Buzz
If the week has been tough so far, these uplifting stories are here to help lift your mood. We've put together a collection of stories that are bound to entertain, motivate, and inspire. It's the perfect companion to Saturday’s offbeat roundup.
This week, we've seen plenty of heartwarming acts of kindness. There's a runner who helped carry a puppy, a mechanic who stopped to check on a car on the side of the road, a dispatcher who became an impromptu math tutor, and a lawyer who held an umbrella for someone in need.
10. A Nod to The Office
A man from Tucson, Arizona, used his knowledge from The Office to perform lifesaving CPR on a woman until the paramedics arrived.
Cross Scott, a 21-year-old auto shop technician, took a client’s car for a test drive when he noticed a sedan parked on the side of the road with its hazard lights flashing. As he approached, he saw the female driver slumped over the wheel and unconscious, her lips blue. Without his phone, Scott flagged down two motorists who called 911.
While waiting for help, Scott pulled the driver from the car and found she had no pulse. With no formal first aid training except for a memorable episode of The Office, where Michael Scott unsuccessfully tries to teach CPR, Scott remembered one important piece of advice: chest compressions should follow the beat of 'Stayin’ Alive' by the Bee Gees.
Scott began singing and performing CPR, and after a minute, the woman took a breath. Paramedics arrived about 10 minutes later and confirmed that without Scott's quick action, the driver likely would not have survived.
9. Shelter from the Rain
Sometimes, a simple act of kindness can have a profound effect. A Good Samaritan braved the rain to hold an umbrella for a deputy who was honoring the funeral procession of her fallen colleague.
Last Saturday, the people of Birmingham, Alabama, gathered to honor Sergeant Wytasha Carter, who lost his life in the line of duty on January 13. Among them was Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff Tiffany Dial, who stood in the rain saluting. A man approached her from behind and held an umbrella over her.
Witness Meghan Blankenship shared that the man stood silently for over 30 minutes before quietly walking away. Dial, lost in the moment, hadn’t noticed him. Thanks to an online effort, the man was identified as Shawn Allen, a deputy district attorney for Jefferson County. Allen later explained that he simply thought it would be 'a nice thing to do' after seeing Dial in the rain while paying his respects.
8. Fundraiser for Fyre Festival Fraud
The Bahamian restaurant owner who lost over $100,000 due to the Fyre Festival fiasco and later recouped it through public donations has now announced plans to share the extra funds with others who were also swindled.
The Fyre Festival was promoted as a 'luxury music festival' in the Bahamas, scheduled for April and May 2017. People paid thousands for tickets, expecting lavish amenities and gourmet food, only to find tents and prepackaged sandwiches waiting for them. The event quickly turned into a disaster, sparking numerous lawsuits. Billy McFarland, the mastermind behind the festival, was sentenced to six years in prison for wire fraud.
The festival didn’t just deceive attendees; local Bahamian businesses were also affected. They had worked with the event organizers but never received payment for their services.
In 2019, two separate documentaries about the Fyre Festival were released within days of each other. They focused on the story of Maryann Rolle, the owner of Exuma Point Bar and Grille, who prepared thousands of meals for festival-goers without compensation, ultimately incurring losses of more than $100,000.
Since the documentaries were released, a GoFundMe campaign has raised nearly double the amount for Rolle. Instead of keeping the extra donations, she plans to share them with other local business owners who were also tricked into working for free.
7. A Promise to an Old Friend
Playwright A.E. Hotchner was finally able to fulfill a promise he made to Ernest Hemingway more than 60 years ago.
Hotchner was widely recognized in his youth for his close bond with the iconic novelist. He also authored Hemingway's biography and wrote several teleplays based on the writer’s short stories. In 1958, the two of them attended the film adaptation of The Old Man and the Sea, which starred Spencer Tracy.
To say that Hemingway was displeased with the film would be an understatement. According to Hotchner, the novelist described what the filmmakers did to his book as 'like p—ing in your father’s beer.' He was especially upset about Spencer Tracy being cast in the lead, calling him 'a fat, rich actor trying to play a fisherman.' Afterward, the two went to a restaurant where Hemingway encouraged Hotchner to create his own adaptation of the book someday.
Over the years, Hotchner attempted more than ten times to adapt the novel, but each time he discarded his drafts because he didn’t feel they met his standards. Sixty years later, at the age of 101, Hotchner was finally able to honor his promise. His stage adaptation of The Old Man and the Sea opened on February 1 at the newly renovated Pittsburgh Playhouse.
6. A Math Emergency
A police dispatcher became an impromptu math tutor when a child dialed 911 for help with his homework.
Antonia Bundy was working the emergency phone line in Lafayette, Indiana, when she received an unusual call from a young boy. As she tried to figure out the nature of the emergency, she soon realized that the boy was having a rough day at school. Digging further, she discovered that he was struggling with a math problem: What is 3×4 + 1×4?
