It's time to train your brain. The New York Times kicked off 2026 with a five-day brain health challenge — a series of tasks to complete with science to back 'em up. Yesterday was the fifth day, so now you can see the challenge in its entirety, and hopefully recruit some friends to complete it with you (and keep you accountable).
Tempted to Order Takeout? It May Boost Your Relationship Satisfaction
filadendron/iStock
If you need an excuse to order takeout tonight, here's one, courtesy of Harvard professor Ashley Whillans: It may lead to a happier relationship. In a paper published last April summarizing seven studies, Whillans and her colleagues explained that time-saving purchases — like indulging in a delivery dinner — predicted greater relationship satisfaction. Why? Spending money to save time can help you "feel more control over your life," Whillans told ABC News. "That sense of autonomy boosts well-being." The key, though, is using your newly freed up time to connect with your loved one. "It's about being intentional with the time you get back," she said, adding, "Think of that half hour not as an opportunity to send more emails, but as a chance to spend time with your partner." And you don't have to dish out big bucks to reap these benefits. Whillans suggested that couples take a "time audit" to evaluate how they spend their time and identify small tasks they can outsource. For instance, perhaps you pay a neighborhood teen to mow your lawn or walk the dog. For New Yorker Casey Mulligan Walsh and her husband, hiring a housekeeper once a week made a big difference. "My favorite day of the week was coming home to a clean house," she said. "We'd go get coffee together instead of arguing about who should vacuum."
Together With Babbel
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It's easy to feel overwhelmed by a new year — ambitious resolutions abound, and many are difficult to keep. But small habits lead to big changes, and with Babbel, 10 minutes a day is all it takes to start speaking a new language. Explore bite-size lessons, podcasts, and interactive speaking practice that make learning enjoyable and doable. Right now, Nice News readers can get 65% off a lifetime subscription and instantly access every lesson in every language. Start the year feeling accomplished, confident, and curious.
Thousands of Donated Christmas Trees Help Combat Erosion Along an English Coastline
Lancashire Wildlife Trust / SWNS
What happens to Christmas trees after the holiday festivities are over? Countless are tossed in the trash each year, and many wind up slowly decomposing in landfills, releasing harmful methane as they do. But along northwest England's Fylde Coast, wildlife volunteers have come up with a novel way of repurposing their evergreens: using them to battle coastal erosion. Funded by the U.K.'s Environment Agency, The Lancashire Wildlife Trust's Fylde Sand Dunes Project aims to conserve and restore the area's sand dunes, 80% of which have eroded over the past 150 years due to growing coastal towns. "The sand dunes along the Fylde Coast are home to a diverse and specialized ecosystem, hosting a variety of unique plants and animals," the project's senior engagement officer, Amy Pennington, said in a statement on the project website, adding, "They play a crucial role in providing habitat for flora and fauna of international and national importance." To help conserve the dunes, the restoration team aims to grow them seaward to "enhance their effectiveness as a natural sea defense," Pennington explained. So during their annual Christmas tree planting event, which will take place Feb. 10-12 this year, staffers and volunteers strategically place donated trees in front of the existing dunes along the coast.
Science
72 New Wildlife Species Were Identified by Cal Academy of Sciences in 2025
A shy fish, fuzzy plant in the sunflower family, and bird that blends in with volcanic rock were among the 72 animal, plant, and fungi species newly identified by the California Academy of Sciences in 2025. The result of a collaboration between over a dozen Academy scientists and international contributors, the list spans six continents and three oceans. The timid fish, dubbed Plectranthias raki, was found 400 feet below the surface during an expedition to the Maldives, in what's known as the "twilight zone." "Raki" means "feeling shy to confront people" in the local language, Dhivehi — and though it lived up to its name, ichthyology curator Luiz Rocha was able to spot it due to its unexpected coloring. "Color is usually the first clue that tells us we're looking at something new, and this fish stood out immediately," he said in a press release, noting that most members of its genus have bold vertical bars rather than the raki's light red blotches. Per Chief of Science Shannon Bennett, all the findings are significant steps forward in aiding conservation efforts. "Each newly described species adds a crucial piece to the puzzle of understanding how ecosystems function and adapt under increasing pressures," she said. "By formally documenting new species and adding them to our scientific collections, we strengthen our ability to not only conserve what remains, but actively regenerate ecosystems in a rapidly changing world." Read about (and see) more of the species.
In Other News
Under a new California law, good Samaritans cannot be cited for providing assistance to unhoused people (read more)
NASA's historic Artemis II moon mission may launch in just a few weeks (read more)
The NFL saw its second-highest average regular season TV viewership in over three decades (read more)
Teacher salaries increased in a Florida county thanks to overwhelming support from taxpayers (read more)
For the first time in over 10 years, two adorable sloth bear cubs were born at the National Zoo (read more)
Inspiring Story
"Health care is a right"
The poverty rate in Albany, Georgia, is twice as high as the state's, and about 16% of residents are uninsured. So since 2008, the Samaritan Clinic has offered free care to those who can't afford medical treatment. "Health care is a right," Executive Director Nedra Fortson said in a recent short documentary. "You can't just leave people out here in a position of needing health care and not being able to access it."
Photo of the Day
Keith Gillett—Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
American figure skater Amber Glenn made history Wednesday at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The two-time defending champion won the women's short program with a record-breaking score of 83.05, securing her status as a strong contender for this year's Olympic team, which will be selected tomorrow. Watch her performance and reaction to the score.
Meet Masterworks, the World's Premiere Art Investing Platform
Investors are facing a dilemma. Headlines say tariffs and AI hype are distorting public markets. Now, the S&P is trading at over 40x earnings — with just a handful of stocks comprising 40% of its market cap. Bloomberg asked where experts would personally invest $100,000 last quarter. One surprising answer? Art. Thanks to Masterworks, now anyone can access works by legends like Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso (without needing millions). Want in? Shares in new offerings can sell quickly, but Nice News subscribers can skip the waitlist.*
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