Morning everyone! 🌞

A new study has come out of Antarctica showing that Penguin parents sleep in increments of just a couple of seconds at a time for weeks while they are watching their eggs and young chicks.

They take short “microsleeps” that apparently look a lot like nodding off, then blinking awake again and still getting around 11 hours of “sleep” a day.

Wow, that sounds rough. I am sure all the parents out there can sympathize!

Innovation

The Future of Water: Cheap Drinkable Seawater

In a rare collaboration, scientists from the US and China have created a groundbreaking, cost-effective, and efficient method for purifying seawater. The new passive solar-powered desalination tool can produce 4-6 liters of clean water per hour and has the potential to sustain a coastal household in sunny areas year-round when scaled up.

Despite the constant warnings from natural resource managers, city planners, and climate activists about the increasing severity of droughts in the future, the solution may have always been right in front of us. By utilizing the Earth's vast amount of undrinkable water, the technology can significantly improve global access to clean water.

The tool uses thermohaline circulation, which is the same process that occurs in the ocean, to create swirling eddies that evaporate the water, leaving the salt behind. The water vapor is collected at a rate that can sustain daily household demands. This process, powered by sunlight, makes it possible for water to be even cheaper than tap water!

This breakthrough in solar desalination technology has the potential to address real-world problems in coastal communities with water scarcity issues. The components of the still are designed for a 10-year lifespan, making it a long-lasting and practical solution.

World News

Miyazaki's 'The Boy and the Heron' Soars to Box Office Heights

Hayao Miyazaki, the 82-year-old Japanese anime master, clinched his first No. 1 spot at the North American box office with his latest film, "The Boy and the Heron," debuting at $12.8 million. The animated fantasy, known for classics like "Spirited Away" and "My Neighbor Totoro," marks only the third anime to top the U.S. and Canadian box office and the first original anime to achieve this. It is also the first fully foreign production to lead the domestic box office in the current year.

The film, featuring an English dub cast including Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, and Mark Hamill, follows a boy navigating a fantastical realm guided by a mysterious heron after his mother's death in World War II. Despite being initially considered Miyazaki's swan song, Studio Ghibli revealed the director is working on another film.

"The Boy and the Heron" earlier earned $56 million in Japan without traditional promotion. The film's success adds to Miyazaki's already impressive legacy, as all 10 of his films with Studio Ghibli were re-released in theaters throughout the year.

Culture

From Bobby Pin to Dream House: Demi's Incredible Trading Journey

Demi Skipper, a 30-year-old woman from San Francisco, California, embarked on an extraordinary journey to trade her way from a humble bobby pin to a house. Inspired by Kyle MacDonald's similar feat in 2006, Demi set out to see if she could replicate his success using social media to her advantage.

The Trading Process

Starting with a single bobby pin, Demi created a set of rules for her project. She could not accept any money or pay for anything apart from necessary shipping costs, and she could not trade with anyone she knew. Using TikTok, Demi gained a massive following of over 5 million followers, who eagerly followed her progress.

Over the course of 19 months and 28 trades, Demi worked her way up from a bobby pin to a house. Some of her trade-ups included a set of earrings, a vacuum cleaner, a set of margarita glasses, and even a Chipotle celebrity card, which offered a year of free food from the chain and was worth $20,000. She eventually traded up to cars and even some tractors.

The Final Trade

Demi's final trade involved a solar-powered trailer worth $40,000, which included a Tesla powerwall and solar panels, as well as a full-sized fridge. This trailer was traded for a two-bedroom house in Clarksville, Tennessee, valued at $79,800. The house is located around 45 minutes outside of Nashville and has a backyard.

You can watch a video of her hat an incredible story!

Environment

Program Sets Out to Save 120 Miles of Reefs in Hawaii

Hawai‘i's Ākoʻakoʻa program, led by Arizona State University (ASU), aims to restore 193 kilometers (120 miles) of coral reefs off the west of Hawaiʻi’s Big Island. With a funding pool of $25 million, the initiative will address coral decline caused by pollution and overfishing.

ASU plans to build a research and coral propagation facility in Kailua-Kona, focusing on scientific research and coral restoration. Greg Asner, director of ASU’s Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, emphasizes community involvement, integrating scientific expertise with traditional knowledge. Supported by donations and funding from various sources, the program emphasizes the interconnectedness of land and ocean health to protect coral reefs.

Mind Stretchers

I start with an "E" and end with an "E," but I usually contain only one letter. What am I?

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.