Bruce Devlin’s tech career is flourishing. He’s been promoted twice in the past four years, most recently to the role of senior quality engineer at 2i, a software testing company.  Devlin, 26, has even built his own system outage monitoring tool, and is developing his own video game. In recognition of his talent and passion, he was named a “rising star” at the 2026 ScotlandIS Digital Technology Awards. “I often introduce myself as a big nerd. I’ve always been super into tweaking and tinkering with programming and computers. Since I was a kid, I loved all things to do with video games, movies and TV shows, and I just wanted to make my own games and technology,” says Devlin, who’s based in Glasgow, Scotland. “Just being a contributing member of society is an amazing achievement,” says Devlin. Courtesy of JP Morgan Glasgow “I’ve now got a bunch of extracurricular projects that I essentially just reinvest all my salary back into, to make cool tech tools and video games.” But for most of his life, Devlin didn’t have the means to do this. From the age of 10 to 21, Devlin was a carer for his single mother, who lived with borderline personality disorder. (“Carer” is the term used in the U.K.; “caregiver” is more common in the U.S.)  He was forced to grow up quickly, and had to take on the household shopping, cooking and cleaning, while also ensuring his mother attended medical appointments, took her medication, and paid their bills out of the disability benefits and carer’s allowance they received. He still managed to attend school, but without the time to focus on studying, he barely scraped through high school — and going to college was out of the question. Even getting a part-time job felt out of reach. Weighed down by negative news? Our smart, bright newsletters deliver the uplift you’ve been looking for. Or click here to choose exactly which ones you want [contact-form-7] “It was a full-time job — you’re always there and available on call. I didn’t have much of a social life and I didn’t do much in terms of school. School was too much sometimes, and caring for my mom was the limit of my capabilities,” Devlin reflects. “I came from a non-working family, so I didn’t have the greatest start. It was tough, looking back, but you do what you have to, you don’t know any different, I guess … that’s just how it was when I was growing up.” “No house, no money, no prospects” When his mother died in 2021, Devlin’s reaction was one of grief and devastation — alongside anxiety over the uncertainty of his future. He was close with his mother, and still holds her in high regard, noting that he started wearing his signature flat cap in her honor, to symbolize the person he believes she wanted him to become. “My mom always told me that I’d do great things — that was the push I needed,” he says. But Devlin’s financial situation was precarious. Their apartment would no longer be subsidized as social housing following his mom’s death, and he would no longer receive government carer payments.  He needed to support himself, but finding a job felt impossible, as he had no idea how to write a resume, let alone complete an application. During an appointment at the Job Center — which people on unemployment benefits in the U.K. must attend to prove they are looking for work — his designated work coach suggested he apply for a tech “boot camp” with an organization called Generation. Generation is a nonprofit that partners with companies to identify roles that they are struggling to fill, and develops specific training programs for them lasting several months — no degree required.  Devlin was accepted into the eight-week program the coach suggested, which led to him achieving a certification in computer and information sciences and support services. Two weeks later he interviewed with 2i, and got the job. Michael Houlihan, Generation UK CEO. Courtesy of Generation UK “I had no house, no money, no prospects and no support, and now I have all of that. But I don’t care much for having a big house and lots of money — just being a contributing member of society is an amazing achievement,” says Devlin. Generation put 800 people in the U.K. through its training programs last year, and helped land jobs for 556 of them, according to its annual report. Since it launched in the U.K. in 2019, 4,000 people have completed its programs, which include certifications in IT and data analysis, “green” jobs like solar panel and heat pump installers, as well as for skilled trades, health care, and customer service and sales.  Over 2,300 job placements have been made since Generation’s launch, with over 1,000 U.K. businesses recruiting its “graduates” into roles they struggled to fill through the usual recruitment methods. The difference, says CEO Michael Houlihan, is that the programs are designed based on jobs that employers actually need to fill — fast.  “Our model is to look at where there are jobs and what it takes to be successful in those jobs, not just to land the interview, but then to subsequently succeed. So we spend a lot of time thinking about the employment market and speaking to employers to identify specific jobs where there’s a genuine and significant employer need, and building pathways into those jobs,” says London-based Houlihan. “A big part of our conversation with them is to understand what they’re looking for. There’s a strong consensus that skills-based hiring can give much better results, but it does require the employer to take some steps to develop a framework around that, rather than just always defaulting to requiring a degree.” Are degrees still necessary? The value of a college degree is increasingly being questioned as more people find themselves either out of work or unable to enter the job market in the first place. Unemployment among college graduates in the U.K. rose to six percent last year and 700,000 jobless graduates were found to be claiming benefits. New research from think tank Policy Exchange also revealed that one in 10 graduates is earning less than the U.K. National Living Wage (£12.71 per hour or around $17) after five years.  Bruce Devlin was named a “rising star” at the 2026 ScotlandIS Digital Technology Awards. Courtesy of Bruce Devlin Generation data shows that its tech program graduates earn an average of £40,000 (around $53,000) five years after graduating, and that they tend to see an average yearly salary increase of 17 percent. According to research from Totaljobs, 32 percent of U.K. employers say their biggest hiring challenge is finding candidates with the right skills, which suggests that skills-based hiring — and specialist training to support that — is going to become further in demand. “There are some fantastic organizations who have really adopted the mindset that a degree is a weak signal for someone’s ability to do a job. And they are now going to test and interview based on someone’s suitability and intrinsic skills and motivation for this role, and going to hire based on that,” says Houlihan. “Those organizations, I think, are massively benefiting from that approach. They are the exception rather than the norm.” Social mobility is clearly a factor, too, with 42 percent of Generation’s learners coming from deprived backgrounds. Just 32 percent of 25 to 29 year olds from lower working-class backgrounds tend to have college degrees, compared with 70 percent of those with higher socioeconomic backgrounds, according to U.K. government data. Removing the requirement for a degree naturally then allows for more people from different backgrounds to succeed.  “It’s a huge and very fast cut through on social mobility,” Houlihan confirms. “There have been some fantastic efforts to change the socioeconomic profile of people with degrees, but it’s still moving very slowly, and it’s quite entrenched, so it’s going to take a long time for the people coming out of university to be a better representation of society.” Good news for graduates Employers are also becoming more open to new ways of upskilling the people they want to hire, as seen by the growing number of apprenticeship programs on offer throughout the corporate space, which provide an educational curriculum alongside day-to-day work. The number of people starting apprenticeships across the U.K. is up 12 percent from the previous academic year.  It’s good news for graduates looking for work, coupled with the fact that the decline in hiring may be reversed soon. Forty-seven percent of U.K. employers say they will be offering entry-level positions from July, according to ManpowerGroup’s Employment Outlook Survey. Yet not all are convinced that the requirement for a university degree will be completely scrapped. “Graduate employers are after the fact that the people have gone and experienced life in a different environment, probably had to live on their own and fend for themselves to an extent. They have actually put themselves through the university workload, and managed themselves and their time,” says Lee Chant, commercial staffing managing director at Manpower. Generation’s Houlihan, however, remains firm that a university degree should no longer be viewed as “the golden ticket to social mobility.” Wait, you're not a member yet? Join the Reasons to be Cheerful community by supporting our nonprofit publication and giving what you can. Join Cancel anytime “We see that the employment outcomes from degrees are often not great, and, combined with the rising cost of going to university, now makes a poor business case for getting a degree,” he says. Back in Glasgow, Devlin is grateful to finally have the tech career he always wanted. “Without this, I don’t think I’d be in a good place. I’d just be on benefits, wasting away any potential that I would have ever had,” he says. The post How People Without Degrees Are Snagging Corporate Jobs in the U.K. appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

