There’s a storm brewing that could bring severe winter weather to a 2,000 mile-swath of land, from the Southwest to New England, and affect up to 200 million Americans. These conditions are expected to start in some areas tomorrow and continue through Monday, so we suggest you start preparing now — and the preparations should probably include making a shoveling plan. But shoveling can be strenuous on the heart, and depending on your age and health status, it may be wise to enlist a neighbor to help you out. Learn more about the health risks of shoveling snow.
Dear Reader: Snail Mail Is Making a Bona Fide Comeback
PeopleImages/iStock
Let’s address a trend gaining momentum amongst digital natives: writing good ol’ fashioned letters. No longer a once-in-a-blue-moon ritual, the art of picking up a pen and paper is reemerging as an intentional pastime, offering a different, deeper means of connection in a world of texts, emails, and DMs. Just a few years ago, the vast majority of Americans hadn’t written a letter in years — today, typewriter meetups, pen-pal clubs, and snail mail subscriptions are proliferating as a deliberate antidote to digital overload. And it’s not the only analog activity coming around again: Junk journaling, scrapbooking, knitting, and crocheting are gaining traction, too. “We live in a digital age that fosters a false sense of connection, but I think true connection happens in person,” DJ Robert Owoyele, the creator of a monthly “analog gathering” in Dallas, told the Associated Press. “When we are able to touch or see something, we are more connected to it naturally. These analog activities are a representation of that.” While many trends come and go, letter-writing enthusiast Melissa Bobbitt thinks this one is meeting a lasting need. “If we all filled each other’s mailboxes with letters, we would all be kinder and, at the very least, won’t dread checking our mailboxes.”
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Riding 37X Growth from Colombia to Wall Street
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This is a paid advertisement for Green Coffee Company’s Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.greencoffeecompany.com/. Timelines are subject to change. Listing on the Nasdaq is contingent upon necessary approvals, and reserving a ticker symbol does not guarantee a company’s public listing.
Science
This Itchy Cow Is Changing the Way We Look at Her Entire Species
Antonio J. Osuna-Mascaró
The cow above is named Veronika — and she’s evidence that bovines may be smarter than scientists thought. You see, the 13-year-old likes to scratch herself with a broom. Sometimes, she uses the brush’s bristles to touch hard-to-reach itches on her back. Other times, like when scratching her soft belly, she opts for the smooth handle. This routine may sound ordinary, but it’s actually quite profound, marking the first evidence of flexible tool use in cows, according to a new study documenting her behavior. (For context, the ability to use a single tool for more than one purpose has previously only been seen in chimpanzees and humans.) And Veronika, the pet of a family in idyllic southern Austria, is likely not the only one in her species to do this. “We don’t believe that Veronika is the Einstein of cows,” Antonio Osuna-Mascaró, an animal cognition researcher who spent two weeks observing the Swiss brown cow, told The Guardian. He added: “What this tells us is that cows have the potential to innovate tool use, and we have ignored this fact for thousands of years. It’s shocking that we’re only discovering this now.” Watch videos of Veronika with her handy broom.
Environment
Alaskan Town Greets the Sun After 65 Days of Darkness
Bonnie Jo Mount—The Washington Post/Getty Images
Cue: “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles. Today, residents of Utqiagvik, Alaska, will see the sun for the first time after more than two months of darkness. The phenomenon — called “polar night” — is when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon due to the tilt of Earth’s axis, keeping polar regions (including areas in Alaska, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and Russia) angled away from direct sunlight during parts of winter. Utqiagvik is the northernmost town in North America, located 300 miles above the Arctic Circle, so the roughly 5,000 residents face a combination of darkness and sub-zero Fahrenheit temperatures this time of year. While this may not be everyone’s idea of a good time, there can be a bright side to being in the dark. As one inhabitant of Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago that also experiences polar night, told NPR: “This darkness is complete … you have to see the beauty in that. And to me, that’s not hard at all. I kind of feel even more immersed by nature when I walk out into the darkness.” Nevertheless, the sun’s return is a cause for celebration, with residents gathering to mark the occasion with traditional dances, songs, and symbolic rituals. If you want to celebrate the moment from afar, you can watch a livestream of the sunrise, happening at 5:23 p.m. EST.
In Other News
Babybel cheese is getting a new look to make its packaging more sustainable (read more)
A blood test may help predict which breast cancer treatment is best for patients, boosting survival odds (read more)
Two elite center fielders were welcomed into the Baseball Hall of Fame (read more)
What might be the world’s oldest whale harpoons were discovered by an amateur archaeologist (read more)
“Human beavers” are stepping up to build 29 artificial dams in Rocky Mountain National Park’s Kawuneeche Valley (read more)
Inspiring Story
Quiet compassion
Hundreds of families in Kansas have one less thing to worry about, thanks to an anonymous philanthropist who donated $15,432 to clear outstanding lunch debts for about 450 students in Winfield Unified School District 465. “This generous gift directly supports our families and ensures that students can focus on learning without the burden of meal debt,” said superintendent Tricia Reiser. “We are incredibly grateful.”
Photo of the Day
Ohio State Buckeyes/Facebook
Best halftime show ever? Darling corgis dashed across the court during the third annual corgi race at the Ohio State vs. UCLA men’s basketball game this week — and there was no shortage of zoomies. Watch Sadie Mae score first place.
Oricle Makes the Rolls-Royce of Hearing Aids (and They’re Under $100)
The internet is buzzing over these revolutionary, low-cost hearing aids. They are incredibly small — nearly invisible — and designed for all-day comfort. The affordable, high-quality device is improving lives every day by restoring confidence and making crystal-clear sound accessible to all. Why wait? Start hearing clearly for under $100.
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Odds & Ends
🪴 Who knew insecticides could be so nice? 🥶 The cold never bothered these paddleboarders anyway 💸 How far will $1 million take you in retirement?* 🎮 This video game character is even cuter IRL *Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate
