Weekly News Recap: October 6, 2023

Katalin Kariko at her home in Jenkintown, Pa., in February, 2021. Dr. Kariko’s early research into mRNA eventually led to development of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

If you know you are on the right track, if you have this inner knowledge, then nobody can turn you off... no matter what they say. -- Barbara McClintock, Cytogeneticist and winner of the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology.

SOME GOOD NEWS

• VIDEO: Joni Mitchell releases 1972 song featuring Neil Young ahead of album release (CBC) A national treasure. "A long unreleased Joni Mitchell demo recording with an appearance by fellow Canadian musician Neil Young is finally seeing the light of day. More than 50 years after it was made, an early version of the folk singer-songwriter's track You Turn Me On I'm A Radio has been issued with Young playing electric guitar and harmonica. The song is a teaser for Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975), which comes out Friday. Mitchell's archival album chronicles a formative four-year stretch of her career around the release of her albums For the Roses, Court and Spark and The Hissing of Summer Lawns."

• Ghanaian Teacher Shortlisted for US$1 Million Global Teacher Prize 2023 (Business Ghana) Can't wait to see who the final recipient is. "Eric Asomani Asante, an ICT teacher at Naylor SDA Basic School, in Tema, Ghana, has been included in the top 50 shortlist for the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2023 organised in collaboration with UNESCO and in strategic partnership with Dubai Cares, a UAE-based global philanthropic organisation."

• VIDEO: Wynton Marsalis reflects on the way time flies, as Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra plays a program full of his work (Create A Stir) Such a fantastic talent. "When Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra play an all-Marsalis program at the Orpheum on October 10, it will mark a significant departure from their usual practice: honouring the giants of the jazz past by reconstructing their music for the jazz present."

• VIDEO: Nobel Prize Awarded to Covid Vaccine Pioneers (New York Times) Read the part where they tell Dr. Karikó that she is 'not faculty quality'. This scientist and her colleagues saved tens of millions of lives. No words. "Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, who together identified a chemical tweak to messenger RNA, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday. Their work enabled potent Covid vaccines to be made in less than a year, averting tens of millions of deaths and helping the world recover from the worst pandemic in a century. The approach to mRNA the two researchers developed has been used in Covid shots that have since been administered billions of times globally and has transformed vaccine technology, laying the foundation for inoculations that may one day protect against a number of deadly diseases like cancer."

• After 40 years, Edmonton's Queen Elizabeth Planetarium reopens (CTV) "A ceremony was held [recently] to mark the reopening of Edmonton's Queen Elizabeth Planetarium after years of restoration work. The planetarium first opened in 1960 to mark a visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. It was Canada's first planetarium. It closed in 1983. Restoration work began on the building in 2019 with a budget of $7 million, but was delayed as a result of the pandemic."

• VIDEO: Memories of big hair, bigger hits as Canadian bands from '70s and '80s inducted into Walk of Fame (CBC) #RealMusic 😊 "Thirteen Canadian rock bands of the 1970s and '80s rolled back the clock on Thursday as they were inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame with a night chock full of good memories and even greater radio hits. Glass Tiger, Loverboy and Trooper were among the bands toasted at Toronto's Massey Hall as part of a 'mega-induction' ceremony dubbed 'Rock of Fame,' which celebrated a time when the country's rock pulse was pounding."

• VIDEO: #TheMoment a rare dumbo octopus was spotted in the deep sea (CBC) #Wow "A ghostly dumbo octopus stunned scientists 2,665 meters below the surface on an Ocean Exploration Trust expedition to Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawaii."

• VIDEO: Jimmy Carter celebrates 99th birthday with family as peers pay tribute to former U.S. president (CBC) Happy Birthday President Carter. "Jimmy Carter has always been a man of discipline and habit. But the former president broke routine Sunday, putting off his practice of quietly watching church services online to instead celebrate his 99th birthday with his wife, Rosalynn, and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Plains, Ga. The gathering took place in the same one-storey structure where the Carters lived before he was first elected to the Georgia Senate in 1962. As tributes poured in from around the world, it was an opportunity for Carter's family to honour his personal legacy."

