Must Reads

• ​Take a look at the Nature inFocus Photography Awards winners, chosen out of nearly 16,000 submissions

​

• How long has Friendsgiving been celebrated? Learn the (short) history of the word

Culture

This Year’s Dining Trends Were “All About Connection,” New Report Finds

We often hear about how technology is driving us further apart, but according to a recent report, it may actually be bringing us closer together in one area: eating out. After analyzing responses from 1,000 U.S. diners, reservation platform Resy found that “dining in 2025 was all about connection” — partially thanks to restaurants employing technology to enhance customer experience.
​
How exactly was this sense of connection reflected among patrons? One way was through shared plates, which Resy says are no longer “unique to tapas restaurants.” In fact, over 94% of respondents (and over 97% of Gen Z) said they’re likely to share their meal when eating out.
​
“Sharing food is one of the best ways to enjoy good company, especially at the kind of thoughtful restaurants this city does so well,” New York City restaurateur Steve Wong said in the Resy report. Ninety percent of Gen Z also enjoyed dining at communal tables, with 63% of those surveyed noting that they’re a great way to meet new people.
​
And helping restaurants streamline daily operations are innovative tech integrations, which automate manual processes and allow multiple systems to communicate without requiring staff assistance. “The goal is a more connected digital ecosystem that saves time, reduces friction, and creates more space for operators to focus on what hospitality is really about,” said Resy COO Junaid Shams. Learn more about this year’s dining trends, plus predictions for 2026.

Together With Money

How Much Does Life Insurance Really Cost?

Most people are surprised to learn how affordable life insurance can be. Some term life policies today start at just a few dollars a month, with many applications approved in under 15 minutes. That’s a small price for the peace of mind that your family will be taken care of.
​
You can choose a term length that fits your stage of life — from 10 to 40 years — and many insurers offer coverage up to $10 million. But how do you know which provider is right for you? Money rounded up the best life insurance companies to help you compare your options. Click below to explore rates and policies that match your needs.

Health

Speaking Multiple Languages May Slow Brain Aging: Study

Speaking a second language is already an incredible boon for traveling and experiencing different cultures, but according to recent research out of Trinity College Dublin, it may also come with a significant health benefit. After analyzing data from 86,149 European participants in 27 countries, the study authors found that being multilingual may slow down brain aging and help protect against age-related decline.
​
Specifically, the researchers discovered that individuals from countries where people typically speak at least two languages were half as likely to experience accelerated aging as monolingual folks. To figure this out, the authors used an AI model to predict participants’ biological ages, and compared them to their actual ages. What’s more, “the protective effect was cumulative,” lead author Lucia Amoruso said in a news release. “The more languages people spoke, the greater their protection against aging-related decline.”
​
​But how exactly might being multilingual slow down aging? “Speaking several languages continuously exercises multiple systems,” co-author Agustin Ibanez explained to EuroNews. “It forces you to manage attention, inhibit interference, and switch between linguistic rules, all of which strengthen the networks that tend to weaken with age.”

Humanity

When You’re Caught Between “Yes” and “No,” Here’s Why “Maybe” Isn’t the Way to Go

This article was written by Julian Givi, an assistant professor of marketing at West Virginia University, for The Conversation.
​
Say you win a radio sweepstakes giving you two tickets to a sold-out concert the upcoming weekend. You eagerly text your friend and ask if they’d like to join. Their response? “Maybe.”
​
​Your mood immediately turns. You feel slighted rather than joyous as you’re left in limbo: Now you need to wait for your waffling friend to make a decision before you can figure out your plans for the concert.
​
I’m a consumer psychologist who has studied social decision-making for over a decade. And if you’ve experienced anything like the above anecdote, I can tell you that you’re not alone. People responding “maybe” to invitations is a common yet irksome aspect of social life. Recently, my co-authors and I published a series of studies examining what goes on in people’s heads when they aren’t sure whether to accept an invitation. Learn a research-backed way to politely respond to an invite.​

In Other News

1. 16 ancient canoes were identified in a “prehistoric parking lot” submerged in a Wisconsin lake (read more)
   ​
2. A new tuberculosis drug may be a breakthrough in treating and curing the deadly disease (read more)
   ​
3. With just under 1,000 days until the opening ceremony, the 2028 Paralympics schedule has been released (read more)
   ​
4. The very first kiss may have occurred up to 21 million years ago, well before humans were locking lips (read more)
   ​
5. This new snake species was named in honor of the late Steve Irwin — learn why (read more)

Organization We Love

Children’s Burn Foundation
​
​Founded in 1985 by a doctor and a burn survivor, the Children’s Burn Foundation is on a mission to “help child burn survivors and families become thrivers.” This involves providing reconstructive treatment, emergency family assistance, counseling, a teen support program, and prevention and education programs that reach more than 85,000 children and families annually. I’m especially fond of their free “Look out Lucky” children’s series about a little chameleon and kitten navigating burn dangers — it’s so sweet and informative.
​
​– Marika Spitulski, Writer

Inspiring Story

Fresh tamales coming up

Catherine Contreras grew up cooking tamales with her family, so when she became a mother, she wanted to share the tradition with her own kids. A self-proclaimed “autism mom,” Contreras also recognized that youngsters on the spectrum often enjoy sensory toys. So, with the help of her mother, she founded Fresh Masa, a business that creates Play-Doh “cooking” kits that not only provide hours of fun molding tamales and other masa-based creations, but also help pass along Latin culture to the next generation.

Photo of the Day

Everyone’s favorite septuagenarian bird is back in the news. She may be approximately 75 years old, but Wisdom the albatross has no plans of retiring — from laying eggs. The world’s oldest-known wild bird returned this week to the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in Hawaii to reunite with her mate and potentially lay another egg, which would put her lifetime total somewhere between 50 and 60. If this is your first introduction to Wisdom, learn more about her in our article celebrating her grandmotherhood back in 2023.

Discover More of the World With Rosetta Stone

This Black Friday, Rosetta Stone is offering lifetime access to all 25 languages for just $149. With short, immersive lessons and tools like TruAccent helping you sound more natural as you learn, each session becomes an invitation to see people and places with more understanding and more wonder. Just a few minutes a day can open new conversations, connections, and ways of appreciating the world.

Please support our sponsors! They help us keep Nice News free. ♡

Odds & Ends

🐶 Disabled pups, start your engines​
​
👭 Why one woman started a “playground” for adult pals
​
🪨 Who knew rocks could heal themselves?
​
🍗 A very festive new condiment, inspired by Friends​
​

Quote of the Day

“Stories are a way to preserve one’s self. To be remembered.”

– V. E. SCHWAB, THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE