Ensuring March gets off to a sunny start with today's global round up of positive news nuggets.
C-3PO
Star Wars fans wishing they could have a bumbling droid companion of their own can now purchase the next best thing: an original prop helmet worn by C-3PO. Anthony Daniels, the actor who played the robot in the Star Wars franchise, is selling the costume helmet he wore during Return of the Jedi (1983) at a Propstore auction in March. It’s expected to fetch between $500,000 and $1 million. The robot is a highlight of Daniels’ larger collection. “I realized I had these items, and they’re not unloved, but they are unlooked at - we don’t have them crowding the sitting room,” says Daniels.
Long Term Food Security
A frozen Arctic vault built to preserve global agricultural crops from extinction has received seeds from the largest number of new contributors yet, a custodian of the remote facility said. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, set in permafrost caves on an island halfway between mainland Europe and the North Pole, was launched in 2008 as the ultimate backup for the world’s gene banks to protect plants from war, disease and climate change. First-time depositors included seeds from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria and Zambia. “Preserving genetic diversity in this Arctic fastness ensures the adaptability and resilience in our crops, guaranteeing food security for generations to come,” Crop Trust Executive Director Stefan Schmitz said.
25 Percent
The percentage of lawmakers in the US’ 118th Congress who identify as black, Hispanic, Asian American, American Indian, Alaska Native, or multiracial, up from about 15 percent in 2009. Just over 40 percent of the American population identifies as non-white.
Child Care Impact
In a suburb of Tokyo, pro-childcare policies have resulted in an increasing birth rate, unlike in the rest of the country. Additional daycare centres, and transport to and from them, have made the difference. The success of these child-friendly policies are now being replicated elsewhere in Japan to reverse declining birth rates. The 758,631 babies born in Japan in 2023 were a 5.1 percent decline from the previous year, according to the Health and Welfare Ministry. It was the lowest number of births since Japan started compiling the statistics in 1899.
Lucky Buy
A Harry Potter book bought for 13p (16 cents) at a second-hand book shop in 1997 has achieved a five-figure sum at auction. The lucky buyer of the scarce Uncorrected Proof Copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone described it as ‘a massive piece of well-timed luck’ and reaped dividends at Hansons Auctioneers this week when it sold for £11,000 (just under $14,000). Hansons’ expert said: “This proof copy is where the Harry Potter phenomenon began. This is the very first appearance in print of the first Potter novel. The title page mistakenly states the author’s name as as ‘J A Rowling’ instead of ‘J K Rowling and, on the other side, ‘Joanne Rowling’. The author’s signing tours, the midnight queues outside bookshops, the movies, the merchandise - it all stems from this."
Gun Shot Fish
A tiny, transparent fish makes a sound as loud as a jackhammer, scientists in Berlin have discovered. They decided to investigate after hearing mysterious clicking noises coming from the fish tanks in their lab and discovered that the fish, Danionella cerebrum, drums out a powerful rhythm on an organ called a swim bladder. In the waters close to the fish, scientists found it hit 140 decibels, which is as loud as a gunshot. They believe the 12mm long species is the loudest fish for its size yet found and that the drumming may be a form of social communication.
Twins on Opposite Sides
Twin sisters studying for PhDs at Oxford and Cambridge are set to face off in the 2024 Boat Race rowing for opposing universities. Catherine and Gemma King, 24, have competed side-by-side since they began rowing at the age of 12 but this year will be different. “We are both very competitive and we obviously want to win, but at the end of the day the Boat Race is so much more than who wins or who loses,” says Gemma. “No matter what happens, I’m going to be really proud to be racing for Cambridge and proud of Catherine for racing for Oxford – but obviously we’d like to win." The race is on 30 March.
“If you can be in a bad mood for no reason, you might as well be in a good mood for no reason.” Alex Hormozi
On This Day
1 March 1872: Yellowstone National Park, situated in the western United States and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978, was established by the U.S. Congress as the country's - and the world's - first national park.
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Mood Booster
You've never seen an owl do this.