Goodable

A bobcat named Blob has found his “forever home” after being rescued from one of the UK’s most notorious exotic animal facilities.

Blob was facing the possibility of euthanasia if a permanent home was not found, after he was rescued from the Cat Survival Trust, a facility shut down earlier this year when its owner was convicted of animal welfare offences. The facility’s owner, Terrence Moore, has been dubbed the UK’s “Tiger King”, a reference to American animal park owner Joe Exotic.

Blob was one of 23 exotic cats rescued from the Cat Survival Trust, and was the final cat to find a permanent home.

The Big Cat Sanctuary in Ashford was at capacity after taking three other big cats, but enlisted the help of Wildside Exotic Rescue to give Blob a temporary residence.

“It was the final day, and Blob’s life literally hung in the balance,” Cam Whitnall, managing director of the Big Cat Sanctuary, said. “That day, I made a promise: I’d find Blob a permanent home in the UK.”

Seven months later, Blob was moved to the Big Cat Sanctuary for good, joining the ranks of fellow rescued cats from the Cat Survival Trust, including Frank, the UK’s only Asian golden cat, Boson, a fishing cat, and Rhys, a Eurasian lynx.

A bobcat named Blob has found his “forever home” after being rescued from one of the UK’s most notorious exotic animal facilities. Blob was facing the possibility of euthanasia if a permanent home was not found, after he was rescued from the Cat Survival Trust, a facility shut down earlier this year when its owner was convicted of animal welfare offences. The facility’s owner, Terrence Moore, has been dubbed the UK’s “Tiger King”, a reference to American animal park owner Joe Exotic. Blob was one of 23 exotic cats rescued from the Cat Survival Trust, and was the final cat to find a permanent home. The Big Cat Sanctuary in Ashford was at capacity after taking three other big cats, but enlisted the help of Wildside Exotic Rescue to give Blob a temporary residence. “It was the final day, and Blob’s life literally hung in the balance,” Cam Whitnall, managing director of the Big Cat Sanctuary, said. “That day, I made a promise: I’d find Blob a permanent home in the UK.” Seven months later, Blob was moved to the Big Cat Sanctuary for good, joining the ranks of fellow rescued cats from the Cat Survival Trust, including Frank, the UK’s only Asian golden cat, Boson, a fishing cat, and Rhys, a Eurasian lynx.

Meet Blob: The Bobcat Who Defied Odds to Find His Forever Home in the UK

Science Daily

Microchips keep getting smaller, faster, and more powerful — but making that happen has required constant breakthroughs in how they’re built. Now, a team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University says they’ve cracked one of the toughest challenges yet: how to reliably and affordably build circuits so small they’re invisible to the naked eye.

Their work, published this week in Nature Chemical Engineering, introduces a new process and set of materials that could help chipmakers reach the next stage in miniaturization. It all revolves around a type of laser radiation that until now, traditional materials couldn’t keep up with.

“Companies have their roadmaps of where they want to be in 10 to 20 years and beyond,” said Michael Tsapatsis, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins. “One hurdle has been finding a process for making smaller features in a production line where you irradiate materials quickly and with absolute precision to make the process economical.”

That process is called beyond extreme ultraviolet radiation, or B-EUV — an ultra-high-energy technique that has the potential to make microchip features smaller than 10 nanometers. That’s roughly 10,000 times thinner than a human hair.

The challenge, Tsapatsis said, is that while lasers capable of B-EUV already exist, the radiation doesn’t interact well with conventional materials used in chip manufacturing. Specifically, the radiation can’t trigger the chemical reactions needed to etch circuits into silicon wafers using traditional resists — the radiation-sensitive coatings that help create microchip patterns.

To solve that, the Johns Hopkins team focused on developing entirely new resists made from metal-organic compounds — combinations of metals and molecules that respond to B-EUV in just the right way. They found that certain metals, like zinc, are especially good at absorbing the radiation and generating electrons that then spark chemical reactions in an organic material called imidazole.

The result: precise, high-resolution circuit patterns that can be etched at a much smaller scale than was previously possible.

The team also developed a new manufacturing method called chemical liquid deposition (CLD) that allows them to apply these new materials at wafer-scale, controlling the coating’s thickness down to a few nanometers. That level of precision is essential in modern chipmaking — and CLD is both fast and cost-effective.

