🌞 The legendary friendship of two Aussie greats

Good morning!

So far, it’s been a big weekend of news, with ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred making landfall yesterday. If you’re reading this in an impacted area of NSW or QLD, we hope you’re safe.

A reminder that this newsletter exists to balance out the difficult (but necessary) news consumption habits we all have. It’s not in place of reading the hard news, but is a constant reminder that while all of that is happening, there is also a lot of good.

Take care!

📿 Sustainability innovation

A team of researchers at Louisiana State University has developed a sustainable alternative to plastic Mardi Gras beads.

The beads are a popular New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition, but it's estimated that several tonnes of the colourful strands end up in landfill every year.

Now, local scientists have developed an eco-friendly recycling solution to this problem. The “PlantMe Beads” are made up of several biodegradable outer shells, with plant and flower seeds stored within each bead.

As the discarded chains break down in soil, flowers will grow in their place.

If you’ve ever been in New Orleans during Mardi Gras (I visited on Spring Break while studying in Washington DC), you’ll know what a welcome scientific discovery this is!

👯‍♀️ Barbie honours friendships

Toy company Mattel has honoured “legendary female friendship duos across different backgrounds, professions, and parts of the world” this International Women’s Day (celebrated yesterday).

This includes immortalising tennis greats Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Ash Barty in Barbie form. The former world number one champions and First Nations athletes share a close bond.

Ngarigo woman Ash said she never thought she’d be sharing her very own Barbie, “alongside my mentor, Evonne… celebrating our friendship.”

“I am a believer in what you see, you can be. Evonne showed me what was possible when I was young — I hope to inspire girls in the same way,” she added.

Wiradjuri woman Evonne also spoke of the need to provide young First Nations girls with role models, “to hear our stories of how we got there and how rough the road can be… We’re trying to create a natural pathway for Blak kids to find their dreams and to achieve their dreams."

📸 Photo of the week

I mean…how could this not be the photo of the week. You’re looking at Ivan Kuznetsov and his cat Thoth going parachute-skiing together at Gribanovka Ski Resort in Russia.

To ensure Thoth’s safety, Ivan bought a harness for the cat that attaches to him and his safety gear, as well as a tiny custom helmet and thick winter coat.

As a cat person… I get it.

🎵 Feel good song of the week

🏆 Oscar firsts

It was a week of big honours, with the 97th Academy Awards taking place in LA on Sunday (local time). Anora took out five awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

The film follows the story of a young sex worker who impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. It was made on a budget of $US6 million ($AU9.5 million), making it one of the lowest-budget films to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

The film’s director Sean Baker thanked the Academy for “celebrating a truly independent film.” In a world of big-budget productions and the growing influence of streaming, Anora’s success at the Oscars was seen as a huge win for indie cinema.

Oscars history was also made when Zoe Saldaña won Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Emilia Perez. Saldaña is the first Dominican American to receive an Oscar. She thanked the Academy for “recognising the quiet heroism and the power in women.”

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🦾 A breakthrough prosthetic hand

A team at Johns Hopkins University has created a bionic hand that can “conform and adjust its grasp to avoid damaging or mishandling whatever it holds.”

That means the prosthetic actually “knows” what it’s touching, meaning it closely replicates the physical and sensory capabilities of a human hand. 

The design is the first of its kind and offers new hope for amputees who have previously had limited prosthetic options.

Researchers said they “want to give people with upper-limb loss the ability to safely and freely interact with their environment, to feel and hold their loved ones without concern of hurting them”.

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