A New Study Reveals How a Shingles Vaccine Could Protect Against Dementia

A new study from Stanford University suggests that getting vaccinated against shingles might do more than just prevent a painful rash—it could also lower the risk of developing dementia. Published in Nature, the research found that older adults who received the shingles vaccine were 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over a seven-year period. The study took advantage of a natural experiment in Wales, UK, where a shingles vaccination program began in September 2013. Researchers compared dementia rates among those eligible for the vaccine—people born on or after September 2, 1933—with those who were not. The clear age cutoff allowed scientists to track health outcomes similar to a randomized trial. "For the first time, we now have evidence that likely shows a cause-and-effect relationship between shingles vaccination and dementia prevention," said Pascal Geldsetzer, senior researcher and assistant professor at Stanford. While previous studies hinted at this connection, they faced challenges due to differences in health behaviors among vaccinated individuals. This latest research sidesteps many of these issues by focusing on well-documented electronic health records from Wales and England. Geldsetzer emphasized the need for further trials: "If the shingles vaccine really prevents or delays dementia, then this would be a hugely important finding for clinical medicine." As scientists continue their investigations, one thing remains clear: getting vaccinated against shingles is already beneficial for older adults—and it might just help keep their minds sharp, too.

Read More

These Windows Can Secretly Generate Solar Power Without Blocking Your View

A new solar technology from Nanjing University could change the way we think about windows and energy. The research team has developed a transparent, colorless solar concentrator that can be directly applied to standard window glass. This device uses cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) multilayers to guide sunlight toward the edges of the window, where photovoltaic cells are placed. Here's why this is exciting: traditional solar concentrators often distort visuals or have low efficiency. This new concentrator keeps things clear while achieving broadband polarization-selective diffraction and waveguiding. In simpler terms, it lets light in without making your windows look different. According to the study published in PhotoniX, it maintains an average visible transmittance of 64.2 percent and a color rendering index of 91.3. Dr. Dewei Zhang, co-first author of the study, explains how they did it: "By engineering the structure of cholesteric liquid crystal films, we create a system that selectively diffracts circularly polarized light, guiding it into the glass waveguide at steep angles." This technique captures up to 38.1 percent of incident green light energy at the edge. In practical terms, a small prototype with a diameter of just 2.5 centimeters managed to power a 10-milliwatt fan using sunlight alone. If you scale this up to a typical 2-meter-wide CUSC window, it could concentrate sunlight by fifty times. This innovation means fewer photovoltaic cells are needed—up to 75 percent less—which can lead to cost savings. The manufacturing process is also designed for scalability. The multilayered CLC films are created through photoalignment and polymerization techniques and can be produced using roll-to-roll manufacturing methods. These films remain stable even with long-term exposure and can be applied to existing windows. Professor Wei Hu highlights the broader implications: "The CUSC design is a step forward in integrating solar technology into the built environment without sacrificing aesthetics." It offers a practical solution for carbon reduction and boosts energy self-sufficiency. Looking ahead, the team plans to improve efficiency and polarization control further while exploring applications in agricultural greenhouses and transparent solar displays. Their goal is straightforward: transform passive glass surfaces into active energy generators worldwide. With this innovation, turning everyday windows into sources of clean energy might soon become as simple as applying a new coat of paint, or in this case, film, to your existing panes.

