Good morning! 🌞 

Did you know that, the word “technology” comes from the Greek téchnē (art, craft) and -logia (study). At its heart, it’s less about flashy screens—and more about the craft of shaping tools that quietly transform our daily lives.

Today, we look at what rarely makes headlines but quietly changes everything: small tweaks, overlooked fixes, and background systems that keep our modern world ticking.

Because sometimes, progress isn’t loud. It’s built, line by line and chip by chip.

Let’s get into it.

Health Science

Defying Brain Aging

For decades, scientists believed the human brain stopped producing new neurons after childhood. This long-held view painted the adult brain as a static organ—fixed, unchanging, and incapable of generating fresh cells in the very region responsible for memory and learning.

But a landmark new study from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet turns that dogma on its head, providing the clearest evidence yet that adults continue to form new neurons well into old age. Researchers tracked the formation of neurons in the hippocampus, a brain region essential for memory, learning, and emotional regulation. In 2013, a team led by Professor Jonas Frisén had already made headlines by using carbon-14 dating in DNA to show new neurons could form in adult humans—but the origin of those cells remained a mystery.

Now, the team has filled in that gap. “We have now been able to identify these cells of origin, which confirms that there is an ongoing formation of neurons in the hippocampus of the adult brain,” said Frisén. By analyzing post-mortem brain tissue from individuals ranging in age from infancy to 78 years, the researchers discovered that neural progenitor cells—not only persist in the adult brain, but actively divide. Using techniques like single-nucleus RNA sequencing, flow cytometry, and machine learning, they mapped out each stage of neuron development—from stem-like cells to immature, dividing neurons. With RNAscope and Xenium, two powerful spatial transcriptomics tools, they pinpointed where this activity was happening: the dentate gyrus, a key subregion of the hippocampus tied to learning and the encoding of new memories.

The study, published in Science, also revealed something unexpected—significant variation between individuals. Some adults had abundant neural progenitor cells, while others had very few, opening up new questions about what governs neurogenesis later in life. “This gives us an important piece of the puzzle in understanding how the human brain works and changes during life,” Frisén explained. “Our research may also have implications for the development of regenerative treatments that stimulate neurogenesis in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.”

Good News

Carrying Dad Onstage

Over the years, there has been a lot of stories that covered many heartfelt ways people have honored loved ones after cremation—turning ashes into tattoos, vinyl records, or even elegant stones. Now, a touching new story out of England adds another creative tribute to the list: a man has inlaid his father’s ashes into the fretboard of his guitar so he “will still be with me at all the shows.”

Mark Wood, a 37-year-old heavy metal guitarist, learned to play from his father, Keith, who passed away from a heart attack on Christmas Day, 2022, at the age of 68. Keith, a retired schoolteacher, was known for driving hundreds of miles to attend his son’s gigs, where they would often “have a beer and a catch up,” Mark recalled. The loss left a deep void in their close-knit family of four. Inspired by his sister, who had some of their father’s ashes turned into jewelry, Mark came up with the idea of using them for the dotted inlays on the neck of his Fender Telecaster guitar.

These inlays—typically made from mother-of-pearl or synthetic materials—mark key positions on the fretboard and serve both a decorative and functional purpose. Mark had never heard of ashes being used in this way, but he knew exactly who to call: his friend Sam Orr, owner of Sam’s Guitars in Cheshire. Orr mixed the ashes with a special glue to create the custom inlays. “At first, I was just wondering how it would work, then the more I thought about it and did a few test runs on a spare guitar neck I had, I realized it wouldn’t be too difficult to complete it,” Orr told the BBC. “We put some music on in the background and had a couple of beers and made a thing of it,” Mark added. “Sam did the work while the shop was shut and was so caring and careful and really respectful.”

It took Mark some time to feel emotionally ready to play the modified guitar—but when he finally did, he strummed “Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent, a song his dad loved and had taught him years before. “I wish dad was still here but doing this makes me feel like he’s always going to be here with me and you have always got your memories,” Mark said. “This way he will still be with me at all the shows and this has given me a sense of closure.”

Environment

Record Breaker Whale Sightings

In Australia’s latest whale population survey, humpbacks have been spotted migrating north in record numbers along the eastern coastline—an encouraging sign for one of the ocean’s great comeback stories. More than 5,000 confirmed sightings have already been reported in New South Wales as the whales travel with their calves from the southern oceans toward warmer waters.

The sightings are part of the 26th annual whale census run by the Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans (ORRCA), which drew over 600 citizen scientists to 159 viewing locations along the NSW coast. Armed with binoculars, folding chairs, hot tea, and children in tow, volunteers spent the day scanning the waves for a glimpse of some of Earth’s largest creatures. “It’s a wild species coming right on our doorstep and they’re just magnificent creatures,” said Caroline Jones, an ORRCA volunteer of over three years, speaking to ABC News AU.

Back in the 1960s, sightings were far rarer—only a few hundred humpback and minke whales were typically seen migrating past Australia’s east coast, their numbers decimated by commercial whaling. More than a decade before the international whaling moratorium of the 1980s, the species teetered on the brink. Today, thanks to global protections, populations have rebounded dramatically. An estimated 40,000 humpbacks are expected to make the journey north from Antarctica this season. ORRCA’s census tracks not only the number of whales but also species, size, and signs of health. Most threats to humpbacks now come from illness, ship strikes, or noise pollution. The count continues through August, as the whales complete their long migration—marking another hopeful chapter in their recovery.

Mind Stretchers

❓️ 

I wear no watch, yet herald the dawn,
Crowned in red, my song goes on.
By daylight silent, by sunrise grand—
Who am I?

Yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

Born white, I age to yellow; I break what I meet, yet am broken too. I speak without words, reveal without sound; Part of your smile, buried when found. — teeth, Cheri M. got this first today! 🌞 

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected]

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.