Eddy's Good News: Life in space and identifying Lichen

Virgin Radio

13 Jun 2024, 13:15

Every day during his show on Virgin Radio Anthems, Eddy Temple-Morris brings you Good News stories from around the world, to help inject a bit of positivity into your day!

Be sure to listen each day between 2pm and 6pm (Monday - Friday) to hear Eddy's Good News stories (amongst the finest music of course), but if you miss any of them you can catch up on the transcripts of Eddy's most recent stories below:

Thursday 13th June 2024

This afternoon we pay respects to astronaut Oleg Kononenko who has honoured the legacy of Uri Gagarin, to become the first human to rack up 1,000 days of spaceflight over a 16-year career visiting and living aboard the International Space Station. 

He’s up there right now and when he touches back down to earth in four months time he will be the most valuable man on the planet as scientists can begin to gather and analyse data about his health. It is still unknown how life in space can affect a human body in the long term. The lack of gravity, the increased exposure to solar radiation, how it affects eye health, bone loss, and blood flow, even prolonged space motion which can result in sickness. 

Oleg is from Turkmenistan, and is deeply proud and connected to his homeland, technically this is Russia these days and despite catastrophic international relations, and in acknowledgment of his distinguished collaboration with his colleagues in the US, he has received both the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal and the NASA Space Flight Medal.

Via: goodnewsnetwork.org

There’s a new census happening but this one won’t be an opportunity to register myself as Jedi in the religion box, it’s to identify lichen, specifically in graveyards. 

Citizen scientists are being asked to identify and record the many lichens that grow on gravestones. 

Lichens are amazing and their importance has only relatively recently been realised. They are slow-growing and complex lifeforms, which have symbiotic partnerships with algae living in filaments of fungi. They are a keystone species in many ecosystems, serving as food sources and helping with soil formation, nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration.

The Church of England are behind the unique nature count, which came as part of a week of events celebrating all creatures great and small. Love Your Burial Ground Week kicks off on Saturday, which aims to showcase churchyard heritage, biodiversity and boost community connection.

Via: positive.news