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42 stories
A rubber plant delivered to a company reception in 1994 has survived four chief executives, two mergers and a relocation, thanks to an informal roster of receptionists who passed down its watering schedule. The current CEO has given it a nameplate and a line in the staff handbook. Employees say it is the most trusted member of the leadership team.
Psychologists reviewing decades of research say speaking to yourself out loud improves focus, memory and emotional regulation, especially when you use your own name. The effect is strongest under pressure. The stigma, they argue, is entirely social.
Data from sleep trackers compared with self-reported sleep shows most people overstate their sleep by more than an hour a night. The gap is largest among people who describe themselves as morning people. Sleep researchers say the real number for most adults is closer to six hours than the eight they claim.
A nine-year-old visiting a natural history museum spotted that a dinosaur display had the wrong label and wrote to the curator with a page of evidence. The museum checked, agreed and has invited him to unveil the corrected sign. He says he would like to be paid in fossils.
A shrinking rural town is offering remote workers a cash grant, a year of free rent and a bicycle to relocate, and has received thousands of applications from cities around the world. The first arrivals say the deal was fine but the welcome was the reason they stayed. Neighbouring towns are now copying the scheme.
Dentists say brushing straight after breakfast can do more harm than good because acidic food softens enamel for up to an hour. The advice is to brush before eating or wait, which contradicts what most people were taught as children. Predictably, the internet is not taking it well.