safe. I really appreciate all the help. Got lucky, lets never do that again. I’ll be in touch with everyone soon.”

CHECK OUT: Heroic Momma Hiked 26 Miles Through Heavy Snow to Save Husband, Son

In addition to his tale of survival being shared by news outlets from around the world, a Taco Bell spokesperson reportedly reached out to Taylor in order to offer him a year’s worth of free food.

Though we are not yet sure whether Taylor is destined to be the new Taco Bell poster boy, he did jokingly praise the fast food chain’s hot sauce in a Facebook comment, saying: “Taco Bell fire sauce saves lives.”

Fire Up Your Friends With The Good News By Sharing It To Social Media – Photo by Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Oregon Facebook / Jamie, CC

Eating Mushrooms a Few Times a Week Could Dramatically Reduce Dementia Risk, Says 6-Year Study

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Good News Network
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An intriguing new study says that seniors who enjoy eating regular helpings of mushrooms with their meals may be significantly less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

MCI is typically viewed as the stage between the cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious decline of dementia. Seniors afflicted with MCI often display some form of memory loss or forgetfulness and may also show deficit on other cognitive function such as language, attention and visuospatial abilities.

However, the changes can be subtle, as they do not experience disabling cognitive deficits that affect everyday life activities, which is characteristic of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

That being said, a team from the the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that seniors who consume more than two standard portions of mushrooms every week could reduce their odds of experiencing mental decline by as much as 50%.

RELATED: In ‘World First’ Blind People Have Their Vision Restored Thanks to Stem Cells From Deceased Organ Donors

A portion was defined as three quarters of a cup of cooked mushrooms with an average weight of around 150 grams. Two portions would be equivalent to approximately half a plate. While the portion sizes act as a guideline, it was shown that even one small portion of mushrooms a week may still be beneficial to reduce chances of MCI.

“This correlation is surprising and encouraging. It seems that a commonly available single ingredient could have a dramatic effect on cognitive decline,” said Assistant Professor Lei Feng, who is from the NUS Department of Psychological Medicine, and the lead author of this work.

The six-year study, which was conducted from 2011 to 2017, collected data from more than 600 Chinese seniors over the age of 60 living in Singapore. The results were published online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease earlier this week.

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“People with MCI are still able to carry out their normal daily activities. So, what we had to determine in this study is whether these seniors had poorer performance on standard neuropsychologist tests than other people of the same age and education background,” explained Feng. “Neuropsychological tests are specifically designed tasks that can measure various aspects of a person’s cognitive abilities. In fact, some of the tests we used in this study are adopted from the commonly used IQ test battery, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS).”

As such, the researchers conducted extensive interviews and tests with the senior citizens to determine an accurate diagnosis. “The interview takes into account demographic information, medical history, psychological factors, and dietary habits. A nurse will measure blood pressure, weight, height, handgrip, and walking speed. They will also do a simple screen test on cognition, depression, anxiety,” added Feng.

After this, a two-hour standard neuropsychological assessment was performed, along with a dementia rating. The overall results of these tests were discussed in depth with expert psychiatrists involved in the study to get a diagnostic consensus.

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Six commonly consumed mushrooms in Singapore were referenced in the study: golden, oyster, shiitake and white button mushrooms, as well as dried and canned mushrooms. However, it is likely that other mushrooms not referenced would also have beneficial effects.

The researchers believe the reason for the reduced prevalence of MCI in mushroom eaters may be down to a specific compound found in almost all varieties.

“We’re very interested in a compound called ergothioneine (ET),” said Dr Irwin Cheah, senior research fellow at NUS’s biochemistry department. “ET is a unique antioxidant and anti-inflammatory which humans are unable to synthesize on their own. But it can be obtained from dietary sources, one of the main ones being mushrooms.”

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An earlier study by the team on elderly Singaporeans revealed that plasma levels of ET in participants with MCI were significantly lower than age-matched healthy individuals. The work, which was published in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications in 2016, led to the belief that a deficiency in ET may be a risk factor for neurodegeneration, and increasing ET intake through mushroom consumption might possibly promote cognitive health.

Other compounds contained within mushrooms may also be advantageous for decreasing the risk of cognitive decline. Certain hericenones, erinacines, scabronines and dictyophorines may promote the synthesis of nerve growth factors. Bioactive compounds in mushrooms may also protect the brain from neurodegeneration by inhibiting production of beta amyloid and phosphorylated tau, and acetylcholinesterase.

The potential next stage of research for the team is to perform a randomized controlled trial with the pure compound of ET and other plant-based ingredients, such as L-theanine and catechins from tea leaves, to determine the efficacy of such phytonutrients in delaying cognitive decline. Such interventional studies will lead to more robust conclusion on causal relationship. Additionally, Feng and his team hope to identify other dietary factors that could be associated with healthy brain aging and reduced risk of age-related conditions in the future.