It was a slow day in Lafayette, giving Bundy some free time. Instead of scolding the boy for calling 911 unnecessarily, she decided to assist him since she had always enjoyed math in school. She guided him through the steps to solve the problem, finding the moment to be a welcome break from the usual calls she handles.
5. A Discovery That’s Out of This World
Japanese amateur astronomers have reason to celebrate after using small, inexpensive telescopes to detect a true planetesimal for the first time.
According to our current theory on how planets form, when a star comes into existence, it leaves behind a swirling disk made up of dust and gases. These minuscule particles begin to stick together, gradually forming larger clumps.
When a cosmic object about 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) across passes through space, it can start drawing in nearby objects due to its gravity. This process creates a snowball effect, significantly accelerating the growth of the object. These kilometer-sized bodies, which are the building blocks of protoplanets, are called planetesimals.
Although planetesimals have been hypothesized for decades due to their small size and dim nature, they had never been directly observed. However, the recently explored Ultima Thule, which measures 31 kilometers (19 miles) in length, qualifies as a planetesimal, though it already consists of numerous smaller pieces.
The Kuiper Belt is where most planetesimals in our solar system are likely to be located. A team of scientists from Japan's National Astronomical Observatory studied Kuiper Belt objects and believe they have found a potential planetesimal with a radius of 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles).
To observe the object, the scientists employed the technique of occultation, where they watched stars and waited for other objects to pass in front of them, blocking part of the starlight. Using two 28-centimeter (11-inch) telescopes, they detected the object orbiting the Sun at a distance of 32 astronomical units.
4. Baloo Resides In North Carolina
In a real-life version of The Jungle Book, a three-year-old boy claims to have survived three days in the wild with the help of a friendly bear who kept him company.
Last week, young Casey Hathaway went missing in Craven County, North Carolina. He spent the first night in freezing temperatures, followed by a second night with 5 centimeters (2 inches) of rain. By the third day, the weather had worsened to the point where authorities had to turn away volunteers.
On Thursday night, rescuers found Casey tangled in a thicket of thorny bushes. Though cold, wet, and crying for his mom, he was otherwise unharmed. When asked how he survived, Casey said that a bear had kept him company throughout the ordeal, acting as his guardian.
To put it simply, there’s some skepticism, but for now, people are just relieved that the boy has returned home safe and sound.
3. A Pup Named Chombueng
Earlier this month, the Chombueng marathon took place in Thailand. Among the many participants, Khemjira Klongsanun stood out, not just for running the race, but because she was carrying a puppy for much of the event.
Around 11 kilometers (7 miles) into the race, Khemjira noticed some runners ahead of her avoiding something in the road: a small, shivering dog. With no houses in sight and worried the pup might get injured, she decided to take him with her. She continued running another 30 kilometers (19 miles) and finished the race with the puppy safely in her arms.
But the story didn't end there. After the marathon, Khemjira reached out, hoping the dog's owner would come forward. When no one did, she decided to adopt the pup herself. Now, named 'Chombueng,' he lives happily with Khemjira and her two other dogs.
2. Egg-Citing Medical Research
Researchers at the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, have successfully engineered chickens to lay eggs containing proteins with antiviral, anticancer, and tissue-regenerating properties.
This idea isn’t entirely new. In the past, Japanese scientists have introduced genes into chickens, enabling them to lay eggs rich in a protein called 'interferon beta.' Other animals, such as goats and rabbits, have also been genetically modified to produce milk used for protein therapies.
Scottish researchers argue that their method is not only more efficient but also more affordable, offering a yield that is superior to traditional lab-grown synthetic proteins. In fact, their process costs between 10 and 100 times less than the conventional method.
Dr. Lissa Herron, one of the scientists involved, assures that the chickens do not suffer from the genetic modification process. In fact, they are treated with great care, far more so than typical farm animals. Their DNA is altered by inserting a human gene responsible for producing the desired protein into the section of the chicken's genetic code that produces albumen.
Once the modification is done, the chicken lays the egg, from which the white is separated from the yolk for use in drug production. It takes about three eggs to produce a single dose, and a chicken can lay as many as 300 eggs each year.
While the Scottish team understands that their method may take 10 to 20 years to be approved for human use, they are optimistic that in the meantime, their poultry-produced pharmaceuticals can benefit animal medicine development.
1. Super Bowl Dream Comes True
Today marks the day of Super Bowl LIII, where the Los Angeles Rams will face off against the New England Patriots. Two special fans of the Rams will be showing their support after the team surprised one of their own custodians with Super Bowl tickets.
For Alfonso Garcia, a facility employee at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, last Friday began just like any other. But his day took an unexpected turn when he was asked to head to the general manager's office.
Garcia felt a bit relieved when he saw wide receiver Brandin Cooks waiting for him. Cooks was there to let Garcia know how much his hard work in keeping the facility in top condition was appreciated. The player had a special surprise for Garcia—two tickets to Super Bowl LIII for him and his son, Joshua.
Garcia called the moment a “dream come true,” expressing how he had always wanted to attend a Super Bowl since he was a child.
