Question: If the average American eats 8 pounds of strawberries a year, and an average strawberry farm yields approximately 20,000 pounds of berries per acre, how many people could a 200-acre strawberry field yielding 4 million pounds of strawberries feed?Don't worry, you don't have to do the math. The answer is 500,000 people. But what if that same 4-million-pound crop, providing enough strawberries for half a million people, could be grown on just one acre instead of 200? It's possible. You just have to go—or rather grow—up, up, up.Indoor vertical farm company Plenty Unlimited knows a lot about growing up. In fact, it's their entire business model. Instead of the sprawling fields that traditional farming methods require, "vertical farms" have a much smaller land footprint, utilizing proprietary towers for growing. Plenty has used vertical farming methods to grow greens such as lettuce, kale, spinach and more for years, but now it boasts a vertical berry farm that can yield a whopping 4 million pounds of strawberries on a little less than an acre. See on Instagram Growing indoors means not being at the mercy of weather or climate unpredictability (barring a storm taking out your building), which is wise in the era of climate change. Unlike a traditional greenhouse, which still uses the sun for light, Plenty's indoor vertical farms make use of the latest technology and research on light, pinpointing the wavelengths plants need from the sun to thrive and recreating them with LED lights. Plenty farms also don't use soil, as what plants really need are water and nutrients, which can be provided without soil (and with a lot less water than soil requires). Being able to carefully control water and nutrients means you can more easily control the size, taste and uniformity of the berries you’re growing.If that sounds like a lot of control, it is, and that idea might freak people out. But when a highly controlled environment means not having to use pesticides and using up to 90% less water than traditional farming, it starts to sound like a solid, sustainable farming innovation. See on Instagram Plenty even uses AI in its strawberry farm, according to its website:“Every element of the Plenty Richmond Farm–including temperature, light and humidity–is precisely controlled through proprietary software to create the perfect environment for the strawberry plants to thrive. The farm uses AI to analyze more than 10 million data points each day across its 12 grow rooms, adapting each grow room’s environment to the evolving needs of the plants – creating the perfect environment for Driscoll’s proprietary plants to thrive and optimizing the strawberries’ flavor, texture and size.”Plenty even has its own patent-pending method of pollinating the strawberry flowers that doesn’t require bees. Just the fact that this enormous crop of strawberries will be coming from Virginia is notable, since the vast majority of strawberries in the U.S. are grown in California. Traditional strawberry farming takes up a lot of land.Photo credit: Canva Is Plenty’s model the farm of the future? Perhaps it’s one option, at least — though there are major questions about whether the vertical farming method is truly economically sustainable in the long run. Though Plenty had been growing diverse crops, the company completed a chapter 11 reorganization in the spring of 2025, narrowing the focus of its vertical farming model to strawberries.“This emergence is the start of a new, focused era for Plenty,” said Dan Malech, Plenty’s Interim CEO. “Our technology has the power to make fresh food accessible to everyone. To accelerate our impact, we are laser focused on strawberries. We’re expanding the growing capacity in the Plenty Richmond farm and pursuing opportunities to bring Plenty’s vertical strawberry farming technology to new locations through farm sales – something Plenty is uniquely positioned to offer based on its proprietary technology.” Strawberries are a wildly popular fruit. Giphy Plenty is not the only vertical farm company out there, which is great. The more we grapple with the impact of climate change and outdated, unsustainable farming practices, the more innovative ideas we’ll need to feed the masses. If they can get four million pounds of strawberries out of an acre of land, what else is possible?This article originally appeared in February. It has been updated.

