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
[ Science ]
The Secret Rooms You Aren’t Shown at the Natural History Museum
Can 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!
8 minutes
[ Nature ]
Weird Stories We Tell Ourselves: Do Birds Fly to the Moon Every Winter?
By Sam Burns
Birds flying to the moon, sleeping at the bottom of lakes, or transforming into other animals? For centuries, bird migration evaded our understanding, and those wild theories were taken as true. Here’s a look at how the hypothesis of bird migration was tested, and how hundreds of people helped prove it!
14 minutes
[ Culture ]
How Everyday Heroes Have Protected This Treasure for Centuries!
In the city of Timbuktu, generations of everyday heroes have risked their lives for a remarkable treasure! What kind of treasure could possibly be this important?
7 minutes
[ Science ]
Meet the Unexpected Monster of the Ancient Americas
They 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?!
8 minutes
[ Nature ]
The Surprising Benefits of Being a Fish Out of Water!
By Sam Burns
Whether they’re ditching gills for lungs or using their fins to walk across the land, these fish are about to have you seeing new possibilities all over the place! These fish out of water will have you looking at your unusual talents with a whole new appreciation.
8 minutes
[ Nature ]
Do You Know Where Baby Eels Come From? Neither Does Science!
By Sam Burns
There are a lot of mysteries about the world around us, but one you probably never thought you’d ponder is the mating lives of eels! EELS? Yes, these slippery friends have stumped scientists and philosophers for centuries, and this mystery reminds us all of the wonderful quirks of our world!
7 minutes
[ Nature ]
Why Is My Cat So Dang Weird?!
The midnight racing, the pre-pounce butt-wiggle… these are just a small sampling of the odd things that cats do. But you don’t need to be a crazy cat lady to appreciate these sometimes-ferocious little furballs! Let’s start by nipping at the evolutionary excuses your cat has for being, well, the weirdest!
7 minutes
[ Nature ]
Celebrating Our Most Under-Appreciated Neighbors!
When you think of cities, trees probably aren’t the first things that come to mind. But did you know that trees are a vital part of creating healthy urban spaces? Urban forests have been used for thousands of years to keep city-dwellers healthy, and now we are rediscovering their benefits!
7 minutes
[ Animals ]
The Most Marvelous Butts of the Ocean!
By Sam Burns
Make your next trip to the beach even more exciting by discovering the journey that the sand between your toes has gone through! Sometimes, the most important players in our lives are vastly overlooked. So today, we relish in the wonder of the sea cucumber: the most humble, hungry hot dog you’ll ever find saving the world!
8 minutes
[ Nature ]
What 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!
15 minutes
[ Science ]
From Bunnies to Solar Systems: The Magic of Dust!
What do the dust bunnies under your nightstand have in common with our solar system? Turns out, the answer to that is all about the wonder of connections! Read on and all around you will seem a mystery unfolding.
15 minutes
[ Nature ]
Meet These Queens of the Bug World!
By Sam Burns
Powerful kingdoms are rising and falling all around us, each created and lead by a mighty queen. But what’s it like to be a queen in the insect world? We’re taking a royal tour through the lives of a wasp and a fire ant queen to learn what’s happening inside these busy colonies.
12 minutes
[ Culture ]
How to Sail Around the World Without GPS or Technology — Just Ancient Knowledge!
How in the world did ancient mariners navigate the vast oceans before GPS or technology? These techniques were almost a lost art. That is, until 2013, when Hōkūleʻa set sail to travel around the globe. Take a look at this remarkable ship’s voyage and how her crew is preserving the Polynesian tradition of open ocean navigation.
20 minutes
[ Culture ]
Celebrating a Global Communi-TEA!
Did you know you probably have some fascinating connection to tea? This beverage has reshaped history and cultures around the world and led to many aspects of our lives today. So what does that say about some of the universals of human nature and our shared humanity?
8 minutes
[ Culture ]
Without Cheese, We Might Not Be Here!
By Sam Burns
Throughout human history, cheese has given us a huge survival advantage and changed civilization. If that isn’t friendship, we don’t know what is. So let’s spend a little quality time with one of our oldest pals, and remind ourselves of all that we’ve been through together.
20 minutes
[ Science ]
Combing Caves for a Cure to Deadly Bacterial Infections
By Sam Burns
We’ve been able to protect ourselves from most bacterial infections for decades now, but that’s changing. Deadly bacteria are catching onto our tactics and antibiotic resistance is on the rise. Here’s how some scientists are working to stay one step ahead of this problem by exploring the depths of caves and the bacteria that call them home!
11 minutes
[ Nature ]
The Planet’s Unsung Hero, the Dung Beetle
There’s a remarkable reason why there is not dung everywhere in our world. Think about it: the multitudes of creatures on this planet produce a lot of waste! So, what happens to all of it? Well, let us introduce you to one of the planet’s greatest unsung heroes, the dung beetle! Get ready to be astonished.
7 minutes
[ Pebbles ]
Have You Met The Animal That Can Survive in Space?
By Sam Burns
Tardigrades are the definition of “small but mighty”. They’re never any bigger than 1.5mm, but these creatures can survive pretty much everything!
6 minutes
[ Culture ]
The Universal Language of Our Emotions
Does your smile mean the same thing as my smile? What about your frown? How is it that we can intuitively understand another person’s emotions simply by looking at their expressions? There are a few universals in life, and our smiles may just be one of them.
12 minutes
[ Art ]
Synesthesia: Wiring the Senses Together
Synesthesia could be called a superpower, so what is life like for people who can see music or taste color? This is the fascinating science behind it all!
6 minutes
[ Health ]
Mucus Does A Lot More Than Just Leak From Your Nose
By Sam Burns
We’re thinking it’s about time we all give this goop a little more credit for being the amazing innovation it really is!
6 minutes
Why Does Human Skin Come in So Many Shades?
By Sam Burns
The way humans have adapted to suit life in all corners of the planet tells the extraordinary story of our history as a species. Here’s the science behind it all!
7 minutes
[ Animals ]
Celebrating Elephant Intelligence!
By Sam Burns
They’re a favorite animal for many, but how much do we all actually know about how elephants interact with the world? Here’s your quick overview!
15 minutes
[ Art ]
Why Does van Gogh’s The Starry Night Captivate Us?
We’ve all seen this painting before, but why do we love it so much? The answer is a fascinating mix of science, legend, mathematics, and our place in the universe.
15 minutes
When You (Really) Can’t Smell the Roses
By Sam Burns
Your sense of smell is one of the most powerful and elusive of all the senses. But how does it even work? And what is it like when it doesn’t?
6 minutes
[ Art ]
Endless Possibility in Embracing Your Constraints
Have you ever thought of the obstacles you face as a good thing? Reframing and embracing the obstacles in our lives may actually lead us to better and more creative answers!
6 minutes
What’s in Your Cup?
For many, caffeine is something they can’t live without. How many of us know why that cup of tea or coffee in the morning keeps us awake? Here’s a fun look at what all that caffeine is doing up in our brains!
10 minutes
How to Get Better at Just About Anything!
Are you practicing correctly? Can you even learn a new skill as you age? Why is practice even important? Our brains are capable of a lot, especially if we know the best way to teach them!
14 minutes
[ Happiness & Hope ]
A Drug Free Approach to Depression and Melancholy!
By Dr. Lynda
Science is vastly improving our options when it comes to depression. Here’s a very insightful TED Talk that might put a spring in your step, literally and figuratively!