Goodable

Blueberries may be even better for your gut health than previously thought, according to a new study. Researchers found that older adults who consumed about 1 1/2 cups of blueberries daily experienced significant health benefits.

The study, published in the journal Nutrients, involved participants over the age of 60 who were overweight or had obesity. They were divided into two groups: one consumed blueberry powder equivalent to 1 1/2 cups of blueberries each day, while the other received a placebo. Both groups also followed an exercise routine.

After 12 weeks, those in the blueberry group showed lower cholesterol levels and beneficial changes in blood markers related to heart health. Additionally, they had higher levels of gut bacteria that aid in digesting antioxidants.

"The polyphenols in blueberries can positively influence the gut microbiome," said Lauren Manaker, M.S., RDN, LD, CLEC. "This is crucial for overall health."

The study also noted an increase in specific gut bacteria among those consuming blueberry powder—bacteria known to help break down and absorb beneficial compounds from blueberries.

While the findings are promising, researchers caution that the small sample size limits broader applicability. The study was funded by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

For those looking to support heart and gut health, incorporating blueberries into daily meals is a simple step with potential benefits. Whether added to smoothies or enjoyed as a snack, these berries offer an accessible way to enhance well-being without drastic lifestyle changes.

<div>Blueberries may be even better for your gut health than previously thought, according to a new study. Researchers found that older adults who consumed about 1 1/2 cups of blueberries daily experienced significant health benefits.</div><div><br></div><div>The study, published in the journal Nutrients, involved participants over the age of 60 who were overweight or had obesity. They were divided into two groups: one consumed blueberry powder equivalent to 1 1/2 cups of blueberries each day, while the other received a placebo. Both groups also followed an exercise routine.</div><div><br></div><div>After 12 weeks, those in the blueberry group showed lower cholesterol levels and beneficial changes in blood markers related to heart health. Additionally, they had higher levels of gut bacteria that aid in digesting antioxidants.</div><div><br></div><div>"The polyphenols in blueberries can positively influence the gut microbiome," said Lauren Manaker, M.S., RDN, LD, CLEC. "This is crucial for overall health."</div><div><br></div><div>The study also noted an increase in specific gut bacteria among those consuming blueberry powder—bacteria known to help break down and absorb beneficial compounds from blueberries.</div><div><br></div><div>While the findings are promising, researchers caution that the small sample size limits broader applicability. The study was funded by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.</div><div><br></div><div>For those looking to support heart and gut health, incorporating blueberries into daily meals is a simple step with potential benefits. Whether added to smoothies or enjoyed as a snack, these berries offer an accessible way to enhance well-being without drastic lifestyle changes.</div>

Scientists Just Uncovered a Big Health Perk in Blueberries

Science Daily

A rhinoceros in the Arctic sounds out of place now, but researchers say one lived there about 23 million years ago.

Scientists from the Canadian Museum of Nature have identified a previously unknown species of extinct rhinoceros from Devon Island in Nunavut. The fossil skeleton was found in ancient lakebed sediments at Haughton Crater, and the museum says it is the northernmost rhino species ever documented.

The species, named Epiatheracerium itjilik, is described in a new study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution. Researchers say it lived during the Early Miocene and is most closely related to species that lived in Europe millions of years earlier.

"Today there are only five species of rhinos in Africa and Asia, but in the past they were found in Europe and North America, with more than 50 species known from the fossil record," says the study's lead author Dr. Danielle Fraser, head of palaeobiology at the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN). "The addition of this Arctic species to the rhino family tree now offers new insights to our understanding of their evolutionary history."

Rhinoceroses have an evolutionary history spanning more than 40 million years, and once lived on nearly every continent except South America and Antarctica. The new research also presents a revised rhinoceros family tree and suggests this Arctic species reached North America by a land bridge. According to the study, that route may have remained active for land mammals much later than previously believed.

