Polar bears play a uniquely crucial role in the Arctic ecosystem — and thankfully, one population in particular may be in better physical health than 25 years ago. A new study suggests that despite sea ice losses caused by climate change around the Norwegian island of Svalbard, the mammals’ fat reserves have increased.
Svalbard Polar Bears Are Healthier Now Than 25 Years Ago, Scientists Say Continue Reading »
A rare drawing of a lioness by 17th-century Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn is headed to the auction block, with a profound mission behind its sale. All proceeds — an estimated $20 million — will benefit global wild cat conservation group Panthera.
Baking delicious banana bread requires trial and error. Your first attempt might need more salt; your second might need more nutmeg. If it still doesn’t taste the way you want it to, you continue making tiny tweaks until you’re happy with your loaf. The same idea can be applied to our lives, says Erin Port.
Author Erin Port on How “Tiny Tweaks” Help Us Shift Toward Happiness Continue Reading »
According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd, there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, an early spring is predicted. Of course groundhogs — also known as woodchucks — don’t emerge at this time just to be furry weather predictors. So what’s the real reason? Research into groundhog biology shows they have other priorities in early February than mingling with the people of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
Why Do Groundhogs Emerge on Feb. 2 If It’s Not to Predict the Weather? Continue Reading »
Reginald Dwayne Betts has always been into books. As a kid, he was once caught reading Sherlock Holmes stories in the back of class, and at home he’d watch an oft-played speed reading infomercial with fascination. Determined to become a speed reader himself but unable to afford the advertised course, he found an instructional guide
Many of us consider the snowmen we build in the park to be works of art (and they absolutely are), but the talented contestants in the International Snow Sculpture Championships take icy creations to another level — literally. Following 94 hours of nonstop carving at the Riverwalk Center Plaza in Breckenridge, Colorado, the 2026 winners
Having a grandparent around to babysit can give parents much-needed time off to catch up on self-care — but grandparents themselves may reap some health benefits from this arrangement, too. A new study published by the American Psychological Association suggests that looking after grandkids can boost cognitive abilities and, in some cases, slow cognitive decline.
Taking Care of Grandkids May Give the Brain a Boost, Study Says Continue Reading »
The 2026 Games are just nine days away, and the Team USA roster has arrived. And it’s historic: At 54, Rich Ruohonen — a curler and personal injury attorney from Minnesota — is the oldest American ever to make the Winter Olympics team. A triumph many years in the making, Ruohonen spent nearly two decades
Meet the Youngest and Oldest Team USA Olympians Competing in Milano Cortina Continue Reading »
Relationships can feel like both a blessing and the bane of your existence, a source of joy and a source of frustration or resentment. At some point, each of us is faced with a clingy child, a dramatic friend, a partner who recoils at the first hint of intimacy, a volatile parent, or a controlling boss — in short, a difficult relationship.
Brad Stulberg starts his new book, The Way of Excellence, by clarifying what his subject is not. Excellence isn’t perfectionism. It isn’t optimization. It isn’t obsession or flow or happiness. Setting that straight is important, the author told Nice News, because hustle culture has co-opted the concept and alienated the average person. Indeed, this isn’t
