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Nature

Need to relax? Try jasmine, which may be as effective as a sedative, study claims

Need to relax? Try jasmine, which may be as effective as a sedative, study claims
Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

Jasmine has been used as a natural treatment for depression, anxiety, and stress for thousands of years. Oil from the plant has also been used to treat insomnia and PMS, and is considered a natural aphrodisiac. It turns out, our ancestor's instincts to slather on the oil when they wanted a little R&R were correct.

A study, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, and according to Professor Hanns Hatt of the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, revealed that jasmine can calm you down when you're feeling anxious.The results can "be seen as evidence of a scientific basis for aromatherapy."

"Instead of a sleeping pill or a mood enhancer, a nose full of jasmine from Gardenia jasminoides could also help, according to researchers in Germany. They have discovered that the two fragrances Vertacetal-coeur (VC) and the chemical variation (PI24513) have the same molecular mechanism of action and are as strong as the commonly prescribed barbiturates or propofol," says the study.

RELATED: 30 things people don't realize you're doing because of your depression

The study looked at hundreds of fragrancesto see how they effected the GABA receptors in both humans and mice. Researchers found that filling the mice cages with the fragrance of jasmine dramatically calmed the mice, making them sit quietly in the corner.

Brain scans confirmed what the scientists observed: Jasmine enhanced the GABBA effect on nerve cells by more than five times, thus relaxing the mice. "We have discovered a new class of GABA receptor modulator which can be administered parentally and through the respiratory air," Hatt says. "Applications in sedation, anxiety, excitement, and aggression-relieving treatment, and sleep induction therapy are all imaginable."

According to the study, jasmine is just as effective as sedatives, sleeping pills, and relaxants when it comes to calming you down. Unlike those drugs, jasmine doesn't come with a Russian novel of freaky-sounding side effects, like depression, dizziness, hypotension, muscle weakness, and impaired coordination. And on top of it all, jasmine smells great.

RELATED: Kristen Bell advises those with depression: 'Don't be fooled' by Instagram

Jasmine oil is found in a wide variety of products, so it's pretty easy to make your night a lot more restful with a little "queen of the night." Or "not restful," if that's what you're going for, too.

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Joy

5 small things that made us smile this week

Your weekly cheat sheet to the best of the Internet

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Life can be bleak, so we’re going to be celebrating the small joys while we can—whether that’s asweet snack that boosts your mood (courtesy of our friends atAll In), or a picture so incredibly goofy it restores your faith in the algorithm (even if only for a second). These momentary mood boosters are everywhere you look—you just have to be able to find them underneath all the noise. And that’s where we come in.

Consider this weekly web series your cheat sheet to the best of the Internet—not just random memes to make you laugh, but examples of people truly finding something extraordinary in the mundane. Each Friday we'll be delivering five pieces of media that allow you to stop for a second, take a breath, and feel just a little bit brighter among the daily stress. (Think of us as your chronically online bestie who knows exactly how to make you smile, exactly when you need it the most.)

Ready to smile? Here we go.

1. Unplanned triplets 

@murdockmultiples The first of many family reactions to our spontaneous triplet news! Telling my parents we were expecting spontaneous triplets 👶🏻👶🏻👶🏻 And yes my dad didn’t understand that “Baby B” meant twins at first 😂 #spontaneoustriplets #tripletreaction #triplets #murdockmultiples #murdocktriplets #surprisetriplets ♬ original sound - Murdock Multiples

Pregnancy reveals are always fun to watch, but this one is three times as exciting. In this viral TikTok clip, these new grandparents get exciting news when their adult daughter tells them she is pregnant with twins. But wait–there’s more. In what’s probably the shock of their lives, she then reveals that, on second glance, there’s a third baby in there. As in, spontaneous triplets. Three babies. Unplanned. Their reaction is both adorable and totally real: “I don’t even KNOW people with triplets!” Congrats, grandpa–you’re the people, now!

2. Little moments of morning joy

This week, the All In crew is polling people on the streets of New York City about small, everyday things in the morning that bring people joy, from gorgeous greenery to the early morning sun catching the light in just the right way. Just listening to these is making us feel super relaxed.

3. This teacher doing the absolute most for Pride Month

@joey_.veres Mr. Folnsbee the ally that you are @nadipowers @lanie @Fatty ♬ suono originale - 𝙎𝙊𝙁𝙏𝙇𝙔

Meet Mr. Folnsbee, a high school teacher from Horseheads, New York who’s taking Pride Month to the next level. In support of Pride Month (and, presumably, the LGBTQIA+ students at his high school), Folnsbee lets students bedazzle his head with rainbow gemstones—so much so that it looks like a giant, glittering Pride flag. Talk about setting a good example for the next generation!

