Positive News Tuesday
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Some tasty bite-sized chunks of positive news to brighten the day.
Teen Sensation
Having cracked the 20-second barrier with a sizzling run over 200m - and in the process fuelled comparisons with the great Usain Bolt - the question now is, how fast can Gout Gout go? “How long’s a piece of string?” said Gout’s coach and mentor, Di Sheppard, after he clocked 19.67sec at the Australian championships in Sydney on Sunday. (Bolt's record is 19.19) Gout's time smashed his own national record of 20.02sec and was good enough for him to become the first Australian to record a legal time under the magical 20-second barrier. “I’ve just turned 18 so I definitely think I can go faster, for sure. It’s just about building and getting that consistent sub-20 [times]. There’s no pressure for me. At the end of the day, I’m the only one that goes out there by myself.”
E-Auto Boom
Car buyers’ interest in electric cars has surged across Europe since the start of the war in Iran, as the rising cost of petrol highlights the cheaper power available from a plug. Online marketplaces in the UK, Germany, France and Spain reported huge increases in inquiries about electric vehicles since the start of the conflict. In Germany, inquiries have increased by 50 percent. UK, Spain and Germany, reported 20 percent to 30 percent increases.
Charity Raffle
A raffle in France - '1 Picasso for 100 Euros' - is offering the chance to win a portrait by Pablo Picasso for the price of a €100 (£87) ticket, with proceeds going to Alzheimer’s research. The winner will be announced today. Picasso painted the gouache-on-paper Tête de Femme (Head of a Woman) in 1941. The raffle organisers’ online sales platform says the number of tickets was capped at 120,000, meaning the draw could net €12m if they are all sold. From the proceeds, €1m will be paid to the Opera Gallery, an international art dealership that owns the painting. The raffle will benefit the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, based in one of Paris’s leading public hospitals. Organisers say two previous Picasso raffles raised more than €10m for cultural work in Lebanon and water and hygiene programmes in Africa.
Apex Predator
Golden Eagles will once again be a permanent feature of English skies, as the government pledges £1m to back the reintroduction of the species as early as next year. Britain's second largest bird of prey (the largest is the white-tailed Eagle) was wiped out in England during the 19th Century after a concerted campaign of hunting. They are one of the fastest animals on the planet, reaching speeds of up to 200mph as they dive, and have razor-sharp vision - able to spot a rabbit moving three miles away. And yet, these apex predators were hunted to extinction in England and Wales because of their perceived threat to livestock and grouse. After years of research by Forestry England into appropriate environments, and a successful re-enforcement of the species along the Scottish border, the government is now backing a parallel project in Northumberland, in northern England.
Book Reading
Digital books have grown in popularity over the past decade, but more Americans still read books in print than in digital formats, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Print continues to be the only book format used by a majority of Americans. Roughly two-thirds of adults say they have read a physical book in the past 12 months.
The World’s Only Book Shop Airbnb: This unique Scottish bolthole gives residents the chance to live their book selling dreams.
National Treasure
The National Heritage List is home to the most significant and beautiful buildings and structures in England. Now, the more famous landmarks are being joined by a mysterious, limestone rubble “barn” on a grassy knoll in the Lake District, which was most recently used as a shelter for sheep and cows. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it was awarding listed status to a building known as Henry’s Castle. Research has revealed that Henry’s Castle has the hallmarks of a high-status building and could date back as far as the 14th century. It has been used as a field barn but what its original purpose was is not known.
"Earth was just this lifeboat hanging undisturbedly in the universe.” Christina Koch, Artemis II astronaut
On This Day
14 April 1828: Noah Webster registers the copyright for the publication of the first American dictionary titled An American Dictionary of the English Language. Published in two volumes, it contained 70,000 words, including 12,000 never before in a dictionary, standardizing American spellings (e.g., color, center). Webster spent over 20 years on the project, learning 26 languages to research word origins. He aimed to create a distinct American standard of language, incorporating Americanisms like skunk, chowder, and hickory.
Today's Articles
Oregon Original: Home to the world's oldest known evidence of stitched clothing from 12,600 years ago.
All-in-One Solar: Scientists discover a way to engineer wood so that it provides solar power, even at night.
Heart Health: You might associate better blood flow with exercise, but did you know that there are certain foods specifically linked to better vascular health?
Mood Boosting Video
Chirping birdsong, warm spring sunshine, and a carpet of dainty bluebells. Is there a more perfect spring scene than this?
