Mirko D’Agata, second from right in the back row, celebrates 1st prize with his team – credit @Mirkodagata via Instagram
To the sentiment of your average Italian, it would be a surprise that the winner of the world’s best Naples-style pizza came from Turin, and downright unbelievable that his pizzeria isn’t even in Italy.
Nope: to get the world’s best pizza Napolitana will cost you $8.00 for the pie, and $250 for a two-way ticket to Montreal, Canada, the adopted home of Signore Mirko D’Agata.
Winner of the 2025 Umberto Fornito Award for best pizza Napolitana at the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas, the transplant from Torino said he loved feeling the pressure of competing, which he had done every year since 2017, but never won top honors.
The executive chef at Pizzeria No.900 for 13 years, D’Agata was judged on the marinara, a very simple pizza that in many ways is the most challenging.
“There’s a lot of pressure: I love pressure,” he told CBC News. “You have to follow some strict rules about the dough, the fermentation, the weight of the dough, how much tomato sauce to use, how many seconds you cook.”
“When you choose to do a marinara as I always did, you have four ingredients: you have tomato sauce, oregano, olive oil, and garlic. So it’s a really simple pizza to eat but the hardest to cook, because you need the right spot, at the right time, with the right dough.”
Along with bringing true pizza Napolitana to Montreal—a great pleasure for him—D’Agata loves to coach and share his knowledge with his cooks—his pizzaioli.
Undoubtedly the best pizza Napolitana is to be found buried somewhere in Naples, and made by the hands of some 70-year-old guy who doesn’t have the money or interest in flying to Vegas and using canned ingredients to make a pizza for snobs. But it’s nice to know that to get a world-class Naples pie, you don’t even have to leave North America.
WATCH the story below from CBC News…
SHARE This Great And Tasty Reason To Plan A Summer Trip To Montreal…
Quote of the Day: “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – Dalai Lama XIV
Photo by: Richard Burlton
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Nakagin Capsule Tower and Wheelock Place - Jordy Meow CC 3.0. and Elisa.rolle CC 4.0. SA
91 years ago today, the architect Kisho Kurokawa was born. This brilliant mind was the co-founder of the Metabolist architectural movement, which sought to fuse the post-war architecture of the island with organic forms to create structures in harmony with a sort of Marxist vision of humanity in the future. Kurokawa designed and built dozens of large structures across Asia, including the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo, Central Plaza 1 in Brisbane, Australia, and Lane Crawford Place in Singapore. READ more and see more buildings… (1934)
A giant phantom jelly seen by the research vessel - credit ROV SuBastian Schmidt Ocean Institute
Maritza Castro (Universidad Católica del Norte, Chile (FCM-UCN)) and other researchers react with excitement in the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Mission Control room on Research Vessel Falkor – credit: Alex Ingle / Schmidt Ocean Institute
After a Chicago-sized iceberg broke off from Antarctica, a research vessel changed plans and went to explore an underwater world never seen before by humans.
Researchers and crewmembers aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Falkor (too), “seized upon the moment” that was presented to them, and in doing so produced the first oceanographical, biological, and geological study of the area.
A giant phantom jelly seen by the research vessel – credit ROV SuBastian Schmidt Ocean Institute
Located in the Bellingshausen Sea, the King George VI ice shelf, one of the massive, mostly seaborne glaciers that sit attached to the continent of Antarctica, lost a chunk of ice the size of the greater Chicago area, or around 209 square miles.
Using Schmidt Ocean Institute’s remotely operated vehicle, ROV SuBastian, the team observed the deep seafloor for eight days and found flourishing ecosystems at depths as great as 3,900 feet. Their observations include large corals and sponges supporting an array of animal life, including icefish, giant sea spiders, and a rare giant phantom jellyfish.
“We seized upon the moment, changed our expedition plan, and went for it so we could look at what was happening in the depths below,” said expedition co-chief scientist Dr. Patricia Esquete at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. “We didn’t expect to find such a beautiful, thriving ecosystem. Based on the size of the animals, the communities we observed have been there for decades, maybe even hundreds of years.”
Little is known about what dwells beneath Antarctica’s floating ice shelves. In 2021, British Antarctic Survey researchers first reported signs of bottom-dwelling life beneath the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf in the Southern Weddell Sea. The expedition on Falkor (too) was the first to use an ROV to explore sweeping landscapes containing abundant life in this remote environment.
