It’s hard to overstate how important relationships are to our overall well-being and happiness — and yet it can often seem so difficult to forge new friendships or even strengthen our existing ones. Thankfully, the BBC put together a four-day guide to doing just that. It begins with a simple, introspective question to get you thinking about the role relationships play in your life: “What are your friendship goals and expectations?”
Must Reads
An Art Deco moment: The 1920s style is being revived in the 2020s
Singapore Tops List of the World’s Most Powerful Passports
Kandl/ iStock
This week, the consulting firm Henley & Partners released its annual passport index, compiling the strongest passports in the world. Using data from the International Air Transport Authority, the list ranks 199 different passports based on the number of destinations that holders can access without a visa. The No. 1 spot went to Singapore. The city-state tied for first place with five other countries in 2024, but separated itself from the pack this year, with citizens getting visa-free access to 195 out of 227 global destinations. Japan came in second, with an “open door” to 193 destinations, and third place was tied by six countries: Finland, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, and Spain. The firm’s report also noted that travelers should expect to see a “digital overhaul” in 2025. “The transition to digital travel is more than just a technological upgrade — it’s a paradigm shift,” the IATA’s Nick Careen said in a press release, adding: “A seamless travel experience could strengthen global connectivity, boost tourism, and support economic growth.” See the full passport rankings.
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Health
Medi Teddy: Preteen Invented Teddy Bears to Hide IV Medicine Bags
Kristie Kistner Photography
Sixty-three percent of children reported a fear of needles in a 2012 survey — and can we blame them? No one likes getting poked with sharp, pointy objects that draw blood. But while many of us only have to conquer that fear once or twice a year, pediatric IV and enteral feeding patients must encounter needles much more frequently. Ella Casano knows about that firsthand. At age 7, she was diagnosed with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a rare disorder that can lead to internal bleeding. For seven years after her diagnosis, Casano received IV infusions every six to eight weeks, procedures that inspired her at just 10 years old to invent the Medi Teddy — a teddy bear medicine bag cover intended to comfort children in hospital rooms. Here’s how it works: Doctors and nurses secure a patient’s IV bag onto the back of the cheery animal. They can deploy “Hope,” a bear made from silicone and plastic (which friends and family can write sweet notes on with washable markers), or “Bailey,” a softer version made with low pile plush fabric. Read our interview with Casano, now 18, to learn more.
Science
The Buzz on MIT’s Coffee Class, Where Java Tastings Are on the Syllabus
Jason Sparapani
At what might be the coolest college class ever, students can be found sipping cups of joe and making notes on what distinguishes a bad cup of coffee from a good one. The MIT course — Coffee Matters: Using the Breakerspace to Make the Perfect Cup — dives into the science of the peppy beverage. It’s estimated that 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed around the world every day, so it’s no surprise the class, which debuted last spring, is a hit. “It’s easy to drop people like us in, who love coffee, and, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s this class where we can go make coffee half the time and try all different kinds of things?’” senior Gabi McDonald told MIT News. But the course is about much more than coffee. Jeffrey Grossman, the professor who designed and teaches the class, explained it gets students to brew up questions via hands-on learning. “The world is made of stuff, and these are the tools to understand that stuff and bring it to life,” Grossman said. He added the goal is to give students an “exploratory, inspiring nudge” — the caffeine is just an added perk.
In Other News
Consuming the calcium equivalent ofa glass of milk a day could reduce bowel cancer risk by 17% (read more)
An ancient fortress was revealed to be 40 times larger than previously believed, thanks to drone footage (read more)
Cosmic conundrum, explained: Scientists identified the source of a mysterious radio signal (read more)
Breton, a 13-foot great white shark known for his “selfie” skills,has returned to the Florida coast (read more)
The nominees for BAFTA’s Rising Star Award were revealed — see the list (read more)
Something We Love
Anthropologie Satin Hair Ties I bought these satin hair ties because they were just so pretty, but now I love them for how practical they are. They don’t pull my hair, and they’re big and sturdy enough to hold the lot of it — I can easily wrap them around a ponytail twice. The six-pack comes in eight color combinations. – Rebekah Brandes, Assistant Editor
Twelve-year-old Rebecca Young wanted to help unhoused people stay warm, so she designed a heated blanket that’s powered by the sun. Unlike similar products that need to be plugged into a wall, this one doesn’t require an outlet — and it features a backpack, allowing for practical transport. “It was obvious to me that this could help,” said the Scottish student, who won a U.K. engineering prize for her thoughtful invention.
Photo of the Day
Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
The 2025 Australian Open officially starts tomorrow, with tennis’ biggest names ready to play in their first Grand Slam of the year. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is seeded No. 1, and the Belarusian athlete could become the first woman to win the Melbourne-based tournament three years in a row since Martina Hingis in 1999. Last year’s men’s singles winner, Italy’s Jannik Sinner, also has the No. 1 seed — check out the schedule.
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