Ever Widening Circles: It's Still An Amazing World

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  • Innovation
      • All Innovation
          • Image: A senior couple standing in a field of yellow flowers, smiling at the camera.This 81 Year Old Learned to Code to Create an App for SeniorsYou're never too old to learn or try something new. Not ever. If you need proof, take a look at 81 year-old Masako Wakamiya, who after never touching a computer until she was 58, coded an entire app to help seniors in her community stay connected and live more fulfilling lives. 
          • Image: Steak, potatoes, and vegetables cooking on a grate over a hot campfire.Stoking the Flames of Tradition: How Cooking Over Fire Connects Us With Our RootsCooking meals over open fire has long been tradition worldwide. And now, backyard chef Derek Wolf is bringing us back to our roots by bringing it back to the mainstream. His work reminds us that when you take the time to care about what you're doing—in this case, eating in the outdoors with carefully prepared food and good people—it makes everything better.
          • Woman carrying bananasWearable Bananas? This Ugandan Company is Giving Textile Waste the SlipWhat one material could make placemats, rugs, and hair extensions? This miracle fiber is bananas! Learn about the non-profit transforming this popular plant’s waste into something that is wonderful—in more ways than one!
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      • Technology
          • Daniel Rozin Penguin MirrorThese Moving Mirrors Reveal a New Reflection of YourselfHave you ever peered into a mirror made of troll dolls, penguins, or folding fans? Dive into this artist's world to see yourself in entirely new ways!
          • Image: Person drinking coffee and looking intently at their laptopMeet the Hackers Who Are Saving Lives!Can hackers really be saving lives?! This group of hackers is combining their unique skills to do good! They've developed an extraordinary partnership that is quite literally saving lives.
          • Image: hermit crab on a colorful pile of bottle capsThese Bacteria Have Found a Way to Break Down Plastic!Could it be that single-celled organisms have found a solution to our plastic problem? It turns out that nature is far more adaptable than we may think—and we can use their skills to combat plastic pollution!
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      • Education
          • Image: solar mamas learning to become solar engineersWhy Grandmas Are Training to Be the Best Solar EngineersGrandmas around the world are learning a new skill! These “solar mamas” are learning to become solar engineers and bringing light back to their communities that once spent their nights in darkness.
          • Image: young kid very excited about a giant slice ofcake!Ever Wondered Why You Always Have Room for Dessert?Why is it that after even the biggest meal you still have room for dessert? You may not have two stomachs, but you do have an evolutionary trick that has helped to keep us alive for thousands of years!
          • Image: Sloth smilingMeet the Unexpected Monster of the Ancient AmericasThey were once the size of elephants and others lived at sea, so what happened to the massive number of fantastical sloths that once dotted the landscapes of the Americas?!
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      • Business
          • Image: Money PlantUnderstanding Your Current Relationship With MoneyIf money were a person, what kind of relationship would you have with it? Money EQ is the key to enjoying a happy and healthy relationship with money. So it’s not about how much money you have or how financially savvy you are. It’s about how you relate to it that makes your life meaningful. So, how can you improve your relationship with money?
          • Image: Writing in a To Do ListUrgent vs ImportantOne of the most important concepts to increase your productivity is understanding the difference between what's urgent and what's important. Everything we do falls into four categories: urgent AND important, urgent but not important, important but not urgent, or not important and not urgent. For those of us who need help prioritizing our tasks, this advice is invaluable.
          • Image: Farmer in field looking at cameraPutting the Future of Food in New Hands: Training Farmworkers to Become Farm OwnersCreating a new life for ourselves is always possible, and nonprofit ALBA is making that possible for countless people. They're giving immigrant farmworkers the tools and the knowledge to improve their lives by helping them have organic farms of their own!
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      • Life Hacks
          • Image: Dr. Marcia Reynolds Ever Widening CirclesHard Conversations Made Easy with Dr. Marcia ReynoldsOur thought leader of the day is Dr. Marcia Reynolds, a master of coaching people about engaging in powerful conversations. She is a sought-after transformational coach known for her ability to change people’s minds. Dr. Reynolds drops by to break down the truth behind hard conversations, which she believes can be made easy, and it only takes a few things and mindset shifts to do it.
          • Image: Older gentleman stands in front of his barber shopWhen Is a Haircut More Than a Haircut?Where do you go where you're welcomed like a true friend? COVID-19 has made these places really stand out, like our salons, for instance. But even with closed doors, some of these barbers and hairdressers are finding ways to keep that connection going. Here's a fun look at why!
          • Image: Woman meditating by a mountain pond with a big sky before her.The Simplest Way to Train Your Brain! This routine has been shown to boost our memory, combat depression and anxiety, and reduce pain—all without expensive equipment, special skills, medications, or taking hours out of our day. But is meditation really a practical addition to our busy lives? One of our favorite creators puts it to the test. 
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  • Thought Leaders
      • All Thought Leaders
          • Image: AnnThe Key to Success: Mistakes and Risks with Ann MakosinskiToday’s guest has been impacting the world for the better with her ingenious designs from the age of 15 till now. Andini ‘Ann’ Makosinski is a world renowned inventor, writer, and what I call a ‘social entrepreneur’. Her incredible innovations in ‘green’ energy has led her to appear on platforms such as Vice and Jimmy Fallon, as well as receive titles like Forbes and Times Magazine's 30 under 30, and Entrepreneur Magazine’s young millionaires.
