Today's bite-sized chunks of uplifting news.
Golden Retrievers
The UK record for the largest gathering of golden retrievers has been broken, reported The Telegraph. According to organisers, there were 466 of the dogs at the Guisachan House in Scotland's Glen Affric, where the world’s first golden retriever puppies were born in 1868. This comfortably broke the previous British record of 361, set at the same location five years ago. “We want to hold on to the confidence, the biddability, the companionship and loyalty - all the things the golden retriever was built on,” said Carol Henry, secretary of the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland.
Lovely Tribute to The 'Goodest of Good Boys' - When a beloved pet passes away, there's no better way to honour their memory than by sharing their story and loving energy with the world. More...
Lemon Melon
When we think of Japanese innovation, our mind usually goes to the country’s advances in technology. But Japan’s agriculture is proving to be just as innovative. In fact, Japanese farmers in Hokkaido have just announced the creation of a new fruit: the Lemon Melon.
According to reports, the Lemon Melon is round like a watermelon, but the surface is a mostly solid yellow-green, as it is missing the texture and darker tone of melons and watermelons. The biggest shock comes after cutting it open. Instead of boasting a bright colour, the Lemon Melon is white inside. And while it's sweet, what makes it so special is that it has the sour zing of a lemon, making it perfect for the summer. While they have the crispness of a pear when they are just harvested, they get softer as they ripen.
Blockbuster Numbers
Tom Cruise’s latest blockbuster Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One generated $235 million at the box office around the world in its first five days of release. It's a mighty tally, especially for the seventh instalment in a 27-year-old action franchise. But, with costs of $291 million (before marketing), the movie needs to continue racking up strong viewing numbers to make a return for investors. Unlikely to be an impossible mission...
Fashion Police
Massachusetts residents may need to watch out for the fashion police, although not for the reason you’d think. A new, first-of-its-kind state law makes it illegal to throw out old clothes and fabrics, requiring residents to recycle or donate them instead. It's being hailed as a huge environmental victory. While it’s unclear if - or when - other states will follow suit, the Massachusetts ban could have a major impact on donations and avoid tons of landfill waste.
New Jersey Offshore
The Danes are coming to New Jersey to build the largest offshore wind farm in the US, the third offshore wind farm to be approved by the Biden administration. Ocean Wind 1 will provide enough electricity to power 380,000 homes. It is expected to be operational by late 2024 or early 2025.
LEZs
A new review in The Lancet has found that low emissions zones (LEZs) - designated areas within cities that restrict highly polluting vehicles - are improving our health. Data from 69 cities with LEZs found a 2% - 3% reduction in heart problems and a 7% - 12% reduction in strokes, with the greatest improvements in older people, saving an estimated €4.4bn ($4.9bn) in healthcare.
"Do the impossible, because almost everyone has told me my ideas are merely fantasies." Howard Hughes
On this Day
18 July 1976: For her performance in the uneven parallel bars at the Olympic Games in Montreal, Nadia Comăneci of Romania became the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event.
New hypothesis, published by the Royal Astronomical Society, challenges the prevailing cosmological model. 26.7 billion...
Using forced perspective, photographer cleverly injects household objects into real-life settings, creating playful images that fool the eye. Surreal imagination...
Cancer Trial: Participants' tumors vanish using immunotherapy - no surgery, radiation or chemo. Totally unexpected...
Mood Booster
Court Jester Mansour Bahrami: Best tennis trick shots.