The Happy Pod: Tea for two - sharing a brew with a stranger

Summary

Global News Podcast: The Happy Pod Episode Summary Title: The Happy Pod: Tea for two - sharing a brew with a stranger
Host/Producer: BBC World Service
Release Date: March 22, 2025

---

Introduction

In this uplifting episode of The Happy Pod, hosted by Oliver Conway from the BBC World Service, listeners are guided through heartwarming stories and insightful discussions centered around human kindness, mental well-being, and global happiness metrics. The episode intertwines personal initiatives, community experiments, and international perspectives to explore what truly contributes to happiness in today's world.

---

1. Sharing a Brew: Will Shears' "A Mug of Life" Project

[00:00 - 05:46]

The episode begins with Oliver Conway introducing Will Shears, a 28-year-old filmmaker from London, who has embarked on a unique project titled "A Mug of Life". Will's initiative involves approaching strangers in London parks with an offer of a cup of tea, aiming to foster genuine conversations and capture these interactions on film for his social media platform.

Key Highlights:

• Project Genesis: Inspired by his experiences in Morocco, where offering tea led to meaningful exchanges, Will sought to replicate this warmth in London's bustling environment.
  "I was on holiday with my sister out in Morocco. People on the beach offer you cups of tea... So I just went to the local park and asked someone for a cup of tea." [02:20]

• Mental Health Benefits: Engaging with strangers has significantly improved Will's mental well-being, breaking down societal barriers and demonstrating the inherent kindness in people.
  "When you start talking, you feel so much better... it's just so good for your mental health." [03:09]

• Notable Conversations: Will shares memorable interactions, such as reconnecting individuals like Raza with estranged family members and hearing inspiring stories from everyday people.
  "It's always surprising and it's always beautiful... everyone's got a great story." [03:09]

• Impact and Reception: The project's viral success on social media underscores a universal desire for authentic connections, resonating with millions worldwide.
  "People are enjoying it, inspiring others, making people feel better." [04:57]

Notable Quote: "I've loved it. I've been blown away by how many people have watched it." — Will Shears [04:03]

---

2. The Kindness of Strangers: Mark Easton's Wallet Experiment

[06:10 - 08:46]

Mark Easton takes listeners to Belfast on World Happiness Day, conducting a hands-on experiment to test the hypothesis presented in the World Happiness Report: believing in the kindness of strangers correlates with higher happiness levels.

Key Highlights:

• Experiment Setup: Mark deliberately loses 10 wallets around Belfast, each containing a note inviting the finder to return it by calling his number.
  "I'm deliberately mislaying 10 wallets across Belfast... how many of our 10 wallets do you think will prompt a phone call?" [06:38]

• Findings: Impressively, all 10 wallets were returned, surpassing expectations and supporting the report's assertion that people are inherently more trustworthy than perceived.
  "Strangers are much kinder than we think... all 10 wallets were offered back to me by kind strangers." [08:24]

• Community Implications: This experiment not only reaffirms the existing research but also serves as a tangible reminder to foster trust within communities, enhancing overall well-being.
  "It should inspire us all to believe in the kindness of strangers." — Mark Easton [08:11]

Notable Quote: "People are kinder than we think. So happy World Happiness Day, everyone." — Mark Easton [08:23]

---

3. Finland: The Pinnacle of Global Happiness

[08:46 - 13:40]

The episode delves into the World Happiness Report, highlighting Finland's continued designation as the world's happiest country for the eighth consecutive year. Lara Aknin, one of the report's authors from the University of British Columbia, provides an in-depth analysis of the factors contributing to Finland's high happiness rankings.

