What time is it on the moon? Believe it or not, NASA scientists are working on the answer, and it's actually an important question when it comes to space travel. However, when I first read the question, it sent me down a rabbit hole of lateral thinking. How do you even TELL what time it is on the moon? How does one measure such a thing outside of the ways we've been measuring it for, oh, millennia? It reminds me of when my friend recently asked me, philosophically, if a puzzle was worth doing if you knew beforehand you were missing a piece. These seem like such strange questions, ones with no wholly sensible answer. But I find getting your brain to stretch and sparkle around unexpected quandaries not only keeps it sharp, it also serves as a nice dip into the refreshing waters of imagination. Far from a waste of time, we owe it to ourselves to take care of our human gifts, and that means our brain, too — even the parts of it that make no sense at all.
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| Our favorites this week Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week
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When the planets align
Speaking of wondrous things in the sky, six planets will appear to line up in the sky on Sunday morning. Astronomers say you'll be able to see Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, and if you have a telescope, maybe Uranus and Neptune, too. The order in which the planets will align on Sunday is Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn, and they will be accompanied by a crescent moon. Planetary alignments have always been significant to different cultures, but the phenomenon is not as rare as it sounds, because the alignment is not happening in space, but just in the sky as seen from our planet. Counterpoint: Well, we live here and not in space, so if it's aligned from our perspective, that's just as cool! Read the whole story here. |
W-I-N-N-E-R
Congratulations to 12-year-old Bruhat Soma, who won the 96th Scripps National Spelling Bee Thursday night after defeating all seven other finalists and beating his final competitor in the Bee's second-ever spell-off. Spell-offs are just as intense as they sound: Once the competition exceeds a certain time and there's more than one competitor left, the remaining spellers face off in a timed contest. Whoever spells the most words correctly in 90 seconds wins. Bruhat spelled 29 words correctly during that spell-off, while 12-year-old Faizan Zaki of Texas, spelled 20 words correctly. The two shared a handshake after Bruhat was crowned this year's champion. Listen, I was a regional spelling bee champion when I was young, and let me tell you, it's not just the spelling and the brains that make these kids exceptional. They have nerves of steel! Read the whole story here. |
Art for life
Your health routine may be missing something critical: Art. Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins. In response to a growing body of evidence that art can radically improve both physical and mental health in effective and measurable ways, more health care practitioners are prescribing arts engagement as part of treating a wide array of conditions, including: obesity, heart disease, chronic pain, dementia, Parkinson's disease, loneliness and depression. In fact, many scientists consider art a basic human need. CNN spoke to two experts who agreed art, in whatever form, should be a regular practice for health. Whether that means doodling on your own, taking a walk through an art district or doing something crafty with the family is up to you. Read the whole story here. |
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| This week on the 5 Good Things podcast, two young pandas are coming to DC's National Zoo from China, and divers help a couple find a wedding ring that was lost for 25 years. Plus, hear why a Coldplay fan will never forget the lead singer's random act of kindness. Listen to the latest episode here! |
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The world's silliest-looking plane, the Airbus Beluga, now has its own airline. The bulbous, smiling cargo planes are a favorite among planespotters around the world and have been in service for close to two decades. Now, a new version of the Beluga is replacing the original fleet, which has gone on to power a standalone freight airline called Airbus Beluga Transport — perfect for oversized items. Mostly, it's just fun to look at pictures of them. Hi, sky whale! Read the whole story here. | |
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Here's a good sci-fi writing prompt: Some birds may use "mental time travel, according to a new study. The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to go back and recall little incidental details, is part of what is called "episodic memory." Humans have it (even if you can't remember what you had for lunch yesterday), and new research suggests Eurasian Jays may have it, too. Eurasian jays are corvids and are related to other super-smart birds like crows and ravens. Scientists tested their episodic memory by seeing if they could recall where they stashed food under a series of cups. Besides inspiring even more respect for these brainy birds, such tests are important in part because of their potential role in the field of human memory research. Read the whole story here. |
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