An eclectic bundle of upbeat news nuggets to brighten the day.
Guess Who
Twitter, like all social media sites, is crammed with weird and whacky things. There's a man on Twitter called Cam Harless (@hamcarless) who has gone to the trouble of re-imagining every US president with a mullet. Guess which president is in this photograph?! Harless has even gone to the trouble of printing a poster with all of his presidential mullet renditions and you can buy it on Etsy - if you feel so inclined.
Cheaper Insulin
Drugmaker Eli Lilly has announced it's dropping the price of insulin products by 70 percent and capping out-of-pocket costs at $35/month. This good news comes thanks to years of public pressure. The move could prompt other insulin makers in the U.S. to follow suit.
Notre Dame
The reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is going fast enough to allow its reopening to visitors and faithful at the end of 2024, less than six years after a fire ravaged its roof, French officials have announded. The cathedral’s iconic spire, which collapsed in the blaze, will gradually start reappearing above the monument this year in a powerful signal of its revival, the army general in charge of the colossal project, Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, said. “The return of the spire in Paris’ sky will in my opinion be the symbol that we are winning the battle of Notre Dame,” he told the Associated Press.
LA to Vegas Bullet
An agreement has been reached to commence works on the United States' first high-speed rail network, Brightline West, connecting two of the busiest U.S. cities - Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The total length of the project is estimated to cross 218 miles (350 km), and the system will be run on electric energy. Brightline, the rail company responsible for this project, announced that it had reached a consensus with a collective of various rail worker unions to go ahead with the $10 billion project.
France’s New Luxury High-Speed Trains: France has one of the world’s finest high-speed rail networks. But are they resting on their laurels? Mais, non!
Good Glitter
Scientists at Cambridge University in the UK have developed a new type of sustainable glitter made from fruit pulp. Conventional glitter contains harmful microplastics that pollute the environment. The new biodegradable glitter is vegan, non-toxic and just as sparkly as the original - so everyone can sparkle again guilt-free.
Anaesthetic Ban
Scotland just became the first country to ban an environmentally harmful anaesthetic. Desflurane has a global warming potential 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide and banning it will cut emissions equal to powering 1,700 homes a year. NHS England will introduce a similar ban from 2024, which - like Scotland - prohibits its use for anything but exceptional circumstances. Banning it across NHS hospitals in England would cut harmful emissions equivalent to those caused by powering 11,000 homes every year, according to NHS analysis of desflurane use in 2020.
"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." Marcel Proust
On this Day
9 March 1959: Barbie, a toy doll that became an international sensation, was introduced by Mattel, Inc.
Catching poachers was almost impossible until Dutch company invented new type of smart camera. Read on...
US lab has discovered how to raise the driving range of standard EVs to a thousand miles or more. Read on...
Best Jokes of Sean Lock: Described as the comedian's comedian, he was one of Britain’s finest. Read on...
Mood Booster
The first true blockbuster wildlife television series, Life on Earth offered a crash course in evolution, delivered by Sir David across 13 episodes. His encounter with mountain gorillas in Rwanda (episode 12) remains one of his best-known moments.
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