Today’s Solutions: November 28, 2024

Education

Great minds lead to great solutions. Our education section features solutions and innovations directed at strengthening educational systems around the world.

Fruit fly or vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster) on banana fruit surface.

Scientists create the first-ever comprehensive map of an insect brain

According to a new study published in the journal Science, scientists have generated the first complete map of an insect's brain and, critically, all of the synaptic wire that ties it together. The resulting map is known as a connectome, and it is a fundamental piece of neuroscience. "Now we Read More...

People taking photographs with smart phone during a public music concert

Musicians to credit Earth as collaborator and support environmental causes

Artists such as Brian Eno and Anna Calvi are naming the Earth as a co-writer on their songs in order to donate a portion of their income to environmental causes. Earth: a poetic construct Eno described the Earth as "a poetic construct... a beautiful idea," and producers such Fraser T. Smith (a Read More...

Business, career and placement concept - image from back of two employers sitting in office and shaking hand of young asian woman after successful negotiations or interview

5 tips for highlighting your collaborative skills in a job interview

Job candidates struggle to highlight their accomplishments without seeming arrogant. While interviewers want to know your past and skills, they don't want you to seem self-centered. The idea is to utilize language that demonstrates how well you cooperate with others. According to a 2022 Read More...

Manchester, England, UK - 04/19/2020: Manchester Museum building, Oxford Road, Manchester, England, UK.

This museum features a gallery curated by the people they represent

While museums and historical collections can offer us some information and insight into different cultures and people, on the whole, we are realizing that much of what is presented to us does not represent these communities in an accurate or respectful way. This is because many of the things we see Read More...

Couple playing tennis as a team

7 life-changing benefits of playing tennis

It doesn't matter if you've never picked up a tennis racquet before or if yours has been gathering dust for years; it's never too late to start enjoying tennis' many advantages. In honor of National Play Tennis Day, we're sharing how tennis can have a positive impact on your physical, mental, and Read More...

KINDNESS word concept

More reasons to become a RAKtivist? Being kind to others also benefits the self

"Random Acts of Kindness" Day may be on a Friday this year, but the organization behind it hopes to remind you that being nice is an everyday endeavor. Of course, being kind to people regularly is simply a great thing to do. However, research shows that those who help others reap a lot of Read More...

Happiness and well-being expert shares what actually makes a happier life

Happiness and well-being researcher and author of A Journey for Happiness: The Man Who Cycled to Bhutan Christopher Boyce spent years studying what makes people happy. However, he was still unsure of how to live a happy life himself, until he quit his decade-long career as a happiness academic to Read More...

Image of happy young man walking on the street and looking aside while talking by his phone.

What is NEAT and why is it more effective for weight loss than exercise?

"Non-exercise activity thermogenesis," also known as NEAT, is a fancy term for the energy you expend during the day whenever you’re not sleeping, eating, or doing purposeful exercise (like sports or gym workouts). You engage in NEAT by just walking about the house or office, hurrying to catch a Read More...

Groundhog enjoys the warm spring sun after a long hibernation

A brief history of Groundhog Day

In honor of Groundhog Day 2023, The Optimist Daily shares some background knowledge on this centuries-old American tradition.  The first Groundhog Day Groundhog Day was commemorated for the first time on February 2, 1887, at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, thanks to a "rodent Read More...

Two vivid laughing young curly haired women in casual clothes chatting

These 3 questions can help you become more likable

It's human nature to want to be liked. We desire connection and relationships, and we appreciate the affirmation and ego boost that comes from knowing that other people enjoy our company. So, it’s no surprise that many are often preoccupied with whether or not people find them likable. If you Read More...