• Lost Michigan toddler found asleep in woods using family dog as furry pillow (The Guardian) Dogs know. "A two-year-old girl who walked away from her home in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula alongside two family dogs was found in the woods hours later sleeping on the smaller dog like a furry pillow, state police said. Niall Harbison smiling and holding three puppies ‘I couldn’t just ignore them’: one man’s mission to save the world’s street dogs 'She laid down and used one of the dogs as a pillow, and the other dog laid right next to her and kept her safe,' Lt Mark Giannunzio said on Thursday."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

1. Trick, no treat: Stanley Park ghost train derailed for 4th straight year (CBC) I hope it works for next year. "The Stanley Park ghost train is a no-go for a fourth straight Halloween due to ongoing 'restoration work,' according to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. Mechanical issues and a failed inspection prevented the popular attraction from running last year. In 2021 coyote attacks in Stanley Park derailed the train. In 2020, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the shutdown. An online post announcing the latest cancellation said specialized parts required to fix the train have been acquired but additional repairs and testing are still ongoing. The work is expected to be completed by November but will need signoff from Technical Safety B.C. before operations can resume."

2. I celebrated my parental leave on my LinkedIn, as I would for any new job (CBC) Makes sense to me. "As I cycled through the usual suspects of social media apps while on a feed-to-feed strategy, I mindlessly clicked on LinkedIn — an app I hadn't dared touch since starting my parental leave four months ago. It wasn't my season to dabble in the sphere of paid work updates (or so I thought). After all, I was on an expansive 18-month largely unpaid leave from my job as an instructor and curriculum developer at the University of Guelph. Such a robust leave is a privileged opportunity indeed, and I was trying to grant myself space from the work life that had been the focal point of my younger adult life."

3. Canada apologizes for lauding another soldier who fought in Nazi unit (JNS) "A week after Anthony Rota, the speaker of Canada’s House of Commons, resigned over its parliament honoring a Ukrainian man who fought in a voluntary Nazi unit, another highly decorated member in the Waffen-SS Galicia Division has come to light. Peter Savaryn was chancellor of the University of Alberta, a public school in Edmonton, from 1982 to 1986. The following year, he received the Order of Canada—an honor also bestowed on ice-hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, film director James Cameron and folk singer Joni Mitchell."

4. Bow Valley College renames Executive Board Room after inaugural Board Chair (Bow Valley College) Nice tribute. Well done BVC. "Bow Valley College was proud to announce the official naming of the John and Bobbie Currie Executive Boardroom on the seventh floor of our South Campus in honour of Bow Valley College’s inaugural chair of our Board of Governors, the late John Currie. John’s support, determination and vision led to the successful transition of Alberta Vocational College to a Board-Governed institution, the Bow Valley College we know today. John Currie served as board chair from 1998 to 2004."

5. $8M Alberta advertising campaign against federal net-zero rules rolls out in 4 provinces (CBC) "The Alberta government's $8-million campaign to 'educate Canadians and Albertans' on the impacts of new emissions regulations proposed by the federal government has begun rolling out across the country. The campaign, involving a wide range of television, web, social, billboard and other forms of advertising, will run just a little more than a month [...] when the federal government's public input period on net-zero rules is set to conclude. It's running in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, chosen because they are the regions 'most impacted by the regulations,' a spokesperson with the province said."

6. What The Golden Bachelor gets right — and wrong — about the love lives of seniors (CBC) Really, it is a brilliant and timely concept. "It was an unusual sight for typical viewers of The Bachelor franchise: Fixing his bow tie and slipping a hearing aid into his ear, 72-year-old Gerry Turner prepared to meet his suitors in a new edition of the popular series, The Golden Bachelor, which is geared toward older people. Premiering last week on ABC and Citytv, The Golden Bachelor cast 22 women between the ages of 60 and 75 to vie for Turner's heart. The show drew 4.1 million viewers during its premiere episode, according to data from viewership analytics firm Nielsen — up 38 per cent from the most recent premiere episode of The Bachelor."