Key Highlights:

• Social Safety Net: Finland's robust support systems, including healthcare and education, ensure citizens feel secure and valued.
  "A strong social safety net provides people a sense of financial support... your neighbors are there by your side to support you." — Lara Aknin [09:15]

• Social Support and Generosity: The report emphasizes the significance of having reliable social support and engaging in acts of generosity as pivotal to individual well-being.
  "Having someone to count on in times of need... are strong, independent predictors of well-being." — Lara Aknin [10:27]

• Cultural Insight: Sisu: The Finnish concept of sisu, embodying inner strength and resilience, plays a crucial role in fostering mental well-being despite its lack of a direct English translation.
  "Sisu is an innate power of facing adversities... turn the adversity into a relaxed situation." — Will Shears [11:40]

• Practical Applications: Experts like Magnus Appleberg and Petri Kukkonen discuss how embracing sisu through activities like cold exposure and wilderness living enhances mental fortitude and happiness.
  "You will feel the mental resistance stepping into an ice cold shower... Everybody can learn that." — Magnus Appleberg via Will Shears [12:33]

Notable Quote: "It's something we're told is important to every Finn... they have a total new way of facing hard things." — Will Shears [11:48]

---

4. Empowering Voices: Jessie Yendle's Battle with Speech Impediments

[14:57 - 18:23]

Transitioning from global happiness metrics to personal empowerment, the episode features Jessie Yendle from South Wales, who has garnered over 3.5 million followers on TikTok by embracing her speech impediment and encouraging others to do the same.

Key Highlights:

• Personal Journey: Jessie shares her struggles with confidence due to her stammer and how engaging in everyday activities transformed her self-perception.
  "I have struggled with confidence due to my stammer... I started challenging myself to take part in everyday activities." [15:37]

• Campaign for Awareness: Jessie aims to introduce a universal symbol for speech impediments, advocating for patience and understanding rather than pity.
  "I want to hear your thoughts on it... it's such an amazing initiative." [17:31]

• Community Impact: Through her interactions, both online and in-person, Jessie connects with others like Kitty, a 16-year-old with a similar speech impediment, fostering a supportive community.
  "I never thought I'd be able to achieve my dreams because of my speech... It makes me feel I really am." — Kitty via Jessie Yendle [16:14]

Notable Quote: "I couldn't recommend it enough. You should definitely go out and try it, Holly." — Will Shears [05:41]

---

5. Innovative Solutions: Filtering Microplastics with Sponge Technology

[19:04 - 22:30]

The episode shifts focus to environmental concerns, spotlighting a groundbreaking low-cost, sustainable sponge developed in China to filter microplastics from water. Esme Stallard interviews researcher Nick Miles about this promising innovation.

Key Highlights:

• Microplastic Threats: Esme outlines the pervasive issue of microplastics infiltrating ecosystems and human bodies, highlighting both primary and secondary sources.
  "Microplastics can enter our waterways through fibers from clothes... and they’re even in human organs." [19:04]

• Sponge Technology: The sponge, made from cellulose derived from cotton and chitin from squid cartilage, effectively filters 99.9% of microplastics in initial use and retains 95% efficiency after five cycles.
  "It's 99.9% successful in the first use... still about 95% after five uses." [20:59]

• Scalability and Sustainability: The abundance and natural sourcing of materials make the sponge both affordable and environmentally friendly, with researchers aiming to scale production rapidly.
  "These are two really abundant materials... they're hoping it can be scaled up quickly." [21:25]

Notable Quote: "Chitin is the most abundant polysaccharide... it's found in many sources, which is fantastic." — Nick Miles via Esme Stallard [20:21]

---

6. Conservation Efforts: African Penguin Retirement Home in Boston

[22:30 - 25:48]

Concluding the episode, Harry Bly reports on an innovative retirement home for African penguins established at the New England Aquarium in Boston. This sanctuary aims to support aging penguins and contributes to broader conservation strategies.