Read More

Boston Transforms Empty Offices Into Affordable Homes For Over 1,000 Residents

Boston is turning empty downtown offices into much-needed homes — and the first new residents have officially moved in. Mayor Michelle Wu’s Office-to-Residential Conversion Program, launched in 2023, is already showing results just two years in. The initiative offers generous tax breaks — up to 75% for 29 years — to building owners who convert underused office buildings into housing. The catch? Projects must meet strict energy efficiency and affordability requirements, making sure new homes are both sustainable and accessible. Now, the first families are settling into their newly converted apartments. “This morning, we celebrated a huge milestone and welcomed the inaugural tenants of 281 Franklin Street — the first building to go through the City’s Office to Residential Conversion Program — to their new homes,” Wu shared in a Facebook post earlier this month. That building alone will eventually house over 140 new units. So far, 15 are complete, with 126 under construction. Across the city, the pipeline is even bigger: nearly 825 units are in the works, and 683 more are on the way. It’s part of a broader strategy to tackle Boston’s housing crunch while breathing life back into a downtown still adjusting to post-pandemic shifts. With office vacancies hovering around 20% — and projected to reach 30% — the city is betting big on housing to reimagine the future of its urban core. In total, Boston has received 15 applications to convert 20 office buildings, unlocking 600,000 square feet of space and potentially housing 1,500 new residents downtown by 2026. The city’s goal is to reach one million square feet. Applications are open until December, so those numbers could grow even further. “Boston is building the foundation for a stronger, more vibrant downtown through our dedication to housing, public safety, and economic growth,” Wu said in a press release over the summer. The program has already made a dent in revitalizing foot traffic. According to the mayor’s office, downtown vacancies have nearly been cut in half. Businesses are seeing more customers. Developers are seeing new opportunity. “It’s a great key to unlock the potential in this building because it’s been empty for a long time,” said Mark Callahan, who’s heading up one of the approved projects. His development will add 45 rental units — seven of them income-restricted — while keeping retail space on the ground floor. The Franklin Street building, now home to Boston’s newest tenants, has also preserved a post office at street level — a nod to the mixed-use vision the city is aiming for. Michael J. Nichols, president of the Downtown Boston Alliance, sees the shift as critical to building an “18-hour neighborhood” — one that doesn’t go quiet after the 9-to-5 crowd leaves. “Adding residences near downtown offers improved local foot traffic to support downtown restaurants and retailers,” he said. “This program is making a meaningful difference in providing workers and families with new opportunities to live in the heart of our city.” Affordability remains a key focus. Of the units currently approved, 142 will be income-restricted. The city has also expanded the program to include housing for students and middle-income workers, addressing the needs of residents squeezed out by Boston’s rising costs. Developers, business leaders, and community groups have largely welcomed the change. But it’s the new residents who may be the biggest indicator of success. “It allows you access to live in places where you couldn’t before,” said Ernestine Tiongson, who just moved into one of the converted downtown apartments with her husband, George. “The downtown area is a super cool place; a lot of our favorite restaurants and cafes and bars are here. So we’re just happy to be in the thick of it and be close to everything that we love.” Mayor Wu greeted the couple at their new home with a houseplant. “Every new home matters,” she said. “Every new family moving into Boston and getting involved in our community makes a huge difference.” With the city still accepting proposals and more conversions under construction, Boston’s once-empty office spaces may soon be home to thousands of new residents — and a very different kind of downtown.

Read More

Meet The Adorable Highland Cattle Taking TikTok By Storm

A quiet nature reserve near Norwich has found itself at the center of a viral stampede — all thanks to a herd of photogenic Highland cows. Taverham Mill, run by Anglian Water, typically attracts a few hundred visitors a year. But after videos of its flame-haired cattle started making the rounds on TikTok, the site has seen thousands of fans pouring in to catch a glimpse of the now-famous herd. “It’s gone a bit crazy, we’ve never seen numbers like it,” said reserve manager Harry Waye-Barker. “People have always had a close connection to the cows, but I’ve never seen anything like the past couple of weeks — it was bonkers.” Some visitors have travelled remarkable distances just to meet the cows. Waye-Barker recalled a group who drove all the way from Devon after seeing the animals online. “I was shocked. I said, ‘You must have come past thousands of Highland cattle, but you’re here now, enjoy yourselves.’” The viral fame has created a summer unlike any the reserve has ever experienced. Bank Holiday Monday alone saw thousands of people descend on the site. Local schools and community members chipped in by offering car parking, and even Waye-Barker’s own family helped manage the crowd and keep an eye on the cattle. The herd of seven females has grazed at the reserve for more than a decade, playing an important role in conservation by chomping on the water meadows. But their sudden rise to stardom started interfering with their day job. “We went through 100 bags [of treats] in the first hour one day,” said Waye-Barker. The reserve had been selling sugar beet-based snacks for visitors to feed the cows, but the popularity proved overwhelming — not just for staff, but for the cows themselves. The treats have now been temporarily banned to help the herd return to a healthier, grass-based diet. While the exact reason for the cows’ sudden TikTok fame remains a mystery, videos showing people having close — and pun-filled — “en-cow-nters” with the fluffy, ginger-haired animals have racked up hundreds of thousands of views. The reserve is now trying to balance the unexpected attention with the well-being of its animals. But Waye-Barker says the experience has been a positive one overall. “It’s been a real team effort,” he said. “We’ve pulled through, and now we’re getting back to a bit of normality — but it’s been lovely to open up to new visitors and people who haven’t seen them before.” For now, the cows are back to grazing in peace — viral royalty in need of a break from the spotlight.

