Featured Story

After Nearly 6 Years, Notre Dame Cathedral Reopens Its Doors to the Public

When a fire broke out at the Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019, people the world over grieved with Parisians as centuries of history and culture went up in smoke alongside the sacred structure. In the nearly six years since, restoration teams have been working tirelessly to resurrect France’s iconic church, which was built over 850 years ago — and now it’s opening its doors again.
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Today commenced “an octave of reopening,” an eight-day period of celebration ushered in by a private ceremony and star-studded concert last night. The public was welcomed back inside the cathedral this morning, as the archbishop of Paris held the first Mass since the blaze. Click below to learn more and take a look at the stunning interior.

Together With New Sapience

The Biggest Problem With AI

Today’s AI like ChatGPT makes mistakes. That’s because AI can’t learn or think the way humans do. This is about to change thanks to New Sapience.
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New Sapience is moving beyond chatbots to create what they call “Synthetic Intelligence,” digital minds that truly comprehend language and explain their reasoning. And the potential here is staggering: Bill Gates says a company that can build true AI would be “worth 10 Microsofts.”
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​Become a New Sapience shareholder and be part of the next era of computer intelligence.​

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Environment

New Trail Allows Travelers to Explore Europe’s Lesser-Known Gems on 2 Wheels

Grab your helmet! The Dinaric Alps, a mountain range in southern Europe, are home to a new 3,400-mile bike trail called the Trans Dinarica — and it’s the first cycling route to link all eight countries of the Western Balkans.
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Stretching from Slovenia to Albania, the path offers access to some of the continent’s most remote and under-the-radar gems. Picture: postcard-worthy villages, pristine lakes, uncrowded parks, and quirky monuments.
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But traversing the lesser-known sites is only part of the lure. The route also connects a “patchwork of cultures,” the BBC reports. Decades after Yugoslavia broke up into six different states, the formerly war-torn region is now full of neighbors from different backgrounds and religions.
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In this sense, the pathway isn’t only special for visitors but also for locals. “I hope that Trans Dinarica can connect the region in a new way,” Jan Klavora, one of the creators, told the outlet. Check out the new route’s sweeping views.​

Culture

UNESCO Just Designated Sausage Stands as a Heritage Site

Much more than a place to grab a bite, Vienna’s sausage stands were recently added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Called “Würstelstand,” the humble stalls go back generations and are known for bringing different backgrounds and cultures together over an iconic snack in the Austrian capital.
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“The special thing about it is that it’s a form of gastronomy everybody can afford,” Mayor Michael Ludwig said in a statement, per the Associated Press. “Here the general director and, during the opera ball, a celebrity stands next to a worker and the street sweeper who just finished cleaning the street. That unites people.”
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​Japanese sake-making, henna art, Arabic coffee, and dozens of other cultural practices around the world were also named beacons of heritage last week, when the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage convened for its annual session in Paraguay. Browse the full list.​

Humanity

Inside the White House’s 2024 Holiday Decor

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the White House: The halls have been decked with more than 165,000 holiday lights, 9,810 feet of ribbon, 83 trimmed trees, and over 28,125 ornaments, all with the help of approximately 300 elves — er, volunteers — who brought the winter wonderland to life in our nation’s capital.
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In the spirit of this year’s theme, a “season of peace and light,” thousands of paper doves and drawings made by children around the country are also on display. Florals and fruits adorn the Diplomatic Reception Room as a “nod to the importance of hospitality and grace to peaceful diplomacy.”
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Even the gingerbread White House is a sight to behold. It’s made with 25 sheets of gingerbread, 50 pounds of royal icing, and 45 pounds of chocolate. Click here to see more photos of the festive scene.

Deep Dives

1. Recent research points to a future in which pain relief doesn’t come at the cost of opioid addiction
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2. A huge earthquake is overdue on the West Coast — and a team of tsunami detectives are trying to predict when it will hit
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3. ​Watch the fascinating story of how a World War II soldier who “lived with no brain” changed the field of neuroscience forever

What to Read

​Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures With a Clueless Craftsman​

Many people fantasize about trading in their fast-paced lifestyles and going off the grid, particularly during hectic work days. Patrick Hutchison actually did it — and his funny, philosophical memoir might make you all the more tempted to follow suit. Based on a viral article he wrote for Outside magazine in 2020, the book details how the former copywriter with zero carpentry skills quit his job, bought a cabin on Craiglist, and worked with his friends to fix it up, finding himself in the process.

Press Play

​Flow​

Per NPR, the animated feature Flow, by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, is “the most breathtaking cat video in history.” To be sure, the heartrending experimental film is beautiful; it’s also entirely dialogue-free. With an aesthetic that evokes open-world video games, it follows a black housecat living alone in the forest who must learn to coexist with other animals after an apocalyptic flood nearly washes the world away. Catch it in theaters now — and click the photo to watch the trailer.

This Week in History

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” Premieres on Prime-Time TV

December 9, 1965

A Charlie Brown Christmas — the first animated TV special based on Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip — is a certified classic, but before it premiered on CBS in 1965, its filmmakers thought they might have a flop on their hands, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
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The half-hour film, commissioned by Coca-Cola after Peanuts landed on the cover of Time, was put together in just six months, and some of Schulz’s choices worried executives. Real children, rather than adult actors, voiced the characters; Vince Guaraldi’s (now-iconic) jazzy soundtrack seemed out of place in a kids movie; and there was no laugh track. As we now know, though, those concerns were unfounded. Over 15 million households — roughly half the country’s TV watchers — tuned in that Thursday night, and the beloved special aired annually for decades.

Give the Gift of Comfort This Season With Bombas

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Crossword Club + Nice News

Today’s Puzzle
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​Across

15. “Yes, really!”

28. Spiky succulent

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​Down

2. “Who ___ you?”

30. X on a mall map

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Quote of the Day

“We should never want to become anyone else, because the greatest fulfillment we can ever get out of life is by becoming the best possible version of ourselves.”

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– ALEXI PAPPAS