Everyone wants to get a good night’s rest, but beware of going to extremes: Becoming consumed with obtaining perfect sleep can actually lead to obsession and anxiety that ends up hindering your snooze. Experts recommend tuning out the “sleep maximization” content creators on social media and instead focusing on what makes you comfortable. And if you really can’t sleep? Consider just getting out of bed.
A roundup of books to read this National Hispanic Heritage Month (and all year long)
Science
Rhino Is on Her Feet Again After a World-First Surgery
University of Liverpool
Meet Amara, an adorable southern white rhino who got a rare chance at a more agile life: The nearly 2-year-old is the first in her species to undergo surgery to repair a fractured ulna. Earlier this year, Amara’s carers at the Knowsley Safari in England noticed the typically playful rhino was having trouble getting around, with a “mysterious limp” in her right leg. Knowing something wasn’t right, they called in a team of equine surgeons and discovered the unusual fracture near her wrist joint, an injury that had yet to be documented in rhinos. Despite a lack of precedence, the surgeons applied their expertise from treating horses to perform a five-hour keyhole operation on Amara’s leg. David Stack, who was involved in the surgery and recovery process, said it was “unlike anything we’ve experienced previously.” “Treating Amara has been a truly groundbreaking veterinary journey incorporating many firsts which we will now document should another animal team encounter similar scenarios in the future,” Stack shared in a statement. Now, after wearing a cast for nearly seven months, Amara is up on her feet again, exploring the world with mom Meru by her side— and forever leaving her mark on the veterinary world.
Together With EnergyX
America’s Next Energy Boom Is Here
The American dream is made by seeking new frontiers. Well, energy’s new frontier is lithium, the key component in batteries for phones and EVs. That’s why the U.S. is funneling billions into securing domestic supply. Thankfully, EnergyX is poised to seize this opportunity — a charge investors can tap into for a limited time. EnergyX’s tech can extract lithium 300% more efficiently than conventional methods. Plus, where those take more than 12 months, EnergyX needs just two days. They already received a more than $5 million DOE grant toward a U.S. lithium plant aiming to produce five times as much as any current plant. Now they’re working toward 66% higher annual production than the current top-producing company. That’s why GM and others invested over $100 million combined. Join EnergyX as an investor by Oct. 3.
This is a paid advertisement for EnergyX's Regulation A+ Offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.energyx.com.
Culture
“The Daily” Host Michael Barbaro Puts a Positive, Soporific Spin on His Popular Podcast
Dejan_Dundjerski/ iStock
Fans of both Nice News and The Daily are in for a treat. Michael Barbaro is teaming up with the meditation app Calm to put a positive, nighttime spin on his popular news podcast. Naturally, it’s called The Nightlight. In the sleep story, available to Calm subscribers, Barbaro puts his iconic, soothing voice to good use as he shares three uplifting, nonpartisan news stories “to relax the mind and send listeners to sleep,” per a press release shared with Nice News. Rather than ad breaks, Barbaro breaks up the stories with tidbits on the benefits of things like smiling and gratitude. “I may have a soothing voice, but a lot of the stories I tell are not exactly relaxing,” the New York Times podcast host said. “That’s why I was so excited to work with Calm to tell a sleep story featuring nothing but good news that I hope can help you get to sleep.”
Tech
To Curb E-Waste, University Student Makes Small Devices out of Dissolvable Paper
Dyson
The tech era brings plenty of good, but it also means there’s a lot (and we mean a lot) of electronic waste. To help chip away at some of that, Franziska Kerber, an Austrian university student, found a way to craft small devices like Wi-Fi routers and smoke detectorsout of a special dissolvable paper. Called “Pape,” Kerber’s unique invention was named a national winner of the 2024 James Dyson Awards earlier this month. On the awards’ site, she explained that she’s focusing on small devices as they “are especially prone to ending up in household waste.” Kerber added: “There is significant potential to develop a more user-friendly end-of-life system. With this in mind, I aimed to move beyond a simple recycling solution to a circular one, ensuring long-term sustainability.” More broadly, she hopes Pape will spark a larger conversation about ways to advance technology so it plans for inevitable obsolescence. “Does anyone want to use a 1,000-year-old computer? Of course not. That’s why Pape employs planned obsolescence for its core material, coupled with a designed end-of-life system. This ensures a sustainable and reliable system without hindering technological advancement.” Take a closer look at her invention.
In Other News
The U.S. Postal Service revealed its new Hanukkah stamp, designed as a “beautiful image of remembrance.”
Good news for the needle-shy: The first at-home nasal spray vaccine for the flu was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. Learn when you can get it.
Residents in six swing states have a shot at winning free concert tickets just by checking their voter registration status.
The WNBA picked Portland, Oregon, as the home of its 15th team, set to begin playing in the 2026 season.
A stolen portrait of Winston Churchill was recovered and is now on its way home to Ottawa, Canada.
Something We Love
Wicked by Gregory Maguire If you’re as hyped as I am for the upcoming Wicked film adaptation, I recommend digging into the source material. After starting the first book, I was blown away by the incredibly vivid, intelligent, and imaginative writing — it’s both fantastic yet grounded in reality, and you’ll fall in love with the characters and humor. Now I’m onto the second in the four-part series! Start reading soon to get ready for the movie premiere in November. — Rebekah Brandes, Assistant Editor
Ninth grader Emilio Santana grew out his hair for six years, all so he could give it away one day. That day recently arrived, as Emilio donated 2 feet of his locks to Hair We Share, a nonprofit that makes wigs for people with medical hair loss. “To the person I’m giving my hair to, you’re beautiful either way — with hair, with no hair — and I really hope my hair brings you joy and puts a smile on your face,” the generous Rhode Islander said.
Photo of the Day
SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
The pygmy hippo Moo Deng has been dominating the adorable animal corner of the internet for a few weeks now, but here’s another cute creature to have on your radar: Pesto the penguin. The massive, fuzzy young bird lives at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Australia — and he’s the largest penguin chick the organization has ever seen. “At just 9 months old, Pesto tips the scales at a whopping 21 kg, thanks to his hearty appetite of 25 fish a day,” the aquarium said. For those not versed in the metric system, that’s nearly 50 pounds. See more Pesto content.
Quip’s Oscillating Toothbrush Does the Hard Work for You
The 360 Oscillating Toothbrush from Quip has a round brush head that oscillates, rotates, and pulsates to help remove plaque. Unlike a manual toothbrush or an electric toothbrush with sensitive vibrations, the oscillating bristles do the work for you — no scrubbing needed. The result? Improved plaque removal and whitening. It doesn’t hurt that it looks sleek as can be on your bathroom vanity.
