Goodable

An elementary school's mascot turned out to be more than just a character. Sgt. Perry Chronister, concealed beneath the costume, delivered an emotional surprise to his son Eli on his first day of second grade. The heartwarming scene unfolded at DeWitt Elementary School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where staff orchestrated the touching reunion that marked the end of Sgt. Chronister's year-long overseas deployment.

An elementary school's mascot turned out to be more than just a character. Sgt. Perry Chronister, concealed beneath the costume, delivered an emotional surprise to his son Eli on his first day of second grade. The heartwarming scene unfolded at DeWitt Elementary School in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, where staff orchestrated the touching reunion that marked the end of Sgt. Chronister's year-long overseas deployment.An elementary school's mascot turned out to be more than just a character. Sgt. Perry Chronister, concealed beneath the costume, delivered an emotional surprise to his son Eli on his first day of second grade. The heartwarming scene unfolded at DeWitt Elementary School in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, where staff orchestrated the touching reunion that marked the end of Sgt. Chronister's year-long overseas deployment.

This Soldier Returned Home And Gave His Son an Incredible Surprise at School

Science Alert

Scientists reverse anxiety symptoms in mice by tweaking one gene in the brain

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in the world, affecting an estimated 360 million people. But scientists in Spain say they may have found a way to turn off its symptoms — by resetting a single gene in a specific group of brain cells.

In a study published in iScience, researchers from the Spanish National Research Council and Miguel Hernández University of Elche report that they were able to eliminate anxiety, depression, and social impairments in mice by adjusting one key molecule in the brain’s emotional center.

“This simple adjustment was enough to reverse anxiety-related and social deficit behaviors, which is remarkable,” said neuroscientist Álvaro García.

Targeting the brain’s emotional command center

The work focused on the amygdala, a region of the brain involved in decision-making, emotional responses, and memory — all of which are often affected by anxiety disorders. Scientists zeroed in on a gene called GRIK4, which influences how brain cells communicate by producing a protein called GluK4.

Mice that overproduced GluK4 showed classic signs of anxiety. They avoided open spaces, shied away from social interaction, displayed signs of depression, and had trouble remembering objects they’d previously seen.

But when researchers used gene editing to delete extra copies of the GRIK4 gene, the mice’s behavior changed dramatically. Anxiety symptoms disappeared. So did social difficulties. They were, essentially, restored to a normal state — at least in terms of behavior.

A single population of neurons

The study also pinpointed a specific type of neuron in the amygdala as the driver of those anxious behaviors. When researchers rebalanced activity in those neurons, it was enough to reset the animals’ emotional state, even in mice that hadn’t been genetically engineered.

“We already knew the amygdala was involved in anxiety and fear,” said neuroscientist Juan Lerma. “But now we’ve identified a specific population of neurons whose imbalanced activity alone is sufficient to trigger pathological behaviors.”

That finding matters, because it suggests that targeting just one small part of the brain — rather than using medications that affect the entire brain — might be enough to treat anxiety in a more precise and effective way.

What this means for humans

The study’s results are limited to mice, but they offer clues about how scientists might develop future treatments for humans. Mice are often used in neuroscience research because their brain circuits closely resemble those in humans.

If the findings translate, therapies that reduce GluK4 activity — or rebalance GRIK4 expression in the amygdala — could eventually be developed as targeted treatments for anxiety and depression.

The study also shows how anxiety may not be a diffuse or generalized brain disorder, but one that can stem from specific imbalances in specific neurons. That narrows the field for potential interventions and raises hopes for more refined treatments.

Still, not every effect was reversed. The treated mice still had trouble recognizing objects, suggesting that while the amygdala plays a major role in emotional symptoms, other brain regions affected by anxiety weren’t impacted by this gene adjustment.

Even so, the researchers are optimistic.

“Targeting these specific neural circuits could become an effective and more localized strategy to treat affective disorders,” said Lerma.

For millions living with anxiety, that strategy can’t come soon enough.

Researchers Reverse Anxiety in Mice by Rebalancing Neurons, Offering Hope for Future Human Treatments

BBC News

Two brothers from England are planning a marathon effort—literally—to fight a disease that may one day claim their own memories.

Jordan and Cian Adams, both of whom carry a gene for early-onset frontotemporal dementia (FTD), will run 32 marathons in 32 days across all 32 counties of Ireland starting next April. The goal: raise £1 million for dementia research and honour their mother, Geraldine, who died from FTD in 2016 at just 52.

