The winners are in for the 2024 World Nature PhotographyAwards, with the top prize going to artist Tracey Lund for her action-packed shot of seabirds diving for a meal. She captured the pair of underwater gannets while on vacation in Scotland’s Shetland Islands. “Thousands of gannets were in the sky above us and then started to dive into the sea after locally caught fish,” she explained. “An unbelievable spectacle to witness, let alone photograph. I took 1,800 images on that day but only had two that I could use.” Check out her photo and those of the other winners.
Do you know which vegetables will grow back in your garden year after year?
Science
Scientists Uncover Fossil of Ancient Giant Dolphin That Once Swam in the Amazon
Jaime Bran
When you think of a dolphin, you likely picture an adorable marine mammal jumping through the ocean — but around 16 million years ago, a much larger ancestor of the cetacean was swimming in Earth’s waters, specifically in a lake in the Peruvian Amazon. The ancient freshwater dolphin measured about 11 feet long, dwarfing modern river dolphins by around 20%-25%. Named Pebanista yacuruna, this extinct species offers insights into the evolutionary history of freshwater dolphins — a group poorly represented in the fossil record due to the challenges of preservation in such ecosystems. The fossil of Pebanista yacuruna was unearthed in 2018 near the Napo River in Loreto, Peru, by a team of scientists who published their findings last week. “We started screaming: ‘It’s a dolphin! It’s a dolphin!’” lead study author Aldo Benites-Palomino told CNN of the discovery. Initially mistaken for a relative of modern Amazonian river dolphins, further analysis revealed its closer resemblance to South Asian river dolphins. Jorge Velez-Juarbe, a marine mammal researcher who was not involved in the study, called it “a remarkable discovery,” adding, “[It] makes me wonder too how many other records of extinct river dolphins are awaiting to be discovered.”
Together With FinanceBuzz
The Secret to Earning Money While You Save
Annual percentage yields for high-yield savings accounts are currently reaching rarely seen highs. That means if you don’t have your savings in a high-yield account right now, you could be missing out on earning extra money every single month. The experts over at FinanceBuzz are even seeing banks allowing clients to earn up to 5% APY* on every dollar. Rates this high could equate to thousands over time — and all you have to do is deposit your cash. Click below to read about which accounts FinanceBuzz recommends. Disclaimers: *APY means annual percentage yield. Rates accurate as of 2/9/2024. Fees may reduce earnings.
Please support our sponsors! They help us keep Nice News free. ♡
Humanity
Pay-As-You-Can Restaurant in UK Brings People Together, Reduces Food Waste
The Long Table/ Facebook
At The Long Table in Gloucestershire, England, diners sit communally and enjoy menu items like dal with honey-glazed carrots, bread and butter pudding, and lasagna. All ingredients are sourced with the goal of minimizing waste, and when it’s time to take care of the bill, patrons are simply asked to pay what they can. The unique not-for-profit establishment has served around 20,000 people in the last year, many of whom ate for free, and spared more than 3.7 tons of food from being tossed — all while providing livable wages to its 22 employees, The Guardian reports. “We are, at our simplest, a restaurant,” explained Will North, The Long Table’s general manager. “But really what we are is an amazing restaurant where we prioritize being a real living wage employer, [and] we prioritize the kinds of suppliers who not only prioritize [the] planet, but people as well.” North and team are also focused on helping others host their own pay-as-you-can cafes, saying, “We hold a space where we are all collectively trying to answer a question: ‘What if everyone in our community had access to great food and people to eat it with?’”
Environment
Alex Honnold Made History in “Free Solo” — Now He’s Focused on Solar Energy Projects
You might know Alex Honnold as the risk-taking solo climber who reached the peak of the 3,000-foot mountain El Capitan without ropes in 2017, and the star of the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo. Perhaps less known than his climbing prowess, though, is his environmental activism. In 2012, Honnold pledged to donate a third of his income to support solar energy projects through his foundation — and since 2020, has supported over 70 partners in 27 countries, territories, and U.S. tribal lands, per Canary Media. Honnold told the outlet that with solar energy advancing, his foundation is here “to make sure that as we transition to a more environmentally friendly world, we don’t just replicate the same model that’s left so many people behind in the past and that all humans are uplifted equally.” The projects he has helped fund include the first community-owned solar microgrid in Puerto Rico, solar flower farms in Chicago, and rooftop installs in the Amazon. Naturally, Honnold takes lessons from climbing for his philanthropic work: “You don’t climb with someone unless you trust them 100% … you’re literally entrusting your life to their hands. We basically trust [our partners] to do what is best for their communities.”
Ruins of a 600-year-old medieval castle, complete with a moat, were uncovered during an excavation in northwestern France.
Graduation rates for students with disabilities are improving in most U.S. states. Check out a map showing the progress.
Plant-heavy “flexitarian” diets could mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and thus help limit global heating, according to a new study.
A moonshine cavehas long been rumored to exist beneath a NASCAR racetrack in North Carolina — and officials think they may have found it.
Something We Love
Frisco by Chewy Hammock Car Seat Cover If you love bringing your pup on adventures but don’t love the journey to get to them — that is, your dog scratching at your car seats and attempting to jump into the front while you try to navigate — this is the product for you. The water-resistant, heavy-duty car seat cover is built with adjustable reinforced straps for a secure fit, so you can ensure your pet is safe and sound.
Recommendations are independently selected by our team but may result in a commission to Nice News which helps keep our content free.
Inspiring Story
“King of the Jungle”
Dale Zimmerman, a 6-year-old from Greenville, South Carolina, who is battling a genetic disease, fulfilled his dream of becoming a zookeeper thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Watch a video of him meeting the animals.
Photo of the Day
EHT Collaboration
Now that’s a swirl. This new image from the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration reveals the spiraling magnetic field surrounding the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Read about why it’s significant.
Masterworks Lets Everyday Investors Cash In on the Art Market
Masterworks is making the blue-chip art market accessible to everyday investors like you. Each one of the platform’s sales has returned a profit, for a 100% positive net return track record. The offerings are limited, so click below to learn how Nice News readers can skip the waitlist. See important Regulation A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.
