Words by Smiley Team
Whether you’ve had a busy week, or a relaxing one, it’s always nice to end it with a boost of good news.
This week, we’ve got green initiatives, studies that improve your health, and a little dose of joy.
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A student called Gabe Tavas has won a James Dyson Award for creating wood without needing to cut trees down. ‘Pyrus’ is the name of the wood alternative he's made, which comes from a sheet of bacteria cellulose grown on the top of kombucha tea as it brews. These sheets are then blended together and embedded into a gel.
The “wood” made can be sanded, cut, and coated – just like wood from trees. By winning the award, Gabe gets $2,600 towards his project, as he hopes to expand his production and develop 3D printing.
Engaging and supporting conversations are really important to reduce your chance of getting Alzheimer’s, a new study has found. Researchers from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine saw that by having someone available around you to listen to when you need to talk results in better cognitive resilience.
And the best thing about it? Talking is easy and free. So if there’s anyone you know who could do with some company, make sure you make that phonecall.
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This week, Starbucks announced it will introduce a reusable Cup-Share programme in all of its 3,840 stores in Europe, Middle East, and Africa by 2025.
An initial trial will begin over the coming months in the UK, France and Germany. It allows customers to pay a small deposit for a reusable cup for hot and cold beverages. Tested to last up to 30 times and available in three sizes, each cup uses an identifying number associated with the Starbucks reusable cup to the deposit paid. The customer will then be able to use their reusable and return it to Starbucks via a kiosk or at the point of sale. Upon return, Starbucks will give the deposit back to the customer.
We’ve all heard of the benefits of taking time out to meditate, but a new study has found it could actually make your brain work quicker. Researchers at Binghamton University, New York, used brain scans to see how meditating for 10 minutes a day changed the cognitive behaviour of 10 students. They found those who meditated had better brain connections than those who didn’t.
“The findings indicate the potential effects of meditation on enhancing the brain capability of fast switching between mind wandering and focused attention and maintaining attention once in attentive states,” the study concluded.
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A new beaver consultation could herald better wetlands for wildlife and the climate. The Wildlife Trusts welcomed the launch of a consultation by the government, which asks the public if they want to see beavers released into the wild in England. To date, the only officially sanctioned beavers living wild in the UK are in Scotland and along the River Otter in Devon, where Devon Wildlife Trust has worked with the local community to ensure they can thrive.
The Wildlife Trusts believe beavers should be allowed to return to the wild across the UK and expand their range naturally. The movement of 46 charities has been calling for ambitious strategies in England and the devolved nations to enable this to happen.