Researchers say rhinocerotids varied widely in form, from large, bulky animals to smaller, hornless ones. Epiatheracerium itjilik was relatively small and lightly built, comparable in size to a modern Indian rhinoceros but without a horn. Based on moderate wear on its cheek teeth, the individual likely died in early to middle adulthood.

The species name reflects where it was found. "Itjilik" means "frosty" or "frost" in Inuktitut. To choose the name, the researchers worked with Jarloo Kiguktak, an Inuit Elder and former mayor of Grise Fiord, described as the northernmost Inuit community in Canada. He has visited the fossil site and taken part in several Arctic paleontology expeditions.

Most of the fossil material was first collected in 1986 by Dr. Mary Dawson, Curator Emeritus at Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a pioneer in Arctic paleontology. She recovered teeth, jawbones and parts of the skull that later helped scientists identify the specimen as a new species.

"What's remarkable about the Arctic rhino is that the fossil bones are in excellent condition. They are three dimensionally preserved and have only been partially replaced by minerals. About 75% of the skeleton was discovered, which is incredibly complete for a fossil," says paleobiologist Marisa Gilbert, study co-author and Senior Research Assistant with the CMN.

Gilbert later joined expeditions to Haughton Crater in the late 2000s led by Dr. Natalia Rybcynski, a CMN Research Associate and co-author. The museum says those field studies also led to the discovery of another species, the transitional seal ancestor Puijila darwini.

Additional remains of E. itjilik were found during follow-up expeditions involving Dawson, Rybcynski and Gilbert. Dawson died in 2020 at age 89 and is listed as a co-author on the study.

The discovery pushed researchers to look more closely at rhino evolution and movement between regions over time. To place the new species in the rhino family tree, Fraser and her team analyzed 57 other rhinocerotid species, most of them extinct. The work drew on museum collections, published studies and large datasets.

Each species was assigned to one of five continental regions. Using mathematical models, the team estimated how often rhinos moved between continents within the Rhinocerotidae family.

The results suggest rhinos migrated between North America and Europe through Greenland using the North Atlantic Land Bridge. Earlier research had proposed that this land bridge stopped working as a migration route around 56 million years ago. The new analysis suggests those movements may have continued much later, possibly into the Miocene.

The importance of the Arctic rhino was also highlighted in July 2025, when a separate study published in Nature reported the recovery of partial proteins from the animal's tooth enamel. That study was led by post-doctoral fellow Ryan Sinclair Paterson at the University of Copenhagen.

According to the museum, the work extends the time range for obtaining meaningful protein sequences by millions of years. It also opens new opportunities for studying ancient biomolecules and tracing mammalian evolution.

"It's always exciting and informative to describe a new species. But there is more that comes from the identification of Epiaceratherium itjilik, as our reconstructions of rhino evolution show that the North Atlantic played a much more important role in their evolution than previously thought," says Fraser. "More broadly, this study reinforces that the Arctic continues to offer up new knowledge and discoveries that expand on our understanding of mammal diversification over time."

The fossil is now housed in the Canadian Museum of Nature collection. Preparation work was carried out at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Funding came from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. Fieldwork and logistics were supported by multiple organizations in Nunavut, with permits granted by territorial authorities and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

Haughton Crater is 23 kilometres across and is identified in the research as the northernmost known fossil site from the Miocene, about 23 to 5.6 million years ago. The crater later filled with water, forming a lake that preserved plants and animals from the region.

Geological and fossil evidence show the area was once covered in temperate forest, very different from today's cold, dry permafrost terrain. Researchers say seasonal freezing and thawing caused fossils to break apart and move toward the surface through cryoturbation. The bones of E. itjilik were recovered from a relatively small area of about 5 to 7 square metres.

Scientists Found a Rhino in the Arctic and it Changes Everything We Know About the Animal

Observer

An adorable turtle hatchling was seen scurrying along a footpath in the City of Cockburn, Western Australia.

This footage was shared by the official Facebook account of the City of Cockburn, who said that they spotted “one of our first turtle hatchlings of the season” as it was “making its way along the footpath in search of water.”