And if 32 marathons weren't enough, the brothers will kick off the challenge with the London Marathon the day before flying to Ireland.

“We’re going to fly to Ireland that evening to start 32 marathons in consecutive days,” Jordan said.

The challenge holds deep personal meaning for the Adams brothers. Not only have they both inherited the gene linked to the rare brain condition, but they’ve also seen firsthand what it can do to a loved one.

"We want to take it back to the roots of all the devastation our family has experienced with dementia,” said Jordan. “It’s come from my mum’s side of the family and we want to honour our mum in that way.”

Their route across Ireland is also a nod to Geraldine’s Irish heritage—something she was deeply proud of, Jordan added.

Funds raised will support both their newly launched FTD Brothers Foundation and a dementia charity in Ireland. Their aim is not just financial, but educational. FTD is less well-known than Alzheimer’s, but often hits younger adults and progresses rapidly. The brothers hope their efforts will boost awareness as much as research.

Jordan was diagnosed in 2018, followed by Cian in 2023. Since then, they’ve turned personal grief into public purpose. So far, they’ve raised nearly £300,000, and were recently named winners in the Mind Over Miles category at the JustGiving Awards, beating four other finalists in a public vote.

“To be named a finalist at this year’s awards was amazing in itself—to be named a winner is out of this world,” Jordan said. “We have our sights set on raising £1 million in total and hope this award helps fuel us on this journey.”

The JustGiving Mind Over Miles award recognizes people who’ve gone the distance—literally and figuratively—for a cause that matters most to them. For the Adams brothers, that cause couldn’t be more personal.

Brothers Facing Dementia in Their 40s to Run 32 Marathons in 32 Days Across Ireland

A viral TikTok video that helped bring a beloved village pub back from the brink has earned a nomination for Video of the Year at the TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025.

The video, created by a group of locals known as Friends of The Elm Tree, played a key role in the successful campaign to reopen The Elm Tree Inn in Langton Herring, Dorset. The pub had closed its doors in November 2023, leaving the community without its central gathering place.

Inspired by Gen Z humor and language, the 50-second parody video titled “POV your Gen Z daughter writes the campaign script to save your village pub” quickly gained traction online. Written by 68-year-old Tim Warren’s daughter Sarah, the post featured lines about “getting lit on a Friday night” and being “salty” about the closure.

Within days, the video racked up millions of views and drew support from far beyond Dorset—including from viewers in Brazil, Singapore, Australia, and South Africa. More importantly, it sparked a wave of crowdfunding that helped raise the money needed to bring the pub back to life.

“It saved our pub basically,” Tim Warren told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, speaking alongside Sarah. “We couldn’t really believe it,” she added. “We were just so excited and so happy about it and so was everybody in the village.”

Locals had initially pledged £300,000 to try and buy the pub, but they needed to double that amount to cover the full cost of purchase and refurbishment. With the unexpected boost from TikTok, they hit their target. The community officially bought The Elm Tree in May, and by July it was open for business again.

The pub’s comeback is now being celebrated on an even bigger stage. Their video is one of 72 entries nominated across 12 categories at this year’s TikTok Awards, which showcases creators with a combined following of more than 83 million people.

As for the Friends of The Elm Tree, they’ve not just reopened a pub—they’ve shown how a small village, a big idea, and the right dose of internet humor can rally the world.

Viral TikTok Video Saves Village Pub, Earns Award Nomination

Talker News

A 61-year-old woman in England saved her friend’s life after spotting the signs of a heart attack—through a video call.

Shannon Jeffries and her golf partner Darren Oliver, 60, had planned a round at Bewdley Pines Golf Club in Worcestershire when Darren called to say he wasn’t feeling well. He was sitting in his car outside his home in Kidderminster when the video chat took a sudden turn.

“I knew immediately I saw his face on the screen that something was very wrong as he looked so gray,” Shannon told reporters. “He got the words out and then started stuttering and dropped the phone.”

Recognizing something was seriously wrong, she sprang into action. She called the golf club, who gave her Darren’s address. She raced to the scene and found him slumped over the steering wheel, unconscious but still breathing.

“I rang the ambulance straight away and the operator told me to drag him out of the car onto the floor and to clear his airways,” she said. “At the time, Darren weighed more than 20 stone and I couldn’t move him. He was still breathing, so I managed to push his seat back and tilt his head back.”

