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Art Can Make You Happier and Healthier According To Scientists
Research repeatedly bears out a connection between art and joy. Just 10 percent of U.S. respondents said they found meaning in “hobbies and recreation,” including going to “museums or just having fun in general” The figure went up to 22 percent among the British.
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Helping Others Slows Cognitive Decline in Older Adults, Study Finds
Helping others may be one of the simplest ways to keep your brain sharp as you age. A new study spanning two decades and more than 30,000 adults in the U.S. found that regularly helping people outside your household — whether through formal volunteering or informal acts of support — can significantly slow cognitive decline. Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Massachusetts Boston say people who helped others consistently experienced up to 20% slower cognitive aging than those who didn’t. Published in Social Science & Medicine, the study highlights a strong link between moderate, sustained engagement in helping behaviors and better brain health in middle-aged and older adults. The strongest benefits were seen among those who spent about two to four hours per week helping others. “Everyday acts of support — whether organized or personal — can have lasting cognitive impact,” said lead author Sae Hwang Han, assistant professor of human development and family sciences at UT Austin. “What stood out to me was that the cognitive benefits of helping others weren’t just short-term boosts but cumulative over time with sustained engagement.” Formal or informal, it all counts The study is one of the first to directly compare the impact of formal volunteering with informal helping, like watching a friend’s kids, giving a neighbor a ride, or helping a relative with household tasks. While about one in three older Americans participate in scheduled volunteering, more than half regularly provide informal help to others. “It was a pleasant surprise to find that [informal helping] provides cognitive benefits comparable to formal volunteering,” said Han. He noted that informal helping is often overlooked in health research, possibly because it lacks public recognition. But the data suggest it plays an equally important role in supporting brain health. A robust dataset over 20 years Researchers used the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative dataset tracking Americans over age 51 since 1998. This allowed them to observe how helping behaviors and cognitive performance changed over time. They controlled for variables like wealth, education, mental and physical health, and still found that people who engaged in helping others saw a slower rate of decline. More importantly, those who maintained the habit year after year seemed to gain the most. Conversely, withdrawing from helping behaviors was linked with sharper cognitive decline — a pattern the researchers say emphasizes the importance of ongoing engagement, particularly in later life. A possible buffer against stress and inflammation The findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that helping others supports brain health in multiple ways. In a related study, Han found that volunteering may buffer the effects of chronic stress on inflammation — a biological process associated with dementia and other age-related cognitive impairments. The benefit was especially strong in people already experiencing high levels of inflammation. In both studies, social connection appears to play a key role. Helping others may reduce stress, increase a sense of purpose, and build bonds that offer emotional and psychological support — all factors known to influence brain health. Implications for public health and aging The researchers say the results support making helping behaviors a public health priority. In an aging society where loneliness, isolation, and dementia rates are rising, offering older adults opportunities to contribute — even in small, informal ways — could have meaningful health benefits. “Many older adults in suboptimal health often continue to make valuable contributions to those around them,” Han said. “And they also may be the ones to especially benefit from being provided with opportunities to help.” The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Co-authors included Shiyang Zhang, a former postdoctoral researcher at UT, and Jeffrey Burr of the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Score (94)
Pensioner Cherishes 69-Year-Old Christmas Lights That Have Never Needed a Bulb Change
At 79 years old, John King has a set of Christmas lights that have outlasted nearly everything else in his house — and he’s never even had to change a bulb. The colorful string of 12 fairy lights, a gift from his mother Elsie in 1956, has been lighting up King’s holidays for nearly seven decades. Made by Philips and bought for 18 shillings (around 90p today) at a local Halfords store in Scunthorpe, the lights have somehow defied time, technology, and wear. “I was just 10 years old when we got them — they were for the family tree initially,” said King, a retired school caretaker. “They’ve never once had a bulb change, which is extraordinary.” Now kept safely in retirement — much like their owner — the vintage lights are no longer in regular use, but King still checks on them each year to make sure they still work. And every time, they do. “I don’t know why they still work,” he said. “They were a Philips product, which says something about the brand’s reliability.” He keeps the original box, too, which he estimates is now worth more in nostalgia than in currency. “They were quite expensive back then. The average wage was about £2 and 10 shillings a week, so it was a real treat,” he said. Though modern LEDs have taken over his current Christmas setup, King says the old lights still hold a special place in his heart. “It surprises me that they still work at all,” he added. “It looks as if they’re going to last forever at the minute.” For King, those 12 bulbs are more than decorations — they’re a glowing reminder of family, childhood, and the kind of craftsmanship that really can stand the test of time.
