The Good News You Missed Today: Scientists Throw Paper Planes From Space, Pythons Evolve Amazing Abilities, and Art Crosses Borders
Plus: How designers are saving bees, French Lady Liberty protests, and why your dog's DNA holds human history
Welcome to your daily coffee companion. After spending my early morning hours searching the internet, art magazines, scientific journals, and social media while you were sleeping, I found inspiring stories about human curiosity, beauty, history, and nature. I guarantee that most of these will be new to you, as you will likely not have seen these stories in your regular news feed.
Today's collection spans from paper planes tumbling through space to ancient dogs that helped humans conquer the Arctic, from snakes with specialized bone-digesting cells to artists creating viral protests about democracy.
So get your coffee, sit down, and let's explore what happens when science meets wonder, when art challenges politics, and when the past reveals secrets that change how we see our world.
What Happens When You Throw a Paper Plane From Space? These Physicists Found Out
Maximilien Berthet and Kojiro Suzuki, researchers at the University of Tokyo, decided to find out what would happen if you threw a paper airplane from the International Space Station. Their answer combines serious engineering analysis with pure scientific curiosity.
Using computer simulations and wind tunnel tests, they tracked how a folded A4 sheet of paper would behave if launched from low Earth orbit. From the moment the simulated origami plane leaves the ISS (some 400 kilometers above Earth), it begins its doomed descent. For several days, the tiny four-gram glider maintains a stable flight, its nose pointed downward as it spirals toward Earth.
But at around 120 kilometers altitude, its gentle descent becomes chaos. The plane begins to tumble uncontrollably as atmospheric drag surges. The researchers turned to hardware, folding a scaled-down version and blasting it with Mach 7 winds, that is over 1,000 meters per second, for seven seconds straight. The paper nose bent backward, wing edges charred, and the plane held together but barely.
The experiment isn't just whimsical. In an era where space debris clogs low Earth orbit and satellite mega-constellations are proliferating, researchers are noting a growing interest in using organic, biodegradable materials for space missions. Using paper could offer cleaner disposal through atmospheric reentry. Japan launched a working wooden satellite that operated for 116 days and will soon launch a second, improved version.
The paper plane's rapid descent also makes it a sensitive probe for studying the upper atmosphere. Its low mass and large surface area make its trajectory highly responsive to small changes in air density at altitudes between 200 and 300 kilometers, information that's still difficult to collect.
Of course, the origami space plane does exactly what you'd expect of office supplies hurled into Earth's atmosphere: it burns up. But I'm inspired by the creativity, sustainability, and spirit of scientific curiosity that this experiment embodies. Human progress is often about asking "what if," and then we build an experiment to find out.
Mars Once Had Rivers Everywhere, and We're Only Just Finding Them
Thousands of miles of ancient riverbeds have been discovered in the heavily cratered southern highlands of Mars, suggesting the red planet was once a far wetter world than scientists thought. Researchers spotted traces of nearly 10,000 miles of ancient watercourses, believed to be more than 3 billion years old, in high-resolution images captured by Mars orbiters.
The discovery came from Noachis Terra, or Land of Noah, one of the oldest landscapes on Mars. "Water has been found on Mars countless times before, but what's really interesting here is that this is an area where for a long time we've thought there wasn't any evidence for water," said Adam Losekoot, a PhD student at the Open University.
The images revealed numerous geological features known as fluvial sinuous ridges, also referred to as inverted channels. These form when tracks of sediment carried by ancient rivers harden over time and are later exposed when the surrounding softer ground erodes. Some tracks are narrow, others more than a mile wide.
The widespread rivers were likely replenished by regular rainfall or snowfall in the region, suggesting that Mars had a more sustained water cycle than previously thought. In one image from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the pattern reveals a network of meandering tributaries and spots where ancient riverbanks burst.
The findings suggest that Mars held vast bodies of water approximately 3.7 billion years ago before evolving into the arid world we know today. Mars became this way when its magnetic field waned, allowing solar wind to erode its atmosphere and water to escape into space. But some water may remain hidden: beyond Mars's polar ice caps, researchers reported in April that a vast reservoir could lie deep beneath the Martian surface.
The Oldest Dog Breed Reveals How Humans Conquered the Arctic
In Greenland's frozen reaches, a humble dog sits beneath the pale Arctic sun. Its breath makes tiny clouds in cold air, broad paws pressing into the snow. Meet the Qimmeq (or Greenland Dog), bred not for companionship or dog shows but for endurance in some of the world's most unforgiving environments.
