Are you signed up for Monday’s Nice Book Club discussion? For the third installment, author Scott Shigeoka will shed light on a superpower we all possess: curiosity. In his book, Seek,Shigeoka shares how embracing curiosity can help us bridge differences, strengthen relationships, and live more meaningful lives. Last week, we shared the nine questions the author has on his “Powerful Questions List,” and we can’t wait for him to dig deeper into how to implement mindful inquiry. RSVP here to join us for the free, live event tomorrow at 5 p.m. ET — and remember, reading the book beforehand isn’t required.
Featured Story
In Honor of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Birthday, Dive Into 4 of His Most Iconic Designs
B. David Cathell / Alamy Stock Photo
How many architects can you name off the top of your head? Whether that list is on the long or short side, we’d bet Frank Lloyd Wright nabbed a spot. That’s no small thing, considering he died April 9, 1959, at age 91. But 66 years after his passing, he remains one of the most well-known architects of our time. “The mission of an architect is to help people understand how to make life more beautiful,the world a better one for living in, and to give reason, rhyme, and meaning to life,” Wright said of the purpose behind his work, per the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. In honor of Wright’s birthday today, we’re exploring four of the 532 buildings that were constructed from his celebrated designs, including Taliesin West, the desert-inspired winter home and school he built in Scottsdale, Arizona (pictured here).
Go Beyond Wall Street and Back the Biotech Innovator Changing Lives
Inflation, interest rates, and tariffs have created a market frenzy. But while you can’t control the market’s rise and fall, you can invest in something more tangible, like drug development. Innovators like Cytonics are changing the standard of care for osteoarthritis with next-gen biologic therapy targeting the underlying disease process — not just the symptoms. Cytonics’ lead drug candidate, CYT-108, has already helped over 10,000 patients and the company is now preparing for its next clinical trial, making it an ideal time to invest. And unlike many biotech startups chasing venture dollars or Big Pharma buyouts, Cytonics is backed by everyday investors through its Reg A+ offering. More than 6,000 investors have already backed Cytonics’ revolutionary science — now it’s your turn.
This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment. You may obtain a copy of the offering circular by visiting the SEC’s website.
This Week’s Top Stories
Health
Au Revoir, Cigarettes: France Bans Smoking in Public Places With Kiddos
MAGALI COHEN/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
Visitors to France this summer might notice something different — or shall we say, cleaner — in the air: Starting July 1, the country of love and croissants is banning smoking in all outdoor places that can be frequented by children (e.g., beaches, parks, sports venues, and bus stops), and failure to comply could result in a fine of about $153. “Tobacco must disappear where there are children,” Health Minister Catherine Vautrin told French newspaper Ouest-France, adding that the freedom to smoke “ends where children’s right to breathe clean air begins.” The ban is just one piece of France’s bigger plan to achieve a tobacco-free generation by 2032, which seems to be on track. Tobacco use in France has been on the decline in recent years, with 16% of 17-year-olds reporting they smoke, down from 25% six years ago, NPR reports. France’s neighbor to the south, Spain, is taking similar anti-smoking measures, with plans to prohibit cigarettes and e-cigarettes in more public spaces, including outdoor bars, restaurant terraces, and university campuses. The Spanish government is also working to boost resources for individuals who wish to stop smoking, per Euronews. Bigger picture, France and Spain are in good company: Take a look at other EU countries leading the charge against cigarettes.