“By playing with the two components — metal and imidazole — you can change the efficiency of absorbing the light and the chemistry of the following reactions,” Tsapatsis said. “And that opens us up to creating new metal-organic pairings.”

So far, the team has already identified at least 10 metals and hundreds of organic materials that could be used to fine-tune the process. And because different metals behave differently depending on the radiation wavelength, even elements that didn’t work well before could now be ideal.

“Zinc is not very good for extreme ultraviolet radiation, but it's one of the best for the B-EUV,” Tsapatsis said.

The researchers are now testing more combinations to find the best-performing materials specifically for B-EUV, which many expect to become the next industry standard within the next decade.

This breakthrough was made possible by a wide-ranging collaboration that included researchers from East China University of Science and Technology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Soochow University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The authors of the study include Yurun Miao, Kayley Waltz, and Xinpei Zhou from Johns Hopkins; Liwei Zhuang, Shunyi Zheng, Yegui Zhou, and Heting Wang from East China University; Mueed Ahmad and J. Anibal Boscoboinik from Brookhaven; Qi Liu from Soochow University; Kumar Varoon Agrawal from EPFL; and Oleg Kostko from Berkeley Lab.

With microchips powering everything from phones and laptops to cars, appliances, and even airplanes, the ability to make them smaller and more efficient could ripple across nearly every part of modern life. The work at Johns Hopkins may be a crucial step in making that happen.

Researchers Just Unveiled Invisible Circuits for Faster, Cheaper Tech

In the snow-covered forests of northern Finland, where the winters are long and the towns are small, karaoke isn’t just a pastime — it’s a lifeline.

From rural taverns to heated tents near the Arctic Circle, DJ Tauno Luukinen has made it his mission to bring people together through music. With over 4,500 karaoke nights under his belt, he’s become a fixture in the region’s social scene, spinning global hits and Finnish ballads for locals and tourists alike.

“Karaoke creates a sense of togetherness and brings joy,” Luukinen says. “It’s emotional therapy.”

That might help explain why Finland routinely lands near the top of the World Happiness Index. Despite frigid temperatures and geographic isolation, there’s a deep sense of community here — and karaoke, in its raw, unfiltered honesty, plays a big part.

In a country known for its stoicism, karaoke offers something rare: a space to express longing, heartbreak, nostalgia, and joy — often all in the same song. Melancholic love songs are particularly popular, allowing singers to channel emotion in ways words alone often can’t.

Even during the toughest winters or times when borders were closed, the music kept playing. Luukinen never stopped, hauling his gear through the snow, setting up stages, and giving anyone brave enough a microphone.

For many in rural Finland, these karaoke nights aren’t just entertainment — they’re a reminder that no one is ever truly alone.

Is Karaoke Keeping Finland At The Top of The World Happiness Index?

Rescuers freed a humpback whale from a fishing line off the northern coast of New South Wales on Thursday this week, in what they described as the “most challenging operation of the season.”

Rescuers from the Sea World Foundation said they found the whale “in a compromised state” with a thick rope wrapped tightly around its tail.

They managed to disentangle the animal in just over an hour despite having to operate in what they described as “trying conditions with winds gusting up to 40 knots.”

Footage here, released by the Sea World Foundation, shows the rescue operation. The foundation said that the drone footage presented here was filmed by a member of the public who first alerted the rescuers about the whale.

Rescuers freed a humpback whale from a fishing line off the northern coast of New South Wales on Thursday, September 11, in what they described as the “most challenging operation of the season.”Rescuers from the Sea World Foundation said they found the whale “in a compromised state” with a thick rope wrapped tightly around its tail.They managed to disentangle the animal in just over an hour despite having to operate in what they described as “trying conditions with winds gusting up to 40 knots.”Footage released by the Sea World Foundation shows the rescue operation. The foundation said that the drone footage presented here was filmed by a member of the public who first alerted the rescuers about the whale.

Rescuers Just Pulled Off a Daring Mission to Free This Entangled Humpback Whale

David Bowie’s record collection is getting its own spotlight in London.

The Victoria and Albert Museum will showcase the late musician’s personal list of favorite songs when the new David Bowie Center opens at the V&A East Storehouse. The handwritten note, marked “Memo for radio show — list of favourite records,” includes everything from classical to punk.

