Happy Birthday to Hollywood star Jon Hamm who turns 55 today. He rocketed to fame playing the 60s advertising executive Don Draper in the TV hit Mad Men, for which he won two Golden Globes and an Emmy, after 15 nominations. He also had a recurring role on NBC’s 30 Rock and is reportedly reuniting with his co-star Tina Fey in a new film directed by Mad Men co-star John Slattery called Maggie Moore, a dark comedy about a sheriff in a small town. WATCH some of his funny moments on talk shows… (1971)
Multiple Types of Plastic Are Turned into Vinegar Using Sunlight-Powered Process Without Emissions
Researchers at the University of Waterloo have discovered a way to turn plastic waste into acetic acid, the main ingredient of vinegar, using sunlight.
The breakthrough offers a promising new approach to reducing plastic pollution through photocatalysis, while simultaneously creating a useful, value-added chemical product through a process inspired by nature.
“Our goal was to solve the plastic pollution challenge by converting microplastic waste into high-value products using sunlight,” said Dr. Yimin Wu, a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering at the University of Waterloo, Canada.
Plastic waste, notably microplastics, has been found across many of the planet’s ecosystems, raising concerns about threats to terrestrial and marine life as well as human health. Plastic recycling rates remain low around the globe.
To tackle this problem, the team developed a bio-inspired photocatalysis process using iron atoms embedded in carbon nitride, a way that certain types of fungi break down organic matter using enzymes.
When exposed to sunlight, the material drives a series of chemical reactions that transform plastic polymers into acetic acid with high selectivity. The reaction takes place in water, making it particularly relevant for addressing plastic pollution in aquatic environments.
Acetic acid is widely used in food production, chemical manufacturing and energy applications. The study shows it can be produced from common plastic wastes, including PVC, PP, PE and PET, and remains effective across mixed plastic compositions.
This makes the approach well suited to real-world waste streams, offering a promising alternative to plastic incineration, and could support more circular approaches to material use while providing a new strategy for upcycling plastics.
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“Both from a business and societal perspective, the financial and economic benefits associated with this innovation seem promising,” said Roy Brouwer, executive director of the Water Institute and a coauthor of the article supporting the techno-economic analysis.
“This method allows abundant and free solar energy to break down plastic pollution without adding extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere,” Wu adds.
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The findings also point to new possibilities for addressing microplastics directly. Because the process degrades plastics at the chemical level, it could help prevent the accumulation of microplastics in water systems.
While still at the laboratory stage, the team envisions that this approach could be adapted for scalable, solar-driven recycling and environmental cleanup and the photocatalytic upcycling system can be further enhanced through strategic engineering of the materials and manufacturing processes.
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Public Artwork is Hidden Until it Rains in Seattle–Now You Can Do it Anywhere in the World
Ask anyone who lives in a rainy city and they’ll tell you that you just have to make the best of it.
In Seattle, one artist did exactly that by making an eco-friendly spray material that can only be seen when it’s wet. It’s become so popular that the city government is using it to decorate bus stops.
Called Rainworks (rather than artworks) the product is sold in tandem with stencils and is based on superhydrophobic coatings. Perceptive readers may note that these coatings represent a source of the dreaded “forever chemicals,” but can also rest assured that the founder of Rainworks, Peregrine Church, recognized that too.
Partnering with some folks in Belgium who were seeking, like Church, to make nature-based hydrophobic coatings, he and his friends began with late-night guerilla artworks that would appear the following days in the rain as hidden messages or images appearing on sidewalks out of nothing.
Rainwork’s first social media highlight—of a bucket of water tossed on a sidewalk to reveal a hidden hopscotch course, went crazily viral and spawned instant demand for the product that was then just a prototype.
Church used the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to fund the creation of a business to manufacture and market Rainworks products, and it’s been going strong ever since.
“Seattle has such a deep connection with rain. It’s integral to the culture and the personality of the city,” Church told the Seattle Times. “There’s also a lot of really kind, caring, passionate people here. And so I like to think about rainworks representing both of those things. Yes, it’s a rainy city. Yes, we have dreary days. But we’re also making the best of it.”
Seattle Department of Transportation recently commissioned Rainworks to make series of designs on their new Beacon Hill plaza bustop, a pedestrian area where the DoT surveyed commuters to figure out what they’d like to see more of.
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The answers were places to spend time with friends, more shelter from the rain and the sun, and art.
Rainworks came and, with likely no one understanding what they were doing given that the coating that makes the artworks is invisible when dry, sprayed a couple of sea lions, an orca, a giant wave, and a 25-foot maze around the plaza and the bus shelter.
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Only when the inevitable Seattle nimbus clouds gathered above Beacon Hill, and the fat raindrops started falling, did commuters get a chance to see what was beneath their feet.
The Rainworks community is now worldwide, and given that the pieces are invisible in the dry, the website has a map of dozens of rainworks, from Nigeria to Scotland, and from Seattle to New South Wales.