It may well be the oldest dog breed on Earth. Its genetic history stretches back nearly 10,000 years to Siberia. A new study in Science uses ancient and modern DNA to tell the story of the Qimmeq and, through it, the story of human migration across the Arctic.
Researchers analyzed the DNA of 92 Greenland sled dogs, both living and long deceased, finding the Qimmeq has retained much of its original genetic identity for nearly a millennium. Unlike modern sled breeds that have interbred genetically with other dogs, the Qimmeq stands apart as a genetically distinct breed.
"They're a working dog that has been performing the same task with the same people for 1,000 years or more," says lead author Tatiana Feuerborn. "That's what sets them apart."
The study reveals how dogs mirror human movement. By mapping genetic similarity between Greenlandic dogs and ancient dogs from Alaska and Siberia, researchers concluded the Inuit likely arrived in Greenland earlier than previously believed, perhaps as much as 200 years earlier.
Four major genetic clusters in Qimmeq populations —north, west, east, and northeast —match the distribution of Indigenous Greenlandic communities. The northeastern dog DNA provides evidence of a human community that has otherwise been lost from historical records.
Today, the Qimmeq population faces collapse. Numbers plummeted from around 25,000 in 2002 to just 13,000 by 2020, victims of melting ice, shrinking hunting grounds, and snowmobile replacement. Yet, as Feuerborn notes, snowmobiles "can't smell seals or polar bears. They're not quiet. They can't think for themselves. And they break down".
The Qimmeq's story highlights how closely intertwined human and dog lives have been across millennia and how climate change now threatens partnerships that have survived ice ages and helped humans colonize the planet's most challenging environments.
I can only bring you these stories each morning because readers like you make it possible. All day, I search for discoveries that restore faith in human potential rather than reinforcing daily despair. Your subscription keeps this independent journalism alive and growing. If these morning discoveries brighten your coffee routine, please consider supporting the work:
How Pythons Evolved Cells That Digest Entire Skeletons
Burmese pythons can grow up to 19 feet in length and eat prey as large as cattle, with bones and all. Everything goes down whole, with no bone fragments ever coming out the other end. Scientists have long wondered how these snakes avoid calcium toxicity from dissolving entire skeletons.
Now they know. Researchers have found specialized cells in the intestinal lining of Burmese pythons that process calcium from bones. These cells help explain how predators digest whole prey.
The research team fed Burmese pythons three different diets: whole prey, a low-calcium diet of boneless prey, and boneless prey injected with calcium carbonate. To examine how the snakes managed their calcium intake, they analyzed the intestinal cells using microscopy.
The scientists discovered cells that are narrower than usual intestinal cells, with special folds called crypts. These crypts store molecules of calcium and phosphorus, preventing these molecules from being absorbed into the bloodstream. When pythons ate boneless prey, the crypts remained empty. When they consumed whole animals or calcium supplements, the crypts filled with calcium-rich particles.
Since discovering the narrow intestinal cells in Burmese pythons, scientists have also found them in other pythons and boas, as well as in Gila monsters, all of which eat their prey whole. This suggests the adaptation evolved independently or represents an ancient mechanism.
"Marine predators that eat bony fish or aquatic mammals must face the same problem," study co-author Jehan-Hervé Lignot notes. "Birds that eat mostly bones, such as the bearded vulture, would be fascinating candidates too."
Evolution has fascinated me since the day I first learned about it at school. I still remember how the teacher began with a story about a giraffe that had a slightly longer neck and could reach higher in the trees to eat the best leaves. Dive into it, and the story becomes only more fascinating; this discovery reveals how evolution addresses complex physiological challenges. While we marvel at pythons swallowing deer whole, the real engineering marvel happens at the cellular level, where specialized cells capture dissolved minerals and package them for elimination rather than allowing dangerous accumulation.
When Designers Fight for Bees, Everyone Wins
I always enjoy reading about bees. Maybe it's because they're so essential; according to the United Nations, a third of the world's food production depends on pollinators like bees. Yet, their populations face a crisis. In the US, the National Agriculture Statistics Service reported a reduction from 5.9 million honey-producing bee colonies in 1947 to just 2.44 million in 2008.
But designers and architects are fighting back with ingenious solutions. London-based artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg has developed "Pollinator Pathway," an online tool that enables users to design gardens specifically for the benefit of pollinating insects. The planting designs are generated using an algorithm that prioritizes flowering plants that pollinators like to feed on.
