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They may feel, think, and smile just like us. But it doesn't mean they're happy.

The more I learn, the more I appreciate how amazing these animals are.

Let's get the sad part out of the way first.

SeaWorld keeps a lot of dolphins in captivity. And then it uses them to make money — er, I mean, entertain and "educate" guests.


Listen, I get why a whole bunch of us have been to SeaWorld. I'm looking at the picture. It's cool. But while this may *seem* like a fun show to watch — jumping dolphins! trainers! exciting music! — it's probably not a super fun show for the dolphins.

And more importantly, it's not a fun life.

SeaWorld receives its fair share of criticism about the conditions under which the dolphins and other marine animals live. But even if their conditions aren't that bad, we still shouldn't allow dolphins to be held in captivity. Why? Because dolphins are very special and unique creatures.

They have been studied for years to observe how similar to humans they really are. And in one particularly fun study, the results were telling.

Some scientists set out to prove that dolphins were *actually* intelligent using ... bubbles.

In this case, the experiment was pretty simple. Scientists created a bubble machine and put it underwater to see how the dolphins would react to it. They were scared of the bubbles at first...


...then curious.

(Side note, I love the way dolphins appear to smile.)

Finally, they got excited to play with their new toy.

They flipped bubbles with their tails. They swam through the circles. They even used their voices to change the shape of the bubbles!

They played for HOURS, creating new ways to play. They even taught each other how to interact with the machine.

They are sorta like humans that way.

The scientists found that they don't play for functional reasons (like hunting for food). They do it because playing is fun and it helps them learn. They played with bubbles the same way kids play with Legos.

It turns out, their emotional capacity is like ours.

And that's the important part. Even though we can't quantify their intelligence, we can prove that they have similar capacities to us.

That's why it's heartbreaking to see them captured and placed in cages for our amusement. SeaWorld, I'm looking at you.

I don't wanna live in a cage for no reason other than to entertain humans. And dolphins shouldn't have to either. Many other countries either expressly prohibit keeping dolphins in captivity or make it so difficult that it's rarely done. It's about time we get on board with that, wouldn't you agree?

Check out the video below to watch this really cool study and see how amazing dolphins really are.

Family

Mom calls out teacher who gave her son a 'zero' grade for not providing class with supplies

Her viral video sparked a debate as to whether or not providing school supplies should be mandatory for parents.

@shanittanicole/TikTok

A zero grade for not providing school supplies?

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What’s even more perplexing, however, is penalizing the children of parents who won’t (or can’t) provide them.

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Amanda Seals breaks down history of DAP handshake

We've all seen people do it. Anywhere from basketball players on television to kids meeting up at the skating rink. Even former president Barack Obama when greeting a mixed group of men gave "DAP" to the Black men in the group, yet switched to a firm handshake when greeting the other men.

It was almost like watching the president code switch, but with body language, in a move that many Black Americans recognize as a gesture of acceptance and comradery. But did you know that there's an actual history behind the DAP that has nothing to do with looking cool? Social justice educator and actress, Amanda Seales, recently re-shared a clip from "The Real" where she was diving into the history of the handshake.

Seales, who has a master's degree in African American Studies from Columbia University, was also admittedly surprised when she learned there was a deeper meaning to the gesture.

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Neuroscientist reveals perfect amount of time to spend on social media for your mental health

Over several weeks, the participants felt less loneliness, depression and anxiety.

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And while there is certainly a case to be made for that decision, for many of us, that isn’t quite feasible—especially in certain lines of work.

Luckily, according to neuroscientist Rachelle Summers, there is a way we can still be on social media, without being subjected to its negative side effects.
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The stereotypical image we get of bachelor parties is a booze-filled evening of depravity and bad choices. Followed of course by a massive hangover…and some regrets.

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