Noah Schapp’s coming out story, huge wind farms and all the other good news you missed this week

Just a bunch of great news to end the week on…

Hero image in post
photo: Kristy Sparow / Getty
Hero image in post
photo: Kristy Sparow / Getty

Just a bunch of great news to end the week on…

By Rhys Thomas and Lucy O'Brien06 Jan 2023
9 mins read time
9 mins read time

Climate/Earth News

In Miami, smoking has been banned on all public parks and beaches. Why? Cigarette butts are the most commonly littered item and so in order to keep beaches pristine and to protect wildlife including sea turtles, the city has decided to keep butts off of its beaches.

The facts have it - heterosexual women tend to prefer climate conscious men as sexual partners. A study from sustainable cyclic company Velotric Bike found that men who care about the planet have sex three times more weekly than men who don’t care about things like recycling and carbon footprints.

In China a ship that’s taller than the Eiffel Tower has been built, and it’s on its way to a windfarm called Dogger Bank, which is located between Sunderland and Denmark. It’s the biggest offshore wind farm in the world, and the ship is going to be used to help install massive wind turbines.

The EU has negotiated a huge new deal that will ban the import of any products linked to deforestation. This means any companies who want to sell their products to countries within the European Union (there’s 27 of them including Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, and more) will have to prove they aren’t contributing to deforestation – this guarantees good produce for consumers and puts pressure on companies to adopt more sustainable production methods. Mega.

Research from University College London has shown a direct link between [wellbeing and good transport links] (https://news.sky.com/story/better-transport-options-linked-to-greater-health-and-wellbeing-study-finds-12779851). There’s a load of findings that look into different definitions of wellness, but basically people who are able to travel out of their local area are said to feel healthier than those who stay at home, and that’s partly attributed to increased socialising. But also, more reliable public transport is great for helping people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and ages feel the pleasure of getting out and about.

A big breath of fresh air: Britain produced over a quarter of its electricity via windpower this year. A new record, and December 2022 was the best wind electricity month ever. It shows we’re continually getting greener and less reliant on fossil fuels. Good for our bank accounts and the planet.

People news

Noah Schnapp has us in all the feels. This morning, the world woke up to a wholesome TikTok video of Schnapp announcing that he has come out as gay to his family (and in turn, the world). The caption of the video reads “I guess I’m more similar to Will than I thought” – referring to the now not so ambiguous sexuality of his Stranger Things character Will Byers. A wholesome coming out video AND a Stranger Things easter egg? You’re spoiling us, Noah.

The Banshees of Inisherin is very likely to be all over the award ceremonies this year, and among the talking points will be Colin Farrell’s great performance of Pádraic Súilleabháin. But more importantly, in a recent interview, Farrell spoke about running around the island they filmed on, saying hello to all of the animals, and feeling connected to nature.

On celebrities getting their woo going, Prince Harry hallucinated that a pedal bin was talking to him when he took mushrooms once. We’re not sure what sort of bin it was or what it said to him, but you’re so welcome to use your imaginations.

New Miley Cyrus album!!! Dolly Parton’s goddaughter is dropping record number eight on March 10, the same week as a new Lana Del Rey album. It’s called Endless Summer Vacation and the promo video looks something like a summery perfume advert, really nice, Vitamin D everywhere.

Theophilus London went missing in Los Angeles a few months back, but has fortunately been found and is safe and well. His father said someone spotted him walking in west Los Angeles, he’s planning on going to New York soon for a family bereavement. The 35-year-old stopped posting on social media in July and was reported missing in October.

Louisiana has introduced a bill that requires pornographic websites to check that users are over the age of 18, or the company risks being sued – given that porn is only meant to be viewed by adults. Republican state legislator Laurie Schlegel introduced the bill, saying she was inspired to do so after hearing Billie Eilish speak of the negative effect viewing porn in childhood has had on her.

Britain (and Canada’s) brightest tennis prospect Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from the ASB Classic tournament in New Zealand recently, due to injury. News circulated showing her upset, which makes sense given she’s young, ambitious, and had been training for months to hit the year running. Fortunately, Raducanu has decided to fly across to the Australian Open, which starts soon, with hopes of competing.