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Marsupials Previously Thought Extinct for 6,000 Years Discovered: ‘A once-in-a-lifetime discovery’
GNN has reported a-plenty on animals that were last seen in the 20th century and believed extinct that were then rediscovered, but a story from the island of New Guinea now stretches that pattern to its absolute limits.
Known only from fossilized bones that date back 6,000-plus years, two species of arboreal marsupials have been confirmed to still exist, begging the use of the often-exploited descriptor “living fossils.”
The pygmy long-fingered possum (Dactylonax kambuayai) and the ring-tailed glider (Tous ayamaruensis) are the two newest members of a very exclusive group of animals.
“A relatively small number of animal species hold the distinction of having been described initially from fossil remains, then subsequently discovered as a living animal,” the authors of a paper describing this incredible discovery, wrote in their introduction. “In paleontology, lineages that drop out of the fossil record and then re-emerge after long periods are termed ‘Lazarus taxa.’”
On the Bird’s Head, or Vogelkop peninsula of West Papua—the Indonesian-controlled portion of the island of New Guinea—late 20th-century archaeological excavations on Stone Age sites found skull and teeth evidence of an animal that didn’t exist previously in the fossil record. However, one researcher in 2007 suggested that very animal probably still existed based on its similarities to known marsupials on the island.
New Guinea is famously underexplored and its more secretive life-forms famously undocumented, and the researcher felt greater surveys would eventually reveal the animal’s continued existence.
A photographer named Carlos Bocos, on a visit to Vogelkop organized by mammalwatching.org, recently photographed a long-fingered possum in a tree, but that alone wasn’t enough evidence since there are two other species of long-fingered possums.
These animals have freakishly-elongated third digits which they use to feel around for and extract wood boring insects that make up their diet.
Fortunately for 70-year-old Tim Flannery, lead author of the paper on the rediscovery, two museum specimens had been wrongly-identified as a closely related species and stored at the University of New Guinea for teaching purposes.
“We’ve been able to finalize two pieces of work that are incredibly important from a biological and a conservation perspective, documenting the existence of rare marsupials in an area under threat,” Flannery told the Guardian. “It’s sort of a crowning glory in my career as a biologist.”
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Flannery et al’s research, documenting Bocos’ photographs, the fossil record, and museum specimens helped him determine that the animal isn’t only a separate species, but a separate genus as well. It’s the first new genus of New Guinean mammal documented since 1937.
Fortunately for differentiating this possum over others, its enormous finger is a dead giveaway.
The other species that Flannery and his team described, which included members of the indigenous community of Vogelkop, who consider the animals to be sacred incarnations of past ancestors, is the ring-tailed glider.
Yet again this species was only known from fossilized skulls with teeth found in archaeological digs, but was actually photographed alive in 2015. Here too, Flannery and his team separated the animal into a new genus: Tous.
FROM THE JUNGLES OF NEW GUINEA: Long-Beaked Creature Is Proven Not Extinct in First Ever Photos: ‘Blows My Mind’ After 60 Years
“This newly described genus is present in the Australian Pliocene and Pleistocene fossil record, and its living relatives are the Greater gliders (Petauroides spp.) and the Lemuroid ringtail (Hemibelideus lemuroides) of eastern Australia,” the introduction to the study describing this glider reads.
It proves that Australia and Vogelkop were once connected before the latter became part of New Guinea, suggesting its forests act as a potential haven of other archaic wildlife from Australia’s past.
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Beloved Oregon Waterfall to Become Public Land as State Buys Abiqua Falls Property
A beloved Oregon waterfall that lies on private land is set to be purchased by the state after being placed on the market.
Far from being a story of a rallying cry to save nature from exploitation, Abiqua Falls has been owned for decades by good stewards who “bent over backwards” to facilitate public access, but who now feel their journey as such has ended.
The falls are one of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic, are set on land owned by Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary and its foundation since 1908. The abbey put the falls up for sale on February 2nd.
A plunge-style waterfall, the Abiqua Creek surges over what looks to be moss-covered columnar basalt rock before falling 92-feet down into a pool below. Set near Scott’s Mill amid rustic surroundings and little trail infrastructure, it offers the chance for a stunning one-on-one encounter with nature.
State Senator Fred Girod (R) leapt at the opportunity to negotiate a price and close a purchase agreement to include within Senate Bill 5701, a $500 million funding bill that will pay for construction and maintenance of various kinds statewide.
The bill will include $2 million to fund the purchase of the falls, 42 acres immediately around it, and another 160 acres upstream owned by a large timber company. The abbey agreed to a price that would make the purchase as easy as possible, to ensure that its tradition of public access is maintained.
“If the abbey insisted on getting top dollar then this wouldn’t have happened,” Girod told the Statesman Journal. “They’ve been good stewards and bent over backward to make sure public access was guaranteed.”
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While the falls will come into public hands, Girod said that it’s not a given that they will feature in a new ‘Abiqua Falls State Park.’ Overcrowding the delicate microenvironment by beefing up parking and trail infrastructure is not what’s currently being envisioned, and, rather like the abbey has done, the prevailing concept is to leave it more or less as it is.
