When was the last time you washed your favorite shoes? Not to get too gross, but our shoes can carry some pretty gnarly germs, including E. coli, salmonella, and MRSA. "Who knows what your shoes see? Amazing amounts of stuff get deposited everywhere," Karen Duus, a professor of microbiology and immunology, told Time magazine. So, even if you're a "shoes-off" household (which we recommend), experts advise giving them a good clean every few months — here's how to approach it.
Must Reads
The moon photobombed a picture of the sun in a "magnificent" accident
Planning Your Next Vacay? The Case for Taking a Skillcation
FilippoBacci/ iStock
Make room, staycations and coolcations. The latest travel trend making waves is the skillcation — a trip planned around a hands-on activity, whether that's cooking in Italy, surfing in Costa Rica, knitting in Iceland, or cheese-making in Switzerland. Instead of just checking a place off your bucket list, skillcations are about turning a holiday into an enriching adventure offering meaningful growth opportunities that travelers can carry with them long after they unpack their bags. Research shows that learning new skills is associated with improved memory and attention — and can even help preserve the brain's white matter. "Learning a skill is also associated with improved integrity of white matter, which is responsible for sending information between different parts of the brain," learning specialist Rebecca Mannis told Thrillist. Another perk of skill-building: It can rekindle the magic of being a beginner again. "We don't always have the opportunity to be beginners at something," said Samantha Edu with the mental health app Headspace. She added: "Practicing a skill brings us back to a childlike state of play, which, experts agree, boosts creativity and leads to enhanced well-being." Feeling inspired? Check out seven skillcation ideas.
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Spotting a lioness with her cubs is special anywhere — but at Bamingui-Bangoran National Park in Central African Republic, it's also historic. For the first time in decades, camera traps have documented a lioness with three cubs roaming the park, signaling a comeback for the region's big cats. In the footage, captured by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the mother lion is seen first, with two (adorable) cubs trailing close behind, until a third (also adorable) cub pops into view. Female lions are typically the pride's primary hunters and leaders, crucial for maintaining social bonds and stability. But since 2019, local monitoring in the park had only revealed male lions, raising concerns that the population lacked breeding females and might not recover. "This is the payoff of years of relentless protection and patience," Armand Luh Mfone with Wildlife Conservation Society said in a statement, adding: "To see not just a lioness, but a mother raising cubs, gives hope that the ecosystem is healing." It's also a sign that more sightings may not be far behind, as Luke Hunter, executive director of the organization's Big Cats Program, said: "Where there is one lioness, there are almost certain to be more; and now that we know there is at least one litter, I'm sure that others will follow." Watch the footage of the cubs with mom.
Science
Never-Before-Seen NASA Photos of Missions That Paved the Way for Apollo 11
NASA / ASU / Andy Saunders / SWNS
Never-before-seen photographs of NASA astronauts have been released to mark the 60th anniversary of Gemini V — one of the missions from Project Gemini, a predecessor of Project Apollo. The images were taken during the Gemini era, from 1965 to 1966, and the Project Mercury era, from 1961 to 1963. Project Mercury was NASA's first human spaceflight program, testing to see if humans could travel into orbit. Project Gemini saw NASA astronauts learn how to fly, live, and work in space for two weeks, the time necessary for people to travel to and from the moon. The two projects paved the way for the Apollo 11 mission, when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first individuals to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. Digital restoration expert Andy Saunders spent over 10,000 hours restoring more than 300 images from NASA's archives, many pulled from film that was so degraded it appeared completely blank before he began his work. He's compiled the restored photos in a book out today titled Gemini and Mercury Remastered. Saunders said the images "show what real progress looks like: messy, imperfect, and hard-fought. In today's world of instant gratification, these stories remind us that the most meaningful achievements come from resilience, creativity, and doing hard things that matter." Check out some of the photos.
In Other News
Bison have "reawakened"Yellowstone's ecosystem, according to new findings from the national park (read more)
The world's oldest arrowheads may be a cache of tiny stone points that date back 80,000 years (read more)
In Italy, apples hitch rides on special cable cars, an innovative way for farmers to get harvests down hills(read more)
A newborn planetfive times larger than Jupiter was photographed in a far-off solar system — take a look (read more)
Nice to meet you, Altan! The public came through in a call to name this adorable endangered horse colt (read more)
Inspiring Story
A landlord's legacy of kindness
When Appleton, Wisconsin, resident Richard "Dick" Reetz died in June at age 97, he was the owner of at least 20 real estate units across 10 different properties — and in his will, he left the entire portfolio to local housing nonprofit Pillars. The organization works to keep homeless people out of shelters and in stable housing, and the gift was the largest property donation it had ever received. "Dick gave people a chance when others would not," said Reetz's stepson Joe Frank. "He cared about his tenants' stories and wanted to help get them on their feet."
Photo of the Day
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Wouldn't want to be in the way of that metal weight when it's released! At the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban, Scotland, last Thursday, participants took on light and heavy athletic field events, a bagpiping contest, and Highland dancing competitions. The gathering was formed back in 1871 to bring together the original families of the historic Argyll county, and today it serves as a "celebration of Highland heritage and tradition."
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