The team was surprised by the significant biomass and biodiversity of the ecosystems and observed species they had not seen outside of the ice shelf earlier in the expedition. They suspect there are several new species amongst the biological samples they collected.
Research Vessel Falkor (too) maneuvers around icebergs while conducting research in the Bellingshausen Sea off Antarctica – credit: Alex Ingle / Schmidt Ocean Institute
Deep-sea ecosystems typically rely on nutrients from the surface slowly raining down to the seafloor. However, these Antarctic ecosystems have been covered by 150-meter-thick (almost 500 feet) ice for centuries, completely cut off from surface nutrients. Ocean currents also move nutrients, and the team hypothesizes that currents are a possible mechanism for sustaining life beneath the ice sheet.
“The science team was originally in this remote region to study the seafloor and ecosystem at the interface between ice and sea,” said Schmidt Ocean Institute Executive Director, Dr. Jyotika Virmani. “Being right there when this iceberg calved from the ice shelf presented a rare scientific opportunity. Serendipitous moments are part of the excitement of research at sea – they offer the chance to be the first to witness the untouched beauty of our world.”
SHARE This Incredible Opportunity Seized By Science With Your Friends…
Resident foxes Ridley and Reef at Pawsitie Beginnings, Florida - credit Pawsitive Beginnings, supplied
Resident foxes Ridley and Reef at Pawsitie Beginnings, Florida – credit Pawsitive Beginnings, supplied
A nonprofit organization that provides a safe and permanent home for foxes rescued from the fur trade, celebrated its fifth anniversary in March with a call for donations.
Proceeds would go to updating and improving the housing where the group keeps the foxes it has in its care, as well as expanding a unique human-animal therapy program.
During its first five years, Pawsitive Beginnings has provided permanent sanctuary to eight foxes rescued from the fur trade. At present, they are home to seven foxes, as one of their foxes, Libby, died last year due to genetic health complications.
“We collaborate with organizations in regions where fur farming is prevalent and offer placement assistance for foxes in need,” said Nicole Navarro, founder of Pawsitive Beginnings. “If we are unable to provide direct sanctuary, we actively network with reputable rescues to ensure each fox is placed in the hands of a qualified caregiver.”
Pawsitive Beginnings goes beyond just rescuing the foxes—it provides a transformative animal-assisted therapy program. Through this unique, inter-species initiative, therapists and counselors share the inspiring stories of these rescued foxes with trauma survivors in the Florida Keys.
Navarro said foxes who have lived in captivity and who have been bred for their fur cannot be released back into the wild because they are several generations removed from their wild counterparts and lack the necessary survival skills to fend for themselves. Many have also been bred for distinctive coloring, making them more visible to predators.
She added that it is against the law to introduce non-native species into the wild, and because these foxes come from farms, they are classified as non-native and cannot legally be released into the environment.
“That’s where we come in,” she said. “At Pawsitive Beginnings, we are committed to providing these foxes with a safe, loving, and permanent home. We work with a team of veterinarians to address their medical needs and see to it that they are well cared for.”
Navarro said she hopes to raise money to upgrade the fox enclosures to the black, rubber-coated wire because it lasts longer, is more comfortable for the animals, and does not rust in the salty Florida atmosphere. She is also working to expand the animal-assisted therapy program in the region.
Georgia sporting her new school pants with pockets - credit, family photo
Georgia sporting her new school pants with pockets – credit, family photo
A young English schoolgirl has claimed victory over the large grocery/home chain Sainsbury’s after she noticed all the girls’ school outfits included pants with no pockets.
Arguing “girls need to carry things too!” a letter and petition signed and delivered by her and her classmates last year resulted in a new line of pants with deeper pockets.
It started in 2024 when she went shopping at the retail giant with her mom and discovered there were no trouser options for girls that had pockets deep enough to put anything in. Some had pocket linings sewn on and no actual pockets at all.
This irked the Ipswich local, and after grabbing a pair of boys’ pants for the school year, she wrote a letter expressing her frustration.
“Dear Sainsbury’s,”
“Me and my mummy went shopping for trousers for school and we noticed there weren’t any pockets in the girls’ trousers. Girls need to carry things too! When will this change?”
