Latest news with #Wisdom
Forbes
3 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
A Biologist Spotlights The Oldest Bird In The World (Hint: It Was First Tagged In 1956 On This Isolated Island)
Most small birds are lucky to make it to ten years of age. Bigger birds, however, can live much ... More longer. Here's the story of the oldest known bird on planet Earth. Birds, unlike other species such as the giant tortoise, the Greenland shark or the bowhead whale, aren't known for their longevity. But there are a few species that buck the trend. Generally speaking, bigger birds tend to live longer. This is true across most animal classes. The ostrich, which is the world's largest bird, often lives to the ripe age of 30 to 40 years old. Albatrosses and seabirds also have long lifespans, with some living to over 50 years of age. Parrots, too, are generally long-lived birds, especially those kept in captivity. Some have been known to eclipse 60 years of age. Small finches and sparrows, on the other hand, often don't live long enough to see the age of five. Here's the story of the world's oldest known wild bird: Wisdom the Laysan albatross. Exploring The Ultrasurviving Laysan Albatross Laysan albatrosses range across the North Pacific but breed on a few remote islands, such as Midway ... More Atoll. In 1956, ornithologist Chandler Robbins affixed a small aluminum band to the leg of a female Laysan albatross on Midway Atoll, a remote U.S. territory located in the North Pacific Ocean. Robbins had no idea at the time how important this bird would turn out to be. That bird, now known as Wisdom, is estimated to be at least 74 years old, making her the oldest known wild bird ever recorded. What's more astounding is that she's still alive, and still laying eggs and raising chicks. Wisdom is a Laysan albatross, a large seabird known for its long wingspan – up to seven feet – and gliding. These birds spend the majority of their lives at sea, only returning to land to breed and raise young. Most Laysan albatrosses don't start breeding until they're around five to eight years old, and pairs usually return to the same nesting sites year after year. Midway Atoll, where Wisdom resides, is part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. The island's isolation makes it an ideal haven for seabirds, with few predators and virtually no human interference. Laysan albatrosses are remarkably long-lived seabirds, and one key to their longevity is their exceptionally low annual adult mortality. A 1975 study published in Pacific Science estimated that more than 94% of breeding adults on Midway Atoll survive each year – meaning fewer than 1 in 20 die annually. That same long-term banding effort found that 13% of birds lived at least 20 years. More recent findings support those numbers. A 2011 mark-recapture study at Kaena Point on Oahu, Hawaii published in The Auk, reported survival rates as high as 99.6% in pre-breeding adults, while successful breeders averaged 93.2% annually. The study also highlighted the species' strong site fidelity and long-term pair bonds – traits that likely help support their extraordinary lifespans. Wisdom, now in her 70s, may be an outlier, but she's also a powerful example of what's biologically possible for a seabird built for endurance. To truly appreciate Wisdom's journey, it helps to understand just how far she's traveled. Albatrosses can fly thousands of miles in a single foraging trip, and it's estimated that over her lifetime, Wisdom has logged over three million miles. This is equivalent to flying to the moon and back more than six times. Laysan albatrosses are masterful gliders, soaring thousands of miles on ocean winds. She has laid dozens of eggs, fledged many chicks, and outlived not only her original bander, Chandler Robbins, who passed away in 2017, but also many of her own offspring. Her story challenges assumptions about aging in wild animals, particularly birds, who face threats from weather, predators, plastic pollution and commercial fishing. Against the odds, Wisdom keeps returning to the same patch of land, often with a new mate (albatrosses form long-term pairs, but mates can change if one dies). Incredibly, she was photographed with another newly hatched chick earlier this year (February 2025), at age 74. Wisdom is more than just an anomaly – she's a living data point in a long-term study of bird longevity, migration and survival. Her age has helped biologists better understand how seabirds age and reproduce over long periods, which in turn informs conservation efforts. She's also become something of a celebrity and a symbol of resilience, featured in children's books, conservation campaigns and even honored with her own U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service social media following. Are you an animal lover who owns a pet, perhaps even a pet bird? Take the science-backed Pet Personality Test to know how well you know your little friend.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Review of Work, Wisdom, Legacy, essays compiled by Y.V. Reddy and others