Key Highlights:

• Population Decline: African penguins face a sharp decline, with numbers decreasing by over a third between 2018 and 2023 due to overfishing, pollution, and climate change.
  "The African penguin population declined by more than a third... leading to warnings they could be extinct within 10 years." [23:02]

• Retirement Home Features: The sanctuary provides specialized care, including acupuncture, physical therapy, and cataract procedures, significantly extending the life expectancy of its inhabitants.
  "Five of these penguins are now around double the life expectancy of this species." [23:37]

• Conservation Impact: Insights gained from the penguins' care and habitat preferences inform international efforts to protect wild populations, such as implementing no-fishing zones.
  "We're learning amazing things from these animals... directly apply that to their wild counterparts." — Mia Luzietti [24:40]

Notable Quote: "We're trying to apply the information we're learning here directly to their wild counterparts." — Mia Luzietti [24:53]

---

Conclusion

Oliver Conway wraps up the episode by inviting listeners to engage with future content and share their own happy sounds, emphasizing the podcast's commitment to spreading positivity and fostering global connections. The episode, meticulously mixed by Chris Hansen and produced by Holly Gibbs and Rachel Bulkley, encapsulates a blend of personal initiatives, community experiments, and scientific insights, all converging to paint a comprehensive picture of what constitutes happiness and well-being in the modern world.

---

Notable Contributors:

• Will Shears: Filmmaker and founder of "A Mug of Life"
• Mark Easton: Reporter conducting the wallet experiment
• Lara Aknin: Author of the World Happiness Report
• Jessie Yendle: Advocate for individuals with speech impediments
• Nick Miles: Researcher developing microplastic filter technology
• Mia Luzietti: Penguin trainer at the New England Aquarium

Contact Information:
Listeners are encouraged to share their stories and happy sounds by emailing [e-mail] or submitting voice notes.

---

This summary aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the episode's content, capturing the essence of each segment and the valuable insights shared by the featured individuals.

Transcript

[Oliver Conway]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk. This is the Happy Pod from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. And in this edition, how approaching strangers for a chat could make us happier.

[Will Shears]

When you do go up and ask someone and you start talking, you feel so much better and it's just so good for your mental health. I've loved it.

[Oliver Conway]

This year's World Happiness Report highlights how people are more trustworthy than we think.

[Mark Easton]

I'm deliberately mislaying 10 wallets across Belfast, each with a note asking to call my number if found. So how many of our 10 wallets do you think will prompt a phone call?

[Oliver Conway]

And once again, Finland is named the happiest country in the world.

[Jessie Yendle]

Also, I had never seen somebody live like a full and happy life with a speech impediment.

[Oliver Conway]

At the same time, the woman helping millions of people make their voices heard. This week saw International Happiness Day and with it the release of a report showing strangers are much kinder than we think. Like this.

[Will Shears]

Excuse me, I don't suppose you'd like a cup of tea, would you? Sorry? I don't suppose you'd like a cup of tea, would you? How do you like your tea? That's the big question to ask. Milk and no sugar. Milk and no sugar. Perfect. Excuse me, I don't suppose you want a cup of tea, do you? Sorry? I don't suppose you want a cup of tea, do you? I. I don't understand what you mean. So I'm a filmmaker. A filmmaker, yeah. And I make people cups of tea. Okay. And I go around London, I have teas with people and I make a little film about the tea that we have.

[Oliver Conway]

Wow.

[Will Shears]

Would you be down for a little. Of course.

[Oliver Conway]

That's 28 year old will Shears who goes around parks in London handing out cups of tea. In return, people talk about their. Will has started posting the chats on social media in a project called A Mug of Life, the Happy Pods. Holly Gibbs spoke to him over, of course, a cuppa.

[Will Shears]

I've got my tea here. I've gone for a peppermint today. I've already had my English breakfast. What flavour is your tea?

[Holly Gibbs]

It is English breakfast.

[Will Shears]

Great.

[Holly Gibbs]

So I just want to hear about your amug of life. What made you want to start this?