“From March to August, hatchlings emerge from their nests and begin a big journey to nearby lakes and wetlands. It’s a vulnerable time for these little turtles, and a bit of community care can make a big difference,” a caption on the post said.

Credit: City of Cockburn via Storyful

Adorable Turtle Hatchling Caught Scuttling Along a Footpath

Sunny Skyz

One day after learning hands-only CPR at school, a fourth grader from Martin, Michigan, used it to help save a man’s life.

Logan Vangemert was at church in Richland in early February when a church leader named Tom collapsed from cardiac arrest. As adults nearby panicked and struggled to respond, Logan stepped in.

“I did CPR on him,” Logan told WWMT-TV, demonstrating how he performed chest compressions.

Logan had learned the technique less than 24 hours earlier at school. In the moment, he remembered what to do and started CPR.

After several intense minutes, an AED was brought in and used to restart Tom’s heart. He has since made a full recovery after surgery and receiving a pacemaker.

Logan said he felt pushed to act.

“I heard a voice in my head telling me to go, so I sprinted over there,” he recalled to WWMT-TV. “Then it said some pretty good things about me.”

His actions have since been recognised at school and by outside groups. Students and teachers packed an auditorium at Martin High School to honour him, cheering as he received awards for helping save Tom’s life.

He was also recognised by local authorities and the American Heart Association.

Logan’s mother said she was deeply proud of how he responded.

“I am beyond proud of him for stepping up and doing something extremely difficult, even for an adult,” she said.

After the rescue, Logan said he now wants to pursue a career in medicine someday.

 📸credit: WWMT-TV

A 9-Year-Old Used His New CPR Skills To Save This Man’s Life The Next Day

YR - Google News Paramedic

A backcountry ATV ride near Kelowna, British Columbia, ended with a paramedic rescue on Sunday.

Central Okanagan Search and Rescue said it worked with Penticton Search and Rescue and Vernon Search and Rescue to reach an injured rider near the Fur Brigade trail above Peachland.

Ground teams were deployed, while Air Rescue 1 was used to airlift a paramedic to the patient.

The rider was then transported to a waiting ambulance through what COSAR described as a coordinated effort by all three search and rescue teams.

“We would like to thank Air Rescue One Helicopter Winch Society (AROHWS) for providing flight crew, winch and the rescue helicopter,” said COSAR.

A Paramedic in B.C. Was Just Airlifted To an ATV Crash Scene to Save An Injured ATV Rider

Good News Network

For a lot of families, school uniforms do not last the school year. Kids outgrow them fast, and buying replacements is not always possible.

That problem pushed two San Francisco area brothers, Desmond and Ethan Hua, to start a nonprofit that collects donated uniforms and gives them to low-income families in their community.

The idea started after they saw a boy arrive at Bayside Academy in San Mateo wearing shorts on a cold day. When they asked why, the student told them he did not have another pair of pants to last until laundry day.

The brothers then launched HOPE: Help Our Mother Earth. The program collects gently used school uniforms from families who no longer need them and redistributes them to families who do.

“We take in gently used school uniforms from families who no longer need them, and we redistribute them back to families in the community,” Ethan told CBS News San Francisco.

The work helps families who live at a hand-to-mouth income level, where replacing uniforms again and again is not always an option. It also keeps old clothes out of the landfill.

School uniforms can take hundreds of years to break down in a landfill while releasing methane, described as a potent, yet short-lived greenhouse gas.

The operation runs out of the Hua family garage. Organized plastic chests cover the ground, and each one is stacked with neatly folded uniforms in a range of sizes.

The brothers receive requests from students’ families and fill them from the stock they have on hand if they can. They then leave the uniforms in collection bins at school offices.

Those same bins also work as drop-off points for families whose children have outgrown their uniforms. The bins are now placed across nine public schools in the San Mateo-Foster City School District that take part in the program.

