An invigorating selection of positive news snippets from around the world.
Buon 90 Compleanno
On 28 April, the City of Vicenza and U.S. Army Garrison Italy took a moment to remember the day when Americans arrived in the city in 1945 during World War II, and the decades of friendship that ensued. A special guest at the event, Meri Mion, was 13 years old when Americans came to her village. The battle concluded by the time her 13th birthday came around on 29 April. Her mother baked her a cake to celebrate and set it on their window sill to cool off. Unfortunately, she never got to taste it. The American soldiers had helped themselves. So, the U.S. Army Garrison Italy replaced the cake Mion lost all those years ago for her 90th birthday.
Drinking Water
One of the great quests in desalination research is developing a new way to bring drinkable water to disadvantaged people with limited resources. The good news is that a team from MIT has achieved this with a system that's solar powered and no bigger than a suitcase. Their system is not only energy-efficient, its size and user-friendliness make it accessible to a whole variety of communities around the world that might not have plentiful resources or training in advanced equipment.
State Bans Gas
Washington has passed a mandate requiring all newly constructed buildings to have all-electric heating, making it the first state in the US to do so. The new rule bans the use of natural gas in multifamily housing complexes and commercial buildings by requiring the installation of electric heat pumps instead. Though other cities across the nation have also banned natural gas in new buildings, Washington’s is the first at state-level
Spoonful of Honey
Honey is loaded with all sorts of natural stuff your body and your biome love. It has trace amounts of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, enzymes, amino acids, and flavonoids. It has antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. It's good for your gut microbiome balance and helps a sore throat and breathing. Local honey can even help your seasonal allergies because the bees that made it were using the local flowers. It can also help you get a good night's sleep. Just keep in mind that it is a natural sugar, and there can be too much of a good thing.
Oldest on the Mall
For much of the 20th century, the National Mall in Washington DC was all but unrecognizable. The Jefferson Memorial was only completed in 1943 and, until the late ‘70s, some sections of the Mall were essentially glorified parking lots. And in the 19th century, areas of the green space were underwater thanks to the new nation’s growing canal system. That dynamic history is encapsulated in an unassuming brick house - the oldest building on the Mall. Known as the Lockkeeper’s House, the structure was constructed for the canal system that once crisscrossed the area. After a long and checkered history of its own, and untouched and neglected for more than 40 years, the house is now open to the public.
Plant a Tree
There’s a search engine that will plant a tree every time you search for something. This search engine is called Ecosia. So far it has planted almost 150 million trees. Why not switch? After all, what does Google do for you apart from monetising your search history?
Quote of the Day
"May the Fourth be with you." Star Wars
On this Day
4 May 1904: Charles Rolls meets Henry Royce at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, England. Go on to form the car manufacturer Roll-Royce.
Dive in Deeper
Satellites have captured the polluting power of cow burps from space for the first time ever, in a breakthrough that could help farmers slash methane emissions. Read on...
Personal eVTOL
It has been exactly six months since Jetson entered the eVTOL market. To celebrate this milestone, they have released a new video of the Jetson ONE eVTOL with the pilot enjoying a unique view of the Tuscan landscape.