Must Reads

• It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Read up on deals, freebies, and ways to celebrate
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• Scientists spotted 27,500 new asteroids in old telescope images

Science

Study Sheds Light on How Our “Neural Compasses” Keep Us on Track

Our ability to get from point A to point B, whether we’re just going from the front door to our car or hiking through a forest, is something we often take for granted, and hasn’t been extensively studied. Now, researchers are trying to change that: For the first time, a study has pinpointed how the brain’s “neural compass” helps humans orient themselves and avoid getting lost.
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“Keeping track of the direction you are heading in is pretty important,” lead author Benjamin J. Griffiths said in a statement. “Even small errors in estimating where you are and which direction you are heading in can be disastrous.”
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He and his colleagues conducted a series of motion-tracking experiments on 52 participants who were asked to orient themselves while an EEG scalp monitor tracked brain activity. They found that the brain sends out a “directional signal” before any physical movement is made, thus indicating an internal “compass” of sorts.
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“Isolating these signals enables us to really focus on how the brain processes navigational information and how these signals work alongside other cues such as visual landmarks,” Griffiths explained, noting that the work could be used in research on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

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Environment

Nesting Peregrine Falcons on Alcatraz Represent “Tremendous Conservation Success”

Make room Jackie and Shadow, more California birds are making headlines and exciting wildlife lovers. Larry the peregrine falcon and her growing family are now being livestreamed from their home on San Francisco’s famed Alcatraz Island.
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The species’ presence on the island has been hailed by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy as “a tremendous conservation success story.” Per the National Park Service, peregrine falcons previously suffered in the U.S. due to the widespread use of now-banned pesticides like DDT. In 1970, a survey in California found just two peregrine nests in the entire state, making Larry’s brood all the more notable.
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The livestream (which you can watch here) comes from the conservancy and shows Larry, her male partner, and their chicks in their nest at the former prison. Although biologists have been monitoring the nest since last year, the wildlife cam allows them to “share this incredible view of a wild peregrine falcon nest with the world.”

Culture

Here’s What Happened When a Middle School Assistant Principal Banned Phones

When Raymond Dolphin started work as an assistant principal at a middle school in Manchester, Connecticut, he soon became unpopular among students thanks to his no-cellphone policy.
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Dissatisfied with the previous system that involved teachers telling students to keep their phones out of sight, Dolphin implemented a new process in which those with phones put them into individual gray pouches sealed with a magnetic lock, The Washington Post reports. The pouches then stay locked in the kids’ possession until dismissal.
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Amid initial objections from students and some parents, Dolphin assured them that cutting back on phone use is like limiting sugar consumption: “In a matter of months, you start feeling better.” So far, he’s been right.
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Without the distraction of phones, educators can focus more on actually educating. “Now the first thing I say is, ‘Good morning,’ not ‘Take your AirPods out,’” said eighth grade science teacher Dan Connolly.
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Even students, once upset about the policy, are seeing the benefits and connecting more with one another. “People thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to miss so much.’ You don’t miss anything,” Nicole Gwiazdowski, 14, told the Post. “Nothing important is happening outside school.”

In Other News

1. America’s most decorated battleship received some much-needed touch-ups — get a rare behind-the-scenes look at the newly improved USS New Jersey.
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2. A recent study suggests that Alzheimer’s has a distinct genetic form, which could inform future research and treatments.
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3. Bodhana Sivanandan is a 9-year-old chess prodigy breaking gender barriers in the male-dominated game. Watch her play.
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4. Lost and found: Spain’s Prado Museum recovered a painting by Italian Baroque master Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio that was previously considered lost.
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5. You may have already seen photos from the Met Gala, but what about the Debt Gala? The event raises awareness about medical debt and health care inequality — and the guests wear pajamas.

Something We Love

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Recommendations are independently selected by our team but may result in a commission to Nice News which helps keep our content free.

Inspiring Story

50 years and counting

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Louis Queen has been a custodian at Four Seasons Elementary School in Maryland for 50 years — and he’s too busy having a good time to even think about retirement plans. “I have fun at lunch with [the kids] and meeting all the different teachers that came through and the principals,” said the father of two and grandfather of seven.

Photo of the Day

It’s National Wildflower Week, and what better way to celebrate than taking in this stunning photo from Idaho’s Lemhi Pass. We encourage you to seek out some springtime blooms before the week is over (or maybe just listen to Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers”).

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Odds & Ends

🦸 The newest Superman is suited up
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🐛 Consider embracing pests this year
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🧾 Manchester, U.K.’s hottest play is about … accounting?
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🥰 Remember that five-legged pup? She found her home​

Quote of the Day

“We are all worthy of being seen.”

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– AMERICA FERRERA