She received a reply from corporate management, apologizing for the lack of pockets and agreeing with her that the pants options should include them. The reply added that the feedback would be considered, and that was the end of things.
Georgia followed up her letter with a petition signed by 56 students at her school, including boys, but this was not replied to.
The next year, returning to Sainsbury’s, she discovered grey trousers with pockets deep to the wrist, and little grey bows sewn onto the front two belt loops. Georgia was delighted.
When asked by the BBC, Sainsbury’s didn’t confirm whether the letter or the petition was the key factor in the change, but Georgia decided to take it as a victory.
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A spotless road in front of the Vanadium building of IIT Indore - credit CC 4.0. BY-SA, Abhijit Panda
A spotless road in front of the Vanadium building of IIT Indore – credit CC 4.0. BY-SA, Abhijit Panda
For 8 years in a row, the lesser-known Indian city of Indore has been voted the country’s cleanest city, an honor accorded to it off the back of a massive civic drive to improve and maintain hygiene standards.
Recounted to the Guardian by Amrit Dhillon, Indore’s success follows an all-hands-on-deck approach after the city, like so many in India, became overly synonymous with garbage and littering.
“When you come out of the airport, it feels as though you aren’t in India, it’s so clean,” said Nitisha Agarwal, a corporate executive who travels to Indore frequently for work.
Agarwal is just one person of many Dhillon spoke to in the city, and his remark that “you aren’t in India” cannot be understated. India has an unfortunately well-publicized relationship with its municipal waste—namely, the tendency for many cities, in the north in particular, to allow it to amass in dumps in the middle of city neighborhoods.
Indore, located in Madhya Pradesh, was like this until the residents simply couldn’t stand it any longer. Dhillon couldn’t put a finger on the moment it changed, but from the time when dogs, pigs, and cows would root around in fetid garbage dumps on the roadsides, and when the driver of every car threw their trash into the street, it’s fair to say that the collective civic consciousness reached a breaking point.
Now, an army of 850 street sweepers cleans up every night. A fleet of garbage trucks trundles through neighborhoods playing a jingle like an ice cream van, alerting locals that it’s time to come out with their garbage, meticulously sorted into electronic, wet, plastic, non-plastic, and biomedical/hazardous waste.
A team of municipal tech workers monitors each truck with GPS to ensure they aren’t cutting corners.
Bins of all colors can be found along even the smallest and most infrequently used streets, while CCTV cameras work to identify and fine litterers.
Once collected, the waste is properly disposed of, composted, or turned into fuel. Some restaurants, Dhillon writes, even maintain their own composting machinery.
The result has been nothing short of transformational, and it’s the people of Indore who deserve the greatest share of the credit, as their civic pride and enthusiasm keep the less-committed among them in check.
“You need a willing public, a determined government, and here and there you need very energetic, proactive individuals to keep up the momentum,” Prabhnit Sawhney, a petrol pump owner, told Dhillon, mentioning that he’s seen people stop their cars to pick up litter in the road.
“Only then will habits going back generations change.”
SHARE This Fantastic Trend With Your Friends Who Think India Is Filthy…
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
94 years ago today, perhaps the greatest American whistleblower in history, Daniel Ellsberg was born. In March of last year, Ellsberg revealed to the media he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and passed away before the year was out. Ellsberg was the man who leaked a top-secret Pentagon study of the US government’s decision-making during the Vietnam War, which came to be known as the Pentagon Papers. It revealed that everything told to the American people and the world besides regarding the war was a lie, and the whole operation was characterized by immense negligence of American commanders. READ more about this great American, and what we know as a result of his heroism… (1931)
A Syrian brown bear slept for seven days straight after being rescued from a filthy cage where he was kept “for entertainment” purposes.
Four-year-old Noah was stuck in the 15 x 20-foot pen for over two years, with the door welded shut.
Bred in captivity and weighing around 100kg (220 lbs), the bear was kept outside next to a local restaurant in Yerevan, Armenia.
The neglected bear was subject to cold weather conditions and would often stand for long periods inside the metal box with sore paws from standing on a floor covered in waste.
Noah was freed on March 5 by workers from the International Animal Rescue and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets, accompanied by police and local emergency services which helped cut open the cage door.
He was taken to one of the Foundation’s rescue centers, where he’s waiting for a full dental examination on his broken teeth to kickstart his recovery.