Environment
Formerly Trafficked Gorillas Get a Second Chance in Breakthrough Reintroduction to the Wild
Photo by GRACE
Gorillas are making headlines again — this time, not for sparking a viral debate over who would win a fight between 100 men and one gorilla, but for a historic conservation success story. Four female eastern lowland gorillas are roaming free in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, marking the largest reintroduction of the subspecies in history, the conservation organization Re:wild announced May 29. The ape reintroduction breakthrough was long in the making for the primates, named Isangi, Lulingu, Mapendo, and Ndjingala. As babies, they were rescued from the illegal wildlife trade and taken to Congo’s Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center, or GRACE. Following years of rehab, they were deemed ready for the wild last fall and airlifted to the park, where they were kept in a fenced enclosure before being released in December. “It happened much quicker than we all anticipated,” Katie Fawcett, executive and science director for GRACE Gorillas, told CNN, explaining that a male silverback named Mwasa courted the females from behind the fence, helping move things along. She continued: “We really pride ourselves on every decision being gorilla led. After three days of attention directed at the magnificent Mwasa … the decision was made: ‘Let’s go for it.’ The fence was cut so they could come out.” To date, the four females have shown no clinical signs of stress. On the contrary, Fawcett said they’ve settled in with their new family group and are looking “amazing,” with thick coats and full stomachs. See footage of the gorillas.
Health
MIND Diet May Curb Dementia Risk by up to 25%, Study Finds
Tetiana Kolubai/ iStock
Most diets are practically synonymous with too-good-to-be-true promises, but the MIND diet — which stands for “Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay” — might be as good as advertised, even if started later in life, according to a new study. Over a period of 10 years, researchers studied participants between the ages of 45 and 75 who followed the brain-boosting diet, which emphasizes foods like olive oil, berries, leafy greens, and whole grains to curb dementia and age-related cognitive decline. They found that participants who closely followed the MIND diet had a 9% lower risk of dementia compared to those with overall low adherence to the diet. And those who improved their adherence to the MIND diet over time — even if they didn’t follow it closely at first — had a 25% lower risk of dementia compared to those whose adherence declined. The takeaway: “It is never too late to adopt a healthy diet to prevent dementia,” lead study author Song-Yi Park said in a news release. See which foods the MIND diet encourages (and limits).
Sunday Selections
Deep Dives
Go inside the newest museum on Japan’s incredible art islands, the brainchild of a devoted billionaire
Is “knowing thyself” overrated? Why it’s OK that you (probably) don’t understand yourself as well as you think you do
Some scientists believe that a specific smell is an indicator of life — and it was found on a planet 17 trillion miles away
Many authors would claim to balk at writing in response to popular demand, but for Tom Comitta, public opinion is the muse. The author toys with the idea of what makes literature “good” by crafting a work based on the results of a nationwide literary survey. It comprises two distinct novels, one representing what readers want and the other what they don’t want. Plot points include a woman taking on a murderous tech tycoon who may have kidnapped her brother, and a Christmas celebration on a Mars inhabited by lovelorn tennis players. We’ll let you guess which is which.
Oscar nominee Owen Wilson stars as a washed up pro golfer in the charming new Apple TV+ series Stick, which premiered Wednesday. Following in the footsteps of the streaming service’s feel-good hit Ted Lasso, the lighthearted comedy is a sports(ish) show that non-sports fans can fall in love with too. Wilson plays Pryce Cahill, who’s been unhappily relegated to teaching retirees how to swing when he discovers a diamond in the rough — a talented teen who sneaks onto the range where Cahill works — and decides to mentor him.
This Week in History
Michelangelo’s “David” Is Installed in Florence, Italy
June 8, 1504
Paolo Lo Debole/Getty Images
On this day in 1504, Michelangelo’s “David” — at the time still incomplete — was installed inside a wooden shed at the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. There, without any onlookers, the artist put the finishing touches on his 17-foot masterpiece, and three months later, it was unveiled to the public. “Considered the prime statement of the Renaissance ideal of perfect humanity,” per Britannica, the sculpture depicts the unlikely hero of the biblical David and Goliath tale. Weighing nearly 12,000 pounds, the artwork was commissioned in 1501 and created from just one slab of marble. It originally had several gilded components, but the gold coating faded over time. Learn some more lesser-known facts about the piece (including that the pupils are heart-shaped).
BetterHelp Therapy Might Be Exactly What You Need
You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Sometimes it just helps to talk — to sort through your thoughts with someone who knows how to listen and guide. And BetterHelp is a great place to start. You’ll get matched with a licensed therapist in under 48 hours, and then you can connect from wherever you’re comfortable (via phone, video, or chat). Right now, you’ll get 25% off your first month.
