Alaskan Forest Saved, Depression Discovery, Mighty Soil & Seeds And Some New Tunes

Good News Friday, 24th April 2026

Photo by Renato on Unsplash

America’s biggest rainforest gets a legal breather

A federal judge in Alaska has dismissed a timber industry lawsuit that tried to force more old-growth logging in the Tongass National Forest, Alaska, America’s largest national forest and the world’s largest temperate old-growth rainforest. The case was dismissed with prejudice, which is legal speak for “don’t come back here with the same guff again.”

That means the Tongass gets to keep standing for bald eagles, brown bears, salmon, the Haida ermine — which are the cutest of the weasel family — and the local communities who depend on the forest for their way of life.

***Learn more about this article’s writer, Paddy Murphy, here.***

Photo by Bhautik Patel on Unsplash

Scientists find the brain cells linked to depression

For the first time, researchers at McGill University and the Douglas Institute have identified two specific types of brain cells that behave differently in people with depression.

The study found changes in neurons linked to mood and stress, along with microglia, the brain’s immune cells, which help manage inflammation. In plain English, the brain has been leaving clues behind like a fella trying to sneak out of a pub with crisps under his jacket.

The discovery adds more weight to what many people with depression already know: depression isn’t weakness, laziness, or “just feeling sad.” It’s tied to real, measurable changes in the brain. Better still, by knowing which cells are involved, scientists may finally be able to develop more targeted treatments in the future, rather than just giving crap to people that makes them numb.

Photo by Alicia Christin Gerald on Unsplash

Dirt could power the sensors of the future

Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a small fuel cell that uses microbes already living in soil to produce electricity. The device can power underground sensors that track things like soil moisture, flooding, and even movement, without needing batteries or solar panels.

That could be a great help for farms, wetlands, and environmental monitoring, where replacing batteries across huge areas is obviously a massive pain in the hoop. It won’t power the kettle or charge your phone, but for tiny sensors, the humble dirt may be about to earn its keep. Fair play to the auld sod.

Photo by Megan Clark on Unsplash

Moringa seeds take on microplastics

Scientists in Brazil have found that wee moringa seeds could help remove microplastics from drinking water. The seed extract makes tiny plastic particles clump together, so they can be filtered out more easily, a bit like gathering the mess before sweeping the kitchen.

The plant-based method performed pretty much as well as a common chemical treatment, and in some conditions did even better. Hopefully, it’ll end up being especially useful for small communities looking for cheaper and environmentally-friendly ways to clean water.

Book reminder

For anyone new around these parts, I’ve got a book out The 5 Keys Of Confidence. Available as an eBook or a paperback.

What’s it about, well, here’s a part of the blurb:

“The 5 Keys of Confidence lays out a practical five-step method for building the self-trust needed to meet life head-on: Excavation, Reframing, Foundation building, Empowered action, Integration.

Inside this book, you will find clear explanations, grounded exercises, and a system designed for real days, not perfect ones. This book includes revised essays previously published elsewhere on confidence, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and what helps when life gets heavy.”

This week’s published articles

[embed]How Tech Bros, Political Strongmen, & The Cult of the Personal Brand Taught Us To Kneel The great con of our age, and how to fight itmedium.com

[embed]Culture Ain’t Your Pal, Pal From Terence McKenna to Neil Postman, why consumer culture, technology, and social pressure leave so many people…medium.com

[embed]The Evolution Of The Soul Why ancient questions about the self still haunt therapy, theology, and modern musicmedium.com

Reading & Music

Book

Last week, I’d said that I’d just started ***A Canticle For Leibowitz*** by Walter M. Miller, Jr., first published in 1959, and I bloody love it.

It starts off being about a cloister of monks who want to save the surviving knowledge of humanity after a nuclear apocalypse, and it spans a few generations from the period just after the Flame Deluge, up to when they rediscover space travel and head into the stars.

The great question the book asks is whether we humans are just doomed again and again and again over different civilizations to balls things up, and if that’s true, then what’s in humanity that causes us to doom ourselves. Which is all quite Gnostic. Great book.

Music

I’m sure I don’t need to talk about Nine Inch Nails, everyone knows who NIN are. Well, Trent Reznor has coupled up with German electro outfit Boys Noize for a remix album, called Nine Inch Noize, and I’ve been all over that this week.

They’ve put out stuff over the years, but mostly singles and remixes on soundtracks. I really like Boys Noize; it’s very heavy dance music, but it’s not quite proper dance. Hard to explain, it’s more aggressive than music for taking disco biscuits and hugging strangers.

Anyway, you can listen to the whole album here on YouTube. And here they are in action at Coachella a fortnight ago:

[embed]From: YouTube.com

Here’s a new Irish band for you that popped up on my algo this week. Newhvn. They have this to say about themselves: “Emerging in 2026 from middle of nowhere Ireland, newhvn blends rock, alternative rock and grunge into a genre-defying sound. From the remains of a post-rock instrumental band, the project newhvn has surfaced, blending together their post-rock roots with their shoe-gaze and post-hardcore influences.”

Now, for any post-rock fans out there you’ll have heard of A Burial at Sea, Newhvn are a new project from some former members. And, A Burial at Sea were class so I was really excited when I leanrt that.

They’ve only a few videos on their YouTube, so give them a sub. Here’s one of the songs off their album, Spring Time Blues. Mighty good stuff and the whole album is class. More shoegaze than postrock because there’s singing but it’s really great.

[embed]From: YouTube.com

You can listen to the full album here on YouTube. Or on Bandcamp, where the previous A Burial At Sea records are also available.

Right folks, that’s it then for another week. Have a mighty weekend. Mind Yourself!

I’m Paddy Murphy. Thanks for reading my article. I’m a writer and mental health counselor. **Learn more about me here. Social media links here.**

Donations link: **https://ko-fi.com/murfowski**