SWNS
He was led to an enclosure with plenty of vegetation for bedding, so the stressed youngster could snuggle up and sleep for a week. A video shows the animal’s seeming delight fluffing up and burying himself in the straw—like a panda in snow.
Noah the bear, sleeping after being rescued – SWNS
The two charities have been appealing for funds to keep Noah in the rescue centre for a year, which costs around £2,500 ($3,200).
Heartwarming Freedom for 5 Orphaned Bear Cubs Released Back into the Colorado Wild
Alan Knight, president of Int’l Animal Rescue said Noah experienced “unimaginable suffering”.
“The International Animal Rescue and FPWC’s commitment has ensured Noah’s safety. However, Noah requires expert veterinary services and monitoring to start his recovery process.
Around 80 bears are thought to be suffering in captivity at restaurants, hotels, and roadside zoos, in Armenia, according to the IAR’s Great Bear Rescue.
SPREAD THE CARING By Going on Social Media AND SHARING…
Cat wins Guinness World Record for longest tail – SWNS
Cat wins Guinness World Record for longest tail – SWNS
A fine looking feline was awarded a Guinness World Record for having the longest tail.
The silver Maine Coon from Minnesota sports a tail measuring 18.5 inches (46.99 cm)— beating out all living domestic cats—and easily surpassing the previous record-holder that measured 16.07 inches.
The two-year-old named Mr. Pugsley Addams, after the Addams Family character, has always had a long tail, according to his owner, Amanda Cameron.
She recalls it being mentioned during his very first visit to the veterinarian, but didn’t think much of it until it became the focus of his next appointment six months later.
After telling her internet-savvy kids about it, their immediate response was to research the current world title holder.
“And what do you know, to our shock, Pugsley beat it!”
Known in the family as a curious, adventure-seeker, Pugsley has also earned a reputation for getting into things.
“He is very creative when it comes to new ways he can be mischievous. And yet, he is kind and caring and loves his momma.”
Pugsley has two sisters, Winnie and Dutchess, and a brother, aptly named after the beloved Addams Family patriarch, Gomez—and just like the character, that cat wants nothing more than to cuddle; he’s “violently affectionate and romantic.”
The family is convinced Pugsley is aware of his unique tail because of its expressiveness and the fact that it’s always getting in the way.
Now a local celebrity, aside from his purr-fect tail it is impossible not to love him for his calm demeanor. “He’s just a great little guy to be around.”
The family is already dreaming of more potential titles for this accomplished coon, as Guinness World Records celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.
Autoimmune researcher Professor Goodnow Christopher - Photo by Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Autoimmune researcher Professor Goodnow Christopher – Photo by Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Two researchers in the US and Australia have discovered important mechanisms that prevent B cells from attacking the body’s own tissues in autoimmune diseases like arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis—and in the process have won a prestigious prize.
Normally, the body’s immune system protects us from viruses, bacteria, and foreign substances. However, in autoimmune diseases, the immune system starts attacking tissues in the body instead.
Researchers had long tried to discover the cause of autoimmune diseases. But, Christopher Goodnow and David Nemazee, independently of each other, adopted a new approach.
They asked why we do not all develop these diseases. Their focus was on B cells which, together with white blood cells and T cells, are the building blocks of our complex immune system.
“They have given us a new and detailed understanding of the mechanisms that normally prevent faulty B cells from attacking tissues in the body, explaining why most of us are not affected by autoimmune diseases,” says Olle Kämpe, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and chair of the Crafoord Prize committee that awarded the pair 6 million Swedish kronor ($600,000).
Neutralize B cells
In recent years, physicians have started to experiment by using existing drugs to neutralize B cells for patients with severe autoimmune diseases, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis, which has proven to be very effective at improving their quality of life.
Thanks to this year’s Crafoord Prize Laureates, we have gained fundamental new knowledge about what is happening in the immune system during autoimmune disease attacks.
“This also paves the way for development of new forms of therapies that eventually can cure these diseases—or might prevent them in the future,” said one professor of clinical immunology at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
For Christopher Goodnow, the news of the Crafoord Prize came as a wonderful surprise.
“It’s the most amazing phone call of my life!” said the Professor at the School of Biomedical Sciences’ Cellular Genomics Futures Institute at the University of New South Wales-Sydney.
