Some tasty bite-sized chunks of upbeat news to brighten the day.
Bipolar Nebular
“Twin, where have you been?” NASA wrote in the caption of a post featuring two vibrant Hubble telescope photos of the Twin Jet Nebula. “Unlike ordinary nebulas with one star at the center, this nebula has two stars at the center, making it a bipolar nebula,” the space agency explained. So, now you know.
US Conservation Priority
Meanwhile, back on Earth, there's good news for the planet. The Washington Post reports that the Department of the Interior has introduced a rule prioritizing conservation, recreation, and renewable energy over traditional resource extraction on public lands, representing a seismic shift in the management of roughly 245 million acres of public property, one-tenth of the nation's land mass.
Approving Corgis
The first statue of Queen Elizabeth II since her death has been unveiled to the approving barks of nearly 50 corgis. The permanent memorial to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch - complete with her own immortalised dogs - has been hailed as a fitting tribute for the “mother of our nation”. The joyful, eye-catching statue went on display on what would have been the late monarch’s 98th birthday, with a group of her favourite dogs stealing the show. It takes pride of place outside the library in the market town of Oakham, in Rutland, Britain’s smallest county. It depicts a youthful Queen Elizabeth - who stood at just 5ft 4in - standing at 7ft in regal robes with three loyal corgi companions at her feet, one peeking out from the creases.
Democracy Wins
This news from Senegal might be the best in world politics of 2024 so far. Despite attempted delays and imprisonments by the former president, Senegal pulled off a free and fair election and a peaceful transfer of power to Bassirou Diomaye Faye, reports Vox. The victory was secured by young voters, indicating the rise of a new political class that will play a key role in democratic trends.
Brain Waves
Colorado is the first state to pass a law that ensures your biological and neural data receive the same protections as your fingerprint or biometric data, joining similar laws in countries like Spain and Mexico. With firms like Apple, Meta, and Neuralink already working on tech that could collect such data, Colorado’s law could be the blueprint for federal legislation.
Sutherland's Churchill
As Winston Churchill approached his 80th birthday, the Houses of Parliament commissioned Graham Sutherland, a highly esteemed British Modernist, to paint his portrait as a gift. The former prime minister famously hated the final product, once calling it “filthy and malignant.” Now, an oil-on-canvas study for the artwork is heading to auction at Sotheby’s, where it’s expected to fetch up to $995,500. Sotheby’s says: “The work demonstrates a thoughtful vulnerability and an insight into the depth of the unlikely friendship that blossomed between the two men during this period.”
World Record
Everyone on their tippy toes! Last week, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, 353 ballerinas with the Youth America Grand Prix set a Guinness World Record for the most dancers on pointe simultaneously for one minute.
"Never Been Done"
A 30-acre facility in Oklahoma was previously used for research testing on dogs and cats. Now? It’s a rehabilitation sanctuary for former lab animals. This 180-degree transformation was thanks to Shannon Keith, an animal rights lawyer and founder of the Beagle Freedom Project, and John Riner, the facility’s former owner. Taking note of the facility’s beauty on some of her visits to pick up animals, Keith pitched an idea to Riner: She wanted to buy the property and turn it into an animal sanctuary. “I assumed he was going to laugh me off the phone,” said Keith. Thankfully, he didn’t, and after some negotiations, the sale was finalized, shutting down all testing and putting the 200-plus cats and dogs in Keith’s custody. “This has never been done,” she said. “Nobody has ever closed down an animal testing facility and turned it into a rehab sanctuary.”
"Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals." Dorothy Height
On This Day
23 April 2005: The first video - which was of YouTube cofounder Jawed Karim's visit to the San Diego Zoo - was uploaded on the YouTube website; approximately one year later the site had some 100 million videos. Nowadays, around 3.7 million videos are uploaded to the site every day!
Culturally important, England's hedges could wrap round Earth ten times and are crucial for bio-diversity and climate change. Numerous benefits...
Mood Booster
Remarkable first look at a wild baby wolverine.