Some might say the best coffee shop is the one nearest, but the people behind the "World's 100 Best Coffee Shops" are a bit more discerning when it comes to evaluating a good cup of joe. This year, the ranking awarded the No. 1 spot to Toby's Estate Coffee Roasters in Sydney. The Australian brewer was followed by Onyx Coffee Lab, located in Rogers, Arkansas, and Vienna's Gota Coffee Experts. Check out the top 100.
What to say (and not say) to a loved one grieving the loss of a pet
Science
Why Sweets Are Enticing Even After a Big Meal
Insung Jeon/Getty Images
If you have a sweet tooth, you've probably said something along the lines of "there's always room for dessert." Well, that saying has some real science behind it, according to a recent study. To better understand why it's so enticing to eat something sweet even after a big meal — sometimes called the "dessert stomach" phenomenon—researchers first turned to mice. After feeding the mice to the point of being fully satiated and then giving them sugar, they found that the same neurons that signaled fullness also released a natural opiate, thus triggering a feeling of reward. When scientists blocked that opiate pathway, mice refrained from eating additional sugar when full. As for humans, the team conducted scans on volunteers and found that the same region of the brain reacted to sugar. "From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense: Sugar is rare in nature, but provides quick energy," study lead Henning Fenselau explained in a news release. "The brain is programmed to control the intake of sugar whenever it is available." We don't know about you, but all this dessert talk has us craving some (we're all about balance here at Nice News!). Cake, anyone?
German Precision Meets Hearing Innovation for Crystal Clear Sound
The Horizon IX by hear.com is unlike any other hearing aid on the market. The device uses dual processing to intelligently separate speech from noise, delivering sound so pure, it feels like you have your younger ears back. It also allows you to adjust settings, switch modes, and take calls with just a few taps on your phone. The hearing aids are sleek, comfortable, and nearly invisible, with rechargeable batteries that last all day. Two processors, zero compromises, and loved by more than 540,000 users, these aren't just hearing aids — they're your personal sound engineers. Find out if you qualify for a 45-day trial and start hearing the difference today.
Sebastian Kahnert/picture alliance via Getty Images
Tucked inside an arctic mountain in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, there's an underground vault filled with seeds from across the world. The idea is to have extra copies of the genetic codes of varied plant species, just in case (some call it the "doomsday" vault, but we naturally prefer a more positive framing). This week, the ecological backup plan got much more thorough, as over 14,000 new samples were sent to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. "The seeds deposited this week represent not just biodiversity, but also the knowledge, culture, and resilience of the communities that steward them," Stefan Schmitz, executive director of the Crop Trust, said in a statement. The nonprofit helps manage the vault alongside the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center. Among the new contributions are seeds from Swedish trees, Thai rice, Brazilian beans, and so much more. Fifteen of the species come from Sudan, an offering rooted in meaning given the country's ongoing war and humanitarian crisis. "In Sudan … these seeds represent hope," said Ali Babikar, the director of the country's Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Research Centre.
Humanity
Alex Trebek's Legacy Lives On at LA Roller Rink Turned Into Temporary Housing
Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images
What is … a beautiful act of kindness? During the pandemic, Alex Trebek donated $500,000 to Hope the Mission, a nonprofit that serves unhoused people in Los Angeles. The beloved Jeopardy! host died soon after, but his spirit continues to shine in a roller rink that was transformed into a temporary housing facility thanks to his donation, Good Good Good reports. "Hislegacy lives on in the life of each person that finds hope and refuge in our doors," Ken Craft, the organization's founder and CEO, told Los Angeles Magazine in 2022. Aptly named the Trebek Center, the North Hollywood facility provides 107 beds to people experiencing homelessness, a dining hall, lounge areas, and outdoor spaces, as well as support services like counseling and job training. Special touches give a nod to the game show host who helped make it all come to life, like the "Trebek Tribute Wall," which spotlights donors with a Jeopardy!-inspired blue tile board. Look inside the bright housing facility.
In Other News
A Social Security boost for over 3.2 million people with public pensions is ahead of schedule (read more)
Ten new-to-science sponge species were discovered off the coast of Hawaii (read more)
Juicy news: A study found that eating an orange a day could lower the risk of depression by 20% (read more)
Hikers are going inside a Swiss glacier to see a phenomenon described as "a door to a parallel world" (read more)
Patrick Renna, aka "Ham" in The Sandlot, wrote a children's book sharing lessons in life and baseball (read more)
Inspiring Story
A helping hand
Nine-year-old Remi Bateman was born without her left forearm and hand — and with a heart of gold. Last year, her family crowdfunded $24,000 to buy her a bionic arm. But when someone stepped in to buy her the device instead, she switched gears to use that money for a different purpose: helping other kids access prosthetics. "So people can actually have a life-changing arm, like me," she said.
Photo of the Day
Richard Harbaugh / The Academy
Say "cheese"! On Tuesday night, 172 of this year's Oscar nominees gathered at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and took the annual "class photo" ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony. The resulting shot is so full of stardom (that is, so wide) that we couldn't fit the whole thing here — see the full photo.
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