Read More

These Ukrainian Refugees are Running a Marathon to Thank British Heroes Who Helped Them Settle

A group of Ukrainian women are lacing up their running shoes for this year’s Great North Run — not just for the challenge, but to say thank you. The women, all refugees who fled the war in Ukraine, now live in Sunderland and are running to raise awareness of the ongoing conflict in their homeland and to support The Salvation Army, the charity that helped them settle in the UK. Maryna Rahulina, one of the runners, fled Kyiv in 2022 with her two young children. “The Salvation Army helped me and my kids to stay in safety and to be not alone,” she said. “People opened their hearts to us and now I want to do the same.” Since arriving in the UK, she and hundreds of others have found a second home at the Monkwearmouth branch of The Salvation Army. The charity has supported refugee families with everything from job advice and English classes to helping children enrol in school. Regular coffee mornings and Sunday services have also given the community a place to connect, reflect, and rebuild. “When we arrived from Ukraine we were so devastated, we were lost,” said Tetiana Nikobenko, who attends the charity’s services with her husband and two sons. “We've got so much support from The Salvation Army and we want to pay back a bit.” For many, running the half marathon is about more than raising money. It’s a symbol of survival, gratitude, and resilience. Marharyta Marchenko is back for her second year in the race. “For us, this is more than just a sporting event,” she said. “For our community, it's a chance to honour every kind-hearted soul who stood by us through difficult times. Each runner carries a story of loss, courage and dreams.” “We represent the Ukrainian community of Sunderland, who are strong, brave and resilient,” she added, “and The Salvation Army Monkwearmouth, who are true heroes of everyday kindness, helping people through the toughest of times.” The group hopes their efforts will shine a light on the continued hardship faced by people in Ukraine — and on the support that helped them find hope far from home.

