Ernie Thompson was alive to see the end of World War II – and since he’s still alive today, these Navy sailors wanted to show their appreciation for his service.
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The 98-year-old USS Missouri veteran was so overcome with emotion, he started to cry in gratitude.
Each volunteer shook Ernie’s hand and thanked him for all he did for the country during the war.
(WATCH the video below)
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After years of conservation work on behalf of the iconic species, the giant panda has just been downgraded from ‘Endangered’ to ‘Vulnerable’ on the global list of species at risk of extinction,
The surprising piece of good news demonstrates how an integrated approach between governments and environmental groups can save our planet’s endangered species.
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“Knowing that the panda is now a step further from extinction is an exciting moment for everyone committed to conserving the world’s wildlife and their habitats,” said WWF Director General Marco Lambertini. “The recovery shows that when science, political will and local communities come together, we can save wildlife and also improve biodiversity.”
WWF’s panda logo was designed by the organization’s founding chairman, the naturalist and painter Sir Peter Scott in 1961. Twenty years later, WWF became the first international organization to work in China.
WATCH: Panda Cub Plays in the Snow for the First Time
Ever since, WWF has been working with the government on initiatives to save giant pandas, including helping to establish an integrated network of giant panda reserves and wildlife corridors to connect isolated panda populations as well as working with local communities to develop sustainable livelihoods and minimize their impact on the forests.
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These efforts have seen the number of panda reserves jump to 67, which now protect nearly two-thirds of the 1,864 wild pandas in China. They have also helped to safeguard large swathes of mountainous bamboo forests, which shelter countless other species and provide natural services to vast numbers of people, including tens of millions who live alongside rivers downstream of panda habitat.
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American adults are renowned for having high rates of obesity, but this most recent U.S. health study marks the first time in a decade that there have been declines in unhealthy weight gain.
Louisiana reportedly has the highest adult obesity rate at 36.2 percent and Colorado has the lowest at 20.2.
MORE: US Obesity Rate for Young Children Plummets 43% in a Decade
There is some evidence that the rate of increase has been slowing over the past decade. For instance, in 2005, 49 states experienced an increase; in 2008, 37 states did; in 2010, 28 states did; in 2011, 16 states did; in 2012, only one state did; and in 2014, only two states did.
In addition, recent national data shows that childhood obesity rates have stabilized at 17 percent over the past decade. Rates are declining among 2- to 5-year-olds, stable among 6- to 11-year-olds, and increasing among 12- to 19-year-olds.
WATCH: Meghan Trainor Fights Body Image With Song
The number of high school students who drink one or more soda a day has dropped by nearly 40 percent since 2007, to around one in five (20.4 percent) (note: does not include sport/energy drinks, diet sodas or water with added sugars).
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The average time it takes to test and develop a new drug takes about 12 years – but when a virus without any known treatment starts to cause fetal development complications in pregnant mothers, that development process is 12 years and 9 months too late
However, according to the work of a diverse research team at Florida State University, the components of our figurative bug swatter may already exist.
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Through a testing and selection process called “repurposing screening,” researchers sifted through over 6,000 compounds that were already FDA approved or in their clinical trial stages – this way, the drug can quickly start to be administered to those affected without having to go through testing trials.
“We teamed up to look for small molecule compounds that can inhibit Zika virus replication,” said Hengli Tang, Professor of Biological Science at FSU. “We [also] hope[d] of finding drugs to treat Zika virus infection.”
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After testing each compound on lab grown human cells, Tang and his team discovered two trait distinctive compound classes that could be used to treat the Zika virus: one class inhibited the virus from multiplying; and the other was neuroprotective against Zika induced cell-damage to the precursor brain cells of fetal development.
Because both compound classes were already FDA approved or in their clinical trial stages, different compounds from each class could be combined to create a new drugs that would already be close to the testing stage of development.
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“We live in Florida, and we know there are cases in Florida,” said Tang. “So [Zika] is something that is very close to home. I think that [our research] counts for something: the ability to perhaps affect people’s lives in a positive way.”
(WATCH the video below)
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New Jersey police officers were surprised by a little boy who wanted nothing more than to buy them lunch–and now the boys in blue have rewarded the kind gesture.
WATCH: ‘Army of Stand-ins’ Escort Fallen Cop’s Son to First Day of School
The cops were so touched that they took up a collection to buy a mini cop car for the boy so he could patrol his neighborhood.
The police department, located in Hammonton, said on their Facebook page that they ordered personalized decals for the car from the folks at VCI in Berlin, who donated stickers that replicated the actual Winslow Twp Police car insignias.
