It's Mardi Gras! Also known as Fat Tuesday, the occasion is traditionally celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, a holy day of fasting for Catholics. But the holiday has spread beyond the church to become a wider cultural phenomenon, one often associated with regional treats — like New Orleans king cake and Polish paczki, doughnuts with a delectable sweet filling that are abundant in the Midwest this time of year. Get more Mardi Gras recipe ideas.
Must Reads
Best actor is prestigious, but how about best performance by a sweet snack? The Academy Awards, food edition
Struggling to Make Decisions? It Might Be a Sign of FOBO
Dmitry Kovalchuk/ iStock
You've likely made an impulsive decision based on FOMO, the fear of missing out. But there's another, lesser-known (and similar-sounding) acronym that might actually be holding you back from making decisions when you need to: FOBO, which stands for the fear of a better option. As the name implies, the term refers to the unsettling feeling of wondering if other potential options might be better than what's in front of you, thus making it difficult to decide on something — whether you're house hunting, job searching, dating, or simply looking for a show to watch on TV. Patrick McGinnis, who coined both FOBO and FOMO, explained to HuffPost that the former "specifically refers to decisions where there are perfectly acceptable options in front of us, yet we struggle to choose just one." Or as life coach and entrepreneur Tomas Svitorka put it, "FOBO thrives on the question: 'What if there's something even better out there?'" Sure, vacillating between options could be your intuition talking, and it's important to give weight to pros and cons. But if FOBO is a pattern rather than an exception, Svitorka suggests remembering that few decisions are permanent: "You might be surprised how often you can course-correct," he said. Another option? Flip a coin and notice your reaction to the outcome; that might help you see your true preference. Get more advice to counteract FOBO.
Together With Upway
Ride Into Spring With a New E-Bike
Remember the excitement of dusting off your bike as a kid to ride around the neighborhood after a long winter? You might be grown up now, but that almost-spring feeling never seems to get old. And with warmer days ahead, it's the perfect time to hop back on the bike and ride — this time with a little extra power, thanks to Upway. Upway is the No. 1 e-bike provider, offering top brands like Cannondale, Specialized, and Aventon for up to 60% off retail prices — and all backed by a one-year warranty. Whatever your style, Upway has an e-bike for you. Use code NICENEWS for $150 off your order of over $1,000, and enjoy free delivery across California.
Researchers Created Eco-Friendly Alternative to Plastic Mardi Gras Beads
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
Each year before Lent, colorful strands of Mardi Gras beads glimmer in the streets of New Orleans — but at what cost? Of the estimated 25 million pounds of plastic beads tossed during the celebration annually, only a tiny fraction are recycled. Most end up in landfills or storm drains, and in 2018, the city found 93,000 pounds of them clogging the latter over only five blocks. While efforts have been made to facilitate recycling, including installing collection boxes to gather beads for future celebrations, usage of the strands doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. So a team of researchers at Louisiana State University developed a solution: biodegradable Mardi Gras beads that can replace the plastic versions, which are often laden with toxic materials. Not only do these strands, called "PlantMe Beads," act as alternatives for the necklaces, but they give a little something extra back to the environment as well. The researchers insert a seed in each bead, so that once the outer shells break down, the seeds are "planted" in the soil. Discover how they're made and check out more photos.
Culture
23,000-Year-Old Fossil Footprints Reveal What May Be the Oldest-Known Handcarts: Study
Reconstruction by Gabriel Ugueto
This article was written by Matthew Robert Bennett and Sally Christine Reynolds, professors at Bournemouth University, for The Conversation. If you're a parent, you've probably tried, at some point, to navigate the supermarket with a trolley and at least one child in tow. But our new study suggests there was an ancient equivalent, dating to 22,000 years ago. This handcart, without wheels, was used before wheeled vehicles were invented around 5,000 years ago in the Middle East. Recently our research team discovered some remarkable fossil traces which might give a hint. These traces were found alongside some of the oldest-known human footprints in the Americas at a place called White Sands [National Park] in New Mexico. In the last few years, several footprint discoveries at this site have begun to rewrite early American history — pushing back the arrival of the first people to enter this land by 8,000 years. There is some controversy around the age (23,000 years old) of these footprints, with some researchers unhappy with our dating methods. But they provide a remarkable picture of past life on the margins of a large wetland at the end of the last ice age. The footprints tell stories, written in mud, of how people lived, hunted, and survived in this land. Learn more about the study and see the drag marks made by the handcarts.
In Other News
Archaeologists fully unearthed a 3,000-year-old Egyptian mining hub known as the "Lost City of Gold" (read more)
Researchers developed a biosensor that can detect and destroy E. coli in drinking water (read more)
Scientists identified a cold sore trigger, potentially paving the way to new treatments for the infection (read more)
A bubble tea chain that's bigger than Starbucks saw its shares jump by over 40% in its market debut (read more)
Hello, Tula-Tu! An elephant calf at the Oregon Zoo explored outside for the first time — watch the darling moment(read more)
Inspiring Story
Remembering a blood donor like no other
James Harrison may not be a household name, but his lifelong legacy of selflessness has touched countless lives. The Australia resident, who died last month at 88, was known as the "man with the golden arm," as his blood contained a rare antibody that is used to make medication for pregnant women. Throughout his lifetime, Harrison's plasma donations saved more than 2 million babies. "He always said it does not hurt, and the life you save could be your own," his daughter said.
Photo of the Day
Mark Makela/Getty Images
Over the weekend, the 76th annual skijoring event in Leadville, Colorado, was in full steed ahead mode. Described as "water-skiing on snow," the quirky sport involves galloping horses pulling skiers through various courses. Skijoring's origins go back centuries, but it has not made a showing at the Winter Olympics since 1928. Maybe 2030?
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