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 April 9, 2022

I learned this week that listening to birdsong can lower stress and have positive impacts on mental health. (To be clear, the study pointed out not all birds have this effect. Anyone who lives with grackles or woodpeckers, for example, knows why.) But I love one of the theories behind this phenomenon: Birdsong, in many instances, is a sign that there are no predators around. It's a sign of safety. And way back in our primordial brain, we may recognize it as such -- and relax a little.  Of course, we already know things like chirping birds are pleasant, but it really adds a new layer to it all when you learn exactly why, doesn't it? 

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Our favorites this week

Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week

Photo credit: Cassidy Araiza for CNN

True brotherhood
If you have some time today to sit down with a wonderful read, let it be this story by my colleague Catherine Shoichet of two veterans who forged a life-changing friendship in Afghanistan. Former Afghan Air Force Lt. Col. Hazem Amiry and Retired US Air Force Maj. Tony J. Short met when Short was deployed to Afghanistan in 2014. Amiry had gained a reputation as a true advocate and protector among his American colleagues, and the two men forged a strong bond that lasted even after Short returned home. When the US pulled out of Afghanistan last year, Amiry's life threatened to splinter. He was among the last to leave his base and narrowly escaped the Taliban, but his wife and five children had to hide in Kabul for months. Short and Amiry's other American colleagues banded together to move heaven and earth to try to get them to safety. They talked with diplomats and officials, they organized safe places for his family stateside, and Short himself even aided Amiry's teenage son in a heart-stopping escape from Kabul conducted by phone. It took months, but miraculously, Amiry's entire family made it to the US. As they piece together their future, Amiry says he's proud -- to be from Afghanistan, to call Short a brother, and to be part of a friendship that has survived across oceans and through the darkest of times.

Ultra-impressive
Earlier this year, 19-year-old Zach Bates became the youngest person to ever complete the Coldwater Rumble 100 mile Ultramarathon in Arizona. Running 100 miles is an extraordinary feat, and Bates is using his success as an ultramarathon runner to inspire others with autism. People with autism can often feel limited or stressed by certain social situations or expectations, but for Bates, the hyperfocus that often accompanies the condition helped him turn a lofty racing goal into a reality. He decided to run the ultramarathon a mere eight months before the race, and though he had run cross-country in high school, neither he nor his parents really knew how to approach such a massive task. They dove in headfirst anyway. Together, they organized training plans and sought out experts, and Bates put it all together. Bates' mom says she isn't surprised at all that her son came up with a goal and then immediately smashed it. "If we listen to our children and allow them to do what they want to do and be a support to them, you'll be so surprised at where they'll end up," she says. 

Seal's big day out 
Police and warm-hearted onlookers saved the day when a baby seal took a wrong turn in New York and ended up wandering the streets of Long Island. (That's a stressful situation for any human, so without opposable thumbs or a GPS, I can't imagine the stress.) The little guy was headed toward a hotel when rescuers finally caught up with him, and safely contained him near a traffic circle. He was moved to more suitable lodgings at the New York Marine Rescue Center, and will hopefully be back in the water soon. The police said he probably swam up the Peconic River while following some fish, and then got a little lost. The director of the rescue center says we're entering "seal season" -- a time when humans and seals alike take to Long Island's beaches. So if you see an intrepid seal scooting around on its belly where it doesn't belong, keep your distance and call a marine rescue center. If you see a human doing the same, well, that's a different call altogether. 

Raise a glass to...

Betty Reid Soskin, the National Park Service's oldest active ranger, who just retired a few months after her 100th birthday. Soskin worked at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California, which highlights the work of American civilians on the World War II home front. As one of those civilians herself, Soskin shared her own World War II experiences with visitors, illuminating the largely untold stories of African Americans and other people of color during the war. "Being a primary source in the sharing of  that history -- my history -- and giving shape to a new national park has been exciting and fulfilling," she says.

A bright idea

Would you eat lab-grown salmon? It could be a delicious and environmentally beneficial new treat some day. Salmon is the world's largest single fish commodity by value, but overfishing has slashed the salmon population. Aquaculture, or farmed fishing, can help reduce the effects of overfishing, but there are still some drawbacks to the process. Enter Wildtype, a California-based startup that's creating sushi-grade salmon by cultivating cells extracted from salmon eggs. The cells grow in steel vessels, spreading over a plant-based mesh to form fibrous tissue. This process is faster than aquaculture and produces no waste since only the edible parts are grown. There's a long way to go before such futuristic food becomes common (regulations, cost, scaling, all that fun stuff), but it's a hopeful prospect for fish populations and eco-minded sushi lovers alike. 

You gotta see this

Stunning works by National Geographic photographers from around the world are on sale as part of a project to raise money for humanitarian relief in Ukraine. The project is organized by the nonprofit organization Vital Impacts, and 100% of the profits will go to Direct Relief, which is providing medical aid to people affected by the war. The collection includes beautiful moments in nature and everyday life. There's a touch of glamor from Nigeria, a friendly meeting in India, a foggy day in New York City and, above, a moment of joy for Ukrainian students gathering in Kyiv to celebrate the end of school in 2018. "The hope is that this work will inspire everyone who sees it to work for a world of peace and compassion," Ami Vitale, a co-founder of Vital Impacts, told CNN.

Hear, hear

Life is not about us, that we lived here upon a land that did not belong to us. It belonged to the creator, and our job was to be stewards over what the creator has made. That was the way that we believed and still believe.

- G. Anne Richardson, Chief of the Rappahannock Tribe in Virginia, during an interview in 2017. Richardson is the first woman elected to lead a tribe in Virginia since the 18th century. Recently, the Rappahannock Tribe reacquired 465 acres of sacred land in the state. The land is home to a bald eagle population. Richardson says eagles are prayer messengers, and the places where they gather are of deep historical and spiritual importance. The acquisition is part of a growing movement of Indigenous people working to reclaim the land from which they were forcibly displaced throughout US history. 

Who knew?

Why are beer bottles usually brown or green? It's to preserve the delicious taste! When hops in beer are exposed to strong light, the chemicals break down and produce a funky-smelling compound similar to the odor skunks emit. That process is called, fittingly, skunking. Nobody wants skunky beer, so brewers eventually figured out that darkly-tinted glass would prevent it. There's definitely some politics regarding brown vs. green glass. One expert says many heritage brands and European brands use green glass because it's part of their image -- even if it is sometimes less resistant to skunking. The key to keeping your beer as fresh as possible can be summed up in three words: cold, dark and airtight. 

Rec of the week

Brought to you by CNN Underscored

Shameless animal video

There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now.

These manatees are truly living the life. Rolling your big ol' potato body over so  you can be hand fed by your devoted caretaker? Genius. No notes.

(Click here to view)

Made with love by CNN's 5 Things team. 

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