“It started with our school, and then now the whole program is across our district,” said Bayside Academy principal Maria Demattei. “We are thrilled that we can contribute to that, to our Mother Earth.”

The brothers say the program has had a large effect on both household costs and textile waste.

They estimate HOPE has saved $140,000 in uniform costs for more than 1,400 families. They also estimate it has prevented about 30 tons of methane from being emitted from uniforms that would otherwise have been thrown away.

“HOPE has saved roughly 13,000 articles of school uniforms from being sent to a landfill, thrown away by families,” said Ethan, who recently collected the Dr. Cora Clemons Emerging Young Samaritan Award from a local foundation.

The project grew from one school into a district-wide program, built around a simple cycle. Families donate uniforms their children no longer fit. Other families request what they need. The brothers sort the clothing, match requests where possible, and place the items in school collection bins for pickup.

The source text says that anyone who has shopped for children’s uniforms year after year knows how quickly they stop fitting. A uniform that works at the start of the school year may not fit by Spring Break.

That gap is what HOPE is trying to address, while also cutting textile waste.

“It started with our school, and then now the whole program is across our district,” said Bayside Academy principal Maria Demattei. “We are thrilled that we can contribute to that, to our Mother Earth.”

📸 credit: Hope Uniforms Program website

Brothers Team Up To Give This Costly School Item for Free, Saving Familes $140,000 Already

Talker News

Some of the smallest residents at Auchingarrich Wildlife Park are getting an extra layer this spring, thanks to volunteers with knitting needles.

Photos released by the park show orphaned lambs wearing hand-knitted sweaters made to help keep them warm.

Each year, the UK Wildlife Park adopts a number of lambs from farms, often when a ewe has a larger litter than expected or when she dies.

When a mother gives birth to three or four lambs, the weaker babies can struggle to get milk and need to be bottle-fed five times a day.

A staff member at Auchingarrich Wildlife Park said, "A ewe is only able to feed two lambs at a time, so when they have three or four, the weaker ones struggle to get sufficient milk.

"They become ‘pets or bottle babies’ meaning someone has to feed them every couple of hours, a task not relished by farmers at this time of year.

"We help by taking these cute cabe lambs and feeding them five feeds from six in the morning until 10 o'clock at night, every day. When a lamb gets cold outside, the mother’s milk will help warm it."

"Our lambs don’t have this option, so to help keep them warm, we put them in little jumpers. We are often short of jumpers so we have a knit and natter group each Wednesday where we offer bottomless tea or coffee for anyone making jumpers for our little lambs."

Volunteers meet each week throughout the spring to knit sweaters for the lambs as they grow.

So far this year, the group has made two blue sweaters for 5-day-old Miss Chief and Menace, and a Union Jack sweater for 2-day-old Jackie.

The staff member says, "Jackie is a fabulous Cheviot X, known for those large sticky-up ears. She's a particular favorite of ours."

The park also offers daily lamb-feeding sessions, where visitors can help bottle-feed the babies.

Volunteers are Knitting Tiny Sweaters For Orphaned Lambs At a Wildlife Park, And It's Adorable

GoodGoodGood

A game of Chinese chess in virtual reality may offer older adults something simple and hard to come by, a stronger sense of connection.

A new study from researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology found that virtual reality gaming can reduce social isolation in seniors and boost their mental fitness.

With input from 18 older adults, the researchers created a virtual space modeled after a public park. In that space, the participants played Xiangqi, or Chinese Chess, and spent time in a “Cultural Corridor” to chat after their games.

Overall, users said they felt more connected after playing. Many also said the experience felt more engaging because they could take part as a player or as a spectator.

Lead author Qianjie Wei said the choice of game mattered.

“In China, Chinese chess is a highly popular form of social entertainment among older adults, as it offers a familiar and intellectually stimulating pastime. In order to win or play well in the game, players need to coordinate and work with various abilities such as attention, memory, logical thinking, and decision-making,” wrote Wei, who is now enrolled as a PhD student in Computer Science at the University of Rochester.