Work,Wisdom, Legacy is an intellectually stimulating anthology that gathers reflections from 31 prominent Indian figures, offering a panoramic view of what work means in the Indian context—across generations, professions, and value systems. Compiled by former RBI Governor Y.V. Reddy alongside Ravi Menon, Shaji Vikraman, and Kavi Yaga, the book is as much about personal journeys as it is about societal evolution through the lens ofwork. Each essay, distinct in voice and perspective, forms part of a larger tapestry that explores the ethics, purpose, and transformation of work. What makes the collection powerful is not just the stature of its contributors—which includes policymakers like Yashwant Sinha and P. Chidambaram, business leaders like N.R. Narayana Murthy and K.V. Kamath, and thinkers like Arun Shourie—but the honesty and nuance they bring to their experiences. Reflections on the journey Rather than reducingworkto a matter of efficiency or economic necessity, the essays reflect on its moral and emotional dimensions. For instance, many authors examine how early family values, personal mentors, or pivotal career moments shaped their philosophies. There's a recurring emphasis on integrity, humility, and the pursuit of excellence, not merely for material reward, but for fulfilment and legacy. Y.V. Reddy's essay, 'God Laughs and Other Reflections,' provides a foundational tone for the book. Drawing on personal anecdotes, he articulates the importance of what he calls the three Is: intellect, industry, and integrity. His reflections suggest that the people we choose toworkwith—and the values they uphold—are as significant as theworkitself. This sentiment is echoed across the anthology, making a subtle but strong case for ethics in public and private life. What also emerges is Reddy's broader philosophical stance, captured in his emphasis on 'assessing, not judging' others, an approach that encourages empathy and perspective over prescriptive thinking. At the book's launch, fellow contributors echoed how this mindset shaped their professional ethos, adding that the essays offer not just inspiration but introspection. The volume's strength also lies in its diversity. The authors span various domains, governance, law, banking, entrepreneurship, media, and each brings a distinct outlook. For example, some grapple with the shift from state-led development to liberalisation, while others discuss the challenges of leadership in a corporate environment undergoing rapid technological change. The essays are not instructional; they're contemplative. They do not prescribe a single definition of success but invite readers to define it for themselves. Contemporary relevance The editors skilfully avoid making the book feel nostalgic or dated. Instead, the essays collectively offer a timeless relevance. As India's youngworkforce navigates a volatile, competitive, and digitised job landscape, this book becomes a quiet guide, urging readers to look inward even as they strive outward. Work,Wisdom, Legacy does not just celebrate achievements. It honours the long, often winding road to meaningful work. In doing so, it urges the reader to consider legacy not as the residue of power or wealth, but as the impact one has on others, through decisions, actions, and values. In a time when conversations aboutworkare often framed around burnout, hustle, and metrics, this book is a welcome change. It's reflective, rooted, and deeply human. Work, Wisdom, Legacy: 31 Essays from India Compiled by Y.V. Reddy, with Ravi Menon, Shaji Vikraman, Kavi Yaga Orient BlackSwan ₹850
UAE Moments
17-07-2025
- General
- UAE Moments
♏ Scorpio Daily Horoscope for July 17, 2025
Inner Strength & Boundaries Today, lead with quiet confidence. Kindness paired with assertiveness supports emotional balance and empowers mindful decisions. Love & Relationships Your honesty and active listening will deepen trust. Confidence and vulnerability work together to strengthen existing bonds. Career & Professional Goals This is a strong day to invest in your family's future, including initiating new projects. At work, your calm demeanor earns recognition from authority figures Finance & Stability Your financial position remains strong. Thoughtful investments—not impulsive ones—bring long-term security today. Health & Wellness Watch your intake and prioritize balance. Gentle self-care, rest, and steady routines keep both body and spirit in harmony. Taurus Wisdom ' You are worthy of a love that touches the soul... you do not need to settle for less than a deep connection,' reminds your love forecast. Hold faith in your value. Lucky Color & Numbers
