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1. Time to organize a community beach cleanup.
This deep dive into the trashy problem on Vancouver Island in Canada (more than 40 tons of garbage were pulled from its beaches last September alone!) illustrates the massive amount of waste that's made its way to oceans and coastlines around the world. Some projections say that there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050, so needless to say it's time that we all started taking action to help. (Vice)
2. You recall happy memories faster than sad ones (thanks, brain!).
Lest you were worried your brain didn't have your back, a new study found that participants were much quicker to recall positive memories than negative ones. What's more, you can actually control the memories you recall, as upbeat music in the study brought to mind happier thoughts, while slower, more negative music brought to mind the opposite. (PsyPost)
3. A palliative care movement in India is helping the sick die with dignity.
An estimated 300 volunteer groups across the state of Kerala work to identify the sick and suffering and provide them with care. Funded primarily by local donations, they supplement the medical care given by the government-funded institutions. "We help people live at home and die at home. Most want that," said the anesthetist who spearheaded the movement, M.R. Rajagopal. (The Atlantic)
4. Forget the lunch break. Sweden is all about the sex break.
Forty-two-year-old Swedish politician Per-Erik Muskos has proposed something very interesting, an hourlong paid sex break, which is exactly what it sounds like: a designated hour for Swedes to go home and have sex with their partners. "It's about having better relationships," Muskos told the AFP news agency, noting that there was no guarantee that people wouldn't just use that hour to go for a walk. So many options! (The Local SE)
5. Would you try the ClassPass of office lunches?
One of the founders of ClassPass, Mary Biggins, has branched out into food with an app called MealPal, with co-founder Katie Ghelli. MealPal just received another round of funding, allowing them to expand to eight cities, along with their first international city London. The meal app relies on the monthly fee model, in which users get meal-of-the-day options from local restaurants. (Eater)
6. Freeze your eggs and feel chic while you're at it.
More and more women are choosing to freeze their eggs, and they're not doing it at any old medical center. Instead, they opt for modern clinics with comfy couches in the waiting rooms and top-notch customer service. As it should be. (The Cut)
7. A tech startup is hoping to detect cancer early with a blood test.
A company called Freenome has raised $65 million to test their "liquid biopsy." They hope to commercialize the test and see it become a first line of defense against cancer. (BuzzFeed)
8. A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.
A special structure for storing energy known as a supercapacitor has been constructed inside a rose for the first time—meaning the plant can be charged and discharged hundreds of times. The amazing breakthrough from the Laboratory of Organic Electronics at Linköping University in Sweden is blooming good news for horticulturists, flower lovers, scientists, and incurable romantics, of course. (Science Daily)