Educators have a lot of wisdom to share — the question is whether their pupils are actually absorbing it. Joseph Fasano, a former professor at Manhattanville University, can be assured that his students were not only listening to what he said, but writing it down. Fasano recently posted some pictures of a 152-page book that students filled with his classroom musings (like “Every day of your life is a rough draft” and “You know what makes writing slower? Talking”). See a few of the entries.
Must Reads
The case for reading children’s books as an adult
Newly Described Fish Named After Beloved “Sesame Street” Character
David Harasti
A real-life Snuffleupagus exists — but unlike the cuddly character from Sesame Street, this one lives under the sea. Described for the first time in a recent paper, the hairy ghost pipefish species has officially been dubbed Solenostomus snuffleupagus thanks to the brightly colored filaments that give it a decidedly shaggy appearance. While marine biologist David Harasti first spotted the furry-looking fish in coral near Papua New Guinea in 2001, it wasn’t until 2020 that he and research partner Graham Short were able to obtain a pair from the Great Barrier Reef. They later confirmed the fish is an entirely new species, only known to be located in the southwestern Pacific. “Once you see it, the resemblance to Snuffleupagus is impossible to ignore,” Harasti told Popular Science. Like other ghost pipefish, the species can blend in with its surroundings, using its flamboyant “hair” to hide among filamentous algae within coral reefs. As for Sesame Street, the show is all for its association with the sea creature. Rosemarie Truglio, Sesame Workshop senior vice president of global education, said in a statement: “Connecting science with imagination and discovery is what Sesame Street has always been about, and this charming new species is a wonderful reminder that there is still so much to explore and learn about the world.” Watch footage of “Snuffy” underwater.
Together With NPCA
Insider Tips on Planning the Best National Park Adventure
Are you planning to visit a U.S. national park this summer? Join the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and its partner Travelodge® by Wyndham for a virtual Park Talk on May 27 to get insider tips on planning your best park visit yet. This Park Talk is just one of many resources NPCA and Travelodge have created over their decade-long partnership to inspire more people to have enjoyable and responsible park visits. In honor of this collective impact and the more than $1.2 million donated by Travelodge to date, NPCA recently recognized Travelodge as the 2026 recipient of its National Park Defender Award. Don’t miss this chance to learn from the pros and kickstart your best national park summer.
Scientists Are Developing a “Very Promising” Hantavirus Vaccine
EnsiliTech / SWNS
A team of scientists has been hard at work at a U.K. laboratory developing a vaccine against a strain of hantavirus, the virus family at the center of the recent deadly outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship. Hantaviruses are carried by rodents such as mice and rats and are most commonly transmitted by their droppings and urine. Transmission between people is rare, and the World Health Organization has said the risk to the public from the current spate of cases is low (this graphic puts it in perspective). There is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for infections, however, which can range from mild to life-threatening. The international group of scientists say they’ve created a new antigen against Hantaan disease, a type of hantavirus, and are seeing promising early signs of its effectiveness. For context, the strain responsible for the cruise ship cases is Andes virus. “This is a completely new vaccine that has now been tested in the laboratory and in animal models, indicating excellent immune response,” chemistry researcher Asel Sartbaeva told SWNS. “While more work needs to be done to bring this vaccine to public (clinical trials and approvals), this is a very promising development of a completely new and needed vaccine.”
Culture
Despite All the Likes, Literallys, and Dropped G’s, English Isn’t Decaying Before Our Eyes
LisaStrachan—iStock/Getty Images
This article was written by Valerie M. Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada, Reno, for The Conversation. As a linguistics professor, I’m often asked why English is decaying before our eyes, whether it’s “like” being used promiscuously, t’s being dropped deleteriously, or “literally” being deployed nonliterally. While these common gripes point to eccentric speech patterns, they don’t point to grammatical annihilation. English has weathered far worse. Let’s start with something we can all agree on: Old English, spoken from approximately A.D. 450 to 1100, is pretty unintelligible to us today. Anyone who’s had the pleasure of reading Beowulf in high school knows how different English back then used to sound. Word endings did a lot more grammatical work, and verbs followed more complicated patterns. Remnants of those rules fuel lingering debates today, such as when to use “whom” over “who,” and whether the past tense of “sneak” is “snuck” or “sneaked.” Read more about how English has evolved over time.
In Other News
A newMars Perseverance selfie shows the planet’s rocky, red terrain in fascinating detail (read more)
The University of Chicago will offer free tuition to students with family incomes under $250,000 a year (read more)
Animal torture is now a felony on the first offense in Iowa, the final state to pass such a law (read more)
A program lets donors “adopt” sea turtle hatchlings in North Carolina to ensure their safe passage to the water (read more)
Harrison Ford emphasized respect for Indigenous peoplein an Arizona State University graduation speech(read more)
Inspiring Story
Cozy for a cause
In 2024, a group of women in their 70s, 80s, and 90s living at a care home in England joined forces to make blankets for a baby rhino that was recovering from a hyena attack in South Africa. The “Knitting Nannas” have since created mini sweaters for penguins and enrichment toys for monkeys — and now they’re selling knitted elephant plushies to support a wildlife nonprofit. Take a look.
Photo of the Day
Adam Pretty/Getty Images
Often believed to be the first-ever river surfing spot, Munich’s Eisbach river has reopened after its natural wave disappeared last fall due to a city dredging project. “We are happy, relieved, and deeply grateful to see this place return — not only as a wave, but as a symbol of Munich’s surf culture,” Munich Surf Club wrote on Instagram. See it in action.
Unlock Your Inner Chef With America’s Test Kitchen
Cooking a delicious meal doesn’t have to be intimidating — America’s Test Kitchen is here to help. For a limited time, Nice News readers can get free access to ATK’s library of over 14,000 rigorously tested recipes for 14 days. With an ad-free experience across your devices, you’re sure to find your family’s next favorite meal.
