Finding Treasure at a Thrift

Good morning. It’s been a week of remarkable discoveries and inspiring comebacks. A $25 thrift shop find in Scotland may turn out to be a priceless window linked to King Robert the Bruce, reminding us to explore some thrift shops in my neighborhood.

In China, scientists have created a strong, recyclable plastic from bamboo, offering a promising path toward a cleaner environment.

And in the UK, Wicken Fen has become the first nature reserve to record 10,000 species.

—Stephanie S

A Scottish antique dealer made a remarkable discovery after buying a stained glass window for just $25 at a thrift shop. Hidden beneath decades of grime, the glass revealed a Latin inscription referencing King Robert the Bruce, the legendary 14th-century Scottish ruler.

Intrigued, Richard Drummond researched the piece and consulted experts, who believe the window could be up to 700 years old. The artwork may have once adorned a castle associated with the king, making it a potentially priceless artifact.

The find has sparked excitement among historians and locals alike. Drummond hopes the window will eventually be displayed in a museum, celebrating Scotland’s rich medieval heritage.

This story is a reminder that history can be hiding in the most unexpected places, waiting to be rediscovered.

Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire has become the first UK nature reserve to record 10,000 species, thanks to the discovery of the six-belted clearwing moth, which cleverly mimics a wasp to deter predators.

This milestone marks decades of conservation, as the reserve has expanded from just two acres in 1899 to over 2,000 acres today. Recent finds include rare beetles, plants, and even visiting eagles.

The achievement shows how giving nature space leads to remarkable biodiversity. With new partnerships, Wicken Fen aims to support even more wildlife in the future.

Researchers in China have developed a biodegradable plastic made from bamboo that is stronger than conventional plastic and easy to recycle. This new material is created by breaking down bamboo cellulose and reforming it into a rigid plastic suitable for durable goods.

While it lacks flexibility, its strength and rapid biodegradability make it an ideal choice for products that are difficult to recycle.

The bamboo plastic breaks down entirely in soil within 50 days, offering a promising solution to plastic waste.

Bay scallops, once locally extinct for nearly a century, are thriving again along Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Thanks to decades of seagrass restoration efforts, scientists have successfully reintroduced the species, and recent surveys indicate exponential population growth.

The comeback is so strong that researchers now find multiple scallops in a single square meter. Experts believe the population could double in less than 18 months.

This success story not only restores a lost species but also boosts the region’s ecosystem and future aquaculture potential.

28 years ago today, NASA and the European Space Agency launched Cassini–Huygens, one of the most ambitious space missions ever undertaken. The flagship-class spacecraft, comprising NASA’s Cassini orbiter and ESA’s Huygens lander, set out to explore Saturn and its moons. After a seven-year journey, Cassini became the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn in 2004, while Huygens achieved a historic landing on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, sending back 350 surface images.

Over its 20-year mission, Cassini revealed Saturn’s beauty and complexity: discovering seven new moons, documenting the Great White Storm of 2013, and confirming that Enceladus, where it detected plumes of water, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons, could harbor the conditions for life. The mission ended in 2018 with a dramatic plunge into Saturn’s atmosphere, ensuring it wouldn’t contaminate any potentially habitable moons.

Other notable October 15 events:

1951: I Love Lucy premiered, changing television comedy forever.

1969: Two million Americans joined the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam—one of the largest peace protests in U.S. history.

1989: Wayne Gretzky surpassed Gordie Howe’s career points record during a dramatic overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers.

1993: Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize for ending apartheid in South Africa.

🦇 Wisconsin: Bat populations are rebounding for the third consecutive year after being devastated by white-nose syndrome.

⚽️ UK: A Burnley pub owner transformed her bar's garden into a mini stadium filled with Burnley FC memorabilia.

💸 Anguilla: The Caribbean island is now earning millions by selling .ai web domains, which account for over 20% of its national revenue.

🏴‍☠️ Florida: Salvagers have recovered over 1,000 gold and silver coins worth $1 million from a 1715 Spanish treasure fleet shipwreck off the state’s coast.

🌊 Michigan: After 40 years and $84 million in cleanup efforts, Lake Muskegon has been restored and removed from the list of polluted Great Lakes.

— Ivan Turgenev

Every day brings amazing advances and uplifting moments that remind us just how wonderful the world can be. Here are five reasons why today is the best time ever to be alive:

🏠 Printed Homes: Affordable housing projects using 3D printing are reducing costs and providing homes for those in need.

🌳 Food Forests: Urban food forests are providing free fresh produce and green space in cities worldwide.

💳 Digital Trust: Digital payment systems are reducing corruption by increasing transparency in financial transactions.

🚲 Bike Libraries: Community-led bicycle libraries are lending bikes to promote eco-friendly commuting.

🤖 Surgery Assistants: AI robotic surgery assistants are improving precision and reducing recovery times.

Once just days away from being euthanized, a stray pup named Rico was rescued from a Portuguese shelter and went on to become a canine detective. Now living in England, Rico uses his extraordinary sense of smell to track down lost pets (and even zoo animals), proving that every life deserves a second chance.

👉 Catch this, along with other incredible stories from around the world, in this week’s episode of Good News To Go.

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