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Score (97)
Doctors Just Made History With a Groundbreaking Double Organ Transplant For an 11-Year-Old
Children’s Hospital Colorado has achieved a historic medical milestone: its first-ever dual heart and liver transplant. The complex, 16-hour procedure marks a major step forward in pediatric transplant care for the region — and has given 11-year-old Gracie Greenlaw a new chance at life. Only 38 children across the U.S. have ever received both a heart and liver transplant, making Gracie’s case extraordinarily rare. Her surgery was made possible by years of behind-the-scenes preparation, a carefully orchestrated network of specialists, and a deep commitment to treating children with the most complex medical needs. “Performing Children’s Colorado’s first-ever heart and liver dual organ transplant is an amazing accomplishment for our Pediatric Transplant Program,” said Dr. Megan Adams, surgical director of the Pediatric Liver and Kidney Transplant Programs. “Thanks to years of dedication and a team committed to being the trusted leaders in pediatric transplant across our seven-state region, we’re grateful to provide this level of care to even more kids.” A Long Journey With a Rare Condition Gracie was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a congenital condition in which the left side of the heart is critically underdeveloped. By the time she turned three, she had already undergone the three major surgeries that make up the standard treatment pathway for HLHS: the Norwood, the Glenn, and the Fontan. While these surgeries have extended survival for many children into adulthood, they also increase the risk of long-term complications, especially liver damage. In 2016, Children’s Colorado created the Fontan Multidisciplinary Clinic to help address those complications. Through this program, Gracie was monitored by specialists in both cardiology and hepatology, including Dr. Kathleen Simpson and Dr. Dania Brigham, who closely tracked her health over the years. “The Fontan is a lifesaving surgery, but the longer someone lives after the procedure, the increased chance of developing comorbidities,” said Dr. Simpson. “Our care team worked to keep her healthy and living a typical day-to-day life as long as possible before we determined a dual organ transplant would give her the best long-term quality of life.” Over time, Gracie developed plastic bronchitis — a condition where thick, rubbery plugs form in the airways — and began showing signs of liver failure. In April 2023, her care team placed her on the transplant waitlist. A Carefully Coordinated 16-Hour Operation It took less than a month for compatible donor organs to become available. Because a donor heart must be transplanted within a very short window, the surgical team began with the heart. Led by Dr. Matthew Stone and Dr. Emily Downs, the nine-hour operation was followed immediately by a seven-hour liver transplant led by Dr. Adams and Dr. Kendra Conzen. While the heart surgery was underway, the donor liver was kept viable using a TransMedics Organ Care System — a device that simulates the conditions of a functioning human liver, buying the surgical team extra time. Behind the scenes, more than 25 multidisciplinary teams were involved, managing everything from fluid balance to anesthesia to post-op recovery. The coordination, according to hospital leaders, is what made the success possible. Life After Transplant Gracie’s recovery has been steady. A little over a month after surgery, she left the cardiac care unit. Now, seven months later, she’s back at school and at home with her family — including her beloved dogs. Her liver transplant is expected to last a lifetime. Her new heart, like all pediatric heart transplants, will eventually need to be replaced in the future. “This procedure showcases the expertise, talent, and level of care Children’s Colorado provides to our patients,” said Dr. Duncan Wilcox, Surgeon in Chief. “As the top-ranked pediatric hospital in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region, we are proud of our leading-edge transplant care and look forward to supporting more patients who need dual organ transplants in the future.” For Gracie and her family, that care has already made all the difference.