4. The "goodnight" trend 

@sydsacks I’ve been cracking up at this trend so I made Peter call his besties to say goodnight 🤪 #goodnight #besties ♬ original sound - syd

Calling a friend and wishing them goodnight is a sweet gesture, right? What if the person you were calling was someone you haven’t spoken to in years, or someone with whom you’re just a casual acquaintance? That’s what people are doing in this new TikTok “prank,” and the results are so funny they’ll have you crying. They’re also so sweet, as the responses range from being confused but polite, to wanting to have a long conversation, to being genuinely concerned for the caller’s mental health. It might be a “prank,” but it definitely shows how much we all truly need human connection.

5. Spontaneous street singing

This could only happen in New York City. Instagram users @sabrinakvictor and @thecoryterrell — who were strangers before this video — shared a moment recently on a chance meeting in NYC when the two started singing the exact same song. Watch as the two of them vibe out to "Impossible" by James Arthur and try not to smile or sing along as you watch them (it's actually impossible). The joy here is actually contagious—and the harmonies are on point.

For even more “extra”-ordinary moments, come find us on social media (@upworthy) or on upworthy.com!

For scrumptious snacks that add an extra boost of joy to your day, be sure to check out All In.

Popular

I Googled to see if Maria Von Trapp remarried after Georg died. The result was horrifying.

Having blatantly false information as the top search result is actually a huge problem for us all.

Photo credit: Canva

Google's AI Overview sometimes gets basic facts wrong.

With AI being implemented seemingly everywhere for seemingly everything these days, it wasn't surprising when Google launched its "AI Overview" in the spring of 2024. With messaging like "Generative AI in Search: Let Google do the searching for you" and "Find what you're looking for faster and easier with AI overviews in search results," the expectation is that AI will parse through the search results for you and synopsize the answer.

That sounds great. The problem is, its synopsis is too often entirely wrong. We're not talking just a little misleading or incomplete, but blatantly, factually false. Let me show you an example.

I recently wrote an article about the real-life love story between Maria and Georg Von Trapp, and as part of my research, I found out Georg died 20 years after they married. I hadn't seen anything about Maria remarrying, so I Googled whether she had. Here's what the AI Overview said when I searched last week:

maria von trapp, ai overview results, false information, ai, InternetThis is what Google AI Overview said when I asked how many times Maria Von Trapp had been married. It's wrong.Screenshot via Google

"Maria Von Trapp married twice. First, she married Georg Von Trapp in 1927 and they had 10 children together. After Georg's death, she married Hugh David Campbell in 1954 and had 7 daughters with him. Later, she also married Lynne Peterson in 1969 and had one son and daughter with him."

Something about that didn't add up—and it wasn't just how it said she married twice but then listed three spouses. Maria Von Trapp was born in 1905, so according to the AI Overview, she remarried at 49 years old and had seven more children, and then married again at 64 years old and had another two children. That seems…unlikely.

old woman, elderly, golden girls, women, gifDid Maria Von Trapp have two children in her mid-60s? No. Giphy

So I clicked the link icon on the AI Overview, which took me to the Maria Von Trapp Wikipedia page. On that page, I found a chart where the extra two spouses were listed—but they very clearly weren't hers. Hugh David Campbell was the husband of one of her daughters. Lynn Peterson was the wife of one of her sons.

The fact is that Maria never remarried after Georg died. If I had just run with the AI Overview, I would have gotten it this very basic fact about her life completely wrong. And it's not like it pulled that information from a source that got it wrong. Wikipedia had it right. The AI Overview extrapolated the real information incorrectly.

Ironically, when I Googled "Did Maria Von Trapp remarry after Georg died?" in the middle of writing this article to see if the same result came back, the AI Overview got it right, citing the Upworthy article I wrote. (Yes, I laughed out loud.)

maria von trapp, ai overview results, false information, media, literacyAfter my article was published, the AI Overview cited it while giving the correct answer.Screenshot via Google

This may seem like a lot of fuss over something inconsequential in the big picture, but Maria Von Trapp's marital status is not the only wrong result I've seen in Google's AI Overview. I once searched for the cast of a specific movie and the AI Overview included a famous actor's name that I knew for 100% certain was not in the film. I've asked it for quotes about certain subjects and found quotes that were completely made up.