Wellness news

A new study has revealed a link between student mental health risk and what subject they study at university. The research suggests that many students begin university with pre-existing mental health issues, and this can influence what subject they decide to study in further education. Law and psychology, for example, were subjects more likely to be studied by people who have had more “negative early life experiences”. These findings are set to help us better understand the causes of mental health issues and how to better recognise them in young people.

The key to natural, healthy ageing might’ve just been unlocked. That’s right, a new, promising study has found that genetically engineered cells that have been exposed to a dose of light can extend their life, and in turn could be used to expand the lifespan of humans. And with the recent trend of parents experimenting with Gen Z style, we’re starting to think that getting older won’t be so bad after all.

Scientists have actually proved that taking trips away from your home improves your health. You don’t have to tell me twice. These heroes over at University College London found that of the 3,000 adults in the UK surveyed, those who regularly used public transport to travel, see friends and go at least 15 miles away from their homes reported better overall health. The study proves that quick getaways can boost our sense of independence, fitness and happiness as we get older. Brb, just booking my next city break…

Neuroscientists have found that voice and facial recognition truly go hand in hand. In fact, when a group of people studied were asked to identify US presidents, they found that trying to recognise a famous voice triggered the same area of the brain to become active that allows us to process facial recognition. Ah, one step closer to understanding the human brain – small victories!

The way we interact with social media can help us understand our own wellbeing. Be you a double-tapper, story skipper or susceptible to occasional doomscrolling, identifying your online behavioural traits can provide an insight into our psychological health. The study found that more interactive users actually reported feeling more connected to both their physical and online networks, and suggests that our relationship with social media goes deeper than we previously thought.

Culture News

Gucci is finally giving us an après-ski collection that will actually make us want to take on the Alps in style. You heard us, Gucci’s latest skiing apparel is a refreshing palate cleanser from the repetitive, monochromatic fashion we normally see on the slopes, instead giving us a dopamine-filled collection of eclectic designs, bright colours and a youthful take on winter outerwear.

Dior’s trippy outerwear collab with Venice Beach-based designer Eli Russel Linnetz is going global, and we can’t wait. Inspired by Linnetz’s own love of the coast, the collection is an ode to sunset hues and free-spirited living – just the feel-good vibes we need as we head into 2023. Playing with pastels, fun puffer coats and playful, woolly garments, let’s just say Dior understood the assignment.

BLACKPINK, the all-girl group hailing from South Korea, have become the first K-pop band to have reached 2 billion views on a single video on Youtube. Falling short only to Psy’s Gangnam Style (yes, that still exists), BLACKPINK’s music video to their 2018 hit single DDU-DU-DDU-DU has officially made K-pop group history. You go, girls.

A new dating app, Tame, is helping us to face our serial swiping demons. The app effectively bans you from being able to ghost people or entertain multiple options at once – you can only chat with one person at a time, and while you do, all other matches are hidden from view. Perhaps this seems a little stringent, but hey, if it can help us with anti-ghosting and building on our dating accountability, maybe it’s doing us all a much needed favour.

Nature news

California has become the first state to officially ban the sale of new fur garments. Setting the standard for the rest of the fashion industry, the legislation now prevents the sale and manufacturing of all animal fur fashion items produced from 1 January 2023, making it the first US state to set such a precedent. Let’s hope more states across the country – and eventually the world – follow suit.

A revolutionary vaccine to help protect honeybees from disease has just received provisional approval. Bees play a fundamental role in maintaining the health of our planet’s ecosystems – without them our crop production would fail, and the world would literally be, well, doomed. The US-approved vaccine could help fight one of the biggest known killers of bees, American foulbrood disease, and help their much-valued population flourish.

Look out of the window between the first two days of February and you might see C/2022 E3 (ZTF). What on earth is C/2022 E3 (ZTF), you ask? Well it’s not on earth, it’s a comet and it’ll be whizzing past us at that time. There’s a chance that we’ll be able to see it with our own eyes if it keeps brightening in the way it currently is. If it starts fading, a telescope should help.