(Source: National University of Singapore)

Be Sure And Share The Fascinating Research With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by NUS

Stranger Drives 7 Hours Straight So Couple on the Side of the Road Can Be With Dying Mother

By
McKinley Corbley
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Ron and Sharleen Gillies – Courtesy of Ron Gillies
Ron and Sharleen Gillies – Courtesy of Ron Gillies

Sharleen and Ron Gillies were just hours away from saying their final goodbyes to his dying mother when their car broke down – and they may not have made it in time if it had not been for a compassionate stranger.

The Scottish couple had been driving south from Edinburgh to see Ron’s mother in Cambridge when they got in a minor car collision which left their vehicle stranded on the side of the road with a damaged wheel.

Though the incident left them unharmed, they became increasingly distraught when they called their insurance company and were “robotically” told that no one would be able to rescue them for another three hours – and even then, they would only be able to get a ride to the train station.

Thankfully, 40-year-old Dean Moore had been driving to his own home in North Ormesby when he saw the Gillies on the side of the ride.

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Unable to drive past the anxious older couple, Moore pulled over to make sure that they were okay.

Moore then became so frustrated by the couple’s plight, he volunteered to drive them the remaining 200 miles to Cambridge.

True to his word, Moore drove for three and a half hours until he was able to deliver the Gillies at the bedside of Ron’s dying mother at midnight. After taking a quick bathroom break, Moore then turned around and made the three and a half hour drive back home.

As fate would have it, Ron and Sharleen arrived just in time to spend a few hours with his mother before she died the following day.

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“I just can’t put into words what that lad did for us,” Ron told Gazette Live. “This happened on the Sunday and she died the next day, she died on Monday. If it hadn’t been for Dean, there’s a fair chance we would have not got there in time.”

Even though Moore says he was “knackered” at work the next day following his 7-hour drive, he has remained humble about his actions.

“They were stuck in a bad situation, I just made it a little better,” Moore told the Gazette. “I don’t deserve such a fuss being made, I just want to drift off into the background. But I obviously left a good impression of the area and I’m glad about that.”

Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Ron Gillies

“Much of our frustration in life comes from attempting to control what we can’t control and neglecting to control what we can.” – Dr. Richard D. Dobbins

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Much of our frustration in life comes from attempting to control what we can’t control and neglecting to control what we can.” – Dr. Richard D. Dobbins

Photo: by Edna Winti, CC license via 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?

 

Listen to Man’s Hilarious Story About ‘Empathetically Yelling’ With a Stranger (MOTH Monday)

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Good News Network
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Today is MOTH Monday on Good News Network: In partnership with The Moth, a nonprofit dedicated to the art of storytelling, we bring you the most uplifting speakers from live stages across the world.

Jeff Simmermon was in a particularly lousy mood following his “surprise divorce” several years ago. All he wanted to do was get back to his New York City home so he could get out of the rain and quell his negative emotions with copious amounts of ice cream.

His patience was tested, however, when his rain-soaked grocery bags tore open on the train home from the grocery store.

Simmermon became even more irritated when a train passenger testily accused him of being inconsiderate of her space.

What followed was a strangely heartwarming exchange in which Simmermon and the woman “empathetically yelled” at each other – and it left him feeling significantly better than when he boarded the train.

Listen to his story below…

The Moth gives people an opportunity to tell a true story in front of a live audience, and sometimes their stories are chosen to air on the radio show, now celebrating its tenth year, and broadcasting on 485+ public radio stations—and on The Moth podcast, which is downloaded over 52 million times a year.

The Moth’s third book, Occasional Magic: True Stories About Defying the Impossible will be published in March 2019 and is available for pre-order from your favorite bookseller now.

Be Sure And Share This Uplifting Tale With Your Friends And Fellow Moms On Social Media…

This Questionnaire Could Prevent Thousands of Unnecessary Prostate Cancer Surgeries

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Good News Network
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This new free online tool could help thousands of prostate cancer patients avoid unnecessary – and risky – medical treatments.

According to Cancer Research UK, there were over 47,000 new cases of prostate cancer in 2015. Progression of the disease, which is usually presented later in a patient’s life, is very variable: in most cases, the disease progresses slowly and is not fatal.

It is often said that more men die with prostate cancer than from it. However, tumors can metastasize and spread to other organs in a significant number of men, threatening their health.

When a patient is diagnosed with prostate cancer, they are currently classified as low, intermediate or high-risk. Depending on the patient’s risk group, clinicians will recommend either an “active monitoring” approach or treatment. Treatment options include radiotherapy or surgery and can have potentially significant side-effects, including erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence.

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However, evidence suggests that these classifications, which are in the current guidelines provided by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), are only 60 to 70% accurate. This means that many men may elect for treatment when it is not necessary. In fact, a recent study carried out in the UK showed that for early prostate cancer (low and intermediate-risk), treatment is no more beneficial in terms of ten-year survival compared to no treatment.