One of the toughest things about being a parent has to be helping your child discover and nurture their talents. You seek to encourage them to try new things without overwhelming them. You want them busy with lots of enriching activities but not so busy they don't have time to just be a kid. And when you do stumble on something they have a knack for, you tread lightly, wanting to give them every opportunity to pursue it without pushing too hard. It's a really tricky balance to get right. Maybe that's why we're so fascinated with child prodigies, or even just talented kids whose parents have done a bang-up job of giving them the space and encouragement to explore their creativity.Joseph, a dad from Dublin, Ireland says he started drawing and painting in the evenings about a year ago to help him unwind from work. It's a great idea, because adult coloring has been shown to have a ton of positive mental health effects. Plus, it's fun! But one unintended and adorable side effect of Joseph's coloring was that his young son, Philip, decided he wanted to emulate him.Philip had always loved coloring but, Joseph says, "I had to get him some pastels, and he started trying on the same drawings as I did," Joseph says. "I found it absolutely adorable when he was seriously repeating the same movements as me: cleaning the tips of the pastels, blend the edges of colors, etc."One thing quickly became apparent: Philip was much, much better than his old man.Last year, he made a painting that was so good he couldn't resist sharing it on Reddit. Within two days, it generated over 100,000 views and 3000 likes."The overwhelming response? "Uh, 5-year-olds can't do that."Have a look and see for yourself. Not bad, eh? Philip painted this blue mountain lake piece with help from a YouTube tutorial. bruncvik/reddit The first piece Philip shared is wildly impressive. Some commenters couldn't believe that a 5-year-old could have made it, but I think you can see it pretty clearly. It has just enough childlike crudeness, but the stylistic flair is just off the charts, from the whispy sky to the slightly foreboding trees. Redditors agreed that it was incredible."Thats better than I can do now at 25," one Reddit user wrote.Others questioned whether the boy might be related to Bob Ross."I told [Philip] about it, and I guess that was his first big dopamine hit," Joseph says of going viral. "Since then, he is asking to draw more often, and there's often an intrinsic reward for him. One painting got submitted to a charity auction at his school ... I don't pressure him to draw; he's coming to me to ask whether he can use my pastels"One critical part of the story is that Philip often follows along with YouTube videos that his dad finds for him. Lest you think this should diminish how impressive the painting is, quite the contrary. As someone with an almost-5-year-old of my own, I've seen the kind of stuff kids this age are capable of drawing — and it's not this! No matter how much instruction they have.The structured YouTube videos were able to unlock Philip's natural talent and guide him in a way that his dad never could.Here's the finished painting he was following along with. Honestly? I like Philip's better! It has a lot more personality. Here's what the painting was "supposed" to look like. She'z ART/YouTube The response to Philip's first painting was so positive that his dad decided to post another piece.You gotta give the people what they want!I love this one, too. The youngster's talent is on display again, with an excellent color palette and aggressive strokes giving it life. Remember — the kid is five years old! Five! Usually they can barely muster a convincing stick figure. I love this haunting purple and orange piece Philip painted! bruncvik/reddit And again, here's the model painting from YouTube. Joseph said his own versions of these paint-alongs come out looking a lot like the example, but that his son has an incredible way of making them his own.As you might expect from a 5-year-old, the brush strokes are a little more crude and dramatic — but they're purposeful, as well! Philip's renditions have a lot of energy and seem to leap off the page.But what do I know? I'm no art critic. However, the huge social media response definitely shows that Philip is onto something here. A YouTube tutorial of a sunset river helped Philip learn to paint the scene. She'z ART/YouTube Philip's dad gives a lot of thought to the right way to nurture his son's talent without pushing too hard and snuffing it out."He attended an afterschool art club, where they experimented with different media, but he found it too restrictive. He is still bringing home new art at least twice per week, but it's something he does on his own," dad says, not sure if pushing his son into formal art instruction is the right thing to do.Experts say that pushing too hard when your kid shows a flair for something, especially regarding longterm goals (like going to art school or becoming a professional artist one day), can backfire big time and make them feel overwhelmed and resentful.Believe it or not, the process of nurturing and teaching starts super early. Art teachers and experts agree that how you react to something as simple as your toddler's nonsensical scribbles can have a big impact on their self-esteem and enjoyment of making art. @susanstrikeryoungatart Scribbles provide an important opportunity to talk to your toddler, provide vocabulary, and promote literacy! #reading #readiness #scribbles #Vocabulary #todddler #art #kidsart #childrensart #childrenspainting #goodartprojects #teachingontiktok #criticalthinking #fypシ #fypage #teachingart #artlessons Heidi Hass Gable, a former gifted child, says in a TedX talk that prodigies and brilliantly talented children can be extremely sensitive.They often have to suppress their talents in a desire to fit in with all the other kids. That makes raising them and nurturing that talent a delicate high-wire act. Experts recommend making sure gifted kids get lots of downtime and to not place too much emphasis on achievements like grades, awards, contest wins, etc. Praise the hard work and the process but try to help them avoid attaching their self-worth to external validation. - YouTube www.youtube.com Joseph finds lots of subtle ways to encourage his son's interest."One thing I do with him, though, is to talk about painting when we are out and about. Last weekend, we went to watch the sunset, and I asked him what colors he'd use for the clouds. ... Philip is just as obsessed with different shades (his current favorite word is 'vermilion' and his favorite color is 'turquoise'), and how they mix."Being the parent of a talented or gifted kid is no easy job. There are a lot of pitfalls and plenty of ways to bungle your attempts to nurture that talent. As impressive as Philip's artwork is, especially for his age, the thoughtful parenting on display in this story is just as awesome.This article originally appeared in January. It has been updated.

