Cold brew: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, as we shake off the surprisingly cold Winter of 2025 that’s been deep-freezing Long Island and stay the innovation course. (Why “surprisingly cold?” Check out the Stuff We’re Reading.)
Hey, we’re not going to let frigid temperatures stop our drive toward socioeconomic greatness – so grab yourself a steaming cup of joe and let’s get busy.
Gives us the chills: There are many ways to combine chocolate and mint, but the combo may have peaked with the York Peppermint Pattie.
Creative writing: Today is Feb. 19 and we’re warming up with Prevent Plagiarism Day, a brainchild of the International Center for Academic Integrity that promotes original writing (we certainly approve) and reinforces the importance of citing sources (please note our generous utilization of hyperlinks).
Rope, candy: We’re also hot to tug on International Tug of War Day, celebrating the age-old test of strength that was once an Olympic sport (it’s true) and a celebrity yank-off (also true) and continues to test muscles and wills in sanctioned leagues and school gymnasiums.
And cue the York Peppermint Pattie commercials … it’s also National Chocolate Mint Day, getting the sensation every Feb. 19.
Fire it: From cool to coal, as the first anthracite-burning U.S. locomotive made its trial run on this date in 1831 in Philadelphia. (The Baldwin Locomotive Works coal engine was considered an ideal steam-engine alternative for Philly’s short suburban lines.)
Spin it: Other hot takes associated with this date include master innovator Thomas Edison’s famous phonograph, patented on Feb. 19, 1878 – less than a year after he invented the thing.
Crunch it: Other innovations that keep on spinning include Corn Flakes, the champion of breakfasts, which shared center stage with a bitter family feud when Kellogg’s – known first as the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Co. – was founded on this date in 1906.
Poetic justice: Pound was a master poet, but paid a steep price for his anti-American views.
Dispute it: Speaking of acrimonious arguments, the first Bollingen Prize for American Poetry was awarded 76 years ago today to antisemitic Mussolini admirer Ezra Pound – arguably the greatest modern American poet but imprisoned at the time in a Washington psychiatric hospital after being declared unfit to face treason charges. (His selection caused an uproar.)
Love it: And it was Feb. 19, 1968, when King Friday XIII, Lady Elaine Fairchilde, Daniel Striped Tiger, the oddly sentient Ding Ding Trolley and so many other colorful characters debuted on “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
The soft-spoken title host would regale his young audience with life lessons and visits to the Land of Make-Believe for 33 glorious seasons.
Pathological fire: Austrian pathologist Baron Karl von Rokitansky (1804-1878) – who personally performed more than 30,000 autopsies en route to establishing pathological anatomy as a cornerstone of modern medical science – would be 221 years old today.
When Smokey sings: Robinson, smooth as silk.
Also born on Feb. 19 were Polish astronomer and mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), the heliocentrism pioneer hailed as the “Father of Modern Astronomy”; Scottish civil engineer and inventor William Fairbairn (1789-1874), who mainstreamed wrought-iron construction; Dutch ophthalmologist Herman Snellen (1834-1908), who created the block-lettered Snellen Eye Chart still gracing your eye doctor’s office; Swedish geographer, topographer, explorer, photographer, travel writer and illustrator Sven Anders Hedin (1865-1952), who led eye-opening expeditions through Central Asia; and American writer Amy Tan (born 1952), celebrated author of novels, short stories, children’s books, illustrated nature journals and several film and TV adaptations, most notably the novel and screenplay versions of “The Joy Luck Club.”
Really Got a Hold: And take a bow, William “Smokey” Robinson Jr.! The R&B and Soul singer, songwriter and record producer – known best as the frontman of the Miracles, the group that helped put Motown on the map – turns 85 today.
Wish the silk-voiced singer well at editor@innovateli.com, where we’re Cruisin’ when you send news tips and you can trace the Tracks Of My Our Tears when you don’t share calendar events. (The Tears of a Clown, for those keeping score.)
About our sponsor: The New York Institute of Technology’s 90-plus undergraduate, graduate, professional and doctoral degree programs incorporate applied research, real-world case studies and professors who bring decades of industry knowledge and research into the classroom. The university’s student-centered approach, academic support programs, generous scholarships and career-oriented programs support its mission to provide all qualified students access to opportunity. Its community of doers, makers, innovators and healers empowers graduates to change the world, solve 21st Century challenges and reinvent the future. Learn more.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Powerful message: From our Innovate Iceland bureau comes a new edition of an international children’s book that’s all about achieving balance and harmony through clean energy.
Introducing “Okkar Dulda Orka” (“Our Hidden Powers”), a children’s book that invites readers of all ages to explore their inner superpowers – specifically, the power of working together to promote a renewable-energy future. Originally published in 2023 by Swedish geothermal-energy pioneer Baseload Capital, the book has already sold more than 8,000 Swedish-, Chinese-, Ukrainian- and English-language copies, and is now available in Icelandic through a collaboration with Reykjavík-based Baseload subsidiary Baseload Power Iceland and Samorka, the national association of Icelandic electricity, heat, water and sewage utilities.
