Herculaneum

Have you heard of the Herculaneum scrolls? They’re a group of writings on papyrus that were charred and buried in ashes during the deadly eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Following the discovery of the manuscripts under 50-60 feet (15-18 meters) of volcanic mud in the 1750s, scholars and scientists have long recognized that […]

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

Steve Jobs

2023 progress

This uplifting end-of-year message from global communications firm Richard Attias & Associates is worth repeating. The short video highlights the year’s notable progress. Which inspiring new advancements will 2024 bring… and how might they redefine the future in ways we can’t yet imagine? — Richard Attias & Associates (@RichardAttiasAs) January 1, 2024 pic.twitter.com/dsaTKRiYGQ January 1, […]

Vathaba - Integrated Agriculture - Rice grown in a banana plantation

To end 2023 on a positive note, here are the outcomes of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, earlier this month. For the first time in nearly 30 years of conferences (the first was held in Berlin in 1995), the delegates at COP recognized the need to transition […]

black soldier fly

The plastic pollution problem is vast and harmful. But The Good Times has reported over the years on various solutions to help tackle the problem. Here’s another remarkable effort: scientists have successfully found a natural product that can be transformed into degradable, digestible polymers (a substance or material, like plastics, that consists of very large […]

Roots of Happiness

Words are the strongest form of communication humans have and they carry deep meaning. Just as certain words convey happiness and can be uplifting, others can cause sadness, anger, embarrassment, anxiety, fear, helplessness, or solitude. Finding “light in the deepest, darkest corners” of the English language, lexicographer and etymologist Susie Dent highlights 100 happy words […]

“Only if we understand will we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall all be saved.”

Jane Goodall

View of Le Morne Brabant peninsula from the top of Le Morne Brabant, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mauritius Credit: ©dcarsprungli

Before photos, there were drawings. They ranged from cave drawings of animals like lions, bison, mammoths, horses, and warty pigs, to illustrations in early Victorian botanical journals of the natural world, portraying meticulously described species that served to document life on earth. These drawings brought living things in distant and close destinations to all those […]

Amazon Rainforest, near Manaus

Efforts to save and enhance biodiversity work better when local communities are involved. That is the conclusion of research undertaken in 2021 by 17 scientists on “The role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in effective and equitable conservation,” published in the journal Ecology & Society. “Involving IPLCs [Indigenous peoples and local communities] is perceived […]

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.”

Audrey Hepburn