This could be done by transferring ownership of the land to the county, or to the state forestry department.
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“It is with deep gratitude and hope for the future that the Abbey Foundation of Oregon entrusts the stewardship and legacy of Abiqua Falls to the state of Oregon,” Dr. Amanda Staggenborg, director of communications for Mount Angel Abbey & Seminary said in a statement.
“The beauty of Abiqua Falls will be enjoyed by generations of Oregonians and all those who love Oregon’s natural wonders.”
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“There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.” – Erma Bombeck
Quote of the Day: “There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.” – Erma Bombeck
Photo by: Nick Fancher for Unsplash+
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Good News in History, March 9
Precisely one-quarter millennium ago, the Scottish economist Adam Smith published An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, one of the first great treatises in economics, called “the most important substantive proposition in all of economics,” by George Stigler. Most commonly referred to as simply The Wealth of Nations, this shortening diminishes the book’s true value, namely it was the first time that a scientist or philosopher stopped asking “why is there poverty,” and instead asked “why is there wealth?” a much harder question to answer. Smith’s conclusion was that between nations of equal standing, culture, and population, some are wealthier than others because of the degree to which they allow for individual economic pursuits. The treatise lays out some of the most fundamental economic laws and helped inform some of the greatest advancements in human prosperity ever seen. READ more about this seminal of seminal works… (1776)
Triceratops Had Huge Nose to Control its Body Temperature, Suggests Curious Scientist
Scientists wanted to know why the iconic triceratops had such an unusually large nose compared to most species—both past and present.
Their new study shows the triple-horned dinosaur had a huge nose to help control its body temperature.
The team used CT scans of fossilized Triceratops skulls and compared their structures with modern animals including birds and crocodiles.
Through direct observation and inference, the research team reconstructed how nerves, blood vessels and structures for airflow fit together in the skulls.
They concluded that horned dinosaurs probably used their noses not just for smelling but also to help control temperature and moisture. Project Research Associate Dr. Seishiro Tada, from the University of Tokyo Museum in Japan, wondered about moisture control while studying a fossilized triceratops.
“I have been working on the evolution of reptilian heads and noses since my master’s degree,” said Dr. Tada.
“Triceratops in particular had a very large and unusual nose, and I couldn’t figure out how the organs fit within it even though I remember the basic patterns of reptiles.
“That made me interested in their nasal anatomy and its function and evolution.”
Horned dinosaurs (or Ceratopsia) had some of the most elaborate skull types—and Triceratops was the most iconic and instantly recognizable.
But due to its relative uniqueness, the internal anatomy of Triceratops skulls has been poorly understood, until Dr. Tada explored the internal soft tissues using modern tools at their disposal.
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“Employing X-ray-based CT-scan data of a Triceratops, as well as knowledge on contemporary reptilian snout morphology, we found some unique characteristics in the nose and provide the first comprehensive hypothesis on the soft-tissue anatomy in horned dinosaurs.
“Triceratops had unusual ‘wiring’ in their noses.
“In most reptiles, nerves and blood vessels reach the nostrils from the jaw and the nose. But in Triceratops, the skull shape blocks the jaw route, so nerves and vessels take the nasal branch.
“Essentially, Triceratops tissues evolved this way to support its big nose.
“I came to realize this while piecing together some 3D-printed Triceratops skull pieces like a puzzle.”
The findings, published in the journal The Anatomical Record, also revealed a special structure in Triceratops’ nose called a respiratory turbinate, which almost no other dinosaurs are known to possess. Yet modern birds have them, as do modern mammals.
The structures are thin, curled surfaces within the nose that increase the surface area for blood and air to exchange heat.
Dr Tada says Triceratops probably wasn’t fully warm-blooded, but the researchers believe the structures helped keep temperature and moisture levels under control as its large skull would be difficult to cool down otherwise.
“Although we’re not 100% sure Triceratops had a respiratory turbinate, as most other dinosaurs don’t, some birds have an attachment base (ridge) for the turbinate. Horned dinosaurs have a similar ridge at the similar location in their nose as well.
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“Our research has filled the final piece of that dinosaur-shaped puzzle.
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Cannabis Compounds Can Cut Cholesterol and Lower Risk of Fatty Liver Disease (Without Getting High)
Naturally occurring chemicals found in cannabis have been shown to reduce the risk of potentially deadly fatty liver disease, according to new research.
The compounds can “significantly” cut liver fat and cholesterol levels and improve the body’s ability to efficiently process energy, said scientists.
The study reveals that two key cannabis compounds, Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG)—which are not psychoactive and do not cause a high—work by creating a backup energy reserve in the liver and restoring the activity of cellular ‘cleaning crews” to break down harmful waste.
The findings, published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, highlight a new, plant-based path for treating the world’s most common chronic liver disorder.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is currently the world’s most common chronic liver disorder, affecting around one-in-three adults and is closely linked to obesity, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance.
While lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise are important, they can be hard to maintain, and there are few approved medicines currently available for the condition.
His team used advanced tools to show that CBD and CBG do more than just reduce fat. They found the compounds actually help the liver function better internally— through a unique process of ‘metabolic remodeling’.