7. Even the behemoth NFL can benefit from the 'Taylor Swift Effect' (CBC) "If you're looking to measure Taylor Swift's effect on NFL fanhood, start with this figure: 24.7 million. That's how many people tuned in to see Kansas City throttle the Chicago Bears last Sunday. Granted, you have to concede that some people might have watched the game to see if the Bears really are as bad as advertised."

8. VIDEO: How often do you think about the Roman Empire? (CBC) I think about it at least twice a day. 😉 "CBC's Amy Bell at On The Coast spoke to Matt McCarty, assistant professor of Roman archaeology at UBC, about why the meme — where young men admit they think about the Roman Empire a lot more than expected — has become so popular."

9. Couple dead after bear attack in Banff National Park, grizzly killed (CBC) This is so sad for all concerned. I feel for this couple, their family, and their dog. I also feel for this bear who was euthanized for this attack. "A grizzly bear attacked and killed two people in Banff National Park west of Sundre, Alta., on Friday night, Parks Canada says [...] The couple's dog, who was with them at the time, was also killed."

10. VIDEO: Who should preserve treaties between First Nations and the Crown? (CBC) "Centuries-old agreements between First Nations and the Crown are locked in a secure government vault at Library and Archives Canada. But with an increased, intentional focus on truth and reconciliation, some say Indigenous communities should have a larger role in preserving their own history."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

1. Surviving in a World of Bad Metrics (Augur Yagmur) Great piece on the good, the bad, and the ugly of metrics.

2. The Most Powerful Morning Routine I’ve Found After 3+ Years of Experimenting (Better Humans) If, for completeness, alone.

3. Measuring, Managing & Mattering (Playing To Win) Interesting how much we base on quotes.

4. 10 Books That Changed My Perspective On Everything (Vugar Mehdiyev) A brilliant list.

5. The 4 Pillars of Productivity (Garv) You have seen much of this before but its presentation is worth a relook.

6. Supercharge Your Mind by “Zoning Out” Productively (Better Humans) While I don't do this intentionally, I have found it beneficial when I have accidentally 'zoned out'.

7. 4 “Quiet” Behaviors that Reveal a Person’s True Self (Hello, Love) #3 is the bomb.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

1. Canada’s Aga Khan Museum gets multi-million-dollar donation from Nanji Family Foundation (Eastern Eye) "The Gulshan & Pyarali Gulamali Nanji Family Foundation has recently gifted a multi-million-dollar donation to the Aga Khan Museum which will help expand its global impact on people around the world and deepen their understanding of Muslim arts and cultures."

2. DISNEY ANNOUNCES NEW $1.5 MILLION DONATION TO CAUSES MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN FLORIDA (World of Walt) "Walt Disney World is creating positive change in the state of Florida by giving donations totaling $1.5 million dollars to 19 nonprofit organizations throughout Florida. From establishing vital education and workforce development programs to supporting the arts, and combatting homelessness and hunger, Disney Grant recipients are doing outstanding work within the community."

3. TD Announces $5 Million Donation to Future Generations Foundation’s Beyond Reconciliation Campaign (Fintech Financial News) "TD Bank Group announced [...] that it has pledged a leadership gift of $5 million over 5 years to the Future Generations Foundation’s Beyond Reconciliation Campaign through its global corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment. The Canada-wide campaign is focused on raising funds to bolster the work the Foundation has been doing since 1975 to help bridge the gaps left by Indian residential schools in Canada."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

• Taylor Swift is a Travis Kelce fan and suddenly, so is everyone else as NFL player's jersey sales skyrocket (CBC)

• VIDEO: Blissful black bear blows bubbles in backyard pond (CBC)

• VIDEO: Bear cubs play tag around backyard pool (CBC)

• Nearly 7M Canadians struggling to put food on the table: report (Yahoo Sports)

• How the son of a Burger Baron turned the chain's history into a 'surprisingly' successful documentary (CBC)

• Vancouver Art Gallery gets $5 million donation from Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation (Galleries West)

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