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Saturday • January 20, 2024
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Earlier in the month, we shared a list of predictions from people in 1924 on what they thought 2024 would look like. But do you know what life was like 100 years ago? Things were quite different: there were only 48 states, a dozen eggs cost around 32 cents, and movies were all silent. But there are some similarities between 1924 and 2024 — that year also saw a Summer Olympics in Paris and a presidential election. To get a better idea, scroll through these vintage photos.
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Science
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| Astronomers Discovered the Oldest Black Hole, and It’s Massive |
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den-belitsky/ iStock
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There remains a considerable amount of mystery surrounding black holes, regions of spacetime characterized by gravity so intense that nothing, even light, can break free. But little by little, we’re learning more and more about these strange phenomena.
Recently, astronomers from the University of Cambridge using the James Webb Space Telescope discovered the oldest black hole ever observed, and it could prompt new theories about the space objects. It’s located in the host galaxy GN-z11, which is believed to have formed around 13.4 billion years ago. And it’s surprisingly large: about 1.6 million times the mass of our sun.
This finding, published in the journal Nature, challenges assumptions about the growth of black holes, suggesting that they may form in different ways, such as being “born big” or consuming matter at a rate five times higher than previously thought.
“This black hole is essentially eating the [equivalent of] an entire sun every five years,” lead author Roberto Maiolino told NPR. “It’s actually much higher than we thought could be feasible for these black holes.”
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Boost Your Collagen in 2024
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Pop quiz: What’s the body’s most abundant protein? It’s collagen — and you can boost yours with NativePath. The company’s certified grass-fed collagen powder is made from pasture-raised cows and contains 18 grams of protein per suggested serving.
NativePath believes in sourcing only the best ingredients for its products, and that’s why the brand offers a collagen powder that’s truly native, or as close to nature as humanly possible. Start incorporating it daily to support skin elasticity, joint health, bone strength, and muscle growth and maintenance.
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*Please support our sponsors! They help us keep Nice News free. ♡
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Health & Wellness
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| The Scientific Reason Toddlers Repeat Themselves, Over and Over (and Over) Again |
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Rawpixel/ iStock
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The world of toddlers is amazing: Research shows they’re learning about eight new words and laughing hundreds of times per day, and their brains grow to 80% of their maximum size by age 3.
In addition to growth and giggles, the toddler stage is known for repetition — meaning playing the same games, watching the same movies, and reading the same stories on repeat. Sure, it might be tiresome for parents and caregivers, but according to scientists, that repetition is how toddlers learn, build connections, and make sense of their surroundings.
“Brain wiring is made possible by repetition,” Harvard neuroscientist Charles Nelson III told NPR. “If you have a whole group of neurons that have to start to develop into a circuit, they need to be fired over and over. Neurons that fire together, wire together.” Rebecca Parlakian, who works at a nonprofit focusing on early childhood development, added: “When it comes to brain development, practice makes permanent.”
Repetition allows toddlers to make predictions, which produces happy hormones and helps them feel more in control. “Children do things over and over again until it’s really clear to them what's going to happen,” Linda Blair, a child psychologist, explained to the BBC. “It makes them laugh — they laugh when the tower falls down the second and third time, and that's because they’re getting this hit of reward in their brain.” Hence the hundreds of giggles.
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Animals
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| In Italy, a Centuries-Old “Heartfelt Tradition” Is Helping to Save European Perch |
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Mo-Jo-Lo/ iStock
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Ask anyone who’s been to Lake Maggiore, Italy’s second largest lake, and you’ll likely hear rave reviews about the grand villas and stunning scenery. However, for locals, there’s also a much-appreciated treasure beneath the surface: the European perch, also known as pesce persico.
“The persico is the king of the lake,” Viviana Guenzi, a Lake Maggiore native, told Smithsonian Magazine. “[It] is part of our collective identity.” Unfortunately, the fish have been steadily declining due to the impacts of climate change, pollution, and overfishing. In an effort to protect the species, a team of divers is building human-made fish nurseries from tree branches.
The creative solution goes back generations. Per Smithsonian, in the 17th century, fishermen realized persico eggs had a better chance of hatching when they were suspended on plants versus being on the lake bottom, so they would position bundles of tree branches in the water for nesting.
Flash forward to 2017, when the conservation-focused nonprofit La Pinta was formed and brought back the “heartfelt tradition,” as Guenzi described it. The result? They ended up with a nearly 100% success rate of hatched eggs. “We grew up here, so for us, the lake is our treasure,” said Matteo Felici, one of La Pinta’s founders. “It is our duty to know it and protect it.”
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In Other News
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Investing in women’s health could add at least $1 trillion to the global economy by 2040, a recent report found.
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A historic geothermal spa in Southern California is reopening as a wellness resort after being closed to the public for almost 30 years. Explore the site.
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Early Tudor wall paintings, unseen for nearly three centuries, were discovered in a loft space during renovations at Cambridge’s Christ’s College.
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The newly elected mayors of two neighboring New Jersey towns are brothers who grew up in a family of seven kids. Read their heartwarming story.
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Snow day: Giant pandas at a research center in China enjoyed a day of winter play, rolling around in the snow and snacking on bamboo.
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Inspiring Stories
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Helping hand
The IREDE Foundation in Nigeria, funded up to 70% through crowdsourcing, has provided over 500 free artificial limbs to amputee children in a country where such prosthetics are often financially inaccessible. “We have limbs that function almost as perfectly as the limbs that have been lost,” said orthopedic surgeon Olasode Isreal-Akinmokun.
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Hero pup
A missing hiker on the Lanipo Trail in Hawaii was rescued after her barking dog led rescuers to her location on a steep mountain slope.
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Post Of The Day
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@Chelsnii
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This TSA agent definitely passed the vibe check! Chelsea’s viral post from 2022 also prompted fellow social media users to share their own funny TSA interactions, including stories about luggage full of instant ramen, Kit Kats, and more. (Photo Credit: @Chelsnii/ X)
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Quote of the Day
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| “To listen is to lean in, softly, with a willingness to be changed by what we hear.”
- Mark Nepo
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