LOOK: Police Officers Wash Blind Homeless Man’s Feet— And Do A Lot More
They even got license plates emblazoned with the tot’s nickname, “Bubba”.
(WATCH the surprise unveiling in the video below)
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Friday issued a final rule that will ban many commonly used consumer antiseptic soaps.
Companies will no longer be able to market antibacterial wash products with any of 19 specific active ingredients because manufacturers have not demonstrated the safety of long-term daily use or show that they are any more effective than plain soap and water in preventing illness or the spread of infections.
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This final rule applies to consumer antiseptic wash products only, and allows the hand “sanitizers” in health care settings.
“Some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
CHECK OUT: Philippine Teen Discovers Powerful Natural Poison Against Zika Bugs
The agency issued a proposed rule in 2013 after scientific studies suggested that long-term exposure to the active ingredients — for example, triclosan (liquid soaps) and triclocarban (bar soaps) — could pose health risks, such as bacterial resistance or hormonal effects. Manufacturers were required to provide the agency with additional data on the safety and effectiveness of the 19 active ingredients addressed in the rulemaking if they wanted to continue marketing the products.
Washing with plain soap and running water remains the most effective way to avoid getting sick and to prevent spreading germs to others. If soap and water are not available, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that an alcohol-based hand sanitizer be used that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
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In response to comments submitted by industry, the FDA has deferred rulemaking for one year on three additional ingredients used in consumer wash products – benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride and chloroxylenol (PCMX) – to allow for the development and submission of new safety and effectiveness data. All manufacturers will have one year to comply with the rulemaking by removing products from the market or reformulating (removing antibacterial active ingredients) these products.
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Turn off your air conditioner and stay cool in your tee shirt instead.
That’s the idea behind a new wrap-like material that Stanford University scientists say could be made into “cool” clothing, the use of which could slash emissions and energy consumption in buildings.
The material works by allowing body heat to pass through it in a way that cotton and other typical clothing do not. At the same time, it releases moisture and reflects sunlight, just as the breathable clothing does.
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It also would be inexpensive, with a comparable cost to cotton, said Yi Cui, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford and co-author of the research published yesterday in Science.
“No one has created something like this before,” Cui said. “This is an exciting opportunity.”
Infrared radiation (IR) released from the human body is a key factor with heating and cooling. Blankets, for example, rely on trapping such radiation for warmth. In a typical indoor setting, about 50 percent of heat loss from the body occurs through IR.
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Finding a textile that cools is an engineering challenge, though, because the wavelength of IR overlaps with visible light. The overlap makes it difficult to find a material that both reflects sunlight and allows the passage of body heat. Cotton, for example, reflects sunlight but traps about 98 percent of IR released from the body.
Existing workout clothes can have a cooling effect, but only by releasing moisture, meaning a person must sweat first to cool off.
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The researchers tinkered with a material known as nanoporous polyethylene, used to produce lithium batteries. It is in some ways similar to common plastic wrap, but with characteristics more conducive to clothing. Unlike its common household counterpart, it is not see-through because of a unique pore size of 50 to 1,000 nanometers. That size sits in a narrow range that allows the reflection of most visible light and the passage of more than 95 percent of radiative body heat.
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From an environmental perspective, Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientist Svetlana Boriskina noted that a 1 to 4 C shift in a thermostat could save up to 45 percent of the energy required to cool a building.
The technology mimics what’s found in some animals like the Saharan silver ant, which has hairs with a similar ability to release body heat while also reflecting sunlight, Boriskina said.
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Still, the cloth was not tested on human subjects. It’s also not yet in the form of a T-shirt or other wearable item. That is the next step, along with making the material softer and more cottonlike in its texture, Cui said.
Beyond clothing, researchers are considering applications for cooling things such as tents and vehicles. They also are examining how to add colors to the textile without changing its functionality.
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The idea of cooling humans individually without air conditioning is an active area of research, considering that residential and commercial buildings consume about 41 percent of total U.S. energy use. The Advanced Research Projects Agency has an entire program dedicated to finding breakthrough technologies that cool people directly, either through cooling shoes, robots or specialized office chairs (Greenwire, March 8).
Cui said the fact that the base material already is used extensively in the battery industry could make it easier to scale up.
“If you want to make a textile, you have to be able to make large volumes inexpensively,” he said.
[CORRECTION: We missed the decimal point in the original version, typing 35 degrees–instead of 3.5]
Reprinted with permission from E&E Publishing – Photo by Yi Cui Lab, Stanford University
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This diaper-clad toddler didn’t care if his father was going to be late – he just couldn’t get enough daddy love.
WATCH: Cute Little Leukemia Patient Proposes To Favorite Nurse
Every time his dad was about to pull out of the driveway, Carlton would hobble after the car yelling more heartfelt declarations of love.