          • Image: A woman standing among volunteers at a charity foot race, facing away from the camera wearing a red shirt that says "volunteer team".Cultivate Good Heart, Not Clever MindWe have enough "clever minds". We need more "good hearts." The latter is more likely to make a lasting change in the world view of the donor that has a ripple effect on both the individual and society. You help because you can. The helping is its own reward. Any expectation detracts from the value of what you do. In this coming year do write out checks to worthy causes. But do, also, personally engage in some act of service. The life you change will be your own. Be a ‘good heart’. Not a ‘clever mind’.
          • Image: Dina Zuckerberg Conspiracy of Goodness PodcastWhy it’s Okay to Ask Questions About Our Differences with Dina ZuckerbergOur guest on this week's episode of the Conspiracy of Goodness Podcast is Dina Zuckerberg, the Director of Family Programs at myFace. myFace is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children and adults with facial differences. As someone with a facial difference herself, one of Dina’s many gifts is in helping us all bridge the gap that exists in those awkward moments when we meet someone physically different from us.
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      • Conspiracy of Goodness
          • Image: Chip Conley EWC PodcastWhen Experience Meets Wisdom with “Wise Elder” and Hotelier Chip ConleyWhile knowledge may be local, wisdom is global. Meet your biggest untapped resource: the modern "wise elder". Our thought leader of the day is Chip Conley, the experienced entrepreneur that the young founders of Airbnb hired to mentor them through their meteoric rise to business success. In four years as Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy, Chip taught his award-winning methods to hosts in close to 200 countries. He is now an author, speaker and founder of the Modern Elder Academy.
          • Image: Nancy Sherman Ever Widening Circles PodcastStoicism: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience with Nancy ShermanToday, we’re going to clear the “mist on your mental wind screen.” In this episode we’ll be hearing from distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown U, Nancy Sherman. Nancy is also the Inaugural Distinguished Chair of Ethics at the U.S. Naval Academy. She is fascinated with ancient ethics and how it can inform our modern practices, thought processes, and overall lives. She is the author of Stoicism: Ancient Lessons of Modern Resilience.
          • Image: Marilyn Paul Ph.D Ever Widening Circles PodcastBe a Systems Thinker: From Chronically Chaotic to Rhythms of Rest with Marilyn Paul Ph.DIn this episode you’re going to learn how to turn 7 days a week into 8. First, our thought leader of the day is Marilyn Paul, a true ‘systems’ thinker. From projects for WHO to others like cutting down on waste, Marilyn applies her world-class way of finding and applying solutions.
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      • TED Talks
          • Image: Person jumping next to a yellow wall, holding an umbrellaThe Secret to Happiness? Don’t Try So HardAre we supposed to be happy all the time? After endlessly trying to chase happiness, Dr. Molly Countermine encountered a different way of framing it and our other emotions that we all can learn from. Here's how this simple technique can apply to your own life! 
          • Source: Three older women smiling walking in a neighborhood with GirlTrek. One is giving a thumbs up, the others are wavingDoes Walking Have the Power to Save Lives and Uplift Communities?Have you noticed that the first steps to solving our biggest problems are often right there in front of us, so clear that they're invisible? GirlTrek is turning the simple act of walking around the block into a revolutionary way to save lives and improve the safety of communities! Here's how. 
          • Image: Doctor sitting next to a hospital bed, wearing blue scrubs and a Mickey Mouse patterned head cap, interacting with a young girl who's sticking her tongue out. Feeling is joyful!The Inspiring Craft That’s Saving Doctors’ Lives! There is a "medicine" available to all of us that parents have been delivering in whispers to their children before they close their eyes at night. It's totally free, as old as human existence, and has proven time and time again to be what we're built on! Now, it's being used to save our healthcare workers' lives!
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      • Education Enrichment
          • Image: little boy inspecting a leafBecome an Instant Backyard Scientist with iNaturalist! What if you could go on a safari and get up close and personal with hundreds of plants animals, no plane ticket, no fancy guide, and no money required? Now, all of us can experience our own backyards with a little more wonder thanks to this amazing app!
          • Image: Stem with aphids on itWhat Are These Walking Jellybeans Doing on Your Plants?Most people would overlook these candy pooping, clone birthing, walking jellybeans, but you are not most people! These little gals will have you turning over more leaves, getting more excited about the world, and letting curiosity be your guide!
          • Image: Woman hugs large dog with a smile on his faceHow Dogs Are Helping Us Detect Cancer!A group of highly trained dogs is learning to smell some of the hardest to detect forms of cancer! So, what are we learning from these super-sniffers?
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      • Happiness & Hope
          • Image: Man in class with hand on chin, thinking.How to Free Your Mind From FearIn this current point in history, fear is all around us. If you thought the news was scary before, when you throw a global pandemic into the mix, it’s an anxiety attack waiting to happen. You can’t turn on the TV, open an article, or video chat with a loved one without being given a dozen reasons to dive into stress, anxiety, and even depression. At this point, fear feels like a normal part of daily life, but it wasn’t always this way.
          • Image: Person holding a cup of teaNo More Steeping in Solitude, Make Friends in This Free Tea Van!Would you open up the doors of your home to share a cup of tea with a stranger? What if you made this your daily routine? For this traveler, sharing a cup of tea became more than a way to connect with others—it built an entire community.
          • All Bodies on Bikes Kailey and Marley BeachChanging the Narrative and Loving Yourself with All Bodies on BikesEver doubted you could do something because of the way your body looks? These two thought leaders are on a cross country journey to prove we can do anything our hearts desire and live our best, most happy lives if only we learn to let go of the unrealistic expectations and unnecessary stigmas which society imposes.
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      • Humor
          • Image: Gary Duschl with his Guinness World Record award and his winning gum wrapper chain!A True Chain Reaction: Linking People with Gum Wrappers!Clocking in at over a hundred thousand feet, this staggeringly long chain was created by one man over almost 6 decades, with a bit of heartwarming help along the way. Here's the story of Gary Duschl, a very unique Guinness Book of World Record holder who will inspire us all! 
