1. Notre Dame Bells Ring Out for the First Time in 4 Years, Heralding its Upcoming Completion December 8th
From the Île de la Cité in Paris, out from the northern Belfry of the Notre Dame, the tolling of bells was heard by thousands.
It was the first tolling since 2020, a year after a fire destroyed much of the 850-year-old building in 2019, and their restoration represents an important milestone in the lead-up to the cathedral’s opening in less than a month.
Eight of the bells rang as part of a technical test on Friday. Neither the bells nor the belfry had been destroyed in the fire, but they were damaged and it took over a year to restore that part of the building.
“Hearing the bells ring this morning was very moving,” Mr. Alexandre Gougeon, who managed their installation, told CNN, adding it was “the culmination of a big project.
Three new bells were added to the tower, including a large one donated by the Parisian olympic planning committee. It was rung with a mallet above the Stade de France, the country’s national stadium, whenever an athlete won gold or broke a record.
2. Birdwatchers in 201 Countries Break World Record Documenting 7,800 Species in a Single Big Day
A vast collaboration of birding organizations has organized the largest citizen science project in the history of ornithology—a ‘Big Day’ with 201 countries participating.
Documenting 7,800 species in a single day, (there are around 11,000 species known in the world) the October 12th Big Day succeeded in recruiting 748,000 birders for the job, and producing 66,000 photos for a scientific library.
The 10/12 Big Day was organized by eBird, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the birding app Merlin, and dozens of continental and national birding groups.
“To every birder who took part in October Big Day: thank you. Your passion, dedication, and love for birds are what make this event truly special,” eBird’s press team wrote in a statement. “Together, we’ve contributed data that will help inform the conservation of birds for generations to come.”
The name ‘Big Day’ comes from the typical birding phrase ‘Big Year;’ one in which a birdwatcher plans to try and see as many species as she or he can in a single year. Standout performances this year were seen in Italy, where eBird Italia registered a doubling of users, and a 229% increase in checklists submitted bettered only by Tanzania in year-over-year increases.
3. A Positive Outlook on Aging is Linked to Feeling Sharper Mentally, Says New Study
Your attitudes about aging, whether positive or negative, can lead to a better—or worse—cognitive experience in your senior years, suggests a new study from researchers at Penn State.
Getting older comes with certain expectations, from gray hair to wrinkles to forgetfulness. While these beliefs may seem harmless, they may influence how one perceives their own cognitive abilities while they age.
The team found that people who had more positive expectations of aging tended to report less frequent cognitive problems, such as difficulty concentrating or keeping track of what they were doing. They were also less likely to report that their cognitive performance had declined over time.
If we can modify the expectations that older adults have about aging, “we could support healthier cognitive aging” by increasing awareness and teaching accurate assumptions about the process.
“Aging expectations are malleable and influence an individual’s perceptions of their cognitive functioning,” said Nikki Hill, associate professor in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at Penn State, who is first author on the paper published in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