Daily Maverick
13-07-2025
- General
- Daily Maverick
Kind and responsible, women rule the world better than men
The patriarchy has had power for centuries and the results speak for themselves. Isn't it time for change? The poem Wisdom by Helen Moffett begins: 'I'm inclined to trust her, / this woman with a child's clear vision / who points out the scabrous sores / on the emperor's bare bum.' It appears in her 2016 collection Prunings (uHlanga). In my view, women often possess a clearer vision than most men, along with a natural ability to notice and call out nonsense. This seems to hold true in households as well as in public or governmental settings. Moffett dedicates the poem to Antjie Krog, a poet I regret discovering too late. Krog's book Bereft has had a marked influence on my approach to poetry. The stanza in Moffet's poem ends with the line 'she sees magic in unpropitious dust'. The point, of course, is not to suggest that trustworthy men don't exist or that they're incapable of speaking uncomfortable truths. Nor that untrustworthy women do not exist. That would be an unhealthy suggestion. What I mean is that more women than men seem to embody the qualities in question instinctively, whereas most men, myself included, have to work at developing 'a child's clear vision'. Is this a natural trait that is, or has been, selected for? I'm inclined to think so. There is considerable evidence that women, on average, tend to display more kindness and responsibility, likely because of influences both natural and social. However, these are broad trends rather than fixed destinies. Everyone can develop such characteristics, and individual differences in this respect are often greater than group differences. Nevertheless, it remains the case that women generally have to work less hard than the average man to become kind and responsible. Gender roles are rapidly changing, though, and both men and women are being encouraged to develop a full range of emotional and social skills. Women have indeed come a very, very long way. In the US, they gained the right to vote nationally with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. In South Africa, white women were granted the right to vote in 1930, though universal suffrage for all women, regardless of race, was only achieved in 1994. This trend spills over to or borrows from what we've always been taught and brought up with: people with more testosterone are mightier in most aspects and shall therefore lead. In dominant Western Christian culture, the concept of God is traditionally framed using male pronouns – He and Him – and God is often referred to as the Father. This usage reflects both scriptural language and centuries of theological tradition. In contrast, many other cultures and religions, particularly polytheistic ones such as Hinduism, ancient Greek and Roman religions, or Egyptian mythology, include powerful female deities who play central roles in their cosmologies. It's worth noting that not all Eastern religions focus on personal gods; for instance, systems such as Buddhism and Taoism often emphasise impersonal forces, principles or states of being rather than a single divine figure. Conceptions of divinity – and whether it is gendered at all – differ widely across the world's spiritual traditions. In traditional Sotho belief, for example, ancestral spirits (badimo) play a central role, acting as intermediaries between the living and a more abstract, distant creator – highlighting yet another model of the divine that differs from both monotheistic and polytheistic systems. Poet Maya Angelou begins her famous Phenomenal Woman with the line: 'Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.' I instinctively read a great deal into this. Some women are considered pretty, others are not. Society often fixates on conventional beauty, and many people openly admire – even gape at – those who fit that mould, often reducing them to eye candy. But the voice in Angelou's poem knows it doesn't conform to those conventional standards of beauty. Still, it recognises its own power – something that 'pretty women' don't understand. The poem continues: 'I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size.' And later, with quiet confidence: 'Now you understand / Just why my head's not bowed. / I don't shout or jump about / Or have to talk real loud.' The speaker's strength lies not in external validation, but in qualities that go far beyond surface beauty. Women often prioritise empathy, collaboration and long-term problem-solving – traits linked to effective governance. Companies with greater than 30% female leadership are 12% more profitable. Women's participation in peace talks increases agreement durability by 35%. Mixed-gender teams make smarter decisions 73% of the time. Women leaders are statistically