Do you have room for an extra row in your garden this year? As you prepare to plant fruit, veg, and herbs, consider taking part in the Plant a Row for the Hungry campaign, a national initiative first launched 30 years ago. The grassroots campaign encourages gardeners to plant a bit more than they need so they can donate the additional harvest to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Learn how you can join the movement.
Feeling Sentimental? Study Shows Nostalgia May Help You Maintain Close Relationships
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Whether it's refusing to throw away your long-dead Tamagotchi or continuing to cuddle a childhood stuffed animal hanging on for dear life, nostalgia can manifest in odd ways. But according to a recent study, the tendency toward it may lead to a more productive outcome than just rewatching Gilmore Girls for the fifth time (no judgment here!). Researchers from the University of Buffalo and Kyoto University found that nostalgic people may be more motivated to strengthen and maintain long-term relationships than those who aren't. Why? When we reminisce about the good times we've spent with loved ones, we appreciate them more — and are more driven to maintain those connections, the team suggests. "People who feel nostalgic more often and value those memories are more aware of their important relationships and the need to nurture them," co-author Kuan-Ju Huang said in a statement. "This means these friendships may be more likely to last, even as we get older and our lives, interests, and responsibilities change." Read more about the link between nostalgia and friendship.
Together With LMNT
Learn the Science of Hydration
Optimal hydration comes down to water and electrolytes — but most people fall short on the latter. Thankfully, LMNT has the science of hydration down. The balanced ratio of 1,000 milligrams of sodium, 200 milligrams of potassium, and 60 milligrams of magnesium replenishes essential electrolytes lost during workouts, busy days, or travel. LMNT is a zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix free of artificial colors, so you'll be feeling and performing your best, wherever life takes you. With bold flavors like Watermelon Salt and Mango Chili, you're bound to find one you love.
To Maintain Prey Populations on a Malawi Reserve, Lions Are Getting Birth Control
2630ben/ iStock
Lions are eating good at the Majete Wildlife Reserve in Malawi — maybe too good. While the population of the predators in the park has grown from a mere three individuals brought there in 2012 to around 100 today, antelopes and other prey are at risk of seeing their numbers dwindle. So conservation nonprofit African Parks has been implementing a creative solution: administering lion birth control. "In order to avoid those impacts from happening, we want to make sure that we reduce our lion population to a reasonable size," Craig Thomas, conservation manager at the Reserve, explained to Voice of America. To that end, African Parks began administering deslorelin synthetic hormonal implants in 2022, targeting adult female lions that had already had litters. Last year, the park expanded the initiative by performing vasectomies on male lions, and now 13 adult males have undergone treatment. The efforts so far appear to be a win-win, as no cubs were born last year, and park officials haven't recorded any resulting negative impacts on the lions. "The effectiveness of this method is also demonstrated in other parks managed by African Parks, where similar programs have successfully controlled lion populations without negatively impacting pride dynamics," Thomas told Mongabay, adding: "The management strategy focuses on maintaining ecological balance, ensuring that predator and prey populations remain sustainable."
Culture
Archaeologists Unveil Tomb of 3,600-Year-Old Mystery Pharaoh
Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Archaeologists recently uncovered the tomb of a pharaoh who ruled Egypt 3,600 years ago, but the discovery is leaving the experts with more questions than answers. Originally 16 feet high and decked out with a limestone burial chamber, per the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the tomb is (literally) fit for a king — though researchers are scratching their heads as to who exactly that king might be. The pharaoh would have ruled during the Abydos Dynasty, often called the "lost dynasty" for how little information is known about it. To make matters more complicated, ancient grave robbers pillaged the tomb, leaving no trace of the king's mummy or sarcophagus. "The king's name was originally recorded in painted scenes on plastered brickwork that decorated the underground entrance to the limestone burial chamber," Josef Wegner, a University of Pennsylvania professor who led the archaeology team, told LiveScience. "However, the hieroglyphic texts were damaged by ancient tomb robbers and not enough survives to read the king's name." But it's not over yet. Archaeologists are still investigating the tomb's location, an effort that will hopefully "yield more royal tombs of the same era [which] could shed light on identity and ownership of this new royal tomb," Wegner said.
In Other News
Dark energy, aka the invisible force behind the universe's expansion, may be weakening over time (read more)
Delaying inherited Alzheimer's might soon be possible, a clinical trial of an anti-amyloid drug suggests (read more)
One of Rembrandt's "finest landscapes" sold for over $291,500, and the funds are going to an inspiring cause (read more)
More women 40 and up are having children, while teenage birth rates are at a record low (read more)
Just 15 minutes of playing with a dog could be all it takes to reduce stress for both you and the pup (read more)
Inspiring Story
Selfless swims
From the Cook Straight in New Zealand to the Catalina Channel in Southern California, high school senior Maya Merhige is tackling some of the world's most challenging swims with the goal of raising money for cancer patients. And she's succeeding: So far, the teen has donated over $125,000 to charity. "The entire time I was in the water — in those really, really hard parts — what I repeated to myself was, 'If these kids can go through radiation and chemotherapy and cancer treatment then I can swim for another 10 strokes or 10 minutes,'" Merhige said of her recent New Zealand swim.
Photo of the Day
Firefly Aerospace
"Sunsets hit differently on the moon!" Firefly Aerospace wrote on Instagram Tuesday, and we can't help but agree. After completing the first successful commercial moon landing, the Blue Ghost Mission 1 lander captured this stunning shot as a "final goodbye" as it concluded its two-week mission.
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