[Will Shears]

Basically, I was on holiday with my sister out in Morocco. People on the beach in Morocco offer you cups of tea. Through that you end up having a really good chat with them and hearing all about their life. And I was like flying back and I was like, is There a way to be able to go out to the parks in London and offer people a cup of tea. So one day I just got out of my flat and I went to the local park and I said to someone, I was like, excuse me, would you like a cup of tea? And the first person I went up to said, yeah. And I was petrified at the start. Is anyone actually going to say yes to this? The majority of times I go up and say, do you want a cup of tea? People say, yeah. And you don't know where the story's going to take you. And it's always surprising and it's always beautiful. And this project has been really about, like, realizing that everyone's got a great story. It's just untapping that extraordinary story that everyone has.

[Holly Gibbs]

And you get these amazing stories by just asking them something so simple as, would you like a cup of tea? Is that what you would encourage other people to go out and do?

[Will Shears]

I have never felt better. And like, yeah, we obviously, we need to be cautious about talking to strangers, but I do think we've built this world where we're like, we think it's weird to go and talk to a stranger. Or when a stranger tries to start talking to you, you go, oh. And your guard goes up. Like, that's certainly, for me, the nice thing about this project is it's made me realize that actually when you do go up and ask someone and you start talking, you feel so much better and it's just so good for your mental health. I've loved it. And the fact that, like, it's gone incredibly viral online, right, with millions of views. And I think that's because it touches this nerve that the fact that we live in this world which is very celebrity conscious, and here's a project which is very much about going out to talk to the ordinary person and then telling their story.

[Holly Gibbs]

And speaking of stories, what is the most memorable conversation that you've ever had with a stranger?

[Will Shears]

It's really hard to have favourites. I sort of take things from each chat. Some of the stories that stand out are. For instance, there was a guy called Raza who hadn't spoken to his dad for years after his mum and dad had divorced and he was talking over the cup of tea about how he would love to one day rekindle that friendship. There was also another guy called Brian who I met in Finsbury park, who basically ended up being friends with Robin Williams. And that was just amazing. It's getting to know people and hearing their stories and still I think we leave like we're, we're not strangers anymore and that there's a beauty in that.

[Holly Gibbs]

And on the reaction from social media and people that have watched your videos, has that surprised you that millions of people have watched it and millions of people are enjoying it?

[Will Shears]

I have been blown away, Holly, by the response, by how many people have watched it. People from all around the world, all parts of the globe and the messages that come in with so much positivity about how it's helped them with their day to day life. It's amazing to know that people through watching it, it's inspiring other people, it's making people feel better.

[Holly Gibbs]

And how do you feel when you walk away from one of interactions of someone that you've just sat down and heard their life story?

[Will Shears]

Sometimes like I'm so excited by what I've heard and it's like you like kick yourself. What an extraordinary story that went on and at the end of it you're just sort of in awe. The way to describe how I feel afterwards sometimes is like honored. I couldn't recommend it enough. You should definitely go out and try it, Holly.

[Holly Gibbs]

I'm going to after this.

[Will Shears]

You'll be blown away with where that story will take you.

[Holly Gibbs]

If there was one life lesson that you could sum up that you have learned throughout this project, what would it be?

[Will Shears]

I think it's this. It's been don't put barriers up. And I think that that would be my one bit of advice is like just strip any barriers that are stopping you from doing that thing you wanted to do in your life. Because when you like open your door and you get out the house that day and you start it, then you're going to feel so much better.

[Oliver Conway]

Will Shears talking to Holly Gibbs According to this year's World Happiness Report, our belief in the kindness of strangers is closely tied to how happy we feel. We also tend to underestimate the level of kind. Trust in strangers was measured by looking at how many people returned wallets that had been deliberately misplaced. The number was almost twice as high as expected. The BBC's Mark Easton marked the day by carrying out an experiment of his own.

