Good Morning! 🌞 

The numbers for our monthly mind stretcher competition our finally in!

Albert Knox and Gerry Moore tied for first place with 13 correct answers each. Followed by Galen Garretson in second with 12 and Linda Runatz in third with 10.

If you have been sending in answers to the mind stretchers you can check how well you did on our website here.

Announcement: We are very happy to announce that there will be a mystery prize for the winner of May’s monthly competition.

Good luck and happy guessing!

Innovation

The Creature that Eats Plastic

Waxworms, the larval stage of wax moths, are typically known to beekeepers as pests because they feed on the wax in honeycombs. However, in 2017, molecular biologist Federica Bertocchini made a surprising discovery about these seemingly unremarkable creatures.

Bertocchini, an amateur beekeeper and a researcher at the Spanish National Research Council, threw some waxworms in a plastic bag after cleaning her bee hive. She soon noticed that the worms had chewed holes through the plastic, but noticed that the worms weren't just damaging the plastic; they were actually breaking it down and digesting it.

“It was a real eureka moment – it was brilliant," Bertocchini recalls about her initial observation, which sparked a significant research project.

These waxworms demonstrated a unique ability to break down plastic, a task that has proved difficult for humans. Further investigation revealed that the liquid excreted by the worms contained two enzymes which effectively oxidized the polyethylene in the plastic, breaking it down on contact.

While releasing these worms into plastic-polluted environments could pose risks to ecosystems, Bertocchini sees potential in harnessing these enzymes to address global plastic pollution. Now serving as the chief technology officer at Plasticentropy France, she is exploring ways to scale up these enzymes for broader application in plastic degradation.

"The big-picture goal is to be able to apply these enzymes to the plastic waste," Bertocchini states, aiming to develop this discovery into a global solution.

The potential mass production of such enzymes could revolutionize how the world handles plastic waste, possibly even integrating the creatures that inspired this innovation.

Check out this fascinating video about the worms.

Culture

The Forgotten Food

There are many fascinating things about the cultures that came before us.

One thing that is intrinsic to culture is food. However, sometimes food isn’t just flavor. Sometimes it changes the face of history.

World News

‘Britain’s Pompeii’ village frozen in time

Around 2,850 years ago, a vibrant late Bronze Age community in what is now Peterborough, England, faced a catastrophic event when their stilt village, known as Must Farm, was engulfed in flames. The fire left behind a snapshot of domestic life frozen in time, which archaeologists have recently explored through a detailed $1.4 million excavation. This "archaeological nirvana" provides a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of its inhabitants.

The inhabitants had to flee in haste, abandoning everything, including a wooden spoon in a bowl of porridge and their lambs, which perished in the fire. The excavation, which unearthed four roundhouses and a wealth of preserved items like pottery, textiles, and wooden tools, offers a vivid picture of a cozy, prosperous community.

Despite the tragic destruction, the site’s exceptional preservation conditions have allowed for groundbreaking insights into Bronze Age life, challenging previous understandings of societal structures during that era. The findings suggest that items like bronze tools, previously thought to be rare, may have been more commonplace.

The research has been compiled into a two-volume monograph that highlights both the daily life and sudden demise of the Must Farm community, providing an invaluable resource for understanding Bronze Age Britain.

If you want to read about all the interesting details, check out this article:

Sports

The Kentucky Derby Is Here!

The 2024 Kentucky Derby, known as the most thrilling two minutes in sports, is fast approaching. This upcoming race on Saturday, May 4 marks the 150th anniversary of the prestigious event, which is the first jewel in horse racing's Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes later in the spring and early summer.

As the United States' most-watched and best-attended horse race, the Kentucky Derby draws hundreds of thousands of spectators to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Fans flock not only for the race itself but also to enjoy the two weeks of celebrations hosted by the Kentucky Derby Festival.

The race starts at 6:45 p.m. ET. You can watch online through Peacock, YouTube TV, or fuboTV. It is also available on Cable TV through NBC.

Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

Someone at a party introduces you to your mother's only sister's husband's sister in law.  He has no brothers.  What do you call this lady?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
9⁹, this is 9x9x9x9x9x9x9x9x9 or 387,420,489.

Ninety-nine is definitely what came to my mind first. Nine to the ninth is a very sly trick for sure.

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 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.