We have a bit of Jeopardy! for you this morning. Here’s the clue: A Canadian game show host with a newly announced forever stamp from the U.S. Postal Service. If you guessed “Who is Alex Trebek?” you would be correct. See the new stamps honoring the late icon — they go on sale July 22, what would have been Trebek’s 84th birthday.
Must Reads
A stunning shot of two squabbling Blackburnian warblers was crowned the grand prize winner of the 2024 Audubon Photography Awards
Struggling with insomnia? This clinical psychologist has some tips
Health
Skull-Implanted Device Offers Hope to Patients With Rare Forms of Epilepsy
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
Meet Oran Knowlson, the 13-year-old making medical history as the first patient in the U.K. to undergo deep brain stimulation, or DBS, to treat epilepsy, and the first child in the world to receive an innovative, skull-mounted device for his condition. Suffering from a rare and treatment-resistant form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome since the age of 3, Oran has endured countless daily seizures that have denied him a normal childhood and affected his quality of life. However, since undergoing an eight-hour surgery at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital last October, he has experienced an 80% reduction in his daytime seizures, giving him and his family new hope. “Now the future looks brighter,” Oran’s mother, Justine, told the BBC. The technology behind the treatment is a neurostimulator made by Amber Therapeutics that’s implanted in the skull and delivers constant electrical pulses to disrupt abnormal brain signals. Unlike DBS devices placed in the chest, the skull-mounted version minimizes potential complications and is rechargeable via wireless headphones, according to the hospital. Watch a video chronicling Oran’s story.
Listen up: hear.com released the world’s first hearing aid designed with conversation in mind, and you can really hear the difference. The Horizon IX is not just any hearing aid; it’s the biggest industry breakthrough in over a decade, packing top-notch German engineering into a device that’s so small, people won’t even know you’re wearing it. But that’s not all. It’s rechargeable and bluetooth-enabled, and the company offers award-winning support, flexible payment options, and a no-risk 45-day trial. Getting the clarity you deserve has never been easier — click below to learn more and start hearing clearly.
Plastic pollution is a massive global issue, but there’s a heartening story of change from a small Pacific island nation near Australia. Vanuatu, facing mounting plastic waste, took a bold step in 2018 by banning single-use plastics. This decision, among the first of its kind globally, has made a real difference in reducing waste across the country, home to about 325,000 people living on 83 islands. “They were passing on a really strong message that Vanuatu needed to save turtles and fish and not have plastics flying around,” Christelle Thieffry, a French immigrant who played a pivotal role in gathering support for the ban by starting a grassroots campaign, told The Guardian. The United Nations reports that oceans, rivers, and lakes are inundated with the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks’ worth of plastic every day — a devastating impact that Vanuatu residents witnessed firsthand. Ken Andrew, a local chief, recalled how a once-vibrant lagoon where he used to swim as a child became clogged with plastic waste over the years. “The plastic would form a small island inside the lagoon, it was so thick,” Andrew said. Since the ban, the positive changes are hard to miss. The lagoon is slowly regaining its former beauty, and innovative solutions like biodegradable planters and reusable products are gaining popularity, offering a promising glimpse into a more environmentally friendly future.
Tech
Researchers Developed a Hair-Thin Fabric That Suppresses Noise
There’s no doubt we live in a loud world. Whether you reside on a busy street, live with roommates, or have a mockingbird singing in your yard, noise seems to find a way. However, getting some peace and quiet may become a little easier thanks to a newly developed sound-suppressing silk fabric. In a recent study, MIT researchers created a “hair-thin” fabric that generates sound waves to interfere with unwanted noise — much like noise-canceling headphones. The material was also able to block noise transmission, not just interfere with it. When the silk was held still, researchers found that it could suppress vibrations and reflect sound, similar to a mirror reflecting light, thus preventing noise from going through the fabric. According to the researchers, the fabric has the potential to create quiet in large rooms and cars, rather than just in ears like headphones and earplugs do. Lead author Grace (Noel) Yang said in a statement: “This is just the beginning.” Check out an illustration showing how it works.
In Other News
Portland, Oregon, is beating the heat this summer by providing thousands of free AC units to low-income residents.
Australia’s new national park, Cameroo Station, isn’t just big — it’s a wildlife wonderland home to 158 native species (including 12 threatened or endangered ones).
Christie’s auction house in London has been transformed into a tribute to designer Vivienne Westwood. See some of the items up for sale.
Hundreds of eagle-eyed fansflocked to Big Bear Lake in California for a rendezvous celebrating their shared love of the area’s famous bald eagle couple, Jackie and Shadow.
Something We Love
Roots App It may seem counterintuitive to address the problem of doomscrolling with a new app, but downloading Roots could actually solve your screen time woes. The app, designed to be used intentionally rather than obsessively, provides gentle — or not-so-gentle, if that’s what you need — nudges to put down your phone when you hit your limits. The scroll stopper function provides a physical “speed bump” to help you become more mindful of your phone use. Other features include intention setting, digital dopamine tracking, balance scores, “Monk Mode,” and more.
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Inspiring Story
“They gave him the best chance to survive”
Last month, 18-year-old J.J. Machnik collapsed during a workout due to a genetic heart condition that can cause sudden cardiac arrest. Thankfully, his friends jumped into action to save his life, performing CPR and calling 911. Just weeks later, Machnik defied the odds and walked across his high school graduation stage. Read his story and get CPR tips from the American Red Cross.
Wild Thang, an 8-year-old Pekingese from Oregon, took top honors at the 2024 World’s Ugliest Dog contest. After overcoming distemper — a highly contagious viral disease that affects a dog’s lungs, intestines, and nervous system — as a puppy, Wild Thang now advocates for pet vaccinations on social media and uses his growing fame to help rescue dogs from Ukraine.
Horizon IX: Good Things Come in Small Packages
The Horizon IX hearing aids from hear.com are small but mighty. They feature state-of-the-art noise suppression, lightning-fast dual-processing technology, and the most natural listening experience — all in a tiny, discreet package. Ready to join the more than 385,000 people who are hearing better than ever? Test drive the Horizon IX hearing aids.*