more cautious with fiscal policy, reducing financial crises. Policies addressing healthcare, education and inequality improve when women legislate. These statistics are openly available online. Remember how nations with female leaders had much lower unnecessary deaths and faster economic recovery during Covid? Have you noticed how female-led countries experience fewer conflicts and higher GDP growth, when institutional barriers are low? In general, women leaders often combine participatory governance with crisis competence – focusing on social welfare and fact-based policies. The bottom line is that inclusion isn't just fair, it's strategic. Although systemic barriers remain, data and experience show women's leadership correlates with stability, innovation and equitable growth. How I wish I'd come up with the Timothy Leary quote which says: 'Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.' DM Rethabile Masilo is a Mosotho poet from Lesotho who lives in Paris, France. Confession By Rethabile Masilo I stay strongest when I'm with prostitutes, letting their tempest admit mine; at dawn I watch them turn from being bitch and choose to be queen and fiend no more, but come down from the rafters and take off their costumes, their false pride, bare their hearts for all and say 'this is what happens in our velvet rooms' – I'd like to live in there, if there's a way, for I need a place where there's no mercy more than what one feels, and awards, and must keep soft; these women are no heresy; across the street some sing hymns to a host; I wonder if I'd enjoy such a place, whose pity comes in teaspoonfuls of grace On a Gare St-Lazare platform By Rethabile Masilo The way she stood on that platform that morning made me guess that she was approximately fifteen, waiting for a train to pull in, her profound beauty saying, while I stiffened and continued to stare at her profile, that she would be queen someday. She knew too well how to absorb men's looks, breathe their aura in, and salt the charge away in breasts of her flesh and in valleys of her form. The world was entering an era of great distress. I thought she might be a fallen angel, standing there taking our lust in, savouring it and hoarding it, like some good-looking robot telephone sucking in the electricity of men. Such type of force can destroy a world and break the matrices of its unfortunate hearts. I wanted to know if the volts of my thoughts had affected her. But I was late, so I made haste upstairs, and caught my connection. But I'll never forget the atmosphere of danger around me, on that platform at Gare St-Lazare This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Daymond John Gives Shout-Out to Wisdom Senior Care at IFA World Franchise Show
Franchise brand receives spotlight recognition from "Shark Tank" star during debut exhibit at global franchising event MIAMI, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Wisdom Senior Care, a growing in-home senior care franchise based in Durham, North Carolina, was honored with a special visit from entrepreneur and Shark Tank investor Daymond John during the IFA World Franchise Show, held May 9–10 in Miami. The moment led to a surprise video shout-out from Daymond — applauding Wisdom's mission and highlighting the brand's potential for new franchisees looking to enter a purpose-driven industry. Watch the video on LinkedIn "For Daymond to take time to recognize our work and speak directly to the value of in - home senior care — especially as someone whose team personally connected to our mission — was both humbling and affirming," said Charles Thurston, COO of Wisdom Senior Care. The numbers speak for themselves. Now is the time to consider a business opportunity with guaranteed demand in in -home senior care. At Wisdom, we teach our franchisees not just business ownership, but how to thrive within a supportive franchise system. And those two must work in harmony." Thurston added, "This incredible moment wouldn't have happened without IFA, and we're also deeply grateful to Matt Haller for creating this moment and championing our brand." Founded by Carolyn Thurston, a member of the IFA Board of Directors, Wisdom Senior Care continues to expand its national network of franchisees — empowering communities through compassionate care and sustainable entrepreneurship. About Wisdom Senior Care Founded in 2002 and based in Durham, NC, Wisdom Senior Care is a franchise system providing compassionate in-home care for seniors. With a mission to help seniors age in place with dignity and independence, Wisdom offers a proven franchise model rooted in service, mentorship, and economic opportunity. Learn more at Media Contact:Charles Thurston Wisdom Senior CareCharles@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Wisdom Senior Care Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