Are these world-changing questions? No. Does that matter? No.

facts matter, misinformation, disinformation, fact-checking, AIFacts should matter no matter what they are.Giphy GIF by Angie Tribeca

Objective facts are objective facts. If the AI Overview so egregiously messes up the facts about something that's easily verifiable, how can it be relied on for anything else? Since its launch, Google has had to fix major errors, like when it responded to the query "How many Muslim presidents has the U.S. had?" with the very wrong answer that Barack Obama had been our first Muslim president.

Some people have "tricked" Google's AI into giving ridiculous answers by simply asking it ridiculous questions, like "How many rocks should I eat?" but that's a much smaller part of the problem. Most of us have come to rely on basic, normal, run-of-the-mill searches on Google for all kinds of information. Google is, by far, the most used search engine, with 79% of the search engine market share worldwide as of March 2025. The most relied upon search tool should have reliable search results, don't you think?

Even the Google AI Overview itself says it's not reliable:

ai overview results, false information, google reliability, AI, misinformation Google's AI Overview doesn't even trust itself to be accurate.Screenshot via Google

As much as I appreciate how useful Google's search engine has been over the years, launching an AI feature that might just make things up and put them them at the top of the search results feels incredibly irresponsible. And the fact that it still spits out completely (yet unpredictably) false results about objectively factual information over a year later is unforgivable, in my opinion.

We're living in an era where people are divided not only by political ideologies but by our very perceptions of reality. Misinformation has been weaponized more and more over the past decade, and as a result, we often can't even agree on the basic facts much less complex ideas. As the public's trust in expertise, institutions, legacy media, and fact-checking has dwindled, people have turned to alternative sources to get information. Unfortunately, those sources come with varying levels of bias and reliability, and our society and democracy are suffering because of it. Having Google spitting out false search results at random is not helpful on that front.

AI has its place, but this isn't it. My fear is that far too many people assume the AI Overview is correct without double-checking its sources. And if people have to double-check it anyway, the thing is of no real use—just have Google give links to the sources like they used to and end this bizarre experiment with technology that simply isn't ready for its intended use.

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Education & Information

The 'hourly wage' approach to frugality might completely change how you view small savings

This simple "time x savings = earnings" calculation adds up quickly.

Photo credit: Canva

Is it worth it to drive out of the way to save 10 cents a gallon?

In today's high-cost-of-living, wages-haven't-caught-up economy, finding ways to stretch your paycheck feels more important than ever. Some people are taking on second and third jobs, trying to figure out lucrative side hustles, moving to places with more affordable living expenses and making other big life changes to try to get ahead.

But you don't necessarily have to make big sweeping changes to your life to find extra cash. The phrases "Time is money" and "A penny saved is a penny earned" may sound like lip service sayings, but what if you took them literally? What if, instead of assume that saving a few cents here or a couple of bucks there isn't really significant enough to think about in the big picture, you calculated opportunities to save money in terms of an hourly wage?

gas prices, saving money on gas, frugal living, money, budgetSaving $1.50 on gas might seem like a minimal savings, but the hourly wage might change your mind.Photo credit: Canva

Here's what that means: Let's say your closest gas station has gas for $3.75/gallon, but the one a few blocks down the road has it for $3.65/gallon. If you got 15 gallons of gas, you'd save $1.50 driving two minutes out of your way to get gas at the second station—is that even worth it?

Yes it is, when you calculate that $1.50 in terms of an hourly wage you're paying yourself. For two minutes of your time, you've essentially "made" $1.50. When you translate that into an hourly wage, you've just paid yourself the equivalent of $45/hr—basically what someone making $90K a year makes.

tightwad gazette, frugal living, "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" by Amy Dacyczynm.media-amazon.com

The hourly wage idea comes from a money-saving, frugal-living tome called The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. The book is a compilation of Dacyczyn's long-standing Tightwad Gazette newsletters, which offered not only a whole array of thrifty habits but also valuable shifts in perspective on saving money.