Read More

Harlem Hellfighters Finally Receive Honor with Congressional Gold Medal

More than 100 years after their bravery on the frontlines of World War I, the Harlem Hellfighters have been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal — the highest civilian honor bestowed by the United States Congress. The recognition comes decades after the all-Black 369th Infantry Regiment of the New York National Guard served with distinction in France, despite being largely ignored, segregated, and sidelined by their own military leadership back home. "It's never too late to do the right thing," said Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., during the official ceremony on Capitol Hill Wednesday. “Today we honor the legacy of your fathers, your grandfathers and your great-grandfathers who served our nation under extreme circumstances and despite intense discrimination. We are all better for their service.” Suozzi introduced the bill to honor the regiment back in 2021. It was only this week, however, that the medal was officially presented — marking a long-overdue moment of national acknowledgement. The medal will be placed in the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed and made available for research. Debra Willett, whose grandfather Sgt. Leander Willett served in the unit, accepted the award on behalf of the soldiers. “I know that my grandfather and the other brave men that fought alongside him never thought that their courage and their exploits would be celebrated in such a revered setting,” she said. “They sacrificed, and they thought they were making a difference. And today proves that they did.” The Harlem Hellfighters fought in the trenches for 191 straight days — longer than any other American regiment during World War I. While the U.S. military kept them segregated, it was the French who recognized their capabilities and welcomed them to the front lines. The men of the 369th fought with such ferocity that captured German soldiers gave them a nickname: the “Hellfighters.” "They are devils," one Prussian officer reportedly said. "They smile while they kill and they won't be taken alive." But before they ever reached the battlefield, they had to survive the racism of the segregated military system. Historian Chad Williams of Boston University said the regiment endured “harrowing experiences” during their U.S.-based training. In Spartanburg, South Carolina, they were nearly caught in a race riot, prompting the military to relocate them to New Jersey. Even there, tensions remained high. “The reason they were shipped to France when they were was because the United States Army wanted to get them off of American soil as quickly as possible to avoid any potential racial catastrophes,” Williams told NPR. While white American soldiers refused to fight alongside them, the French had no such qualms. The Hellfighters were folded into French units, equipped with French helmets and rifles, and sent into some of the war’s toughest combat zones. They were also among the first Allied units to reach the Rhine River during the final stretch of the war. Originally known as the “Black Rattlers,” their battlefield reputation would soon redefine them in the eyes of allies and enemies alike. Still, for decades after the war, their contributions were barely acknowledged in U.S. military history. Many returned home to continued discrimination and few honors. That silence is only now beginning to be corrected. Speaking at the ceremony, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., acknowledged the injustice. “We know that generations of African-American soldiers have answered that call to fight for freedom, whether on battlefields at home or abroad,” he said. “Their nation asked them to fight, and they did again and again, even while being denied the full measure of those freedoms here on American soil.” The timing of the recognition hasn’t gone unnoticed. It comes as the Trump administration continues its efforts to reshape how American history is presented in federal institutions. In a letter sent last month to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III, the White House said it was reviewing museum content to “ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.” Williams said the gesture of honoring the Hellfighters is both inspiring and politically complicated. “On the one hand, it's long overdue recognition, but it is certainly ironic, considering the times that we're in,” he said. “It speaks to the very complicated and oftentimes very hypocritical ways in which this country has chosen to address its racial history.” Still, for the families and descendants of the men who fought so fiercely in a war that was not theirs to begin with — and for a country that did not yet grant them full rights — the moment carries weight. “It was a very inspiring, very patriotic, very well-deserved recognition of the historical significance and sacrifices of the 369th,” Williams said. “On the other hand, it was a very cynical display of selective racial memory.” For the Harlem Hellfighters, recognition may have taken a century. But their legacy, now cast in bronze, is no longer invisible.

Read More

They Fell in Love at a Drive-In—Now They Run the Oldest One in the World.

In a story that feels tailor-made for a movie, a Pennsylvania couple has gone from first date to film projectors, preserving a piece of American history while building a life together. Lauren McChesney and Matt McClanahan are now the owners of Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre, the oldest continuously operating drive-in movie theater in the world. It first opened in 1934, just one year after the first-ever drive-in debuted in Camden, New Jersey. Their story started with a ticket. In 2018, McChesney handed one to McClanahan at a drive-in he managed — and unwittingly kicked off what would become a romance, a business partnership, and a shared mission to keep drive-in movie culture alive. They started dating in 2019, got engaged this August, and along the way, took a leap few couples dare: buying a century-old theater with everything they had. “This was an undertaking that was leaps and bounds bigger than anything I’d ever done in my life, in terms of investment, monthly expenses, and debt,” said McClanahan. “It still feels surreal when I think about it.” The pair bought Shankweiler’s in 2022 with pooled savings and a $1 million loan, jumping into a business that has largely faded from the American landscape. Drive-ins peaked in popularity in the 1950s with more than 4,000 theaters across the U.S., according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association. But by 2024, just 283 remained. McClanahan, 35, grew up going to Shankweiler’s and later managed another drive-in. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he even launched a mobile movie business. McChesney, 41, was new to the format — she hadn’t been to a drive-in before 2018 — but left a steady job in healthcare to help run the business full-time. Their dream originally involved building a brand-new drive-in. But that changed during a road trip across the U.S., where they visited both active and abandoned outdoor theaters. When they found out that Shankweiler’s, practically in their own backyard, might be sold to developers, everything clicked. “Why are we spending so much time trying to build one when there’s one literally down the road from our house that’s for sale and is like the most important drive-in?” McClanahan said. The theater has a long legacy. Opened on April 15, 1934 by Wilson Shankweiler, a hotelier and film enthusiast, it was Pennsylvania’s first drive-in and only the second in the country. Today, McChesney and McClanahan are its fourth owners. Their stewardship has turned the theater into a destination. Shankweiler’s now hosts themed screenings, including a popular Valentine’s Day showing of The Notebook, and welcomes big studio releases like Wicked. It operates daily during the summer and on weekends the rest of the year. Admission is $13 for adults and $9 for children. “It’s wonderful to have an old-school, an old venue like this still going,” said Ken Querio, 52, of nearby Kutztown. He’s been coming to Shankweiler’s since he was a teenager and made a point to thank the couple before a recent showing of Jaws. For McChesney and McClanahan, it’s not just about nostalgia. It’s about creating something that still feels magical — where people can gather under the stars, listen to the movie through their car speakers, and maybe, like them, start a new chapter. “We knew we’d eventually get married,” McChesney said, “but we kept doing other things instead, like starting businesses and buying movie theaters.” Now, with their engagement official and the business thriving, it looks like they’ve got the perfect double feature: one eye on the past, the other on their future.

