Fancy going for a bicycle ride through the streets of France with a couple baguettes in your basket this Sunday morning? Us too. But if you’re stuck stateside like we are, this fun, free browser game might help satiate your desire to act out a scene from Emily in Paris. To rack up points in Baguette Sprint, use your cursor to steer your bike away from potholes, stray pets, and other obstacles, all while collecting baguettes in your basket. Hint: It’s best played while gnawing on some crusty, chewy bread from your local bakery. — the Nice News team
Featured Story
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? The Power in Our Relationships With the People Next Door
MonthiraYodtiwong/ iStock
Fire up the Mister Rogers reruns (or just enjoy this oddly entrancing remix): Today is National Good Neighbor Day. The day is part of a larger movement intended to bring people together in community, and there are a number of resources available on the official website to help you participate, like a free Good Neighbor Guide. “Research tells us that knowing even a few neighbors can lower loneliness and improve well-being,” Kelly-Ann Allen, author of The Psychology of Belonging, tells Nice News. “For many people, neighbors are their most important source of social connection, with many older adults having more frequent contact with neighbors than their own family.” The simplest way to take part in today’s holiday is to practice an act of “neighboring.” What does that mean? We dug into the topic in our latest article, interviewing two experts on what we can all do to support our streetmates and compiling a list of helpful tips on being a better neighbor. Check it out below.
Summer may be winding down, but staying hydrated isn’t a seasonal trend. Your body still needs proper hydration to feel its best, regardless of the weather. That’s where LMNT comes in. The zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix is formulated with a science-backed ratio of 1,000 milligrams sodium, 200 milligrams potassium, and 60 milligrams magnesium. But you don’t have to say goodbye to summer vibes completely. What started as a seasonal drop is now a forever favorite — Lemonade Salt is here to stay as part of LMNT’s permanent lineup. Enjoy the bright, refreshing flavor year-round and get your free LMNT sample pack with every order.
Sniffles Be Gone: A Giraffe Learned How to Use an Inhaler to Relieve Her Nasal Congestion
Norfolk Chambers of Commerce
What do you do when a giraffe has a chronically stuffy nose? You teach her how to use an inhaler, of course. That’s what the team at Banham Zoo in Norfolk, U.K., did for Mahiri, a 16-year-old giraffe struggling with persistent nasal congestion. Previously, Mahiri’s symptoms were managed with oral steroids, but a zoo veterinarian explained in a video that those aren’t recommended as a long-term solution. So instead, the team introduced a custom-made inhaler designed to fit her mouth and nose, leaving just enough room for a treat as a reward for using it. The key to making the pioneering treatment a success was all about the approach, with the keepers giving her ample time to warm up to the new device. “Giraffe as a species can be quite nervous of anything new, so introducing medical equipment takes enormous patience and trust-building,” Deborah Harris, the animal manager at Banham Zoo, said in a statement. “Our keepers adjusted daily routines and worked at Mahiri’s pace to help her feel comfortable.” Three years later? The patience has paid off: Mahiri is using the inhaler confidently, living more comfortably, and making history as the first giraffe in the U.K. to use the treatment method. Watch the wholesome therapy in action.
Culture
This Rare Picasso Painting Was Hidden for 80 Years
It’s not every day the world gets a new-to-us Pablo Picasso painting to admire — but now, more than five decades after his death, one of his portraits is being unveiled to the public for the first time in over 80 years. Titled “Bust of a Woman in a Flowery Hat,” the painting portrays Picasso’s muse and lover Dora Maar in the artist’s signature vibrant, fragmented patterns. Created in 1943, the work is significant for both its striking appearance and for when it was painted: near the end of the couple’s nine-year romance and amid the German occupation of Paris. Until now, the portrait was only known from a black-and-white photograph, as it was purchased in 1944 shortly after its completion and has remained hidden in a private collection ever since, making its public debut all the more thrilling. Auctioneer Christophe Lucien called it “not only a milestone in the history of art but also in the private life of Picasso.” He told The Guardian, “It is a refreshing portrait of Dora Maar; exceptional and full of emotion. Discovering it is a big moment in our lives as experts.” Such a milestone calls for a hefty price tag. The painting is expected to fetch around $9.4 million when it heads to auction in Paris next month. Get a closer look.
