Today's smorgasbord of tasty positive news nuggets.
Botanic Gardens
A comprehensive new review of research into the heat-mitigating effects of green spaces during heatwaves has found that botanical gardens are the most effective. It is a finding the team at the Global Centre for Clean Air Research hope will inform policymakers planning cities for a warming world. This particular research found that sites such as the Chelsea Physic Garden and Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London, or the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, reduced air temperatures during heatwaves in the city streets around them by an average 5C / 41F. Street trees, by way of comparison, achieve -3.5C / 38F.
Word of The Day
Tourons: Tourist + Moron. As more and more stories emerge of tourists doing idiotic and dangerous things, there's now even an Instagram account called Tourons of Yellowstone, which is dedicated to posting about the outrageous behaviour of tourists in America’s national parks.
Omalizumab
Asthma drug staves off food allergies in up to two thirds of patients. Omalizumab, currently used to treat asthma, has been shown to substantially reduce the risk of potentially life-threatening reactions in people aged one and older with multiple common food allergies, including peanuts, following accidental exposure. While not a cure, the now FDA-approved drug could improve the quality of life for food allergy sufferers. “The day-to-day life of patients with food allergy is consumed by fear of accidental exposure to food allergens,” said Robert Wood, lead author of the study and Director of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. “Our findings have the potential to be very meaningful, and potentially even life-changing, for people with food allergies.”
Bridget Jones IV
Bridget Jones is returning to the silver screen as a mid-lifer with a new movie due to start filming this spring. Renée Zellweger, the double Oscar-winning actress best known for playing the chaotic 30-something everywoman, is set to begin working on a fourth instalment of the best-selling series in May, the Mail on Sunday reported. The film is to explore Jones as a 51-year-old single mother to two children in an era of social media and dating apps. Colin Firth and Hugh Grant are also expected to make a return.
UK 4 Day Week
Most of the firms that participated in the world’s largest four-day week trial are operating a shorter working week one year on, a new report shows. In all, 61 organisations took part in the UK trial. Of those, 54 are still operating the policy.
Dog Wins Lottery
While shopping, Ms. Lin's golden retriever managed to get off his leash and dashed into a nearby lottery shop. When Lin caught up with her dog, she discovered it had bitten one of the lottery tickets placed on the table. Due to the dog's teeth marks on the scratch card, she had no choice but to buy the ticket. Little did she know, that seemingly playful act would unveil a winning prize of 1000 yuan. "I was so surprised," she said. "I've never won such a large sum of money in a lottery." It wasn't exactly a jackpot win as 1,000 yuan is about $135; but all the same, a fortunate result.
"A fit body, a calm mind, a house full of love. These things cannot be bought - they must be earned." Naval Ravikant
On This Day
27 February 1951: The Twenty-second Amendment, which effectively limited to two the number of terms a U.S. president may serve, was ratified.
Project to power Britain using solar farms thousands of miles away in the Sahara is moving closer to fruition. Promising...
The red lipstick, housed in an intricately decorated stone tube, is around 4,000 years old. Beauty secrets...
A fascinating online museum explores the digital artefacts that defined the internet’s early days. Explore...
Mood Booster
The black heron's unique fishing technique.
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