Celebrating the start of the weekend with an upbeat collection of positive news snippets.
Act of Kindness
Marilyn Kinsella from Canada tells this story: "I forgot about the rule preventing liquids in carry-on luggage, so when I hit security at the airport, I had to give up all my painting supplies. When I returned a week later, an attendant was at the baggage area with my paints. Not only had he kept them for me, but he’d looked up my return date and time in order to meet me."
From Little Acorns
Scientists are using acorns from 1000-year-old oaks to create an experimental 'super forest' in England, hoping to achieve ambitious tree-planting targets.The forest will spread across nine new neighbouring woodlands with the first trees planted this winter. The inaugural scheme will fund landowners to plant 270,000 trees, creating a forest accessible to the public. The woodlands will be scientifically monitored to assess their effectiveness at removing carbon emissions, enhancing biodiversity, and cleaning up air and water. "Trees can do fantastic things for biodiversity, but also carbon drawdown," says Kathy Willis, professor of biodiversity at the University of Oxford.
Milestone
NASA has achieved a major milestone in preparing the new James Webb Space Telescope, focusing the $10 billion observatory on a test star with all of Webb's mirrors aligned. But a lot of work lies ahead before the telescope is fully operational. "The engineering images that we see today are as sharp and as crisp as the images that Hubble can take, but are at a wavelength of light that is totally invisible to Hubble," said Jane Rigby of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. "So this is making the invisible Universe snap into very, very sharp focus." The telescope is intended to look back almost to the origins of the cosmos.
Lucky Strike
A ten year old boy who found an 800 year old medieval priory seal matrix with his metal detector has raked in a small fortune after it sold for £4,000 ($5,200). George Henderson was with his dad when he stumbled across the ancient artefact. The pair had been scouring a field in Woodbridge, south east England, for just ten minutes when George uncovered the 13th-century copper alloy seal five inches below the ground. The proceeds will now be shared between the lucky finder and the farmer whose land the treasure was discovered on.
America's First
California's Antelope Valley Transit Authority completed the nation’s first large-scale transit fleet electrification effort, 18 years early. The project, which began in 2014 with two buses from Chinese manufacturer BYD, now has 87 electric buses and 600 employees. AVTA says "We want to create a template for the world to follow." With strong support from elected officials, AVTA secured nearly $105 million in grants to buy buses, and vans for micro-transit - and turned fuel costs into a financial gain. As of January, it costs $0.51 per mile for electric buses, compared to $1.05 per mile driven to run diesel buses.
What Covid?
Denmark lifted the last of its Covid-related rules - both entry requirements and domestic guidelines - this week, joining a select few European countries that have done away with all pandemic restrictions for holidaymakers. If you’re looking for the simplest possible European getaway, these dozen destinations, although not the usual top choices for spring travellers, might be your best bet: England, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Poland, Montenegro, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia, Romania, Madeira and, of course, Denmark.
Nobel Auction
The Russian journalist who won last year's Nobel Peace Prize will auction off his medal to support Ukrainian refugees. Dmitry Muratov said he was compelled to do so following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Muratov shared the 2021 Nobel with Filipino American journalist Maria Ressa for their "efforts to safeguard freedom of expression." Proceeds will go to The Foundation of Assistance to the Ukrainian Refugees, which supports refugees from Ukraine.
Quote of the Day
"Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant."
Socrates
On this Day
2 April 1978: The soap opera Dallas debuted as a five part mini-series on American television; hugely popular, it became a running series until 1991 and revolutionized prime-time dramas.
Dive in Deeper
The UK’s offshore wind pipeline reaches 86 GW - a 60 percent increase in 12 months. But how does that compare globally? Read on...
Security team at the Baltimore Museum of Art asked to curate an exhibition of the art they had come to love the most. Read on...
Cat Masters Jogging Machine
It can't be that difficult, can it?