Good morning! 🌞 

Today, I highly encourage you to do this meditation and not get too sucked into the election madness that unfolded yesterday. It changed my mornings and helped me start the day off in a much better and more relaxed way.

Innovation

Air Into Water

A team of engineers at the University of Las Vegas is developing a new water supply system for desert areas, backed by government funding. Their technology extracts gallons of water daily from the air and is already moving toward commercialization.

UNLV mechanical engineering professor H. Jeremy Cho has examined existing atmospheric water capture methods and identified ways to improve them. Traditional systems often yield less than a gallon per day and become less effective at humidity levels below 30%. Inspired by nature, Cho's design uses a hydrogel membrane modeled after frog skin and certain plants. Cho notes that there is a significant amount of moisture in the air, explaining that the hundreds of millions of gallons consumed daily in Clark County correspond to the moisture in the 30 feet of air closest to the ground.

To harness this potential, Cho collaborated with UNLV undergraduates Emilie Luong and Benjamin Sabir to create WAVR, a startup developed through the National Science Foundation’s Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE), which provided funding for their research. WAVR's patented technology can capture five times more water than existing systems, offering a promising solution for the Southwest. Initial studies on WAVR's devices indicate that in Las Vegas, conditions could allow for the generation of 0.75 to 1.5 gallons of water per square meter of membrane each day. Cho states that a one-square-meter unit could produce about a gallon daily, with higher outputs in more humid conditions.

The system utilizes salt's aqua-conductive properties to collect water, which can be converted into drinking water or, through electrolysis, into green hydrogen fuel for vehicles and equipment. Zach Miles, senior associate vice president for UNLV’s Office of Economic Development, emphasizes that projects like WAVR not only advance technology but also create jobs and diversify the local economy.

US News

Hospital Rooftop Garden

It's a common issue worldwide: hospital food often tends to be unhealthy.

To address this, Boston Medical Center (BMC), one of the nation’s greenest hospitals, has opened two large rooftop gardens. These gardens provide patients and staff with access to fresh food while enhancing green space on campus. Previously, BMC had one rooftop garden supplying fresh produce to its cafeteria and inpatient catering. The new garden takes advantage of the hospital’s rooftop space to distribute fresh food to underserved communities, reinforcing BMC's role as a healing institution—whether through medical care or nutritious meals.

In partnership with Boston Area Gleaners, the 4,915-square-foot Newmarket Farm will distribute its harvest to local nonprofits and community centers twice a week during the growing season, addressing food insecurity and improving access to fresh produce across Boston. The Newmarket Farm triples BMC's growing area and quadruples its expected annual produce output. It will focus on vegetables like collard greens, kale, and arugula, as well as culturally relevant crops like Aji Dulce peppers, bok choy, and callaloo. This initiative also supports BMC’s sustainability goals by reducing heat-absorbing pavement and managing stormwater runoff. The garden uses high-tech irrigation systems to minimize water waste by targeting the roots directly. “Our rooftop farms enhance green space, lower the hospital’s carbon footprint, and strengthen local food systems. We’re proud to increase fresh food access while supporting critical clinical programs like the Preventive Food Pantry,” said David Maffeo, Senior Director of Support Services at BMC.

BMC's Food Is Medicine program collaborates with a local grocer to create labeling that addresses community health needs. For instance, foods beneficial for blood sugar control are labeled for diabetics, and items that may lower blood pressure are marked as heart-healthy. Given the city’s cultural diversity, these labels are printed in multiple languages, including Vietnamese and Haitian-Creole.

Good News

$20 to $1 Million

Master carpenter Jerry Hicks from Banner Elk, North Carolina, had an unexpectedly lucrative payday when he found $20 outside a convenience store. Unbeknownst to him, this would lead to a significant windfall.

On Tuesday evening, Hicks used the $20 to buy an Extreme Cash scratch-off ticket at the Speedway on Highway 105 in Boone. He mentioned that the store didn’t have his usual lottery game, so he opted for one he had never tried before. His choice paid off, as he won a million dollars with that ticket. When speaking with North Carolina Education Lottery officials, Hicks joked, “We are going to head straight to Golden Corral and eat everything they’ve got.”

Given the option between an annuity of $50,000 for 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000, he opted for the single payout, taking home $429,007 after taxes. Hicks plans to retire after 56 years as a carpenter and use the remaining funds to better support his children.

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Mind Stretchers

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A basket contains 5 apples, how can you divide them among 5 kids so that each one has an apple and one apple stays in the basket? 🍎 

Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers:
The correct answer for this is, pattern #2! — Gerry Moore got this answer first! He also was able to answer the mind stretcher from Monday’s so that’s double streak for you! 🌞 

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] or reply to 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.