No matter how often we encounter them, people often overlook the "people in our neighborhood," as Mister Rogers would call them. Their presence is so common that we don't always notice them until they're gone for a day or two. These are people like school bus drivers, sanitation workers, delivery drivers, and postal workers. Of course, people know they exist and that they do a job, but because their presence is in the background of daily life, we may not give their jobs much thought.There's the thought that "someone has to do it" when it comes to the service they provide, but sometimes that "someone" is you. Or at least it could be you, especially after hearing how much one of those jobs pays. It's a common misconception that work like sanitation or postal service is menial and low-paying, but the truth is that this essential work can be quite lucrative in the right circumstances.A U.S.P.S. mailman shared his paycheck on social media to help recruit more mail carriers.The post office continues to have a shortage of mail carriers in certain areas, especially in rural settings. This shortage causes delays in receiving mail and longer hours for current mail carriers. While the post office has been working to fill gaps by increasing hiring, it still isn't enough, given the large number of USPS workers nearing retirement. It seems to be a constant struggle to keep an adequate number of mail carriers throughout the areas that need them most. The pay is good and you get to drive this sweet truck around!Photo by Joel Moysuh on Unsplash One barrier to people applying to the Postal Service may be that they don't realize the Postal Service is hiring, since some people may see mail carriers as background characters.Another concern may be whether people can earn a livable wage working for the post office, but Lukas' video can help fill in the blanks.In response to viewers who don't believe he actually makes six figures, the Missouri mailman and TikTok creator shares a screenshot of his paycheck showing he brings home $4,423.09 every other week, which averages out to just over $100K a year.Being fully transparent, Lukas shares that his paycheck includes 23 hours of overtime because he has to work extra hours due to being short-staffed.How much do U.S. postal workers make?"On one of my previous videos, somebody said, 'prove it' on one of my checks, so here's one of my last checks. As you can see, the overtime hours, plus my normal pay all equals up to $4,423...so, and that's for two weeks of work. I'm working too much, but if you were to multiply that by 26 weeks, that's over $100,000. We need help, and the post office pays well," he says.Lukas repeatedly states in his video that the post office is hiring and needs help desperately, but comments were mixed on whether working at the post office was a good move. @lukasthegiant We're Hiring and Yes, We Pay Well. In some cases, over 100k!#greenscreen #werehiring #paidwell #tallestmailman #needhelp #getpaid #100k #usps #apply "I mean he’s technically making 25.00 hourly and $38 for each hour of OT. You’re forgetting the minimum wage in majority of states is 7.25," one person writes."Post office is recession-proof. Been there 30 years," another commenter shares.Someone else chimes in, "been working at the post office for 5 years just made regular. it is not easy when you start but once you know how to do it it's a BREEZE." Three USPS boxes. via Canva/PhotosA former postal worker reveals, "I worked there 6 years and had no life. Worked 12 + hrs for 7 days a week. I wasted most of my 20s working. NO THANK YOU!!!!, before adding. "When I started years ago it was $15 an hr when I left it was $25."To be fair, while Lukas is doing well for himself (and working quite hard for the money), many mail carrier shortages are partly due to wages that don't cover the cost of living in certain areas. So there's definitely room for improvement, and the American Postal Workers Union is fighting for higher pay and better hours all the time.What's the average USPS mail carrier salary?According to Glassdoor, the median pay for a USPS mail carrier is $66,000 a year, with an average range of $55,000 to $81,000, and that's before overtime. In addition, they receive generous benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; long-term care insurance; a retirement package; up to 15 days of leave; and 11 Postal Service holidays.The post office seems to be much like any other job. Some people have a great experience working there, while others do not, but if someone is looking for a chance at a new career with retirement benefits, USPS could be a place to land.This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

Although January 19 isn’t an official holiday, it probably should be. On that day in 1946, Avie Lee Owens gave birth to the fourth of her 12 children. That baby was none other than Dolly Parton, who turns 80 in just a few days. As she starts this new decade, Dolly Parton is giving her fans a gift. She’s partnering with some big names in the music biz for a fabulous collaboration. “Coming this Friday. A new rendition of my song ‘Light of a Clear Blue Morning’ featuring@laineywilson, @mileycyrus, @queenlatifah, and @reba,” Dolly shared on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dolly Parton (@dollyparton) Dolly Parton’s Birthday Will Mean a Big Gift to Children in Need The new record drops on Friday, just a few days before Dolly Parton’s birthday. The proceeds from the record benefit a cause near and dear to Dolly’s heart. “Proceeds from this recording and music video will benefit pediatric cancer research at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN,” the post explains. The project created a lot of excitement online, and not just from fans, but from other musicians. Collaborator Lainey Wilson shared her enthusiasm. “So excited for y’all to hear this,” she wrote. Fans love Light of a Clear Blue Morning, and knowing they’ll have a new rendition of the sounds got them very interested. “Omg your best song too!!!” Someone wrote. “One of my very favorite songs!” Another person agreed. Even though it’s so close to her birthday, Dolly Parton fans feel like this song is a gift to them. “One of my favourite songs, with all my favourite artists!!! Can’t wait to hear it,” a fan wrote. “The girl group of our dreams,” a fan declared. Dolly, Lainey, Miley, Reba, and Queen Latifah really are an incredible crew. WE’re so excited for this one. This story’s featured image is by Jason Kempin/Getty Images.