Today's Show Transcript

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COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR:  What's up, sunshine? Happy Friday, Fri-yay. I'm Coy Wire. Welcome to another Summer Friday edition of CNN 10, where I simply tell you the what, letting you decide what to think. Hope you had an awesome week. Let's get you caught up on some of the biggest news stories this week.   
We begin in France, where scientists around the world just convened for the U.N. Oceans Conference. One of the biggest objectives, discovering new ways to tackle the problem of microplastic pollution in the planet's oceans and rivers.   
What's a microplastic? Well, they're found in food packaging, clothing, furniture, electronics, construction materials, even chewing gum. One study last year found the world produced 400 million metric tons of plastic waste each year, and every day, 2,000 truckloads of plastic are dumped into the ocean.   
And while this garbage has devastated some populations of marine life, the microplastics are also making their way into the human food chain and water supply.  
  Our Derek Van Dam explores some of the possible solutions to this seemingly insurmountable problem.   
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)  
  DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over):  The shore of this river is far from sandy. Instead, it's full of trash. The piles of garbage have become a norm for the residents along the Rio dos Bugres River in Brazil.   
Mass quantities of pollution have created an ecosystem dominated by plastic instead of plants, altering the lives of those who depend on the river.   
This fisherman has experienced the difficulties firsthand. He says he used to make a living off of fishing because it was possible. But now there are very few fish. Recent research has found that this river contains one of the highest concentrations of microplastics in the world.   
But the problem of plastics is worldwide. Plastic does not decompose like organic waste. Over time, natural weathering breaks down plastic into smaller and smaller pieces. Eventually creating microplastic particles. Humans unknowingly ingest these particles every day.   
Research on the health effects of microplastics is still in its early stages, but one study has identified a link between plastic particles in the body and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and even early death.   
Around the world, scientists are developing possible solutions to the plastic problem. Researchers in Japan have developed a dissolvable plastic.   
TAKUZO AIDA, LEAD RESEARCHER, RIKEN CENTER FOR EMERGENT MATTER SCIENCE (through translator): When we place the plastic sample in an aqueous solution with the same salt concentration as seawater, it dissolves quickly in about two to three hours, depending on its thickness and size.  
  UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE:  It is different. How is the colony size?   
VAN DAM:  Meanwhile, researchers in Australia have turned to fungus for help.   
ALI ABBAS, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY:  Typically, plastics are very well known to be degrading over many, many years and even decades. This research has been showing that, in fact, fungi are able to degrade plastics much faster.   
VAN DAM:  The fungi produce enzymes which naturally break down plastic. But Abbas warns that this is not a complete solution.   
ABBAS:  There are other more significant steps that we as a society must take. And this includes upstream design of new products and redesign and remanufacturing, reuse.   VAN DAM:  As part of this effort, legislators around the world are pushing to enact restrictions on the production of plastic. While nonprofits such as the ocean cleanup are taking action by conducting large extractions of plastic found in water, the group aims to clean up 90% of floating ocean plastic pollution by 2040.   
  (END VIDEOTAPE)   
WIRE:  Now, to a fascinating recovery and landmark case in the world of medicine, specifically for transplant surgeries. A young man from Switzerland is sharing more about the double hand transplant that changed his life. Part of Luka Krizanac's arms and legs were amputated when he was just 12 years old, after a case of strep throat wasn't properly treated. It turned into a life-threatening infection. Last fall, he moved to the U.S. to be closer to the world-renowned transplant team at the University of Pennsylvania. As you can imagine, it's incredibly complicated to find a hand donor. There has to be a match not only for blood type, but also skin color, age, and size. After a 10-hour surgery, Luka is slowly regaining mobility with his new hands. Here's part of his remarkable journey.   
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)   
 
