Filter Articles:
Need a Dose of Optimism These Days?
Subscribe for good news, no politics, and a guide to a better life online!
Sign upWake up to Good News for a Change!
Get the Ever Widening Circles App! Feeling better about the world is as easy as tapping our app on your phone.
Jump to another article!
Surprise Me!
6 minutes
[ Innovation ]
Why Are These Fridges Mysteriously Appearing on Street Corners?
By Sam Burns
Could a fridge on a curb change the lives of an entire community? In places where getting access to fresh healthy food is nearly impossible, neighbors, restaurants, and friends are teaming up to support and nourish each other. Here’s how it works and how you can get involved!
7 minutes
[ Thought Leaders ]
Meet the Teenager Teaching Karate to Your Grandma!
By Sam Burns
Can you imagine your grandma learning karate? 15-year-old Jeffrey Wall can teach her! He’s bringing joy and movement to the lives of seniors all around the world, just by sharing what he loves. Here’s the heartwarming tale of how sharing joy and giving back to your community can take the same form. Presenting, Golden Age Karate!
17 minutes
[ Nature ]
How a Magpie Named Penguin Helped a Family Find Life after Loss
After mother and adventurer Sam Bloom became paraplegic in a sudden accident, her sense of self was erased. But just as she was losing hope in the future, a little magpie waddled into her life and changed everything!
5 minutes
[ Culture ]
The Steamy Reasons Finland Is Obsessed with Saunas
Step into the hot, steamy, world of… Finland? Yep! With over 2 million saunas throughout the country, the town of Lapland has piqued our curiosity. So, why is the entire town and country so obsessed with saunas? It’s more than just the health benefits. Here’s a look at community quirks that’ll leave you feeling refreshed!
10 minutes
[ Science ]
Asparagus: A New Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries?
A feeling very familiar to most of us almost kept this life-changing treatment for spinal cord injuries from making it to testing! Here’s how Andrew Pelling and his fellow researchers overcame self-doubt to create this breakthrough innovation.
6 minutes
[ Science ]
Ever Wondered Why You Always Have Room for Dessert?
By Sam Burns
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!
10 minutes
[ Innovation ]
Are Clowns Making Us Healthier?
By Sam Burns
Could a clown actually improve your health? For thousands of people in hospitals around the globe, these funny characters are their ticket to success! With a surprising range of benefits, medical clowns are improving how we approach healthcare. Check it out!
6 minutes
[ Innovation ]
Discover the Problem-Solving Power of Poo!
By Sam Burns
Could a toilet help us solve some of our biggest problems? This organization is bringing lasting health to India’s poorest communities with clean water and sanitation, all powered by poo! It’s an ingenious approach to problem-solving that we can all adopt. Just take a look!
5 minutes
[ Thought Leaders ]
The Lovable Psychiatrist Healing Trauma, One Stitch at a Time!
Could knitting be a revolutionary way for us to heal? Well, grab your knitting needles and prepare yourself for a giggle as we stitch sausages instead of sweaters with Madame Tricot, the Knitting Psychiatrist!
16 minutes
[ Thought Leaders ]
Does Walking Have the Power to Save Lives and Uplift Communities?
By Sam Burns
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.
12 minutes
[ Thought Leaders ]
The Inspiring Craft That’s Saving Doctors’ Lives!
By Sam Burns
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!
14 minutes
[ Science ]
The Simplest Way to Train Your Brain!
By Sam Burns
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.
5 minutes
[ Thought Leaders ]
When Two Wheels Save Over Five Thousand Lives!
By Sam Burns
How many people does it take to transform the life of another? Or to change their future completely? Most of us know instinctively that the answer is one. Here’s a story that starts with that 1:1 ratio and ends up at 1:5,000! What could we each be doing? Here’s your inspiration to get creative with what you have.
5 minutes
[ Innovation ]
The Undergarment that Could Save Your Life!
What if something you already wear on your body every day could actually save your life? Well, it’s not that far off! We’re introducing you to a young man who is reinventing the way we look at our undergarments. Meet Julian Rios Cantu, a loving son who is about to change the world of women’s health as we know it—with a brassiere!
