Easter is coming up in a few weeks, which for many families means busting out the egg-dying kits. But with current prices, who really wants to use up precious eggs on a craft that renders them inedible? Thankfully, eggs aren’t the only thing that dye works on — you can try marshmallows, air-dry clay, or even boiled potatoes. Get more Easter crafting ideas.
Must Reads
Wildfires are continuing to burn in North and South Carolina — here’s how you can help the victims
How to Watch the Northern Lights in Real Time — From Your Living Room
COLE BURSTON/AFP via Getty Images
In case you haven’t seen the plethora of photos being shared online, the past year or so has been prime time for spotting the northern lights. Due to a geomagnetic storm, they’ve been putting on a show this past week and were visible in several U.S. states Thursday and Friday. And last May’s spectacle was possibly one of the strongest aurora displays on record in the past five centuries. We can thank the sun, which hit peak activity in its 11-year solar cycle in August, for the recent boom. When there are more sunspots erupting on the star’s surface, more energy is released into space, which then reacts with oxygen and nitrogen in our atmosphere to create the vibrant hues. Activity is also higher during the spring and autumn equinoxes, when extra solar energy interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field due to the planet’s lack of tilt in relation to the sun. But if you don’t want to drop everything to head north (or endure frigid temps) this year, there’s a delightful alternative: the Polar Bears International Northern Lights Cam. Streaming live from Churchill, Manitoba, Canada — “one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights,” per the organization — you can tune in year-round for a chance at glimpsing the aurora, all from the comfort of your living room. Here’s how to watch.
Together With Timeplast
Japanese Water Soluble Plastic Has American Competition
Japan’s RIKEN institute recently unveiled a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours — a breakthrough in the fight against pollution. But Florida-based Timeplast may have quietly surpassed it. With seven patents and a proprietary process called “molecular disintegration,” Timeplast’s plastics dissolve not just in seawater, but also in freshwater, rain, humidity, and soil. Unlike traditional solutions, these materials leave no microplastics behind and maintain the strength of conventional plastics. Already used in 3D-printing and flexible composites, Timeplast’s lineup is versatile and scalable. Crowdfunded by over 6,000 investors, the company is free from VC constraints and aligned with the public. Timeplast isn’t just innovating — it’s leading a plastic revolution with global implications. Become a Timeplast shareholder now.
This is a paid advertisement for Timeplast’s Regulation CF Offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.timeplast.com.
Environment
With Nonprofit Force Blue, Special Ops Vets Dive Into Marine Conservation
Courtesy of FORCE BLUE
After 25 years of service as a combat rescue officer in the Air Force, Brian Gebo recently embarked on a different kind of mission — this one involving sea turtles. “There is nothing like diving in to wrangle your first 350-pound loggerhead, bring it to the surface and load onto the boat to test, tag, and document before releasing back into the water,” Gebo tells Nice News. That assignment, in which the 47-year-old and his teammates helped track loggerhead and green sea turtles in the Key West National Marine Sanctuary, is one of many the veteran has tackled as part of Force Blue, a nonprofit that spearheads marine conservation missions. The organization recruits, retrains, and redeploys highly skilled volunteer vets, which not only benefits the environment, but also serves as “mission therapy” during servicemembers’ transition to civilian life. “Like our director of diving operations, Angelo Fiore, says, in the military, we were weapons of mass destruction, but now through Force Blue, we are weapons of mass construction,” Gebo shares. Read our full interview with Gebo.
Humanity
Avoiding Your Neighbor Because of How They Voted? Democracy Needs You to Talk to Them Instead
wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Plus
This article was written by Betsy Sinclair, a professor and chair of political science at Washington University in St. Louis, for The Conversation. Are you angry about politics right now? Seething? You’re not alone. According to the Mood of the Nation Poll by researchers at Penn State, 9 in 10 Americans can name a recent news event or something about American politics that made them angry. Political scientists Steven Webster, Elizabeth Connors, and I have investigated what happens to people’s social networks — their friends, family, and neighbors — when partisan anger takes over. For example, suppose your neighbor is a member of the opposite political party. You’ve always watered their plants when they go on vacation. Given the news these days and how angry you’re feeling, what will you say when they ask for help during their next trip? We see that political anger disrupts ordinary life — coffee with a friend — as well as more major life decisions. Political anger breaks our social networks. People rely on their relationships to understand our world — and to vote. The more we isolate ourselves from people who see things differently, the easier it is to misunderstand them, pushing us to separate even more. Learn how to connect with your neighbors.
In Other News
Meet LatAmGPT, an AI tool that aims to reflect the nuances of Latin American culture (read more)
Think you have sleep apnea? A new law makes screenings and at-home tests free for NYC residents (read more)
“Nuts for fossils”: This Minnesota man launched a natural history museum to display his lifelong collection (read more)
Vacant church land became a garden that cultivates 65,000 pounds of food a year for its Ohio community (read more)
Artwork by one of the first professional female painterswas rediscovered in a French museum’s storage room (read more)
Inspiring Story
Shedding fur and fear
When Crawfish the poodle arrived at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah last August, he was unrecognizable underneath a hefty coat of matted fur. But now, he’s sporting a new ’do, thanks to an “intense makeover” from staffers. And it’s not just his sweet face that’s come to light: Though the pup would initially sit in the corner and hide at the sanctuary, Crawfish soon began making friends, joining dog play groups, and breaking out of his shell — and he was recently adopted into his forever home.
Photo of the Day
Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air fans have long known that West Philadelphia is where Will Smith was born and raised — but now, there’s off-screen evidence tagging the actor to his hometown too. In a Wednesday ceremony, Philadelphia’s mayor and city leaders joined Smith in the christening of Will Smith Way, a renamed street next to his high school. “Philly, I love you. I am yours. You are mine,” Smith said.
10 Amazon Prime Perks You Should Be Using, Courtesy of Brad’s Deals
Free shipping and exclusive shows make Amazon Prime worth it for most of us — but there’s so much more to discover. Free music and podcasts, access to lightning deals, and Whole Foods discounts are just a few lesser-known perks you don’t want to miss out on. Read the full list from Brad’s Deals below.
