At NPSC we know that one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy is to learn new things. Unfortunately, with all of the information available to us, it can feel almost impossible to find the time to sift through the web to find the gems.

We’ve decided to do it for you! Every Friday, you can find five new articles or videos from the week that will stretch your mind, fuel your spirit, and feed your brain.

“THE NERD’S GUIDE TO LEARNING EVERYTHING ONLINE” by John Green, ted.com

“In this charming, personal talk, author John Green shares the community of learning that he found in online video.”

“THE HISTORY OF GYMNASTICS, FROM ANCIENT GREECE TO TOKYO 2020” by Meilan Solly, smithsonianmag.com

“The beloved Olympic sport has evolved drastically over the past 2,000 years.”

“WHAT’S IN A BLURB?: THE HISTORY OF BOOK BLURBING” by Nikki DeMarco, bookriot.com

“A quote from Oprah or a Reese’s Book Club sticker can go a long way.”

“DIFFERENT CULTURES DEFINE HAPPINESS DIFFERENTLY” by Arthur C. Brooks, theatlantic.com

“Well-being is far from universal. Here are four models to help you understand the world—and your own mind.”

“THE WORLD’S MOST ENDANGERED SOUND” by Eliot Stein, bbc.com

“In an ever-louder world, Gordon Hempton has spent more than 40 years speaking out about the importance of saving silence. Is the world finally ready to listen?”

At NPSC we know that one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy is to learn new things. Unfortunately, with all of the information available to us, it can feel almost impossible to find the time to sift through the web to find the gems.

we’ve decided to do it for you! Every Friday, you can find five new articles or videos from the week that will stretch your mind, fuel your spirit, and feed your brain.

“WHAT THE MEDIEVAL OLYMPICS LOOKED LIKE” by David M. Perry and Matthew Gabriele, smithsonianmag.com

“The Middle Ages didn’t kill the Games, as international sporting competitions thrived with chariot races and jousts.”

“WHEN AMERICANS DREAMED OF KITCHEN COMPUTERS” by Alex Ketchum, atlasobscura.com

“The ultimate appliance turned out to be expensive and impractical.”

“THE US’ LOST, ANCIENT MEGACITY” by Jen Rose Smith, bbc.com

“In the ancient Mississippian settlement of Cahokia, vast social events- not trade or the economy- were the founding priciple.”

“THE STRANGELY SCIENTIFIC ENDEAVOR OF MAKING ICE CREAM” by Cypress Hansen, smithsonianmag.com

“From forests to fish to flakes of snow, the science behind ice cream reaches beyond the cone.”

“21 WORDS WE OWE TO SHAKESPEARE (AND 4 WE DON’T)” by Roma Panganiban and Austin Thompson, mentalfloss.com

“The Bard gave us a great many words—just probably not as many as we once thought.”

At NPSC we know that one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy is to learn new things. Unfortunately, with all of the information available to us, it can feel almost impossible to find the time to sift through the web to find the gems.

So, we’ve decided to do it for you! Every Friday, you can find five new articles or videos from the week that will stretch your mind, fuel your spirit, and feed your brain.

“THE UK TOWN THAT INSPIRED THE OLYMPICS” by Vicky Smith, bbc.com

“The Olympic Games is now a global phenomenon, but few know its modern origins lie in the sleepy Shropshire town of Much Wenlock.”

“HAS THE PANDEMIC PUT AN END TO THE SAT AND ACT?” by Amber Dance, smithsonianmag.com

“Many colleges and universities stopped requiring the tests during Covid, and it is unclear if they will return to testing in the future.”

“TAPPING INTO THE BRAIN TO HELP A PARALYZED MAN TO SPEAK” by Pam Belluck, nytimes.com

“In a once unimagined accomplishment, electrodes implanted in the man’s brain transmit signals to a computer that displays his words.”

“THE HISTORY OF RESTAURANT MENUS” by Michele Debczak, mentalfloss.com

“Modern diners take them for granted, but menus haven’t always been a staple of restaurants.”

“THE TRAGIC LIFE AND GLOBAL LEGACY OF THE LAST HAWAIIAN PRINCESS” by Jim Kempton, atlasobscura.com

“‘Brilliant, beautiful, and betrayed,’ Princess Ka‘iulani was also the mother of modern surfing.”