In 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched its Beagle Brigade. The brigade consisted of sniffer dogs trained to detect up to fifty odors associated with contraband smuggling into the country. International travelers to the U.S. have likely seen and interacted with members of the...
In the Pixar movie, WALL-E, set a few hundred years in the future, humans have no direct contact with one another, are relatively helpless, and spend all day interacting only via television. As did many of my friends, I felt that the film got the...
A group of Oxford University faculty and health advocates launched the Oxford Longevity Project, a community interest company focused on sharing discoveries and insights regarding healthy aging with the broader public. There is growing international attention to what the IMF has labelled the “Silver Economy,” and...
Animal agriculture underwent significant changes before and after World War II, evolving into a more intensive operation. During this transition, farming animals, primarily chickens and pigs, shifted away from pasture-based systems. Instead, these animals were confined within buildings for their entire lives. With animals housed at...
In the early twentieth century, medical researchers and entrepreneurs began searching for substances that could kill pathogenic microorganisms—such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses—while leaving the infected host unharmed. Paul Ehrlich, a German scientist, coined the term "magic bullet" to describe these substances. He demonstrated...
The first day of spring is usually celebrated on March 21. However, in 2025, the spring equinox occurred at 5:01 AM EST on March 20. Additionally, the thirteenth World Happiness Report 2025 was released on March 20, coinciding with the UN-designated International Day of Happiness,...
WellBeing International was founded on the premise that "a responsible caretaker of our world must safeguard people, animals, and the environment, as each element is connected to and dependent on the well-being of the others." The bond between a Veteran and their service dog personifies this...
Just over 20 years ago, on Saturday, October 2, 2004, thirteen people participated in a free, timed 5 km run at Bushy Park in West London. This event marked the launch of the Parkrun charity, which has since grown to an annual budget of around...
The Covid pandemic had a widespread social impact in addition to its effects on public health. For example, in the Washington, DC area, home buyers were focused on homes in the city pre-COVID, and the Washington suburban real estate market was in the doldrums. However,...
In 1945, Vannevar Bush, a key figure in the history of scientific research, sent a report to President Truman, Science- the endless frontier, advocating for an expansion of Federal funding of basic research and support for students seeking a college education. The committee advising Bush...