[Mark Easton]

For years, researchers into happiness have been losing wallets on purpose. And today, here in Northern Ireland, I'm going to lose some too. Today is World Happiness Day and also sees the publication of the World Happiness Report, which this year says that places where people think strangers are generally kind, the sort of people who would return a lost wallet, well, those places tend to be happier than places where they don't believe in the kindness of strangers. So I'm deliberately mislaying 10 wallets across Belfast, each with a note asking to call my number if found. So how many of our 10 wallets do you think will prompt a phone call? Are you more pessimistic than you need to be about the kindness of strangers? The academic guru of lost wallets says most people are and that seriously damages community well being.

[Will Shears]

So you drop wallets, see how many are returned, then you compare it to what people think is the case, and it turns out wallets are returned twice as often as people think, or more. And if we could make them believe that it really was all the time, they'd be much happier.

[Mark Easton]

Where did you find it? Wallet finders across Belfast have started calling me. Well, you're very kind. Why did you return it? You could have just taken the money.

[Will Shears]

Because that would have been nice to do. So we just decided to phone you. Just an honest person. It could be me lost my wallet or any of my cage or anything. It's nice to be nice.

[Mark Easton]

It should inspire us all to believe in the kindness of strangers. Very kind of you. One finder, Al, insisted on delivering the wallet back to me in person.

[Will Shears]

I'm only glad you're here to receive.

[Jessie Yendle]

Your wallet back again.

[Mark Easton]

So I dropped 10 wallets on the streets of Belfast. So how many do you think were offered back to me by kind strangers? Well, the answer is all 10. While our wallet experiment is not scientific, it does back up the evidence. Strangers are kinder than we think. So happy World Happiness Day, everyone.

[Oliver Conway]

Mark Easton. And he was talking to the founding editor of the World Happiness Report, John F. Helliwell from the University of British Columbia. If you've ever been helped by the kindness of strangers or made friends just by chatting to someone, we'd love to hear from you. Send an email or voice note to globalpodcastsbc.co.uk. the UN report also named Finland as the world's happiest country for the eighth year in a row. As another of the authors, Lara Aknin.

[Lara Aknin]

Explains, they're often topping the list with a lot of Nordic countries. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what Finland might have in terms of some secret sauce or perfect level of predictors. But it's been speculated there might be various factors, including a strong social safety net that provides people a sense of financial support should they need to leave their work, if they need healthcare. Also education covered all the way from very young ages through university, but also the fact that a strong Social safety net provides not just these financial resources and basic necessities, but also represents the idea that your neighbors, that your fellow countrymen are there by your side to support you. One important thing in the report is that we try to understand the global variations in these rankings. So what helps explain the happiness differences across these countries? Some of these factors are typically beyond the reach of the average individual, like GDP per capita and healthy life expectancy, which you might be able to shape with some healthy choices. But two of my favorites to underscore are the importance of social support. So that is having someone to count on in times of need and engaging in personal acts of generosity for other people. Both of those have been shown to be strong, independent predictors of well being, and I think they're particularly powerful and potent because they're things that we can choose to engage in.

[Oliver Conway]

Lara Acknin from the World Happiness Report as well as all those positives, there's another side to Finland's happiness. The concept of sisu. The word is deeply ingrained in Finnish culture, but it has no direct translation in English. It's along the lines of inner strength. But there's more to it than that, as Stephanie Prentiss has been finding out.

[Stephanie Prentiss]

From jumping in freezing lakes right after a sauna with friends, to going back to basics in nature. We've heard about the benefits of the Finnish culture for promoting mental well being. But within those happy activities lies something else difficulty. Alongside the 2025 happiness report, officials in Finland were quick to point out that one of the secrets to happiness is embrac sisu. It's a word and a concept that doesn't translate literally, but it's something we're told is important to every Finn. So we asked some of them to explain. Magnus Appleberg is a cold exposure enthusiast and teaches courses in Finland encouraging foreigners to embrace sisu.

