Good morning! 🌞 

There are a lot of great words in the English language. It’s a real shame we do not use more of them. Here is a word I personally think is quite enjoyable.

Mellifluous - Having a pleasant and fluid sound; or, Flowing as with honey

This is a great word for describing a voice or song. It simply fits some sounds exactly. My personal opinion, the goal is not to replace all the simple words with a longer version. That just becomes a mouthful. Instead, it is about finding words that fit certain situations perfectly, and using it for those moments.

If you have a word you like, feel free to reply to the email and send it to us. I always find that interesting.

Innovation

Mosquito Proof Skin

Every year, mosquitoes are responsible for about 350 million human illnesses. Furthermore, a recent study found that light pollution might be extending the mosquito blood-feeding season.

While there are plenty of mosquito repellents out their, none of them work perfectly, (and some do not seem to work at all). So new solutions are always welcome, particularly natural ones.

Luckily, new research on bite protection has utilized a readily available natural molecule, cellulose, to create a product that reduced mosquito feeding on human skin by 80 percent.

When treated with sulfuric acid, cellulose, which is inexpensive and widely available from sources such as wood industry waste and local food and paper waste, forms nanocrystals. These cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) form a strong and transparent barrier film.

When combined with water and a small amount of glycerol, these CNCs can be applied to the skin as a spray or gel to prevent mosquitoes from feeding through the skin.

Adult female mosquitoes require human or animal blood to produce eggs, so a significant reduction in this food source, particularly in densely populated areas, could positively impact mosquito population control.

CNCs and the effective barrier they create have also been developed for various "green" applications, such as soundproofing, removing dye from textiles, and manufacturing strong binders like superglue and composite materials as strong as bone.

Environment

Robo-Shark that Gathers Plastic Daily

Richard Hardiman conceived the idea for the WasteShark, a water-cleaning robot, after observing the inefficiency of manual rubbish collection in Cape Town. Inspired by the whale shark's mouth, his company Ran Marine developed an autonomous machine resembling a water Roomba to scoop up surface-level pollution like plastic and debris.

Recently deployed in London's Canary Wharf, the WasteShark, powered by quiet electric engine, works without disturbing wildlife. With a range of 5 km on one battery, it operates for 8-10 hours, collecting around 500 kg of debris daily. The collected waste is responsibly managed, and the robot also gathers water quality data globally to monitor environmental changes. The ultimate goal is to deploy these robots worldwide to contribute to environmental preservation.

Culture

A Landlord’s Gift

Britni Ricard, the founder of COTA Skin Care, also wears the hat of a property owner, having invested in a New Orleans apartment building with 10 units in 2019. The tenants in this building, predominantly single women with children, reminded Ricard of her own upbringing in public housing and the financial challenges her mother faced during Christmas time.

Recalling her childhood, Ricard shared, "It was tough. My mom was a single woman raising three children alone, and watching her continuously struggle as a child and wanting to figure out, 'How can I help?'".

In November, Ricard organized a pre-holiday meeting with her tenants. Then she surprised them with all with a gift— one month of free rent. A video capturing this generous gesture quickly gained traction on TikTok. In addition to the rent relief, Ricard extended her support by offering to organize a seminar to guide her tenants in becoming homeowners.

Kedesha Dunn, a single mother residing in one of the building's units with her two boys, expressed gratitude for Ricard's unexpected gift.
"Now I, you know, I don't have to go try to take a loan out or something like ask my family for money," Dunn said. "Like, I can do it now. Like, I can do it."

"I'm an emotional person," Dunn added. "I start to cry. 'Cause I'm just like, that is so sweet. She's uh, better than Santa Claus at this point. ... Like a guardian angel" she added.

World News

A ‘Mini’ Helper!

Rodney Holbrook, a 75-year-old retired mail carrier from Wales, stumbled upon an unexpected occurrence in his shed – a mouse that has taken on the role of organizing his workspace for about two months. Noticing things out of place, Holbrook decided to set up a camera to investigate.

To his surprise, the footage revealed the mouse actively rearranging items on the workbench, moving clothes pegs, screwdrivers, plant pot trays, and corks into a designated box. Holbrook was taken aback by the unexpected behavior, finding it remarkable.

Now accustomed to the mouse's tidying efforts, Holbrook has given up on his end-of-day cleanup routine, trusting the mouse to handle it. Engaged in a DIY project in the shed, the retiree mentioned that the mouse reliably appears each night.

Dubbing the rodent "Welsh Tidy Mouse" in a lighthearted manner, Holbrook added, "I think he would tidy my wife away if I left her in there!" The mouse seems to have become a practical and somewhat amusing part of Holbrook's shed routine.

Mind Stretchers

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I never take up any space but I can fill it. What am I?

Chris Hostetler gets first again with yesterday’s correct answer of:
A Carpet!

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]

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.