Not All News is Bad!

Six Dogs Trust rescue dogs have formed life-changing partnerships with Armed Forces and Emergency Services veterans with PTSD

Source: Six Rescue Dogs Graduate as Life-Changing Assistance Dogs 

So cool.

Jonathan the tortoise celebrated his 190th birthday as he extends his run as the longest-living land animal in the world.

Source: Jonathan the tortoise celebrates 190th birthday, oldest living land…

OK, maybe I don’t feel quite as old. 🙂

The leprosy parasite causes livers to grow large and reverse in biological age, leading scientists to wonder if it could be used for good.

Source: Believe it or Not, Leprosy Offers the Potential to Regenerate Livers – Cutting Transplant Wait Times

Fascinating.

Advances in chemistry continue to bring new materials into the realm of recyclability, and new work from a team at the University of Michigan has taken aim at one of the most problematic to reuse. The scientists have developed a method of converting waste PVC (polyvinyl chloride) into usable products, opening up some interesting new possibilities when it comes to this traditionally unrecyclable material.

Source: Chemistry breakthrough creates usable products out of unrecyclable PVC

Progress.

Earlier this year, Gwendolyn Bruhn, who worked for Hawaiian Airlines in the 1940s, spotted herself in a photo blown up on an airport wall. Today, Bruhn tells CNN Travel how flying has changed over the past 70 years and what’s stayed the same

Source: What happened when a 94-year-old former flight attendant saw a photo of herself at the airport

Neat story.

With help from a local junior college softball team, a Lamar County couple is celebrating their engagement despite losing their home during the tornado.

Source: ‘Miracle In The Mud’: Engagement Ring Found in Texas Tornado Debris

Love it. Off to a great start. 🙂

Forsyth researchers uncover a novel mechanism for producing cartilage cells.

Source: A small tweak to genes may finally enable us to regrow cartilage

Yes, please! I could use some replacement cartilage in certain joints…

Stanford University researchers have developed a wireless “smart bandage” that speeds up the repair of injured tissue and tracks healing.

Source: This Micro-Thin “Smart Bandage” Monitors Wound Healing While Repairing Tissue

Fascinating.

“You don’t like me having a Black Santa in my front yard?” said Chris Kennedy. “I will go and be the Santa Claus for the entire city.”

Source: He was harassed for the Black Santa on his lawn. Now, he’s a professional Black Santa.

I love this story.

Vaccine against all strains of virus hailed as major step in protecting against potentially devastating flu pandemic

Source: Universal flu vaccine may be available within two years, says scientist

Very encouraging.