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In today’s Good News, we’re sharing the story of a couple who took their vows at an incredible 8,000 feet—talk about a unique wedding! Have you ever attended a wedding that was out of the ordinary, or do you have a favorite wedding memory? We’d love to hear your thoughts and stories!

Innovation

Self-healing Polymer

Between 2019 and 2023, SpaceX’s Starlink satellites executed more than 50,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers in low Earth orbit — a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that objects in this region move at roughly 8 kilometers per second, faster than a speeding bullet. With satellite traffic and orbital debris on the rise, the need for more resilient protective materials is becoming urgent.

A research team at Texas A&M University may have found a potential solution: a self-healing polymer known as Diels-Alder Polymer (DAP). This material is built from dynamic covalent bonds that break and re-form under certain conditions. When struck by high-speed debris, the polymer softens to absorb the impact, allowing the object to pass through with minimal damage. It then cools and returns to its original structure — essentially “healing” itself.

So far, this effect has only been demonstrated in lab tests at the nanoscale using laser-induced projectile impact testing (LIPIT), where a tiny silica particle was fired at the material. The researchers initially thought the test had failed until they realized the polymer had absorbed the hit and reformed seamlessly. While early results are promising, the material has yet to be tested at larger scales or in actual space conditions. Still, its temperature-sensitive behavior — shifting from stiff to elastic to fluid depending on heat — hints at broad potential uses, from satellite shielding to advanced body armor.

Good News

Getting Married at 8,000-feet

A couple in France traded the traditional walk down the aisle for a ski run through the Alps. On March 28, Jess and Ladis Hoefkens tied the knot at the summit of Mont Brévent in Chamonix, France—8,000 feet above sea level. Dressed in her wedding gown, Jess skied 60 meters down the slope with her father to meet Ladis, their officiant, and 20 guests in full ski gear. The ceremony unfolded against a panoramic backdrop of snow-covered peaks, followed by champagne, canapés, and a group descent captured by a photographer.

Jess, originally from Dorset, England, grew up skiing with her family and had always dreamed of a mountain wedding. After meeting Ladis on Tinder in 2019 and getting engaged in 2022, the idea took shape. Her mother handmade the wedding dress, unsure whether it would survive the slopes—but Jess was up for the challenge. It was her first time skiing in a gown, but the short distance made it doable. “She made it look effortless,” said Ladis, who hadn’t seen the dress until that moment.

The couple covered the cost of nearby chalet accommodations for their guests, keeping the post-ceremony reception relaxed with drinks and music in an après-ski setting. The unconventional wedding has since gone viral, earning over a million views on social media. For Jess and Ladis, it was more than just a ceremony—it was a celebration of their shared love for skiing, adventure, and doing things their own way.

Environment

Kingfisher’s Wild Comeback

For the first time in over 40 years, Guam kingfishers—known locally as sihek—have laid eggs in the wild. Once extinct outside of captivity due to invasive brown tree snakes on Guam, the birds have survived only through the Sihek Recovery Program, a long-running global conservation effort. Now, a small population is re-learning how to live, nest, and breed on their own.

To give the species a fighting chance, nine sihek were relocated to Palmyra Atoll, a remote, predator-free island thousands of miles from Guam. The process was meticulous: eggs were first incubated in Hawaii under tightly controlled conditions, then hand-reared and transferred to Palmyra in 2023. Scientists were uncertain whether the birds would adapt, breed, or even survive in the wild. But within months, four pairs had claimed territory, built nests—and laid eggs.

These are the first wild sihek eggs since the species vanished from its native habitat. Conservationists see this as a critical milestone, especially as the birds are still under a year old and likely to show stronger breeding behavior with time. The goal is to establish at least ten breeding pairs on Palmyra, with more sihek set to be released this year from U.S. zoos. Ultimately, experts hope to return the birds to Guam, once the brown tree snake population can be brought under control. For a species once written off in the wild, this marks a hopeful turning point.

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Mind Stretchers

⁉️

I'm often two, but lose my twin,
 I vanish deep where dark begins.
 I know the path your soles have tread,
 Yet live in silence, underfed.

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

I hum a lullaby none can hear, My breath is cold, yet I hold things dear. Behind my door, I keep the past— Preserved in stillness, meant to last.
—A fridge!

Christ Hostetler got the correct answer first!

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