What are you looking forward to in 2024? For the last few years, it's been hard to shore up the same amount of enthusiasm for the new year. It hurts to say, but I worry we all think it's safer to just wait for the next bizarre, confounding, world-altering event rather than think about, let alone expect, something good. But we can't live that way. (If my therapist is reading this, see?! I do listen.) So tell me what's happening — in the world, in your life, in a hypothetical-yet-totally-possible future — that makes you excited to see what 2024 brings.
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Our favorites this week
Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week
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New year, new trends
Speaking of 2024, the tastemakers that be seem to be saying 2024 will be a little sweet, and a little sour. Pantone announced the 2024 "Color of the Year," and it's a warm pastel hue called "Peach Fuzz." A single color obviously can't describe a whole year that hasn't even happened yet, but a Peach Fuzzy year that's a little soft, a little comforting and a little subdued doesn't sound so bad. Meanwhile, seasoning giant McCormick & Company has named tamarind as its 2024 “Flavor of the Year.” The tangy-sweet spice comes from a tree that commonly grows throughout Africa, Mexico, Asia and India. McCormick hopes the trendy flavor (purchased from them, of course) will show up in all kinds of new places like ice cream and potato chips. If you haven't tried it yet, there's an easy 2024 resolution to put on the list.
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We love old turtles
A collection of ancient plant fossils has stymied scientists for years ... and for good reason. The fossils don't show plants at all, but rather a prehistoric type of turtle! The small round shapes bearing a leaf-like pattern were once the shells of baby turtles that lived during the time of dinosaurs. Scientists have nicknamed the turtle species “Turtwig,” after a Pokémon character that is half-turtle, half-plant. (Scientists are very cute when they do stuff like that.) “In paleontology, your imagination and capacity to be amazed are always put to the test,” the lead author of a new study about the discovery said. “Discoveries like these are truly special because they not only expand our knowledge about the past but also open a window to the diverse possibilities of what we can uncover.”
Read the whole story here.
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Little kid, big brain
Declan Lopez is one of the youngest new members of Mensa, an international society for people with high intelligence quotients. Like many 6-year-olds, the girl from Rockaway, New Jersey, thinks about unicorns and fashion a lot, but she also can rattle off the atomic weight of elements. Her curious parents had her IQ tested last year, and her results were high enough to land her in the exclusive club. Meachel Lopez said her daughter’s abilities surprised her and her husband from infancy, and now, they want to take every opportunity to satiate their daughter’s hunger for knowledge. As for Declan, she says when she learns something new, “it feels silly and exciting.” A perfect description.
Read the whole story here.
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There are a lot of artificial intelligence generated images out there on social media (and a lot that are just poorly altered). This, however, is completely real. An extremely rare leucistic white alligator was recently born at Gatorland, a nature park in Orlando. Luecistic alligators are different than albino alligators, and this little girl is one of only eight in the world. “Leucistic alligators are the rarest genetic variation in the American alligator. They differ from albino alligators, which have … a complete loss of pigment,” the park said in a release. “Leucism in alligators causes white coloration, but they often have patches or splotches of normal coloration on their skin. Without the darker skin pigmentation, they can’t have direct sunlight for long periods of time because they sunburn easily.” They sunburn?! You just know she's in for a lifetime of pampering.
Read the whole story here.
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It's here! The Peabody and Emmy® Award-winning CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute returns this Sunday, December 10 at 8 p.m. ET. Host Anderson Cooper will be joined by CNN Anchor and Chief Legal Analyst Laura Coates and a bevy of guest stars including Amanda Seyfried, Brooke Shields, Jason Momoa, Rachel Zegler and Sterling K. Brown. Of course, the biggest stars of the night are CNN's Top 10 Heroes of 2023. By the end of the night, one of them will be named the 2023 CNN Hero of the Year. Be sure to catch the show, but before you do, brush up on all 10 honorees here.
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Now this is a delicious holiday tradition. In Italy and Italian households around the world, families gather during Christmas for The Feast of the Seven Fishes. Known in Italy as La Viglia, which translates to The Eve, as in December 24 or Christmas Eve, The Feast of the Seven Fishes isn't religious — but it is definitely about fish. The tradition started in Southern Italy, where the country's long coastline means seafood is a major staple. The strictest adherents to the seven-fishes tradition will tell you that, yes, there should be seven fishes on the dinner table. Others say you can mix it up a bit, and any and all seafood, including shellfish, count toward the final tally.
Read the whole story here.
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Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart. It transcends the world that is immediately experienced, and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizons.
- Czech statesman, poet, writer and activist Václav Havel |
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Rec of the week
Brought to you by CNN Underscored
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‘Dancing with the Stars’ co-host Julianne Hough shares her everyday must-haves
We caught up with Julianne Hough to learn about the products she loves to have as part of her daily self-care routine. Shop her favorite comfortable sneakers, her go-to lip balm and more.
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Shameless animal video
There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now.
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Fantastic winter vibes and some little fox hops. Who could ask for anything more? (Click here to view) |
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