|
| Wake up to good news. |
|
| Supported By |
|
|
|
|
Did you know some houseplants can live for decades, even being passed down through generations? That may sound impossible to anyone with a history of forgetting to water their indoor greenery, but if you need proof, simply look to Lisa Eldred Steinkopf. She cares for her late mother’s Boston fern, which appears in family photos from as far back as the 1960s. “Every time I water, I think of [my mom],” Steinkopf told The Washington Post. “Any indoor plant — if you give it good conditions so it’s not stressed and struggling, it has the potential to live for years [or] decades,” added horticulturist Justin Hancock. Check out the outlet’s list of plants that have the best chance of standing the test of time.
|
|
•
|
“Hack,” “rizz,” “iconic,” and more: A Michigan university has released its “banished words list” of 2024, and is accepting submissions for next year
|
|
•
|
Volkswagen Beetles are a rare site in most areas around the world, but in one northern Mexico City neighborhood, the quirky cars abound
|
|
|
|
Innovation
|
|
| Helsinki Leads Ranking of Major Global Cities Most Prepared for Future of Mobility |
|
|
benedek/ iStock
|
A ranking of major cities worldwide that are best prepared for the future of mobility has been released. The 2023 Urban Mobility Readiness Index, an initiative from the Oliver Wyman Forum in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley, analyzed 65 locales using five basic dimensions: infrastructure, social impact, market attractiveness, system efficiency, and innovation.
Now in its fifth year, the ranking also includes two sub-indexes: sustainable mobility and public transit. The first takes into account metrics like electric vehicle ownership, walkability, and cycling infrastructure, while the latter comprises transit commute speed, affordability, utilization rate, and more.
Leading the list is Helsinki, Finland (pictured), “thanks to strong government commitment to building sustainable transport,” per the report. “Car-free zones, an advanced cycling infrastructure, and a modern national railroad network enable residents to use modes other than personal gasoline-powered cars.”
Amsterdam, Stockholm, San Francisco, and Munich rounded out the top 5, followed by Singapore, Zurich, Paris, Copenhagen, and Berlin. Click the link below to see how all 65 fared (several U.S. cities made the top 20) and learn more about how each was measured.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fuel Your Day the Healthy Way
|
|
|
Collagen is essential for healthy skin, joints, and bones, but many collagen supplements on the market are made from animal byproducts and artificial ingredients. NativePath believes in sourcing only the best ingredients for its products, and that’s why the brand offers a collagen powder that’s truly native — or as close to nature as humanly possible.
Carefully crafted from high-quality ingredients, this collagen offers a delightful taste that will leave you wanting more. With just two scoops a day, you’ll fuel your day with a remarkable 20 grams of protein, providing the energy you need to conquer life at your best. Choose NativePath and embark on a journey to a healthier, more vibrant you this year.
|
|
|
|
*Please support our sponsors! They help us keep Nice News free. ♡
|
|
|
|
|
|
Science
|
|
| The Evolution of Language: Why Africa’s Landscapes May Explain the Way Humans Talk |
|
|
melitas/ iStock |
Millions of years ago, many of Africa’s landscapes changed from thick forests to sprawling grasslands, thus marking the beginning of humanity’s progression to bipedalism, per evolutionary theory. Now, new research suggests this shift in the environment may have also influenced the way people speak for the long haul.
“Open landscapes such as the savanna provide us with fewer physical obstructions to negatively impact signal transmissions, meaning our voices can travel further as opposed to in dense forests,” study co-author Charlotte Gannon, who studies language evolution at the U.K.’s University of Warwick, told Newsweek.
She and her team analyzed the vocal calls of orangutans to establish how different “calls” can travel across different landscapes. They determined that “consonant-like calls traveled a lot further than vowel-like calls.”
Gannon called the results “surprising.” She explained that the law of sound propagation would predict the opposite — lower-frequency vowel sounds would be expected to travel further than high-frequency consonant sounds — highlighting the importance of studying living apes to learn about the evolutionary process. “Our results show that living great apes are time-machines of sorts that allow us to re-play key stages in the evolution of speech, language, and ultimately, of the human mind,” she said in a press release.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Culture
|
|
| “One in a Million”: Alabama Woman With Double Uterus Gives Birth to Rare Twins |
|
| Andrea Mabry/ UAB |
Healthy twin girls were born last month following what the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital has called a “one-in-a-million” pregnancy. Kelsey Hatcher, who was diagnosed with a double uterus at age 17, carried one baby in each womb and gave birth just before Christmas.
While having two uteri is rare — only about 0.3% of women are born with the genetic anomaly — many with the condition are still able to get pregnant and safely deliver. Hatcher, who was already a mom to three kids, was just a few weeks into her fourth pregnancy when she learned this time would be different.
“As soon as [the ultrasound technician] moved the wand to the other uterus, I gasped,” Hatcher recalled in a news release, adding: “Sure enough, there was another baby. We just could not believe it.” Her obstetrician, Dr. Shweta Patel, was equally stunned. “Two babies in two uteri were a true medical surprise,” she said.
Hatcher welcomed the first baby on Dec. 19 and the second 10 hours later on the 20th. With two wombs and two birthdays, the infants sparked some debate before they were confirmed to be fraternal twins. “At the end of the day,” concluded Dr. Richard O. Davis, who co-managed the pregnancy, “it was two babies in one belly at the same time. They just had different apartments.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
In Other News
|
|
|
1.
|
Lower gas prices are predicted for 2024: U.S. drivers can expect to pay 13 cents less per gallon than last year, according to GasBuddy. Learn why.
|
|
2.
|
NASA captured incredible images of one of Jupiter’s moons during the closest flyby of the planet in two decades.
|
|
3.
|
Researchers have identified 15 risk factors for young-onset dementia, many of which are modifiable — like vitamin D deficiency and alcohol abuse.
|
|
4.
|
Electric blue bioluminescent waves lit up Sydney’s shoreline late last month, and a night beachcomber was there to capture footage of the phenomenon.
|
|
5.
|
Tigers and tortoises and penguins, oh my! The London Zoo is performing its annual count of animal residents this week, and photos of the process will put a smile on your face.
|
|
|
|
|
Inspiring Stories
|
|
|
A father’s love
The tear-jerking moment a military father surprised his young daughter by coming home for Christmas last year is making the rounds on social media again. Hiding in a giant wrapped box, the dad waited for the little girl to open what was certainly the best gift of the bunch. Watch the beautiful reunion.
|
|
|
“Only one step after the other”
At 92, Alfredo Aliaga is now the oldest person to complete the Grand Canyon's rim-to-rim hike, breaking the previous record set by 91-year old John Jepkema in 2019. Aliaga covered 24 miles in 21 hours over two days this past October. “We are willed by Mother Nature to move,” he told USA Today.
|
|
|
|
|
Post Of The Day
|
|
|
|
|
Quote of the Day
|
|
| “The people we love are built into us.”
- May Sarton
|
|
|
|
|