Wei said repeated use of those skills can support older adults’ cognitive health.

“Repeated use of these abilities during gameplay can help maintain and improve cognitive functioning in older adults. Moreover, the social aspect of the game is equally significant; Chinese chess facilitates social interaction, providing a platform for emotional support and community bonding among seniors.”

The researchers also looked at what long-term use of virtual reality social spaces could involve. Wei and her peers recommended that future research expand into other social games and hobbies.

“Future work could explore a wider variety of cultural activities, such as music, calligraphy, or other highly interactive cultural projects,” Wei said, who has also studied how virtual shuttlecock games can help improve balance in older adults. “This would help cater to the interests of older adults from different backgrounds and provide a richer social experience.”

📸 credit: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2502.11627

A New Study Found This VR Board Game Helps Seniors Feel Less Isolated And Stay Mentally Sharp

A knock at the door can be easy to miss. For one Fort Worth woman, it was the difference between life and death.

Alekzander Dzivak, 19, was making a routine Meals on Wheels delivery when he arrived at the home of an elderly woman he knows as Ms. Lana. Inside, she was having a diabetic episode.

Ms. Lana had collapsed in her kitchen and could not move. Her phone was beside her, and when her doorbell camera app alerted her that Dzivak had arrived, she got a chance to call out for help.

She later said her mind was foggy and she had not even thought to call 911.

Through the doorbell, she told Dzivak what was happening.

“She was giving me the code and saying she was gonna die, and please call 911,” Dzivak recalled to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth.

He called emergency services and stayed with her through the doorbell camera while help was on the way.

“I was nodding and shaking my head. I was trying to keep her talking to me, keep her calm,” he said. “It was a very scary situation.”

Less than five minutes later, first responders arrived and stabilized Ms. Lana.

For her, the timing was everything.

“If he hadn’t come, I would’ve died. It was that far along,” she said. “He came to the door at the right moment. It’s just unbelievable.”

She said she was terrified after realising she was alone and could not reach anyone.

“I was petrified because I’ve never been that bad before. I knew I was by myself… There just wasn’t any way I could get hold of anybody.”

Dzivak had just turned 19 weeks earlier. He is one of the youngest volunteers serving Meals on Wheels in Tarrant County and handles two delivery routes each week.

On this delivery, though, the work quickly became something else.

“I was very happy I arrived when I did, because I don’t know what would’ve happened had I shown up later,” he said. “So I’m just glad I was here, and the paramedics were as close as they were.”

The incident left a lasting impact on both of them, according to the account, and created a bond that went beyond a meal delivery.

For Dzivak, it also reinforced why he volunteers.

“Any impact you’re able to make is amazing,” he said. “I find it so rewarding to volunteer.”

What began as one of his usual rounds ended with emergency crews at the house and Ms. Lana still alive because she was able to reach the person at her door.

Dzivak did not have to force the moment into something heroic. He answered the call he heard, phoned 911 and kept talking to her while she waited for help.

Ms. Lana said she had never been in that condition before. Alone in her home and unable to move, she said she could not get hold of anybody until the doorbell camera alert showed Dzivak had arrived.

That alert gave her one chance to speak. Dzivak listened.

“She was giving me the code and saying she was gonna die, and please call 911,” Dzivak recalled.

Minutes later, first responders reached her and stabilized her in less than five minutes.

“If he hadn’t come, I would’ve died. It was that far along,” she said.

This Teen Meals On Wheels Volunteer Just Saved a Woman During a Medical Emergency

Photo by Efrem  Efre on Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/viking-cruise-ship-docked-in-stockholm-harbor-34212497/)

Euro News

A new cruise ship has touched water for the first time, and Viking says it is breaking new ground.

Viking Libra, described as the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship, reached a major construction milestone on 19 March when it was floated out at Fincantieri’s Ancona Shipyard. The float-out happens when a dry dock is filled with water so a newly built hull can float for the first time.

