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Just Good News Thursday

Some tasty bite-sized chunks of upbeat news to help put a spring in your step.

Back in Abundance

Atlantic bluefin tuna up to 8ft long have been seen off the coast of Devon in south west England after successful conservation efforts brought thousands back to British waters. A school of around 50 tuna were photographed chasing mackerel and garfish, feet away from a kayaker. The fish, which can reach 10ft and live up to 40 years, drew watchers to the coast of Yorkshire in the 1930s and 40s, when they were abundant. But they had all but disappeared from British waters by the 1990s as a result of overfishing and changing climatic conditions in the Atlantic. So, locals are rejoicing that they are back in such healthy numbers.

This is Fun

Spell your name with NASA's satellite imagery.

Strange But True

A team who researched mammals that breathe through their buttocks were among the winners at this year's Ig Nobel Prize ceremony. The 34th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, described as a "tongue-in-cheek celebration of unusual scientific achievements" by UPI, was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The satirical ceremony has no affiliation to the Nobel Prizes.

Australia's Laughing Frog — The Laughing Frog | Credit: Jodi Rowley / Australian Museum

750 New Species

Move over, koalas and kangaroos! Australia, a “megadiverse” nation, officially recognized 750 new species of plants, animals, and other organisms. One of the standouts? The frog pictured. “I think everyone loves the laughing frog, which basically has a call that sounds more like a laugh rather than what you might associate traditionally with a frog - more of a croak or ribbit,” Melbourne-based wildlife ecologist Euan Ritchie told NPR. The seemingly massive number of new additions represents just a sliver of the continent’s wildlife tapestry - Ritchie said up to 70 percent of the native species are likely yet to be described.

Giant Fossil: Ancient kangaroo species found - but not in Australia.

Ambulance in Colombia being chased by a dog — Devoted dog chases the ambulance

Man's Best Friend

In a delightful display of devotion, a loyal dog in Colombia made headlines after chasing an ambulance to be with his ailing owner. The incident occurred as the dog's owner fell ill and required urgent medical attention. As paramedics transported the man from Villa de Leyva to Tunja, the dog refused to be left behind. He escaped from the house and chased after the ambulance until, eventually, the paramedics spotted him and stopped. The let the loving dog into the vehicle and it went with them to the hospital.

US Climate Mayors

As a part of the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, nearly 350 Climate Mayors announced a commitment to electrify at least 50 percent of municipal fleets by 2030 while increasing electric vehicle (EV) chargers by at least five-fold, with at least 40 percent of the charging infrastructure benefitting disadvantaged communities. This collective effort is a pivotal move to meet the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal to make half of all new vehicle sales electric by 2030, reports CleanTechnica.

Extreme H

The Pioneer 25 marks a momentous step in the world of motorsports as it passed the mandatory FIA crash tests. Developed solely for Extreme H, the world’s first hydrogen-powered motorsport, the car has a top speed of 124 mph. FIA’s crash test regulations were centered around side-impact and rollover safety. The Pioneer 25 will undergo additional track testing after the conclusion of these crash tests. Extreme H is the hydrogen-based zero-emissions version of the electric off-road motorsport, Extreme E.

"Gratitude turns what we have into enough." Aesop

On This Day

19 September 1783: The Montgolfier brothers sent aloft a balloon with a rooster, a duck, and a sheep aboard - it floated for about 8 minutes and landed safely about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the launch site. In November that year, also in Paris, the first manned untethered flight took place.