“One of the most important findings was the impact on the liver’s energy reserves,” said study leader Professor Joseph Tam, in a media release.
The researchers found that CBD and CBG restore the activity of cathepsins – enzymes that act like a “cleaning crew” within the cell’s recycling centers, known as lysosomes.
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“By getting this cleaning crew back to work, the liver is better able to break down and clear out harmful fats and waste.”
“These compounds increase levels of phosphocreatine, which acts like a backup battery to help the liver stay healthy under the stress caused by a high-fat diet.
“This is a new discovery, as the liver does not usually rely heavily on this specific energy system.”
“Our findings identify a new mechanism by which CBD and CBG enhance hepatic energy and lysosomal function,” said Prof. Tam, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
“This dual metabolic remodeling contributes to improved liver lipid handling and highlights these compounds as promising therapeutic agents for MASLD.”
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The researchers also found that both treatments significantly reduced harmful lipids—such as triglycerides and ceramides. (The latter is known to contribute to insulin resistance and liver inflammation).
The study showed that while both compounds were effective, they each provided slightly different benefits for metabolic health.
“Both CBD and CBG were able to normalize blood sugar levels and improve how the body clears glucose.
“CBG appeared to have a more pronounced effect on certain metrics: it significantly reduced body fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity more robustly than CBD. CBG was also particularly effective at lowering total cholesterol and ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol levels.”
While the results are encouraging, the researchers say further studies are needed to understand how the findings can best be applied to patients.
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Dog Obsessively Sniffing Mom’s Breath Detected Lung Cancer–Now an E-Nose is Being Trained to Save More Lives
Colleen Ferguson says her German shepherd saved her life by detecting cancer in its earliest stages—and causing her to suspect something might be wrong when the dog kept obsessively smelling her breath.
For weeks, two-year-old Inca would sniff at her mouth and frown. The 60-year-old got her teeth checked, and doctors did tests related to her gluten intolerance, but they all came back negative.
Inca would not quit the habit, so the woman from Kent, England, decided to schedule a full body scan, which revealed a “golf ball sized tumor” in her left lung–it was stage one cancer.
“She just had this focused intent on my mouth,” the former science teacher said. “She would give me such a look and walk away.”
“In no way did I expect lung cancer. It was such a shock because I am a non-smoker, and I had absolutely no symptoms at all, apart from being tired.”
After a surgery to remove the tumor Colleen didn’t need any further treatment or radiation, and she’s now making the most of her retirement years as a creative writer and published author.
“The surgeon told me, ‘we never catch it at stage 1, your dog has saved your life.
“I was just so lucky. To catch it that early was just remarkable. People need to listen to their dogs.”
Researchers in the UK have evidence that is proving that dogs can, indeed, detect cancer with their superior sense of smell.
The nonprofit Medical Detection Dogs began a groundbreaking study in 2024 to teach seven pooches—Labradors, cocker spaniels, and a retriever—how to detect tumors simply by smelling urine in pots.
“Dogs have shown us time and time again that diseases have an odor,” Claire Guest, the CEO and Chief Scientific Officer at Medical Detection Dogs, told The Times. “We are not sure whether that is the odor of the tumor itself, or the body’s response to the tumor.”
Clinical trials have proven that dogs can reliably detect diseases including prostate cancer, bladder cancer, Covid-19, and even Parkinson’s—and dogs can be trained to do so.
Now a machine nose is being developed at MIT
Scientists are now developing an ‘e-nose’ trained by artificial intelligence to replicate the dogs’ responses to cancer samples.
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In collaboration with Medical Detection Dogs, a quantum physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Andreas Mershin, has created the machine e-nose that uses chemical sensors to make it capable of “smelling” urine samples—and detecting the volatile organic compounds, which are tiny odor molecules in the air.
The e-nose is now being tested on 500 urine samples from patients at the Milton Keynes University Hospital near London, including some with prostate cancer and healthy controls, to see if it can accurately detect cancer.
Working with a chemistry team at the University of Texas at El Paso, Dr. Mershin hopes it will be approved as a clinical tool in hospitals within two years.
“This is a major milestone,” said Mershin. “We’ve worked to emulate the dogs’ abilities and train machines in a similar way—rewarding them for correct identifications.”
And such e-nose capabilities could ultimately be implemented into our smartphones. Our devices already have eyes and ears, and now technology with olfactory intelligence is the next frontier—informing a generation of non-invasive diagnostic tools for better health.
“It’s like giving our devices a new sense: a nose.”
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“When I trained our first cancer detection dog over 15 years ago, the goal was always to inform scalable technology—not to have a dog in every hospital,” said Ms. Guest. “Seeing that vision start to come to life with this E-nose is an incredibly proud moment.”
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Yo-Yo Dieting May Actually be Good for You, Suggests New Study
A new study indicates that yo-yo dieting might actually be good for you.
Also known as weight cycling, repeatedly losing weight through dieting, only to regain it again—and often more pounds over time—has been criticized in previous research showing it could increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and higher blood pressure.
