Kick-starting the week with an eclectic collection of upbeat news stories.
Come Fly With Me
Sunita Williams, a NASA astronaut and commander aboard the International Space Station, poses with a Astrobee: a free-flying robot that has tentacle-like arms with adhesive pads. The picture was chosen as one of NASA's favourite images of the past year. You can see all f the space agency's Top 100 images by clicking here.
Where Are You Going?
Journalist Emma Beddington (and others) recommends talking to a stranger: "We’re reluctant to talk to strangers, assuming it will go badly and they won’t like us, but research shows we’re wrong. People like us more than we think and we enjoy interacting with them more than we expect, too. Forging a tiny moment of connection feels life-affirming: this week I’ve complimented a woman on her shopping bag and learned all about a charming dog in a yellow bandana. If you’re not convinced, listen to a five-minute snippet of Catherine Carr’s podcast Where Are You Going?, in which she asks strangers this question. The results are touching, strange and delightful."
Special Olympics
Turin, in northern Italy, will host the Special Olympics World Winter Games from 8 - 15 March. Known as the flagship event of the Special Olympics movement, the World Games - which alternate between summer and winter - is an international sporting event that celebrates “inclusion, acceptance, and unity” by highlighting the performance of athletes with intellectual disabilities who have overcome significant odds. “No other event in the world has the social and emotional impact of the Special Olympics World Games. For the athletes and their families, the experience opens doors to unimagined possibilities,” the website states, adding, “the Games inspire hope for and belief in a brighter future of global acceptance, understanding and unity.”
2025 Movie Forecast
Rotten Tomatoes has unfurled a list of the most anticipated movies hitting theaters in 2025, providing a truly tantalizing roster for cinephiles everywhere. From a historical drama to horrors, musicals to beloved children’s characters, there will most certainly be something for everyone. Jurassic Park, John Wick, The Smurfs, Predator and Avatar are but a few of the legendary franchises trotting out new installments. Renowned filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh, Barry Levinson, Bong Joon-ho, Danny Boyle, and James Cameron all have projects being released. Wicked: Part Two, Dirty Dancing 2, and a live action Snow White from Disney are also among the highlights. For a more comprehensive list of releases, check out Rotten Tomatoes’ breakdown here.
Think About Food
Why not start the year by focusing on what you eat? Agriculture accounts for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions so even small shifts - like cutting back on meat some days - can help. Eating local food that’s in season supports small farmers and reduces the carbon footprint of imported produce. It’s a win-win that will have an immediate and positive impact on your health and the pockets of small, organic farmers. Also think about how you store your fresh produce and consider where your scraps end up. If global food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Composting cuts methane emissions from landfills and turns waste into nutrient-rich soil.
Zero-Carbon Fertilizer: Wouldn't it be good news if every time you threw out your garden waste, you were helping fight global warming? That’s the capacity a new technology hopes to unleash across the world.
California Dreamin'
A new study published in the journal Renewable Energy uses data from the state of California to demonstrate that no blackouts occurred when wind-water-solar electricity supply exceeded 100 percent of demand on the state’s main grid for a record 98 of 116 days from late winter to early summer 2024 for an average (maximum) of 4.84 (10.1) hours per day. Compared to the same period in 2023, solar output in California is up 31 percent, wind power is up 8 percent, and batteries are up a staggering 105 percent. Batteries supplied up to 12 percent of nighttime demand by storing and redistributing excess solar energy.
"I must change my life so that I can live it, not wait for it." Susan Sontag
On This Day
6 January 1759: George Washington, the future first president of the United States, married Martha Dandridge in Virginia.
Today's Articles
Project of the Year: A remarkable feat of engineering has been nominated as 'best project' by American Engineering Review.
Mood Boosting Video
Hypothetical Ark: Sir David Attenborough's favourite butterfly.