🌞 World's tallest sunflower

Time to put on today’s feel-good song (below!), grab a cup of coffee and settle in for your weekly reminder about the good parts of the world.

A new app developed by University of Melbourne researchers is helping to accelerate the process of diagnosing cerebral palsy in babies by allowing parents to complete an early screening test from home.

Cerebral palsy is the most common lifelong physical disability, and infants born prematurely or with medical issues such as congenital heart disease are more susceptible to developing the brain disorder.

The first stage of the screening process for cerebral palsy involves certified assessors observing the baby’s movement for abnormalities. Typically, this requires an in-person hospital appointment.

However, thanks to this new app, parents can film their babies at home and send the video over. According to researchers, this will “improve early detection rates by making it easier for parents to have their baby assessed during the crucial four week testing window”. On this, Professor Alicia Spittle said: “At-risk babies should undergo a GMA between 12 and 16 weeks of age but for many parents particularly those who live in rural or remote regions, taking their child to see a clinician during this period can be challenging.”

The app improves early detection rates, makes healthcare more accessible and could even improve long-term health outcomes. Sounds like a win-win-win!

We’ve got another feel-good account to share this week, courtesy of Anju. She writes: “Forget random acts of kindness, meet tiny kindnesses!

Tiny Kindnesses are intentional acts of kindness that are impactful to the person receiving them, and are documented in this account: Tiny Kindnesses.

Stories can include much-needed help during international travel, neighbourhood kids offering to take rubbish bins out or (my favourite) the friend who pitted all the cherries so her friend could eat them.

There is one thing all of these stories have in common: they are absolutely heartwarming.

A group of Aussie surfers has come together to raise awareness for mental health.

OneWave is a not-for-profit community surf group pushing to reduce mental health stigma. If you’ve ever seen a group of fluro, loudly dressed surfers at the beach very early in the morning, it’s likely the OneWave team!

OneWave found that people who engage in water-based activities like surfing reported higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress.

To mark R U OK? Day this week, the group ran a special event which saw dozens of surfers paddle out dressed in fluro at an indoor surfing spot in Sydney.

OneWave founder Grant Treblico said the community event aims to “bring more colour to mental health… and start more conversations.” He added: “I’ve found the best place to talk about mental health is with your mates out in the surf. It’s all about connection and community.”

I’ve gone to a few of their events and couldn’t recommend them more!

Scratchy towels? It might be time for an upgrade

Woven from 100% Australian cotton, Hommey’s Oasis Collection is soft, absorbent, and designed to turn everyday routines into moments of calm.

Available in six nature-inspired shades across towels, robes, bath mats, and hair wraps, the Oasis Collection brings a touch of peace, comfort, and understated luxury to your everyday bathroom rituals.

You’re looking at a blood moon that was seen in skies across Australia and the world this morning. This photo is from Tokyo, Japan.

This blood moon was caused by a lunar eclipse, which occurs when Earth blocks most of the sun’s light from reaching the moon. The remaining light is filtered through Earth’s atmosphere, reflecting a red glow onto the moon’s surface.

The next blood moon Australians can see will be in March next year!

Here’s a record I bet you didn’t know existed. This week, 41-year-old man Alex Babich took out the Guinness World Record for the tallest sunflower ever measured. Spoiler: It’s 11 metres tall.

Babich, who is a Ukrainian immigrant, started growing sunflowers in the U.S. as a symbol for his home country. His first sunflower was 4 metres tall, his second 4.5 metres and the next 5.8 metres. He told the Associated Press that he started asking himself, “how far can I take this?”

Turns out, you can take it to 11 metres. The matter was likely helped by the fact that Babich is a landscape gardener, seed seller and outdoor gear designer. He said he also got some help from his 10-year-old son, who would “climb onto the scaffolding and place four-leaf clovers on the sunflower’s leaves, for good luck”.

Babich said: “I’m going to die someday, but the stories of this flower will live on…My kids will be telling this story to the grandkids.”