          • Image: two cars racing in the 24-hours of lemonsWelcome to Burning Man for Car Geeks!Taking creativity to whole new levels is even more fun in a crazy community! You won't see shiny cars or world-class engines at this car race, no, but you will see some of the craziest Frankenstein-like cars around. Best thought of as "Burning Man for car geeks," the 24 Hours of LeMons shows there is no end to possibility!
          • Image: side by side shot of someone's pet with tongue hanging out and their funny portrait!Bad Drawings Bring Big Smiles: A Portrait of Paw-fect Imperfection!Can a drawing of a cross-eyed dog better the lives of those less fortunate? We’re embracing our flaws and finding humor within the wonderful work of pet-portrait artist, Hercule Van Wolfwinkle!
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      • Philosophy
          • Image: A woman standing among volunteers at a charity foot race, facing away from the camera wearing a red shirt that says "volunteer team".Cultivate Good Heart, Not Clever MindWe have enough "clever minds". We need more "good hearts." The latter is more likely to make a lasting change in the world view of the donor that has a ripple effect on both the individual and society. You help because you can. The helping is its own reward. Any expectation detracts from the value of what you do. In this coming year do write out checks to worthy causes. But do, also, personally engage in some act of service. The life you change will be your own. Be a ‘good heart’. Not a ‘clever mind’.
          • Image: A senior couple standing in a field of yellow flowers, smiling at the camera.This 81 Year Old Learned to Code to Create an App for SeniorsYou're never too old to learn or try something new. Not ever. If you need proof, take a look at 81 year-old Masako Wakamiya, who after never touching a computer until she was 58, coded an entire app to help seniors in her community stay connected and live more fulfilling lives. 
          • Image: Money PlantUnderstanding Your Current Relationship With MoneyIf money were a person, what kind of relationship would you have with it? Money EQ is the key to enjoying a happy and healthy relationship with money. So it’s not about how much money you have or how financially savvy you are. It’s about how you relate to it that makes your life meaningful. So, how can you improve your relationship with money?
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  • Nature
      • All Nature
          • Image: Treehouse inside of a jungleZiplining to Breakfast—Redefining “Home” by Living in the TreetopsLiving life in the rainforest treetops, this unique community shows us how to seek and build the lives that we want—regardless of how wild our dreams may be!
          • Image: Stand of Orange Pore FungiYour World: Made Possible By Giant FungiWhat does a 420 million-year-old giant fungus have to do with life on Earth as we know it today? Much more than you might think! (You might have to thank its early cousins for making our lives possible!)
          • AlpacaYour Fuzzy Antidote to Sadness: Alpacas!In a time when there is so much division, comfort can still be found in the world around us. We’re pulling our favorite sweater over our heads and coming out to the other side to celebrate an animal who has been gifting us relief for centuries! With an alpaca's undeniably cute underbite and "super fiber" fleece, your hard day is about to become a little softer!
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      • Animals
          • Image: Woman in a white dress holding five sand dollars.The Purple, Fuzzy Burrower You Thought You Knew: The Sand Dollar!What you might have thought a cute, nostalgic souvenir is actually a hardcore, metal-eating, badass burrower, surviving in the harshest of places! These fuzzy, purple, sea floor dwellers are none other than the sand dollar, and they’re full of exciting surprises you never thought possible.
          • Image: Gopher TortoiseMeet the Wildfire Hero Who Wears a Shell Instead of a Cape The gopher tortoise may not look like your average hero, but when forest fires threatens their neighbors, their special skill comes in very handy! Here's how to use your strengths for good. 
          • Image: HummingbirdHummingbirds: The Bodybuilders in Your Backyard!Get ready for a dose of awe and wonder! With lightning-fast speeds, an off-the-charts competitive nature, and beak-jousting skills that top Olympic fencers, hummingbirds are truly one of nature’s flying marvels.
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      • Environment
          • Image: Woman in black long sleeves sniffing honey from an urban beehiveNo Space Wasted: The Urban Honey Bees Making City Life SweeterUrban jungles are saving the future of our most precious pollinators. Cities may seem like strange places to find beehives, but from New York City to London to Detroit, bees are thriving in their new urban environments. Here's how you can help them out!
          • Image: A grocery store aisle of vegetables, all covered in plastic packaging.New Natural Packaging You Can Eat Rather Than Trash!Did you ever think that you would be able to eat your sandwich and the wrapping that protects it too? Amazingly, this is now a reality thanks to edible packaging, a sustainable alternative that now offers a replacement for single-use packaging.
          • Image: Individuals tending to flowers in a community planter.Growing a Revolution: How Community Gardens are Changing Your Neighborhood!To leave a legacy that helps the world, you need only go as far as your local empty lot! By bringing gardens back to the empty spaces in NYC's neighborhoods, Hattie Carthan and Liz Christy started a movement that brought life to formerly desolate spaces, and their work is still flourishing all around the city's residents today.
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      • Conservation & Sustainability
          • Image: Weathered hands holding some odd yellow vegetables.PhD Student to Farmer: Finding Your Calling in Weird VeggiesIn what odd places might you find your passion? For former PhD student Arron Choi, it was his family's farm. Discovering a passion for weird veggies, Aaron's story shows that when it comes to finding our calling, we should never count out even the things that first seem odd. 
          • Image: Underwater FarmWorld’s First Underwater Farm is Growing Fruits and VegetablesNemo's Garden is not your typical farm. That's because this unique agricultural enterprise is located under the sea just off the coast of Italy. And the unique biosphere is teaching us tons about the future of sustainable agriculture.
          • Image: A grocery store aisle of vegetables, all covered in plastic packaging.New Natural Packaging You Can Eat Rather Than Trash!Did you ever think that you would be able to eat your sandwich and the wrapping that protects it too? Amazingly, this is now a reality thanks to edible packaging, a sustainable alternative that now offers a replacement for single-use packaging.
