Upbeat News Thursday

2 minutes ago
3 min read

Some tasty bite-sized chunks of upbeat news to get the day off to a good start.

Design proposal for a new building that takes the form of seven huge moss-covered boulders stacked into a tower — Credit: MVRDV

Rotterdam Rocks!

You could be forgiven for thinking that this extraordinary design was dreamed up for the set of some kind of sci-fi movie. However, it's actually a real proposal for a major new mixed-use cultural building. Named Rotterdam Rocks!, it's designed by high-profile Dutch studio MVRDV and won a design competition to inspire visitors to take action on climate change. Slated for an upcoming district on the south bank of Rotterdam's Maas river, it's a real oddball. Nobody could accuse it of blending quietly into its surroundings, but whether you love it or hate it, the design definitely stands out, which seems to be the whole point. It takes the form of seven huge moss-covered boulders stacked into a tower. Its textured facade will support soil, water, plants, and wildlife, extending the existing riverside park vertically, while multiple windows and external staircases are integrated into the rock-like forms.

Construction Begins on 2 World Trade Center Supertall Skyscraper in NYC

archaeologist excavating a Roman-era mosaic floor in Devon, England — Credit: Cotswold Archaeology

Mosaic Floor Revealed

John Hill was surveying a farmer’s field in Devon, southwestern England, when his metal detector identified a Roman-era coin hidden beneath the soil. Now, almost two decades later, archaeologists have returned to the site and excavated the ruins of an ancient villa - complete with a lavish mosaic floor. Stretching across roughly 130 square feet, experts think it dates to the fourth century C.E. The thousands of colourful tiles, each measuring less than half an inch, form a flower with eight petals. This design is bordered by a guilloche pattern, featuring two bands woven together. The site is the farthest west that a polychrome mosaic has been found in Roman-era Britain. “This, and the other trappings of Roman civilization and evidence of affluence that have been found, show how much even this far-flung part of the province had been integrated into the Roman Empire.”

An Osprey coming in for a landing. — "Wise nature restoration"

Conservation Success

Ospreys have returned to Western Estonia thanks to healthier rivers and successful habitat restoration efforts. For one, the country recently removed the Sindi Dam, reopening the Pärnu River to migrating fish and vast feeding areas now suitable for ospreys. Ornithologist Indrek Tammekänd said the birds' return to the region is closely tied to conservation efforts. "This huge move to Pärnu County is certainly the result of wise nature restoration and conservation decisions."

First-Time Buyers

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law to give an instant rebate of up to $3,500 for first-time EV buyers. The bill passed almost a year after the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill terminated the federal EV tax credit.

A black customised Cadillac fitted with a unique plastic bubbletop to replace what would have been the roof. — Credit: Barrett-JacksonAuctionCompany

Fitted For a Queen

A customised Cadillac which offered thousands of Canadians their first glimpse of the soon-to-be Elizabeth II has been offered for sale by a Las Vegas auction house. The powerful limousine was commissioned in 1951 for the then Princess Elizabeth’s 33-day tour of the country alongside her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. Organisers expected the trip to draw large crowds so General Motors was asked to create a car that would allow them maximum visibility, while protecting the royal couple from the wind and rain. The manufacturer turned to an aviation company which created a unique plastic bubbletop to replace what would have been the roof. It is expected to fetch in excess of $100,000.

Record-High

Solar was the top source of electricity in the European Union in June, providing a record-high of 25 percent. Spain and Germany received more than one-third from solar that month, and in Hungary, it was almost half. Europe has rapidly adopted solar power capacity, and just five years ago, it only delivered around 10 percent of the EU’s electricity in the sunniest months. With solar displacing coal and natural gas, planet-warming pollution has dropped dramatically, with carbon emissions from electricity declining by one-fifth between 2020 and 2025.

“A self that goes on changing is a self that goes on living.” Virginia Woolf

On This Day

6 August 1960: Chubby Checker performs his version of Hank Ballard's The Twist on The Dick Clark Show, starting a launching a global phenomenon. The televised performance changed pop culture by inviting everyone to dance apart on the floor.