Chicago woman is world’s oldest skydiver

A 104yearold Chicago woman is hoping to be certified as the oldest person to ever skydive after leaving her walker on the ground and making a tandem jump in northern Illinois ldquoAge is just a numberrdquo Dorothy Hoffner told a cheering crowd moments after touching the ground on Sunday at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa about 85 miles 140 kms southwest of ChicagoThe Guinness World Record for oldest skydiver was set in May 2022 by 103yearold Linneacutea Ingegaumlrd Larsson from Sweden But Skydive Chicago is working to have Guinness World Records certify Hoffnerrsquos jump as a record Hoffner first skydived when she was 100 On Sunday she left her walker behind just short of the planemdasha Skyvanmdashand was helped up the steps to join the others waiting inside to skydiveWhen she first skydived she said she had to be pushed out of the aircraft But on Sunday tethered to a US Parachute Associationcertified instructor Hoffner insisted on leading the jump from 13500 feet 4100 metres She looked calm and confident when the plane was aloft and its aft door opened to reveal tan crop fields far below shortly before she shuffled toward the edge and leaped into the air She tumbled out of the plane head first completing a perfect forward roll in the sky before flying stable in freefall with her belly facing the groundAlso read Mumbai Water water everywhere and not a drop to drinkThe dive lasted seven minutes including her parachutersquos slow descent to the ground Coming in to land the wind pushed Hoffnerrsquos white hair back she clung to the harness over her narrow shoulders picked up her legs and plopped softly onto the grassy landing area Friends rushed in to share congratulations while someone brought over Hoffnerrsquos red walker She rose quickly and she was asked how it felt to be back on the ground ldquoWonderfulrdquo Hoffner said ldquoBut it was wonderful up thererdquoPlastic in the rainResearchers have found evidence that even rain has microplastics nowWhen it rains it pourshellip microplastics that is Researchers in Japan have discovered nine kinds of polymers and one rubber floating among the cloudsmdasha worrying sign for the climateIntrepid teams of scientists climbed Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama to collect water from the foggy mist that veils the mountain tops Their samples were then brought to labs where advanced computer imaging parsed the physical and chemical properties of the cloudderived waterEach litre of water they collected held between 67 and 139 pieces of plastic which measured from 71 micrometres up to 946 micrometres or about the diameter of a human hair Researchers say these plastics may impact the weatherLike mother like sonErica Russo a Connecticut mom of two and psychic medium revealed her nineyearold son Kyle has ldquopsychic and intuitive abilitiesrdquo just like hermdashbut sometimes ldquonegative energyrdquo keeps him up at night Russo 36 discovered her sonrsquos abilities when he was four years old and saw him talking to someone who was not physically there ldquoI found out then that he was a mediumrdquoTrippy catsVeterinary researchers have discovered that cats ldquoglowrdquo in the dark according to a new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science They found that 125 species had the fluorescent properties that allow them to glow in the dark under a UV light including the domestic species of cat Felis catus ldquoWe reported fluorescence for 125 mammal speciesrdquo they saidTalk to the AIA virtual avatar of the artist Van Gogh answers questions from visitors at the Museacutee drsquoOrsay in Paris The responses are inspired by an analysis of the numerous letters Van Gogh wrotemdashmostly to his brother Theomdashbefore taking his own life in July 1890 with a revolver ldquoThe truth of my motivation remains a mystery even to merdquo the AI incarnation says when asked why the painter shot himselfWho let the birds outFor the past five months the people of Pravia a town in Spainrsquos Asturias Region have been under constant siege from flocks of crows who mindlessly attack their homes and vehicles The citizens experienced groups of birds flying into their windows repeatedlyMissing your mom Try renting oneTammy Kumin isnrsquot the actual mother of the kids who she caters to in emergencies ldquoIrsquom a mom away from mommdasha total support system for studentsrdquo says Kumin who is the founder of Concierge Service for Students CSS