“I’m honored… and it’s also wonderful to share the prize with David Nemazee. We were friendly competitors working at different places in the world, and the two of us arrived at complementary answers at a time when most working in the field didn’t believe B cell tolerance was a thing.”
Old Growth Forest Network dedication ceremony – Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge / US Fish & Wildlife Service
Old-Growth Forest Network dedication ceremony – Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge / US Fish & Wildlife Service
Who would ever guess that right outside Detroit a native forest has stood undisturbed for centuries—but now, the 300 year-old trees are gaining more respect.
The Old-Growth Forest Network, dedicated to protecting trees in the U.S., has officially recognized 32 acres of centuries-old forest near one of the largest metropolitan areas in America.
The grove is found in Humbug Marsh, which is just south of the Welcome Center in the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, remarkably located only 20 miles from downtown Detroit.
The Old-Growth Forest Network aims to locate and designate at least one protected forest in every county in the U.S. where a native forest can be sustained. Overall, that would include about 75% of the counties nationwide.
The oaks in the Humbug Marsh near the Detroit River have avoided development and grown free for centuries.
“We know through historical records that the Humbug Marsh property has been relatively untouched for about 300 years,” Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge park ranger Alex Gilford told WDET-TV News.
Recognition of the southeast Michigan tract is another victory for a woodland area that has had to survive previous development plans that could have compromised its existence.
Humbug Marsh in Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge by Tina Shaw / US Fish & Wildlife Service on Flickr
According to local news reports, a proposed development project in 1998 threatened to destroy a mile of marshlands near the forest. One thousand local residents gathered to protest against the development—and their efforts helped save the native ecosystem.
And thanks to all their actions, the huge trees can be enjoyed by future generations of visitors.
“It’s a special place,” Gilford told the Detroit Metro Times. “The public can get up close and personal with ancient oak trees and be inspired by this protected natural gem…”
At press time, the organization has already designated 280 forests and at least one old-growth forest in 39 different states—and many states claim designations in numerous counties, as shown in a map on their website.
7,400 environmentalists are the roots that support the Old-Growth Forest Network, including hikers, forest managers, scientists, and citizens—but anyone can nominate a forest for inclusion. Maybe there’s a grove near you.
FERTILIZE THE CAUSE–By Sharing the Oldest Trees on Social Media…
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
60 years ago today, the first commercial communications satellite, Intelsat I, was placed in geosynchronous orbit. The tiny 2-foot device (nicknamed Early Bird for the proverb “The early bird catches the worm”) was the first to provide direct and nearly instantaneous contact between Europe and North America, handling television, telephone, and fax transmissions. READ about its development… (1965)
Hatchlings of Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoise Credit: Philadelphia Zoo
Hatchlings of Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoise Credit: Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo is overjoyed to announce the hatching of four critically endangered Galapagos tortoises for the first time in the Zoo’s 150 year history.
The parents, Western Santa Cruz tortoises, are the Zoo’s two oldest residents, each estimated to be around 100 years old.
Additionally, the female named Mommy is considered one of the most genetically valuable of her species in the Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). She is also the oldest first-time mom of her species.
The hatchlings are currently eating and growing normally “behind-the-scenes” inside the Reptile and Amphibian House. The first one hatched on February 27 and the animal care team is still monitoring more eggs that could hatch in the coming weeks.
They will make their public debut on April 23, which is the 93rd anniversary of Mommy’s arrival at the Zoo.
The babies are part of the AZA breeding program to ensure the survival of this species, which are listed as “critically endangered”.
The last clutch of Western Santa Cruz tortoises to hatch in an AZA accredited zoo was in 2019 at Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina. Other zoos with breeding pairs of this species include San Diego Zoo, Zoo Miami and Honolulu Zoo.
Galapagos tortoise egg hatched – Credit: Philadelphia Zoo
“This successful outcome comes from years of hard work studying animal behavior and providing top-level care. Until now, Mommy’s genes were not represented in the AZA population, making these offspring extremely important in the protection of this species,” said Philadelphia Zoo Director of Herpetology Lauren Augustine.