[Will Shears]

Every Finn is proud of the concept of sisu. So it's an innate power of facing adversities.

[Stephanie Prentiss]

When you have guests that may come from countries, for example, without so much of a cold climate, how do they react when you initially put them in those situations? When they're in the icy water, it's.

[Will Shears]

A sight for sore eyes. Most people go into a state of shock and then they slowly, by using their breath, they come out of it. And you see when their faces light up, it's like, wow, they've seen a total new world, a total new way of facing hard things.

[Stephanie Prentiss]

For Magnus, sisu is a skill that can be built. And for people living in urban environments, he says Start the day with a cold shower.

[Will Shears]

You will feel the mental resistance stepping into an ice cold shower. Turn the adversity into a relaxed situation. Everybody can learn that.

[Stephanie Prentiss]

Petri Kukkonen is a wilderness guide in Lapland. He gave up his easy city life to live off the grid in a remote cabin and he says despite the hardship, he's never been happier.

[Will Shears]

For me, the sisu means like more the lifestyle.

[Oliver Conway]

I don't have real electric system, I.

[Will Shears]

Have solar panels and I can't actually even use electricity in December and it's our darkest month. But it's like I really enjoy and I love that time.

[Stephanie Prentiss]

What would your advice be to someone who might say, I don't think I'm strong enough, I don't think I can do this.

[Will Shears]

You just need to. You need to trust yourself and like find the fight inside of your body and your mind that go there and then relax your mind and be proud of you.

[Oliver Conway]

And the rest is history. Wilderness guide Petri Kokkonan ending that report from Stephanie Prentice. And if you want to find out yet more about what makes Finland so happy, listen back to our special from last year. The happiest country in the world. And still to come in the podcast.

[Harry Bly]

Is easier to climb on. Have more matting on the island for comfort. Overall it's just going to be hidden from the chaos.

[Oliver Conway]

A retirement home with a difference.

[Will Shears]

This is Ashley Iconetti from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. You could have lost 10 pounds already if you already started one month ago. So are you ready to start today? Find out if weight loss meds are right for you in just 3 minutes at try fh.com try fh.com try fH.com results vary based on start weight and.

[Jessie Yendle]

Adherence to diet, exercise and program goals.

[Will Shears]

Database on independent studies sponsored by Future Health. Future Health is not a health care services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion.

[Oliver Conway]

Next to a woman helping to inspire confidence among those who find it hard to make their voices heard. Jessie Yendle from South Wales is one of an estimated 80 million people around the world with speech impediments. After years building up the courage to speak to people, she now has millions of followers on TikTok and is campaigning for others to be given the time and space they need to communicate. Gemma Dunstan has been to meet her.

[Jessie Yendle]

Excuse me, sorry to bother you, my name is Jessie and I have got a speech impediment.

[Will Shears]

Jessie Endle has struggled with confidence due to her stammer. But in 2021 she started challenging herself to take part in everyday activities.

[Jessie Yendle]

I'm trying to say it, I can't say am I like to brighten up the people today. I just want to hand you some flowers. I'd love to give you these sunflowers.

[Will Shears]

To make your day.

[Jessie Yendle]

Absolutely beautiful. I'm shaking. I thank you for speaking to me. Oh my gosh, you're crying.

[Will Shears]

Her videos have seen her attract 3.5 million followers online.

[Holly Gibbs]

One of them is 16 year old Kitty.

[Jessie Yendle]

Oh my goodness, you're shaking.

[Will Shears]

Seeing or meeting other people with a.

[Holly Gibbs]

Speech impediment doesn't happen often either for Jessie or Kitty.

[Jessie Yendle]

I don't think I ever met like another person with a speech impediment until I met one of my older brother's friends who had a speech impediment also. But then I found goo and your account and your tiktoks which literally because like I had never seen somebody give like a full and happy life like with a speech impediment like at the same time. Absolutely. Like it makes me feel. Like it makes me feel. I really am emotional that you felt that way because growing up I never thought I'd be able to achieve my dreams because of my speech and the fact that you have also felt the same way. But then you saw add up my video and that's exactly what I wanted to show people.

