Celebrating the start of the weekend with an eclectic bundle of upbeat news nuggets.
Golden Possibility
Phase 2 clinical trials using orally administered gold nanocrystals to treat multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease have produced promising results, restoring metabolites linked to crucial energy activity in the brain that are depleted in these neurodegenerative conditions. “We are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to prevent or even reverse some neurological disabilities with this strategy,” said Peter Sguigna, one of the study’s co-authors and lead on the MS trial.
Four Key Foods: Scientists have found correlations between certain diets and decreased likelihood of neurocognitive decline. Read on...
“Woah, what's that?”
Neither scooter nor motorcycle, this new electric bike sits somewhere in between. It's aimed squarely at the Gen Z crowd in their early to late 20's who want to move up from scooters or ebikes to something with a bit more oomph. At £7,450 ($7,599) for the base model of this unique looking BMW CE 02, it isn’t exactly a steal. But this snazzy 125cc futuristic bike is definitely a head turner.
Today's a Special Day
It's Random Acts of Kindness Day! The event dates back to 1995 when it was created by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation - and now it's celebrated all over the world in different ways. The premise is simple. It's an annual opportunity to dive deep into kindness and compassion and exercise our kindness instincts in new ways. What will you do?
Good Week For Rod
Rod Stewart has agreed to sell the rights to his song catalogue to Iconic Artists Group in a deal worth almost $100m, reports the Wall Street Journal. Stewart’s catalogue includes ten number-one albums across six consecutive decades of hit records, including his work with the Faces and the Jeff Beck Group.
Good News on Malaria
Lots of positive news on malaria this week. Cameroon and Burkina Faso have begun their rollouts of the RTS vaccine (nearly 10,000 children have already been vaccinated), Benin just took delivery of 215,900 doses, Cambodia has announced that it's on track for malaria elimination by 2025, and another trial of the R21 vaccine in four African countries has shown that it's safe and extremely effective.
Budding Talent
A Yorkshire florist has won internet fame by creating quirky and original arrangements. Vicki Mitchell said no design had so far left her stumped, having created floral stock cubes, cigarette packets, video game controllers and more. Vicki, who has been a florist for 26 years, said she was proud to help people at their saddest and happiest. "We need to offer something you can't get in the supermarket or online," she told the BBC. "This is what keeps floristry moving forward."
Humpback Recovery
According to a new study, humpback whale numbers in Cumberland Bay of the island of South Georgia, in the South Atlantic Ocean, have nearly recovered to pre-whaling levels, last seen in 1904. “Whales, particularly humpbacks, are capable of amazing feats of recovery,” says study co-author Emma Carroll, a molecular ecologist who studies whales at New Zealand’s University of Auckland. “I think it’s just an amazing example of how conservation can work.”
Throng of Thongs
Skimpily clad protesters demanding "G-string freedom" have been marching in support of a Free the Peach movement on Australia's Gold Coast, said Surfer.com. A "throng of thongs" showed up on beaches last week after an "anti-G-string activist", local businessman Ian Grace, asked his local mayor to ban revealing swimwear. The jury's still out!
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” Albert Einstein
On This Day
17 February 1897: The National Congress of Parents and Teachers, better known as the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), was founded in Washington, D.C., as the National Congress of Mothers.
Here's a handful of random and remarkable fun facts to set you up for the weekend. Discover...
World's coral reefs now fully mapped - for scientists and policymakers to better understand and manage. Coral Atlas...
A baker's dozen of funny quotations from the movies to give you a chuckle. Ha ha...
Mood Booster
What winter looks like in Yellowstone National Park, particularly for bison.
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