Read More

Here's the Top Good News You Missed This Week!

Every day, the team at Goodable give you the world's happiest stories that show how the world is stepping up in creative ways. From new approaches to mental health care to renewable energy breakthroughs, here are some of the uplifting headlines making news this week. Portland is expanding its first responder program dedicated to mental health crises. Since 2021, the Portland Street Response has handled nearly 40,000 calls, with demand rising 19 percent in the past year. The team, made up of unarmed responders trained to support people with mental health or substance use challenges, will add 14 staff and be stationed across the city for faster response times. Denver has run a similar initiative since 2020, and both cities report improved outcomes when crises are handled by professionals who are not police. In Pakistan, solar energy is booming. Imports of solar panels tripled in 2024 to nearly $2.1 billion, making the country one of the fastest adopters of renewable energy worldwide. Communities are pooling money to install panels on shared spaces such as mosques, cutting dependence on an unreliable grid and high-cost electricity. With China producing solar panels in huge quantities, Pakistan’s uptake is expected to keep growing this year. A regional conservation project is taking shape in Central America, where Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico are joining forces to establish what will become the second-largest nature reserve in the Americas. In Vermont, a statewide ban on plastic bags appears to be paying off. Four years after the 2020 law came into effect, researchers at the University of Vermont found bag usage had dropped by 91 percent. Paper bag use ticked up slightly, but most residents switched to reusable options. Researchers noted the success came largely from grassroots pressure on lawmakers to pass the ban. On the fundraising front, YouTube stars MrBeast and Mark Rober rallied creators worldwide for #TeamWater, a campaign that raised more than $41.5 million for WaterAid. Contributions will fund clean water projects reaching an estimated 2 million people. “This will have ripple effects for decades to come,” said WaterAid’s CEO, highlighting how access to safe water transforms education, healthcare, and livelihoods. Affordable housing also made headlines this week. A new poll found 63 percent of Americans view affordable housing positively, with most willing to see new developments in their own neighborhoods. In Madison, Wisconsin, St. John’s Lutheran Church is going a step further. The nearly 170-year-old congregation will demolish its current worship space to make way for a 10-storey complex with more than 100 units of affordable housing, a community center, and a new chapel. City officials say it will be the first project of its kind in nearly two decades. Conservation efforts are reshaping livelihoods in Cabo Verde. Residents who once poached endangered sea turtles are now employed as rangers to patrol and protect nesting beaches. The shift has contributed to a dramatic drop in illegal harvesting, with catches of female turtles on one island falling from over 1,200 in 2007 to just 20 in 2024. Other stories worth noting: • A study found the global suicide rate has fallen by nearly 30 percent since 1990. • Illinois is keeping a dedicated 988 lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth even as the national version closes. • A Chicago café, Sip of Hope, continues to give 100 percent of its profits to mental health outreach. • The Conservation Fund bought and protected North America’s largest blackwater swamp, safeguarding the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. • South Australia secured enough federal funding to become the first grid in the world powered entirely by wind and solar. • In Colorado, 3D-printed homes designed to resist wildfires were built in just 16 days. • Egypt won its first Homeless World Cup, while Uganda took the women’s title.

