Good Morning! 🌞

I was surprised to find out that humans can emit light!!

The human body literally glows, emitting a small quantity of visible light in extremely low levels. This bioluminescence is a result of the metabolic reactions within the body, but it's so faint that it's not visible to the naked eye.

Special cameras have detected this glow, revealing that it fluctuates throughout the day, being strongest in the late afternoon. This phenomenon is just one of the many complex biochemical activities happening within our bodies at any given moment.

Sports

British Man’s 385 Marathons in 352 Days

Ross Cook, a Brit, has achieved the monumental feat of running the full length of Africa, concluding his epic journey in Tunisia.

In 352 days, Cook, dubbed the "Hardest Geezer," ran over 385 marathons, covering more than 10,000 miles. His path through 16 countries, from the southern tip of South Africa to the northern shores of Tunisia, was fraught with challenges.

The journey began smoothly with 60 marathons completed flawlessly from April 2023. However, in Angola, Cook and his team were robbed at gunpoint, losing money, passports, and phones. Further troubles awaited in Cameroon with persistent food poisoning. Despite these setbacks, by the time he reached Benin from Nigeria, he had completed approximately 210 marathons.

Luckily, while passing though Mauritania he was warmly received, with the local populace frequently offering their support with water and supplies. They were stopped for a short while in Algeria because of visa issues, necessitating intervention from the British government. They also faced sandstorms and snowstorms within the same period in while crossing the Sahara.

Despite these obstacles, Cook made it to the finish line. In the final stretch, he was buoyed by the support of fellow runners who joined him, celebrating the completion of his unparalleled achievement.

In addition to testing his physical and mental limits, Cook's journey was a philanthropic success, raising over £650,000 for charity.

Economy

Crypto to $5 Trillion Within the Year?

Brad Garlinghouse, the CEO of Ripple, anticipates the cryptocurrency market's total value could surpass $5 trillion within the year, fueled by significant developments like the introduction of the first U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs and the bitcoin halving event. Speaking to CNBC, Garlinghouse expressed confidence in the market's growth, attributing it to both increased demand from institutional investors, triggered by new financial products, and a decrease in bitcoin supply due to the halving process, which cuts the reward for mining bitcoin in half approximately every four years.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission green-lit the first U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs on January 10, a move that allows both institutional and retail investors to engage with bitcoin through traditional stock exchanges without owning the cryptocurrency directly. This ease of access is expected to inject significant institutional funds into the crypto space.

Additionally, the bitcoin network undergoes a "halving" event roughly every four years, a scheduled reduction in the reward given to bitcoin miners that helps control the supply of bitcoin. The upcoming halving is expected to further stimulate market growth by tightening supply as demand continues to rise.

Garlinghouse's predictions come against the backdrop of a crypto market that saw its total capitalization around $2.6 trillion as of early April. With bitcoin's price having soared over 140% in the past year and reaching an all-time high above $73,000 in March, the market dynamics of supply contraction paired with demand expansion suggest a bullish outlook for the crypto market's total valuation.

Entertainment

Titanic ‘Floating Board’ Sells for $700K+

The wooden panel from the iconic film Titanic recently sold at auction for $718,750. This panel featured prominently in the memorable scene where Rose finds precarious refuge atop it while Jack remains submerged, sparking ongoing debates about whether both characters could have survived. Despite filmmaker James Cameron commissioning a study suggesting that only one person could have been supported by the frame, speculation continues.

During the filming of Titanic, crews utilized a massive water tank and crafted the panel from balsa wood to depict the sinking accurately. The auction, which included 1,600 Hollywood artifacts, witnessed intense bidding wars, with notable items such as the ax from The Shining and Indiana Jones's whip fetching substantial sums.

Among the Titanic props up for auction were the helm wheel and Rose's dress, but it was the door panel that captured the most attention. Bidding commenced at $60,000 and quickly escalated, underscoring its significance in cinematic lore.

While the identity of the buyer remains undisclosed, the listing reveals that the panel's design was inspired by debris salvaged from the Titanic wreckage.

World News

Europe's Clean Energy Powers 60% of Electricity in Early 2024

An energy analysis reveals that Europe generated 516.5 terawatt hours of renewable electricity in January and February, meeting 60% of total power demand. This marks a 12% increase from the same period last year, primarily driven by growth in hydro and wind power, alongside a resurgence in nuclear energy.

According to Ember, the think tank, there was a simultaneous 12% decrease in fossil fuel usage, with coal-fired power plants experiencing a 15% decline in energy production.

Contrary to popular belief, the main contributors to this increase were nuclear and hydroelectric power, rather than solar and wind energy. Hydroelectricity accounted for a record-breaking 17.2% share of total power demand in Europe, with a 23% year-on-year increase. Wind power also saw significant growth, generating 137.5 TWh of electricity, up 14%.

Countries such as Ireland and Portugal are witnessing periods where a significant majority of their populations rely entirely on renewable energy for several days.

Moreover, European nations are implementing innovative strategies to integrate more green energy sources into their communities. For instance, Liverpool's plan to build the world's largest tidal power project across the Mersey River delta showcases this commitment.

Mind Stretchers

❓️ 

What kind of dress clothes do lawyers wear?

Answer to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
Stop feeding it 😄 

Albert Knox got the correct answer first!

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected]

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.