Thinking fast again, Shannon accessed Darren’s phone using facial recognition to contact his mother, knowing how close they were. She called her and told her to meet them at Worcester Royal Hospital.

During the ambulance ride, Darren suffered a cardiac arrest. Paramedics resuscitated him, but things got worse at the hospital. He went into cardiac arrest twice more.

“We were both shown into the relatives’ room and told that Darren had suffered another two cardiac arrests, and that we should go and say our goodbyes before they put him in an induced coma,” Shannon said. “To watch this lovely lady say goodbye to her son was awful.”

In a small but symbolic gesture, Shannon slipped a golf ball into his hand. “It sounds daft now, but I pulled a golf ball out of my bag and put it in his hand and told him to hang on. He was squeezing it.”

Doctors fitted two stents to clear Darren’s blocked arteries. He spent more than two weeks in the hospital, nine of those in intensive care.

That was back in February. Since then, Darren has lost eight stone (over 50 kilograms), is back on the golf course, and still carries the same golf ball in his bag.

“I’m so grateful to Shannon as it’s terrible to think what might have been if she hadn’t got to me,” he said. “I’ve still got Shannon’s golf ball. It’s a Titleist, so she’s not having it back. I carry it in my bag as a reminder always.”

The pair recently completed a 36-hole golf challenge to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, collecting more than $1,600 for heart health research.

Quick-Thinking Woman Saves Friend's Life After Spotting Heart Attack During Video Call

Black News

When the government shutdown halted food assistance programs for more than a million Georgians, 16-year-old Jaeleon Hawkins-Jones didn’t wait for someone else to take action. He stepped in.

The high school junior from Gwinnett County, Georgia, has been raising money and delivering food to families impacted by the suspended SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. So far, he’s helped feed dozens of households in his community.

“If leadership isn’t going to do it, we as citizens have to step up for each other,” he told 11Alive. “And I knew that if I wasn’t going to do it, who was?”

Hawkins-Jones started a GoFundMe and has raised over $3,400. He teamed up with the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op Ministry to put that money to work. Last week, they delivered 40 boxes of groceries to families who had suddenly found themselves without federal food assistance.

“I saw the smile on their face and I thought, ‘Wow, I’m actually doing something. I’m making a difference,’” he said.

The food insecurity crisis caused by the government shutdown has stretched local food banks thin. In Lawrenceville, the number of people seeking help from the Lawrenceville Co-Op jumped by about 25%, according to executive director Lisa Engberg. The center usually serves around 60 to 80 people on Fridays. Last week, they saw 100. A third of them had just lost access to SNAP.

The Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op, Hawkins-Jones’ partner in the food drive, is one of several nonprofits trying to meet the rising demand.

Hawkins-Jones says he doesn’t want his actions to be a one-time effort. He’s already planning another food drive with Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op next week and hopes more young people will get involved in helping their communities.

“If you see a problem in your community and you want to fix it, don’t think that you just have to sit back and wait for it to be fixed,” he said. “You can act now and you can do it.”

For those looking to help or in need of food support, tools like FoodFinder can connect users with local food banks and pantries across the country. Until federal aid resumes, volunteers like Hawkins-Jones are filling in the gap—one food box at a time.

Teen Raises Funds To Help Families Struggling Without SNAP Benefits During Shutdown

Gizmodo

Two engineers in California may have found a surprising new way to power buildings—by using the chill of deep space.

The experimental device, developed by researchers at the University of California, Davis, doesn’t require solar panels or batteries. Instead, it pulls energy from the temperature difference between the Earth’s surface and the cold of outer space. In their words, it works by “interacting radiatively with space.”

The engine itself is simple, based on a long-established model called a Stirling engine. Unlike conventional engines that rely on combustion or electricity, Stirling engines convert heat differences into mechanical motion. “They’re surprisingly efficient even when only small temperature differences exist,” said senior author Jeremy Munday, an electrical and computer engineer at UC Davis.

What’s new here is the source of that temperature gap.

One side of the device absorbs warmth from the Earth using a basic aluminum mount. The other side is painted with a special coating designed to radiate heat toward the sky—essentially “connecting” to the cold of space without physically touching it. This passive cooling technique lets the device shed heat by sending infrared radiation straight into the void.