The ship is operated by cruise line Viking and is due to become functional in November 2026. Once it is in service, Viking Libra will be able to operate with zero emissions.

The float-out also marks the move from structural assembly to interior outfitting, which is usually the final stage of construction. In Viking Libra’s case, that final building stage will take place at a nearby outfitting dock.

“The float out of the Viking Libra represents another milestone for Viking and our continued partnership with Fincantieri,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman and CEO of Viking to Euro News.

“From the beginning, our approach to ship design has focused on reducing fuel consumption, and the Viking Libra is our most environmentally friendly vessel yet.”

Viking Libra will use a hybrid propulsion system that is partially based on fuel cells and liquefied hydrogen. Viking says that system will allow the ship to operate and navigate with zero emissions, including in highly environmentally sensitive areas.

By using advanced fuel cell technology, the propulsion system will also be able to produce up to six megawatts of power.

The ship has a total internal volume of about 54,300 tons and, like all Viking ships, it is also a small ship. When completed, it will have 499 staterooms for up to 998 guests. It will also include restaurants, a fitness centre and a Nordic Spa.

Viking says the ship will sail around Northern Europe and the Mediterranean in its inaugural season.

The company is also building another hydrogen-powered ship, Viking Astrea, which is due to be launched in 2027. Like Viking Libra, it is planned as a zero-emissions ship.

Viking Libra’s upcoming launch comes as cruise lines try to reduce the environmental impact of maritime travel.

Last October, Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten launched what it called its first climate-neutral voyage on the MS Richard With. The trip was a 5,000-mile roundtrip along the coast from Bergen to Kirkenes and back.

That ship uses 100 percent biofuel made from materials including fat waste and cooking oil.

“This marks a historic moment in Hurtigruten’s more than 130-year legacy along the Norwegian coast,” said Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten to Euro News. “Most importantly, it’s further proof that emission cuts are possible today by using sustainable biodiesel, without the need to invest billions in new ships or infrastructure.”

Last November, Havila Voyages, another Norwegian cruise line, also launched its first climate-neutral voyage along the same route.

Havila said the cruise aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90 percent compared to fossil fuels. It uses a combination of battery power and liquefied biogas.

For Viking, the next step for Libra is interior outfitting after the ship’s first float in Ancona. It is due to become functional in November 2026 and will then head to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean in its inaugural season.

 📸credit: Viking

Photo by Efrem  Efre on Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/viking-cruise-ship-docked-in-stockholm-harbor-34212497/)

A European Cruise Line Says They're Moving Closer To Launching the First Hydrogen-Powered Ship

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Old home movies and family photo albums can sit in a closet for years, right up until the day the equipment needed to play or preserve them is hard to find.

The Nashville Public Library system has introduced the “Memory Lab,” a space where people can digitize VHS tapes, Beta Max, slides, audio film, photos and negatives that might otherwise be lost as older media becomes harder to access, preserve or keep around.

In a statement, the library said, “Memory Lab is more than just technology, it’s a creative space where anyone can reconnect with their history and capture moments that otherwise might have been lost forever.”

Anyone can book an appointment to digitize physical media in the lab. The space is equipped with a VHS-to-digital convertor and a state-of-the-art, multifunctional scanner.

Reservations are free and run from 15 minutes to 4 hours at the Donelson Branch Library at 2714 Old Lebanon Pike in Nashville. The library said people who make a reservation will receive a confirmation email with instructions.

The library said commercial digitization services might charge $30 per tape and $1 per image, costs that can quickly rise for people trying to preserve a full photo album or a collection of home movies.

Nashville Public Library said the Memory Lab is part of a growing national trend at public libraries, including in DC, Los Angeles and Brooklyn, that are working to bridge the digital divide.

It also places Nashville among a small number of libraries in Tennessee offering free media digitization, including libraries in Rutherford and Williamson counties.

In a statement, the library said, “We are pleased about the launch of Memory Lab, but the most rewarding part is yet to come, all of the stories, memories, and history that will be given new life and preserved for the next generation.”

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