Amid apprehension about the U.S. economy, a travel trend appears to be emerging. When planning summer vacations, some are forgoing jetting off on extravagant getaways in favor of a more affordable option: the classic American road trip. Picture it — the wind whipping through your hair, the music blasting on the radio, and the country revealing its wonders, one roadside attraction at a time. And there are a ton of digital tools that can help you make the most of your journey — Roadtrippers lets you plan out routes and find cool spots to explore, and the free app GasBuddy ranks the prices at all nearby gas stations from lowest to highest.
Featured Story
A NY Couple’s Viral Instagram Account Highlights the Charm of “Cheap Old Houses”
HGTV
Old homes are distinctly beautiful, not merely aesthetically — some certainly don’t fall into that category — but also for the history they preserve. Countless people on social media follow accounts dedicated to these kinds of houses, some of which were built hundreds of years ago. They’re also often inexpensive, their low prices a reflection of the work needed to make them habitable again. One five-bedroom Victorian home in Ohio, complete with a grand staircase and butler’s pantry, was recently listed for $135,000; another, a four-bedroom in Michigan, dates back to 1880 and sold for just $29,900. Both were featured on an Instagram account that’s become somewhat of a phenomenon. Run by married couple Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein, Cheap Old Houses boasts 2.8 million followers, and its success landed the pair their own HGTV series. Learn about the motivation behind the account and check out some of the houses they’ve featured at the link below.
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Harvard Paid $27 for a Magna Carta “Copy” That’s Actually a Rare Original
Lorin Granger/Harvard Law School
In 1946, Harvard Law School purchased what was then believed to be a copy of the Magna Carta for $27.50, or a little under $500 in today’s money. Nearly eight decades later, British historians have verified that the document is no copy, but rather an extremely rare original from the year 1300. The landmark document is well-regarded as a turning point in human rights, establishing in 13th-century England that no one was above the law — including the king. “This is a fantastic discovery,” David Carpenter, a professor of medieval history at King’s College London, told Harvard Law Today. “Harvard’s Magna Carta deserves celebration, not as some mere copy, stained and faded, but as an original of one of the most significant documents in world constitutional history, a cornerstone of freedoms past, present, and yet to be won.” Carpenter, who spearheaded the discovery, came across the digitized version of the document on the Harvard Law Library website and suspected it could be an original. He joined forces with Professor Nicholas Vincent from the University of East Anglia, and the duo established authenticity by comparing the piece’s dimensions, handwriting, and text to the six other known originals. Ultimately, they found Harvard’s version passed the test “with flying colors.” Beyond highlighting the power of research and curiosity, the finding is a testament to the importance of librarians, said Amanda Watson, Harvard Law School’s assistant dean for library and information services: “Behind every scholarly revelation stands the essential work of librarians who not only collect and preserve materials but create pathways that otherwise would remain hidden.” Take a closer look at the 725-year-old document.
Science
Those “Aha!” Moments Aren’t Just Satisfying — They May Help You Remember Information Longer
Shendart/ iStock
When lightbulb moments occur — you know, those instances when you’re struck by a brilliant idea or solution seemingly out of nowhere — they can feel like miracles from the universe. But there’s actually science behind them, and according to a new study, their positive impact could last well beyond the instances themselves. Researchers at Duke University and Germany’s Humboldt and Hamburg Universities found that “eureka moments” may not only reshape the way our brains represent information, but also help us remember the insight for almost twice as long. If you have an “aha!” moment when solving a problem, “you’re actually more likely to remember the solution,” first author Maxi Becker, a postdoctoral fellow at Humboldt University in Berlin, said in a news release. Here’s how the team came to that conclusion.
Tech
Afraid of Cycling Next to Cars? New Handlebar Sensor Could Map Safer Bike Routes
David_Sch/ iStock
Biking has plenty of benefits — but the thought of riding next to drivers who aren’t always watching the road may prevent some bike owners from taking advantage of the pros. That was the driving force (no pun intended) behind a new system developed by University of Washington researchers that could help cyclists choose the safest routes and assuage their fears of the transportation method in the process. Current navigation tools, like Google Maps, are fairly limited when it comes to communicating route safety, as they often only log the number of bike-car collisions reported to them. To get this data, actual crashes have to occur, and information about minor collisions that may be useful to bikers isn’t always accessible. Enter: ProxiCycle, a small sensor in a 3D-printed case that attaches to a bicycle’s handlebars, logs each time a car passes within four feet of it, and sends the data to the cyclist’s phone. “People don’t really feel comfortable getting on a bike and I want to change that,” lead author Joseph Breda said in a news release, adding: “Cycling is really good for your health and for the environment. Getting more people biking more often is how we reap those rewards and increase safety in numbers for cyclists on the roads.” Watch a video of the system in action.
Paris’ Père Lachaise cemetery is teeming with life. That may seem ironic for a final resting place, but it’s also moving: The 100 acres of green space are home to 70,000 graves — including those of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Fredéric Chopin — as well as wildflowers, foxes, stray cats, parrots, owls, and more. The cemetery’s curator, Benoît Gallot, who lives on the grounds with his wife and kids, has earned an unlikely Instagram following for the photos he shares of its plants and animals. In his new book, packed with fascinating facts and touching stories, he details what it’s like caring for the hallowed space.
Sticking with the French theme — this “Frenglish” rom-com, as one excited YouTube commenter referred to it, follows Agathe: a Jane Austen-obsessed 30-something who travels from France to England for a writer’s retreat. When Agathe (who works at a bookstore, of course) meets Austen’s great-great-great-grandnephew at the novelist’s one-time estate, she finds herself in her own Pride and Prejudice-esque situation. The film evades falling into tired trope territory and instead offers a fresh look at courtship in the 21st century, focusing on the fate of the main character’s career as much as her love life.
This Week in History
The Golden Gate Bridge Opens
May 27, 1937
Photographer Unknown/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Some 200,000 people showed up to marvel at San Francisco’s now-iconic landmark the day it opened to foot traffic. The 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge, the world’s longest at the time, had taken over four years to complete, and city residents were eager to walk across it. At 6 a.m., with thousands already lined up — most of them high school students, per PBS — foghorns blasted and the 25-cent toll gates opened. A number of those first pedestrians were determined to cross the bridge in a memorable manner and set a record in the process: That Thursday saw the first tap dancers to cross, the first person to walk back and forth on stilts, the first person to play a tuba on it, and the first to ride a unicycle over it. The following day, the bridge began allowing vehicular traffic. Take a look at footage from opening day.
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