Good News Notes: “Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to evolve flight and include the largest flying animals in Earth history. While some of the last-surviving species were the size of airplanes, pterosaurs were long thought to be restricted to small body sizes — wingspans 1.6-1.8 m (5.2-5.9 feet) — from their Triassic origins through the Jurassic…
Category: discovery
Arnold Schwarzenegger Said Vegan Diet Lowered ‘Bad’ Cholesterol
Good News Notes: “The bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger said he’d been eating a mostly plant-based diet for the past five years and it significantly lowered his cholesterol. Schwarzenegger said in a recent edition of his email newsletter that about 80% of what he ate was vegan. He said he made an occasional exception for steak…
Engineered Bacteria Convert Captured Carbon Dioxide Into Valuable Chemicals for Fuels, Fabric, and Cosmetics
Good News Notes: “Engineered Bacteria Upcycle Carbon Waste Into Valuable Chemicals Bacteria are known for breaking down lactose to make yogurt and sugar to make beer. Now researchers led by
Tech travel hacks: Rig a DYI standing desk, bring your own TV with you
Good News Notes: “Following nearly two years of off-and-on again restrictions, lockdowns and fears of catching COVID-19, millions are back on the road again. Whether it’s jetting off on a business trip, flying with the fam for a beach getaway, or simply a road trip to visit family, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)…
World 1st: Hope for paralyzed as Israeli lab spinal cords restore mice mobility
Good News Notes: “Israeli scientists have made paralyzed mice walk by giving them spinal cord implants, and say they are less than three years away from doing the same for humans in clinical trials. The world-first experiment took place at Tel Aviv University, where a large team engineered spinal cord tissue from human cells, and…
Tree Canopy, new assessment shows increase in Louisville
Good News Notes: “Mayor Fischer and other community leaders announced the findings of the most recent Urban Tree Canopy Assessment for Louisville on Thursday at Medora Elementary School. The new study, commissioned by the nonprofit group TreesLouisville, shows Louisville experienced tree canopy gain while also combating canopy loss. Tree Canopy is basically the part of the…
Revolutionary new solar panels don’t need sunlight to generate energy
Good News Notes: “The idea of solar panels that don’t need sunlight might sound crazy, but it’s not completely impossible. As a cornerstone of the revolution to bring more clean energy to people, solar panels have become one of the best options out there. However, these energy conductors have one fatal flaw. They require direct sunlight to…
‘Most Wanted’ list leads to rediscovered species. Conservation group sets its sights on finding 8 more.
Good News Notes: “From Cuba to New Zealand, teams of scientists around the world are looking for rare species of animals, plants and fungi. How rare? They haven’t been seen by humans for at least 10 years — and in some cases, almost 200 years. This global effort is part of the Search for Lost Species,…
Rediscovered in a basement, his prewar opera heads to Germany
Good News Notes: “Later this month, Jan Agee will leave her Davis home, get on a plane, and fly 6,000 miles to Germany just to attend an opera. And she isn’t even an opera fan. But she is a fan of this one. “Grete Minde” is a three-act opera composed by her grandfather, Eugen Engel,…
New snail species are the world’s smallest, tinier than grains of sand
Good News Notes: “Scientists have discovered two new snail species the size of a grain of sand—the tiniest known land snails on Earth. “It’s amazing how small they are—we wouldn’t have expected that,” says Adrienne Jochum, a researcher with Natural History Museum Bern in Switzerland. The new record-holder’s diminutive nature is reflected in its scientific name, Angustopila…