Volcanoes are one of the most fascinating and unpredictable natural wonders. We never know when they might erupt, which can make visiting the area near a volcano dangerous. During a volcanic eruption, hot lava and ash spew from deep inside and can cause major damage and injury if you get too close. While visiting Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala, Instagrammer Kaley Ekiyor caught the volcano erupting on video. As soon as it happened, she began to run as volcanic rock fell to the ground like rain. Luckily, she made it out relatively unscathed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kaley (@kaleyekiyor) The Volcanic Eruption Was Intense It’s not often that people get up close and personal with a volcanic eruption, and it’s pretty clear that Kaley wanted nothing to do with it. Seeing the video amazed viewers who expected a much more panicked reaction. “As an internet volcanologist my recommendation is to not hike active volcanos. Any tour guide who offers to take you is a villain. Im happy she got a good laugh lucky it wasn’t an ugly cry. Dont do it,” someone wrote. This person was surprised by Kaley’s camera work while trying to outrun a volcanic eruption. “Sure… Make sure you go pro film yourself dying just in case… That’s the most important part,” they wrote. Of course, plenty of people hit the comment section to criticize Kaley’s choice to hike that close to a volcano. “She realized nothing btw .. lava was already falling nearby long before she started running,” one person wrote. This person agreed. “Look more people doing things they shouldn’t, like swim with sharks, crawl through caves, etc,” they added. “You’re not supposed to get that close, is illegal. But anyway it must be fun!!” Another person pointed out. This story’s featured image can be found here

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Mosquitoes don’t pick targets randomly. They run a multi-stage sensory scan, and new research is beginning to explain what that scan detects and why it favors some people over others. “It’s not a misconception: mosquitoes are attracted to some people more than others,” said Frederic Simard of France’s Institute of Research for Development. “But we are not all magnets all the time.” How mosquitoes home in on a target The process works in stages. Carbon dioxide is the opening signal: female mosquitoes, which are the only ones that bite, detect exhaled CO2 from dozens of meters away, and it triggers their approach. Within about 10 meters (roughly 33 feet), odor takes over, blending with the CO2 signal to sharpen the attraction. Closer still, body heat and humidity come into the picture once the mosquito is within striking distance. Swedish researcher Rickard Ignell, senior author of a recent study on the subject, describes CO2 as the first trigger: “We have known for over 100 years that mosquitoes are attracted by the carbon dioxide that we exhale. This is the first signal that triggers their behavior.” Within a few meters, he said, “mosquitoes will start detecting our odor, and in combination with carbon dioxide, this attracts them even more.” The 27 compounds mosquitoes use to find you Humans emit between 300 and 1,000 different odorous compounds. Ignell’s team set out to narrow that down. Releasing Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the species responsible for spreading dengue and yellow fever, among 42 women in a lab, they identified 27 compounds the insects key in on. One compound did more work than the others: 1-octen-3-ol, sometimes called mushroom alcohol, which forms during the breakdown of sebum, the oil our skin produces. The women the mosquitoes most preferred, including pregnant women in their second trimester, produced notably more of it. The degree of sensitivity surprised the researchers. “That even a small increase of this compound made a difference came as a surprise,” Ignell said. What doesn’t determine who gets bitten Not everything people believe about mosquito preference holds up. Blood type “has no scientific basis” as an attractant, Simard said; the few studies suggesting otherwise involved very small samples. Skin color, eye color, and hair color are also irrelevant. What does matter beyond the odor compounds is the microbial ecosystem on the skin. “A soup of molecules produced by our microbiota is more, or less, appealing to mosquitoes,” Simard explained. The microbial communities living on skin shape each person’s odor profile, which is why two people in the same environment can have completely different experiences with mosquitoes. Why beer makes you more attractive to mosquitoes Drinking beer genuinely increases mosquito attraction, and the evidence is solid. Beer raises body temperature, increases exhaled CO2, and changes skin odor, three of the signals mosquitoes track. In a study in Burkina Faso where volunteers drank beer on one occasion and water on another, the Anopheles mosquito, which spreads malaria, showed a clear preference for the beer drinkers. A 2023 study in the Netherlands, with 465 volunteers, found that people who had drunk beer in the previous 24 hours were 1.35 times more attractive to female Anopheles mosquitoes. Why this research has become more urgent The stakes have grown as climate change pushes disease-carrying mosquito species into new geographic ranges. The tiger mosquito, a vector for the chikungunya virus, has expanded significantly northward in Europe; last year, chikungunya reached France’s Alsace region for the first time. “This risk is affecting more and more people,” Simard said. Knowing which compounds are doing the work points toward better repellent formulations and clearer ways to identify who’s most at risk. The near-term advice is what it has always been: loose-fitting clothing, mosquito nets, repellent, lighter meals, and less alcohol when mosquitoes are active. The science behind those recommendations is now considerably more precise. Source study: Scientific