[Will Shears]

Jessie has created a campaign to introduce.

[Holly Gibbs]

A universal symbol for speech impediments with the hope that it would signify that.

[Will Shears]

Someone needs patience or more time to say their words.

[Jessie Yendle]

I did do the clock and then like the speaking symbol. So yeah, so hopefully, hopefully and we'll get this passed. I just want to hear your thoughts on it. I think it's such an amazing idea and such an amazing initiative because it would completely change my life and the lives of so many other people with speech impediments as well.

[Holly Gibbs]

Jessie and Kitty are clear they want your patience, not your pity.

[Jessie Yendle]

And it just means the world that we're having this conversation and we're going to raise even more awareness of osfish in Panamas. Definitely. And it's exhausting.

[Holly Gibbs]

It's so exhausting.

[Oliver Conway]

Jessie and Kitty ending that report from Gemma Dunstan. Microplastic pollution has been described by the UN as a growing threat to the health of humans and the planet. The tiny particles up to 5 millimeters in diameter enter rivers and oceans from rubbish the plumbing system and factories among other sources. They're taken in by plants and animals, causing damage and entering the food chain. They've even been found in human organs. But now Researchers in China say they have found a low cost sustainable way to filter microplastics out of water using a sponge made from cotton and squid cartilage. Our science reporter Esme Stallard has been looking at the research. She spoke to Nick Miles.

[Holly Gibbs]

So microplastics can sort of enter our waterways, seas, rivers, general environment in kind of two ways. There's what we call primary microplastics. So this is where they're already very small. So an example of this is when you wash your clothes, fibers can come off your clothes and enter your waterways. And actually that's a really big source of it. There's also little bits of particles from your tires is another really major source, runs off roads, and then there's secondary microplastics. So this is when you, a complete product like a plastic water bottle or a plastic bag gets thrown away and then the natural environment breaks that down to smaller and smaller particles. It's kind of difficult, I would say, to overestimate the scale of the problem. You know, at the moment, the evidence around the harm to humans is kind of incomplete, but there are serious concerns. And that's because a lot of plastics have harmful toxins or additives put into them to kind of enable them to form their function. And we've seen you plastic particles harming particularly marine wildlife. So that's why it's so concerning that it's being found within our bloodstreams. And there's sort of ongoing research around that.

[Oliver Conway]

Now, Esme, this potential solution uses an intriguing combination of substances, doesn't it?

[Holly Gibbs]

They're calling it a fibrous foam, but it's basically made out of two main materials. One is cellulose, which they've extracted from cotton, and the other is something called chitin, which they've taken from the skeleton or from the structure of a squid, which seems very strange, but chitin is actually very, very common. It's in various different organisms and insects, crustaceans, but also fungi, effectively, it's long chains of carbohydrates. So they're the two main materials that they've used. And it's actually really kind of crucial to the success of this solution that they've used those materials because they're so abundant, which makes it quite cheap to produce.

[Oliver Conway]

And it effectively works as a filter. Is it 100% effective?

[Holly Gibbs]

It was 99.9% successful in the first use of it. But what they found that was also really good is that they could almost recycle it. So they used it four or five times in their experiments. And even after five uses, the effectiveness was still about 95%, which is really significant. And it really helps to kind of lower the cost again in the manufacturing process.

[Oliver Conway]

You were saying that these substances are easy to get hold of. So I imagine the idea of being able to scale this up is a real possibility.

