Celebrating the end of the week with an upbeat bundle of global news snippets.
The Bikini Launches
During a fashion show at a popular Paris pool - today in 1946 - French designer and former engineer Louis Réard showcased a daring new bathing suit: the bikini. The swimwear, worn by showgirl Micheline Bernardini, was born in part from necessity, as the world was still experiencing a textile shortage due to World War II, but another timely factor may have played a part as well. “We’ve seen it after many wars,” says Kelly Killoren Bensimon, author of The Bikini Book. “In the safer time to follow, we get these celebrations of freedom and the human body.”
Ammonites Reconsidered
Contrary to previous thinking, ammonites were not in decline before their extinction, scientists have found. The marine mollusks with coiled shells, one of paleontology's great icons, flourished in Earth's oceans for more than 350 million years until they died out during the same chance event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Some paleontologists have argued that their demise was inevitable and that ammonite diversity was decreasing long before they went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous. However, new research, published in Nature Communications and led by paleontologists at England's University of Bristol, shows that their fate was not set in stone - until the vast meteor struck.
Conservation Success
After decades of absence, the Peruvian diving petrel has returned to the Chilean island of Pajaros Uno following a dedicated effort to eliminate invasive rats. Conservationists played audio recordings of bird calls, which enticed breeding pairs back to their former nesting grounds. The island is also a critical breeding ground for Peruvian boobies, kelp gulls, and the vulnerable Humboldt penguin.
Good Fire
Indigenous fire stewardship is gaining ground in Canada and California. Forestry companies and governments across Canada are starting to incorporate controlled burns, also known as 'good fire,' which have been used by Indigenous communities to maintain healthy forests and prevent the spread of wildfires. Other jurisdictions, like fire-prone California, have passed laws that remove liability for Native American tribes conducting controlled burns.
Magical Mowing Moment
Quentin Hines Jr. “really, really” loves mowing lawns, starting his own business at age 9. Fascinated by the mowers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the North Carolina sixth grader, now 11, always aspired to work there himself. Recently, airport officials made that dream a reality. “Just being able to experience all of this, now that I know how to do it, makes me very happy,” said Quentin. “One of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”
Llama Caddies
At North Carolina's Sherwood Golf Club, golfers can enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience that even the PGA Tour can't provide: llama caddies. Yes, you read that right! These expertly trained gentle and sturdy animals accompany golfers around the course, carrying clubs, reading putts, and offering advice for a great round. With each llama comfortably handling up to 23 pounds of golf clubs, players can focus on their game while enjoying the company of these unique and friendly caddies.
Alzheimer's Drug
The Food and Drug Administration yesterday greenlighted a new drug for adult patients with early or mild Alzheimer's, the third drug to be approved in the US for its ability to delay cognitive decline in patients. The drug from Eli Lilly - called donanemab and marketed under the brand name Kisunla - slowed cognitive decline in clinical trial patients by 35 percent compared to a placebo.
"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability." Sam Keen
On This Day
5 July 1954: Elvis Presley recorded That's All Right, which became his first hit and helped give rise to rock and roll music.
Today's Articles
Self-Driving Ride Share: New service with Rolls-Royce comfort, yet competes with human-driven Ubers on price.
High School Sweethearts: The pair first met on a school bus in the 1940s, and fell in love again 73 years later.
Mood Boosting Video
The Pantanal: It's the world’s largest tropical wetland and home to some of the largest animals in the world.
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