Some tasty bite-sized chunks of upbeat news to brighten the day.
Congratulations to...
Maria Branyas Morera, the world's oldest living person, who turned 117 this week. Morera, who lives in a nursing home in Catalonia, Spain, has previously credited her longevity to "order, tranquillity, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity and staying away from toxic people". Last year, she agreed to help Spanish scientists see if they can discover the secrets of her longevity.
Bookpecker
Wondering what to read next? Try this great website with thousands of books summarized in five bullet points: Bookpecker
Peak Bloom
Every spring, Washington, D.C. becomes a pale-pink wonderland as thousands of cherry trees blossom around the Tidal Basin. But the exact timing of the annual bloom varies from year to year, which can make planning a trip to see the colourful flowers challenging. Now, the National Park Service has announced its best guess: Officials think this year’s peak bloom will occur between 23 - 26 March. If you can't make it to see the blooms in person, you can always take a peek on the Bloom Cam.
Slippery Bullet
The Aerohead II is definitely one of the strangest-looking bike helmets ever made. It should be right at home in the world of time trial racing, however, where aerodynamics are king and style just doesn't matter. Created via a partnership between American helmet manufacturer Giro and Team Visma/Lease a Bike, a Dutch bicycle racing team. The team plans on using the helmet - which is custom-made for each rider - throughout the upcoming season. Aerohead II is focused on maximizing aerodynamics while its time-trial-racing wearer is tucked down in the aero position. To that end, it features a long wedge-shaped "nose cone" along with a tapered tail section which flares out to sit flush with the rider's shoulders.
Monster Hit
American Lego artist Nathan Sawaya inspects his T-Rex sculpture as he brings his popular globetrotting Art of The Brick exhibition to the appropriately named Brick Lane in London's east end, featuring more than 100 works made up from a million pieces of the toy.
The Secret to Focus
Steve Jobs, at the Worldwide Developers Conference 1997, explains what he thinks is the secret to focus: "People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things we have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things."
EcoButt
Around Bratislava in Slovakia, containers specially designed for cigarette butts have been set up by the local council. Once full, their contents are being upcycled into asphalt roads, preventing tons of chemicals and plastic waste from entering the natural environment. The project not only promotes the development of more sustainable roads but also provides a solution to the difficult problem of managing cigarette waste and disposal.
Super-Fast Charging
Google-backed Gravity Mobility has opened the fastest EV charging solution in the United States to the public, as it looks to attract fleet customers. Major fleet operators will have access to 24 of Gravity's super-fast chargers in New York, where the devices can charge at a rate of 2,400 miles of range per hour or 200 miles in five minutes. The company has the capacity to manufacture and deploy thousands of chargers a year and more sites are already in development, apart from the first in Midtown Manhattan, it said.
“Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.” Chili Davis
On This Day
7 March 2010: American director Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Academy Award for best director, for The Hurt Locker.
Half a dozen little known facts about some nominees, ahead of the actual Oscar awards ceremony this weekend. Back story...
Mood Booster
Aerobatic Skills: Swallows drinking and bathing while flying.