Must Reads

• All the joy: An Inside Out spinoff series is coming to Disney+
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• A peek inside the super secure world of the National Archives, where the Constitution is just one among billions of important documents

Environment

In Virginia, Colorblind Friendly Lenses Make Leaf-Peeping More Accessible

“Every October it becomes important, no necessary to see the leaves turning,” writes Lloyd Schwartz in a poem fittingly titled “Leaves.” We’d agree: Admiring the foliage is one of the best parts of fall — but for the millions of people around the world who are colorblind, the experience isn’t exactly poetry. Rather, it can be a bit underwhelming.
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That’s where colorblind-friendly viewfinders come in. Virginia — home to some of the most breathtaking foliage — is installing stations in state parks with special lenses to help people with red-green colorblindness (the most common form of the condition) distinguish between hues. The lenses, made by EnChroma, look like coin-operated telescopes, but instead of just magnifying the view, they also enhance the scene.
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“Seeing the world in vibrant color is a gift many of us take for granted,” Virginia State Parks Director Melissa Baker said in a press release. “The EnChroma viewfinders help us create a one-of-a-kind experience for our red-green colorblind visitors and allow them to better enjoy the breathtaking beauty of our state parks.”
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The first viewfinder, installed last summer at Natural Tunnel State Park, was such a hit that the program has since expanded to all 43 Virginia state parks. “You all see this every day, huh?” said Bryan Wagner, one of the visitors who is colorblind, per a previous release. “Everything’s not the same green. The colors are more vibrant.” See the difference the viewfinders can make.​

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Science

New “Ghost Shark” Species Is Here Just in Time for Halloween

Boo! Deep in the Pacific waters around Australia and New Zealand, researchers have discovered a new species of “ghost shark.” With bulging black eyes, a long snout, and a “lovely chocolate brown color,” the newly described Australasian narrow-nosed spookfish remains mostly a mystery, and its discovery seems happily timed to the Halloween season.
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“Their habitat makes them hard to study and monitor, meaning we don’t know a lot about their biology or threat status, but it makes discoveries like this even more exciting,” Brit Finucci, a scientist with New Zealand’s Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, said in a statement.
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Although ghost shark specimens have been found elsewhere, recent research indicates that this species is “genetically and morphologically different to its cousins.” So Finucci gave it a new scientific name, “Harriotta avia,” in memory of her grandmother.
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“Avia means grandmother in Latin; I wanted to give this nod to her because she proudly supported me through my career as a scientist,” Finucci said. “[Ghost sharks] are also rather ancient relatives — the grandmas and grandpas — of fish, and I thought the name was well suited.” Meet the spooky swimmer.​

Tech

Startup Develops Brainwave Headband to Help People Fall Asleep Faster

Sleep is one of our favorite topics here at Nice News — we’ve written about sleep languages, the value of naps, and calming meditation practices that can help you snooze better. So we were intrigued when we heard about a startup called Elemind that invented a special headband meant to turn down the volume on ruminating thoughts and help people get to sleep faster.
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In a small study, adults with sleep onset insomnia wore a headband that emits acoustic stimulation that aligned with their brainwaves. Researchers found that 30 minutes of stimulation from the device reduced the time it took participants to fall asleep by 10-15 minutes. “For folks that ruminate a lot before they go to sleep, their brains are actively running. This encourages their brain to quiet down,” David Wang, a co-founder of Elemind, told MIT News.
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The device, currently on pre-order, offers a natural alternative to sleeping pills, explained CEO Meredith Perry. “There’s a number of people that we think would benefit from this device, whether you’re a breastfeeding mom that might not want to take a sleep drug, somebody traveling across time zones that wants to fight jet lag, or someone that simply wants to improve your next-day performance and feel like you have more control over your sleep.”

In Other News

1. Murder rates in the U.S. keep going down, falling nearly 12% last year in the biggest drop since the FBI began collecting data.
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2. Seed to stone: An English scientist is the first to successfully grow a full-size ruby in a lab.
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3. Thailand’s king signed a law making it the first Southeast Asian nation to legalize same-sex marriage, joining 36 other countries.
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4. California is the latest state to limit student smartphone use in an effort to reduce distractions at school and address mental health concerns.
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5. A cobbler made a camel customized shoes to help him walk again. And walking, he is! Check out the strappy flats.​

Something We Love

Sky Guide​
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​How many times have you looked up on a clear night and wondered “is that the Little Dipper”? Sky Guide is an essential app download for that very situation. It’s a pretty cool experience to be able to hold your phone up to the sky and identify every star and planet up above. Plus, you’ll seem like an astronomy wiz to everyone in earshot. For Android users, the Stellarium app is a highly rated alternative.
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— Sean Devlin, Founder and General Manager

Inspiring Story

A story that makes your heart sing

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Once upon a time, Richard Goodall was the beloved “singing janitor” at an elementary school in Indiana. Fast forward about three months, after wowing the world with his viral golden buzzer-worthy audition and other passionate performances, he is officially the winner of America’s Got Talent and the $1 million prize. Congrats, Richard!

Photo of the Day

Most of us will spend days or even weeks leisurely finishing a puzzle, but competitors at the World Jigsaw Championships have a need for speed. This year’s winner, Kristin Thuv from Norway, finished a 500-piece puzzle in just 37 minutes — see her in action.

Wise Bread Found a Hassle-Free Travel Card That’s Great for Jet-Setters

You can make your travel dreams come true with a travel credit card — and there’s a great one to use with no annual fee. Wise Bread found a card offering 1.5 points for every dollar spent on any purchase, plus zero foreign transaction fees and a bonus worth $250 for travel or dining.

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Odds & Ends

🎃 Charlie Brown would be impressed by these pumpkins​
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🪂 Extreme sports ahead: Watch the first ride and fly in the French Alps
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👔 Why buy ready-to-wear dress shirts when you can get them custom-made?*
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🦁 Timon and Pumbaa, off the screen

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*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate

Quote of the Day

“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy, we can all sense a mysterious connection to each other.”

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– MERYL STREEP