Among the selections are Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs, Miles Davis’ Some Day My Prince Will Come, Charles Mingus’ Ecclusiastics, and Jeff Beck’s Beck’s Bolero. Bowie also highlighted rock and pop staples like Little Richard’s True Fine Mama, The Beatles’ Across the Universe, Roxy Music’s Mother of Pearl, and Sonic Youth’s Tom Violence.

The eclectic list reflects Bowie’s famously wide-ranging tastes. It also includes The Legendary Stardust Cowboy’s I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship, a nod to the outsider musician who partly inspired Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust persona.

The center’s opening coincides with the release of David Bowie 6. I Can’t Give Everything Away (2002 to 2016), a 12-disc box set covering the final years of his career.

Bowie, who died in 2016 at age 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer, left behind a catalog that reshaped modern music. Now, fans will get to see what inspired him in return.

David Bowie’s 15 favorite songs have been revealed

The Guardian

Africa’s green energy boom is gathering pace, with solar panel imports and low-carbon investment surging across the continent — but leaders warn the momentum could stall without a dramatic increase in international financing.

That’s the central message coming out of the Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa this week, where heads of state and climate experts are urging richer nations to fulfil long-standing funding promises ahead of November’s global COP30 talks.

“Africa is ready to be part of [the global fight to stave off climate breakdown] provided we are supported with finance, technology and capacity-building,” said Richard Muyungi, climate envoy to the Tanzanian president.

According to think tank Ember, 20 African countries hit new records for solar panel imports in the 12 months to June, driven by a 60% increase in photovoltaic shipments from China — jumping from 9GW to 15GW of capacity. Much of that growth occurred outside of South Africa, signaling broader regional uptake.

It’s a striking leap, but one from a low base. Africa still accounts for just 4% of global solar generation, and in 2023, the entire continent had roughly the same number of solar panels as Belgium.

“There is a glimmer of light,” Muyungi said, “but this is still quite meagre compared to other continents in the global south.”

Ember estimates that the solar imports could boost electricity capacity by 5% in 16 countries — a welcome bump, but nowhere near enough. Around 600 million Africans still live without access to electricity. Nearly 1 billion people rely on firewood or polluting fuels for cooking, disproportionately impacting women and girls.

“Renewable energy is not only Africa’s greatest opportunity, it is also an urgent necessity,” said Melaku Yirga, regional director for Africa at Mercy Corps. “Renewable power enables everything from irrigation and food storage to early-warning systems, healthcare and livelihoods.”

Yirga said short-term grants from donor nations are not enough. Without reliable, long-term financing and incentives, the private sector is unlikely to step in at the scale required.

“Africa has no shortage of ambition in renewable energy,” he said, “but without stronger international finance…the private sector will remain on the sidelines and adaptation goals will go unmet.”

Former Senegalese president Macky Sall put it more bluntly: “We are not the cause [of climate change]. We are not only footing the largest bill – we are also seeing the cheques to stem the damage cancelled.”

Rich countries have repeatedly pledged billions to help developing nations adapt to climate impacts. But those commitments are falling short — fast. A report released at the summit found that Africa received only $15 billion in adaptation finance in 2023, despite needing at least $70 billion per year. That gap is expected to grow.

Without urgent funding, climate impacts could wipe out 20% of Africa’s GDP by 2050, according to the Global Center on Adaptation.

Patrick Verkooijen, the group’s CEO, said cutting aid now would be a costly mistake. “Europe [and others] will shoot themselves in the foot if they defund ODA [official development assistance]. African leaders will see it as a stab in the back.”

While renewable energy investment has picked up, funding for climate resilience — like water systems, drought-resistant crops, and infrastructure — remains severely limited. Private firms have little interest in backing adaptation projects, even as floods, droughts, and crop failures become more frequent.

Yet the continent’s role in the green transition is becoming increasingly strategic. Africa is rich in the minerals needed for renewable technologies — cobalt, lithium, copper, and nickel — and global competition for these resources is intensifying.

But that scramble has raised human rights concerns. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere, child labour and exploitation of women have plagued mining operations. With limited capacity and oversight, governments have struggled to ensure extraction benefits local communities or protects the environment.

“We must not repeat the mistakes of the past,” said one official at the summit. “Resource wealth must translate to real development.”

Beyond renewables, Africa also holds vast untapped gas reserves. Some leaders, like Muyungi, say natural gas remains essential to the continent’s development, despite the climate implications.