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  • Creativity
      • All Creativity
          • Image: A Settlers of Catan Game BoardSettlers of Catan: How One Family’s Game Night Sparked the Fun of MillionsThere is still a precious time when we can come together over life's simple pleasures: game night. And here's a story of wonder with Settlers of Catan, a worldwide classic. This game didn't come from a big corporation or fancy focus group—no, its origins are far closer to home.
          • Image: Cooking with Food ScrapsGet The Most Out of Your Groceries: Easy Ways to Use Food ScrapsWait! Before you throw away that banana peel or compost your coffee grounds, you can give them another life. Here are some simple ways to start reducing waste and maximizing your grocery budget.
          • Image: Two people competing in a lawn mower raceReady, Set, Mow! Why Lawn Mowers May Be the New Race CarsMissing a piece of the puzzle to reach your dreams? Don't sweat! With a little creativity and a dash of spunk, you can make those dreams happen. Check out this 12 hour long lawn mower race for proof! 
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      • Art
          • Image: A collection of three of Rosemary Mosco's comicsThe Key to Learning? Make it Fun! Nature Comics with Rosemary MoscoFrom ants with two butts to the weird and wonderful world of bird mating dances, there’s a lot of strange things going on in the natural world. This cartoonist is on a mission to make science approachable using a new medium: comics.
          • Image: Hand squeezing bubble wrapRethinking Waste: Why You’ll Want to Hang Bubble Wrap On Your Wall!Oh snap! We’re exploring little bubbles of timeless joy through a packaging material with an unexpected history. Watch as this artist injects the Bubble Wrap you know with an entirely new sense of wonder! 
          • Simon Berger2Shattered Glass Portraits Highlight Beauty in What’s BrokenLet's think big about the possibilities of materials we encounter every day! Playing with light, transparency, and dimension, Swiss artist Simon Berger creates stunning portraits with nothing but a pane of glass and a hammer. His work shows us that whether it's by recycling, creating art, or just reusing, everything can be repurposed.
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      • Dance
          • Image: Four Hiplet ballerinasMaking Your Own Groove: What Happens When Ballet and Hip-Hop Combine?What happens when you take the soul of hip-hop and combine it with the grace of classical ballet? Here’s how a group of classically trained ballet dancers are turning the future of dance on its head. Meet Hiplet! 
          • Image: Six member of Hip Op-eration posingThe World’s Oldest Dance Troupe Will Steal Your Heart! The oldest hip hop dance troupe in the world has a few things to show us about what happens when we let ourselves live without limits. Artificial hips, memory loss, and all, we can feel like life every day is a great celebration!
          • Image: Shemika Charles shimmying under an SUVCelebrating Culture by Getting Down with the Limbo Queen!How low can you go? Many of us associate the limbo with a game played at children's birthday parties, but do you know where it actually came from? Let's uncover the history behind the limbo, and watch the world's reigning limbo champion shimmy her way to the top by scooting down mind-blowingly low!
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      • Music
          • Image: Nataliz in a white gown smiling and playing the musical saw!When One Dream Ends, How Do We Find Another?Are you working towards a certain goal? Have you felt like your life has been thrown off track lately? The story of how Natalia Paruz became known as the "Saw Lady" will have you finding delightful inspiration in the most unusual places!
          • Image: Six member of Hip Op-eration posingThe World’s Oldest Dance Troupe Will Steal Your Heart! The oldest hip hop dance troupe in the world has a few things to show us about what happens when we let ourselves live without limits. Artificial hips, memory loss, and all, we can feel like life every day is a great celebration!
          • Image: Images of people singing in the virtual choirFeel the Magic That Happens When 17,000 People Sing Together!When we're forced to be apart from each other, remarkable ingenuity pops up to find that connection we crave. And nothing is more connected than a choir of voices singing together; let alone a choir of over 17,000 people! Here's something to make your heart sing again. 
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      • Design
          • Image: A Settlers of Catan Game BoardSettlers of Catan: How One Family’s Game Night Sparked the Fun of MillionsThere is still a precious time when we can come together over life's simple pleasures: game night. And here's a story of wonder with Settlers of Catan, a worldwide classic. This game didn't come from a big corporation or fancy focus group—no, its origins are far closer to home.
          • Image: Treehouse inside of a jungleZiplining to Breakfast—Redefining “Home” by Living in the TreetopsLiving life in the rainforest treetops, this unique community shows us how to seek and build the lives that we want—regardless of how wild our dreams may be!
          • Simon Berger2Shattered Glass Portraits Highlight Beauty in What’s BrokenLet's think big about the possibilities of materials we encounter every day! Playing with light, transparency, and dimension, Swiss artist Simon Berger creates stunning portraits with nothing but a pane of glass and a hammer. His work shows us that whether it's by recycling, creating art, or just reusing, everything can be repurposed.
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      • Photography
          • Image: Young people together in schoolWhat if Mass Media was Used for Good?There’s more power in positive media than just making us feel good! Sharing stories that celebrate progress around the world has the ability to change lives. Check out this collective of creators redefining the way we tell the stories about some of our world’s biggest issues, and the people working to alleviate them.
          • ispyblackbackground“I SPY”: The Books that Still Catch Our Eye!Have you ever been captivated by the magic of an "I SPY" book? Let us introduce you to Walter Wick, the photographer behind these imaginative works of art!
          • Lewis HineCan the Photos You Share Really Make a Difference?Do your shares on social media really mean anything? We're taking a look in the history books to see how sharing photographs has changed the world before, and how you can have a hand in making a difference today!
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  • Science
      • All Science
