Inspiring News Articles
Excerpts of Highly Inspiring News Articles in Major Media
Below are one-paragraph excerpts of highly inspiring news articles from the major media. Links are provided to the original inspiring news articles on their media websites. If any link fails, read this webpage. The most inspiring news articles are listed first. You can also explore the news articles listed by order of the date posted. For an abundance of other highly inspiring material, see our Inspiring Resources page. May these inspiring news articles inspire us to find ever more ways to love and support each other and all around us to be the very best we can be.
Could baby poop and fungi work together to tackle landfill waste? That's the idea behind a new product launched by an Austin, Texas-based startup that sells disposable diapers paired with fungi intended to break down the plastic. Each of Hiro Technologies' MycoDigestible Diapers comes with a packet of fungi to be added to the dirty diaper before it is thrown in the trash. After a week or two, the fungi are activated by moisture from feces, urine and the environment to begin the process of biodegradation. An estimated 4 million tons of diapers were disposed of in the United States in 2018, with no significant recycling or composting. Diapers take hundreds of years to naturally break down. That means the very first disposable diaper ever used is still in a landfill somewhere. To tackle this, Hiro Technologies turned to fungi. These organisms - which include mushrooms, molds, yeasts and mildew - derive nutrients from decomposing organic matter. In 2011, Yale University researchers discovered a type of fungus in Ecuador that can feed on polyurethane, a common polymer in plastic products. They figured the fungus, Pestalotiopsis microspora, would be capable of surviving on plastic in environments lacking oxygen, like landfills. Hiro Technologies co-founder Tero Isokauppila, a Finnish entrepreneur who also founded medicinal mushroom company Four Sigmatic, said there are more than 100 species of fungi now known to break down plastics.
Note: Explore more positive stories like this on microplastic solutions and healing the Earth.
A new study from Canadian researchers reveals that near-death experiences transform not just how people view mortality, but how they approach their 9-to-5s. The research, published in the Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, found that after brushing against death, employees frequently reprioritize their professional lives. Many shift away from pursuing money, status, and career advancement toward seeking meaningful work and authentic relationships with colleagues and clients. Near-death experiences (NDEs) are deeply personal experiences that some people report after almost losing their lives. These experiences can include sensations such as floating above one's body, reviewing moments from one's life, encountering spiritual beings, and feeling a profound sense of unity and love. Many participants reported that traditional career achievements and financial success plummeted in importance following their close call with death. The researchers identified six major themes: insights and new realizations, personal transformations, reprioritization of work, job changes, motivation, and changed relationships. Most participants reported profound spiritual insights following their NDEs. These weren't just abstract philosophical ideas but deeply felt revelations that reshaped their identities. Common realizations included beliefs that consciousness continues after death, that there exists a "collective oneness" among all people, and that life has an underlying purpose.
Note: Explore more positive stories like this about near-death experiences.
