Happy Valentine’s Day from Nice News! Many might associate today with grand displays of love — rose petals strewn about, fancy tasting menus, sparkling jewels — but don’t forget that small romantic gestures can go far, too. There’s even a new word for the little, meaningful acts that make us feel loved and appreciated: micro-mance. Dive deeper into the trending term and learn how you can incorporate the concept in your relationship.
Here’s the Psychology of a Romantic Relationship That Expands the Self
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This article was written by Gary W. Lewandowski Jr., a professor of psychology at Monmouth University, for The Conversation. It’s common to want to become a better version of yourself. Much like the desires to eat, drink, and avoid harm, human beings also experience a fundamental need to learn, grow, and improve — what psychologists call self-expansion. Consider your favorite activities. Things like reading a book, spending time in nature, volunteering with a new organization, taking a class, traveling, trying a new restaurant, exercising, or watching a documentary all broaden the self. Those experiences add new knowledge, skills, perspectives, and identities. When who you are as a person expands, you enhance your competence and capabilities and increase your ability to meet new challenges and accomplish new goals. Of course, you can achieve self-expansion on your own by trying new and interesting activities (like playing Wordle), learning new things (like advancing through a language app), or working on a skill (like practicing meditation). Research confirms that these kinds of activities help individuals expand themselves, which encourages them to put forth more effort on subsequent challenging tasks. Interestingly, romantic relationships can also be a key source of growth for people — learn how.
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How Nadia Odunayo Turned Her Love for Reading Into a Novel Book Business
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You know when it feels like a book came into your life at just the right time? That’s the goal of Nadia Odunayo’s book-tracking platform, The StoryGraph, which features AI-generated suggestions for a TBR pile based on the user’s reading history and preferences. Think: Goodreads with a tech-savvy twist. The app’s first chapter began after Odunayo — a lifelong reader and founder and CEO of the company — didn’t get into a postgraduate entrepreneurship program, she told Today. Instead, she was offered a place in a coding course. Despite thinking she didn’t fit the stereotype of a “typical coder,” Odunayo completed the course and went on to work as a software developer for five years, all the while developing The StoryGraph as a side project. “It felt ridiculous at times, like really you alone at home, you’re going to build the app that is going to take over Goodreads,” she said. “But because I’m just delusionally optimistic I thought, well yeah, I can do it.” To this day, Odunayo is still the only software developer for the platform, which boasts over 3.7 million users worldwide, many of whom may not know its novel-worthy backstory. “I’ll get messages from women, young women, other women of color, and they will say things like ‘Wow I already loved StoryGraph … I had no idea that the person behind it looked like me,’” she said. “And I think that’s one of the most powerful, amazing things.”
Science
In a Scientific First, Kangaroo Embryos Were Produced Through IVF
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Over 10 million babies have been born through in vitro fertilization, as well as cows, pigs, cheetahs, puppies, a rhino, and more. Now, researchers in Australia are one step closer to adding another species to the list after successfully producing the first kangaroo embryos via IVF. While Australia isn’t lacking kangaroos, the embryos were created in part to help scientists better understand how the embryos grow, so they can help conserve other marsupial species, like endangered koalas, northern hairy-nosed wombats, and Tasmanian devils. “This work gives us a new tool to help preserve genetic material in endangered species,” lead researcher Andres Gambini told NBC News. “By creating and freezing embryos, we can safeguard the unique genetic[s] of these animals.” What’s next? Gambini estimates that bringing a marsupial into the world through IVF could be achieved within a decade. Until then, it’s a fertility breakthrough worth rooting for. As he said, “It can make a real difference for species at risk.”
Global Good
🇹🇼 Taiwan donated more than $1 million to Los Angeles in support of the wildfire relief efforts (read more)
🇵🇱 Two rare black wolves were spotted roaming about in a Polish forest — see one crossing a stream (read more)
🇦🇱 Scientists discovered the world’s largest-known underground thermal lake in an Albanian cave (read more)
🇩🇰 Archaeologists unearthed a Roman helmetand a stash of weapons dating back 1,500 years in Denmark (read more)
🇬🇧 Operation daffodil: Britons have been asked to keep an eye out for rare varieties of the flower species (read more)
Something We Love
The Later Daters If you’re looking for a love-related show to watch today, look no further than The Later Daters. The heartwarming Netflix series follows six singles in their golden years setting out to find love. Assistant Editor Rebekah Brandes has watched the whole series and gives it her stamp of approval as well, describing it as “Love on the Spectrum meets The Golden Bachelor.” – Sean Devlin, Founder and General Manager
Make room, Bridget Jones! Evie Riski, a centenarian from North Dakota, has taken lifelong journaling to a new level. Back in 1936, she received a journal from her father for her 11th birthday. Nine decades later, she has written every single day, with nearly 33,000 entries to show for it. “No excuse for me not to,” she said.
Photo of the Day
Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
From lions to lemurs and wallabies, Scotland’s Five Sisters Zoo made sure all the animals were ready for Valentine’s Day this year.
Treat Loved Ones (or Yourself) With Mejuri Jewelry
Show love this Valentine’s Day with Mejuri fine jewelry. Whether you’re treating your sister, best friend, partner, or yourself, these thoughtfully crafted pieces are the perfect addition to any jewelry collection. Made with high-quality, responsibly sourced materials, they’re designed to last, so every wear feels as special as the first.
