Photo courtesy A Sign in Space

Father-Daughter Duo Won The Race To Decode An Extraterrestrial Message Sent From Mars To Test Humanity

by Andy Corbley, Good News Network

These white dots arranged in five clusters against a black background simulate an extraterrestrial signal transmitted from Mars and deciphered by a father-daughter team on Earth after a year-long decoding effort. The project was organized by some of the world’s top astronomers to run the scenario of a citizen science response in the event of a real interstellar communication. There’s no telling what form such a communication would take, but Ken and Keli Chaffin, demonstrated that there are enough brilliant and interpretive minds out there to tackle it. In truth, the whole exercise was an art project called A Sign in Space.

‘You’re Doing Such A Good Job’: A Stranger Tells A Mom Just What She Needs To Hear

by Laura Kwerel, NPR

In 2015, Emma Carlson Berne had just had her third child. She loved her role as a mother, but she often felt consumed by it, like her life would never return to normal. One day, when her baby was about three months old, she decided that her whole family — her husband, her two young boys and her new baby boy — should get out of the house and go to a restaurant. They tumbled out of the car, ready with a diaper bag, books for the kids to read, a seat for the baby and bags of snacks. As soon as they stepped onto the curb, her baby was ready to nurse again, and Berne knew she had to get inside.

Gophers Brought Mount St. Helens Back to Life in a Single Day–Following Devastating Eruption

by Andy Corbley, Good News Network

When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, lava incinerated anything living for miles around. As an experiment, scientists dropped gophers onto parts of the scorched mountain for only 24 hours. The benefits from that single day were undeniable—and still visible 40 years later. Once the blistering blast of ash and debris cooled, scientists theorized that gophers might be able to help regenerate lost plant and animal life on the mountain by digging up beneficial bacteria and fungi. Two years after the eruption, they tested this theory, and were proved right. “They’re often considered pests, but we thought they would take old soil, move it to the surface, and that would be where recovery would occur,” said UC Riverside microbiologist Michael Allen.

San Francisco Sees 54% Drop In Overdose Deaths In Lowest Count Since 2020

by Dani Anguiano, The Guardian

San Francisco saw a 54% drop in overdose deaths in October 2024, compared with the same month a year earlier – the lowest monthly count since the city began publishing the figures in 2020, officials announced this week. Last month, 32 people died of accidental overdoses in the city; there were 70 deaths in October 2023, according to a report of preliminary data from the city’s office of the chief medical examiner. Overdose deaths have declined in recent months and are down more than 20% in the span between January and October this year, compared with the same period last year.

Thousands Of Circular Homes Are Surviving Hurricanes Across The US Thanks To North Carolina Company

by Andy Corbley, Good News Network

When Hurricane Milton recently smashed into Florida’s Crystal River, a peculiar house stood firm even while a neighbor’s was heavily damaged by the powerful winds. Owned by Gene Tener, it is one of 3,000 along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the US built by Deltec Homes, which use prefabricated parts to build hurricane-resistant homes. Utilizing basic principles of aerodynamics, Deltec’s homes are cylindrical and sit on stilts that reach deep into the bedrock below. Coupled with a conical roof, it means there is no surface where the wind can gain enough purchase to push the structure down.

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