The animal care team worked diligently to provide the right conditions for Mommy to lay her eggs and for them to incubate and successfully hatch
In December 2020, the father of the new hatchlings, Abrazzo, came to the Zoo on a breeding recommendation from Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina. New substrate was purchased—nesting material like sand and soil for Mommy to lay her eggs in—Abrazzo’s behaviors were studied to see how he spent his time. Since 2023, Mommy has laid a total of four clutches of eggs, but the three prior tries did not result in viable eggs.
(Watch a video of the hatchlings—and continue reading below…)
After Mommy laid her 16 eggs in November 2024, the reptile and amphibian team dug them up to incubate them–expecting the eggs to hatch between four and eight months later.
The hatchlings will remain at the Zoo for at least five years.
Officials will then work with the AZA to determine when and if the hatchlings will move to different facilities. Prior to their arrival, there were only 44 individual Western Santa Cruz Giant tortoises in all U.S. zoos combined, so these newest additions represent a new genetic lineage and some much-needed help to the species’ population.
At one point, each of the Galapagos Islands had its own unique subspecies of tortoise (with the ability to live between 100-200 years)‚ but sadly, several of them are now extinct, although scientists estimate there are currently 13 living species that are native to seven of the islands.
“Hatched in the wild, Mommy arrived at the Zoo in 1932, meaning anyone that has visited the Zoo for the last 92 years has likely seen her,” said Philadelphia Zoo President Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman.
100-yo Galapagos tortoise named Mommy – Credit: Philadelphia Zoo
“Philadelphia Zoo’s vision is that those hatchlings will be a part of a thriving population of Galapagos tortoises on our healthy planet 100 years from now.”
“These hatchlings not only protect this species from extinction, but serve as important ambassadors to inspire guests to save wildlife and wild places,” said Philadelphia Zoo Vice President of Animal Well-Being and Conservation Rachel Metz.
SHARE THE GIANT NEWS With Animal Lovers on Social Media…
Sunshine the Bengal cat in 2009 – Carl Pullen photo via SWNS
Sunshine the Bengal cat in 2009 – Carl Pullen photo via SWNS
A missing kitten has been finally reunited with her owner sixteen years after vanishing from the backyard.
Sunshine disappeared from owner Carl Pullen’s garden in 2009 when she was around three-years-old.
Carl presumed the pedigree Bengal cat was stolen because the breed can be sold for many hundreds of dollars in England—and she was never recovered despite extensive searching.
Reluctantly, he moved away from his home in Hertfordshire the following year.
“I’d always figured she’d been stolen. I put up posters, appealed to find her, and she was microchipped,” said the 51-year-old. “It’s a good thing I never changed my phone number in all these years.”
Last week, he got the shocking call from a veterinary surgeon saying that a cat had been handed in as a stray, and asking if he owned a cat named Sunshine.
Now 19-years-old, the cat has been reunited with her family for the remaining years of her life.
“I don’t think she’s been a stray all this time—maybe just in the last few months.
Sunshine the Bengal cat at 19 – Carl Pullen via SWNS
“When I picked her up from the vet’s, she was underweight, her claws hadn’t been clipped, and she had bad kidneys.
“Since she’s been home, Sunshine has had some medication to perk her up a bit,” he told SWNS news. “She’s looking a lot better.”
“I was so surprised,” he told the BBC. “I was overwhelmed really as I didn’t expect to see her again, especially after all this time.”
Older people who received the vaccine for shingles had a 20% lower risk of dementia, according to researchers who called the results “remarkable”.
The study looked into the health records of seniors in Wales and revealed that those who received the shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia over the next seven years than those who didn’t receive the jab.
Scientists say the findings support an emerging theory that viruses which affect the nervous system can increase the risk of dementia.
The new findings suggest that a preventive intervention for dementia is already close at hand.
Shingles is a viral infection that produces a painful rash, and is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox, varicella-zoster. After people contract chicken pox, usually in childhood, the virus remains dormant in the nerve cells for life. In people who are older or have weakened immune systems, the dormant virus can reactivate and cause shingles.
Previous studies based on health records have linked the shingles vaccine with lower dementia rates, but the research could not account for one major source of bias: people who are vaccinated also tend to be more health conscious.
The study’s senior author, Dr. Pascal Geldsetzer of Stanford Medicine, said that most studies suffered from the basic problem. “In general, they’re seen as not being solid enough evidence to make any recommendations on.”
