Today's eclectic bundle of upbeat news nuggets from around the world.
Chicago Archaeopteryx
In his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, Darwin noted that the “gravest objection which can be urged against my theory” was the absence of transitional fossils. But the first complete Archaeopteryx specimen provided this “missing link” between birds and dinosaurs - and it was discovered only two years after Darwin published the book. And now, Chicago’s Field Museum will make the 13th known Archaeopteryx fossil visible to the public - the first specimen of its kind in a major natural history museum in the Western Hemisphere. “Archaeopteryx is arguably the most important fossil ever discovered. It transformed how scientists see the world by providing strong support for Darwin’s theory of evolution,” says Julian Siggers, the Field Museum’s president and CEO. Adding: "We’re thrilled to be able to study ‘the Chicago Archaeopteryx’ and to share it with our visitors.”
Universal Donor
There’s a global shortage of blood supplies needed for life-saving transfusions due to factors that include an ageing population with a higher demand for it and a lack of volunteer donors. Now, thanks to researchers at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Lund University, Sweden, they have found that by using enzymes produced by a bacteria that almost everyone has in their gut, they can remove the antigens from red blood cells that determine blood type, putting us within reach of producing universal donor blood.
Clever Elephant
Visitors to a zoo in China captured the moment a clever elephant returned a baby's shoe using its trunk, after it fell into the enclosure. According to a staff member, the elephant first thought the shoe was food but when it realized it wasn’t upon picking it up, it returned it to its owner.
Solar Explosion
Cumulative global installed solar capacity in 2023 passed 1.4 terawatts (TW), which is tenfold larger than ten years ago and doubling every 3 years. At current growth rates (20 percent per annum), solar will pass fossil gas in 2024 and coal in 2025, reports RenewEconomy. Current growth rates also suggest that solar will approach 9 TW in 2031, when there will be more solar generation capacity than everything else combined.
Space Fashion
Bridging fashion and functionality, SpaceX has revealed what its astronauts will be wearing on the first-ever private spacewalk in 2024. The futuristic features of the suit will be space-tested on the Polaris Dawn mission later this year. Called an Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) suit, it's essentially a greatly updated version of those used by the US for its Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle and International Space Station missions.
Stat of The Day
100 percent: In the Netherlands, all of its trains run entirely on energy sourced from wind power.
Massive Electric Ship
A fully-electric 10,000 ton container ship, that's 120m (394ft) long, has begun service equipped with over 50,000 kWh in batteries and represents multiple 'firsts' for the shipping industry. COSCO Shipping says that the new Green Water 01 can save 3,900 kg (8,600 pounds) of fuel for every 100 nautical miles traveled, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 12.4 tons. Following the successful launch, the Green Water 01 has commenced weekly service between Shanghai and Nanjing.
"Follow your heart, your instincts. People might try to dissuade you from your passion, but no one can live your life but you." Olympia Dukakis
On This Day
8 May 1541: Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his expedition are the first Europeans to see the Mississippi River.
Father writes useful bits of unsolicited advice for his children. Stuff he wished he'd known at their age. Book of bits...
Mood Booster
Hilarious sketch: Flight Attendant Helps Obnoxious Passenger.