“We do not envisage anything to stop us using gas,” he said. “We need it for our development.”

With 60% of Africa’s population under the age of 25, leaders say the stakes are high — for everyone. Rising temperatures, job scarcity, and migration pressures are already triggering regional instability. Without greater global engagement, those ripple effects will grow.

“If the climate crisis is not tackled in Africa, that will be a problem for migration,” said Abay Yimere, a scholar at Tufts University’s Climate Policy Lab. “The global north should look at this from their own national perspectives and see where their interest lies.”

Hopes rise for green economy boom at Africa Climate Summit

For more than 300 years, astronomers have struggled to explain how globular clusters — some of the oldest and most tightly packed stellar systems in the universe — came to be. Now, researchers at the University of Surrey say they’ve solved the mystery, thanks to ultra-high-resolution simulations that traced the entire 13.8-billion-year history of the cosmos.

In the process, they may have found something entirely new hiding in plain sight in our own galaxy.

Globular clusters are dense, spherical collections of stars that orbit the outer regions of galaxies, including the Milky Way. These systems typically contain hundreds of thousands to millions of stars, all roughly the same age and chemical makeup — a uniformity that has long puzzled scientists.

“Globular clusters show no evidence of dark matter and their stars are unusually similar,” said Dr Ethan Taylor, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Surrey and lead author of the new study, published in Nature. “That’s made it hard to understand how they formed.”

Taylor and his colleagues tackled the problem using a cutting-edge virtual universe they call EDGE, designed to simulate the universe in extreme detail. Developed in collaboration with researchers from Durham, Bath, Hertfordshire, Carnegie Observatories, the American Museum of Natural History, Lund University, and the University of Barcelona, the EDGE simulations run on the UK’s DiRAC National Supercomputer.

To give a sense of scale: running the largest of these simulations on a regular laptop would take decades to complete.

At a resolution of just 10 light-years — fine enough to capture the impact of a single exploding star — EDGE allowed the team to watch globular clusters form in real-time inside their digital universe. They found that the clusters can form in at least two distinct ways, and crucially, none required dark matter.

“The formation of globular clusters has been a mystery for hundreds of years,” said Taylor. “Being able to add additional context surrounding how they form is amazing.”

But the biggest surprise was what came next.

In addition to solving how globular clusters form, the team also stumbled upon a previously unknown kind of object. These “globular cluster-like dwarfs” resemble traditional globular clusters when observed, but simulations show they actually contain significant amounts of dark matter — more in line with what’s found in dwarf galaxies.

That subtle but important distinction has big implications.

Because these dark matter-rich objects look like ordinary star clusters, some may have already been spotted by telescopes and misclassified. If confirmed, they could offer new opportunities to study dark matter — one of the most elusive substances in the universe — as well as the very first stars ever formed.

Professor Justin Read, Chair of Astrophysics at the University of Surrey, said the discovery was made possible by EDGE’s unmatched detail.

“The EDGE project set out to build the most realistic simulation of the very smallest galaxies in the Universe,” he said. “It took years to run, but the payoff has been extraordinary.”

The simulations revealed that conventional globular clusters can form both in the early stages of galaxy formation and during later galactic mergers. In both cases, the clusters formed without needing dark matter — a major finding in itself.

But it’s the new class of objects — these “globular cluster-like dwarfs” — that could change the game.

Typical dwarf galaxies have around a thousand times more dark matter than regular matter. These newly identified objects, however, sit somewhere in between. They behave like globular clusters but carry dark matter signatures like dwarf galaxies. That makes them unique candidates for follow-up studies, especially with powerful new instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope.

Several objects already known to astronomers — including Reticulum II, an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way — may fit the profile.

“Being able to find a new class of object in the simulations is very exciting,” said Taylor. “Especially since we have already identified a handful of candidates which exist in our very own Milky Way.”

The next step is confirming whether these dark matter-rich imposters are real. Targeted observations and deep spectroscopic surveys could tell astronomers whether some of the clusters already catalogued in the night sky are actually something new.

If confirmed, the implications could be far-reaching — offering fresh clues about dark matter, the nature of galaxy formation, and even the search for ancient, metal-free stars from the earliest days of the universe.

Astronomers Solve Century-Old Mystery Of Stellar Systems And Discover New Cosmic Class

Science Alert

Running has long been praised for its health benefits. It can lower disease risk, boost mental health, and even slow the ageing process. But many people say they don’t have enough time to fit it in.

