🌞 The stray cat bringing joy to a women's shelter

Today, I’d love to introduce you to Moo Deng, a two-month-old pygmy hippo who has gone viral on the internet. Her name roughly translates to “bouncy pig” and fans are flocking to see her at a Thai open zoo. One of the zookeepers said this week: “I hope that the cuteness of Moo-Deng will raise awareness for people to come and learn about [the species].”

Marley, a cat who lives at a safe house for women who have been enslaved, exploited and trafficked, has won the 2024 Cat of the Year Award. Marley lives at Caritas Bakhita House, which has provided accommodation to 195 women and 16 babies from almost 50 different countries.

In a statement ahead of Marley’s crowning as the UK’s top kitty, the head of the safe house said: “Often Marley placing a gentle paw on our guests’ legs is the first kindness they’ve experienced in years. He has this incredible gift of empathy, knowing instinctively who needs him.”

This natural empathy has meant that Marley has been able to “build a bridge” between women experiencing high levels of distress and the staff at the centre, slowly laying the foundations of trust and mutual respect.

In case you were wondering about Marley’s road to victory, he first had to win the "incredible cats" category, which celebrates cats whose bond with their humans inspires extraordinary acts of love, in a public vote. Then, a panel of celebrity judges selected him as the National Cat of the Year. I’d say they chose well - congrats Marley!

Very often, we hear and write about the dangers of artificial intelligence. There is a lot of attention paid to the fact that robots could be coming for our jobs, that they are taking over the world, and that they must be feared. All of that is absolutely warranted and I count myself as someone who feels scared about what the future of AI holds.

However, what I feel like we don’t often talk about is some of the ways that AI can have a positive impact on communities. This week, researchers from MIT and Cornell University published a study that found talking to a chatbot about a conspiracy theory can reduce a person's belief in that theory by about 20% on average. According to the research, “many people who strongly believe in seemingly fact-resistant conspiratorial beliefs can change their minds when presented with compelling evidence”. The study found that this effect remained two months after the intervention and even worked for people with “deeply entrenched beliefs”.

I was talking to a colleague in the office about this, and it’s almost a matter of fighting the worst of AI (algorithms, echo chambers, misinformation) with the best of AI. The researchers say it paints a “surprisingly optimistic picture of human reasoning” by finding that “conspiratorial rabbit holes may indeed have an exit”.

Sticking with the theme of technology being used for good, this week, Google (you might’ve heard of them) announced new tech that will make it easier and more efficient for firefighters to fight bushfires.

It is a partnership between Google, Muon Space and the Environmental Defense Fund, and will be a fleet of satellites that can capture data and imagery on fires across the globe. We’re not just talking about big fires here either, according to a statement from the partners, the new satellites will be able to spot fires as small as 5x5m (a small classroom) on any part of the globe.

The idea is that once all of the satellites are in place, the system should be capable of updating images of the wildfires about every 20 minutes, giving near real-time information on the location, size and intensity of fires to crews on the ground.

Huge news: Intrepid’s Europe 2025 Sale is here, with up to 15% off on small group adventure trips!

Want to stretch your budget even further? Here’s some tips to make the most of your budget on your next European adventure:

Travel in off-peak seasons: Skip the summer crowds and enjoy more affordable accommodation, flights, and experiences by visiting in autumn or spring.

Eat like a local: Ask a local (like an Intrepid leader) for their favourite budget-friendly eats - they know the hidden gems that aren’t all over TikTok.

Explore on foot: Hit your step count while strolling through charming old towns or joining a hiking trip in the Dolomites. Walking saves on pricey transport and lets you take in all the sights.

Plan ahead and keep an eye out for sales: Look out for sales (like Intrepid’s sale at the moment!) to save even more.

Get ahead of the crowd and grab yourself a Europe 2025 deal.

We’re one month into our dedicated Good Newsletter, and one thing is clear: people need more brightness in their lives.

It’s hard to spread the word when we’re just starting out, so if you want to help share the good news even further, you can send your friends this:

This week’s community good news story comes from across the ditch from Auckland’s North Shore hospital. There, a hospital garden recently opened, aptly named the indoor Healing Garden. Designed as a quiet place away from the bustle of the hospital, the garden includes over 500 plants and is 110 square-metres. It was funded through donations and seeks to not just be a respite space for patients, but also for staff who might be needing a break during a long shift.

I first heard about this story from a lovely reader Lakshini who tagged me in Stuff’s article about the garden, suggesting it might be a good addition for this week’s newsletter. So thank you Lakshini!