Ants Detecting Cancer, Home Adapts To Seasons & More!

Ants Detecting Cancer, Home Adapts To Seasons & More!

Pete Kelly

From a machine that can extract gallons of water out of the air to a link between phone calls and reduced depression and anxiety, here are some good news stories from this week!

New Solution For Water In Desert Regions (Good News Network)

Entrepreneurs in Jordan have developed a machine that can extract water from desert air that could help address the water scarcity problems in desert regions. The machine, about the size of an air conditioner, can harvest nine gallons of water per day in a desert climate with 20% humidity, with water purity levels higher than bottled water.

Ants Can Detect Cancer In 30 Minutes (Freethink)

Researchers in Paris have trained ants to detect the scent of cancer cells. The ants were trained to distinguish between human cancer cells, a growth medium and empty tubes, using a sugar as a reward. The ants were then trained to differentiate between healthy and cancerous cells, and between two different cancer cell lines.

The researchers found that the ants were comparable to dogs in their detection abilities, but with much shorter training times and lower maintenance costs. The researchers believe that ants could be used in a range of odor detection tasks.

English Home Can Adapt To The Seasons (Good News Network)

A three-bedroom home in England features a moving ‘wooden casing’ that can adapt to changing weather by exposing its glass in summer and closing back up in winter. The home doesn’t need to take any power from the national grid, and the shell can be removed entirely to create a “free-standing barn,” according to it’s architect.

Phone Calls Help Depression And Loneliness (Freethink)

Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial and found that “Sunshine Calls” – phone calls made by volunteers to older people – led to significant improvements in loneliness and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and overall mental wellbeing.

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