“For us, we have the warm Earth that’s nearby, but the cold of space is very, very far,” Munday said in a video released by the university. “And the leap we’ve taken is that, well, even though these things are separated far away, we can radiatively couple them.”

Their prototype—about the size of a laptop—sat outdoors for over a year, operating entirely without active power input. At night, the temperature difference between its two sides routinely hit 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit). That was enough to generate around 400 milliwatts of mechanical power per square meter—just enough to run a fan or small electric motor.

The researchers then took their project one step further.

In a small greenhouse, they removed the Stirling engine’s flywheel and attached a custom fan blade. The idea was to see whether the engine could provide natural nighttime ventilation for indoor plants without electricity.

It worked. The fan provided enough airflow to cool the greenhouse and keep conditions stable.

“This could provide an entirely passive method of ensuring healthy breathing air in public places and promoting plant growth by regulating humidity and CO₂ levels in greenhouses and growhouses,” the team wrote in their paper, published November 12 in Science Advances.

While the current power output is small, the researchers say the concept could be scaled up. The eventual goal isn’t to send spacecraft into the stars, but to create self-sustaining, low-energy ventilation systems—particularly useful in remote or off-grid locations.

UC Davis has already filed a provisional patent for the design. For now, the idea of powering spaceships with dark matter might remain science fiction. But harvesting the cold of space to grow lettuce? That’s already happening.

Can This Revolutionary Engine Harnesses Energy From Deep Space Without Leaving Earth?

A minor league hockey team captured the heartwarming moment one of its fans caught a shirt shot out of a T-shirt cannon and immediately handed it to a younger fan during a home game.

Footage posted to TikTok by the Norfolk Admirals shows the team’s mascot, Salty the Dog, using a T-shirt cannon on the crowd at Norfolk Scope Arena during a breast cancer awareness night game on November 4. 

A spectator wearing pink is seen catching a rolled-up shirt and momentarily celebrating. He then walks a few rows down and hands it to a young boy, who raises it above his head and jumps excitedly.

“Pink shirt guy is our hero,” the Admirals wrote on TikTok.

A minor league hockey team captured the heartwarming moment one of its fans caught a shirt shot out of a T-shirt cannon and immediately handed it to a younger fan during a home game.Footage posted to TikTok by the Norfolk Admirals shows the team’s mascot, Salty the Dog, using a T-shirt cannon on the crowd at Norfolk Scope Arena during a breast cancer awareness night game on November 4. A spectator wearing pink is seen catching a rolled-up shirt and momentarily celebrating. He then walks a few rows down and hands it to a young boy, who raises it above his head and jumps excitedly.“Pink shirt guy is our hero,” the Admirals wrote on TikTok.

Fan's Generous Gesture Captures Hearts at This AHL Hockey Game

GoodGoodGood

Warning ⚠️ This story discusses human trafficking and may be difficult for some readers. But it also highlights courage, resilience, and the power of rebuilding — together.

In a quiet corner of Ghana, a group of young women is rewriting their futures — together.

At the Max Steinbeck Women’s Empowerment Center, 54 girls and their 12 children live, learn, and rebuild after surviving human trafficking. Many were forced into labor or sexual exploitation, a harsh reality that remains widespread in Ghana. But here, they’re charting a new course.

Founded in 2021 by the nonprofits Many Hopes and Challenging Heights, the center offers a two-year residential program where survivors can choose between beauty school, a fashion program, or a university prep track. And the results have been life-changing.

“Most of these girls come from situations of extreme poverty,” said Madeline Pahr, creative director at Many Hopes. “Learning a trade gives them a skill where they can earn a stable income after graduation.”

That stability can ripple outward. Graduates often become the highest earners in their families, breaking cycles of generational poverty. Many go on to launch their own businesses — helped along by donors who provide microloans and a curriculum that includes business training and financial literacy. For many, it’s their first time opening a bank account.

One student, whose name is withheld for privacy, shared how transformative the experience has been.

“When I got here I was alone. I thought my life was over. I was 13 and a mum. I don't even know how to be a mum. My mum was never around. I had no future,” she said. “But coming here I am not alone. We are raising our babies together. We are building futures together.”

That sense of community is essential. Not only do the girls train side by side, but they also support each other through motherhood. And that support may go even further than they realize.

“There is a high probability that those children will become the most educated in their families because their mom learned a trade,” Pahr explained.

