Each morning at a small charter school in Gainesville, Florida, students in kindergarten through fifth grade participate in affirmations, asserting that they’re one day going to “change the world.” They’ve been given the space to cultivate that confidence through the actions of a caring couple who devoted their professional lives to teaching. In 1998, after […]
Many artists have struggled under the shadow of obscurity, waiting years for their talent to be recognized. Lore around Vincent Van Gogh, for example, suggests he sold only one piece in his lifetime. Such is not the case for 11-year-old Andres Valencia. Not only have his paintings earned him admiration in the art world, they […]
While parking garages for automobiles are a common sight around the world, Amsterdam’s new state-of-the-art garages for bicycles may be a game-changer for cyclists. Not only are they located underground and underwater, but they are also housed nearby the bustling Amsterdam Central Station. The train station sees 200,000 travelers every day, The Verge reports, with […]
When Laura Talmus’ 15-year-old daughter Lili unexpectedly passed away in 2009 due to medical complications of Apert syndrome, she channeled her grief into action. What began as a middle school assembly, inspired by Lili’s experiences as a student who often spent lunch alone, turned into the nonprofit Beyond Differences, which currently works with 9,000 schools […]
The idea for the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation was first sparked during the 1990s in the San Francisco Bay area. According to the foundation’s website, in response to the trend of dishearteningly negative news coverage during a “summer of violence,” a reporter proposed “practicing random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty” instead. […]
Thirty, furry, and thriving, a Portuguese pooch named Bobi is officially recognized as the oldest dog ever recorded. Per a press release from Guinness World Records, it was confirmed that Bobi is 30 years and 266 days old as of February 1, which makes him both the oldest dog alive today and, possibly, in history. […]
Humans aren’t the only social animals in the world: one has to simply look at dogs and their uncanny ability to bond with anything from cats to deer and even lions. But being sociable doesn’t just make you the life of the party, be it in the human or animal kingdom — it may also […]
Tucked in a lake on a remote island country in the western Pacific lives a mysterious and rare creature. They’re small and squishy, they don’t have a brain, heart, or eyes, and they have stingers that don’t cause pain. Meet the golden jellyfish: a unique, gold-colored subspecies that draws visitors from all over the world […]
Beads tossed from parade floats, elaborate masked balls, and the brilliant colors of purple, green, and gold. We’re speaking, of course, of Mardi Gras, the raucous celebration that falls on the Tuesday before the Christian fasting period of Lent in February and March. Also known internationally as Carnival or Carnaval, the lively annual festival is […]
Australian shepherd Ivy loves doing many of the things a dog typically enjoys: going on walks, daily frisbee, swimming, and riding in the car. But the 10-year-old pup also likes to paint, and her artwork has raised thousands of dollars for charity to date. It all started when a friend of her owner, Lisa Kite, […]
When you think of ceramic, porcelain or china probably comes to mind. Over in South Africa, though, scientists are using the material to house endangered penguins in order to protect them from the warming weather caused by climate change. The African Penguin Nest Project team, made up of researchers and conservationists from around the world, […]
Scientists have uncovered the world’s oldest known DNA in northern Greenland — a major discovery that sheds light on what the now-barren landscape may have looked like 2 million years ago. Publishing their findings in Nature in December, an international team of scientists studied 41 microscopic fragments of environmental DNA, the genetic material organisms release […]