LUKA KRIZANAC, DOUBLE HAND TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT:  I went from having no hands to suddenly having healthy hands during the night. So, this was a miracle in itself, just seeing them.   
Hi, my name is Luka Krizanac, and I'm 29 years old. I am from Switzerland and a patient of Penn Medicine. Last year, I have received the gift of two hands. 17 years ago, I lost both hands and legs due to a severe sepsis.   
For me as a patient, I knew that the solution existed for my problem. The question was how to reach that solution.   
  UNIDENTIFIED MALE:  There are just slightly more than, let's say, 100 patients around the world that have had this procedure.   
KRIZANAC:  I was fully confident that after 17 years, I knew what was right for me. We waited for such a long time for the call to arrive, so I was in a way fully ready. Maybe one hour after the call, already in the patient room.   
UNIDENTIFIED MALE:  We balance the muscles and the tendons. We co-opt or create a connection of the arteries and the veins. It's very important when we put the nerves together, the nerve from the recipient has to regenerate or grow into the muscles of the donor. And if they don't grow, then the hands don't work.   
KRIZANAC: Trying to compensate for lack of arms with a plastic robotic hand, it's just impossible. A couple of months ago, when I was washing my hands, it was the first time that I felt that water was cold. This was really an aha moment where I said, oh my god, I feel the temperature of the water.   
UNIDENTIFIED MALE:  These are profound, monumental achievements in this field. His sensation will continue to improve over years. He is evolving rapidly to being independent for eating, dressing, the things that we all take for granted.   
KRIZANAC:  What I already have gained, this is absolutely worth it, because quality of life is something that is so important in our everyday life.   
  (END VIDEOTAPE)   
WIRE:  Pop quiz, hot shot. How old was the ancient Egyptian pharaoh, King Tut, at the time of his death? 65, 19, 32, or 95?   
If you said 19, ding, ding, you are correct. Scientists who studied Tutankhamun's mummy believe the young pharaoh likely suffered from malaria, a broken leg, and bone disease. While his reign was short, King Tut's tomb was the only royal burial found perfectly intact in modern times.   
After the tombs of Egypt were discovered, scientists studied those preservation techniques, and some of the very same science has contributed to advancements in chemistry, anthropology, and archaeology centuries later. But in a recent study out of Slovenia, scientists are using a new tool when analyzing embalmed Egyptian tombs and artifacts, their noses.   
Our Isabel Rosales has more.   
  (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)   
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over):  This air is ancient and it's giving scientists a glimpse into the mysteries of the past, or rather a sniff.   
DR. CECILIA BEMBIBRE, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON LECTURER:  Our nose is a fantastic tool to learn more about the past, so we decided to explore this idea of a nose as a diagnostic tool in the case of mummified bodies,   
  ROSALES:  Researchers from University College London and University of Ljubljana will tell you a mummy's scent isn't as haunting as its looks. The spicy, woody and even sweet smells give us insight into what materials embalmers used thousands of years ago.   
BEMBIBRE:  This is a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. Basically, it enables us to separate each of the chemicals present in that air and identify them chemically, but also it allows us to experience the smells as humans and describe the qualities.   
ROSALES:  The study of nine mummies from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo conducted with Egyptian conservators revealed sense of plant oils and wood, gum resins, like frankincense and myrrh, and even cinnamon. The research also helped determine which of these materials were part of the original embalming process, and which were added later to help preserve the bodies.   
This approach takes ten liters of air through a sampling tube, which not only helps keep the mummy safe and intact, but reveals how scent can be just as informative as sight or sound, and could even be incorporated into museum experiences.   
BEMBIBRE:  One of the innovative contributions of this study is to the emerging field of olfactory heritage and this studies how, using our nose, we can learn more about history and heritage.   
  ROSALES:  A study proving that thousands of years into the future, our noses of all things will be a window into the past.   
(END VIDEOTAPE)   
WIRE:  Today's story, getting a 10 out of 10. Beach trips in the dog days of summer sometimes bring rough waters in the ocean, but some four-legged heroes are making waves and saving lives, especially this pup, known for its fancy haircuts and dog show skills, recently joining a team of lifeguards in Spain.   
 Now, beach rescue squads usually include Labradors and Newfoundlands, but Nilo the poodle felt he was up for the task at Las Lindas Beach near Malaga.   
His handler says he was scared of crowds and loud noises at first, so he had to be trained step by step, not just to stay calm, but also how to swim horizontally using his tail like a rudder. When it's time to utilize the furry lifesavers, the handler actually enters the water first to reach the swimmer in distress, and then calls the dogs in to help tow people back to shore.   
Now, poodles are known for super intelligence and ability to learn, and they were historically used for water rescue and retrieval during hunting trips in northern Europe. Their fur actually protects them from the cold water, but they do need their handler to lather the sunscreen on their nose. A German breed of dog, the name poodle comes from the German verb puddeln, which means to splash. So, ultimately, maybe Nilo was positively destined for the life of a lifeguard.   
All right, superstars, our first shout out today goes to the Bridges boys and Bridges girls at Lakeside Behavioral Health at the Brunswick Day School in Memphis, Tennessee. Thank you for making us a part of your day.  
  And Ms. Alt and all of my Trailside Raptors up in Vineyard, Utah. This Raptor swag, it's elite. I'll be rocking this all summer long. And horns up to Ms. H and Coach Ben Kramer, Hot Springs High School in Hot Springs, South Dakota. As a former NFL player, this speaks to my soul. I can feel all the hard work and dedication y'all put in. Congrats on your football championship.   
Rise up, have a fantastic weekend, everyone. Make someone smile, you are more powerful than you know. I'm Coy Wire and we are CNN 10.   

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