Score (97)
Flin Flon Launches Construction Of Snow Lodge To Host Winter Events
What started with a chance encounter on a Winnipeg sidewalk is now taking shape in the snow-covered woods of northern Manitoba — and it just might turn into one of Canada’s coolest winter traditions. In Flin Flon, construction is underway on a “snow lodge,” an event space built almost entirely from freshly fallen snow and ice pulled from a nearby pond. Organizers hope it could become a yearly winter destination, combining art, architecture, and community — and maybe, one day, rival the famed ice hotel in Sweden. The project is being led by a mix of architects, artists, local builders, and volunteers. Winnipeg-based architect Peter Hargraves, known for his work on the annual warming huts on the Red River, is helping steer the design. He’s no stranger to large-scale ice projects — and this one has him excited. “It gets cold here, and when it gets cold, you can do things like this that you can’t do in other places in the world,” said Hargraves. The inspiration for the project dates back to 2023, when Hargraves was showcasing ice sculptures in Winnipeg’s True North Square using blocks harvested from the Red River. A passerby struck up a conversation and insisted he connect with Crystal Kolt in Flin Flon — a longtime arts council leader known for making big ideas happen. Kolt, now working with the City of Flin Flon, took the idea and ran with it. She secured grants, sponsorships, contractors, and pulled together a team of local volunteers. “We are super excited and we think the community is really excited about it,” she said. The lodge is being built inside a campground that’s closed for the season. Nearby is the Rotary Wheel, an indoor community space that’s open year-round. But the real magic is taking shape outdoors: volunteers are cutting thick blocks of pond ice with chainsaws, hauling them up with hooks, and stacking them into place using heavy machinery. Metal forms and wooden platforms are helping shape the lodge’s structure, which will be insulated by the snow itself. “It’s going to be beautiful,” said Dave Koop, one of the builders. “I think it’ll be the Taj Mahal of the north here, absolutely.” When completed in late January, the lodge will feature a spacious main hall — what Kolt described as a “very large, elegant, sophisticated quonset” made almost entirely from ice and snow. And while the outside temperatures may plunge well below freezing, the interior is expected to stay relatively stable at around –2°C. Surrounding the lodge will be snowshoe and ski trails, illuminated for nighttime use, and a skating rink on the same pond the ice was harvested from. But it’s not just about architecture or tourism — it’s about events, art, and culture. Local restaurant owner Ainslie McIntosh-Stallard is helping plan the programming, which could include concerts, dinners, art exhibits, and cultural workshops. “We’re collaborating with local organizations like snowshoe clubs, the skiing club. We have lots of people who want to come do cultural teachings,” she said. Construction hasn’t been easy. While colder weather helps freeze materials quickly and provides a steady supply of snow and ice, it also makes working conditions more difficult for crews. Still, organizers say the effort is worth it. If this winter’s snow lodge proves successful, the dream is to scale up — not just in Flin Flon, but across northern and western Manitoba. The long-term vision includes turning the lodge into a full-scale seasonal hotel, inspired by Sweden’s Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, where rooms, bars, and sculptures are all built from ice each year. “The idea is to populate the whole of western and northern Manitoba with these unbelievable winter engagement projects where tourism can prosper and thrive,” said Hargraves. “I’m a hard believer that it’ll outstrip summer if we do it right.” For now, the Flin Flon snow lodge is still a work in progress. But for everyone involved, it’s already proving something important — that when temperatures drop, creativity doesn’t have to hibernate.
Score (98)
Amazon Driver Finds Lost Cash Outside Home, Response Goes Viral
A small act of honesty is getting big attention in Cottonwood, Arizona, thanks to an Amazon driver who quietly did the right thing — and didn’t think twice about it. Connor Drake was out making deliveries last week when he spotted a $20 bill lying on the front lawn of a home. Instead of ignoring it or pocketing it, he picked it up and tucked it safely under the package he was about to leave at the doorstep. Later that day, the homeowner, Monica Luiz, reviewed her doorbell camera footage and realized what had happened. The cash had slipped out of her pocket earlier without her noticing. Watching the footage back, she was struck by the driver’s small but thoughtful gesture. She shared the video on social media, writing: “If anyone sees this Amazon driver, please send him to contact me so I can THANK him personally for picking up $20 I dropped on my walkway and putting it under my package! His honesty and integrity didn’t go unnoticed!” It didn’t take long for the local community to recognize Drake. Luiz reached out to Amazon’s local office, and the next day, Drake returned — this time not to drop off a package, but to receive one. Luiz gave him a personal thank-you gift, the details of which Drake chose to keep private. But for her, the gesture meant more than just recovering the lost money. “I just wanted to thank him for reminding me that people like him do exist,” she said. “His honest integrity was so innocent and natural. It couldn’t have been a more authentic interaction.” What could’ve been an overlooked moment has now become a quiet reminder: integrity doesn’t always make headlines, but it still matters — even on an ordinary delivery route.
