With one month to go until the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Time magazine asked a group of 25 experts (architects, urban planners, general thinkers) to nominate a building or monument that “says something special about the nation at this moment.” Many of the obvious landmarks — the Lincoln Memorial, the Statue of Liberty — made the list, but there were also some out-of-the-box picks, including one in space. Check it out.
Must Reads
ICYMI: The newest Gerber Baby is named Cameron, he loves Nickelback, and his smile lights up a room
Good reminders for dog parents as temps rise — plus an easy tip to see if a surface is too hot for their paws
Culture
The “Dig of the Century” Is Happening Underneath Notre Dame Right Now
VCG—VCG/Getty Images
In what’s being called the “dig of the century,” a team of archaeologists is excavating beneath Notre Dame Cathedral, offering a rare peek into Roman Paris 2,000 years ago.
The historic dig comes about 18 months after the cathedral reopened its doors following a 2019 fire. Officials want to add trees and updates to the surrounding area, but first, archeologists must ensure the city’s underground remnants are protected, thereby sparking the need for an excavation. “It’s a rare opportunity for us to work on something that’s tangibly going to make a difference to the history of Paris,” Lucie Altenburg, a conservator with the Paris archaeology unit, told the Associated Press.
A trove of treasures has already been found — including a fourth-century coin stamped with the face of the Roman Emperor Constantine and pieces of medieval pottery with mysterious markings that experts are trying to decipher. Other findings include animal bones and fully intact jugs and cups.
“Itmakes Notre Dame feel alive again,” said Emily Carter, a tourist from Manchester, England, waiting in line with her two children. “You come to see the cathedral, then realize there’s another city under your feet. That’s almost more moving.” See some of the underground treasures.
Together With Collars & Co.
Stay Cool and Stylish This Summer
Rising temperatures shouldn’t mean having to sacrifice on style. The spring/summer collection from Collars & Co. is full of easy-breezy pieces that will keep you feeling comfortable in the heat, from cotton-silk blend polos to linen blazer and trouser sets.
The Toscano linen shirt is particularly versatile — perfect for everything from walking along the beach to an upscale dinner. Its signature feature, a reinforced collar with built-in stays, is designed to hold its shape all day and frames the face cleanly whether worn open or under a jacket.
MRIs Can Be Scary for Kids — Disney Is Trying to Make Them More Like “Soothing Adventures”
Philips
If anyone can make MRIs less scary for kids, it’s Mickey Mouse. While the tech is considered one of the safest ways to get a look inside the body, that doesn’t mean sitting still in a strange, loud, and cramped space isn’t overwhelming, especially for children.
That’s where Mickey and some of his friends come in. The Walt Disney Company teamed up with Royal Philips on a new initiative to bring beloved animated characters and stories right into pediatric MRI machines. The state-of-the-art scanners use lighting, imagery, and sounds to make the medical procedures feel more like “soothing adventures” tailored to patients’ preferences — they can pick their favorite princesses, Marvel superheroes, or Star Wars characters, as well as colors and themes.
“By bringing Disney stories into the MRI environment, we are helping create a setting where children can feel more at ease and remain still during scans,” Atul Gupta, chief medical officer for diagnosis and treatment at Philips, said in a statement. “Reducing stress can improve the experience for young patients and their families, while helping care teams deliver efficient, high-quality imaging.”
The special scanners are being rolled out at medical facilities across the world, including Rady Children’s Health in Orange County, California, where 7-year-old Esme tried it out. The review she gave to The Hollywood Reporter: “It’s OK because you get to watch Disney.”
Humanity
Mahjong Is Building Community and Boosting Brain Health, One Tile at a Time
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Are you playing Mahjong? The four-person Chinese tile game, once mostly associated with grandparents, is now popping up everywhere from mom groups to neighborhood bars. It’s even a favorite among celebs, like Meghan Markle, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Julia Roberts, who told Stephen Colbert the point of it for her is “to create order out of chaos.”
The strategic and social game originated in Southern China in the mid-1800s, and the name translates to “sparrow” in reference to the clacking sounds the tiles make as players shuffle them. The goal is to be the first person to match their tiles to one of the permitted winning combinations, but win or lose, it’s an outlet for those looking to improve memory, boost hand-eye coordination, and connect with people offline.
“It is the game that really builds this sense of connection and community, which I think people are really craving today,” author Nicole Wong told PBS. Wong learned “old-style” Mahjong from her grandparents and wrote about the evolution and historical roots of the game in her book, Mahjong: House Rules From Across the Asian Diaspora. Check out Wong’s beginner guide to the game.
In Other News
“America Today”: An art gallery in Philadelphia is exploring how printmaking speaks to the state of democracy (read more)
Exactly 82 years after a WWII submarine sank, it was announced the vessel was found off the coast of Japan (read more)
The FIFA World Cup trophy was ceremoniously unveiled in New York and lifted by a former champion (read more)
NASA designed a heat-sensing gadget to help firefighters stay safer on the frontlines of wildfires (read more)
A rare dusky shark, almost driven to extinction in the late 20th century, was spotted near New England (read more)
Inspiring Story
“Why not?”
At age 90, Bill Schwarz completed the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon last weekend — his very first marathon. “My objective is to finish,” he said before the race. “And whatever time it takes, it’s going to be wonderful.” And finish he did. Get a glimpse into his training program.
Just yesterday, we shared the news about a meteor that caused a loud boom over New England — and already another fireball is in the headlines. This meteor streaked across parts of the Midwest and Northeast, prompting around 200 eyewitness reports to the American Meteor Society. Watch a clip of the celestial show.
Become a Sharper Home Chef With Quince’s Knife Set
Ready to upgrade your home cheffing skills? This Essential Japanese Damascus Steel Knife Set from Quince merges time-honored craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. With a razor-sharp cutting angle and an ergonomically friendly Pakkawood handle, each knife in the set — a chef’s knife, utility knife, and paring knife — is primed to tackle your next cutting task with effortless precision.
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