In another example, Finnish architecture practice Suomi/Koivisto created the "Alusta" pavilion in Helsinki in 2022. They contacted ecology researchers to ask if it's possible to invite pollinators onto a paved parking lot in the center of Helsinki. With the help of ecologists, they selected pollinator-friendly plants, such as cowslip, lemon thyme, wild strawberry, and hyssop, and arranged them around a pavilion made of clay blocks.
Meanwhile, at the Arboretum at Penn State University, a special Pollinator and Bird Garden were created in 2021 to attract local pollinating insects and birds, featuring flowering plants, including goldenrods, native mountain mint, and fennel.
Beyond gardens, designers are creating innovative bee homes. London-based studio Layer collaborated with Spanish manufacturer Andreu World to create "Host," a modular beehive design in timber, metal, and straw that features efficient ventilation and rain coverage, as well as straw insulation to keep bees warmer.
For a different approach, French artist Marlene Huissoud created a special beehive at the SFER IK Museum in Mexico for the Melipona bee, a local species facing population decline. The beehive, named "Mama," resembles dynamic tree trunks.
Then there are "bee hotels"—bundles of hollow canes or wooden logs drilled with holes within birdhouse-like structures to recreate natural habitats that solitary bees like to nest in. In Brighton, England, "bee bricks" with holes for nesting have become a necessary condition for planning approval in most new buildings.
These projects show how design thinking can address environmental crises. As one Penn State scientist puts it, "In the 21st century, we should be shocked if a neighborhood is not filled with flowers."
Lithuania's Race to Save Baltic Seals as Ice Disappears
Lithuania will make a concerted effort to save its grey seal population, which has managed to stabilize though continues to remain vulnerable, in the Baltic Sea as it contends with shrinking fish stocks, pollution, and climate change.
The seal population has increased from approximately 4,000, considered nearly extinct in the late 1980s, to around 50,000. But success brings new challenges. Climate change effects are severe, as the Baltic Sea rarely freezes over now, depriving seals of sanctuaries to rear their cubs.
"Mothers are forced to breed on land in high concentration with other seals," said Vaida Surviliene, a scientist at Lithuania's Vilnius University. "They are unable to recognize their cubs and often leave them because of it." Survival rates for cubs in the wild can be as low as 5 percent.
Rearing cubs ashore also leaves mother seals exposed to humans, other wild animals, and rowdy males, as well as a higher risk of diseases. Arunas Grusas, a biologist at the Baltic Sea Animal Rehabilitation Centre, has been caring for seals since 1987. The first cubs were placed into makeshift baths set up in an office. Scientists then nursed them back to health, first with liquid formula before moving on to solid food.
Once seals are ready to re-enter the wild, scientists release them with GPS trackers, which show that seals generally favor a route north towards the Swedish island of Gotland, where fish are more plentiful. Some scared seals return to the release boat, but eventually, all find their way back to the wild.
The rehabilitation center is essential for adaptation to climate reality. When natural ice nurseries disappear, human-created alternatives can bridge the gap until seals adapt to their changing world.
Paul McCartney at 83: Still Not Ready to Retire
Paul McCartney may be 83, but he doesn't sound ready to retire. The former Beatle is heading back out on the road. McCartney's Got Back Tour is an extension of his 2022 tour of the same name, which marked his last US performance. The 19-date North American tour will kick off September 29 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California.
The tour travels to stadiums and arenas across multiple cities, including Las Vegas, Atlanta, Nashville, and Montreal. The presale for tickets begins on July 15 at 10:00 AM local time.
McCartney's endurance at 83 reflects the remarkable longevity of some of the first generation of rock musicians. While contemporaries retire or fade, McCartney continues to create and perform, suggesting that artistic drive doesn't follow conventional aging timelines.
The tour announcement also arrives as music becomes an increasingly nostalgic refuge. With fascism on the rise, McCartney's concerts offer communal experiences of shared cultural memory, where multiple generations gather around songs that define decades of social change.
For many fans, McCartney represents continuity with optimistic moments in cultural history when music felt capable of changing the world. That he continues to perform suggests that some artists never abandon that belief. Although I have a lifelong, deep admiration for the musical genius of Paul McCartney, it also tells another story of non-American artists still willing to perform in a country where democracy and human rights are increasingly under threat.
Ancient Aboriginal Art Joins World Heritage List After 50,000 Years
The United Nations cultural organization has added a remote Aboriginal site featuring one million carvings, which potentially date back 50,000 years, to its World Heritage list. Located on the Burrup peninsula in Western Australia, Murujuga is home to the Mardudunera people, who declared themselves "overjoyed" when UNESCO gave the ancient site a coveted place on its list on Friday.
