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Positive World News Megathread
- Thread starter Ash
- Start date
Thought that this was quite nice to see especially with most police forces not having a positive reputation right now around the world.
If only more news like that were streamed as main news and plastered as headlines. Police have been getting such bad publicity for most of this year and they completely ignored cases of good humanity like this get pushed to the back-burner.
Thought this was absolutely amazing to read about. This Olympian had to sell her medal to fund an operation for a 8-year old that needed heart surgery. Fortunately for her, the winner of the auction paid for the medal and then returned it to her!
Nice to know there are still honest people in this world.
Yes. That's nice to hear when someone returns money that isn't theirs. Especially when it comes to that amount of money.
Not an entirely positive post since she was kidnapped but it's great to hear that this little girl was found after 2 weeks! The parents must have felt hopeless especially after such a long period without any good news.
A little girl with special needs in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, can't wait for the garbage truck to pull up to her home.
Inside is one of her favorite people:
Happy these two found each other.
Inside is one of her favorite people:
Happy these two found each other.
*dusts off thread*
www.goodnewsnetwork.org
www.goodnewsnetwork.org
Kindness Activists are Adding Benches to City Bus Stops After Man With Cane Has to Sit on a Curb
A photo of a man with a cane sitting on the ground at a bus stop led to a groundswell of compassion, with 77 benches installed in the city.
www.goodnewsnetwork.org
‘We got him!’ Hero Michigan Police Use Heat Cam to Rescue Missing Toddler Wearing Only Diapers on Frigid Night
The story, which has a happy ending, is a reminder to all parents of just how challenging it can be to keep enough eyes on your child.
www.goodnewsnetwork.org
There needs to be more positive news post... 
Living With Purpose May Protect Your Brain From Dementia, Shows Huge New Study
by Lisa Howard
www.goodnewsnetwork.org
Living With Purpose May Protect Your Brain From Dementia, Shows Huge New Study
by Lisa Howard
Living With Purpose May Protect Your Brain From Dementia, Shows Huge New Study
New research shows that having a sense of purpose in life may have another benefit as people age: reducing the risk of dementia.
www.goodnewsnetwork.org
Previous studies into regions of the world where people tend to live longer has shown that having a sense of purpose in life may help people live longer.
Now, new research from the University of California in Davis shows that having a sense of purpose in life may have another benefit as people age: reducing the risk of dementia.
The new study, published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, followed over 13,000 adults aged 45 and older for up to 15 years.
Researchers found that people who reported a higher sense of purpose in life were about 28% less likely to develop cognitive impairment—including mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
The protective effect of having a purpose was seen across racial and ethnic groups. It also remained significant even after accounting for education, depression, and the APOE4 gene, which is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our findings show that having a sense of purpose helps the brain stay resilient with age,” said Aliza Wingo, senior author and professor in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “Even for people with a genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, sense of purpose was linked to a later onset and lower likelihood of developing dementia.”
Participants were not specifically asked about the activities that gave their life purpose. However, previous studies on aging have found a wide rang of activities give older adults a sense of life purpose (sometimes referred to as “ikigai”).
A Sense of Purpose Can Include:
• Relationships: Caring for family, spending time with grandchildren or supporting a spouse or friend.
• Work or volunteering: Continuing professional work, mentoring or contributing to community causes.
• Spirituality or faith: Religious beliefs, spiritual practices or involvement in faith-based communities.
• Personal goals: Pursuing hobbies, learning new skills or setting and achieving personal milestones.
• Helping others: Acts of kindness, philanthropy, caregiving or advocacy work.
Purpose delays onset of cognitive decline
Researchers also found that people with higher purpose tended to experience cognitive decline later than those with lower purpose. On average, the delay in onset was very modest — about 1.4 months over an eight-year period, after considering the effects of age, education, depressive symptoms, and genetic risk. However, it is meaningful when compared to current treatments.
“While medications like lecanemab and donanemab can modestly delay symptoms of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease, they come with risks and costs,” said Nicholas C. Howard, first author and public health researcher at UC Davis.
“Purpose in life is free, safe and accessible. It’s something people can build through relationships, goals and meaningful activities.”
Participants in the study were part of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative survey funded by the National Institute on Aging. All had normal cognitive health at the beginning of the study.
Researchers used a seven-item survey from the Ryff Measures of Psychological Well-being. Participants had six possible responses (from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”) for statements such as: “I am an active person in carrying out the plans I set for myself” and “I have a sense of direction and purpose in my life.”
Their answers were scored and averaged to obtain a well-being number between 1 and 6, with higher values indicating a strong sense of purpose in life. Their cognitive health was also tracked using a telephone-based test every two years.
The findings support the idea that psychological well-being plays a key role in healthy aging, said Thomas Wingo, a co-author of the study and a professor and neurologist at UC Davis Health. Wingo hopes future studies will explore whether purpose-building interventions can help prevent dementia.
“What’s exciting about this study is that people may be able to ‘think’ themselves into better health. Purpose in life is something we can nurture,” he said. “It’s never too early — or too late — to start thinking about what gives your life meaning.”
Now, new research from the University of California in Davis shows that having a sense of purpose in life may have another benefit as people age: reducing the risk of dementia.
The new study, published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, followed over 13,000 adults aged 45 and older for up to 15 years.
Researchers found that people who reported a higher sense of purpose in life were about 28% less likely to develop cognitive impairment—including mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
The protective effect of having a purpose was seen across racial and ethnic groups. It also remained significant even after accounting for education, depression, and the APOE4 gene, which is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our findings show that having a sense of purpose helps the brain stay resilient with age,” said Aliza Wingo, senior author and professor in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “Even for people with a genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, sense of purpose was linked to a later onset and lower likelihood of developing dementia.”
