Good morning! 🌞 

Check out today’s article about Europe’s heaviest pumpkin. Very impressive 🎃 

Innovation

AI Safety System

In Assam, India, the driver of a train was notified about a herd of elephants crossing the tracks, thanks to an AI-powered safety system that identifies wildlife and alerts nearby trains. Driver J.D. Das and assistant Umesh Kumar of the Kamrup Express were able to stop in time, preventing a collision.

East Central Railways reports that their AI system has avoided 800 potential collisions with elephants in Tamil Nadu and Assam. They plan to install monitoring stations throughout their jurisdiction to ensure comprehensive AI-assisted surveillance of elephant corridors.
AI is increasingly used in wildlife conservation, particularly to minimize human-animal conflict. In Virginia, two Indian-Americans received $15,000 for developing an AI detection system that monitors deer crossings. This device, placed alongside roads, detects vehicles and deer nearby, emitting high-frequency pulses and animal sounds to deter deer from crossing.
In 2022, deer-related traffic accidents accounted for 6,100 incidents—15% of the total collisions in Virginia—resulting in 500 injuries.

World News

Europe’s Heaviest Pumpkin

In a Belgian town known as “Pumpkin Eaters,” residents are celebrating after local grower Mario Vangeel won 1st prize at the European Pumpkin Championship with his pumpkin weighing in at 2,539 pounds (1,152 kg).

Vangeel’s pumpkin had to be transported from Kasterlee to Ludwigsburg, Germany, a challenging task given its size—about as heavy as a 2007 Honda Civic.
Vangeel previously took 1st place in the Belgian Pumpkin Championship in 2019 and 2nd place in the European Championship in 2021. This year, he felt optimistic as he secured his pumpkin for transport. “I was hoping yes, but I didn’t think I was going to win,” the 50-year-old tractor driver told Euronews Green.
Kasterlee earned its nickname due to its history with pumpkins. According to Vangeel’s wife, Bieke, “They found papers from the 1600s saying that because they had poor land, they couldn’t grow a lot of food. But pumpkins did very well here. And that’s where it started.”

The town has a pumpkin-growing club with 50 members, some of whom were set to compete against Vangeel until a rainy season brought trouble in the form of snails. One grower lost a promising 1,000 kg pumpkin just days before transport when a snail made a small hole, leading to rot.
Most pumpkins at the competition will be hollowed out and used for Kasterlee’s Pumpkin Regatta, attracting about 5,000 visitors to watch kayakers race in these unusual boats.
Bieke is proud of her husband but jokes about his devotion to the pumpkin, noting she’s relieved he’s no longer sleeping in the greenhouse. Looking ahead, Vangeel plans to compete in next year’s World Pumpkin Championship, aiming to break the current record of 2,749 pounds (1,296 kg) held by Travis Gienger of Anoka, Minnesota.

Good News

Saving Lives

Meet Daniel Kinsella, a 16-year-old from Liverpool who recently rescued three groups of paddleboarders using his family's dinghy.

His passion for the sea developed during family trips to the Welsh island of Anglesey, where he became a certified junior yacht pilot, reclaiming a part of his childhood shaped by chemotherapy.
Daniel’s health challenges began in 2012 when he was diagnosed with leukemia at age four. After three years of chemotherapy at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, his parents chose a Portacath for his treatment, allowing him to swim during family outings. They aimed to give him a sense of normalcy despite his illness.
After completing treatment, Daniel was declared cancer-free in 2016, though he faced complications like pneumonia during a trip to Anglesey. His family’s commitment to traditions nurtured his interests, leading him to advocate for curbside recycling in Liverpool by age eight.

Recently, while piloting the dinghy, Daniel received a distress call about paddleboarders stranded on rocks due to strong winds. After dropping off his friends for safety, he returned to rescue the family, one of three groups he helped that day.
“I was super proud of him for going to people’s aid and the way he navigates our boat,” Michelle said. “The weather can be deceptive; it might be warm on the beach, but the water is freezing.”
In addition to his love for the sea, Daniel is also interested in aviation and aspires to join the RAF.

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Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

When rain falls, does it ever get up again?

Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers:

“Case in point”

Gerry Moore got the correct answer first! 🌞 

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