That’s why scientists at the University of Cambridge developed the PREDICT Prostate online tool, which was launched earlier this week alongside their research publication in the journal PLOS Medicine of the research that underpins it.

It brings together the latest evidence and mathematical models to give a personalized prognosis, which the researchers say will empower patients as they discuss treatment options with their consultant.

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“We believe this tool could significantly reduce the number of unnecessary – and potentially harmful – treatments that patients receive and save the NHS millions every year,” says the project’s lead research Dr. Vincent Gnanapragasam.

“This isn’t about rationing treatments – it’s about empowering patients and their clinicians to make decisions based on better evidence. In some cases, treatment will be the right option, but in many others, patients will want to weigh up the treatment benefits versus the risks of side effects. It will also show men who do need treatment a realistic estimate of their survival after treatment.”

Cambridge researchers have already shown that it is possible to improve the accuracy of the NICE-endorsed model to more than 80% by stratifying patients into five rather than three groups. Their next challenge was to use this information to give a more individual prediction of outcome to patients at no extra cost. The result is PREDICT Prostate.

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The online questionnaire takes routinely available information including PSA test results, the cancer grade and stage, the proportion of biopsies with cancerous cells, and details about the patient including his age and other illnesses. It then gives a 10 to 15 year survival estimate. Importantly, the tool also estimates how his chance of survival differs depending on whether he opts for monitoring or treatment, providing context of the likelihood of success of treatment and risk of side effects.

“As far as we are aware, this is the first personalized tool to give an overall survival estimate for men following a prostate cancer diagnosis,” says first author Dr. David Thurtle, an academic fellow in urology at the University of Cambridge.

“PREDICT Prostate is designed for men who are considering whether to choose to monitor or to opt for treatment. This is the choice that faces nearly half of all men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer. We hope it will provide a more accurate and objective estimate to help men reach an informed decision in discussion with their consultant.”

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The tool could also save health care systems and patients thousands of dollars in medical costs. Data from the National Prostate Cancer Audit has shown that rates of treatment for low-risk prostate cancer vary across different hospitals between 2 to 25%. “Radical” treatment – surgery or radiotherapy, for example – costs on average around £7,000 ($9,300) per patient and treating these men unnecessarily wastes considerable resources as well as causing significant side-effects.

Thurtle and Gnanapragasam have since carried out a randomized study of almost 200 prostate cancer specialists in which they gave some clinicians access to the tool and a series of patient vignettes, while others received the vignettes only. In most cases, the clinician overestimated the risk of the patient dying from the cancer, compared to the estimate given by PREDICT, going on to recommended treatment in many cases and overestimate how successful this treatment would be. When given access to the tool, the clinicians were less likely to recommend treatment in good prognosis cancers.

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Gnanapragasam says that the development of PREDICT Prostate has only been possible because of the intactness of records available through Public Health England. The tool was developed using data from over 10,000 UK men recorded in the East of England. This regional registry, he says, is one of the highest quality and most comprehensive data sets available both in the UK and internationally. The data was then validated externally in a sample of 2,500 prostate cancer patients in Singapore. The web tool was developed in collaboration with the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication

The researchers caution that the tool is strongly recommended for use only in consultation with a clinician. It is also not suitable for men with very aggressive disease or who have evidence of disease spread at the time of diagnosis.

(Source: Cambridge University)

Cure Your Friends Of Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – File photo by Amtec Photos, CC

Longtime Firefighter Saved By the Very Device He Lobbied for Months Earlier

By
McKinley Corbley
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This 63-year-old firefighter is alive today thanks to a fateful decision he made several months earlier.

Bill Staudt has been a New York City firefighter for the last 36 years, but he only recently had the idea to lobby for a defibrillator in the fire department building.

Upon submitting a request to the department’s management team, the building in Queens was finally equipped with an automated external defibrillator (AED) device.

It’s a good thing that he did, too; back in September, only several months after he submitted the request, Staudt suddenly felt a burning sensation in his chest as was walking back to his desk.

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Next thing he knew, he was in the back of an ambulance.

Staudt had gone into cardiac arrest – and thanks to the recently-equipped AED device in his building, his fellow first responders were able to resuscitate him and bring him to the hospital.

“He’s a subset of patients who have cardiac arrest without known cause,” Dr. JoonHyuk Kim from NewYork-Presbyterian Queens told WLNY. “When a person has cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting, the survival rate is very low.”

Though he now has an implanted defibrillator that will monitor his heart in the future, Staudt is alive thanks to the AED – and doctors hope that Staudt’s survival story serves as a lesson to others on the importance of having a defibrillator in the workplace.

(WATCH the news coverage below or our international viewers can watch the footage on the CBS News website) – Photo by WLNY

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