"These carvings are what our ancestors left here for us to learn and keep their knowledge and keep our culture thriving through these sacred sites," said Mark Clifton, a member of the Aboriginal delegation meeting with UNESCO representatives in Paris.
Benjamin Smith, a rock art specialist at the University of Western Australia, said Murujuga was "possibly the most important rock art site in the world," but that mining activity was causing the rock art to "break down." Environmental and Indigenous organizations argue that the presence of mining groups emitting industrial emissions has already caused damage to the ancient site.
Australian company Woodside Energy, which operates an industrial complex in the area, told AFP that it recognized Murujuga as "one of Australia's most culturally significant landscapes" and was taking "proactive steps … to ensure we manage our impacts responsibly".
Delegation leader Raelene Cooper said the UNESCO listing sent "a clear signal to the Australian Government and Woodside that things need to change."
The designation is both a cultural recognition and a test of whether ancient heritage can survive the pressures of industrial economics. UNESCO listings don't automatically trigger protection, but they increase international pressure on governments to prioritize preservation over extraction.
For the Mardudunera people, the listing validates what they've known for millennia: that this landscape holds irreplaceable knowledge about human creativity, adaptation, and spiritual connection to place.
France's Statue of Liberty Mural Goes Viral as Art Meets Politics
A mural depicting the Statue of Liberty with her face covered in shame appeared on a building in Northern France over the Independence Day weekend. It quickly garnered millions of views on social media. "The Statue of Liberty's Silent Protest," by Dutch street artist Judith de Leeuw, was unveiled on July 4 in the city of Roubaix.
De Leeuw told Hyperallergic that the mural reflects her concern for the United States's cruel immigration policies and a "fragile friendship" between the country and the European Union. The location was intentional: Leeuw chose Roubaix due to its "large migrant population" who live day to day with difficult circumstances. (📹 virgonian.hoaws)
Arriving in New York Harbor in 1885 from France, the Statue of Liberty was conceived two decades earlier to mark the upcoming centennial of the US Declaration of Independence in a gesture of friendship. Now approaching the 250th anniversary, de Leeuw's mural questions whether the liberties enshrined in the monument still exist today.
The artwork sparked intense online debate. Conservative content creators denounced the work as disrespectful across platforms, while many Americans praised it. "In case you are wondering what the world is thinking of us," one person wrote, while another stated: "That's an incredible picture of how most Americans feel now. Ashamed".
Since the work went viral, de Leeuw told Hyperallergic that she received a notification that her Instagram account could be at risk of being taken down, though the app didn't provide a reason. "I can only speculate, but I understand that when an artist reaches 35 million people, it might become interesting to try and silence them".
The popularity of De Leeuw's mural demonstrates art's power to crystallize complex political feelings into single, shareable images.
Van Gogh Returns to Paris in Digital Glory
I've visited the Van Gogh immersive exhibition at Atelier des Lumières in Paris twice, and I can highly recommend it. The experience brought Van Gogh to life in a way I had never experienced before. This summer, the beloved exhibition returns with new animations and enhanced scenography from July 7 to August 30, 2025.
Located in a former foundry in Paris's 11th arrondissement, the Atelier des Lumières transforms Van Gogh's paintings into floor-to-ceiling spectacles. You walk through his artistic journey, from early works to masterpieces like Starry Night and Sunflowers. Each painting comes to life around you, revealing brushstrokes and colors in ways no traditional museum could manage.
The venue itself adds to the magic. With its vast spaces, raw walls, and industrial atmosphere, the former steel foundry creates a stunning setting where Van Gogh's works feel both intimate and monumental. The exhibition runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, while "The Little Prince" immersive experience plays on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
Visitor reactions consistently describe the experience as transformative. One wrote: "A beautiful immersion into Van Gogh's world. It's magnificent!" Another said: "The work comes to life all around you, surprising you every time. Not to be missed on a Parisian excursion!"
The Van Gogh exhibition's return reflects a growing appetite for immersive art experiences that transform passive viewing into physical participation. By projecting paintings onto floors, walls, and ceilings, the technology allows visitors to step inside artworks rather than simply observing them. It's art appreciation for the Instagram age, but it works; you leave with an understanding of Van Gogh's emotional intensity in ways that studying reproductions never achieves.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Celebrates 50 Years of Defying Authority
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a new 4K restoration and a theatrical re-release on July 13 and July 16. The Miloš Forman film became a sensation in 1975, the second highest grossing picture behind "Jaws," and received nine Oscar nominations.
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" would go on to sweep the "big five"—screenplay, director, actor, actress, and picture—the first film to do so in 41 years, which only "The Silence of the Lambs" has done since.