Participants were not specifically asked about the activities that gave their life purpose. However, previous studies on aging have found a wide rang of activities give older adults a sense of life purpose (sometimes referred to as “ikigai”).
A Sense of Purpose Can Include:
• Relationships: Caring for family, spending time with grandchildren or supporting a spouse or friend.
• Work or volunteering: Continuing professional work, mentoring or contributing to community causes.
• Spirituality or faith: Religious beliefs, spiritual practices or involvement in faith-based communities.
• Personal goals: Pursuing hobbies, learning new skills or setting and achieving personal milestones.
• Helping others: Acts of kindness, philanthropy, caregiving or advocacy work.
Purpose delays onset of cognitive decline
Researchers also found that people with higher purpose tended to experience cognitive decline later than those with lower purpose. On average, the delay in onset was very modest — about 1.4 months over an eight-year period, after considering the effects of age, education, depressive symptoms, and genetic risk. However, it is meaningful when compared to current treatments.
“While medications like lecanemab and donanemab can modestly delay symptoms of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease, they come with risks and costs,” said Nicholas C. Howard, first author and public health researcher at UC Davis.
“Purpose in life is free, safe and accessible. It’s something people can build through relationships, goals and meaningful activities.”
Participants in the study were part of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative survey funded by the National Institute on Aging. All had normal cognitive health at the beginning of the study.
Researchers used a seven-item survey from the Ryff Measures of Psychological Well-being. Participants had six possible responses (from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”) for statements such as: “I am an active person in carrying out the plans I set for myself” and “I have a sense of direction and purpose in my life.”
Their answers were scored and averaged to obtain a well-being number between 1 and 6, with higher values indicating a strong sense of purpose in life. Their cognitive health was also tracked using a telephone-based test every two years.
The findings support the idea that psychological well-being plays a key role in healthy aging, said Thomas Wingo, a co-author of the study and a professor and neurologist at UC Davis Health. Wingo hopes future studies will explore whether purpose-building interventions can help prevent dementia.
“What’s exciting about this study is that people may be able to ‘think’ themselves into better health. Purpose in life is something we can nurture,” he said. “It’s never too early — or too late — to start thinking about what gives your life meaning.”
This story has a high coolness rating, so it's here:
apnews.com
Scientists find ancient life-size animal rock carvings in the Saudi Arabian desert
Scientists find ancient life-size animal rock carvings in the Saudi Arabian desert
Researchers have discovered life-size rock carvings of camels, gazelles and other animals in Saudi Arabia.
apnews.com
Here's some that may brighten your day:
Stray Dog Saved From ‘Death Row’ Turns into Brilliant Detective, Sniffing out Lost Animals
www.goodnewsnetwork.org
Stray Dog Saved From ‘Death Row’ Turns into Brilliant Detective, Sniffing out Lost Animals
Stray Dog Saved From ‘Death Row’ Turns into Brilliant Detective, Sniffing out Lost Animals
A stray Kokoni dog saved from being euthanized has become an expert pet detective, displaying an uncanny knack for sniffing out lost animals.
www.goodnewsnetwork.org
A stray dog that was saved from being euthanized has become an expert pet detective, displaying an uncanny knack for sniffing out lost animals.
Rico was just days away from being put down when kind-hearted Rachel Rodgers, who runs a dog training school, paid almost $200 to rescue him from the Portuguese dog pound.
“I saw this picture online of this really cute black and tan dog in Portugal and they said he had two days left to live,” the Englishwoman told SWNS news agency. “I paid the fee to get him out of the pound, but they hadn’t found him a home (so) I ended up paying and bringing him over.”
She took him home and was amazed to discover the incredible sniffing and tracking skills of this small domestic Kokoni.
“He was really good at that. It was like hide and seek where they sniff you out.”
Within months, Rico’s nose was being used to track down lost pets and animals which had escaped from their enclosures, including a runaway capybara.
Rico would be given a blanket or chew toy to smell, which he would then use to locate the area where the animals had been most recently.
In some cases, the 10-year-old pup was even given an animal’s poop to learn its smell in order to pick up a trail.
Rico is now a pro at locating lost animals—and over the years, he’s taken part in more than 20 pet rescues. 36-year-old Rachel from Whitchurch, Shropshire, in England, is preparing to mark ten years since she gave Rico a second chance of life in December 2015.
Rico’s first rescue happened while Rachel was doing a course about water voles in Wales.
Rico was just days away from being put down when kind-hearted Rachel Rodgers, who runs a dog training school, paid almost $200 to rescue him from the Portuguese dog pound.
“I saw this picture online of this really cute black and tan dog in Portugal and they said he had two days left to live,” the Englishwoman told SWNS news agency. “I paid the fee to get him out of the pound, but they hadn’t found him a home (so) I ended up paying and bringing him over.”
She took him home and was amazed to discover the incredible sniffing and tracking skills of this small domestic Kokoni.
“He was really good at that. It was like hide and seek where they sniff you out.”
Within months, Rico’s nose was being used to track down lost pets and animals which had escaped from their enclosures, including a runaway capybara.
Rico would be given a blanket or chew toy to smell, which he would then use to locate the area where the animals had been most recently.
In some cases, the 10-year-old pup was even given an animal’s poop to learn its smell in order to pick up a trail.
Rico is now a pro at locating lost animals—and over the years, he’s taken part in more than 20 pet rescues. 36-year-old Rachel from Whitchurch, Shropshire, in England, is preparing to mark ten years since she gave Rico a second chance of life in December 2015.
Rico’s first rescue happened while Rachel was doing a course about water voles in Wales.
