Uplifting global collection of good news nuggets.
Scotland's Forests
1,000 years ago, 20 percent of Scotland’s land was covered by forest, but by the mid-18th century, that number dropped to just 4 percent. About that time, the trend reversed, as the country moved from deforestation to reforestation efforts, and forests began to grow back. After growing for two centuries, forest cover is almost back to where it was 1,000 years ago. While countries who have seen similar dips in deforestation as Scotland haven’t made such an incredible recovery, they follow a similar trend - with forest cover dipping before starting to recover, likely thanks to regulations and conservation efforts to bring tree cover back to a healthy level.
The Smile Secret
A grin could help you win your dream job. A serious or neutral expression is considered more professional, but smiling makes you seem confident, co-operative and friendly – and marks you out from the crowd. The authors of a new study (presented at the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science) created fake LinkedIn profiles for prospective employees. Then study participants graded the imaginary applicants for employability on a scale of one to seven. The smilers scored an average of 5.11; the neutrals only got 4.99. “First impressions are very important,” said the study’s leader, Sabrina Chan, “and research shows people have stronger memories for happy faces.”
Smile - Even if You Don't Feel Like it. Smiling when you don’t feel like it is a powerful way to change your psychological outlook on the world, says new scientific research. Read on...
Generous Cleveland
The best tippers in the U.S. are in Cleveland. The Ohio city was revealed to have the country's top tippers in the fourth-quarter 2022 restaurants trends report released by Toast, a digital platform for restaurants. Toast compared 12 markets in the United States and found Cleveland to be No. 1 in tip percentages (averaging 20.6 percent) at full-service restaurants and quick-service restaurants for both in-person and takeout orders.
Claudius Sphinx
Archaeologists have unearthed a Sphinx-like statue and the remains of a shrine in an ancient temple in southern Egypt. The artifacts were found in the temple of Dendera in Qena Province, 280 miles (450 km) south of the capital of Cairo, the Antiquities Ministry said in a statement. Archaeologists believe the statue's smiling features may belong to the Roman emperor Claudius, who extended Rome's rule into North Africa between 41 and 54 A.D.
Hydrogen Flight
A fledgling energy company looking to develop true zero-emissions aircraft just took a massive leap forward with the first-ever regional passenger flight powered by hydrogen. The first flight of Connect Airlines' 40-seat aircraft was conducted under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate - part of a two-year flight test campaign expected to culminate in 2025 with entry into passenger service of ATR 72 regional aircraft converted to run on hydrogen. With the aviation industry accounting for about 3 percent of global emissions, it's good to see this decarbonisation making solid progress.
"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"
George W. Bush
On this Day
8 March 1817: The New York Stock Exchange was formally created.
It's one of the most popular health mantras of the past decade, but some say we should actually be asking: how many steps is too few? Read on...
World's top court to weigh in on what governments are legally obligated to do to mitigate climate change and protect people from its impacts. Read on...
Terayacht Floating City: A truly vast - wave and solar powered - vessel designed to accommodate 60,000 guests. Read on...
Mood Booster
Kitten is a qualified mother duck as kitten and ducklings have a snooze together.