What better way to start the weekend than with some upbeat news nuggets?
Sage of Omaha
Legendary investor Warren Buffett is a firm believer in hiring the right people. He famously stated: "Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don't have the first, the other two will kill you. You think about it, it's true. If you hire somebody without [integrity], you really want them to be dumb and lazy."
Oldest Fossilised Trees
The world’s oldest fossilised trees, dating back 390 million years, have been found in the high sandstone cliffs along the Devon and Somerset coast, in south west England. The fossilised trees are the oldest ever found, roughly 4 million years older than the previous record holder, which was found in New York state. The fossilised trees, known as Calamophyton, would resemble palm trees if seen from a distance, but were a “prototype” of the kinds of tree we are familiar with today. Rather than solid wood, their trunks were thin and hollow in the centre and they stood between 2 and 4 metres tall. They also lacked leaves; their branches were instead covered in hundreds of twig-like structures. “This was a pretty weird forest - not like any forest you would see today,” said Prof Neil Davies, a geologist at the University of Cambridge.
Trees Thought Extinct For 2 Million Years Discovered: They were found in Australia 30 years ago and kept as a secret. Until now...
A gray whale extinct from the Atlantic for more than 200 years has been spotted off New England in an “incredibly rare event,” the New England Aquarium said. The whale was spotted 30 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, diving and resurfacing, and appearing to feed. Gray whales, which lack dorsal fins, have mottled grey and white skin, dorsal humps and pronounced ridges and are usually found in the North Pacific Ocean. The species had disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean by the 18th century, in part because of whaling, the aquarium said.
Bee Friendly
Delivering a gentle automated tap to the outside of a hive and recording the honeybees’ collective response can give an indication of the colony's health without having to look inside, new research has found. Bees need to be checked regularly for health and productivity. Beekeepers can inspect hives by opening them, but this invasive process risks harm to the colony, particularly the all-important queen. A new study led by researchers from Nottingham Trent University in the UK suggests they have a solution: gauging health by gently tapping the hive and listening for the bees’ collective response.
Flowers Can Hear Bees: A new study shows plants can ‘hear’ the humming of nearby pollinators and increase their sugar content in response.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s only restaurant has just been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The inimitable architect imagined the space as a gateway for guests visiting his home and studio at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. “In essence, Riverview Terrace Café is very much a space where history, architecture, and agriculture converges,” says Carrie Rodamaker of Taliesin Preservation. The Frank Lloyd Wright–designed restaurant “represents the enduring effect of Wright’s organic architecture and the interconnected systems that promote the building’s harmony with the land.”
Classic Combination
Iconic pop artist Andy Warhol famously painted a set of 32 portraits of Campbell’s soup cans, one for every flavor that was available in 1962 when he set up his canvases and got to work. When asked why he chose to commemorate something as simple as soup cans, he basically said he just painted what he knew. “I used to have the same lunch every day for twenty years, I guess,” he said. “The same thing over and over again.” These days, Campbell’s offers so many kinds of soup that Warhol might have second-guessed this idea before he even started. And Campbell’s has just announced a new, limited-edition soup that takes a classic comfort food combination and puts it into a single can: grilled cheese and tomato.
“The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.” Maureen Dowd
On This Day
9 March 1776: Adam Smith publishes the influential economics book The Wealth of Nations.
Kharkiv Opera and Ballet is shortly to reopen - underground. But everyone's excited. Bunker theatre...
New satellite has launched to name and shame methane polluters, and help fix the problem. MethaneSat...
Mood Booster
Modern Japanese street theatre, performed by Kazuho Monster.