That is where interval running comes in. This approach applies the principles of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to running, offering many of the same benefits in less time.

HIIT isn’t new. Versions of it, like Tabata or CrossFit, gained popularity in the 1990s and 2000s. The core idea is simple: alternate short bursts of intense activity with rest or lighter movement. For running, that might mean 30 seconds of sprinting followed by 30 seconds of walking.

One popular version, known as the “10-20-30 method,” breaks activity into 30 seconds of jogging, 20 seconds of moderate running, and 10 seconds of all-out sprinting. Another, called “fartlek” training (Swedish for “speed play”), mixes short sprints into a steady jog.

Research suggests interval running has strong effects on cardiovascular health, metabolism, and body composition. In overweight people, sprint intervals have been shown to improve V̇O₂ max — the amount of oxygen the body can use during exercise — more than steady runs. Even experienced runners saw bigger gains in fitness when they added HIIT sessions to their weekly training.

HIIT also improves how the body regulates blood sugar, reducing diabetes risk, and stimulates mitochondria, the energy-producing structures in cells, boosting stamina. Studies have found it lowers blood pressure, cuts “bad” cholesterol, and reduces dangerous visceral fat — all in a time-efficient way.

As little as 18 minutes of sprint intervals, three times a week, can make a difference.

Getting started can be simple. Outdoors, sprint between lamp posts, then jog or walk to recover. In gyms, treadmills often have preset interval programs. Sprints can last from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, but the key is reaching about 90% of your maximum heart rate during the high-intensity bursts.

Experts advise easing into it. If you’ve been inactive, don’t launch straight into full HIIT. Build up gradually and, if you have health conditions, consult a doctor first. For some people with diabetes, HIIT can briefly raise blood sugar levels, so medical advice is especially important.

The good news is you don’t need to overhaul your routine to see results. Adding just a few sprints into your normal run — or trying structured methods like 10-20-30 or even run-walk intervals — can bring meaningful health benefits in just a few months.

As Christopher Gaffney of Lancaster University notes, even small increases in intensity can pay off: push yourself a little harder now and then, and your body will thank you.

How to Reap the Benefits of Running in Just 18 Minutes a Day

ABC News

When Bobby Zokaites first moved to Phoenix in 2011, he quickly learned how punishing the desert heat could be. Walking to class at Arizona State University, he would cling to scraps of shade — a stoplight pole, the side of a building — to escape the triple-digit sun.

Those experiences shaped his art. This year, Zokaites was one of nine artists commissioned to create shade structures across Phoenix, part of a growing national effort to use art as both protection from extreme heat and a way to teach people about climate risks.

“It was pretty crazy,” he said of those first summers.

Cities across the United States are turning to projects that merge art, science, and community involvement to help people cope with rising temperatures. As climate change drives hotter summers and urban areas grapple with the heat-island effect, shade has become more than a comfort. It can save lives.

“Shade can be much more than functional,” said David Hondula, Phoenix’s director of heat response and mitigation. “It can enrich our public spaces.”

In Phoenix parks, new installations include canopies painted with colorful Mexican folk art and fitted with solar-powered misting systems, as well as awnings covered with reflective paint and UV-resistant canvas. Each project was unveiled at a community event where residents learned about heat safety and received cooling towels and sunscreen.

“The more you know and the more you can recognize your own body’s response, the better you can take care of yourself,” said Carrie Brown, deputy director for Phoenix’s office of art and culture.

The impact of shade is clear. A recent test at one Phoenix installation showed that moving from direct sun to shade dropped the mean radiant temperature from 63 C to 31 C. Skin temperature fell almost immediately.

Research backs up what people feel. Studies show shade can reduce air and surface temperatures significantly, lowering heat-related deaths by up to 25 percent in Los Angeles and cutting emergency room visits by two-thirds in some neighborhoods. People also perceive shaded spaces as cooler if they are visually appealing, such as bus stops decorated with art.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, a project called “Shade is Social Justice” is using creative designs to raise awareness. One installation features hanging flowers that open when the temperature passes 29 C, signaling passersby to seek water and shelter.

In Los Angeles, an exhibition called “Roots of Cool” explores the role of shade through textiles, paintings, interactive maps, and multicolored umbrellas. One installation by artist Leslie K. Gray depicts three bus stops — one bare, one partly covered, one with full shade — alongside facts about heat and inequities in access to cooling. Visitors are invited to leave messages on postcards about how they would add shade to their communities.

