A WELCOMED RESPITE

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- JULY 27, 2024

With everything going on in the world, you deserve a break. Rather than news stories that make you frown, it might be nice to encounter things that make you smile. 

 

For example, a story about the unconventional rescue of a baby bird was in the news recently. Wild West Wildlife in Texas received a call from a family that found a baby bird on the ground without any parents nearby.

 

How the bird was saved is the best part of the story. It was wrapped in a warm tortilla. “The family's unconventional approach to protecting the hatchling with a tortilla was effective. The baby bird was warm and safe when its rescuer arrived. The baby bird is now recovering at Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.” How's that for a smile? (https://people.com/texas-family-finds-baby-bird-uses-warm-tortilla-to-protect-chick-8679679)

 

If the tortilla rescue gambit does not tickle your fancy, how about an odd charity fundraiser in Scotland? “A man is preparing to travel the width of Scotland and back again in a bicycle canoe built by hand. His unique contraption, which has been dubbed Pedal Paddle, will see him take on over 150 miles of land and sea.” 

 

This is obviously a one of a kind vehicle. ““The canoe is a skin-on-frame canoe made from Douglas fir and steam-bent green oak with a ballistic nylon skin stretched over it.” If he encounters a lake, he can ride around it or float across it. See it in action at: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/man-traveling-the-width-of-scotland-in-a-bicycle-canoe-entirely-made-by-hand/.

 

You don't have to build something yourself in order to ride in a unique contraption. Just travel to Germany. “A suspension railway — one that hangs upside down rather than glides above a track — might seem like a creation of the future. In Wuppertal, Germany, though, it’s an enduring symbol of the past. It opened in 1901, but now the Schwebebahn is one of the only remaining suspension railways in the world. Around 85,000 passengers a day perch in carriage cars about 39 feet above the river and 26 feet above the street to get to and from stops on the 8.3-mile route.”

 

A museum is now open. “Both residents and tourists can immerse themselves in the railway’s history.” See it running at: https://nicenews.com/culture/wuppertal-schwebebahn-germany-suspension-railway/.

 

Speaking of running, have you ever sprinted across the hot sand on a beach? If so, you may have been experiencing a bit of cutting edge science and didn't even realize it. “Finnish startup Polar Night Energy has developed a battery that uses sand to trap and store energy from solar and wind electricity. Warming up to 600℃, the system traps the heat until it's needed, when it can be released as either hot water, steam, or air.”

 

This is technology could be a game changer. “Polar Night Energy has stated that it uses high-density sand, which is only sourced from abundant areas and cannot be used in construction. So far, the sand battery is providing a local district heating network, heating homes and businesses, as well as a municipal swimming pool.” (https://mashable.com/video/sand-battery-finland-heating-polar-night-energy)

 

Another science discovery is pure gold (pun intended). “Scientists have developed a way to dramatically reduce the cost of recycling certain electronic waste by using whey protein. Their method allows for the easy recovery of gold from circuit boards at a cost of energy and materials amounting to fifty times less than the price of the gold they recover.”

 

This looks like a win-win. “We're using a food industry byproduct to obtain gold from electronic waste. In a very real sense, the method transforms two waste products into gold. You can’t get much more sustainable than that!”

 

Scientists also add a bit of humor to the enterprise. “The breakthrough is reminiscent of that old fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin who can spin straw into gold. All that these modern-day, real-life alchemists are doing differently is using dairy and circuit boards rather than straw.” (https://mashable.com/video/sand-battery-finland-heating-polar-night-energy)

 

Finally, everyone likes to know what the future weather will be. A hint is out this week. “Take a look at our new fall weather maps for The Old Farmer’s Almanac, covering temperatures and precipitation. Plus, we provide your regional fall forecast highlights for the U.S. and Canada.” According to the maps, most of lower Michigan will experience below normal temperatures and precipitation this fall. (https://www.almanac.com/fall-weather-forecast)

 

September's prediction is cool. "Below-average temperatures are expected from the Great Lakes and Appalachians southward to the Southeast.”

 

October is a mixed bag. “October temperatures will be cooler than normal for the Great Lakes through the Upper Midwest. Precipitation will be above normal from the Upper Midwest through the northern portions of the Heartland.”

 

For lovers of winter, go to: https://www.almanac.com/winter-extended-forecast-farmers-almanac. It gives the Almanac's countdown to the release of the 2024-25 winter predictions. 

 

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.