It’s that time of year when it feels like just about everyone has the sniffles. Thankfully, there are quite a few simple remedies for sinus pressure, including decongestant sprays, saline irrigation, and antihistamines (if allergies may be the root cause). You can also use your own two hands: Learn how to massage your sinuses to drain them, and get advice from an expert on when it’s time to consult a doc about sinus pain.
Walking Group Provides Healing Through Community for Those in Grief
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Grief and loneliness often go hand in hand. So in Northampton, Massachusetts, a walking group is helping those who have lost someone find solace through community. Hosted by Cooley Dickinson Hospital, the bereavement walking group meets for an hour twice a month. But the goal isn’t to get exercise — participants stroll at a leisurely pace to allow room for forging connections and sharing experiences. Shelly Bathe Lenn, a bereavement counselor at the hospital, takes a hands-off approach to let conversation spark naturally. While topics can be as casual as a recent sports game, participants often delve into deeper territory as they open up about moments with their late loved ones. “That’s when the magic happens,” Lenn told NPR, adding, “They’re sharing experiences that most of them feel like they couldn’t share with anybody else.” For many walkers, another perk is the opportunity to get out of the house. After her husband died, “I was doing way too much sitting around,” Helena Donovan said. “And this gets me up and gets me moving, and I always feel better when I move.” Diana, whose husband died nearly a year ago, agreed: “Being outside distracts your mind. Sometimes we are so focused on our pain, but when you are outside, you’re walking. It kind of helps.” If you or a loved one is grieving this holiday season, revisit our guide to supporting someone who’s experienced loss.
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Used Tennis Balls From Wimbledon Become Cozy Homes for Tiny Mice
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The Wimbledon Championships are serving up a second life for used tennis balls — and the beneficiaries are pretty adorable. In England, conservationists turn old tennis balls into new homes for some of the country’s tiniest residents: harvest mice. Leicestershire park ranger Dale Osborne told Good Good Good he first employed the idea in 2013, though it had been circulating in conservation communities previously. That year, flooding had devastated Watermead Country Park North’s harvest mouse population, which nests in the reeds. To help the creatures survive, Osborne cut small openings into tennis balls and propped them up on raised stakes, safe from floods and predators. There, Osborne said, the mice could raise their litters — just one ball can fit up to 10 tiny rodents. The initiative has continued ever since, and donated tennis balls are a key part of its success. Now, Wimbledon is in on the action, sending used tennis balls every year to projects like Osborne’s instead of sending them to landfills. It’s part of the tournament’s broader sustainability effort, which includes a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2030. See the mice in their tennis ball nests.
Tech
3D-Printed Cello Made of Carbon Fiber Could Expand Instrument Access
Yale Engineering
Yale University engineering student Elijah Lee believes that “music shouldn’t be confined by price or fragile wood” — so he’s making orchestral instruments more durable and affordable with some different materials. Concert-grade cellos can cost up to $15,000, and tend to be so large and delicate that they’re difficult to travel with. Over a six-year span, Lee and his high school orchestra director, Alfred Goodrich, used 3D-printing to develop a cello made out of carbon fiber and polymer. The pair first built a custom 3D printer at Goodrich’s house, then redesigned the cello’s structure. They crafted some sections from carbon fiber and others from polymer, reserving wood for certain vital components to ensure a high-quality sound. The resulting instrument can be tuned for optimal acoustics, and is capable of withstanding travel and temperature changes. Through their company, Forte3D, the duo sell the carbon fiber cello for $2,950. The Forte3D team also took an exciting step in November: Their appearance on Shark Tank resulted in an investment offer and national recognition. Since then, they’ve released a 3D-printed violin and are exploring viola designs. The company plans to offer its products to schools and musicians who can’t afford traditional instruments. “If we can put instruments in the hands of more people, spark curiosity, and make music accessible to everyone, then we’ve really built something that can change the way the world hears music,” Lee said in a news release. Listen to the carbon fiber cello being played.
In Other News
Researchers created the first “organoids” modeled after human hearts to help develop treatments for A-fib (read more)
The world’s first seahorse national park is open in the Bahamas, with a bioluminescent lagoon coming soon (read more)
To curb energy waste, scientists invented a silicone gel that can improve window insulation (read more)
More than 1,400 couples kissed underneath the National Mistletoe in D.C. on Saturday, setting a new record (read more)
“The business of encouragement”: Retired teachers are writing old-school lettersfor kids with bone cancer (read more)
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Inspiring Story
A lifesaving connection, forged over gumbo
For 10 years, Charlie Hicks ordered the same cup of gumbo every day for lunch and dinner at the Shrimp Basket restaurant in Pensacola, Florida. So when the 78-year-old didn’t show up for a few days, chef Donell Stallworth drove to his apartment to check on him. After Stallworth found Hicks lying on the ground with two broken ribs, he ensured he made it to the hospital — and from there, the restaurant staff brought Hicks gumbo during his recovery and helped him find a new apartment next to the Shrimp Basket. Three months after the incident, Hicks resumed his usual routine, all thanks to his new neighbors.
Photo of the Day
Pakawich Damrongkiattisak/Getty Images
The 2025 Southeast Asian Games are underway in Thailand — Malaysia’s Wong Weng Qin Mavia is pictured here competing in the final round of the rhythmic gymnastics competition on Monday. Sanctioned by the SEA Games Federation, the biennial event, wrapping up Saturday, hosts sports events ranging from judo and handball to tug-of-war.
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