But a new study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, shows yo-yo dieting confers long-term health benefits by reducing levels of harmful abdominal fat, also known as visceral fat.
Being called “the largest long-term MRI-based repeated weight-loss trial”, the research demonstrates that every weight loss attempt has the potential to improve overall well-being.
Study principal investigator Professor Iris Shai says the research challenges the traditional focus on weight loss as a simple “numbers game”.
“Persistent commitment to a healthy dietary change creates cardio-metabolic memory in the body.
“Repeated participation in a lifestyle program aimed at weight loss, even after an apparent ‘failure’ in which an individual regains all the weight lost in a previous diet, may lead to significant and sustainable health benefits over the years, particularly through the reduction of harmful visceral fat.”
Body weight alone does not capture changes in visceral fat or metabolic biomarkers, explained the lead author, Hadar Klein, a doctoral student at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
“Even when weight is regained, cardio-metabolic health may remain improved, and success should not be defined solely by the number on the scale.”
“Importantly, even when weight loss is attenuated during a second attempt, the cumulative benefits for abdominal fat and metabolic health are substantial.”
For the study, researchers conducted a follow-up after five and 10 years with participants from two consecutive randomized controlled dietary trials lasting 18 months each, including around 300 participants.
The trials analyzed participants undertaking a Mediterranean diet–based intervention with physical activity, and compared them with control diets, using detailed MRI scans performed before and after each intervention.
Surprisingly, the study found that, although participants entered the second intervention at a body weight similar to that at the start of the first one—indicating full weight regain—their abdominal fat profile and metabolic markers were more favorable.
They showed improvements of around 15% to 25% compared with their initial levels, including enhanced insulin sensitivity and a more favorable lipid profile.
The researchers say their findings point to the existence of a positive “cardiometabolic memory” from prior intervention that persists, even after weight is regained.
The study also showed that, although participants who rejoined the weight-loss program lost less weight during the second intervention, they maintained better long-term health outcomes.
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“Five years after completing the second intervention, these participants showed less weight regain and less accumulation of abdominal fat compared with participants who had engaged in a weight-loss program only once,” said Prof. Shai.
The team collaborated with researchers from Harvard’s Department of Nutrition, the University Hospital Leipzig in Germany, and the School of Public Health at Tulane University in New Orleans.
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“Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.” – Voltaire
Quote of the Day: “Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.” – Voltaire
Photo by: Robert Murray
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Good News in History, March 8
199 years ago today, the New York Stock & Exchange Board (NYSE) was formally founded, having started out as merely 24 individual stockbrokers meeting under a buttonwood tree in lower Manhattan 25 years before. It is now the largest stock trading organization in the world, with $44 trillion in market capitalization, and 2,200 stocks listed on the exchange. It has become a landmark institution in New York City life, deeply affecting city newspapers, the real estate around Wall Street and Broad Street, and giving the city its famous “ticker tape parades” after the material that transmitted stock prices over telegraph lines. WATCH a whacky trader give a tour of the floor… (1817)
He Earns More in an Hour as Spider-Man Than a Full Day at his Old Supermarket Job
A 19-year-old who gave up his supermarket job for a side hustle as Spider-Man now earns in one hour what he used to make in a full 8-hour day.
Nate Frindall started his superhero gig three years ago after he dressed up as the character to see the latest film.
When he arrived in costume at his local movie theater, he says he was greeted by applause and encouraged to do a backflip—and when he did, the crowd went wild.
After telling his parents in Surrey, England, about the encounter, he made the decision to build a new freelance gig as a superhero impersonator. He spent over $900 (£800) on a high-quality suit and since then the business has taken off.
“I absolutely love doing it. To see these kids really happy that I have made their party, and turned up to surprise them, is great.”
“It has paid off, too” he told SWNS news agency. “I am booked up for children’s parties every weekend in March.”
“It’s lovely to see kids smile. Because of the realism of the suit, they genuinely think I am Spiderman. So, they get a big shock.”
Working at the supermarket checkout he was paid 12.40 an hour, but now, he charges 75 for a 30-minute meet-and-greet and 150 for an hour. Some folks pay 250 for an hour ‘party package’ with games and photos or 300 for a two-hour party.
“People are always surprised. They usually think it’s cool that I do this. My friends used to make fun of me, but I am making good money.”
“I also really enjoy it, so I am not really bothered by other people’s opinions.”
In a commitment to his performances, which involve walking on his hands and backflips (see the video below), he’s now purchased two more suits.
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To promote his business, Nate attends lots of local events in costume and gives out his business cards, and he also posts on local Facebook groups.
For his long term dreams, Nate works with music on the side, with hopes of becoming a producer, and has taken up acting as an extra, and dabbling in comedy with his cousins on TikTok, where they’ve tallied 10,000 followers.
He encourages other young people who have business ideas to take a super-hero leap and start their own businesses.
“I would 100 percent recommend doing a side hustle or a freelancing gig.”
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“Not many people that I know are doing what I’m doing. I don’t like hospitality or retail jobs, so if you can find a niche gap in the market then you’re going to get better money for it.”
