It’s been another ‘uncertain’ week, so if you can’t face the serious stuff at the moment, then we have the remedy. Here’s this week’s happy hump day news, which will hopefully (most likely) bring a smile or two to your face…
Fields of Gold
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The Instagram account @humansofny, which uploads photographs and stories about people in New York City, shared a post about Liz Santiago: a woman whose stepfather Domingo, an ex policeman and budding artist, died of multiple sclerosis. Domingo had painted a portrait of Sting, and his dying wish was that it be gifted to the musician himself. Sting’s daughter Mickey Sumner became aware of the story on Instagram, and helped to deliver the picture to her dad, fulfilling Domingo’s dying wish.
Flying Start
The largest all-electric plane in the world has successfully completed a 30-minute flight, during which it produced no carbon emissions, paving the way for a cleaner aviation industry. Manufactured by a company called magniX, the plane was kitted out for nine passengers – the company hopes that the carrier could be used commercially by the end of next year.
Colours of the World
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Crayola has released a selection of crayons that represent skin tones from all over the world. The company actually teamed up with a beauty brand, MOB Beauty, in order to make sure that the shades were all accurate and inclusive of all complexions. The pack is currently only available in the US, but we hope that the children of the UK can start drawing more multicultural pictures very soon!
Visionary Science
A bionic eye is being developed by robotics engineers that could not only restore eyesight, but go beyond what the human eye can do. The silicon eyeball is fitted with intricate technology that mimics the functions of the retina, and liquid metal wires (like nerves) that connect to technology, which can process images. The EC-EYE could be available in just five years, and could even allow humans to see in the dark.
Unicorn of the Sea
The narwhal is often called the ‘unicorn of the sea’, not only because of its single tusk, but also because of the myths that surround it. For the first time scientists have managed to record the sounds that the creature makes, using underwater microphones connected to small boats. There is little research about the narwhal because the species is particularly shy around humans and tends to reside deep in the ocean.
Plant Plastic
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Drinks giants Coca-Cola and Carlsberg are both already on board with a new plant-based plastic, which can biodegrade within a year in compost bins. The revolutionary bottle is made up of a cardboard outer later and a plaster inner layer made of plant materials. The vessel is 100% recyclable, which gives hope for sustainable packaging – especially considering the largest companies are hoping to convert all of their products to the material.
Ride On
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A 15-year-old girl in India rode a bicycle carrying her injured father 750 miles to their home village. After Mohan Paswan was badly injured and lost his job there was no other option for the father and daughter but to make the journey home by bicycle. After seven days, the pair made it, and now ‘Jyoti the lionhearted’ has been contacted by the chairman of the Cycling Federation of India, who has asked her to try out for the national team.
Golden Eggs
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The stork eggs that we wrote about in April have hatched, much to the delight of the conservationists at Knepp Estate. They are the first white stork chicks to hatch in hundreds of years!
And finally…
As if 2020 couldn’t get any weirder. Here’s an ingenious (and hilarious) idea formulated by priests who wanted to bless parishioners while conforming to social distancing…
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