Good Morning! 🌞

Congratulations to Stephen Nedoroscik for getting another bronze medal! This time in the Men’s Pommel Horse Final event.

He is definitely one of America’s new favorites.

Innovation

First Driverless Semi Truck Delivery

Kodiak Robotics has reached a significant milestone in autonomous commercial vehicle technology by completing a driverless truck delivery for Atlas Energy Solutions in Texas. This achievement is a crucial step towards initiating commercial autonomous operations as early as next year.

The delivery route for Atlas traversed the Permian Basin in West Texas, a notably challenging environment for truckers due to its hot and arid conditions.

Kodiak Robotics identifies hauling materials in industrial settings, such as the oilfields of West Texas, as a promising and potentially lucrative market for driverless semi-trucks.

Kodiak CEO Don Burnette explains to Axios that operations in areas like the Permian Basin, with its private road networks and lower speeds, provide an ideal testing ground before deploying these technologies on public highways.

Founded in 2018, Kodiak Robotics aims to develop a specialized autonomous technology stack for long-haul trucks, enhancing the safety and efficiency of the freight industry. The company has pioneered a modular hardware approach, integrating sensors into a comprehensive sensor-pod structure optimized for perception and scalability.

Earlier this year, Kodiak declared itself the first driverless truck company to develop an autonomous platform with the necessary redundancies for safe driverless deployment.

This is a very interesting development for autonomous vehicles. Personally, I think it will be a while before these are wide spread and in use. However, I do think companies like Kodiak are correct, and that the first market to use them will be in desert areas which are unpleasant for human drivers, less populated, and generally easier to drive in compared to many other terrains.

Entertainment

Fundraising Song Supports Young Boy Battling Cancer

At just 5 years old, Jack Gyde, who is battling stage 4 brain cancer, has climbed the music charts in the UK with a fundraising song.

Jack was diagnosed with Stage 4 High-Risk Neuroblastoma earlier this year after his mother, Sarah, noticed him limping. A song released to raise money for his treatment has surpassed artists like Coldplay and Kylie Minogue in online downloads, raising thousands of pounds in the process.

Bristol musician Daz Sims recorded, produced, and released the single titled "Cowboy Jack." To everyone's surprise, it debuted at #28 on the iTunes chart and has since settled at #39, still ahead of artists like Beyonce, Luke Combs, and Coldplay. Before Jack's moment in the spotlight, his care team and family at the Brunelcare healthcare facility launched a fundraiser to cover the costs of ongoing tumor maintenance and a trip to the US for life-extending treatment.

The goal is to raise £250,000 (about $280,000).

“Every download of ‘Cowboy Jack’ supports fundraising efforts for 5-year-old Jack Gyde, who urgently needs lifesaving treatment in the US,” said a Brunelcare spokesperson. “The treatment costs £250,000, and your simple act of downloading the song can make a significant impact.” Jack is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with plans for surgery and a stem cell transplant. If his NHS treatment is successful, he has a 40-50% chance of survival, but if he relapses, his chances drop to just 5%.

The funds raised will support additional maintenance treatment in the US to reduce the risk of relapse and improve his chances of survival. The fundraiser has so far reached £141,000, including £10,400 contributed by Daz Sims from his download revenues.

To donate to Jack’s Journey, visit the provided link. To download the song, visit the links on Amazon and iTunes.

World News

Italy's "Path of Love" Reopens After 12 Years

Cinque Terre's most romantic trail, the Via dell'Amore, reopened on July 27, twelve years after a landslide in September 2012 injured four Australian tourists and highlighted the need for renovations and safety measures.

This 800m footpath, carved into steep cliffs with views of the Ligurian Sea, has a history of 104 years. Before its closure in 2012, the trail was among the most popular in the 130km network connecting the villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola, known for their unique vertical architecture and vibrant colors.

The Path of Love was not initially planned; it was created during the construction of the railway between Genova and La Spezia in the late 19th century. Locals then connected two fragmented paths, completing the footpath by 1931. The trail quickly became a popular spot for romantic walks, earning its name from an anonymous inscription on the rock wall.

However, the trail is located on a steep and unstable mountainside prone to landslides, a risk heightened by neglected maintenance of stone walls and changing weather patterns. The recent renovations included a €22 million project to secure the mountainside with harnesses, nets, and anchors, ensuring safety without compromising the landscape's beauty.

The reopened trail now allows a maximum of 400 visitors per hour, with tickets available online or at park ticket booths. While full wedding ceremonies will have to wait until next year, intimate weddings are allowed on the trail this summer.

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Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

What thrives when you feed it but dies when you water it?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
Lovely and round, I’m shimmery white, grown in the darkness, a lady’s delight. What am I?

ANSWER: Pearl

Gerry Moore 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