Global collection of short upbeat news stories to get the day off to a sunny start.
First Time in America
In 1874, a group of rebellious painters - including Monet, Cézanne and Degas - exhibited their work in Paris. They would become known as the Impressionists, painting scenes from everyday life using bright colours and visible brushstrokes. Now, an exhibition marking the 150th anniversary of that historic show has landed in Washington, D.C. Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment reunites many of the paintings first featured in the 1874 exhibition - including Monet’s Impression, Sunrise, which has never before been shown in the United States. “If there’s one painting that is the absolute icon of this moment and show, it’s Claude Monet’s Impression, Sunrise,” says Kimberly Jones, curator of 19th-century French painting at the National Gallery of Art. “It’s the painting that gave the movement its name.”
Winston Churchill: Exhibition of his paintings online and at a gallery in California until December.
Spot NASA's Solar Sail
A couple of weeks ago, NASA successfully unfurled the solar sail on a spacecraft - designed to test the propulsive power of sunlight for future interstellar travel. “Now that its reflective sail has deployed fully open in orbit, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System can be seen in the night sky from many locations across the world!” says NASA. In fact, the ACS3’s reflective surface can at times even appear as bright as Sirius, the brightest in the night sky. Want to spot it hurtling through space? NASA has just added that capability to the NASA app.
Bon Appétit
Bon Appétit has released its annual list of the best new restaurants in the U.S. Here are the Top 20.
Public Health Win
Public health officials (and likely parents) are celebrating a recent survey indicating that teens are finally vaping less. Under 6 percent of middle and high schoolers self-reported that they vaped this year, down from 7.7 percent in 2023 and the lowest level in a decade. “This is a monumental public health win,” Brian King, the tobacco director for the Food and Drug Administration, told reporters of the results from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey.
Will Swifties Swing It?
Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president moments after the end of Tuesday night's presidential debate against Donald Trump. The pop star made her announcement in a post signed as 'Childless Cat Lady' - a reference to comments by Trump's running mate JD Vance. Swift has 283 million followers on Instagram. Her endorsement received more than 4.5 million likes on Instagram within three hours of posting it.
Say Cheese
Is there such a thing as too much cheese? Producers across the US are betting billions of dollars that the answer is no, reports Bloomberg. America’s per capita cheese consumption has more than doubled since the government began keeping track in 1975, to an average of about 42 pounds a year - more than all the butter, ice cream and yogurt combined.
'Motionless' Turbines
Could ‘motionless’ turbines solve wind energy’s noise and wildlife problems? The UK’s first “motionless” wind energy system has been installed on a roof in Oxford. The technology is described as a ‘breakthrough scalable renewable energy solution’ that could be coming to other European roofs soon. Motionless wind energy designs, like this one from US company Aeromine Technologies, have the advantage of being quieter and somewhat safer for birds. The unit comprises vertical airfoils that create a vacuum effect, drawing wind behind an internal propeller to generate electricity. “Our “motionless” wind energy technology is designed to work seamlessly alongside solar systems, maximising the renewable energy output from rooftops while helping address challenges like noise, vibrations, and wildlife impact,” explains Claus Lønborg, CEO at Aeromine.
“Your first ritual that you do during the day is the highest leveraged ritual, by far, because it has the effect of setting your mind, and setting the context, for the rest of your day.” Eben Pagan
On This Day
12 September 1953: U.S. senator and future president John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier in Newport, Rhode Island.
Today's Articles
God's Dogs: Two labradors are now official staff members at England's 900 year old Tewkesbury Abbey.
'World First': Oxford sells its powerful tandem solar panels - producing 20% more energy than standard silicon panels - to America.
Sneaky Trick: Ever wondered why lemons are often sold in those yellow net bags? And oranges in red ones? It's called the confetti illusion.
Mood Boosting Video
Uplifting Poem: When I am Among The Trees, by Mary Oliver.