Good Morning! 🌞 

Some people build homes with bricks and beams. Others? With wheels and a bold idea.

This Saturday, we’re featuring a story about one man who redefined what “home” can look like — and how he brought it to life with his own two hands. It’s not polished. It’s not pre-fab. But it might just make you rethink what it means to build something that’s truly yours.

Take a peek inside!

Health Science

Reversing Liver Fibrosis

Liver fibrosis is a silent but serious condition that typically develops without symptoms. By the time it’s diagnosed, patients often face limited options—mainly lifestyle changes or, in severe cases, a liver transplant. There is currently no approved cure. But new research from the University of Sunderland may change that. Led by Dr. Maria Teresa Borrello, a team of scientists has developed two drugs that block HDAC6, an enzyme now linked to the formation of liver scar tissue.

HDAC6 plays a key role in regulating inflammation and cellular stress. It also activates hepatic stellate cells, which produce collagen—the main component of liver scar tissue. In lab tests, the team observed that inhibiting HDAC6 reduced both inflammation and stress, two of the primary drivers of fibrosis. “This approach gives us a way to tackle liver fibrosis at the source,” said Dr. Borrello. “By reducing or reversing the scarring, we may be able to delay or avoid liver failure and the need for transplants.”

While the research is still in its early stages, the implications could be wide-ranging. The team continues to study the molecular effects of HDAC6 inhibition, which could pave the way for safer, more precise therapies—not only for liver fibrosis but potentially for other inflammatory diseases as well. The British Liver Trust praised the development: “Liver disease often goes undetected until it’s too late,” said Chief Executive Pamela Healy OBE. “This kind of targeted treatment could save thousands of lives.” The study, which appears in The FEBS Journal, arrives at a critical time: liver disease is responsible for about 4% of premature deaths globally and affects roughly 2 million people in the UK alone, with major causes including alcohol use, obesity, and chronic infection.

World News

Lost Empire Unearthed

At the remote Gran Pajatén site in Peru’s northeastern Andes, archaeologists have uncovered more than 100 previously hidden structures tied to the Chachapoya—a pre-Incan civilization that thrived for centuries before being overtaken by the Inca. The discovery was made during a conservation and documentation effort led by World Monuments Fund (WMF) Peru from 2022 to 2024, within the Río Abiseo National Park, a UNESCO Mixed World Heritage site. First excavated in the 1980s and then largely neglected due to its inaccessibility, the site is now revealing itself to be far more complex than originally believed.

Using advanced LiDAR technology, the WMF team identified “a sophisticated urban settlement complete with agricultural terraces, circular buildings and cliffside tombs at altitudes of up to nearly 10,000 feet above sea level,” according to Smithsonian Magazine. These findings suggest Gran Pajatén was not an isolated enclave but part of a wider, interconnected Chachapoya network. “This discovery radically expands our understanding of Gran Pajatén and raises new questions about the site’s role in the Chachapoya world,” said Juan Pablo de la Puente Brunke, Executive Director of WMF in Peru. “Evidence now confirms that it is not an isolated complex but part of an articulated network of pre-Hispanic settlements from different periods.”

The Chachapoya—pronounced cha-cha-POE-ya—were known for their distinctive circular buildings, geometric friezes, and cliffside tombs. Archaeological evidence places their presence at Gran Pajatén as early as the 14th century, with soil studies indicating even earlier use. LiDAR scans also revealed a network of pre-Hispanic roads connecting the site to others like La Playa, Papayas, and Los Pinchudos. According to Art News, only 10% of the LiDAR data has been processed so far, and research is ongoing. Meanwhile, a free exhibition at the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI), running from May 21 to June 18, offers the public a glimpse into Chachapoya culture and WMF’s recent discoveries.

Lifestyle

House on Wheels

Some homes are built with bricks. Simon built his with wheels—and a whole lot of vision. In today’s featured video, we get a full tour of “Queenie,” a two-bedroom house truck he designed and built himself, mostly using recycled materials. It’s not a flashy RV or a pre-fab tiny home. It’s raw, real, and surprisingly livable.

From the outside, Queenie might leave you squinting: Is it a truck? A shed? A mobile art project? But step inside and things change. The space opens up into a cosy, colorful, and functional home, complete with bedrooms, a kitchen, and more personality than most city apartments. What stood out to us wasn’t just the creativity—it was the commitment. Every detail in Queenie reflects Simon’s choices, values, and grit. You can tell this wasn’t just about saving money or downsizing—it was about building something that fits his life, on his own terms.

It’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely something to think about: Could you live like this? Would you want to?

Watch the tour and see what you think.

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Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

I capture truth, but never speak,
Hold your memories, yet I’m sleek.
I see without a single eye,
Freeze a moment as time flies by.
What am I?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers

I rise without motion,
I stand without rest.
Crowned in cold silence,
With secrets in my chest.
What am I? — mountains, ⛰️ Jared Garretson got this correct first!

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] or reply to the email.

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.