Long week on your feet? If your soles are feeling sore and achy this Friday, you might benefit from a foot-focused workout. “People have these amazing muscles in their feet,” physical therapist Irene Davis told NPR. “They actually have the ability to increase the strength and capacity of their feet, which can help with the pain.” Learn six exercises to alleviate the soreness.
Solar Orbiter Snaps First-Ever Views of the Sun’s South Pole
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter knows how to get the sun’s best angles, capturing the first-ever images of the star’s south pole. Previous spacecraft have only taken pictures from around the sun’s equator, staying within the same plane that contains Earth’s orbit. But the Solar Orbiter was able to tilt its orbit out of that plane, creating the opportunity for the never-before-seen views. Scientists say this “unique viewing angle” will offer new insight into the sun’s magnetic field, the solar cycle, and space weather. “The sun is our nearest star, giver of life, and potential disruptor of modern space and ground power systems, so it is imperative that we understand how it works and learn to predict its behavior,” Carole Mundell, ESA’s director of science, said in a statement. “These new unique views from our Solar Orbiter mission are the beginning of a new era of solar science.” See more of the newly released photos.
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Our Brains Are Like Pianos, With the “Sustain Pedal” Turning Certain Experiences Into Emotions
DrAfter123/ iStock
A rattlesnake slithering across your path may make you antsy throughout a long hike, while stumbling upon a stunning view at the end of the trail could leave you feeling content for the remainder of the day. Each experience is a short-lived moment, but both can lead to lasting emotion. How does this happen? Scientists think they’ve found the answer. In a recent study, a team of researchers from Stanford Medicine explained that for brief experiences to elicit long-lasting emotions, they may need to persistently communicate with widely separated structures throughout the brain over a certain window of time. According to the team, experiences are sort of like piano notes being played in our brain. Some may set off short-lived bursts of activity — like short, staccato notes — which broadcast “news” of stimuli. Others trigger longer-lasting activity, similar to notes drawn out with the sustain pedal, which may lead to emotional responses. “You just need it to be sustained long enough to merge with and interact with other notes,” senior co-author Karl Deisseroth told NPR. “And from our perspective, this is exactly what emotion needs.”
Sports
This International Sailing Race Combines Sport and Ocean Conservation
The Ocean Race Europe
On its face, Ocean Race Europe is a sporting event, bringing together sailing teams from across the world to speed through a course that spans seven countries and six bodies of water. But the competition, running Aug. 10 through Sept. 21, is also a venture in ocean conservation: Each race boat will carry specialized science equipment to collect “critical ocean data.” “We know conditions in our ocean are changing rapidly but scientists need more data to better understand what is happening, the pace of change, and how this impacts ocean health,” marine biologist Lucy Hunt, the race’s ocean impact director, said in a news release. She added: “Having the sailors and teams of The Ocean Race take measurements whilst racing is one of the ways we can make a meaningful contribution to science and ocean health.” Scientific advisor Stefan Raimund explained that the data collection will include information on salinity, temperature, microplastics, and environmental DNA, in hopes of “contributing to a more complete understanding of European waters in 2025.”
Global Good
🇵🇹 Portugal is designating a new protected marine area in the Atlantic Ocean (read more) 🇨🇴 6,000-year-old skeletons found in Colombia have unique DNA, meaning there are no known modern descendants (read more) 🇸🇳 A small village in Senegal swapped its diesel generators for a solar-powered microgrid (read more) 🇮🇳 India is a chess superpower, with 85 grandmasters and many high-ranking youngsters — learn how it got here (read more) 🏴 Owl sightings are on the rise in London, thanks to a strong species recovery and ample city green spaces (read more)
Join the Nice Book Club
Ready for another Nice Book Club meeting? Next month, we’ll be hosting a conversation with Brad Aronson, author of HumanKind. He’ll be sharing insight on how small, everyday acts of kindness can make a big difference — not just in your life, but in the world. You won’t want to miss this one: Click below to RSVP to the free, virtual event, taking place July 9 at 5 p.m. ET. P.S. If you missed our talk with Seek author Scott Shigeoka this week (or want to revisit the lively discussion!), you can watch the recording here.
Amid ongoing protests in Los Angeles, one local restaurant is making sure all community members are being cared for, offering water, napkins, and food to activists and law enforcement officials alike. When loved ones urged her to close down shop until the tensions died down, owner Elizabeth Mendoza said she couldn’t — “I need to help when the people need me.”
Photo of the Day
Chesnot/Getty Images
Robots and AI and quantum computing, oh my! Industry leaders are gathered in Paris for VivaTech 2025, an annual technology conference. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, pictured here with the open foundation model for the company’s recently announced humanoid robot, delivered the keynote speech at the event’s opening day Wednesday.
What a 6-Hour Gutter Guards Upgrade Should Cost You, According to HomeBuddy
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Up This Weekend
Father’s Day: Sunday is dad’s day in the U.S., and there are plenty of ways to make fathers and father figures feel celebrated
U.S. Open: Speaking of dad-centric activities, the U.S. Open marks the third of the four PGA majors this year — the final round also falls on Sunday
James Beard Awards: The annual event, dubbed the Oscars of the food world, will take over Chicago this weekend, with the actual awards announced Monday
The Nice News merch collaboration with Because Weekend is all about celebrating optimism and making every day feel like the weekend. To help us spread that ethos beyond the inbox, shop our collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts here.
Odds & Ends
🤣 A perfect pun made this class the funniest in Britain 🍊 Care for some lip balm with your Belgian brew?
