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Yesterday, we had an article about tipping. Today, we want to see what peoples general opinions are after reading it.

You can submit a more nuanced answer by replying to the email.

Innovation

Boosting Grid Power by 30%: ‘Magic Balls’ Headed to the US!

Heimdall Power, a Norwegian company, is introducing its innovative technology to improve the efficiency of power lines in the United States. The company's flagship product, the Neuron, a small spherical sensor resembling a soccer ball, is designed to monitor voltage, temperature, and current angles on high-voltage power lines in real-time.

Traditional power lines lack real-time information about electricity transmission, leading to inefficiencies. With approximately 160,000 miles of power lines in the US, the potential for improvement is significant. Installed quickly by drones, the Neuron provides crucial data to grid managers. For instance, it can identify areas of over-transmission, allowing adjustments to save costs or reallocate power to areas with higher demand.

Heimdall Power claims that improved control over power lines has already saved customers significant amounts in Norwegian Kroner, equivalent to almost $10 million.
The Neuron is set to make its debut in the US through agreements with Great River Energy in Minnesota and an undisclosed publicly-traded utility in Michigan.

World News

Grandma Graduates 60 Years Later with a Special Tribute

Angela Davidson, an English grandmother, recently completed her university degree nearly sixty years after initially enrolling in animal sciences. She had discontinued her studies due to pregnancy after meeting her partner at the same college, where only six women were studying animal sciences.

In December 2023, Angela graduated with a Bachelor’s (honors) in Animal Sciences. During the ceremony, a university representative highlighted the substantial increase in the number of veterinary students, particularly women, compared to the six students in 1960, including Angela.

Angela, surrounded by her children and grandchildren on graduation day, remarked, "It was a most wonderful morning. I’ve waited years for this." Reflecting on the challenges faced by women in the early 1960s, she appreciated the recognition of the evolving times during her ceremony and added, "The early 1960s was a very different time for women, and that has been acknowledged today—I felt such a warm atmosphere." Angela also expressed her satisfaction, stating, "I’ve waited many years for this, and my daughter, who I was expecting when I left the course, was here with me today to see me finally pick up my degree."

Culture

Another Spotify Trend— ‘Daylist’!

In November, Spotify gained attention on social media with its Wrapped feature, offering insights into users' listening habits. Now, the platform's personalized daylists are going viral online.

Daylists are playlists tailored to users' music preferences, changing throughout the day for each user. Spotify reported a 20,000% increase in daylists searches in the past week. While sharing these playlists on Instagram Stories has become a trend recently, daylists were launched last September.

Each playlist is unique, with names like "romantic c-sharp minor Tuesday morning" or "delulu masterpiece Thursday afternoon."

Spotify data has become a way for people to express their personalities online. Like Wrapped, daylists let users showcase their specific musical tastes. Some appreciate feeling understood by the daylists and like the recommendations.

Daylists are currently only available to users in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

Environment

Endangered Butterflies to Be Released on California Coast

In California, a collaborative initiative is addressing the four-year restoration plan for Behren’s silverspot butterfly along the Northern California coastline. The Mendocino Land Trust (MLT), backed by a $1.5 million grant from the State of CA Wildlife Conservation Board, intends to reintroduce 35,000 early blue violets—the exclusive caterpillar food source—alongside native plants.

Invasive grasses have significantly diminished these crucial plants along the 53-acre coastline, stretching from Salt Point Park in Sonoma County to the Mendocino Headlands. The MLT's strategy includes releasing captive-bred caterpillars from Speyeria Conservation and Research into the revitalized habitat this spring.

With just 92 sightings of Behren’s silverspot butterfly in the past 15 years, scientists stress the urgency of the project. The Wildlife Conservation Board, established in 1947, actively supports habitat restoration and wildlife access facilities, encompassing programs for butterfly rescue and forest and desert conservation.

Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

What do you see once in June, twice in November, and not at all in May?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
The Library 📕 

Chris Hostetler coming in first with the correct answer!

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.