Score (97)
Scientists Discover 20 New Underwater Calls of Hawaiian Monk Seals
Hawaiian monk seals have always been quiet celebrities of the shoreline — often spotted dozing on beaches, rarely heard. But under the waves, they’ve been having conversations no one knew about. Until now. Researchers at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa have discovered 25 different underwater vocalizations from these endangered seals — and 20 of them are entirely new to science. The team analyzed more than 4,500 hours of underwater audio collected off Hawaii’s coast using devices called SoundTraps — small titanium recorders bolted to concrete blocks on the ocean floor. What they found surprised even seasoned scientists: not just simple seal sounds, but complex combinations. “We found six basic call types, and 19 more that are made by linking those calls together without any silence in between,” said Kirby Parnell, the Ph.D. candidate who led the study. “That’s not something we typically see in seal communication.” Parnell first got curious about monk seal vocalizations during her master’s research at UC Santa Cruz. Now, her work is shedding light on how these rarely heard calls might help seals interact, find food, or even choose a mate. With only about 1,600 Hawaiian monk seals left in the wild, every piece of insight into how they live and communicate could be key to keeping them alive. “Sound is essential for long-range communication in the ocean,” explained John Terhune, a marine mammal expert and professor emeritus at the University of New Brunswick. “Vision just doesn’t travel far underwater.” Dana Jones from Hawaiian Monk Seal Preservation Ohana isn’t surprised these animals are chatty. “Most people just see them sleeping on the beach, but underwater, they’re a completely different animal.” One vocalization in particular has caught the researchers' attention — the “whine.” Parnell first noticed it while watching social media clips of monk seals foraging. She now suspects the call could be linked to hunting behavior. Next, the team plans to expand their work by placing recorders underwater for longer stretches to track how seal communication changes with the seasons, or during different behaviors like mating or feeding. But their voices may be in danger of getting drowned out. Many of the seal calls occur below one kilohertz — the same frequency range used by large ships and other human-made ocean noise. That overlap could reduce how far the calls can travel, limiting the seals' ability to find each other or coordinate in the wild. “We need to understand not just what they’re saying, but how we might be making it harder for them to be heard,” Parnell said. For now, the discovery of these calls opens up a whole new way of thinking about monk seals — not just as sleepy beachgoers, but as complex, vocal creatures with a social language we’re only beginning to understand.
Score (97)
UK Streamer Raises Over £110,800 for Alzheimer's Research, in Memory of His Dad
One of the UK’s most popular video game streamers has raised more than £110,000 for Alzheimer’s research in a single 16-hour stream — all in memory of his father. Paul, better known online as TheRunningManZ, took to YouTube and Twitch for his fifth annual charity stream, this time once again raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK. The Suffolk-based creator, who has built a dedicated audience by playing the survival game DayZ, says his late father Albert was the driving force behind the fundraising efforts. “My dad had dementia... he was the inspiration for these streams,” Paul told BBC Radio Suffolk. “Because I stream to an audience five days a week, people know me, they know my background, they know my reasons for doing it and I do this stream once per year.” The latest stream brought in more than 364,000 views and raised £110,800. That pushes his total for the charity to around £330,000 since he started in 2021. “It’s kind of crazy to think about,” he said. “I’m very proud to be able to do it. I feel lucky that I’ve grown a following that allows me to do this.” Paul started streaming full time in 2016 and has since become one of the most viewed streamers in the country. According to Stream Charts, he’s ranked eighth in the UK for 2025. Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity, praised his previous campaigns and the online community that has rallied behind them. After an earlier stream, the organization said “everyone was blown away by the support from Paul and his generous online community.” Paul said he plans to continue the annual stream tradition and is already thinking about ways to make the next one even bigger.