Globally, an estimated 27.6 million people are victims of human trafficking at any given time, according to the latest figures from the International Labour Organization. Programs like this one are a direct challenge to those numbers — not just rescuing survivors, but equipping them with the tools to thrive.

It’s not just about hair and nails or fashion design. It’s about ownership. Dignity. Choice. And hope.

At the Max Steinbeck Center, young women who once had none of those things are now building lives — and businesses — with all three.

Rescued Girls in Ghana Are Now Entrepreneurs, Students and Cycle Breakers

A pair of Amur leopard cub sisters prepared to make their official public debut and come face-to-face with visitors at Brookfield Zoo Chicago on Friday, November 14.

The cubs had spent the previous weeks growing and bonding with their mother, Mina, behind the scenes.

This footage shows the sisters’ brief introduction to the enclosure on Thursday morning, which gave them a chance to acclimate ahead of their official move into the habitat the following day, a representative for the zoo told Storyful.

According to Brookfield animal care experts, Amur leopards are the world’s rarest big cat, and are agile, stealthy climbers, able to climb rocky ledges and trees to hunt prey and keep an eye on potential threats.

“The cubs are bold, curious and love to climb, already getting comfortable on the upper rocks in their new habitat,” Racquel Ardisana, associate director of carnivore care and conservation at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, said. “There are a lot of new sights, sounds and scents for them to take in. When one initially came to explore the habitat’s ground level, she hissed while pawing at the grass – a texture she’s seeing for the first time!”

The zoo said “fans won’t have to wait long” to find out the sisters’ names, which would be revealed on social media.

A pair of Amur leopard cub sisters prepared to make their official public debut and come face-to-face with visitors at Brookfield Zoo Chicago on Friday, November 14.The cubs had spent the previous weeks growing and bonding with their mother, Mina, behind the scenes.This footage shows the sisters’ brief introduction to the enclosure on Thursday morning, which gave them a chance to acclimate ahead of their official move into the habitat the following day, a representative for the zoo told Storyful.According to Brookfield animal care experts, Amur leopards are the world’s rarest big cat, and are agile, stealthy climbers, able to climb rocky ledges and trees to hunt prey and keep an eye on potential threats.“The cubs are bold, curious and love to climb, already getting comfortable on the upper rocks in their new habitat,” Racquel Ardisana, associate director of carnivore care and conservation at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, said. “There are a lot of new sights, sounds and scents for them to take in. When one initially came to explore the habitat’s ground level, she hissed while pawing at the grass – a texture she’s seeing for the first time!”The zoo said “fans won’t have to wait long” to find out the sisters’ names, which would be revealed on social media.

Adorable Amur Leopards Make Public Debut at Brookfield Zoo Chicago

The Cool Down

A rare seabird is making a big comeback on England’s coast — and conservationists are thrilled.

The little tern, one of the UK’s smallest and most threatened seabirds, has seen a record-breaking breeding season at the Beacon Lagoons nature reserve in Yorkshire. According to the BBC, the number of breeding pairs at the site soared from 59 last year to 105 in 2025 — the highest count since the 1970s.

The dramatic increase marks a major win for conservationists and local volunteers who have spent years protecting the fragile population.

“This year’s success gives us real hope that we can continue to grow the population and see little terns recolonise other beaches around the Humber where they haven’t nested for decades,” said Mike Pilsworth, conservation officer for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). He credited the growth to young adult birds returning to nest after maturing elsewhere.

Weighing about as much as a tennis ball, little terns migrate thousands of kilometres from Africa each spring to breed along the UK’s coasts. But over the years, their numbers have dwindled due to habitat loss, coastal erosion, human disturbance, and predation. They’ve all but vanished from some parts of England.

Groups like the RSPB and the Little Tern Project have been racing to reverse that decline. Climate change, they note, has only made things worse, with rising sea levels and stronger storms washing away nests.

That’s why this year’s rebound is especially encouraging. The turnaround is the result of painstaking, hands-on work by staff and community members who built barriers to protect nesting sites and monitored the beaches during breeding season.

“The local community here has helped us to protect these precious birds too,” one volunteer told the BBC. “Everyone is proud of what’s been achieved.”

With renewed momentum and a hopeful outlook, conservationists now have a blueprint for helping the little tern return to other sites where it hasn’t bred in decades. It’s a reminder of how local action — and a bit of patience — can bring a species back from the brink.

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