Longevity is a hot topic in the health and wellness arena, and scientists are making strides in anti-aging research that could add years to the average human lifespan. But what about the average human joyspan?Conceived of by gerontologist Kerry Burnight, the term refers to the time we spend experiencing joy throughout our lives, and it’s something she believes we should pay particular attention to in our later years. Learn how to measure and expand your joyspan. — the Nice News team
Featured Story
6 Reasons Being a Fan Is Good for You, According to Science
Reed Hoffmann/ Stringer via Getty Images
NFL season kicks off Thursday, heralding in months of fantasy football, water cooler chats about ref calls, and delicious game day snacks. The word “fan” is short for “fanatic,” and depending on the depth of your passion, being one can manifest in some pretty intense ways: Each of us knows — or perhaps even is — the soccer follower who blows their gasket at an unfair call or the Taylor Swift stan who collapses in tears when she takes the stage (our prayers are with anyone in earshot of a superfan when news of her engagement broke). But science suggests that becoming emotionally invested in a sports team, artist, or creative work can actually benefit not only the devotee themself, but everyone else as well. As David Sikorjak, co-author of Fans Have More Friends, told Healthline: “It is good for you, good for others, and good for society.” Click below to learn some of the surprising benefits of being a fan.
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Meet the Adorable App Helping People Stay Focused in a Distraction-Filled World
Focus Friend
What better motivation to stay off your phone than knowing that the longer you keep away, the more a bean-shaped friend can keep knitting scarves and socks? This is the premise of Focus Friend, an app designed to help people overcome digital distractions via an adorable gamified experience. It turns out, a cute knitting cartoon can have quite a mighty impact. Focus Friend launched in July, but has been gaining traction more recently — earlier this month, the platform hit No. 1 on Apple’s top free apps chart, surpassing ChatGPT, Google, and Threads, NBC News reported. And for millennials, the app may double as a delightful trip down memory lane, bringing back all the Tamagotchi vibes (minus the stress of keeping a digital pet alive). The stakes are more personal: “It’s about letting people be in control of their attention, not selling their attention to someone else,” co-creator Hank Green, a popular internet educator, said in a TikTok video. Focus Friend rewards reduced screen time, as the longer a user stays focused (i.e., off their phone), the more the bean friend knits — and those knitted goodies can be traded for decorations to deck out the bean’s digital room. Like other productivity apps, Focus Friend also allows users to set timers and temporarily block distractions, such as social media apps.Butthe uniquedigital companion aspect makes focus feel less like a chore and more like caring for a friend. As social media creator Hannah Rae said: “It does tend to be easier for the majority of us to do the ‘right thing’ for something else we want to care for, rather than just doing it for our own benefit in the first place.”
Culture
Sunken City Brought to Surface: 2,000-Year-Old Treasures Pulled From Egyptian Waters
KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images
So much of the world exists under our feet — in this case, we’re talking about a sunken city dating back more than 2,000 years. On Aug. 21, Egyptian authorities uncovered a trove of statues, Roman coins, pieces of limestone buildings, and harbor remnants off the coast of Abu Qir Bay, near Alexandria. The artifacts are believed to be part of ancient Canopus, a once-prominent hub during the Ptolemaic and Roman eras. Rising sea levelsand aseries of earthquakes submerged the city and nearby port, fortuitously preserving a wealth of archaeological remains — some of which are seeing the light of day for the first time in centuries, while others will stay right where they are. “There’s a lot underwater, but what we’re able to bring up is limited, it’s only specific material according to strict criteria,” Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathi said, per CBS News. “The rest will remain part of our sunken heritage.”See more photos of the pieces brought to the surface.
Humanity
Brightly Colored Sculptures Celebrate Mexican Heritage on US Tour
Alebrijes and Nahuales
A rainbow-colored rabbit, a winged cat-like figure, and a whimsical “happy alien” — these are just a few of the fantastical creatures brought to life by Indigenous artisans from Oaxaca. Part of a project called “Alebrijes and Nahuales,” these sculptures reach up to 20 feet tall and can weigh over 1,200 pounds, blending woodcarving techniques with imaginative designs inspired by Mexican magical realism. “For us, it represents our spirit animal that protects us,” Efrain Fuentes, a third-generation woodcarver, told PBS. Now embarking on a nationwide tour across the United States, the sculptures are serving as both a tribute to Mexico’s rich cultural heritage and an invitation to foster connections beyond borders, one awe-inspiring work of art at a time. “Art is the beautiful face of humanity,” said exhibit curator Carlomagno Pedro Martínez. “It is the universal message that we humans give, and this is where there is a fraternal bond between peoples.” The eight-piece art installation is starting in Nevada and California this year, and will be moving farther east next year. See the tour locations.
Sunday Selections
Deep Dives
In this “all-female hacker house,” eight young women worked on shattering AI’s glass ceiling
What’s it like to teach a philosophy course in a prison?
Venezuela’s free music education helped a violinist go from childhood lessons to performances with Coldplay
We’ve all been guilty of playing the “if only” game — but most of us also realize that even the greenest grass doesn’t guarantee happiness. So how do we stop and appreciate what we already have? For Kate Strickler, founder of the lifestyle brand Naptime Kitchen, it all comes down to some simple mindset shifts. In her new book, Strickler identifies and dismantles 10 falsehoods we often tell ourselves about relationships, time, money, and more, offering practical tips and sharing personal stories with her trademark humor.
Crime certainly doesn’t qualify as nice news, but a group of retirees solving cold cases with a side of cake? Getting nicer. Based on the bestselling 2020 novel of the same name, The Thursday Murder Club stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie as amateur sleuths who get together each week in their retirement community to find answers for forgotten-about crimes — until a brand-new whodunit falls at their feet. If you needed any more reason to watch: The film is directed by Chris Columbus and also features David Tennant as a villain. Catch it on Netflix now.
This Week in History
Bobby Fischer Becomes First American to Win World Chess Championship
September 1, 1972
Album / Archivo ABC via Alamy Stock Photo
The first World Chess Championship took place in 1866, and in over a century, no U.S. citizen came out victorious — that’s until a 29-year-old Bobby Fischer claimed victory in 1972. Fischer’s achievement also marked the first time in 24 years that a player who wasn’t from Russia won the title match, per History. Fischer (pictured right) was already a celebrity by the time he went up against reigning champ Boris Spassky at the event, which took place in Reykjavik, Iceland. A child prodigy, Chicago-born Fischer started playing professional chess at age 8 and became the then-youngest international grandmaster at 15. Watch an animation of each move in the championship game.
LMNT Is Your Hydration Hero
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