Reports— Age-dependent perception of floral emissions and the role of CO2 in regulating nectar-seeking in mosquitoes     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post The skin compound that makes some more delicious to mosquitoes than others first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Finally, Nepal has marriage equality. On June 18, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a binding directive ordering the government to guarantee equal marriage rights for gender and sexual minorities. The legal fight took nearly 20 years. The court also dismissed a counter-writ petition opposing the rights, filed by Yuvraj Paudel, and directed the government to update the civil code to remove discriminatory language and establish a separate marriage registry for same-sex couples. Four rulings across nearly two decades This is not Nepal’s first Supreme Court decision on the subject. It is the fourth. The Blue Diamond Society, Nepal’s leading LGBTQ+ rights organization, put it plainly: “The ruling is now the fourth Supreme Court decision over nearly two decades that makes clear: the freedom to marry the person you love is a guarantee under Nepal’s Constitution.” The legal history goes back to the 2007 Sunil Babu Pant vs. Nepal government case, which first established constitutional protections for sexual and gender minorities. A 2023 interim ruling then provisionally recognized same-sex marriages while the final case was pending. Nine activists originally brought the suit, challenging laws that restricted marriage to a man and a woman. By early 2026, 35 same-sex marriages had been documented by local LGBTQ+ rights organizations, nine confirmed by local media. Those couples now have a binding ruling. What the directive requires Nepal’s Supreme Court has final authority to interpret the constitution. The government has no legal option but to comply. The directive requires updating the civil code to strip discriminatory language and giving same-sex couples equal access to marriage registration. Sunil Babu Pant, the human rights activist, monk, and former politician who brought the 2007 case, welcomed the verdict. “This ruling marks a historic milestone for equality, dignity, and human rights in Nepal, while providing crucial legal clarity and protection for the rights of same-sex couples,” they said. “It confirms that gender and sexual minority couples are entitled to equal protection of the law.” The Blue Diamond Society was blunter: “LGBTQIA+ couples and their families must be afforded the dignity, respect, and protections that only marriage can provide.” The gap between ruling and reality The legal victory is real. So is the history. Nepal’s governments have a record of ignoring or delaying Supreme Court directives, sometimes for years. The Blue Diamond Society said they were “excited to witness the next steps from the Government in translating this ruling into practice.” That’s a patient way to put it, from people who have been at this for two decades. For the 35 couples who registered under the 2023 interim order, the uncertainty is over. The directive is binding. Whether the government moves quickly or stalls is a different question. A familiar one, too.     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post Nepal’s highest court orders government to guarantee same-sex marriage rights first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

Alligators are known for their giant, sharp teeth and strong bite. While they can be interesting to look at from afar, getting up close and personal can be extremely dangerous. When Theresa and Donnie Wiseman attended a birthday party at reptile center Scales and Tails in Utah, they expected to see some incredible animals. What they didn’t anticipate was Donnie, in the tank, attempting to save a trainer. Theresa captured incredible video of the trainer being pulled into the alligator’s tank by her arm and getting attacked. Donnie and other witnesses went in to help and saved her life. The Alligator Attack Could Have Been So Much Worse The video of the alligator attack is hard to watch, but thankfully, the witnesses’ bravery stopped anything truly horrible from happening. Following the incident, Scales and Tales shared a kind message of gratitude to those who jumped in to help thwart the alligator attack. “We want to send a huge shoutout to Donnie Wiseman and Todd & Amy Christopher! We want to thank them for their heroism. Working with some of these animals has inherent risks that we as the staff accept. Yesterday, the sort of event that we hope never happens happened. One of our gator handlers got bitten by our large alligator and things took a bad turn. These gentleman could have stayed in the safety zone as most of us would, but instead jumped into the situation, of their own volition, and helped secure the alligator,” a Facebook post reads.  “Their help, combined with the training of our staff member, probably saved her life and her limbs. Mrs. Christopher had a nursing background and started first aid prior to the EMT’s arrival and we thank her for that as well. Our staff member is doing well and is in recovery.” They must have been running on pure adrenaline. What a selfless act from total strangers. This story’s featured image can be found here