          • Image: A collection of three of Rosemary Mosco's comicsThe Key to Learning? Make it Fun! Nature Comics with Rosemary MoscoFrom ants with two butts to the weird and wonderful world of bird mating dances, there’s a lot of strange things going on in the natural world. This cartoonist is on a mission to make science approachable using a new medium: comics.
          • Image: Ginormous fossil hanging in the middle of a museum with golden archesThe Secret Rooms You Aren’t Shown at the Natural History MuseumCan we predict the future by looking to the past? Behind the fossils and neatly arranged collections we see at a Natural History Museum is a hidden world; one which is unlocking discoveries that are changing our future!
          • Image: view of a platypus in the water from the topNew Discovery! More Mammals Are Glowing in the Dark?Platypus are already known to be strange creatures, but there’s a new characteristic to add to these odd-balls: they GLOW! The thing is, scientists are finding that they actually aren't the weird ones when it comes to this. It turns out, glowing in the dark is a trait far more common in mammals than we've ever thought! Ready to test what you think is possible?
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      • Space
          • Image: people looking up at the moonWe’re Going to the Moon Again! The Reasons Why Are AmazingNeed something awesome to look forward to? In 2024, you'll be able to look up at the moon and know that humans are on it! That's right, we're going to the moon again, and this historical mission is bringing us closer to a better shared future, for everyone. 
          • Image: Astronaut on a spacewalk outside of the international space station (ISS)What Astronauts Bring Back to Earth for Us!What can we learn from the people who have spent life OUTSIDE of our planet? The International Space Station is one of the most incredible feats of human engineering, and the secret to making it all possible is a lesson that could help us solve our biggest problems down here on Earth!
          • Image: Artist Representation of Kepler Space TelescopeHow to Become a Planet Hunter & Other Important Life LessonsHave you ever had a moment that changed the trajectory of your life? For Anne Datillo, a moment of curiosity took her from college student to Planet Hunter! Whether or not we're reaching for the stars, her story has some wisdom we can all learn from!
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      • Health
          • Woman Wild SwimmingThe Healing Power of Wild SwimmingIs the grind getting you down? Here is a release and some relief! Rather than dunking further into our morning commute coffee, we’re diving into the world of hydrotherapy and seeking a simple, refreshing way to ease our troubled minds.
          • Image: Man in class with hand on chin, thinking.How to Free Your Mind From FearIn this current point in history, fear is all around us. If you thought the news was scary before, when you throw a global pandemic into the mix, it’s an anxiety attack waiting to happen. You can’t turn on the TV, open an article, or video chat with a loved one without being given a dozen reasons to dive into stress, anxiety, and even depression. At this point, fear feels like a normal part of daily life, but it wasn’t always this way.
          • All Bodies on Bikes Kailey and Marley BeachChanging the Narrative and Loving Yourself with All Bodies on BikesEver doubted you could do something because of the way your body looks? These two thought leaders are on a cross country journey to prove we can do anything our hearts desire and live our best, most happy lives if only we learn to let go of the unrealistic expectations and unnecessary stigmas which society imposes.
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      • Psychology
          • Image: A healthy saladYou Can Make Yourself Like Stuff That is Good For You!Can you like arugula more than chocolate and a ten-mile run more than watching the latest Netflix thriller? There is much in your life that you now like and once hated. Most persons dislike coffee or single malt whiskey the first time they taste it. Ditto cigarettes and dark chocolate and wine. The liking comes later. So, if you want to train yourself to like – or even love – something that you currently don’t, here is how to go about it.
          • Woman Wild SwimmingThe Healing Power of Wild SwimmingIs the grind getting you down? Here is a release and some relief! Rather than dunking further into our morning commute coffee, we’re diving into the world of hydrotherapy and seeking a simple, refreshing way to ease our troubled minds.
          • Image: Man in class with hand on chin, thinking.How to Free Your Mind From FearIn this current point in history, fear is all around us. If you thought the news was scary before, when you throw a global pandemic into the mix, it’s an anxiety attack waiting to happen. You can’t turn on the TV, open an article, or video chat with a loved one without being given a dozen reasons to dive into stress, anxiety, and even depression. At this point, fear feels like a normal part of daily life, but it wasn’t always this way.
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  • Culture
      • All Culture
          • Image: Weathered hands holding some odd yellow vegetables.PhD Student to Farmer: Finding Your Calling in Weird VeggiesIn what odd places might you find your passion? For former PhD student Arron Choi, it was his family's farm. Discovering a passion for weird veggies, Aaron's story shows that when it comes to finding our calling, we should never count out even the things that first seem odd. 
          • Image: A grandmother reaching over her grandson's shoulders to help him knead bread dough.Why Your Grandma’s Cooking Tastes So SpecialFrom favorite family recipes to grilled cheese cooked just right, grandma’s cooking always tastes better than anything we could have made ourselves. But why is that? Let’s meet some grandmas around the world and find out.
          • Image: A Settlers of Catan Game BoardSettlers of Catan: How One Family’s Game Night Sparked the Fun of MillionsThere is still a precious time when we can come together over life's simple pleasures: game night. And here's a story of wonder with Settlers of Catan, a worldwide classic. This game didn't come from a big corporation or fancy focus group—no, its origins are far closer to home.
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      • Saturdays Around the World
          • Image: Green door in the sandstone—an entrance to an underground home in Coober PedyHuman Ingenuity Never Fails: The Town Built Underground!What do you get when you combine resilient people, extreme weather conditions, and a former mining town?  In Coober Pedy, residents live, work, grocery shop, and do everything else... underground. This unique and fascinating lifestyle is a great look into how humans can learn to thrive, no matter the challenges we face. They give a whole new meaning to the term "down under"!