Read More

Mahjong Nights Are Becoming the Hottest Trend in San Francisco Bars

What started as a few friends gathering around a mahjong table in a San Francisco apartment has grown into one of the city’s most in-demand social scenes — thanks to 25-year-old Ryan Lee. Lee, a Chinese American management consultant and business school student, first learned to play mahjong just two years ago. He got hooked quickly. He dug up his parents’ old sets and began inviting friends over to play. Then he took things up a notch. Today, Lee runs the Youth Luck Leisure (YLL) Mahjong Club, a fast-growing community that hosts bimonthly pop-up events in bars, restaurants, and nightclubs across San Francisco. Some nights draw up to 200 people and 30 tables of players, with live DJs, themed cocktails, and a mix of seasoned players and total beginners. “A lot of people are just really intrigued even though they don’t really know how to play,” Lee said. “There’s a cultural component they’re trying to connect with. It’s kind of like a cultural nostalgia.” That nostalgia — mixed with a desire to unplug and socialize — is part of a larger trend. According to ticketing platform Eventbrite, mahjong events in the U.S. jumped 179% from 2023 to 2024. Gen Z, in particular, is embracing old-school activities like needlework, baking, and now mahjong, as part of the so-called “grannycore” movement. Mahjong, a game of strategy, tiles, and sharp memory, was invented in 19th century China and typically played with four players. The objective is to form a winning hand with four sets of three and one pair. But its appeal goes far beyond the rules. “It’s a really tactile game, and it’s really a social game. It really easily builds community among people,” said Nicole Wong, a writer and audio producer based in Oakland. Wong learned to play during childhood visits to her grandparents in New Zealand, and now shares her passion through The Mahjong Project, an oral history initiative and instructional guide. She also authored Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora, which explores the game's global variations and cultural significance. “For the Asian American community, I think there’s interest in connecting to your heritage and your culture in a way that was not the case when I was growing up,” Wong said. That sense of reconnection is something Lee has tapped into, especially among young Asian Americans who may not have grown up playing mahjong but are curious to learn. Each YLL event includes teaching assistants to help newcomers get started. “We welcome people who have no experience at mahjong at all,” said Joyce Yam, YLL Mahjong Club’s sponsorship manager. “And they love it so much that they keep coming back.” The pop-ups have a festive, clubby atmosphere — a far cry from the quiet games some may associate with older generations. Lee sees that as the point. “It’s not just an interest to learn how to play mahjong,” he said. “It’s to find a third space or another community to do things with.” The club has now hosted nearly 20 events in San Francisco since launching last year, and Lee’s sister has started a similar series in Los Angeles. Expansion to other cities is in the works. Along the way, it’s helped connect people like Ethan Vuong, a Florida native who moved to San Francisco and wanted a way to meet new people while reconnecting with his Chinese heritage. “It’s not just a skill or mechanics-based game,” Vuong said. “It’s an expression of your personality. I just keep playing because I have this goal that I’m going to beat my grandma one day.” From late-night bars to Chinatown pop-ups, Lee’s mahjong nights are reviving an age-old game in a distinctly modern way — one that’s social, inclusive, and deeply rooted in culture. And if the long waiting lists are any sign, he’s just getting started.

Read More

Meet The Inspirational Cyclists Defying Stage 4 Cancer In Sir Chris Hoy's Tour de 4