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The UK is moving to outlaw AI-powered “nudification” apps in a sweeping effort to tackle a new wave of online abuse, particularly targeted at women and girls. Announced just before the end of 2025, the upcoming legislation will make it a criminal offense to create or distribute apps that use artificial intelligence to digitally remove clothing from images without consent. These tools, often promoted under the guise of entertainment or personalization, have rapidly become a dark corner of the internet, enabling users to generate disturbingly realistic, explicit deepfakes of unsuspecting individuals, including minors. From harmful gimmick to criminal offense The new ban builds on the Online Safety Act, which already criminalizes the creation of non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes. But until now, the developers and distributors of so-called nudifying or de-clothing apps operated in a legal gray area. “Women and girls deserve to be safe online as well as offline,” said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, who introduced the measure as part of a broader strategy to halve violence against women and girls. “We will not stand by while technology is weaponised to abuse, humiliate, and exploit them,” she added. The government’s position is now clear: “Those who profit from them or enable their use will feel the full force of the law.” What are nudification apps? These apps use generative AI to strip clothes from photos of real people, often without their knowledge, and recreate the images as photorealistic nudes. The harm is both psychological and reputational, and the impact can be especially devastating when the images are circulated without context or control. While some may dismiss the technology as a fringe novelty, experts and advocacy groups warn that it has already been weaponized, including in cases where manipulated images of minors were distributed as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Back in April 2025, Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza called for an outright ban on these tools, arguing, “The act of making such an image is rightly illegal; the technology enabling it should also be.” The growing threat of AI image abuse According to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), almost one in five young people who used its Report Remove service in 2025 said their explicit images had been digitally manipulated. Kerry Smith, the IWF’s Chief Executive, applauded the upcoming ban, saying: “We are also glad to see concrete steps to ban these so-called nudification apps which have no reason to exist as a product.” She emphasized the broader risk these tools pose: “Apps like this put real children at even greater risk of harm, and we see the imagery produced being harvested in some of the darkest corners of the internet.” Tech partnerships and digital safeguards The government also announced plans to partner with technology firms to develop stronger safeguards against intimate image abuse. One of the key collaborators is SafeToNet, a UK-based company developing AI-powered tools to detect and block the creation of explicit content in real time. Their software can even disable cameras on devices if it detects that sexual content is about to be captured. This builds on existing protections used by platforms like Meta to prevent minors from taking or sharing intimate images of themselves. However, some organizations believe that the legislation doesn’t go far enough. Advocates push for stronger, default protections While welcoming the announcement, Dr. Maria Neophytou, Director of Strategy at children’s charity NSPCC, expressed disappointment that the government didn’t go further. “We’re disappointed not to see the same ambition when it comes to introducing mandatory device-level protections,” she said, referring to tools that could automatically block CSAM creation or distribution at the hardware level. The NSPCC, along with other child protection organizations, is urging the government to require tech companies to implement stronger detection and prevention systems, particularly in private messaging environments where content moderation is limited. Looking ahead: banning AI tools that generate CSAM The government says this is just the beginning. Alongside the nudification app ban, officials are pursuing legislation to outlaw AI tools designed to create or distribute child sexual abuse material, and to make it “impossible” for children to take, view, or share nude images on their phones. These proposed changes reflect an evolving understanding of how generative AI is accelerating the spread of digital exploitation, and how legislation must adapt quickly to keep up. As AI continues to evolve, so too will the laws that govern its use, especially when it comes to protecting vulnerable people from high-tech forms of harassment and abuse.   Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.