          • Image: Person with large backpack on standing atop of a snow covered cliff, staring off into the distance.Warming Up to the Newbie in One of the World’s Iciest PlacesWhat if we treated every day like the first day on a remarkably challenging new job? Here’s what being the “new kid” on one of the world’s most unique climbing expeditions is like, and how we can better embrace this spirit of seeing our jobs, habits, and lives with fresh eyes!
          • Image: close shot of an eelgrass sea hare!How Sea Bunnies and Otters Teamed Up to Save a SeashoreIs an ecosystem like a community? One beloved natural space was almost lost forever when it lost two of it's most important members, but here's how embracing their unique skills saved their home! 
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      • Travel
          • Image: Treehouse inside of a jungleZiplining to Breakfast—Redefining “Home” by Living in the TreetopsLiving life in the rainforest treetops, this unique community shows us how to seek and build the lives that we want—regardless of how wild our dreams may be!
          • Image: a mushroom foraging trip -- basket with a knife and some found mushroomsMiss Traveling? Join This Mushroom-Hunting Adventure in Romania!Have you been bitten by the travel bug recently? Join us on a trip to a dinner table far far away to enjoy the delicacies and adventures of a place you probably have never been to before!
          • Image: People on boats going down a canal in GiethoornHow This Little Town Survives without Roads or CarsWhat if you never had to hear the sound of cars outside of your window again? For the residents of this Netherlandish town, that's reality: most of Giethoorn isn't accessible by four wheels, but rather by canal boat! Here's a lovely look at a world without roads.
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      • Sports
          • Image: Emmi Peltonen jumping in the air in the arctic rinkPushing the Limits of Our Passions: Figure Skating in the Arctic CircleWant to reignite a passion of yours? There's always something new to learn, even with something we've been mastering for decades. We're heading to the Arctic Circle to discover how one master tested her limits, skating into entirely unknown territory and creating one of the most beautiful performances we've seen.
          • Image: Person with large backpack on standing atop of a snow covered cliff, staring off into the distance.Warming Up to the Newbie in One of the World’s Iciest PlacesWhat if we treated every day like the first day on a remarkably challenging new job? Here’s what being the “new kid” on one of the world’s most unique climbing expeditions is like, and how we can better embrace this spirit of seeing our jobs, habits, and lives with fresh eyes!
          • Image: Hazel Findley climbing up Concepcion in UtahA Rock Climber’s Perspective on Reaching New HeightsWhen a big problem towers over us, how do we come out on top? Let's join a renowned rock climber to see how she overcomes fear and intense pressure to accomplish her goals as she takes on one of her biggest challenges yet!
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      • Food
          • Image: Weathered hands holding some odd yellow vegetables.PhD Student to Farmer: Finding Your Calling in Weird VeggiesIn what odd places might you find your passion? For former PhD student Arron Choi, it was his family's farm. Discovering a passion for weird veggies, Aaron's story shows that when it comes to finding our calling, we should never count out even the things that first seem odd. 
          • Image: A grandmother reaching over her grandson's shoulders to help him knead bread dough.Why Your Grandma’s Cooking Tastes So SpecialFrom favorite family recipes to grilled cheese cooked just right, grandma’s cooking always tastes better than anything we could have made ourselves. But why is that? Let’s meet some grandmas around the world and find out.
          • Image: A grocery store aisle of vegetables, all covered in plastic packaging.New Natural Packaging You Can Eat Rather Than Trash!Did you ever think that you would be able to eat your sandwich and the wrapping that protects it too? Amazingly, this is now a reality thanks to edible packaging, a sustainable alternative that now offers a replacement for single-use packaging.
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      • History
          • Image: The haunting ghost orchidMysterious Orchids of the Everglades: Saving a Flowering Swamp GhostDeep in the swamps of Florida, real ghosts float in the air with their tendrils wrapped around the trees. These mysterious flowers have been stumping biologists for centuries, but this team of scientists and photographers has braved the alligators, snakes, and endless mosquitos to solve this puzzle once and for all! Let's join them.
          • Image: Ginormous fossil hanging in the middle of a museum with golden archesThe Secret Rooms You Aren’t Shown at the Natural History MuseumCan we predict the future by looking to the past? Behind the fossils and neatly arranged collections we see at a Natural History Museum is a hidden world; one which is unlocking discoveries that are changing our future!
          • Image: three older people sitting on a bench, two women chatting, one man reading a book with speech bubbles that have teenage slang from a range of time!Is OK the Old OMG? How Teenage Slang Takes Over the WorldCould current teenage slang have the staying power to still be in frequent use 200 years from now? That's just what happened with a word I'd bet you say every single day. Stick with me on this one, OK?
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      • Special Occasion
          • Image: silhouette of bigfootMeet the People at the Festival Hollering Out for Bigfoot!Warm-up your bellowing lungs and get out your hiking boots, because we're going on an adventure to track down the elusive Sasquatch! With the help of a few communities dedicated to celebrating the Big Foot legend, fun and adventure are just around the corner.
          • image: Paper Cutout of the word loveHow Do You Find the Right Words for Your Love?Have you ever felt an emotion you didn't have the words for? This is where the beauty of other languages can step in. When it comes to love, there are a lot of feelings that English sometimes can't quite express, but other languages have captured that magic!
          • Image: People celebrating wildly throwing colorful things in the airWhat We’ve Learned from 5 Years of Curating the WebWant an antidote for the daily news, without completely abandoning ship? We're celebrating 5 years of publishing "the rest of the story" here at Ever Widening Circles! So join us as we point you to some of the amazing topics we've discovered while curating the web for the insights and innovations being missed by most.
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Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