Mel Erwin doesn’t consider herself sporty. She’s 57, lives with stage 4 lung cancer, and has one and a half lungs. But this weekend, she’ll be cycling up Scotland’s steep Campsie Hills in a sparkly cape, roaring—literally—her way through the climbs. “It really helps on the steeper inclines,” she said, laughing. “I wouldn’t have done it without a goal.” That goal is the Tour de 4, a new charity cycling event founded by six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy, who revealed last year that he has stage 4 prostate cancer. With a prognosis of just two to four years, Hoy has shifted his focus to redefining what it means to live—and live well—with incurable cancer. “This is not about being the fastest,” Hoy told participants ahead of the ride. “It’s about preparation, about showing up, riding your way, and being part of something bigger than all of us.” Erwin, who’s been living with her diagnosis for five years, was deeply moved by Hoy’s public honesty. “It’s rare that people speak out about having stage 4 cancer. The shame, the confusion—it’s not something we speak about,” she said. Tour de 4 is designed with that in mind: to confront stigma and isolation, and to show the wider public that life doesn’t stop at a terminal diagnosis. The event is highly inclusive, offering different levels of participation based on physical ability. That ranges from a one-minute ride on a static bike inside the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, to three progressively tougher outdoor cycling routes. For Erwin, the training has been transformative. “It’s really isolating having cancer—stage 4 cancer in particular,” she said. “There’s something about keeping the wheels turning, the fact that my muscles, thighs, heart, lungs, everything is working in synchronicity.” ‘I want my girls to see I didn’t give up’ Among the 3,000 riders joining her is Christine Lote, a 41-year-old mother from Bristol, who was diagnosed with stage 4 bone cancer on her eldest daughter’s third birthday last year. In the middle of what she described as a “whirlwind of overwhelm and heartbreak,” she read Hoy’s memoir, All That Matters, and found a lifeline. His writing on how to navigate a diagnosis as a family struck a nerve. “I want to set that role model for them—to be positive, and that you can still achieve things,” Lote said. Her daughters, Sophie and Chloe, are now four and two. After her right leg was amputated below the knee, Lote had to relearn how to ride a bike with a prosthetic. She trained along the Bristol and Bath railway path. “It’s been such a focus this year,” she said. “Obviously, I can’t completely forget about the cancer when I’m out there cycling, but I’m not thinking too much about the ‘scan-xiety’ and other stuff. I’m thinking about the cycling.” Her jersey will carry the names of people in her cancer support community who wanted to join but couldn’t. Some are too ill. Some are gone. Living well, while you can Sir Chris Hoy has described the event as a way to "shine a spotlight on what a stage 4 cancer diagnosis can look like and demonstrate that it is possible to live well and lead a happy life alongside this devastating diagnosis." That attitude resonates with everyone involved. “This is a celebration,” Erwin said. “But it’s also painful. On the day, there will be tears because we’ve lost people along the way, and one day people will lose us.” She and Lote both know that not everyone with stage 4 cancer is able to train for a ride like this. That’s why the event is built around accessibility and community, not competition. As much as the sequins and capes inject joy into the ride, the message is serious: people living with terminal cancer are not just surviving—they’re participating, showing up, and redefining what it means to live with illness. “It’s about being part of a community,” Erwin said. “You do what you can, while you can.”

Read More

An Anonymous $1 Million Donation Propels Florida Wildlife Rewilding Project Toward Success

A rewilding project in western Florida just got a big financial boost thanks to an anonymous donation. The Sarasota Audubon Society and Big Waters Land Trust received a whopping $1 million gift, according to the Herald-Tribune. This donation significantly advances their goal of transforming the Quad Parcels, a 13-hectare land tract owned by Sarasota County, into a thriving habitat for local wildlife. Situated near Interstate 75, this area acts as a buffer for the Celery Fields. The Celery Fields are not only important for stormwater management but also serve as a recreational area and home to over 250 bird species. Since its acquisition by Sarasota County in 1995, various housing developments have been proposed for this site, but they've consistently been shot down by local activists passionate about preserving the space. The whole project requires more than $5 million to see it through. Thanks to this generous donation, they're now more than halfway there. Work kicked off earlier this year on the southeastern part of the site, and with these new funds, they expect substantial progress by 2025. Christine P. Johnson, president of Big Waters Land Trust, expressed her gratitude in a press release. "We are so very thankful to this anonymous donor for their generous philanthropy," she stated. This sentiment captures how community-driven conservation can be when it receives both financial backing and volunteer effort. Jeanne Dubi from the Sarasota Audubon Society highlighted the project's dual benefits for wildlife and people alike. "On the southeastern parcel, we are creating woodlands to increase habitat diversity which will attract more and different birds as well as other species," Dubi explained. She emphasized that these efforts offer new opportunities for birding and wildlife viewing in the area. With over half of the funding now secured, this project is making significant strides toward completion on schedule.

Read More