Score (94)
Stroke Survivor Fulfills Dream of Being Santa Claus Again After Remarkable Recovery
When Brent Rasmussen collapsed in his home in December 2023, he had no idea whether he’d survive — let alone return to the job he loved most: being Santa Claus. The 79-year-old from Texas had suffered a massive cerebellar stroke, a rare and dangerous kind that affects balance and coordination. He couldn’t walk, talk, or swallow. He lay bleeding on the floor for nearly an hour before his dog started barking and alerted his wife, Tenesa, who called 911. But even then, it took doctors 19 hours to properly diagnose his stroke — too late for medication that might have helped. Rasmussen eventually needed brain surgery to remove part of his cerebellum. When he woke up, he couldn’t do any of the things that made up his everyday life — and certainly none of the things that made him Santa. “I wanted to be able to do all the things I had always done,” he told CBS News. “I worked hard my whole life, and now I couldn't even go out and do the simplest project.” His transformation into Santa had started back in 1998 when his company asked him to play the role at a holiday party. He quickly discovered a passion for it. One party turned into multiple bookings. Then full seasons. He and Tenesa eventually retired, but not from being Santa and Mrs. Claus. Over the years, they added custom costumes, handmade embroidery, and dozens of appearances — a tradition that continued for 25 years. But after his stroke, Rasmussen feared the sleigh ride was over. He had dropped 45 pounds, relied on a walker and feeding tube, and could barely speak. The deep, booming “ho ho ho” he was known for had vanished. In March 2024, he transferred to UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. That’s where staff asked him what he hoped to achieve. His answer came instantly: “I want to get my ho ho ho back.” That single goal changed everything. “It was the drive,” said his wife Tenesa. “That is what pushed him to do the hard work, to do the exercises, to keep trying.” His rehab team put together a multi-pronged plan: physical therapy to rebuild strength and balance, occupational therapy to regain fine motor skills, and speech therapy to help with swallowing and voice projection. The work was exhausting and progress came slowly. “He would say, ‘Why does everything have to be so hard?’” Tenesa recalled. But seven months later, by October, Rasmussen had ditched the walker and the feeding tube. He regrew his beard. He could speak clearly again, thanks to vocal exercises that helped him project his voice. Though he wasn’t yet ready for a full schedule, he made a surprise in-character appearance at UT Southwestern’s holiday party — a moment his therapist called “the culmination of all our efforts.” By December 2025, he was fully back in the red suit. He and Tenesa returned to a full schedule of holiday events, sometimes even doubling up in a day. Dressing and travel take more time now, but once he’s in the suit and the kids are lined up, the magic — and adrenaline — kicks in. Rasmussen is meticulous about making each visit meaningful. He asks each child what they want for Christmas and makes sure they know they’re on the nice list. When his voice wobbles, he leans on what he learned in therapy. “It’s a delicate balance, but it’s absolutely wonderful,” he said. Now he hopes his story can encourage other stroke survivors — not just to recover, but to dream big while doing it. “If you don't have a goal, you get up and get dressed every day and you're so exhausted by the end of that, all you want to do is just fall back on the bed,” he said. “But it gets better. Slowly, the days get longer and you're doing more, and you're feeling so happy with yourself for the progress.” “Life is not over,” he added. “You embrace it and move forward — and grab it.”