CEO of Ever Widening Circles, Founder of EWCed

Since 2015, Liesl has been a writer, editor, and is now the CEO at Ever Widening Circles. She is a life-long camera-toting traveler, a global story seeker, and an aspiring—but more often root-tripping—outdoor enthusiast. She can be found on Instagram @Liesl.UV

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Lynda Ulrich

Founder

Dr. Lynda is a dentist, artist, global traveler, and philanthropist who looks for potential and shares it with the world. Hear her latest conversations with thought leaders on the Conspiracy of Goodness Podcast--new episodes every Wednesday!

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Dr. Chuck Verderber

CFO

Dr. Chuck is our CFO--Chief Fun Officer--at Ever Widening Circles. He and Dr. Lynda are dentists in and practice together at Fiddlehead Dental in Northern Vermont.

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Abigayle Fugere

Abi is passionate about warm chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk, analyzing numbers, and soaking up the sun on the beach.

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Thomas Begley

Outreach Coordinator

Thomas is a young and eager person who enjoys pottery, Vietnamese food, and spending time with his hip parents. A recent college graduate, he works as a waiter in St. Albans and loves to sing at anyone who will listen.

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Ellen Allerton

Sponsorship Coordinator

After graduating from St. Lawrence University in 2020 and returning home to Vermont, Ellen found that helping make the world a better place with the EWC team was just where she wanted to be. You can usually find her watching television while getting crafty, on the ice as a figure skating coach for 10-14 year old's, or in her inflatable kayak named Heidi. She’s quite the film nerd and quite the cook, and likes it best when those two things—movies and food—coincide.