One note left earlier this month read: “Dear people from the past. Take care of others among you. Take care of mother earth or we will be at fault for its destruction and ours.”

For Zokaites, the work comes full circle. What once felt like a struggle to endure Phoenix’s heat is now part of an effort to help others cope with it, and maybe even find beauty in the shade.

Cities Across America are Blending Art, Shade and Learning to Beat the Heat

CTV News

When Alex Babich looks up at the giant sunflower towering over his Indiana backyard, he doesn’t just see a plant. For him, it is family, memory, and legacy all rolled into one.

The 47-year-old Ukrainian immigrant’s flower, nicknamed Clover, has just been confirmed by Guinness World Records as the tallest sunflower ever grown. At 35 feet and 9 inches (11.2 metres), it stands higher than a telephone pole and more than 1.5 metres taller than the previous record holder in Germany.

“It’s one of my kids,” Babich said. “You’re out there every day taking care of it.”

For Babich, the accomplishment carries special weight. Sunflowers are Ukraine’s national flower. Born in Ukraine, he immigrated to the United States at 14 in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster. Seven years ago, he started growing sunflowers as a way of staying connected to his homeland. His first reached 4 metres, then 4.5, then nearly 6. Each year the challenge grew. “How far can we take this?” he asked himself. The answer, it turned out, was record-breaking.

Clover’s name came from Babich’s 10-year-old son, who climbed scaffolding to place four-leaf clovers on its leaves for luck. On Sept. 3, the official measurement drew a crowd of about 85 people, including master gardeners, local officials, a Guinness representative on video call, and even the Fort Wayne Komets’ mascot, Icy D. Eagle. A cherry picker was used to confirm the towering height.

“It’s very emotional,” Babich said after hearing the result. “It’s as good as it gets for someone who grows giants.”

Growing up in Ukraine during food shortages sparked Babich’s love of gardening. That connection deepened after Russia’s invasion in 2022. “We just pray that the war will end, that the killing will stop,” he said. “We just hope this inspires some people in the right places. It’s been long enough.”

The sunflower has long been a symbol of peace in Ukraine. In 1996, it was planted at a former missile base to mark nuclear disarmament. After Chernobyl, scientists planted sunflowers to help cleanse the soil. And in 2022, it became an emblem of solidarity when a viral video showed a Ukrainian woman telling a Russian soldier to carry sunflower seeds so they would grow when he died.

Babich sees his record-breaker as part of that story. “I’m going to die someday, but the stories of this flower will live on,” he said. “My kids will be telling this story to the grandkids.”

His work is already reaching beyond his backyard. Clover will be featured in a documentary called Bloom, due out this summer. Babich has also started planting sunflowers at family campsites and handing out seed packets at festivals, each labeled with a simple message: “Spread the love — sunflower seeds.”

Indiana Gardener Sets World Record With 35-Foot Sunflower, Honoring Ukrainian Roots

At most weddings, the person walking a bride down the aisle is her father, a close relative, or a dear friend. For Shacole Fox of Cincinnati, Ohio, it was her landlord.

“I wouldn’t have thought in a million years,” Fox told CBS News, recalling her decision to ask 79-year-old Gil Pulliam to take on the role.

Fox, a makeup artist, rents studio space from Pulliam, a man she describes as tough but deeply compassionate. She never knew her father and thought she had made peace with that absence. But as her August wedding approached, she began to feel the weight of what she was missing.

“When I thought about who would walk me down the aisle, trying to figure out what that looks like, the thought of it was like…surprisingly painful,” Fox said.

Pulliam knew her family history. Even without her asking, he trusted his instinct. “So I went back up to ask Shacole if I could escort her down the aisle,” he said. “And she said, ‘Yes, yes, yes! And on and on and on.’”

On the day itself, Fox said she felt something shift. “The music is playing — and I’m getting ready to walk down the aisle — and he grabbed my hand so tight,” she said. “And it was a really good feeling… Yeah, it still is. Like a wound had been healed in my heart.”

Fox married her husband, Victor, that day. But she also gained something unexpected — a father figure. “I added another family member on my wedding day,” she said, describing Pulliam as the man who stepped up to stand beside her the way all good fathers do.

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