Science
Researchers Are a Step Closer to Finding Cleopatra’s Long-Lost Tomb
Kenneth Garrett
Many experts believe that the iconic Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra was buried in Alexandria, Egypt, the capital of the kingdom she ruled — but a new discovery may uproot that theory and help solve the 2,000-year-old mystery of the location of her tomb. In a finding announced Sept. 18 by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Archaeological Works, a team of researchers discovered a sunken port in the Mediterranean Sea that they believe could be the next clue in identifying Cleopatra’s final resting place. Amid a war with the Romans, the queen may have secretly planned for her body to be transported to her tomb through the port to prevent her enemies from finding it. Archaeologist Kathleen Martínez, who led the research team, has been searching for Cleopatra’s tomb since 2005. Three years ago, she and a team of excavators found a collection of objects and structures dating back to Cleopatra’s reign, 51 to 30 B.C., at the ruins of Taposiris Magna: an ancient city and temple about 30 miles west of Alexandria. They also identified a nearly 4,300-foot-long tunnel, approximately 40 feet underground and leading into the Mediterranean Sea, as well as several tall, submerged structures. “This is one of those moments when you feel so alive,” Martínez says of the structures’ discovery in the new National Geographic documentary Cleopatra’s Final Secret. She later tells her team: “After 2,000 years, nobody has ever been there. We are the first ones.” Click here to see more photos from the expedition and watch the trailer for the documentary, which landed on Disney+ last week.
Sunday Selections
Deep Dives
Inmates in Ohio are caring for injured and orphaned wildlife — one prison even has an aviary
Roast chicken with saffron, ricotta custard pancakes, super chewy focaccia: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat author Samin Nosrat is serving up another collection of mouthwatering recipes, and it’s as evident as ever that her talent isn’t just with pots and pans, but also with a pen. As she puts it, “A written recipe is just a shimmering decoy for the true inheritance: the thread of connection that cooking it will unspool.” Beyond recipes, the book includes techniques, lessons, and tips — like how to select olive oil and the best uses for your pressure cooker.
British actors Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots tug at the heartstrings in this sci-fi-infused romantic drama about two best friends whose relationship proves hard to define. Laura, played by Poots, takes part in special testing that claims to identify her soulmate. Goldstein’s Simon opts not to, taking a more romantic view of eternal love. Over the years, the pair struggle with their clear feelings for each other, despite what the test revealed. Great chemistry and a food-for-thought script co-written by Goldstein and director Will Bridges promise the film will stick with you long after it’s over. Catch it now in theaters or on AppleTV+.
This Week in History
The First Volume of “Little Women” Is Published
September 30, 1868
RKO Pictures/Courtesy of Getty Images
Many a young girl has found herself relating to the characters in Louisa May Alcott’s beloved civil war novel, Little Women, and this week 157 years ago is when the “Which March sister am I?” musings all began. The first volume was published on Sept. 30, 1868, and the book would go on to become Alcott’s first bestseller. Per History, the author’s publisher had requested she write a novel for girls. After releasing the first volume, Alcott, who never married and was a staunch supporter of women’s rights, wrote a chapter a day to complete the second part. And it seems clear which March sister she was most like, based on this note in her journal: “Girls write to ask who the little women marry, as if that was the only end and aim of a woman’s life. I won’t marry Jo to Laurie to please anyone.” Check out this comparison of each major Little Women movie adaption, from 1933 (pictured) to 2019.
Enjoy LMNT’s Lemonade Salt Flavor All Year Long
LMNT’s Lemonade Salt is now a permanent part of the brand’s delicious flavor lineup — bringing a zesty, refreshing twist to your hydration routine. Mix it up with water, add it to your iced tea for a salty Arnold Palmer, or get creative with a pitcher of salty lemonade and fresh fruit. However you enjoy it, you’ll always get the perfect balance of electrolytes.