Producer Michael Douglas reflects on the film's lasting relevance. "I think the movie reflects what's happening in America right now, in terms of the Presidency and a struggle that we never anticipated we would see in our country: a struggle for democracy. There is a parallel between Nurse Ratched and the system she operates within and what's happening in America today".
Speaking on the indie filmmaking podcast CK Café, producer Paul Zaentz disclosed: "Just now, I've signed an agreement with Ken Kesey's widow to develop a TV series which we'll make through the point of view of the Chief for the first season."
The film's 50th anniversary arrives at a moment when its themes of institutional authority versus individual freedom feel particularly relevant. The story of McMurphy challenging an authoritarian system resonates in an era when democratic institutions face unprecedented pressure.
The planned TV series suggests a hunger for stories about resistance to oppressive systems, told from the perspectives of those who've been marginalized or silenced. Chief Bromden's viewpoint presents a unique perspective on familiar themes of power, conformity, and the consequences of speaking truth to authority.
Finding Hope in Human Ingenuity
This weekend's stories capture the full spectrum of human response to challenge and change. From scientists launching paper planes into space to artists creating viral protests about democracy, from conservationists saving seals to designers fighting for the survival of bees, I see creativity, determination, and care at work across every scale.
The discoveries amaze me: Martian rivers that flowed billions of years ago, python cells that digest entire skeletons, and DNA that traces human migration across ice caps. Science continues to reveal nature's elegance and complexity, reminding us that every mystery solved opens doors to even greater questions.
The conservation efforts inspire hope. Lithuania's seal rescue boats, designer bee hotels, and Aboriginal communities protecting 50,000-year-old art show how humans can adapt to serve life rather than destroy it.
The artistic expressions prove democracy's vitality. Van Gogh's immersive return, Lady Liberty's viral protest, and Cuckoo's Nest's enduring relevance show how creative work continues challenging authority, crossing borders, and connecting people across time and culture.
Did you notice how these stories weave together? Ancient dog DNA illuminates human migration. Modern art responds to political change. Scientific discoveries inspire technological innovation. Conservation efforts require international cooperation. These seemingly independent stories exist within networks of connections that span disciplines, borders, and centuries.
In an era of growing political polarization and alienation, these connections are crucial. They demonstrate that curiosity, compassion, and creativity transcend political divisions. The stories I share give hope at a time when we need it more than ever.
Your subscription makes this exploration possible. Each morning, I search for stories that restore faith in human potential rather than reinforcing daily despair. If these discoveries and connections enrich your morning coffee, consider supporting independent journalism that seeks hope over headlines and wonder over worry.
Until next weekend's discoveries, ☕️
Alexander
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Notes:
Paper airplane space study: ZME Science, "What Happens When You Throw a Paper Plane From Space? These Physicists Found Out"
Mars ancient rivers: The Guardian, "Discovery of ancient riverbeds suggests Mars once wetter than thought"
Greenland dog DNA: ZME Science, "The Oldest Dog Breed's DNA Reveals How Humans Conquered the Arctic"
Python bone digestion: Journal of Experimental Biology via multiple sources
Bee conservation design: CNN, "The bee population is in decline. These designers have a solution"
Lithuanian seal conservation: Al Jazeera, "Lithuania to save Baltic seals as ice sheets recede due to climate change"
Paul McCartney tour: CNN, "Paul McCartney is heading back out on tour"
Aboriginal rock art: Al Jazeera, "Ancient Aboriginal rock art, African sites make UNESCO World Heritage list"
Statue of Liberty mural: Hyperallergic, "Massive Mural of Ashamed Statue of Liberty Emerges in France"
Van Gogh immersive exhibition: Atelier des Lumières official website and multiple sources
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Deadline and multiple entertainment sources
"I guarantee that most of these will be new to you, as you will likely not have seen these stories in your regular news feed."
And you are correct. This collection of stories is so exciting. Paper airplanes in space, yes. We have littered Planet Earth, let's do better with space. Qimmeq and Greenland will not be bought. Liberty's Silent Protest. Immersive Vincent van Gogh. Reading again ☕
The Planet Mars has fascinated people for so long... And now, the eventful history of Mars is progressively revealed thanks to an increasingly precise observation!
I find that so passionating…
Like the study of this oldest dog breed that made it possible to understand how humans conquered the Arctic !
Well done 👏 Alex, for all these stories that you have carefully selected for their interest, but also to show that many intersect: « These seemingly independent stories exist within networks of connections that span disciplines, borders and centuries »
All this is inspiring and makes sense! 🙋♀️👌👏