April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes, so perhaps it’s time to brush up on our floral knowledge in advance of the upcoming month. The New York Times consulted with experts (a floral designer, a landscape architect, and an author) to compile a list of “the most culturally important flora in the world” and teach people how to spot them in the wild. Check it out.
Must Reads
Ever sit in your car after a long day? You’re not alone (and this could be why)
Is This How the Grand Canyon Formed? New Study Suggests Answer to Longstanding Mystery
Dean Fikar—Moment/Getty Images
How didthe Grand Canyon form? Researchers still don’t have all the answers on how or when this natural wonder of the world came to exist, but a new study published in Science adds to the body of evidence for one possible explanation: the hotly debated “lake spillover” theory.
The study suggests that, roughly 6.6 million years ago, the ancestral Colorado River spawned an ancient lake called Lake Bidahochi in northern Arizona. The researchers hypothesize that when the lake filled up over many millennia, the water began traveling west, forming the modern river’s current course and gradually creating the Grand Canyon (you can see a diagram of how it may have worked here). “It’s a simple but powerful explanation for how the Colorado River system took shape,” co-author Ryan Crow, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said in a statement.
Scientists reached this conclusion by collecting zircon-containing sandstone samples from the Bidahochi Basin east of the Grand Canyon. When they tested the zircon crystals from other Colorado River sediments, they found a close match in terms of age and composition. The study’s authors say other evidence, such as sediment accumulation and fossilized fish, also seems to support their theory.
Still, others remain skeptical of the new data — some say the theory does not fully eliminate other scenarios — so it looks like the Grand Canyon’s mysterious origin will continue to be up for deliberation.
Together With Upway
Wonder How Much Your Old Bike Is Worth Today?
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Each offer is valid for 14 days, giving you enough time to review the details and decide if you want to accept. When you’re ready, Upway handles pickup at no cost and securely transfers payment to your desired bank account. Click below to find out the value of your bike.
Rare Coins Worth Over $50K to Be Hidden for San Francisco Scavenger Hunt
Alexander Spatari—Moment/Getty Images
Calling all Bay Area treasure hunters: This Saturday, you can put your skills to the test by searching around San Francisco for 10 hidden coins worth more than $50,000 combined. Hosted by local coin shop Witter Coin for the third consecutive year, the scavenger hunt’s pièce de résistance will be an 1851 gold coin worth a whopping $25,000.
Witter Coin has been buying and selling rare coins in the city since 1960 — and owner Seth Chandler started the hunt as a way to honor San Francisco’s role in the California gold rush. “This city was built around the pursuit of gold,” he told KTVU Fox 2. “We wanted to create something that brings that spirit back. Something real, tangible, and rooted in San Francisco’s history. These aren’t replicas. These are genuine, high-value coins.”
Participants can check Witter Coin’s Instagram page the day of the hunt starting at 7 a.m. PT — clues with the coins’ whereabouts will be posted there “every hour on the hour,” per Chandler. All of the treasure will be accessible to the public in safe locations around the city, no digging or trespassing required. “We spend every day talking about the value and history of these coins,” Chandler said. “This time, we’re putting them back into the city where the gold rush began.”
Science
How Dolphins Communicate — New Discoveries From a Long‑Term Study
Brookfield Zoo Chicago's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, taken under NMFS MMPA Scientific Research Permit
This article was written by Laela Sayigh, a senior research specialist, cetacean communication at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, for The Conversation.
Human fascination with bottlenose dolphins goes back thousands of years, at least as early as Greek mythology. But it wasn’t until the 1960s that methodical research into dolphin communication began. Scientists like John Lilly and the husband-and-wife team of Melba and David Caldwell tried various experiments to decipher the sounds dolphins can make.
The Caldwells figured out a way to record isolated animals in human care. They discovered that each individual dolphin communicated mostly with one unique whistle, which they called the “signature whistle.” Researchers now know that these whistles convey identities much like human names do. Dolphins use them to stay in touch with each other in their murky habitat, where vision is limited. It’s like announcing “I’m over here!” when someone can’t see you.
This discovery is foundational to my own research. I’ve been studying communication in wild dolphins since the mid-1980s, when I joined my mentor Peter Tyack in documenting signature whistles in wild dolphins for the first time. Our team’s research focused on a resident community of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins in waters near Sarasota, Florida, where I continue to work today. Dive deep into dolphin communication.
In Other News
Pancreatic cancer patients are seeing success in an early trial of personalized mRNA vaccines (read more)
The Lyrid meteor shower will peak starting tonight — learn how to catch the “shooting stars” (read more)
Who said print was dead? Book lovers still prefer physical copies over digital and audio versions, data shows (read more)
Meet the 17-year-old who became the firstfrom her high school to be accepted into an Ivy League(read more)
The 50th endangered clouded leopard was born at the Nashville Zoo: See the cub (read more)
Something We Love
Quick-Release Bug Catcher
If there’s any group that would appreciate this bug catcher, I think it’s Nice News readers. The handy tool makes it easy to kindly escort insects out of a home rather than doing the glass-and-paper trick. There’s even a magnifying glass, so bug nerds can take a closer look at what they caught. I can’t wait to use it with my daughter when she gets older!
– Marika Spitulski, Writer
Kathrine Switzer made history in 1967 as the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon when she was 20 years old. In the nearly six decades since, she’s made it her life’s mission to empower women around the world through running. Now 79, Switzer — who still runs up to 40 miles a week — is hoping her story inspires others to keep moving: “Put on your shoes and get the hell out of the door.”
Photo of the Day
Paul Rutherford/Getty Images
Speaking of the Boston Marathon, we got back-to-back champions yesterday! Kenya’s John Korir and Sharon Lokedi both crossed the finish line first for the second year in a row, repeating as the men’s and women’s field winners. Korir took a huge lead in the last several miles, setting the course record with a time of 2:01:52. Meanwhile, Lokedi broke away from the pack to finish in 2:18:51, a bit shy of her personal best from 2025. It’s estimated that around 30,000 other runners took part in the 130th edition of the world’s oldest marathon. Watch Korir and Lokedi each cross the finish line.
National Park Foundation: Don’t Miss Your Chance to Triple Your Impact
Our national parks need protectors. When you make a gift to the National Park Foundation, you help provide the vital resources needed to preserve these incredible landscapes and historic sites for generations to come. In celebration of Earth Day this week, all gifts will be triple matched up to $750,000. Give now to make three times the difference for the national parks you love.
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