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“There was nothing like a Saturday - unless it was the Saturday leading up to the last week of school and into summer vacation. That of course was all the Saturdays of your life rolled into one big shiny ball.”
― Nora Roberts, Rising Tides

World News

The Smallest Pacemaker

Engineers at Northwestern University have developed a groundbreaking pacemaker so small it can be injected directly into the body using a syringe, eliminating the need for surgery. Designed primarily for temporary use, it offers a life-saving solution for newborns with congenital heart defects, but it’s versatile enough to work for patients of any size. Unlike traditional pacemakers, which rely on wires and require surgical removal, this device naturally dissolves in the body after its job is done, removing risks associated with extraction procedures.

Smaller than a grain of rice at just 1.8 mm wide, the pacemaker contains a built-in battery made of two reactive metals that generate electricity when exposed to bodily fluids. A wearable sensor placed on the patient’s chest monitors heart rhythms and activates the pacemaker using pulses of infrared light that penetrate skin and tissue. This light-based control eliminates the need for bulky hardware or near-field communication, delivering the same electrical stimulation as conventional devices but without wires, trauma, or complications.

The technology has been successfully tested in both small and large animal models, as well as human donor hearts, and builds on the team’s previous work in dissolvable electronics. Traditionally, temporary pacemakers are stitched into heart tissue, posing risks such as internal bleeding—a complication that contributed to the death of astronaut Neil Armstrong. By sidestepping these dangers, the new injectable pacemaker offers a safer alternative. “The smaller it is, the less it burdens the body,” explained Dr. John A. Rogers, who led the development. Co-lead Dr. Igor Efimov emphasized its impact: “Most children with heart defects only need pacing for about a week. That week is critical. This device gets the job done—then vanishes.”

Good News

Cat Returns After 16 Years

A missing Bengal cat named Sunshine has been miraculously reunited with her owner, Carl Pullen, 16 years after she vanished from his backyard. Sunshine, who was about three years old when she disappeared in 2009, was believed to have been stolen, as the breed is highly prized in England. Despite Carl’s efforts—putting up posters, microchipping her, and keeping the same phone number—there was no sign of her, and he eventually moved away, convinced he would never see her again.

That changed last week when Carl, now 51, received an unexpected call from a veterinary clinic. A stray cat had been brought in, and the vet, scanning for a microchip, asked if he had once owned a cat named Sunshine. Remarkably, it was her. Now 19 years old, Sunshine was in poor condition—underweight, with overgrown claws and kidney issues—but with some care and medication, she has already begun to recover.

Carl expressed both shock and joy at the reunion, overwhelmed by the unexpected twist of fate. "I never expected to see her again, especially after so many years," he said. "She’s 19-and-a-half now, about 92 in cat years. She might not have long left, but at least she’s getting a comfortable retirement. It’s a lovely ending to what I thought was a lost story."

Environment

First Time Mom at 100-Year-Old

For the first time in its 150-year history, the Philadelphia Zoo has successfully hatched four critically endangered Galapagos tortoises, marking a significant milestone for global conservation efforts. The parents, both estimated to be around 100 years old, are Western Santa Cruz tortoises — one of the rarest Galapagos subspecies. The female, aptly named Mommy, is considered highly genetically valuable and has now set a remarkable record as the oldest first-time mother of her species. The hatchlings, born between late February and early March, are currently being raised behind the scenes at the Reptile and Amphibian House and are expected to make their public debut on April 23, coinciding with the 93rd anniversary of Mommy’s arrival at the Zoo.

This historic hatching is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan, an effort to protect and sustain vulnerable animal populations. Until now, there were only 44 Western Santa Cruz tortoises in U.S. zoos, making these new arrivals especially precious. The Zoo’s breeding efforts began in 2020 with the arrival of the male tortoise, Abrazzo, from Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina. While the pair laid multiple clutches since 2023, only this latest attempt, from 16 eggs incubated in November 2024, has produced viable offspring — and with luck, more hatchlings may still emerge in the coming weeks.

The young tortoises will remain at the Philadelphia Zoo for at least five years before being placed in new homes as part of a broader effort to maintain genetic diversity across the captive population. Once abundant across the Galapagos Islands, many tortoise subspecies have been driven to the brink of extinction. These hatchlings not only represent a rare and hopeful addition to a dwindling population but also a critical step forward in ensuring the survival of these iconic giants for generations to come.

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Mind Stretchers

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Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers

I wear a coat but feel the brush, In quiet strokes, I speak so much. I'm born in tins, I live on walls— Guess me right, or color falls. — paint! Chris Hostetler got this correct first!

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