[Holly Gibbs]

These are two really abundant materials in the natural environment. Chitin is actually the most abundant polysaccharide, which is what it is. And as I said, it's found in many sources, which is fantastic. But the other thing that's really, really good about this is one of the other main limitations to scaling up these types of solutions is that they can often involve very complex processes and sometimes the need to add toxic chemicals to that process. But actually, what's amazing that the scientists have done here is something called self assemb, which is basically these two materials have been forced together and is able to create this structure naturally. And that's really fantastic because it cuts down the production process and the complexity of it. And so the scientists in this case are hoping certainly that it can be scaled up quickly. They're currently applying for a patent for the material and they're searching for industrial partners to see if it can be produced, as we say, on a bigger scale.

[Oliver Conway]

Esme Stallard talking to Nick Miles. Now to a rather unusual retirement home for African penguins. It's been created at the New England Aquarium in Boston as part of efforts to protect the creature in the wild. The African penguin population declined by more than a third between 2018 and 2023, leading to warnings that they could be extinct within 10 years. Harry Bly has this.

[Harry Bly]

One of the many nicknames for the African penguin is beach donkey, because they sound like donkeys when they're screaming.

[Mia Luzietti]

That's Mia Luzietti, one of the penguin trainers at the New England Aquarium. Six penguins, Harlequin, Durban, Boulders, Isis, Lambert and Dyer, will join Island Zero.

[Harry Bly]

It's easier to climb on, it's more flat. We have more matting on the island for comfort. And overall, it's just going to be hidden from the chaos that can be a large colony of some youngsters.

[Mia Luzietti]

On the retirement island. Trainers like Mia will tend to the penguins. More complex health needs, such as liver and eyesight problems, arthritis and other mobility issues.

[Harry Bly]

And so a lot of those birds have had acupuncture, physical therapy, laser therapy, even. Several of the birds on that island have gone through cataract procedures. Lambert gets daily eye drops multiple times a day.

[Mia Luzietti]

Five of these penguins are now around double the life expectancy of this species, which in the wild is 10 to 15 years, that's because as they age and slow down, they lose the ability to hunt for fish and are more likely to themselves be eaten by a predator. Native to the coasts of South Africa and Namibia, there's been a sharp decline in numbers in recent years, in part due to human activity like overfishing, pollution and climate change. So how does the penguin retirement village in Boston help with this? Mia says the aquarium is part of an international conservation effort.

[Harry Bly]

We're learning amazing things from these animals as they age. And basically we can take information that we are learning from our colonies and our animals here and directly apply that to their wild counterparts through that initiative.

[Mia Luzietti]

One example is studying the penguins optimal environment and the types of nest they live in in their natural habitat. African penguin guano, or excrement, is harvested by humans to use as fertilizer.

[Harry Bly]

That's a big issue because they nest in their guano. Sounds a little gross, but they make very good tunnels and burrows with it. And so we could apply. Okay, this type of material is preferred by them. This type of hut is preferred by them. And then those types of huts were actually planted out there.

[Mia Luzietti]

A court in South Africa has imposed six no fishing zones around key penguin breeding colonies around the Western Cape, preventing fishing boats from catching sardines and anchovies for the next 10 years. Meanwhile, in Boston, staff plan to install more flat areas and shallow slopes to help the older penguins climb on and off their new island.

[Oliver Conway]

And that was Harry Bligh. Now, in our last episode, my colleague Alan Smith asked for your happy sounds. And Helen, a truck driver from New Brunswick in Canada, sent us this message. I like the sound of skipping a rock on a frozen pond or river. I'm here in Canada and it sounds out of this world. Well, she didn't have her own recording, but we wanted to hear what was so special about it, so we found some. Helen says she can just imagine a very primitive human doing this and being in awe of the extraordinary noise. And she said she was amazed when she first heard it herself. So if you have a sound that makes you happy, send us an email or voice note to globalpodcastbc.co.uk and that is all from us for now, but you can watch some of our interviews on YouTube by searching for the happy pod. This edition was mixed by Chris Hansen and produced by Holly Gibbs and Rachel Bulkley. Our editor is Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time, goodbye.