Some tasty bite-sized chunks of upbeat news to get the day off to a positive start.
Husband Loses Bet
"I did my first Ironman at 61 – after my husband bet I couldn’t beat him," says Carmen Francesch when she embarked on her first Ironman challenge in 2022, travelling from her home in England to Barcelona, Spain, where she swam 2.4 miles before cycling a further 112 miles – followed by a marathon. Although she swore “never again”, a year later she was competing in the Ironman world championship in Hawaii. Now 63, Francesch says that Ironman competitions are central to her life. “You need a goal to work towards, and this is mine,” she says. “I only have one day off a week, otherwise I’m always out cycling, running and swimming. It’s amazing to know my body can move like this at my age and I want to show other women that they can do it too.”
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is wiped out in a third of patients who stick to NHS England’s ‘soup and shake’ diet, according to a review of the treatment published in the Lancet. Some 25,000 patients have been offered the Path to Remission programme since it piloted in 2020, and 10,000 more are expected to benefit this year. NHS England is now mooting an expansion after research revealed its life-changing benefits. The initiative is a joint effort with the charity Diabetes UK and involves an 800-calorie-a-day diet of soups, milkshakes and snack bars, which triggers rapid weight loss.
Temple Recycling
Stretching more than 230 miles, the Chao Phraya River is the largest waterway flowing through central Thailand. Home to tigerfish, catfish and more, the river is also the source of 4,000 tonnes of plastic waste entering the Gulf of Thailand every year. Phra Mahapranom Dhammalangkaro, the abbot of the Wat Chak Daeng temple which overlooks the river, had already sought to fight back against this pollution by building a recycling centre in his temple’s grounds. Now, with the addition of the solar-powered Hippo boat, created in conjunction with the Seven Clean Seas organisation, they will aim to drastically reduce this pollution – turning collected plastics into fabric for monk’s robes, bags and blankets, as well as oil and fertiliser.
Happy 10th Birthday to Mr Trash Wheel: Since its installation in 2014, Baltimore’s Mr. Trash Wheel (and his more recently introduced family members) have collected 2,362 tons of trash from the city’s harbor, including 940,000 plastic bags, 1.8 million plastic bottles and 1.3 million foam containers.
Insecticide Ban
Environmental activists have won a lawsuit preventing the US federal government from spraying insecticide on millions of acres in 17 western states to kill native grasshoppers and crickets. 'This approach will reshape grasshopper management for the better, and contribute to the well-being of pollinators, birds, fish and other wildlife across millions of acres of western rangeland,' reports the Center for Biological Diversity.
Powered Bandages
Newly developed battery-powered electric bandages could help wounds heal more quickly. Wounds treated with electric bandages healed 30 percent faster than wounds treated with conventional bandages, researchers reported in the journal Science Advances. “Our goal here was to develop a far less expensive technology that accelerates healing in patients with chronic wounds,” said researcher Amay Bandodkar, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University. “We also wanted to make sure that the technology is easy enough for people to use at home, rather than something that patients can only receive in clinical settings.”
"The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." Ida B. Wells-Barnett
On This Day
13 August 2008: American super-swimmer Michael Phelps wins 3 gold medals, all in world record time, in the one day at the Beijing Olympics; 200m I/M (1:54.23), 200m butterfly (1.52.03) and 4 x 200m freestyle relay (6:58.56)
Today's Articles
End of Solar Panels? Scientists at Oxford have developed a new approach which could generate solar power without the need for solar panels.
Mood Boosting Video
Best Bits: From fireworks and acrobatics to Tom Cruise and Billie Eilish, watch the best moments of the Olympics closing ceremony.
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