8 minutes
[ Thought Leaders ]
Ping Pong Makes Progress for Parkinson’s Patients!
Adding a little fun to our problem solving can lead to great results! Don’t believe us? Well, in rec rooms across the world, there’s a table, two paddles, and a ball that may help reverse the effects of Parkinson’s Disease! Here’s that story.
10 minutes
[ Science ]
How 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?
7 minutes
[ Innovation ]
Restoring Sight to the Blind with a $3 Innovation
By Sam Burns
Thought leaders who find ingenious solutions right at the root of problems can be an inspiration to us all. Here’s a doctor who is changing the lives of millions with a few fundamental shifts that drove costs of restoring someone’s sight down from $250 to $3!
16 minutes
[ Culture ]
Why Yoga?
By Sam Burns
Does all that stretching, turning upside down, and breathing really do anything? Why do people think yoga is so great? What kind of benefits can the average, unflexible, person get from yoga? Why not ask an average, unflexible dad what he thinks after doing it for 30 days?
17 minutes
[ Nature ]
Hear the Howl of the Mightiest Mouse of the Desert!
Many don’t know of the fearless predator that roams the desert of New Mexico. The grasshopper mouse may look adorable, but don’t let its cute exterior fool you. One of their favorite foods is the most venomous scorpion in North America. And how they catch their lunch could end up helping you, too!
6 minutes
[ Innovation ]
Why Some Doctors Are Using VR Instead of Anesthesia!
By Sam Burns
Could virtual reality be a form of medicine? For patients who are using VR to help manage their pain and discomfort during minor surgery, it already is! Take a look at the amazing way this technology, originally popular for gaming, is getting a new life in hospitals.
7 minutes
[ Science ]
Do You See the Ancient Superhero In This Photo?!
By Sam Burns
Want to get a dose of wonder 5 or 6 times a day, while doing something you have to do anyway? You have an element in your home right now that is critical to human history and you probably wouldn’t even be here without it!
10 minutes
[ Thought Leaders ]
How You Can Use Your Own Hobbies to Positively Impact Others!
By Sam Burns
What can you do for hours that makes the stress of the world melt away? For Ed Nicholson, the answer was fly fishing, and now his passion is helping veterans combat the effects of PTSD. Check out his story and you might be inspired to help people in your own way!
9 minutes
[ Culture ]
Medical Device to Fashion Statement: The Amazing History of Glasses
In the past few decades, glasses have become a fashion statement and form of expression. But how did they make the transition from a medical device to a stylish accessory? And can we transform prosthetics, wheelchairs, and hearing aids in the same creative and widely accepted way?
13 minutes
[ Culture ]
Bike Angels: Competitive Problem-Solving at Its Extreme!
What happens when we use fun to inspire people to help the world in their own way? New York City tried out this experiment with their Citi Bike Bike Angels program and the results were, well, unexpectedly enthusiastic!
30 minutes
[ Science ]
Happy, Sad, or Chopping Onions—The Science of Why We Cry!
By Sam Burns
When was the last time you cried? Why did you cry? Crying is our reaction to everything from bad breakups, to awe, to cutting onions, but why is this? Let’s explore this uniquely human reaction that seems to be a fundamental part of our shared humanity.
19 minutes
[ Creativity ]
How to Finish Your To-Do List and Run a Marathon in One Day!
Could you check off your entire to-do list in one day? It’s not just possible, you can do it while having fun, doing what you love, and taking time to reflect! Here’s how!
9 minutes
[ Thought Leaders ]
The Case for Taking More Naps!
By Sam Burns
Busy schedule got you stressin’? Here are easy ways you can bring more simplicity to your life!
8 minutes
[ Nature ]
The Way Porcupines are Influencing Healthcare!
By Sam Burns
To defend ourselves against harmful bacteria and infection, we’re turning to porcupine quills for inspiration! Here’s just one more way that looking towards nature for designs is improving our lives.
10 minutes
The Amazing Artists of the Special Olympics!
For the 2022 USA Special Olympics Games, organizers wanted to create a logo that truly represented the spirit of their organization. So, they did something that had never been done before: turn to their athletes for their expertise! Here’s what happened.