Bright, colorful and positive from cover to cover, the book aims to increase global understanding of geothermal energy by tapping directly into kids’ natural curiosity. “It fills an important gap in children’s literature and educational material (by) presenting the vital role of energy in our daily lives,” noted Baseload Power Iceland Managing Director Marta Rós Karlsdóttir. “I also hope it inspires a sense of awareness about the value of renewable resources and the quality of life they bring us now and in the future.”
Hesham Tawfeek: Showing some real spine.
Putting their backs into it: A New York Institute of Technology scientist exploring potential treatments for patients with spinal cord injuries has landed a seven-figure federal award.
The U.S. Department of Defense has approved a three-year, $1.05 million grant supporting Research Associate Professor Hesham Tawfeek, who aims to explain why SCI patients routinely suffer severe bone loss – insight that could lead to new treatments that minimize subsequent fracture risks and otherwise improve quality of life for the 300,000-plus Americans living with spinal-cord traumas, most often caused by motor vehicle accidents, falls, explosions, gunshots and stab wounds. Many of these patients experience lower-limb paralysis, leaving them unable to perform weight-bearing and muscle contraction activities (like walking) that promote bone health, and as a result can lose up to 41 percent of their bone mass within the first year.
Using a rodent model, Tawfeek and his research team – including contributions from Tennessee-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center – will probe the molecular processes that contribute to SCI-induced bone loss. Their primary focus will be the dysregulation of the nervous system’s sympathetic branch, the nerve network that operates the body’s “fight-or-flight” response and, when compromised, can lead to a host of complications.
POD PEOPLE
Episode 50: Ambrose Clancy, in pieces.
Journalism journeyman Ambrose Clancy joins “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast” to discuss his new book (and his old ones), his career as an international correspondent (and local Long Island legend) and the decline of American news reporting (plus his highest hopes for how it can be saved).
Episode 50 is a golden treat for Spark host Gregory Zeller, who welcomes his oldest journalism colleague for an informative discussion filled with heartfelt laughs and hard-learned lessons from war-torn Ireland, bright-lights Manhattan and hometown Long Island. Like a good story? Ambrose has a ton.
TOP OF THE SITE
Tariff trouble: A Northport-based med-tech manufacturer is blasting the White House’s international-tariff strategy, which has already forced the company to raise its prices across the board.
Everything clicks: Three entertaining and educational newsletters, jam-packed with business-growth intelligence and regional networking opportunities, delivered straight to your inbox for the low, low cost of absolutely free? And your entire innovation team can get in on it? What are you waiting for?!? Click the button already!
VOICES
After shopping at a next-generation Amazon Fresh supermarket, Voices Food and Beverage Anchor Zelory Gregler is not surprised that Amazon has pulled the plug on its (significantly advanced) plans for another Amazon Fresh in Farmingville – and notes that this is not the first time the shifty e-commerce giant has left local property owners holding the bag.
Something to say? Welcome to The Entrepreneur’s Edge, Innovate Long Island’s new promoted-content news feature platform – a direct link from you to our innovation-focused audience. Progressive product to promote? Singular service to sell? Sociopolitical position to push? Shine a bright light on the big picture, the little details and everything in between with The Entrepreneur’s Edge. Living on the edge.
STUFF WE’RE READING
It’s complicated: The U.S. shivers through its coldest winter in recent memory – while Earth records its warmest January ever. Vox runs hot and cold.
It’s simple: Understanding the psychological need to keep stuff – and how to declutter without stressing out. The Conversation cleans up nice.
Simple geography: Mexico’s president threatens to sue Google over “Gulf of America” sycophancy. Business Insider respects borders.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ Mast Reforestation, a Washington State-based post-wildfire reforestation company, raised $25 million in Series B funding co-led by Pulse Fund and Social Capital.
+ Apptronik, a Texas-based AI-powered humanoid robotics innovator, raised $350 million in Series A funding led by B Capital and Capital Factory.
+ Circuit, a New York City-based short-trip electric-shuttle company, raised $17 million in Series B funding led by MKB.
+ Junevity, a California-based biotech focused on cell-reset therapeutics, raised $10 million in Seed funding led by Goldcrest Capital and Godfrey Capital.
+ Cerula Care, a Connecticut-based health-tech focused on oncology, raised $3.7 million in Seed funding led by Esplanade Ventures.
+ Abcuro, a Massachusetts-based clinical-stage biotech focused on autoimmune disease, raised $200 million in Series C funding led by New Enterprise Associates and Foresite Capital.
Like this newsletter? Innovate Long Island newsletter, website and podcast sponsorships are a prime opportunity to reach the inventors, investors, entrepreneurs and executives you need to know (just ask New York Tech). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (Travel Edition)
Star-spangled booing: The jeering of the “Star-Spangled Banner” this week in Montreal during the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament is just the tip of the anti-American iceberg.
Taking chances: As anti-American sentiment soars, international travel becomes trickier.
Flying high: Despite recent incidents, experts say air travel is still the safest way to go.
Making memories: The psychology of travel souvenirs.
No place like home: Please continue supporting the innovative institutions that support Innovate Long Island, including the New York Institute of Technology, an affordable and student-friendly cornerstone of Long Island science and regional socioeconomics. Check them out.
