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Here’s an interesting fact: The largest living organism on Earth is a honey fungus (Armillaria ostoyae) in Oregon’s Malheur National Forest. It covers about 2,385 acres (nearly 4 square miles) and is estimated to be over 2,400 years old. Most of the fungus lives underground as a network of mycelium, making it an enormous, interconnected organism.

Health Sciences

Sugar that Cures Baldness?

Only two FDA-approved drugs exist for male pattern baldness, but a new potential treatment might be within reach.

Scientists have identified a naturally occurring sugar, 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), that has stimulated hair growth in mice. This sugar, which can be easily added to various gels, could offer a low-cost alternative.

Research from the University of Sheffield and COMSATS University Pakistan, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, suggests this sugar may be effective in treating androgenic alopecia, a condition affecting up to half of all men, sometimes as early as age 30.

Initially studying 2dDR’s role in wound healing, the researchers observed that treated wounds had faster hair growth. They then tested the sugar on a model of testosterone-driven hair loss in mice, similar to male pattern baldness in humans.

The results showed that 2dDR promoted new blood vessel formation, leading to hair regrowth, with effectiveness comparable to Minoxidil, a current treatment.

Professor Sheila MacNeil from the University of Sheffield emphasized that while the research is still in early stages, the findings are promising. Professor Muhammed Yar from Pakistan noted that 2dDR's compatibility with various gels makes it a strong candidate for further exploration as a hair loss treatment.

Tech

The World’s Largest 3D Printer

At the University of Maine, one of the world’s largest 3D printers is using sawdust from the local lumber industry to 3D print wooden cabins.

This effort targets Maine's housing shortage by making 3D printing faster and more sustainable. With 80,000 new homes needed in the next five years, the Advanced Structures & Composites Center (ASCC) at the university is leveraging its 3D printer, certified by Guinness World Records as the largest prototype polymer 3D printer. The machine can create a 600-square-foot house entirely from bio-based material at 500 pounds per hour. In 2022, it printed a house's walls, floors, and roof in 96 hours, with a goal to cut that time to 48 hours.

“Our approach is different from the usual concrete printing,” says Habib Dagher, ASCC’s executive director.

While most 3D printing projects focus only on walls, the ASCC’s BioHome3D prints entire structures. The design features a modern Scandinavian cabin aesthetic, and the team is working to seamlessly integrate wiring and plumbing into the construction.

World News

18-Year-old Guides Hikers Out of Wildfire

Amid the wildfires that ravaged Canada's Jasper National Park, an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter named Colleen Knull played a crucial role in saving over a dozen people.

When an evacuation order was issued in late July, Knull, who was working as a kitchen aide at a lodge, noticed smoke rising from the mountainsides. Aware that campers were still in the area, she quickly alerted everyone at the lodge and went out to gather the campers. In total, 16 people were prepared to evacuate.

With darkness setting in, the only way out was a four-hour hike through challenging terrain. Knull used her knowledge of the area and tracking skills to guide the group down the trail, relying on headlamps and phone flashlights to navigate.

“I had previously ridden a horse up to that lodge on that same trail, and along the way, my employer and I had cut 67 logs. So I used my tracking skills—following horse tracks and manure,” Knull told CTV News. The hike was tough, with thick smoke, burning eyes, and constant ash fall. Rebecca Tocher, one of the hikers, praised Knull as an excellent leader who ensured everyone worked together.

Remarkably, all 16 hikers made it out safely and were evacuated in the back of Knull’s pickup truck. This experience, Knull shared, only strengthened her determination to become a full-time firefighter.

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Mind Stretchers

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Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers:
This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.

Answer: Time

Gerry Moore got the correct answer first!

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 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.