🌞 Afghan orchestra performs again

With nearly 50,000 (THANK YOU!) of you reading this newsletter every Sunday, I’d love to hear from you: What’s your good news story?

It can be something you’ve witnessed in your local community, a piece of research you’ve learnt about, something your little sister has done for her friends…anything!

Hit reply to this email and let me know. I’ll include a few in next week’s edition!

A baby giraffe was born at Melbourne Zoo earlier this month. While this is obviously great news, it’s made even better because researchers were able to predict the calf’s arrival “within a day”. 

Giraffe pregnancies have been historically difficult to predict, with their height and biology making giving birth complex. Researchers used “non-invasive monitoring” and data on previous giraffe pregnancies to predict when the mother, Nakaru, would give birth. 

It turned out the team of experts was right! Nakaru gave birth to a healthy boy calf close to when they had predicted she would. 

The news follows the announcement that there are actually four species of giraffes, instead of just one as previously thought. A review of giraffe biology by international authorities showed the species is more diverse than scientists believed.

They now recognise four distinct giraffe species: Northern, Reticulated, Masai and Southern.

Big weekend for giraffes!

A newborn orangutan stays with its mother in a wildlife park in Guangzhou, China. 📸: Chen Jimin via Getty Images

Sticking with the topic of music, this week, young Afghan musicians played as a group for the first time since the Taliban took back control of Afghanistan in 2021.

The Afghanistan Youth Orchestra (AYO) in Exile performed in Berlin at the Young Euro Classic, a festival of youth orchestras from around the world.

The AYO is part of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM), which aimed to offer children training in music regardless of gender, background or social class. It was based in Kabul until the Taliban took over, and has since found asylum in Portugal.

The AYO’s program, which includes traditional Afghan instruments, is about “loss, indestructibility, hope,” and is “deeply rooted in the cultures of Afghanistan, standing for humanity and resilience”. ANIM founder Dr. Ahmad Sarmast said the AYO’s performance at Young Euro Classic was “a powerful act of cultural resistance – sharing Afghan music with the world at a time when it is being silenced at home.”

Australia’s favourite bedding now makes loungewear

Proceed with caution folks, once a piece of Hommey Loungewear enters your wardrobe rotation it’ll be hard to get it out.

Pairing a blend of cotton and cashmere yarns, these refined essentials are perfect for on-the-go moments or relaxed time at home.

Ready to up your loungewear game? We thought so.

Back in Victoria for another science-y story!

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have developed a new AI tool to diagnose skin cancer more quickly. The tool also shows promise in diagnosing a range of skin tones more effectively.

Research Fellow Dr Noor E Karishma Shaik says current methods of detecting skin cancers, including visual inspections, are “flawed” and “prone to both under and over-diagnosis”.

Shaik integrated AI with thermal imaging to identify abnormal skin lesions in real time. The technology is non-invasive, more cost and time-effective and caters better to all skin tones.

In a pilot study at Melbourne’s Skin Health Institute, the AI tool achieved 94% accuracy.

Dr Shaik said the technology “captures multiple data types simultaneously… enabling clinicians to see beneath the surface of the skin.”

SHI Director of Research Peter Foley says the technology's accessibility has potential “not just for specialists, but for [GPs] particularly in rural and remote areas where access to specialist care is limited.”

This week, Anju from our team recommended we add a new section to this newsletter. She asked if we could add an ‘account of the week’ because “a lot of the really sweet accounts don't have a lot of visibility and this way, the audience can be introduced to them.”

She’s started off strong with one of her favourite Instagram accounts Upworthy, which shows how no good news is ever too small! There are posts about the kindness of strangers, wholesome advice, or simply letting you know that good things (however random) are out there.