5/24/24: Bearcat mystery (smells like popcorn!), upcycled phone art, & chimp teamwork

Planet Health

👩‍🌾 URBAN MICROFARM: You've got to see this amazing conversion from a turf lawn in South Los Angeles to a thriving microfarm that "feeds the neighborhood." 67-year-old Beverly Lofton grows bok choy, string beans, carrots, radishes, and more in her front yard… with the help of GardenSoxx, invented by my friend Rod Tyler who is featured in The Need to GROW. (You can get your own GardenSoxx HERE and use TNTG10 for 10% off)

🐝 CHIMPS & BEES: The notion that humans are the only species able to apply "cumulative culture" skills (as a complex, rare ability among all living things) is being challenged. Two recent studies are demonstrating how chimpanzees and bumblebees can socialize to teach each other skills and solve complex puzzles that otherwise wouldn't be solvable alone— a trait thought to be achievable only by humans.

☕️ COFFEE COMEBACK: After significant economic decline, shade-grown coffee in Venezuela is once again emerging due to an increase in advocacy for agroforestry techniques specifically designed to promote biodiversity, which also benefit many bird species. “Though shade coffee crops can’t ever replace primary forest, they still support a greater diversity of bird species compared to monocultures or sun-grown coffee," a Cornell Lab researcher says.(Best shade-grown regenerative coffee HERE)

Human Health

🧂 SALTY STOMACH: Analyzing data from over 470k adults, MedUni Vienna researchers recently found a 39% higher risk of stomach cancer in people who frequently added salt to their food. Awareness against excessive table salt consumption is needed, but remember that common processed table salt is not the same as sea salt or Himalayan salt, which contain loads of high quality natural minerals.

🧠 EATING FOR BRAIN HEALTH: In a study of 181k participants with an average age of 70, the "older individuals who maintain a balanced diet exhibit enhanced mental health, superior cognitive functions, and increased grey matter volume in the brain, which is often associated with intelligence." Scientists found that those with a diverse and balanced diet tended to score higher on cognitive tests, and reported fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

🩸 MICROPLASTIC MESS: Do you know the types of microplastics that have been found in human blood samples? According to a new study, 24 polymer types were found in 90% of participants, and 5 of those were above the lowest detectable concentration threshold. Click here to learn about this study, and how this small— but critical— study will impact our future of microplastics exposure.

Creature Feature

🦝 BABY BEARCAT: Did you know there's a wild animal living in the treetops of Southeast Asia that looks like a raccoon mixed with a teddy bear, and smells exactly like… hot buttered popcorn?! It's true! Learn more about the adorable, vulnerable, and ferocious binturong here.

Nutrition 101

🍒 BETTER THAN ORANGES: If you're seeking a mega source of Vitamin C, one cup of these cherry-like berries have 24x more vitamin C than a large orange! It's tangy, sweet, and can be made into juice, powders, or supplements.

Last poll’s results

Have you ever seen the Northern Lights?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yes 🌠 (50.1%)

🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨 Not yet! 😑 (49.9%)