But two years ago, Dr. Geldsetzer recognized a fortuitous “natural experiment” in the rollout of the shingles vaccine in Wales that seemed to sidestep the bias.
The vaccination program, which began in September 2013, specified that anyone who was 79 was eligible for the vaccine for one year. That age rule, designed to ration the limited supply of the vaccine, also meant that the slight difference in age between 79 and 80 made all the difference in who had access to the vaccine.
By comparing people who turned 80 just before the roll-out with those who turned 80 just after, the circumstances were about as close to a randomized controlled trial as possible, without actually conducting one—and the results are all well-documented in the country’s health records.
(Watch a Stanford video about the study, or continue reading below…)
The Stanford team analyzed details of more than 280,000 adults who did not have dementia at the start of the vaccination program. They focused their analysis on those closest to either side of the eligibility threshold – comparing people who turned 80 in the week before with those who turned 80 in the week after.
“We know that if you take a thousand people at random born in one week and a thousand people at random born a week later, there shouldn’t be anything different about them on average,” explained Geldsetzer.
“What makes the study so powerful is that it’s essentially like a randomized trial with a control group – those a little bit too old to be eligible for the vaccine – and an intervention group, those just young enough to be eligible.”
Fast-forward seven years and by 2020, one in eight of the Welsh seniors had been diagnosed with dementia.
But those who received the shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to have developed dementia than those who were unvaccinated.
“It was a really striking finding,” said Geldsetzer. “This huge protective signal was there, any which way you looked at the data.”
The scientists looked for other variables that might have influenced dementia risk, but found none.
“Because of the unique way in which the vaccine was rolled out, bias in the analysis is much less likely than would usually be the case. The signal in our data was so strong, so clear and so persistent.”
The study, published in the journalNature, also showed that protection against dementia was much more pronounced in women than in men.
Geldsetzer believes that could be because women, on average, have higher antibody responses to vaccination, and because shingles is more common in women than in men.
In the past two years, his team has replicated the Wales findings in health records from other countries, including England, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, that had similar rollouts of the vaccine.
“We just keep seeing this strong protective signal for dementia in dataset after dataset,” insisted Geldsetzer.
He is seeking funding for a larger trial, which would provide even stronger proof of cause and effect, noting that the live-attenuated vaccine used at that time contained a weakened form of the virus, which is no longer manufactured by pharmaceutical companies.
“It would be a very simple, pragmatic trial because we have a one-off intervention that we know is safe.”
KNOW A SENIOR WHO NEVER GOT THEIR SHINGLES SHOT? Share This On Social Media!
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of April 5, 2025
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Have you ever been part of an innovation team? Its goal is not simply to develop as many new ideas and approaches as possible, but rather to generate good, truly useful new ideas and approaches. The most effective teams don’t necessarily move with frantic speed. In fact, there’s value in “productive pausing”—strategic interludes of reflection that allow deeper revelations to arise. It’s crucial to know when to slow down and let hunches and insights ripen. This is excellent advice for you. You’re in a phase when innovation is needed and likely. For best results, infuse your productivity with periodic stillness.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Barnacles are crustaceans that form vast colonies on rocks, pilings, whales, and boats. They may grow so heavy on a ship that they increase its heft and require as much as a 40-percent increase in fuel consumption. Some sailors refer to them as “crusty foulers.” All of us have our own metaphorical equivalent of crusty foulers: encumbrances and deadweights that drag us down and inhibit our rate of progress. In my astrological opinion, the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to shed as much of yours as possible. (I’ll be shedding mine in June.)
