Good morning! 🌞 

Check out this incredible video of the deepest ever free-dive of a staggering 136 meters!

Earth Sciences

Astronauts Return After 8 Months

The astronauts stranded on the International Space Station have returned to Earth after an unexpected 8-month stay.

In August, when Boeing’s Starliner capsule, scheduled to pick them up, had to return empty due to malfunctions, the crew faced an extended mission. NASA’s Crew 8 Mission—Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos’ Alexander Grebenkin—arrived via SpaceX’s Dragon capsule in March. Barratt, the only one with previous space experience, and the crew endured additional delays after a crack in the capsule’s hatch required more diagnostics. With the ISS over capacity after the Starliner mission’s failure, NASA had to adjust plans. Barratt noted the ground crews had to “replan, retool, and redo everything right along with us.”

The crew splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico last week in a SpaceX capsule. One astronaut was treated at a hospital for an undisclosed injury, while the others are recuperating at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. After an extended period in microgravity, it can take weeks to readjust to Earth. During their mission, the crew conducted research on stem cells, fuel temperature effects on flammability, and immune function in space, advancing space medicine and health. Four new ISS crew members have since replaced them, including two sent up in the same capsule that brought them back.

Good News

Unwanted Dogs Become Best Friends

Boone and Rellie spent over 450 days combined at a South Carolina humane society shelter.

One was deaf, and the other was shy, but a prospective owner who had been following their stories on social media decided it was time for both to have a home. Rellie, known for being gentle with dogs but wary of strangers, had been up for adoption at the Greenville Humane Society for 10 months. For the last four, she bonded with Boone, a long-term resident who had been waiting 150 days. “He was deaf, and finding a patient home for him was challenging,” the shelter shared in a Facebook post. “Boone and Rellie took daily walks together at the shelter and played together every day,” said Emily Zheng, marketing manager for the shelter, according to The Herald. “They were the best of friends.”

Boone, a large white dog with mismatched eyes, had learned sign language and to use a vibrating collar to help him navigate. When Rellie’s new owners, who had been following her story, came to meet her, the shelter mentioned she needed to live with another dog. With room in their home and hearts, they met Boone and knew he was the one. “This reminds us why we do what we do—for homeless pets in our community,” the society posted on Facebook.

Environment

Efficient Solar Energy Breakthrough

Researchers at the universities of Mainz and Siegen have created advanced molecules to store solar energy for longer and more efficiently. Heating makes up about half of global energy use, but solar power isn’t widely adopted in this area because sunlight isn’t always available. Traditional solar storage, like heated water, only lasts a short time, but these new molecules can store solar energy in their chemical bonds, keeping it for weeks or even months and releasing it as heat when needed.

These specialized molecules, known as photoswitches, absorb sunlight and store it until it’s time to release energy as heat. A major challenge with photoswitches, however, is that they typically require UV light to work, which makes up only a small fraction of sunlight. The researchers solved this by adding a second molecule, a sensitizer, which captures visible light (the most abundant type) and transfers it to the photoswitches. This setup is similar to the light-harvesting process in plants, where one part absorbs light and passes it on for energy use.

This new method has greatly boosted the energy storage potential of these molecules—by more than ten times, giving them an energy storage capability similar to lithium-ion batteries. This breakthrough has significant potential applications in areas like home heating and large-scale energy storage, offering a more sustainable approach to energy management and usage.

Mind Stretchers

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Yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

‘Pairdice’ = Paradise — this one was a bit tricky because no one got it! 🌞 

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.