Must Reads

• An ancient lake recently reemerged after record rainfall in California’s Death Valley National Park

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• The painting that gave America its first glimpse at Star Wars’ “galaxy far, far away” just set records at auction

Culture

We’re More Likely to Remember Beautiful Words, Study Suggests

What do the words harmony, lullaby, and melody have in common — beyond their musical definitions? They all sound lovely when said out loud. Previously, researchers weren’t sure if the meaning of a word influences our perception of its beauty, or if the two are entirely separate. But in a new study, a team out of the University of Vienna suggests that not only do we think of certain words as being more beautiful, regardless of their meaning, but that perceived euphony also impacts how well we remember them.
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To figure this out, researchers showed a variety of pseudowords — fake words with no meaning, such as “smanious” and “drikious” — to 100 English speakers. The participants rated the appeal of each word and tried to memorize them. After asking the subjects to recall them later on, scientists “found that the words that participants remembered best were also the ones they rated as most beautiful,” lead author Theresa Matzinger said in a news release. “But these were not always the words that we, as researchers, had originally designed to be the most beautiful.”
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She added that these findings could be used to help with foreign language learning, marketing strategies, and generational changes in languages. “Certain sound patterns may persist in languages because they sound pleasant, while others may disappear because we find them less appealing,” she explained.

Together With TriAgenics

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Environment

Fairy-Tale Fox Featured in “National Wildlife” Photo Contest Winner

Although this ethereal image looks straight out of a fantasy novel, it’s actually a real photo of a scene on Alaska’s St. George Island — and it claimed the grand prize in the 2025 National Wildlife Photo Contest. Hosted by the National Wildlife Federation’s titular magazine, the competition received nearly 30,000 entries from over 3,200 photographers, all in support of the organization’s mission of “ensuring wildlife and people thrive in a rapidly changing world.”
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​Photographer Kathleen Borshanian noticed the female blue Arctic fox around 75 feet away from her on the island’s west end, according to the magazine. “On the high bluffs of St. George Island, there is a 1,000-foot sea cliff where numerous fox trails cut a path precariously close to the edge,” the Salt Lake City resident said. Borshanian hid behind a tuft of grass and used a telephoto lens to get the shot without alarming the animal or her nearby sleeping kits, a feat that has now led to a $5,000 prize, per USA Today.
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Now in its 54th year, the contest also recognized winners in categories like Baby Animals, Landscapes and Plants, and People in Nature — and the judges identified two “unmistakable” themes among all the entries. “First, there are astonishing glimpses of nature’s sheer strength,” National Wildlife editorial director Jennifer Wehunt wrote, adding, “And then there are surprises that defy the everyday: a night bus of nautical hitchhikers, a fox straight out of a fairy tale. That ability to amaze — that’s also the power of nature.” See the rest of the winners.​

Science

Inspired by a Bird of Paradise, Scientists Create Darkest-Known Fabric

Black may not be the first color that comes to mind when you think of birds of paradise, but the magnificent riflebird stands out among more brightly plumed members of its family. Native to Australia and New Guinea, the majority of the male riflebird’s feathers aren’t just black, but ultrablack — a shade that reflects less than 0.5% of the light that hits it. Recently, the dark-hued songbird inspired a team of researchers at Cornell University to create the darkest-known fabric ever made.
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The color — found in solar panels and cameras — can appear less black when viewed at an angle and is difficult to replicate, per a news release. Looking to make the process easier, the researchers studied riflebird feathers, noting that their pigment comes from a combination of melanin and “tightly bunched barbules” that direct light inward. They re-created the effect by applying polydopamine, a synthetic melanin, to white merino wool, then etching the material to mimic the light-trapping barbules.
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The result is a fabric that reflects just 0.13% of light, making it the darkest-known textile. And it remains ultrablack at an angle, unlike similar fabrics on the market. Last fall, fashion designer Zoe Alvarez crafted a dress with the material, featuring a dash of vibrant blue inspired by the magnificent riflebird’s highly contrasted chest. According to researchers, the textile could also be useful for various solar thermal applications, including thermoregulating camouflage. Check out the dress.​

Global Good

🇪🇨 In the Ecuadorian Andes, the Otavalo Indigenous people are using anime to highlight their culture and language (read more)
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🇨🇳 A novel stem cell therapy developed in China led to a “dramatic” decline in symptoms for a Parkinson’s patient (read more)
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🇺🇦 “Magical” decor and other creative solutions are helping small businesses in Ukraine stay afloat amid blackouts (read more)
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🇹🇳 Ancient Roman olive oil processing plants were discovered at an archaeological site in Tunisia (read more)
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🇨🇴 A tiny fish species newly identified in Colombia’s Amazon features a never-before-seen organ (read more)

Inspiring Story

A community win-win

High school students in Colorado’s Boulder Valley School District can get course credit for building homes — helping them learn a trade while also creating more affordable housing for residents. In a nation-first partnership between the school district, the city of Boulder, and the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, students build modular homes offered to residents of the Ponderosa Mobile Home Park, which was hit by a severe flood in 2013. “I think it was a big accomplishment for us and what we can do in the future,” one of the students said after the first two homes were completed. “It’s not like we’re building a little mini project, it’s real-world type stuff.”

Photo of the Day

Former Venezuelan National Assembly member Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in a Wednesday ceremony “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people” in her home country, per the Nobel Foundation. For safety reasons, her daughter Ana Corina Sosa accepted the prize on her behalf in Oslo, Norway, saying: “She wants to live in a free Venezuela, and she will never give up on that purpose.”

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Up This Weekend

1. Hanukkah Starts: Sundown on Sunday marks the start of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish commemoration also known as the Festival of Lights (and the best time to perfect your latke recipe)
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2. Stream A Charlie Brown Christmas: Gather the family ’round — Saturday and Sunday only, Apple TV is streaming the classic holiday special for free for non-subscribers
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3. St. Lucia’s Day: Adding on to the holiday festivities, tomorrow is St. Lucia’s Day, marking the beginning of the Christmas season in Scandinavia
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The Nice News merch collaboration with Because Weekend is all about celebrating optimism and making every day feel like the weekend. To help us spread that ethos beyond the inbox, shop our collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts here.

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Odds & Ends

😀 These Pixar characters have become therapy tools
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🍪 More Christmas cookies than even Santa can eat
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💪 Chuck Norris’ 15-minute solution to feeling younger*
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🏈 The NFL will return to this international hub in 2026
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​*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate

Quote of the Day

“Perhaps the most radical act of resistance in the face of adversity is to live joyfully.”

– ARI HONARVAR