Happy spring equinox! This winter felt like a long one (even Punxsutawney Phil predicted as much), but we've finally made it to the season of renewal. To make the most of this time, NPR's Life Kit compiled five ideas "to bring joy and wonder into your life this spring." From learning how to arrange flower bouquets to appreciating the scents of trees, each idea is inspired by nature and receives the Nice News stamp of approval.
Seeking Happiness? Try Thinking Like This German Philosopher
Dedraw Studio/ iStock
These days, we can hardly be blamed for feeling on edge and submerged in negative headlines. But in honor of the International Day of Happiness (today!), we encourage you to resist the pessimism and consider embracing the outlook of German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Hegel, an influential figure in early 19th-century philosophy, believed that human history tends toward progress and is guided by a force of good. But what if things don't look that way? "Hegel might say we're too close to them," Arthur C. Brooks recently wrote in his Atlantic column exploring happiness. "Take the longer perspective." Hegel's stance was that life follows a three-part formula of thesis (position), antithesis (critique), and synthesis (balanced result). From this perspective, conflict is a predictable and crucial part of the larger effort to achieve a more harmonious future, and not something to focus on in isolation. Beyond "zooming" out, this mindset encourages "sittlichkeit," or ethical order, which involves staying grounded in one's community and participating socially to ultimately be happier over the long haul. "The goal is not to be understood by the world but to understand the world as best we can and participate in our human community with a spirit of love," Brooks explained. Ready to take pages out of the Hegelian happiness handbook? Learn how to embrace this mindset in your everyday life.
Together With Quince
This Clothing Sale Is On for 1 Day Only
Quince has a major sale going on — but it's only live until midnight PST. Nearly 100 items are discounted up to 30%, including apparel, accessories, and footwear. Some of Nice News' favorite Quince products are included in the sale, including the ultra-soft Mongolian cashmere sweaters and the suede clog mules. It's also a great time to stock up on the brand's merino wool items and other cold-weather staples for next winter. Click below to shop the sale while it lasts.
"I Wanted to Be out There": 14-Year-Old Makes Historic Pro Soccer Debut
Elsa/NWSL via Getty Images
It's not every day that a 14-year-old plays in a professional sports game — but it did happen on Saturday. McKenna "Mak" Whitham, a forward for NJ/NY Gotham, made history last weekend as the youngest-ever player to compete in a regular season National Women's Soccer League game. "Standing on the sideline and waiting to get on the pitch was pretty exciting. I wanted to be out there and was ready," Whitham, who was pulled in as a substitute during a match against Seattle Reign, told ESPN. "But what was even better was when Coach Juan [Carlos Amorós] came up to me and said, 'Enjoy the game and just be you.' And that was what I did." Other records under the soccer star's belt include being the youngest player to sign in NWSL history and the youngest athlete to sign a name, image, and likeness deal with Nike. "It's been a dream come true what I've been doing, and I'm really proud of myself to have done it," the teen said. "But I still have many things in my future, and I know I can do it." Watch her history-making moment.
Environment
Alaska Landslide Provides Rare Opportunity to Get Ahead of Future Climate Disasters
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
News about a massive slow-moving landslide may not sound like it belongs in this email, but stay with us. A large section of a fjord in Alaska called Barry Arm has been slowly sliding for at least a century,a situation that wasn't clocked until a kayaker noticed it in 2019. Since then, the site has been considered a serious threat to the area — in the worst-case scenario, it could destroy a town of about 260 inhabitants, Smithsonian Magazine reports. With that said, this looming cloud has a silver lining: Barry Arm has become an extraordinary hub for geologists, seismologists, and climatologists to collect data on the landslide as it collapses in slow motion before their eyes. The hope is that this intel will help them understand the phenomena and develop a way to detect and pinpoint tsunami-generating landslides, so they can warn people when they are in danger. That includes the Alaskans near Barry Arm as well as those living in similar geographic locations, whether in other parts of Alaska or Greenland and Norway. "I like that I can actually do research that could help a community in real time," Ezgi Karasöze, a research seismologist who is studying Barry Arm, told the outlet. She added: "You can't just say, 'Let's just let it happen and hope for the best.'"
In Other News
Mexico City is putting an end to traditional bullfighting and opting for a safer version (read more)
The dark side of the moon was a "magma ocean" in its early days, per findings from a Chinese space probe (read more)
Researchers created a smart ring that helps translate sign language into text — see how it works (read more)
Archaeologists in Italyexcavated the oldest mikvah, a Jewish ritual bath, ever found in Europe (read more)
A rare frog was rediscovered in Chile after going unspotted for more than a century (read more)
Something We Love
Incense Matches I snagged a few of these at a local stationery shop and have become obsessed. You strike the incense match just like a regular match, let it burn for a couple seconds, and then set it down like incense. We keep them in the bathrooms and next to all our candles. – Rebekah Brandes, Assistant Editor
Idaho Mayor Trevor A. Chadwick and his wife, Amber, didn't hesitate to help a man in a rough scenario: stranded for over 24 hours in his car, which was out of gas and stuck in the snow and ice. The couple spent four hours helping the man free his vehicle and gave him five gallons of gas, food, and drinks. "I am thankful we were there to help him so he did not become a statistic," Mayor Chadwick wrote in a Facebook post.
Photo of the Day
ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images
The fireworks display seen here took place in Iran this week in anticipation of Nowruz, also known as the Persian New Year. The holiday, which begins today in alignment with the spring equinox, commemorates the rebirth of nature and new beginnings. It has its roots in Zoroastrianism, an ancient religion, and lasts for 13 days — learn more about how it's celebrated around the world.
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