Today's eclectic bundle of positive news nuggets.
You're Never Too Old
Joni Mitchell will make her Grammy Awards performance debut at this year's show on 4 February. The singer-songwriter, known for hits including Both Sides Now and Big Yellow Taxi, is nominated for best folk album. She has previously won nine Grammys and received a lifetime achievement award in 2002. The 80-year-old only recently returned to performing after suffering a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 2015. Last summer, the songwriter played her first headline show in more than 20 years after she re-learnt how to walk, talk and play guitar.
Growing Older
15,120 is the estimated number of centenarians living in England and Wales as of 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics. The total is a record high and has more than doubled from 6,920 in 2002.
Soda Taxes Work
A recent study published in the journal JAMA Health Forum provides solid evidence that soda levies are beneficial in reducing sugary drink consumption. The study examined five U.S. cities where sugar-sweetened drink costs increased by an average of 31 percent, and purchases decreased by an identical amount (33 percent). This association highlights the direct impact of pricing on consumer behaviour. This understanding of consumer behaviour may pave the path for more widespread implementation of soda levies at the state or national levels.
Oops, Wrong Language
An official UK government AI chatbot started speaking French during testing. Civil servants at the Government Digital Service admitted efforts to embed ChatGPT into the Gov.uk website has had some unexpected (and hilarious) teething problems. Alex Burghart, the minister for implementation, told an event at the Centre for Policy Studies earlier this month: “We got quite a long way with it… and it did some strange things. If you asked questions in a particular way at first it responded in French… which was unexpected.”
Silent Flight
Owls mastered the art of aerial stealth and are able to glide in near silence through the air. Aviation engineers have long sought to mimic their acoustic-dampening capacity in our own aircraft. Now researchers in Japan have uncovered the muffling secret of muffled flight, bringing science closer to silencing human flight. Using simulations, scientists found trailing edge fringe feathers scatter airflow disturbances through two complementary mechanisms that simultaneously boost lift and reduce noise. Now that the researchers know exactly how the TE fringes work, they can use biomimetics to develop low-noise fluid machinery.
How Does An Owl Fly So Silently? Using sensitive sound equipment the team try to find out how an owl can fly so silently compared to other birds. Watch video
Ancient Tartan
A textile manufacturer in Scotland has recreated the oldest-known piece of Scottish tartan ever found, which was buried for centuries. Discovered in a peat bog, the Glen Affric Tartan underwent testing by The Scottish Tartans Authority which confirmed it was the oldest surviving piece of tartan, dating back to between 1500-1600 CE. Although earlier cloths have been discovered in Scotland, this is the first to show a distinctive tartan pattern with multiple crossing lines of different dyed yarns. The House of Edgar has now recreated the Glen Affric tartan for people to wear. “I create new tartans every day but this project is truly special—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to recreate a piece of history,” said Emma Wilkinson, the designer for House of Edgar.
Is That Your Dog?
Dog owners in the Italian province of Bolzano are being asked to provide samples of their pets' DNA, as officials attempt to "tackle the scourge of dog mess on the streets", said Sky News. Results from the estimated 40,000 dogs in the region will be registered on a central database, so that "abandoned poop" can be traced back to dogs and their owners, who face fines of up to €500 ($545).
Colorado Plastics
After a year of the statewide fee on single-use plastic bags in Colorado, the Eco-Cycle recycling center estimates a reduction of roughly 1.5 billion plastic bags used in the state in 2023. The collected fees, which are divided between businesses and local governments, fund green initiatives, says Denver7.
"I'd like to give the money to something Donald Trump hates. If it'll cause him pain for me to give money to certain things, that's my intent."
E. Jean Carroll reveals how she plans to spend the $83 million won in her defamation lawsuit against the former US president.
On This Day
31 January 1977: The Pompidou Centre, a French national cultural centre named for former president Georges Pompidou, opened in Paris.
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Mood Booster
Baby goats having fun being cute baby goats.