Good Morning! 🌞

We all have our struggles in life. This is Brently, and he has been cataloging his weight-loss journey on YouTube. He is currently around 350lbs which is several hundred pounds from where he started.

It is great seeing someone working towards what they want to achieve with such great enthusiasm and positivity. Here is a YouTube short of him giving an update on all the things he can do now that he could not before.

Innovation

A Pencil That Never Runs Out

Despite the abundance of pens and the prevalence of computers, the simple pencil has remained a staple for writers, draftsmen, designers, and artists for centuries. The only frustrating part is having to sharpen it all the time when it breaks or gets dull.

What if you rarely had to replace or sharpen the tip? It sounds like a dream, but it's now a reality with this everlasting metal pencil, allowing you to focus more on your creativity and less on lead maintenance.

At first glance, it resembles the all-metal counterpart of the second-gen Apple Pencil, and that's almost accurate. The octagonal aluminum shaft houses a special alloy core. You might expect it to leave heavy grooves on your paper, but apparently it writes like a regular pencil without the tip wearing down, even after extensive use.

This isn't magic, but rather a clever application of science. The special alloy core contains graphite, just like traditional pencils, and the friction from writing or drawing leaves particles of graphite and alloy on the paper. Because it uses metal for the core instead of clay or charcoal, it wears down so slowly that your metal pencil could outlast you. You can write for about 10 miles before it even starts to dull.

Remarkably, this pencil's marks can be erased just like any regular pencil, using gum, rubber, vinyl, or other erasers, so you don’t have to worry about permanent mistakes. However, because it uses friction to adhere particles to the paper, it doesn't smudge or smear like normal graphite. This might disappoint those who use smudging techniques, but it's a boon for watercolor artists and your average journaling.

I have never used one of these myself, so I don’t know how well they work. But it seems like a really handy pencil to have, and a neat gift idea.

Here the website selling these particular pencils and a video demonstrating its use.

Environment

Plant-Infused Green Roofs

Amsterdam's rooftops have been transformed into a large sponge to enhance the city's climate resilience.

The Dutch have a long history of effective water management due to much of their land being below sea level. Now, these skills are being applied to the rooftops in Amsterdam, replacing traditional materials with greenery and soil.

This approach, part of the 'sponge city concept,' involves covering roofs with plants and soil that absorb rainwater. This water is then used for non-potable purposes like flushing toilets and watering ground-level plants. If heavy rains are expected, a smart valve system releases stored rainwater into municipal storm drains to prevent flooding.

So far, 45,000 square meters (11 acres) of Amsterdam’s rooftops have been converted, demonstrating the concept’s potential in both wet and dry climates. As climate change causes more unpredictable and intense rainfall, such measures could mitigate flooding, which causes significant damage in countries like the UK, Netherlands, and Italy.

The Resilio project, a collaboration among various firms and organizations, has been instrumental in implementing this technology. Although the initial costs are high, the long-term savings on water utilities and flood damage are substantial. Companies involved include Waternet, MetroPolder Company, Rooftop Revolution, HvA, VU, Stadgenoot, de Alliantie, and De Key, resulting in rooftops now supporting vegetation like ferns, mosses, shrubs, and sedum.

Amsterdam’s green rooftops can store over 120,000 gallons of water. Kasper Spaan from Waternet highlighted the concept’s global applicability, especially in drought-prone areas like Southern Europe, where it can alleviate stress on water resources.

The sponge city concept also offers cooling benefits when paired with solar panels, as evaporative cooling can enhance energy generation. Spaan summarized the approach, stating that while not every roof can support everything, each roof can support something.

Matt Simon, reporting on the project, suggested that future cities might resemble lush gardens more than sleek, futuristic metropolises.

Culture

Artwork Sketched Underwater

A freediver from Devon is exhibiting her artwork inspired by the underwater world.

Louise Scammell, from South Brent, describes her process of sketching marine life on waterproof paper while breath-holding beneath the waves. These sketches are later transformed into prints once she's back on land.

Displayed at the Delamore Arts exhibition in Delamore House, Cornwood, near Ivybridge, her artwork reflects her lifelong fascination with the sea and its inhabitants. Ms. Scammell explains that her passion for snorkeling and photography led her to sketching underwater, finding it a more focused and simplified way to capture the wildlife she encounters.

Despite the challenges of coordinating with camera equipment and drawing materials while floating, she has honed her technique over the years, using graphite to create her underwater sketches. Her latest series features birds from the Pembrokeshire coast, with the artist even donning a puffin-shaped headpiece to blend in with her subjects.

Once out of the water, Ms. Scammell swiftly develops her sketches into lithograph prints. Her work, alongside various print techniques from 11 different artists, is showcased in the newly refurbished Carriage Gallery at Delamore House.

Gavin Dollard, representing Delamore Arts, expresses satisfaction with the gallery's popularity, drawing in thousands of visitors each May. Delamore House, a venue for artists for 23 years, features diverse artworks from over 300 painters, ceramicists, and textile artists. However, it's the sculpture gardens, where art harmonizes with spring flowers, that often steal the show for many visitors.

Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

Break it and it gets better; set it and it’s harder to break

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
Scissors ✂️ 

Chris Hostetler got the correct answer first!

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] or reply to the email.

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