Some bite-sized chunks of upbeat news to brighten the day.
NASA+
NASA is officially entering the streaming wars. NASA has announced its first on-demand streaming service that will broadcast live footage of future launches as well as documentaries and series programming. While not quite ready yet, the service, called NASA+, will be ad-free and accessible to everyone without a subscription. The launch comes with a revamp of NASA’s flagship and science websites as well as an upgrade to the NASA app.
Soundtrack Record
Not content with just breaking box office records, the soundtrack for the new Barbie movie has taken over the UK singles charts by breaking previous records, the Official Charts Company has said. Barbie: The Album, which accompanies the Greta Gerwig-directed comedy has become the first film soundtrack to land three top five songs at the same time. Barbie hauled in $93m in its second weekend at US box office, one of the best second weekends ever; the film's total international box office is now at $744m.
Bear Necessities
A zoo in China has insisted its bears are real rather than humans in disguise, after footage of one animal standing like a person created a whirlwind of online speculation. Responding to a viral video of a bear on its hind legs, Hangzhou Zoo said people “don’t understand” the species. A zoo employee said visits were being arranged for reporters to see the bears and verify their authenticity. Another zoo in China was once accused of painting donkeys to make them look like zebras.
Bears Dancing in the Forest: As winter turns to spring and the bears stop hibernating, they need to shed their winter coats the only way they know how. Watch...
Golden State
California is now at the point where almost one in every four new vehicles sold in the state is full battery electric, a pretty monumental milestone for the first half of the year. Add in conventional hybrids, and one in three new vehicles is now electric or hybrid. Two years ago, it was one in five, reports CNCDA.
The Kindness Currency
In Carlisle, northern England, there is a unique boutique that operates on a kindness-based model to support local charities called The Kinder Shop. Instead of traditional prices, all the goods in the shop are labeled with the number of volunteer hours they are worth at nearby charities. Various charities and community groups participated in the initiative, and the response from the public was overwhelming, with 1,143 hours pledged to help local charities in just one day. The Kinder Shop has successfully connected people with volunteer opportunities and encouraged them to contribute to their community in meaningful ways. It has also inspired other businesses and communities to adopt similar kindness-based initiatives, further spreading the concept across the UK. Pop-ups in other towns have opened, raising hours for local charities, and more events are planned for the future.
Inertia to Progress
A new analysis from Global Energy Monitor, a San Francisco-based think tank, found that 43 percent of planned steelmaking capacity globally is now slated to use electric-arc furnaces, which use electricity to generate heat, up from 33 percent last year. 'Steel has moved from inertia to progress.'
“I have a simple philosophy: Fill what is empty. Empty what is full. Scratch where it itches.” Alice Roosevelt Longworth
On this Day
3 August 1778: The opera house La Scala opened in Milan with a performance of Antonio Salieri's Europa riconosciuta.
Described as a virtuoso, he has performed all over the world, but born without arms he plays the instrument with his left foot. Remarkable...
Long, Healthy Life: Longevity expert Dr. Mark Hyman swears by these five foods to age well, live longer, and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Tuck in...
Mood Booster
Flash Mob in the Copenhagen metro, playing Grieg's Peer Gynt.