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In 1088, the Chinese polymath and statesman Shen Kuo published his book Dream Torrent Essays, also translated as Dream Pool Essays. In this masterwork, he wrote about everything that intrigued and fascinated him, including the effects of lightning strikes, the nature of eclipses, how to make swords, building tall pagodas resistant to wind damage, and a pearl-like UFO he saw regularly. I think the coming weeks would be an excellent time for you to begin your own version of Dream Torrent Essays, Gemini. You could generate maximum fun and self-knowledge by compiling all the reasons you love being alive on this mysterious planet.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
The mimosa is known as the “sensitive plant.” The moment its leaves are touched, they fold inwards, exposing the sharp spines of its stems. Why do they do that? Botanists say it’s meant to deter herbivore predators from nibbling it. Although you Cancerians sometimes display equally extreme hair-trigger defense mechanisms, I’m happy to say that you will be unlikely to do so in the coming weeks. You are primed to be extra bold and super-responsive. Here’s one reason why: You are finely tuning your protective instincts so they work with effective grace—neither too strong nor too weak. That’s an excellent formula to make fun new connections and avoid mediocre new connections.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
While sleeping on a recent night, I dreamed of an old friend I had lost touch with for 20 years. It was wonderful. We were remembering mystic breakthroughs we had while younger. When I awoke the next day, I was delighted to find an email from this friend, hoping for us to be back in touch. Hyper-rationalists might call this coincidence, but I know it was magical synchronicity—evidence that we humans are connected via the psychic airways. I’m predicting at least three such events for you in the coming weeks, Leo. Treat them with the reverence they deserve. Take them seriously as signs of things you should pay closer attention to.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
A star that astronomers call EBLM J0555-57Ab is 670 light years away. Its diameter is the smallest of any known star, just a bit larger than Saturn in our solar system. But its mass is 250 times greater than Saturn’s. It’s concentrated and potent. I’ll be inclined to compare you to EBLM J0555-57Ab in the coming weeks, Virgo. Like this modest-sized powerhouse, you will be stronger and more impactful than you may appear. The quality you offer will be more effective than others’ quantity. Your focused, dynamic efficiency could make you extra influential.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Libran jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk was an influential musician in part because he didn’t conform to conventions. According to music writer Tarik Moody, Monk’s music features “dissonances and angular melodic twists, and are consistent with his unorthodox approach to the piano, which combined a highly percussive attack with abrupt, dramatic use of switched key releases, silences, and hesitations.” Many of Monk’s most innovative improvisations grew out of apparent mistakes. He explored and developed wrong notes to make them into intentional aspects of his compositions. “His genius,” said another critic, “lay in his ability to transform accidents into opportunities.” I’d love to see you capitalize on that approach, Libra. You now have the power to ensure that seeming gaffes and glitches will yield positive and useful results.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Author Richard Wright said that people “can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread.” That’s rarely a problem for Scorpios, since you are among the zodiac’s best sleuths when exploring your inner depths. Does any other sign naturally gather more self-realization than you? No! But having said that, I want to alert you to the fact that you are entering a phase when you will benefit from even deeper dives into your mysterious depths. It’s an excellent time to wander into the frontiers of your self-knowledge.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Andean condors hunt for prey while flying through the sky with their 10-foot wingspan. They’ve got a good strategy for conserving their energy: riding on thermal currents with little effort, often soaring for vast distances. I recommend that you channel the Andean condor in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. Always be angling to work smarter rather than harder. Look for tricks and workarounds that will enable you to be as efficient and stress-free as possible. Trust that as you align yourself with natural flows, you will cover a lot of ground with minimal strain. Celebrate the freedom that comes from embracing ease.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
While hiking in nature, people often rely on their phones to navigate. And what if their battery dies or there’s poor cell service out in the middle of nowhere? They might use an old-fashioned compass. It won’t reveal which direction to go, but will keep the hiker apprised of where true north lies. In that spirit, Capricorn, I invite you to make April the month you get in closer communication with your own inner compass. It’s a favorable and necessary time to become even more highly attuned to your ultimate guide and champion: the voice of the teacher within you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
“It is advisable to look from the tide pool to the stars and then back to the tide pool.” Aquarian author John Steinbeck wrote that. I think it’s useful counsel for you in the coming weeks. What does it imply? Here are a few meditations. 1. Be tuned in to both the small personal world right in front of you and the big picture of the wider world. Balance and coordinate your understandings of them. 2. If you shift your perspective back and forth between the macrocosmic and microcosmic perspectives, you’re far more likely to understand how life really works. 3. You may flourish best by blending the evaluative powers of your objective, rational analysis and your intuitive, nonrational feelings.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
The earliest humans used bones and pebbles to assist in arithmetic calculations. Later, they got help from abacuses and crude mechanical devices. Electronic calculators didn’t arrive until the 1960s. All were efforts to bypass tedious reckonings. All were ingenious attempts to manage necessary details that weren’t much fun. In that spirit, I encourage you to seek time-saving, boredom-preventing innovations in the coming weeks. Now is an excellent time to maximize your spacious ability to do things you love to do.
WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com
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