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Landfill Uses Gas From Waste to Grow Fruits and Vegetables in ‘World-First’ Green Food Dome
A landfill 90 miles outside London is using methane from its waste to generate electricity and grow sustainable produce—even during the cold English winters.
With the new approach to food production, landfill sites can become low-emission, affordable fruit and vegetable hubs with perfect year-round growing conditions.
The huge dome in Wiltshire, England, serves as the greenhouse—while all the power to run the heating, ultraviolet lights, and fans is generated from the waste on site.
The size of three tennis courts (8,450 sq-ft), the 30-ft-tall dome is capable of harvesting 10 tons of produce every year.
Crapper and Sons Landfill Ltd, a family run business, launched the Community Interest Company called Sustain Wiltshire, which uses its revenue for the public good.
In what they call a “world first”, their landfill-powered dome uses a system of hydroponics and raised planters that could even grow avocados, which are found in the UK only if imported.
They believe their locally-grown vegetables will cost less than those in supermarkets—and the company plans to collect the veggie waste to make the process even more sustainable.
Instead of requiring costly warehousing and distribution centers for fresh produce around the UK, the food will be sold via an app, delivered to families’ doors, and then their food waste would be collected and brought back to the site to be used in the process again, creating additional electricity.
A SOLAR GARBAGE DUMP: Turning a Landfill into a Solar Powerhouse, Pittsburgh Airport is Now Totally Energy-Independent
How they make the green energy
Sustain Wiltshire’s system collects the landfill gas—composed of methane, carbon dioxide (CO2), and hydrogen sulfide—through a series of wells placed within the landfill. The gases from decomposing waste are then piped to a central location where it is cleaned by removing the hydrogen sulfide.
The collected methane-rich biogas is used to fuel a combined heat-and-power gas engine to power the inflatable growing domes—kept at a perfect growing temperature.
Carbon dioxide will also be collected from the engine exhausts, where it will be cleaned and stored for use in the growing domes. “The process of photosynthesis will turn the carbon dioxide into oxygen,” reported the company.
If this prototype dome is successful, there are plans to install a further 100 domes on the Crapper and Sons landfill site, which could then supply up to 80% of all fruit and vegetable needs for the three local towns of Royal Wootton Basset, Purton, and Brinkworth, over the next ten years.
MORE LANDFILL USES:
• Scientists Are Making Jet Fuel from Landfill Gas Aiming to Launch Circular Economy
• The Largest Landfill in Latin America has Been Turned into a Mangrove Forest
“It has the potential to change the face of food production as we know it,” said Nick Ash, Project Director for Sustain Wiltshire.
“On this one site alone, we have the potential to produce over 8,000 tons of affordable fruit and vegetables annually, creating 130 new jobs, while preventing the release of 3,800 tons of CO2 each year.”
“Combined with plans to capture polymers from landfill plastic that cannot yet be recycled, we believe our solution has the potential to transform the future of landfills internationally, turning it into one of the most climate friendly methods of waste treatment.”
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Why You Feel Rejected When Someone Doesn’t Text You Back: Your Brain is Trying to Protect You
(Featured photo by Valeriia Miller / Unsplash+)
The Lesson: Have you ever texted someone and within a day of not getting a reply, your brain has you spinning out? This video explains how your brain has a negativity bias which is meant to keep you safe, but can also create a fictional narrative that can sabotage a relationship—especially in that silence between text messages.
In this Good Talk by Dr. Tracey Marks, you’ll learn how to shut off the story machine so you can use practical strategies for building connection with others, instead of falling back on self-focused rumination.
Notable Excerpt: “Because of our brain’s evolutionary wiring, our neuron-networks default to problem solving and threat anticipation. It’s trying to keep you safe by predicting things before they happen. But here’s the problem: it creates narratives even when nothing is happening… It assigns motives to other people based on your past relationship failures. It replays your greatest hits of rejection.”
The Host: Dr. Tracey Marks is a psychiatrist with over 20 years of experience. She empowers people to take control of their mental health by understanding the mind-brain connection and how it is key to building resilience. She explores mental practices that influence your brain—and the neuroscience behind these practices, showing you how to optimize your brain for a fulfilling life.
The YouTube channel: Dr. Marks has 2.3 million subscribers on her YouTube channel where viewers can find playlists featuring videos about depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, willpower, sleep, and self esteem.
