If you’re tired of hearing about the benefits of deep breathing, maybe skip this intro. While the concept is nothing new, it really is incredible that something so basic (and foundational to human survival) can be so powerful both mentally and physically — one recent study found that breath work combined with music can induce an altered state similar to that provided by psychedelics. It doesn’t have to be that intense, though; a simple box breathing technique can quickly lower your heart rate in times of stress: Here’s how to practice it.
Must Reads
What do you do when a beloved old car reaches its final mile?
250-Year-Old Home Built by US Founding Father Hits the Market in Boston
Courtesy of Flylisted/LandVest / SWNS
For the first time in nearly 50 years, a rare piece of U.S. history has hit the market: Founding father John Hancock’s former home is for sale. Located at 10 Marshall Street in Boston, the three-story, Georgian-style Ebenezer Hancock House is 5,748 square feet and sits on a half-acre. It was built by Hancock, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, in 1767, and still has its original hearth and some ceiling beams. The home’s listing price is undisclosed, but the city recently assessed the property at $1.65 million, per WBZ News. According to broker Dave Killen, who listed the property in July, the Boston landmark is on the National Registry of Historic Places. It’s also the only vernacular structure from the mid-1700s that still exists in central Boston. Go inside the home.
Together With Pacaso
Keep This Stock on Your Watchlist
It’s a private company, but Pacaso just reserved the Nasdaq ticker $PCSO. Created by a former Zillow exec who sold his first venture for $120 million, Pacaso brings co-ownership to the $1.3 trillion vacation home industry. The company has generated more than $1 billion worth of luxury home transactions and fees across over 2,000 owners. That’s good for more than $110 million in gross profits in less than five years. It’s no surprise that the same firms that backed Uber and Venmo have already invested in Pacaso. But you don’t have to be a Wall Street firm to invest — Pacaso is giving the opportunity to everyday investors, and over 10,000 people have already become shareholders. You can join them today for just $2.90/share, but don’t wait too long: Invest in Pacaso before the opportunity ends Sept. 18.
This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving the ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the Nasdaq is subject to approvals.
Humanity
Author Went “From Dropout to Doctorate,” and Now He’s Paying It Forward
Dani Guerra
Terence Lester had already gotten involved with gangs and experienced homelessness in his hometown of Atlanta by the time he dropped out of high school at 16. But a few years later, after being arrested for underage drinking, Lester was given what he viewed as a second chance — and he didn’t waste it. He turned his life around, becoming a pastor and eventually earning five degrees, including a doctorate in public policy and social change. The 42-year-old author and activist is sharing his personal experience and the larger social picture it represents in a new bookout today. From Dropout to Doctorate: Breaking the Chains of Educational Injusticedetails the ways the educational system needs to be reworked, how poverty disproportionately affects Black families, and the power of community to lift people up. “Poverty and homelessness aren’t just about lacking housing or income; they’re also about isolation. And isolation can be crushing because it whispers the lie that your story doesn’t matter,” Lester tells Nice News. “That’s why community matters so much. It becomes a kind of living, breathing home, one built from relationships, not walls.” One of the ways Lester helps create community is through Love Beyond Walls, the nonprofit he co-founded with his wife, Cecilia, in 2013. Its initiative Zion’s Closet (named after the couple’s daughter) is a network of free resource rooms that provide families access to food, clothing, hygiene products, and other essentials. Learn how to donate or get involved.
Health
“Helmet” Device Could Transform Parkinson’s Treatment, Study Finds
Morgan Roberts
For patients with Parkinson’s disease, deep brain stimulation surgery — which involves implanting electrodes into targeted areas of the brain — has been a standard treatment for years now. But that could soon change, thanks to an innovative ultrasound “helmet” that delivers precise brain stimulationwithout the need for implants or incisions, according to a study published last week. The device was developed over the course of a decade through a collaboration between University College London and Oxford University. “It is a head helmet with 256 sources that fits inside an MRI scanner,” study co-author and participant Ioana Grigora told The Guardian. “It is chunky and claustrophobic putting it on the head at first, but then you get comfortable.” A little discomfort comes with a big promise, as the device can target brain regions up to 1,000 times smaller than a conventional ultrasound and 30 times smaller than previous deep brain ultrasounds. This allows for more precise targeting of deep brain structures, offering a nonsurgical treatment option for not only Parkinson’s but also potentially schizophrenia, stroke recovery, pain, depression, and other conditions. “The waves reached their target with remarkable accuracy,” said senior author Charlotte Stagg. “That alone was extraordinary, and no one has done it before.” Looking ahead, the researchers hope to further develop the device into a practical clinical tool that could be used at home with AI support. See the helmet in use.
In Other News
One dose of LSD reduced anxiety symptoms in adults for up to three months, a preliminary study found (read more)
“To Protect and Soft Serve”: U.S. police departments are rolling out ice cream trucks to spread goodwill (read more)
The Cliff Diving World Series took place last week — watch brave athletes plunge 65 feet off a bridge (read more)
A new telescope photo shows a rare comet from another star system with a growing tail (read more)
It’s a wrap for the 2025 Venice Film Festival. See the winners list, topped by a Cate Blanchett dramedy (read more)
Something We Love
Mr. Boddington’s Personalized Paperweights I had so much fun designing one of these personalized paperweights for my sister, who is in her first year of graduate school. There are tons of different options for adding customized icons, depending on what theme you’re going for. I can’t wait to see her face when I give it to her! – Marika Spitulski, Writer
Earlier this summer, Daniel Drouin lost his home to a fire — but he didn’t know then that luck was right around the corner. Last week, the musician from Canada’s Prince Edward Island beat the odds to win a brand-new cottage in a raffle. “It’s life-changing really,” Drouin said, noting, “At first, I thought it might be a prank call … but it wasn’t.”
Photo of the Day
STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images
The U.S. was outside the scope of Sunday’s blood moon, but luckily photographers captured the total lunar eclipse for us in all its crimson glory — including in this striking shot of Tokyo’s night sky. See a timelapse of the celestial event rising worldwide.
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