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Meteor Shower Dazzles Skywatchers Ahead Of Winter Solstice
If you're up for braving the cold, the night sky is offering a quiet but beautiful show this weekend. The Ursid meteor shower, the last of 2025, will peak overnight from December 21 to December 22. It’s not the flashiest meteor event of the year — the more dazzling Geminids stole that spotlight just a week ago — but this year’s timing makes it worth a look. The Ursids usually produce about five to ten meteors per hour, which makes the peak crucial if you want to catch them. And nature has lined things up just right. The new moon falls on December 20, so skies will be dark. The winter solstice arrives the next day, bringing the longest night of the year to the Northern Hemisphere — a perfect pairing for stargazing. The shower’s radiant point is near the constellation Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Dipper. That means it's best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere, where the constellation is visible all night long. But don’t expect all the meteors to shoot out from one point — they’ll appear across the sky, so it’s worth watching a wide patch of darkness. To see the Ursids, you'll want to find the darkest sky possible, away from city lights. Dress warmly and give your eyes at least 30 minutes to adjust — a step many people forget, but one that can make all the difference. Bring a blanket or reclining chair, lie back, and be patient. The Ursids are linked to Comet 8P/Tuttle, whose orbit leaves behind debris that Earth plows through each December. As tiny bits of dust and ice enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, they burn up and streak across the sky. While the Ursids don’t usually produce fireballs or long streaks like some other showers, the quiet setting this year might make the experience feel more personal — a kind of cosmic nightcap for 2025. Just keep in mind: this is a meteor shower for those who don’t mind waiting, watching, and maybe seeing just a handful of shooting stars. But sometimes, that’s all it takes to feel a little awe.
Score (92)
Blue Origin Sends Person Using a Wheelchair to Space for the 1st Time
Blue Origin just made history — and Michaela "Michi" Benthaus was at the center of it. On Saturday, the private spaceflight company launched its seventh human spaceflight, sending six crew members past the Kármán line — the 100-kilometre boundary recognized internationally as the edge of space. Among them was Benthaus, an aerospace and mechatronics engineer with the European Space Agency and the first person who uses a wheelchair to cross that threshold. For Benthaus, the moment marked more than just a personal milestone. It challenged long-standing assumptions about who gets to go to space. “I am excited to show the world that also wheelchair users can go on a suborbital flight,” she told ABC News. “And I’m really happy that Blue Origin is supporting this.” The entire flight, operated aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle, lasted about 10 minutes from liftoff to landing. During that time, the crew experienced a few minutes of weightlessness before descending safely back to Earth with the help of parachutes and a retro thrust system that softened their landing in the West Texas desert. Benthaus’s inclusion didn’t require any special modifications. Blue Origin said both the launch tower — which is equipped with an elevator — and the crew capsule had been designed from the start to accommodate people with disabilities and limited mobility. Benthaus was one of six passengers on the NS-25 mission. The team nicknamed themselves the “Out of the Blue” crew. Blue Origin described them as representing “the breadth and diversity of people who can now experience spaceflight,” including engineers, scientists, teachers, and entrepreneurs. The company added: “Michi's flight is particularly meaningful, demonstrating that space is for everyone.” Her participation was made possible in part by AstroAccess, a project backed by the nonprofit SciAccess that promotes disability inclusion in human spaceflight. The group is working to lay the groundwork for future space missions that include astronauts with disabilities — a field that has historically excluded them. Benthaus’s journey to the launchpad began years ago, long before her spinal cord injury. In 2018, a mountain biking accident left her paralyzed. She said she initially feared her lifelong dream of going to space might be over. But in a Blue Origin profile video shared before the flight, she said that realization never quite came. “I think there was not like this one moment when I realized my dream of going to space was not over,” she said. What followed instead was a growing awareness of how inaccessible the world can be. “I really, really figured out how inaccessible our world still is,” she said. “And how sometimes socially excluding a wheelchair can be, even though no one is actively excluding you.” That made the moment of liftoff all the more powerful. Benthaus and her fellow crewmates — each flown as paying passengers or through sponsored seats — briefly unbuckled from their harnesses to float in microgravity before returning to their seats for descent. For a few minutes, she was unbound by gravity, one of only a handful of people in the world to ever experience that sensation. Blue Origin's New Shepard flights are suborbital — they don’t reach orbit like missions to the International Space Station, but they do go high enough to qualify as space travel under international definitions. For space tourism companies like Blue Origin, it’s part of a growing push to make spaceflight more accessible, not just to the ultra-wealthy, but to a wider, more diverse group of people. Saturday’s launch was the company’s first human mission since August 2022, and followed an uncrewed booster failure later that year that grounded flights temporarily. Now back in service, Blue Origin says it’s focused not just on routine suborbital trips, but also on setting precedents — and expanding who space is for. Benthaus, for her part, hopes she’s only the beginning.