Books by Dr. Marks: Why Am I So Anxious?: Powerful Tools for Recognizing Anxiety and Restoring Your Peace – AND – Master Your Sleep: Proven Methods Simplified
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Your Weekly Horoscope – ‘Free Will Astrology’ by Rob Brezsny
Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)
Here is your weekly horoscope…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of March 7, 2026
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In systems theory, “critical points” are moments when long periods of small changes gradually accumulate, and then suddenly erupt into a big shift. Nothing appears to happen for a while, and then everything happens at once. Ice becomes water, for instance. I suspect you’re nearing such a pivot, Pisces. You’ve been gathering strength, clarity, and nerve in subtle ways. Soon you will be visited by what we might call a graceful, manageable explosion. The slow, persistent changes you’ve been overseeing will result in a major transition.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Many ancient cultures had myths that explained solar eclipses as celestial creatures eating the sun. In China, the devourer was a dragon. A frog did it in Vietnam, wolves in Norse lore, and bears in several Indigenous American legends. In some places, people made loud noises during the blackout, banging drums and pots, to drive away the attacker and bring back the sun. I suspect you are now in the midst of a metaphorical eclipse of your own, Aries. But don’t worry! Just as was true centuries ago, your sun won’t actually be gobbled up. Instead, here’s the likely scenario: You will rouse an appetite for transformation that will consume outdated ideas and situations. Whatever disintegrates will become fuel for new stories. You will convert old pain and decay into vital energy. Your luminous vigor will return even stronger.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Maybe you have been enjoying my advice for years but still haven’t become a billionaire, grown into a potent influencer, or landed the perfect job. Does that mean I’ve failed you? Should you swap me out for a more results-oriented oracle? If rewards like those are the dreams you treasure, then yes, it may be time to search for a new guide. But if what you want most is simply to cultivate the steady gratification of feeling real and whole and authentic, then stick with me. PS: The coming days are likely to offer you abundant opportunities to feel real and whole and authentic. Take advantage!
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In 1557, Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde invented the equals sign (=) to avoid repeatedly writing the words “is equal to.” Over the next centuries, this helped make algebra more convenient and efficient. The moral of the story: Some breakthroughs come not from making novel discoveries but from finding better ways to render and use what’s already known. I’m pleased to say that you Geminis are primed to devise your own equivalents of the equals sign. What strengths might you express with greater crispness and efficiency? What familiar complications could you make easier? See if can find shortcuts that aid productivity without sacrificing precision.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
One benefit of being an astrologer is that when I need a break from being intensely myself, I can take a sabbatical. My familiarity with the zodiac frees me to escape the limits of my personal horoscope and play at being other signs. I always return from my getaway with a renewed appreciation for the unique riddle that is my identity. I think now is an excellent time for Cancerians like you and me to enjoy such a vacation. We can have maximum fun and attract inspiring educational experiences by experimenting. I plan to be like a Sagittarius and may also experiment with embodying Aries qualities.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
In Scandinavian folklore, there’s a phenomenon called utiseta. It involves sitting out at night in a charged place in nature, like a crossroads or border. The goal is to make oneself patiently available for visions, wisdom, or contact with spirits and ancestors. I suspect you could benefit from the equivalent of a utiseta right now, Leo. Do you dare to refrain from forcing solutions through sheer will? Are you brave enough to let answers wander into your midst instead of hunting them down? I believe your strength is your willingness to be still and wait in a threshold.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
You are a devotee of the sacred particular. While others traffic in vague abstractions, you understand that vitality thrives in the details. Your attention to nuance and precision is not fussiness but a form of love. I get excited to see you honor life by noticing all of its specific textures and rhythms! Now, more than ever, the world needs this superpower of yours. I hope you will express it even stronger in the coming months. May you exult in the knowledge that your refusal to treat the world carelessly or sloppily isn’t about perfectionism but about respect.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Architect Antoni Gaudí spent over 40 years designing Barcelona’s Sagrada Família cathedral. He knew he wouldn’t live to see it finished. It’s still under construction today, long after his death. When he said, “My client is not in a hurry,” he meant that his client was God. I invite you to borrow this perspective, Libra. See how much fun you can have by releasing yourself from the tyranny of urgency. Grant yourself permission to concentrate on a process that might take a long time to unfold. What a generous and ultimately productive luxury it will be for you to align yourself with deep rhythms and relaxing visions! I believe your good work will require resoluteness that transcends conventional timelines.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
The ancient Chinese philosophical text known as the Tao Te Ching teaches that “the usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness.” A vessel full of itself can receive nothing. Is it possible that you are currently so crammed with opinions, strategies, and righteous certainty that you’ve lost some of your capacity to receive? I suspect there are wonders and marvels trying to reach you, Scorpio: insights, inquiries, and invitations. But they can’t get in if you’re full. Your assignment: Temporarily empty yourself. Create space by releasing cherished positions, a defensive stance, or stories about how things must be.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
The Yoruba concept of ashe refers to the power to make things happen. It’s the life force that flows through all things, and can be accumulated, directed, and shared. Right now, your ashe is strong but a bit scattered, Sagittarius. You have power, but it’s diffused across too many commitments and half-pursued desires. So your assignment is to consolidate. Choose two things that matter most and fully pour your ashe into them. As you concentrate your vitality, you’ll get more done and become a conduit for blessings larger than yourself.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
What’s holding you back? What are you waiting for? A nudge from destiny? A breaking point when you’ll be compelled to act? A hidden clue that may or may not reveal itself? It’s my duty to tell you this: All that lingering and dallying, all that wishing and hoping, is wasted energy. As long as you’re sitting still, pining for a cosmic deliverance to handle the hard parts, the sweet intervention will keep its distance. The instant you claim the authority to act, you’ll see it clearly: the path forward that doesn’t need a perfect sign, a final push, or fate’s permission slip.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
If you’re anything like me, you wince as you recall the lazy choices and careless passivity that speckle your past. You may wonder what you were thinking when you treated yourself so cavalierly, pushed away a steadfast ally, or let a dazzling invitation slip by. At times I feel as if my wrong turns carry more weight in my fate than the bright, grace-filled moments. Here’s good news for you, though. March is Amnesty Month for all Aquarians willing to own up to and graduate from their missteps. As you work diligently to unwind the unhelpful patterns that led you off course, life will release you from the heavy drag of those old failures and their leftover momentum.
WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com
(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)
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“Eagles commonly fly alone. They are crows and starlings that flock together.” – John Webster
Quote of the Day: “Eagles commonly fly alone. They are crows and starlings that flock together.” – John Webster
Photo by: Jongsun Lee
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Good News in History, March 7
150 years ago today, Alexander Graham Bell received a US patent for the telephone. The Scottish-born inventor, scientist, and engineer credited with inventing the first practical telephone, also co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) nine years later. READ more on this day in history… (1876)
Wife Used ‘Find My iPhone’ to Locate Husband Buried in an Avalanche for Over 4 Hours
A wife used her “Find My iPhone” feature to guide search and rescue to the location of her husband who had been buried in an avalanche.
Michael Harris was skiing the Big Chief Bowl at Stevens Pass Ski Resort in late February when the snowpack suddenly gave way beneath him.
He was caught in an avalanche and was reduced to try and use a swimming motion to guide himself narrowly around a boulder before he was buried, a sensation he described as being like “encased in cement.”
His life was immediately saved by the fact that he remained upright. Unable to move, he couldn’t reach his Apple Watch, nor his iPhone, even as he heard it ringing in his front pocket.
“So, my wife was calling me, and when I was buried, I heard something. I felt someone calling me, because I felt it vibrate, I could hear it ring, yet my hand couldn’t get to it,” Harris told Fox 13.
Meanwhile, Harris’ wife Penny was unwilling to drop her feeling of intuition that something was wrong, even though it’s perfectly normal to not answer a phone call while skiing. Activating her “Find My iPhone” app with Harris’ data rather than hers, she noticed it wasn’t moving, and that’s when she took action.
She got in contact the resort and showed staff the position of Harris’ phone, which was able to guide rescue teams at the who knew there’d been an avalanche right to the buried husband and father.
“I was inches away from the thing that could save my life, but I just couldn’t get there. And yet because she knew how to use ‘Find My iPhone,’ I’m here today,” he told Fox.
His daughter Lauren wrote about his condition when arriving at the hospital on a GoFundMe page, which has raised $35,000 of the $40,000 needed to cover medical bills and the family’s bills, as Harris was the sole earner in the household.
“He was hypothermic with a temp. in the high 70s/ very low 80s. After various labs and imaging, my dad sustained a contusion of his lung, pneumonia, injuries to his kidneys and a right tibial plateau fracture.”
Recovery was deigned to be 14-16 weeks if all goes well.
“It is a true miracle that he survived and didn’t sustain life altering or life threatening injuries,” Lauren said. “I have been thanking God since the incident that he is still here with us.”
Surviving an avalanche often depends on luck and preparation: is there someone who knows where you are (like Penny) who will become concerned if they don’t hear back from you, or if they hear on the news there’s been an avalanche?
Regarding luck, the position in which one is buried, and whether or not they’ve sustained injuries make an enormous difference. Experts recommend curling up in a ball from the moment the avalanche takes you. This not only helps shield your vital areas from impacts with debris, but can sometimes leave you buried with pockets of air between your limbs that can extend your oxygen supply under the snow significantly.
MORE SURVIVAL STORIES: Backpacker Found Alive in Australian Bush After 12 Days of Surviving Her Major Mistake
Another recommendation is take as big a breath as you can, close your mouth to stop snow filling up your throat, and put your head between your arms to create an air pocket.
If you’ve been buried completely, it can be hard after the force of the impact to even be sure whether you’re facing down or up. A trick to figure out which way you’re facing is to let spit roll off your lips. Up will be the direction opposite of whichever part of your face it dribbles down. It’s not very dignified, but if you’re able to move even at all, it could save your life.
AVALANCHE ESCAPES: Two Snowboarders Save the Lives of Skiers After Nearly Losing Their Own in Palisades Avalanche
Regarding movement, if it’s clear you can’t move whatsoever, and if there’s even a small chance someone will come looking for you, the better course of action is not to move, as there is limited oxygen under the snow, and frantic, panicked movement could cause you to asphyxiate as the carbon dioxide we exhale accumulates right in front of your mouth.
Some safety equipment, like the Avalung device, will actually extend oxygen supply if used correctly, although some doubt that anyone would have the wherewithal to all out the plastic tube and put it in their mouth while caught in an avalanche.
But the best way to survive an avalanche is, of course, to know when the snowpack is at risk of sliding, and to stay away from avalanche zones.
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