What better way to start the week than with a global collection of positive news nuggets?
Celestial Monsters
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has discovered the first direct evidence of supermassive stars, each roughly 10,000 times the mass of our Sun, existing at the dawn of the universe. These colossal stars, referred to as “celestial monsters,” were present just 440 million years after the Big Bang. The discovery could provide significant insights into the early evolution of the cosmos.
Astronomers Detect Largest Ever Cosmic Explosion: Happily, it's 8 billion light years away but it has astonished scientists. More...
Poverty Progress
Global poverty reduction efforts are back on track, says the World Bank. After the severe setbacks of 2020, a majority of low and middle income countries have seen poverty decline again, and more than half are now on course to reach a lower poverty rate in 2023 than in 2019.
e-Bike Curious?
If so, you need to know about Upway, the certified provider of refurbished e-bikes. Why? Because they resell top-brand e-bikes at whopping discounts compared to brand new. Upway's already a big deal in Europe, and they're now coming to the U.S. Unlike buying a bike on Craigslist, every Upway e-bike gets inspected by an expert mechanic and comes with a one-year warranty. That way, you know exactly what you're getting! Plus, they're currently running a spring sale on selected bikes. Take Upway's 3-question quiz to help you find the right one for you.
Once in a Lifetime
Michael Block is a golf pro, not a pro golfer. So when the California golf instructor earned a spot at the PGA Championship earlier this month, many in attendance assumed he wouldn’t make the cut to play the weekend, if they noticed him at all. But by the final round, Block made sure everyone knew his name. The coach earned his place to play alongside four-time major champion Rory McIlory and even drilled a hole-in-one at the 15th hole. Block ended the weekend in 15th place, earning over $288,000 (the equivalent of what he'd make from 1,922 golf lessons) - and an automatic invite to next year’s event. He was also invited to compete at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas, though he had to cancel a few golf lessons back home to make it. “I think they understand why I can’t teach them tomorrow,” he said.
Cheers
Remember the TV sitcom, the half-hour show that ran from 1982 to 1993 for a total of 275 episodes? Over the course of its 11 season run, the sitcom was nominated for numerous awards, including 28 Emmys.
The bar counter is the focal point of Cheers, the TV sitcom following the regulars who gather at the titular Boston watering hole. Now you could buy the bar where everybody knows your name. Bidding closes on 4 June at Heritage Auctions. At time of writing the bidding stood at $210,000.
Bright Idea
The Swifties among us know it was next-to-impossible to score tickets to Taylor’s latest blockbuster tour. Take Davis Perrigo, a Nashville accountant and Taylor Swift devotee, who couldn’t find tickets to Swift’s stop at Nissan Stadium. So the enterprising fan, determined to see his star, got a job at the stadium as a security guard and attended the concert (albeit with his back turned from the stage) for hourly wages. Videos from attendees in the front row captured Perrigo mouthing every word to “I Knew You Were Trouble” while surveying the thousands of fervent fans before him. His passion was perhaps a bit unbecoming for a security guard, known for their stoic, impenetrable dispositions – Perrigo said Swift’s own security asked him to “take it down a notch.” But if he had bought tickets, he likely wouldn’t have gotten so close to his idol or become a viral sensation: “It really was a blessing that I didn’t get tickets!"
“We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.” Winston Churchill
On this Day
29 May 1953: Following numerous failed attempts by others, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to surmount Mount Everest.
An invisible, edible coating made with cannabidiol (CBD) can preserve fruit for much longer. Preservation...
Some original pandemic response measures became permanent - in these cases, changing life for the better. Improvements...
Mood Booster
Weightless: Global Paragliding Adventure with Jean-Baptiste Chandelier.