This Week in Good News: Love Wins in India, A 44-Year Old Wrong Made Right, & Dolphins, Thousands of Dolpins!
Yes, I know. There is so much bad news these days, at times it can be overwhelming. But there are also pinpricks of light, events and news that will lift your heart. Here are a few stories from this past week that fall into that category.
India's Riotous Triumph of Equality
From a New York Times Op-Ed by Manil Suri:
"In a landmark ruling this week, the Indian Supreme Court didn’t simply strike down Section 377, the odious British-introduced law criminalizing homosexual acts — it did so in a judgment of remarkable scope and eloquence.
The judgment opens with a quote from Goethe: “I am what I am, so take me as I am.” It relies on knowledge from psychology and science to support its reasoning, even giving a nod to rainbow symbolism (“different hues and colours together make the painting of humanity beautiful”). Most of all, it is a heartfelt discourse from the justices to their nation on the importance of human rights and diversity, an invitation to move “from bigotry to tolerance,” to serve “as the herald of a new India.”
During a week when we've seen striking evidence of how far astray our own Supreme Court can go, it's deeply encouraging to see this shining example from the Indian Supreme Court of how an enlightened judiciary can bring about transformative change in society.
Read the full story here.
She made the discovery, but a man got the Nobel. A half-century later, she’s won a $3 million prize.
From a Washington Post story by Sarah Kaplan & Antonia Noori Farzan:
"Jocelyn Bell Burnell built the telescope, laboring in damp and chilly English weather to install more than 100 miles of cable and copper wire across a wind-swept field near Cambridge. She operated the instruments and analyzed the data, poring over miles of chart paper etched with the inked recordings of galactic radio waves.
And, in 1967, when she spotted the first four light sources with repeated pulses beating a steady rhythm against the background noise of the stars, it was Bell Burnell who realized she'd detected something important. She had discovered the swiftly spinning cores of collapsed stars, whose powerful magnetic fields produce jets of radiation that flash across the sky like the rotating beam of a lighthouse.
The objects, called “pulsars,” are among the most important astronomical finds of the 20th century — potent tools for testing physics, probing space-time and investigating the dark regions of the universe.
On Thursday, half a century after her pioneering work, it was announced that Bell Burnell will receive a $3 million Breakthrough Prize, one of the most lucrative and prestigious awards in science. The special award in fundamental physics, given for her scientific achievements and “inspiring leadership,” has only been granted three times before.
To Bell Burnell's admirers, the prize is richly deserved and somewhat overdue. In 1974, when a Nobel Prize in physics was awarded for the discovery of pulsars, Bell Burnell's adviser Antony Hewish was one of the recipients. Bell Burnell was not. No woman has won the Nobel Prize in physics since 1963."
There is so much more to this wonderful story, including the inspiring plans she has for the prize money. Read the full story here.
A Trump Troll Reforms
The headline reads, "I Used To Be A Trump Troll — Until Sarah Silverman Engaged With Me". I first learned of this story when Hillary Clinton tweeted about it, congratulating the author for his courage in speaking out. HRC's actions are very gracious in my estimation, given how virulently this Trump supporter had attacked her in the past. What's heartening, to me anyway, is how this man's experience shows that change IS possible, even for those who are most entrenched in limiting and fearful beliefs.
He writes:
"I used to be That Guy. I always voted Republican. I watched Fox News. I read clickbait articles on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I echoed these slanted talking points when I was a Radio show guest prior to the 2016 Presidential General Election. In one sense, I was just your average, conservative, pro-Israel Jewish American. Yet, I was also a full-fledged, unapologetic, red-hat wearing Trumper.
When the General Election came and it was between Trump and Clinton, my choice was easy. I did not even think to research any of Clinton’s accomplishments as First Lady, Senator, or Secretary of State — like most conservatives, I just focused on her seemingly never-ending “scandals.” I was part of the “LOCK HER UP” chorus, even though she was thoroughly investigated and cleared by the FBI. ... Yet, unlike with Clinton, I looked only at Trump’s accomplishments, ignored his failures and defended or even celebrated his bad behavior. Consequently, I put all my efforts into helping elect him.
While aboard the “Trump Train,” I met many Trump supporters who felt stigmatized or ignored on Twitter. They introduced me to specific Direct Message (DM) groups where they felt their voice could be heard without judgment from “RINOs” or “Liberals.” These DM groups also served as a sort of amplifier, where one would submit their tweets to get many followers and retweets. A top MAGA Twitter account would quote someone they didn’t like, Trump supporters would then swarm in and malign that individual for dissenting thought. At the time, I didn’t think about how vile many of these tweets were, even while sending them out myself. I felt at home, as these Twitter accounts were supposedly conservative, pro-God, pro-guns, pro-flag, and pro-secure borders. For those foolish enough to critique any of those values, there was a Twitter mob eagerly waiting to attack. I was part of that mob.
Then came the moment that changed my life in politics and social media. I accused Sarah Silverman and liberals as a whole (since conservative pundits and media do this) of caring more about Illegals than American Veterans. To my surprise, Sarah Silverman replied, and the resulting dialogue was respectful. Months went by and we interacted more on Twitter on issues like gun reform, DACA, and abortion. Not only did I learn from her, but I learned from her followers who showed me why they fight for these rights. I discovered sources with journalistic integrity which debunked the lies and generalizations that conservative media often report. I slowly began reevaluating my principles."
Read the full article here.
A 'Superpod' of Dolphins Seen Racing Off the California Coast
And finally, let's end with this 'feel good' story and video from NPR:
"For a short week, it sure has been a long one. So here's something refreshing.
Over the last week, a group of common dolphins has been racing along the Pacific coast in Monterey, Calif.
So Patrick Webster, the social media content creator at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, set out on Monday to shoot video of the mammals, working together to corral schools of small fish.
What he captured is a remarkable scene: dozens and dozens dolphins, breaking through the surface and plunging down again, under skies the same gray as the water. Webster said the whole group was thought to number more than 1,000."
Read the full story here.
Happy Weekend! Here it is, your moment of jen!