Mid-week round up of positive news stories.
Award Winner
Captain Paul Watson, imprisoned eco-warrior, marine conservationist and founder of several environmental organizations, has been named the 2025 The Perfect World Foundation Award recipient. The announcement comes from The Perfect World Foundation, a wildlife and nature organization based in Gothenburg, Sweden. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to preserving the planet’s wildlife and nature. Watson joins a distinguished group of previous recipients, including Sir David Attenborough, Dr. Jane Goodall, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, and Dr. Sylvia Earle.
Finger Prick Diagnostic
Nobody enjoys giving blood samples, but it’s a necessary part of many hospital stays and doctor visits. Soon we might not have to, thanks to a new device that can isolate biomarkers for different diseases using sound waves, from a single drop of blood, in around an hour. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a new handheld device that can scan for given biomarkers in around one hour, from a single drop of blood. This means that potentially, blood samples could be taken from a finger prick like those used for diabetes, then analyzed right there from a patient’s bedside.
Parental Leave
In the second year of its new parental leave program, there was a 20 percent increase in the number of people applying for parental leave in the Netherlands. Notably, around 40 percent of the applications came from fathers - a significant increase from the 33% of applications the previous year. This shows that while parental leave is still more often requested by mothers - that gap is closing.
Meet Sirish Subash
A ninth grader from Snellville, Georgia, who won the 2024 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Not only did Sirish earn the bragging rights of being America’s Top Young Scientist, but he also received a cash prize of $25,000 for his invention of an at-home, handheld pesticide detector. Called Pestiscand, the tool measures the wavelength of light reflecting off of fruits and veggies and uses machine learning to let you know if your food is pesticide-free. All users have to do is download an app, point the tool at the food in question, and see if another rinse may or may not be necessary.
Rewilding Europe
A comprehensive European rewilding conservation study published in Current Biology reveals that rewilding could be crucial in helping European countries expand their protected areas. Researchers have identified approximately 290 million acres (117 million hectares) of land across Europe suitable for rewilding efforts, accounting for nearly a quarter of the continent’s total land area. The research comes as European nations strive to meet the ambitious conservation targets of the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The strategy aims to protect 30 percent of land and sea areas, with 10 percent under strict protection. Rewilding, an approach focused on restoring trophic interactions and fostering self-regulating ecosystems, emerges as a promising strategy to achieve these objectives.
Heart Attack Detector
Someone presenting to the emergency room with a suspected heart attack will undergo a number of standard blood tests to determine heart muscle damage. The problem is that it can take one or two hours to receive the results. Now, Johns Hopkins University researchers have led the design of a tiny chip that diagnoses heart attack by detecting these important biomarkers in minutes rather than hours, even if they are present at very low concentrations. The researchers foresee an at-home heart attack detector in the future.
“Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.” Jane Goodall
On This Day
23 October 1915: An estimated 25,000 supporters in a women's suffrage march on New York's Fifth Ave, led by Dr. Anna Shaw and Carrie Chapman Catt, founder of the League of Women Voters.
Today's Articles
Under 35s Tax Haven: Portugal plans to slash taxes for young people to discourage locals from leaving and attract skilled foreign workers.
Beneath Your Toes: Beach sand may look like a uniform sprinkling of tiny identical grains, but if you look really closely...
Mood Boosting Video
Animals With Cameras: Sting Ray's deep ocean dive offers unique insights.