You know the Emmy Awards and the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards, but how about the Tiny Awards? Since 2023, the unique competition "has celebrated the best of the small, poetic, creative, handmade web." The public is asked to nominate non-commercial websites created in the previous 12 months, and a panel of judges selects the finalists. Then, people can vote for their favorites. Naturally, the winner gets a tiny trophy — you have until Sept. 1 to cast your vote for the 2025 awards.
Better with age: The neuroscience behind how some pro athletes keep their edge as they get older
Science
Study Finds "Recipe" for Creating Perfect Chocolate Every Time
Mimi Chu Leung
Here's a story chocolate lovers (all of us?) will appreciate: A team of scientists says they've cracked the code on what separates good chocolate from the really good stuff — and it's not cute packaging or extra nougat, but rather the specific microbial communities that flourish directly after cacao beans are harvested. Chocolate's flavor owes a lot to fermentation, a natural process that occurs when cacao beans are piled in boxes or bins. But while it plays a vital role in shaping flavor depth and aroma richness, as well as minimizing the beans' natural bitterness, fermentation is typically spontaneous and unpredictable, causing fluctuations in quality across harvests and regions. So in a recent study, researchers sought to pinpoint and replicate the ideal mix of microbes, pH, and temperature — in other words, make a "recipe" for consistently 10/10 chocolate. Taking a cue from beer and cheesemakers, the team worked with chocolate farmers during fermentation to identify the factors influencing flavor, then developed starter cultures to re-create the process in a controlled setting. Lo and behold, they successfully produced high-quality chocolate, and they say the research could revolutionize the chocolate industry. "The discoveries we have made are really important for helping chocolate producers to be able to consistently maximize their cocoa crops," study co-author David Gopaulchan said in a statement, adding: "By effectively domesticating the fermentation process, this work lays the foundation for a new era in chocolate production, where defined starter cultures can standardize fermentation, unlock novel flavor possibilities, and elevate chocolate quality on a global scale."
Together With Timeline
A Scientific Breakthrough in Human Aging
The first signs of aging happen where you can't see them — inside your cells. Beginning in your 30s, the mitochondria, responsible for 90% of your body's energy, take on damage with time, and your cells slowly lose the ability to repair it. This decline wears down your energy and physical strength, leaving you feeling weak and fatigued. Luckily, Swiss scientists have revealed a way to restore this process and support healthy aging. Mitopure®, a clinically proven longevity supplement, replaces aging mitochondria and helps to rebuild new ones, giving you your energy back. The results? Studies found participants saw energy and muscle strength increase without any changes to exercise.* Take aging into your own hands and take 30% off Mitopure, while supplies last.
*500mg Mitopure® have been shown to (1) induce gene expression related to mitochondria function and metabolism and (2) increase the strength of the hamstring leg muscle in measures of knee extension and flexion after 4 months in overweight 40-65 year olds.
Health
Through Martial Arts, Bruce Lee's Legacy Supports Mental Health in Youth
Provided by Bruce Lee Foundation
Martial arts icon Bruce Lee died in 1973, but his legacy lives on — and it's helping improve young people's physical and mental health. His daughter, Shannon Lee, founder of the Bruce Lee Foundation, launched Warrior Academy in 2024: a 10-week after-school program that combines martial arts training with mindfulness and social-emotional learning to help students move their bodies, improve emotional resilience, and build self-confidence. Shannon knows firsthand the beneficial impact of martial arts, as it "really saved me during a time when I was severely depressed and struggling with the death of my brother," she tells Nice News, noting that numerous studies bear out the positives as well. She was inspired to create Warrior Academy at three Boys & Girls Clubs across Los Angeles after recognizing how kids responded to Camp Bruce Lee, a multiday summer program that offers martial arts classes. "We really wanted to make sure that kids were going to have lasting benefits from what they were learning," Shannon explains. "Since we know the real impact of martial arts, mindfulness, and social-emotional learning are in consistent practice, we knew we had to find a way to create continuous exposure for these kids to get the most out of it." The foundation is now working on bringing the program to more locations — learn how to support Warrior Academy.
Culture
Smooth Jazz, Happy Cows: The Wholesome TikTok Trend Making the Internet Swoon
LEO BARIZZONI/AFP via Getty Images
TikTok has its fair share of trends (looking at you, underconsumption core), but watching cows listen to jazz might just be one of the most wholesome. In viral videos, cows can be seen attentively listening to live jazz musicians, as well as jazz albums played on iPhones and car speakers. Sometimes the cows seem to bop a bit, other times they run toward the music. While jazz-loving cows might be a new phenomenon for the average social media user, some farmers have used music to keep their herds happy for years — long before TikTok. Dairy farmer Charles Goadby told the BBC that he started playing music for his cows about a decade ago, noting that tunes may even help their milk production. "It's a little bit like the Pavlov dog theory, where it's waking up the senses, it starts their hormone production off, and actually the cows will release a little bit sooner and that milk flow will be a little bit quicker," Goadby said. "It helps relax the cows and the workers — so that's a win-win all round." If you're curious to hop on the trend, just be mindful of what tunes you play to the bovine audience. "Truthfully, a bit of Ozzy Osbourne would scare the socks off them," said another farmer, Rob Hadley. Noted!
In Other News
In a breakthrough study, infant mortality dropped by nearly half when Kenyan households received $1,000 (read more)
Basketball legend Sue Bird is the first WNBA player honored by her franchise with a statue: Take a look (read more)
Thousands of animals hopped on the scale for London Zoo's annual weigh-in day — and the footage is adorable (read more)
The Texas measles outbreak that sickened over 700 people has officially ended, per state health officials (read more)
3D-printed violins are ensuring low-income students at a Pennsylvania school have access to the arts (read more)
Join the Nice Book Club
We've all gone through periods of feeling stuck — maybe stuck in relationships, routines, or self-doubt. But you can rewrite the script to get out of those ruts, and Case Kenny's book The Opposite of Settling is the ultimate guide to doing just that. At tomorrow's Nice Book Club, join us for a special conversation with Case, in which the author will dive into the empowering ideas behind The Opposite of Settling, sharing how to raise your standards, trust your intuition, and create the life you truly want.
When Rita Ebel noticed many shops in her town of Hanau, Germany, were inaccessible for wheelchair users like herself, she decided to take matters into her own hands (literally). The 67-year-old grandmother, also known as "Lego Oma," began building ramps from Lego bricks and delivering them to local businesses — from sweet shops to breweries and beyond.
Photo of the Day
Zhang Xiangyi/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
The Humanoid Robot Games took place in Beijing, China, over the weekend, featuring 280 robot teams from 16 countries. The events included a 100-meter sprint (pictured above), as well as kickboxing and soccer matches. And while there was surely a lot to be impressed by in the way of technological innovation, there was also a lot of falling down.
Keep Strong Muscles as You Age
Maintaining muscle strength is key to healthy aging, but over time, our muscle integrity naturally decreases. Mitopure® is a powerful healthy aging solution shown in clinical studies to significantly increase muscle strength and endurance, starting in as little as two months. Even better? The studies show participants saw significant increases without any change in exercise.* Start your journey to stronger muscles today with 30% off.
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