(WATCH the adorable video above)
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Ross Kelly wasn’t looking for rewards or recognition when he learned sign language – he just wanted to communicate with Isam Gurung and conform to his deafness.
After Isam transferred from a specialty school in Sydney to Amaroo Primary School in Canberra, Australia he was too shy to talk to any of his new peers.
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Wanting a more efficient form of communication, Ross learned Auslan, the Australian version of sign language.
Ross’s teacher, Sarah Middleton, then nominated him for the Fred Hollows Foundation Humanity Award.
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The kind-hearted boy’s victory meant that he got to pick which charity would receive a $5,000 donation.
“It is amazing that he has learned a whole new language and to see a student take on something so big and be able to follow that passion,” she told ABC. “I imagine Isam’s world can be pretty lonely at times, so it is amazing that he has someone who can communicate with him.”
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A letter written by beloved naturalist and television personality Steve Irwin expressing his gratitude towards his parents was recently discovered only ten years after his death.
The Crocodile Hunter passed away in 2006 when a stingray barb stabbed him through the heart while he was filming an ocean documentary.
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His wife, daughter, and parents – Bob and Lyn Irwin – continue his legacy through their wildlife work in Australia.
The letter – which his father only discovered last year hidden in a book with “Please be happy to know that your strength and wisdom have been passed on” written on the front of the envelope – will be published in Bob Irwin’s memoir The Last Crocodile Hunter: A Father and Son Legacy on the anniversary of Steve’s passing.
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There’s nothing on campus that DeAsia Romes can’t do – she’s hardworking, kind, and she’s one of the most beloved and popular girls at the university.
That is, until six guys from the school’s fraternities volunteered to carry her up the mountain themselves at the suggestion of DeAsia’s sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma.
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On August 21st, the boys took turns giving her piggy back rides up Pinnacle mountain in Little Rock, Arkansas.
“It was pretty cool; I’m not going to lie,” said one of DeAsia’s escorts Benjy Richards to Arkansas Online. “You definitely get those warm fuzzies once you get to the top. I’ve been up the mountain a number of times. I’ve been up with my dogs; I’ve been up with girlfriends in the past. I’ve been up with my guys, but going up and taking someone who normally would never have been able to be up there — it’s work; it’s not necessarily easy — but it was a pretty great experience.”
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The fun won’t stop there, either – Richards says he has an itinerary for all the places they’re going to take DeAsia before she graduates in May.
“We got her back down and said, ‘OK, where are we taking you next?’”
“We plan to take her to Petit Jean to the waterfall and blue hole. Devil’s Den in northwest Arkansas — that will be a little bit of a drive — and there are two more on the list — the Mount Magazine hiking trail, and there’s a true blue hole in DeWitt.”
(WATCH the video below)
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Even though these two musicians sound like they’ve been singing side-by-side for years, they had only just met – and one of them didn’t even know the song.
Vera Swain was wandering through a Texan hospital when she heard Pastor Mark Willhoite playing some religious tunes he had been working on.
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The video shared by his wife now has more than 6 million views.
(WATCH the video below)
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22 different Palestinian and Jewish kids taught a lesson of peace and friendship for their grown-up counterparts in Sao Paulo.
The friendly atmosphere invaded the tiers of Palestra Itália Soccer Stadium as well – adults from all the communities, Arab and Jewish alike – sat side by side to enjoy the game.
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“This kind of action coming from governments isn’t enough – we need to connect nations and start doing that with the kids,” says Gabriel Holzhacker, vice director of the NGO that organized the project.
Brazilian soccer champion Pelé – who is widely regarded as one of the world’s best players – also joined the team to promote peace their efforts. Knowing the importance of soccer in promoting peace and social transformation, Pelé also donated a signed jersey for the event.
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American colleges and universities are using 64 percent less coal than they did less than a decade ago, burning 700,000 short tons last year, down from 2 million tons in 2008, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a report released yesterday.
Most universities have turned to natural gas as a replacement, with state funding backing the fuel switch.
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While academic institutions use less than 0.1 percent of U.S. coal burned for power, campus coal use has a history dating back to the 1800s when access to power was scarce.
Many universities still operate their own power plants. The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 encouraged more electricity generation by allowing institutions to sell surplus power to utilities.
But EIA noted many coal-fired universities have signed onto the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, which launched in 2007.
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About 665 schools are part of the program, which aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions. Thirty percent of the participants have pledged to be carbon neutral within 20 years.
The Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, which also leads campaigns for universities to pull their endowment investments in coal and other fossil fuels, lists 22 schools that have pledges to move “beyond coal,” including Clemson University, Indiana University, Ohio University, Penn State University, the University of Louisville and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
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The largest coal use reductions at colleges were in Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee and Indiana. The Hoosier State’s universities alone cut coal consumption by 81 percent between 2008 and 2015.
During the same period, Michigan made an 80 percent cut and Tennessee cut back by 94 percent at state institutions.
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Reprinted with permission from E&E Publishing – Photo by Tj.Blackwell
Costa Rica has just hit its 122nd day straight with its electrical grid powered only by renewable energy.
The Latin American country hopes to achieve their goal of going a year without fossil fuels as well as beating last year’s record of 285 environmentally-friendly days.
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Last year’s dependency on hydroelectricity, wind, solar, and geothermal energy accounted for 99% of the nation’s power.
Since the cost of energy dropped by 12% for the country’s residents, government officials hope to go even farther and become carbon neutral in five years.
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Celebrity scientist Bill Nye will launch a talk show on Netflix in spring 2017 that focuses on debunking scientific myths and claims possibly made by politicians, religious leaders and others, the streaming network announced yesterday.
The show will look at the impact of science on politics, society and pop culture, according to Netflix.
RELATED: NASA Responds on Facebook to Climate Change Deniers Who Dissed Bill Nye‘s Science
“Since the start of the ‘Science Guy’ show, I’ve been on a mission to change the world by getting people everywhere excited about the fundamental ideas in science,” Nye said. “Today, I’m excited to be working with Netflix on a new show, where we’ll discuss the complex scientific issues facing us today, with episodes on vaccinations, genetically modified foods and climate change. With the right science and good writing, we’ll do our best to enlighten and entertain our audience. And perhaps we’ll change the world a little” (Laura Prudom, Variety, Aug. 31)
Reprinted with permission from E&E Publishing – Photo by NASA
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Since 11-year-old Bo was diagnosed with autism eight years ago, his mom Leah Paske has always worried about her son sitting by himself in the cafeteria.
Some of the Florida State University football team players had been visiting the middle school in Tallahassee, Florida as part of a community outreach program when the sports star met Bo.
RELATED: School Sends Boy With Autism Touching Letter After He Fails Exams
“I do remember middle school being scary, and hard,” said Leah in a Facebook post. “Now that I have a child starting middle school, I have feelings of anxiety for him, and they can be overwhelming if I let them.”
“This is one day I didn’t have to worry if my sweet boy ate lunch alone, because he sat across from someone who is a hero in many eyes. Travis Rudolph thank you so much, you made this momma exceedingly happy, and have made us fans for life!”
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Dogs may be man’s best friend, but this Hungarian tourist would have had to spend a frosty night in the mountains if it hadn’t been for this friendly little feline leading him to safety.
That’s when a black and white cat crossed his path.
“[The cat] was just wandering around, [then] found me while I was resting from a hike,” the traveller said. “Then he was walking and kept looking at me to follow [and] led me straight to the path that would take me back down to the valley.”
WATCH: Dog Wearing Life Jacket is Found Adrift in Vast Gulf of Mexico
Since the Hungarian posted the video to Reddit, there have been dozens of comments from other backpackers and skiers relating similar experiences with the village cat – one of the users even says he apparently belongs to Petra and Walt of the Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald.
Whatever his heritage, this feline hero has become a purrrrfect internet star overnight.
(WATCH the video below)
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This black dad was delighted to have an ordinary day with his son turn into an extraordinary lesson in kindness from strangers.
Thinking it wasn’t a big deal, Kevon finished the rest of his meal, and later left the building – that’s when he found a note on his windshield with money enclosed.
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“We need more black dads like you,” the note read. “Today, your meal is on my wife and I. Enjoy that baby boy as long as God intends. Keep doing what you’re doing. The Masons.”
Since Kevon didn’t have a father growing up, the couple’s compassionate act touched his heart. He plans on saving the note as a positive lesson for Kevon Jr. when he gets older.
(WATCH the video below)
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Kiran Sheikh was only two hours old when her birth mother wrapped her up in a blanket and left her in a phone booth to be picked up by a local charity.
Though the rescuers were on their way, anything could have happened to the defenseless tot.
Joe watched over the little girl and waited until help arrived. As the years went by, Joe couldn’t help but send birthday cards, gifts, and money to the baby he found in the phone booth, but they were always intercepted and denied by social services.
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At 8-year-old, Kiran was told the story of her rescue by a stranger and about how she was adopted as a child.
After spending years of wondering who her savior had been, Kiran – now 22-years-old – turned to the media to help her find Joe.
The two were happily reunited and Joe says it was the happiest day of his whole life.
(WATCH the video below)
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