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Renee Laroche-Rheaume

Outreach Coordinator

Renee is a graduate of FIDM, and has held jobs in several industries such as apparel manufacturing, retail, professional office work, and even hospitality! Her creative outlook, wide variety of experiences, and desire to notice the beauty around us make her a great addition to the EWC team!

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Sam Burns

Writer

Sam has written and edited hundreds of articles since joining the EWC team in 2016. She writes about topics from the wonders of nature to the organizations changing the world and the simple joys in life! Outside of the EWC office, she’s a part-time printmaker, collector of knick-knacks, and taster of cheeses.

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Boris Riabov

Guest Contributor

Boris is an independent filmmaker and Russian-American daydreamer extraordinaire: currently, the happiest of campers and guest writer for Ever Widening Circles. The French Press is his kind of morning news, he backpacks with the best of em’ and dies hard for his NY Knicks (scoring more socks into his own dryer). His lack of gardening skills qualify him to farm playlists on Spotify as he stomps his new grounds of Vancouver, B.C.—follow him on ze Instagrams @wordsmysteps.  

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Brittany Nugent

Guest Contributor

Brittany has been writing and creating stories since childhood! She graduated from Holy Family University with a degree in communications, is an avid world traveler (five of the seven continents!), lover of nature, and spends her days working to connect to the world in deeper ways. Have any questions about the awesome world of rocks and crystals? She's your gal.

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Ever notice how you end up looking back fondly at Ever notice how you end up looking back fondly at things that seemed stressful at the time? This could be one of those moments that you grow to love. Embrace it!⠀ ⠀ #Quoteoftheday #BrittanyBurgunder⠀ ⠀ Save this post for inspiration later! 😍⠀ ⠀ ** Image Description ** ⠀ Text on white background: "'Soon, when all is well, you're going to look back on this period of your life and be so glad that you never gave up." - Brittany Burgunder
What if your family game night hobby became a worl What if your family game night hobby became a worldwide sensation? ⠀ .⠀ We're diving into the world of a board game that has been sparking genuine family connections since its release in 1994. That's right, We're talking about Settlers of Catan!⠀ .⠀ Watch the short video by Great Big Story ( @greatbigstory ) to learn about this game's wonder-filled origins. You'll leave inspired by the amazing things that can come from simply playing around! ✨⠀ .⠀ Link to the full story is in our bio. ⠀ .⠀ __________________________________________⠀ Image source: Galen Crout / Unsplash
It's never too late to learn how! 💞⠀ ⠀ #Quo It's never too late to learn how! 💞⠀ ⠀ #Quoteoftheday #MartinLutherKingJr⠀ ⠀ Save this post for inspiration later! 😍⠀ ⠀ ** Image Description ** ⠀ Text on black background: "We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers." - Martin Luther King Jr.
September’s Happy[ness] Hour is right around the September’s Happy[ness] Hour is right around the corner! ⠀ .⠀ Join us over on the Network on September 2nd as Dr. Dan Diamond shares his insights on The Power of Asking Better Questions. ⠀ .⠀ This virtual event is FREE for Network members. Sign up today at ConspiracyOfGoodnessNetwork.com
There's no better way to let off some steam than b There's no better way to let off some steam than by expressing yourself!⠀ We've been challenging you to get creative this month, what are you working on?⠀ Tag us @everwideningcircles in your posts so we can see your unique talents!
Ever get so overwhelmed by your to-do list that yo Ever get so overwhelmed by your to-do list that you can never seem to get anything done? 😫⠀ .⠀ Today's article teaches us the secret to determining what is actually urgent, what is important, and how to manage everything in between so we can reach our long-term goals. ⠀ .⠀ Tap the link in our bio to find out how it's done! 💪⠀ .⠀ ________________________________________________________⠀ This article originally appeared on RobertGlazer.com ( @robertglazer_ )⠀ Image source: Unsplash
Grab a snack and a glass of 🍷 and join us for o Grab a snack and a glass of 🍷 and join us for our next Happy[ness] Hour with the brilliant Dan Diamond! ( @dandiamondmd )⠀ .⠀ Dan is the director of the Nation's first state-affiliated medical disaster response team. During this engaging LIVE virtual event, he'll teach us the vast power of asking better questions, and how this practice will improve every area of our lives.⠀ .⠀ See you there on September 2nd at 6:00pm ET!
The tiniest act can be something HUGE to someone e The tiniest act can be something HUGE to someone else. Go on, make someone's day today. ✨⠀ ⠀ #Quoteoftheday #KahlilGibran⠀ ⠀ ** Image Description ** ⠀ Text on white background: "'The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention." - Kahlil Gibran
You are in for a treat of a podcast episode this w You are in for a treat of a podcast episode this week, folks! ✨🎧✨⠀ .⠀ Liesl Ulrich-Verderber is the CEO of Ever Widening Circles and Founder of the Conspiracy of Goodness Network. She has built a media company intent on changing the negative dialogue about our times and curating the insights & innovations that prove it’s still an amazing world! ⠀ .⠀ As a lifelong learner, Liesl ( @liesl.uv ) is always looking to inspire curiosity, and connect people to a wider world. Give the episode a watch/listen to learn more about the 4 mileposts on a purpose-driven journey.⠀ .⠀ Tap the link in our bio to check it out!
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