Want to brighten a kid’s day? Right now, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is asking the public to send Halloween cards to pediatric patients — all you have to do is select one of the card options and write a sweet message. Hospital staff will hand deliver the cards (which the kids can color in) alongside a goodie bag and some Halloween treats. And you’ll be making a difference in more ways than one: A donor is giving the Children’s Fund$1for every card sent by Oct. 31, up to $50,000.
Must Reads
Talk about rush hour: More than 1 billion birds flew over the U.S. one night last week
Claude Monet is having a New York moment — see a glimpse of the French impressionist’s new Brooklyn exhibit
Science
“Superwood” Looks Like Regular Timber, but It’s Lighter and Stronger Than Steel
InventWood
What’s up to 10 times stronger than steel yet six times lighter, and has the potential to make buildings more resilient, sustainable, and earthquake-resistant? It’s Superwood — an innovative material that could set a new standard for the construction industry. Developed over the course of a decade by researchers at InventWood, the new-and-improved timber undergoes a chemical treatment to enhance its cellulose content. That involves boiling and hot-pressing it, resulting in a denser material and a higher strength-to-weight ratio than normal wood. Sheer strength aside, Superwood is also moreresistant to dents, fungi, and insects,and it shows promise at having a higher resistance to earthquakes and fires. “It looks just like wood, and when you test it, it behaves like wood, except it’s much stronger and better than wood in pretty much every aspect that we’ve tested,” InventWood CEO Alex Lau told CNN, noting that the material’s manufacturing carbon emissions are higher than regular wood but 90% lower than steel. Superwood is currently produced commercially for external applications, such as decking and cladding, but researchers foresee it being used internally for wall panels, flooring, and furniture as soon as next year. Looking further ahead, the hope is that the wood could be used to make entire buildings. Watch a deep dive into how Superwood is made.
Together With Honeycomb
This New Toilet Paper Just Might Save the World
Every 24 hours, 27,000 trees are cut down just to make toilet paper. We think that’s far too many, and Honeycomb agrees, which is why the brand created luxury three-ply made from bamboo. It feels just like regular high-end toilet paper, but doesn’t harm trees. Why bamboo? It grows insanely fast — almost 100 times faster than the average tree — making it a sustainable option to save forests. Bamboo also has uniquely short fibers, which are perfect for creating soft toilet tissue you can feel good about. It’s biodegradable, 100% plastic-free, and Honeycomb delivers straight to you. The best part? Nice News readers can use code NICE35 to get 35% off your first shipment until midnight.
New Surgery Removes Cancer and Reconstructs Breasts in 1 Day
andresr/ iStock
On Monday, we shared an update about how breast cancer survival rates are improving — and today, we have more promising news on the topic. A new one-day surgery is streamlining treatment of the disease by combining cancer removal and breast reconstruction in a single operation. Hairstylist Athaliah McPherson, who was diagnosed with an early-stage breast cancer during a routine mammogram, is among those who have opted for this two-for-one approach, called “total breast reconstruction.” She told ABC News the decision was a “no-brainer.” In comparison to a traditional mastectomy followed by a reconstructive surgery (often with many months in between), this procedure offers patients “better results, lower complication rates, shorter hospital stays, and reduced overall costs,” said Pedro Piccinini, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who conducted McPherson’s surgery, adding that most insurance plans cover the procedure. Six months post-surgery, McPherson is not only in remission but also “100% happy” with the results, partially crediting her swift recovery to the ease of the procedure. Her advice to other women? “Do not skip your yearly mammogram.”
Environment
Just Like Us, Young Songbirds Learn a Thing or Two From Older Siblings
Sonja Wild, UC Davis
Here’s a story to send to your sibling: Even some songbirds learn best from their big brothers and sisters. In a recent study, researchers observed 229 young European great tits over 10 weeks as they attempted to solve two-solution feeding puzzles. The study found that while the juveniles were more likely to succeed if their parents were skilled at solving puzzles, the majority of them learned almost entirely from older siblings or nonparental adults, rather than from the parents themselves. Among the birds who were not the oldest in their brood, older sibling influence accounted for more than 90% of their learning. These findings challenge the traditional view that parents are the primary teachers in animal cultural transmission — and they’re a sign of resilience in the long run, lead author Sonja Wild explained in a statement. “The more diverse animal cultures are, the more resilient populations are to extinction and able to deal with environmental fluctuations,” Wild said. “Such species are less vulnerable because they have many different role models from which to get cultural and socially learned information.”
In Other News
Fertility preservation optionsfor cancer patients are expanding, thanks to a wave of new U.S. state laws (read more)
Leatherback sea turtles have rebounded in Florida following 2024’s challenging hurricane season (read more)
Greece’s Parthenonis scaffold-free for the first time in decades, making it “a completely different monument” (read more)
Putting the power in Powerball: A California man is using part of his winnings to help rebuild Altadena (read more)
New dietary guidelines offer advice on easing chronic constipation — see the list of recommendations (read more)
Something We Love
Sam’s Club Right now, you can join Sam’s Club for just $15 — that’s 70% off the regular membership price. Joining gets you instant savings, member-only prices, and exclusive deals all year-round. Whether you’re stocking up on everyday essentials or planning for the holidays, it’s the perfect time to join. But don’t wait: This offer ends Oct. 31, then it’s gone for good.*
*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate
Inspiring Story
Same time next year?
At just 12 years old, Michelle Zhang took on 37-year-old Hikaru Nakamura, the world’s No. 2 chess player, at the Maritime Open Chess Championship in Canada. While Nakamura ultimately won, the preteen held her own for 65 moves and didn’t make it easy on him — Michelle said she was happy to see he seemed “concerned during the game.” Watch some of the unlikely matchup.
Photo of the Day
Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off
Brandon Dawson, a manufacturing engineer from Santa Rosa, California, took home the top honors at the annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off. The total weigh in? 2,346 pounds. Imagine the number of pumpkin pies you could make …
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