In the mid-19th century, some 400,000 people traversed the Oregon Trail to settle in the American west. Given that this migration occurred nearly two centuries ago, none of the settlers who made the journey are alive today — but something belonging to them purportedly is. A sourdough starter believed to date back to an 1847 […]
The right to vote, the right to freedom of speech, the right to due process, and … the right to read? You may not think of the ability to dive into a good book as a civil right, but one nonprofit does — and it’s changing the lives of thousands of students across the country.
Can you entice kids away from screens with a screen? A new kid-friendly phone called Freckle is betting on it. The phone resembles a handheld gaming device (think Tamagotchi or Game Boy) but works like a cell — that is if your cell didn’t have social media or web access and instead had a cute
Meet Freckle: The Retro Phone Designed to Encourage Kids to Explore the World Continue Reading »
Fifty years ago, disco was dominating nightclubs, punk had emerged from underground, and the nascent hip-hop scene was budding in the Bronx. Stevie Wonder released his masterpiece album Songs in the Key of Life, and the Eagles delivered their hit Hotel California. Not a bad time to have a set of ears. Since then, genres
Some of the Top-Performing Songs From the Past 50 Years, by Decade Continue Reading »
For decades, researchers have been working on different interventions to reduce suicide rates. It’s notoriously difficult, but a recent project revealed some encouraging insights into prevention strategies, finding that small joys may not be so small. The project started with a Reddit post. University of Maryland Professor Philip Resnik found a thread in which a
What does a child need to prepare themselves for kindergarten? I’m not talking about a new water bottle and a backpack, though certainly those come in handy. I mean what it takes to try to make new friends, be brave, resilient, inventive, and hopeful — no small tasks for anyone.
Six decades ago, Julie Andrews burst into song atop Salzburg, Austria’s rolling hills, and the world fell in love with The Sound of Music. The 1965 film, adapted from the 1959 Broadway musical and based on the von Trapp family’s escape from the Nazis, has proven itself an enduring international success. Now, a year after
Whether or not you live with anxiety or depression, there’s a good chance someone you care about does: In a 2022 study, around 1 in 5 adults experienced symptoms of one of these mental health issues in the two weeks before being surveyed. Watching a loved one struggle can leave us feeling helpless. While professional
Though incredible medical breakthroughs are being made in the fight against cancer, tens of millions of people still confront the disease annually. Many of those affected — either directly or through a loved one — are children. Daniel Zhang was one of those kids. When he was 9, his grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,
Inspired by Pokemon, Teens Create Card Strategy Game to Teach Kids About Cancer Continue Reading »
At age 100, twinkle-toed Bernard Gilbert put a huge crowd through their paces — and proved he’s still got the moves — when he led a flash mob dance in the middle of a busy city center in Worcester, England.
At 100, Britain’s Oldest Dancer Leads Flash Mob to Classic ’60s Tune Continue Reading »