Dacyczyn's main example of the hourly wage calculation in the book was washing out Ziploc baggies to reuse instead of tossing and getting a new one each time. Even back in the 90s, she calculated that washing baggies yielded her $30/hr. But when you start thinking this way, you start to realize that there are tons of ways to make a good hourly wage in tiny increments.

saving money, frugality, washing plastic bags, budget, money Washing a Ziploc bag might feel like a waste, but it's not when you calculate the hourly wage. Photo credit: Canva

Here are some examples:

It may take time to make your lunch instead of eating out, but the savings can be significant. Let's say it takes 10 minutes to put together a lunch at home. A really great made-at-home lunch would cost only a few dollars, but let's go with the high end of $5 including a drink. It's easily $15 for a lunch and drink out at a restaurant, so the 10 minutes you spent saved you $10. Hourly wage for making your own lunch = $60/hr.

How about taking the time to call your phone and Internet provider and negotiate a better price? Those people can keep you on the phone for a while, but let's say they gave you their spiel for a solid hour, and you only saved $20/month for the next year after that negotiation. Hourly wage for an hour of phone and internet negotiating = $240/hr (or more)

saving money, frugal living, phone and internet services, hacks, savingsSpending an hour negotiating on the phone to lower bills might be a lucrative hourly wage equivalent.Photo credit: Canva

Canceling a subscription takes almost no time at all, but is something we might put off because it feels like we're taking something away or depriving ourselves of something we want. But streaming service subscriptions alone are eating into people's budgets like nobody's business. Even if you cancel a subscription that's only $4.99 a month, the hourly wage you "make" by canceling it is huge. Assuming it takes one minute or less to log into your account and click a few buttons to cancel, the hourly wage for canceling a $5/month subscription = $600/hr. (And that's only accounting for the first month's savings. If you figure you just saved $60 over the course of a year, assuming you stay unsubscribed, and you've made $7,200/hr for that one minute of "work." Doesn't feel like deprivation now, does it?)

saving money, frugal living, canceling streaming services, subscriptions, savingsTaking a minute to cancel a subscription? Huge hourly wage. Photo credit: Canva

Of course, not everything is worth the time it takes, so it's worth it to do the math. For instance, it might be worth it to wash your own car, or it might not be, depending on how long it takes you and how much you would normally spend on a car wash. And some people have far more time than money, so even a not-great hourly wage equivalent might still be worth it.

But try doing the calculation next time you have an opportunity to save a little money, especially if the time investment is minimal, and see how much the hourly wage equivalent is. Not only do all those little savings add up over time, but you can see how valuable those small efforts really are.

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Culture

Philosophy expert shares the 'simple but profound rule' to tell if someone is a good or bad person

It comes down to a specific type of kindness.

via Canva/Photos and G.Meiners/Wikimedia Commons

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and a scene at a restaurant.

Have you ever met somebody new and wondered if they were a good person with a mischievous streak or a bad person who can turn on the charm and behave occasionally? Determining someone’s true moral character is important, especially if you start dating them or have a business relationship. It is crucial to get to the core of who they are and know whether they can be trusted.

Popular TikTok philosopher and Substack writer Juan de Medeiros recently shared a great way to determine whether someone is good or bad. His rubric for judging someone’s moral character comes from a quote commonly attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German poet, playwright, novelist, and intellectual known for works like Faust and The Sorrows of Young Werther.

How can you tell if someone is a good or a bad person?

“Here's a pretty good indicator that somebody is a bad person and vice versa, how you can spot a good one. And this goes back to a simple rule, a moral aphorism by Goethe in which he writes, ‘Never trust someone who is unkind to those who can do nothing for him,’” de Medeiros shared in a TikTok video with over 45,000 views.

“Never trust someone who is unkind to those who can do nothing for him,” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

@julianphilosophy

Good vs. bad #good #bad #wisdom

De Medeiros then provided real-world ways to determine whether the person you have questions about is good or bad. “A bad person is unfriendly to strangers, to the elderly, to children, to service staff, to anybody they're not trying to impress,” he said. At the same time, the good person treats people equally, no matter what they can do for him. They’re good for goodness sake, not to get anything out of it.

“A good person carries grace within them and shares it freely with abundance. A good person treats other people as they would like to be treated as well. And it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what your status is, they will treat you and see you as their equal,” de Medeiros said.


What is 'The Waiter Rule'?

Goethe’s quote echoes the common red/green flag test that many people have on dates. Sure, it's important if your date is courteous and treats you well on the date, but you really want to watch how they interact with the server. The rule is often called “The Waiter Rule,” outlined by William Swanson. Swanson, the former chairman and CEO of Raytheon Company, wrote in his book, 33 Unwritten Rules of Management, "A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter—or to others—is not a nice person." Boxer Muhammad Ali is also known for saying something similar: "I don't trust anyone who's nice to me but rude to the waiter. Because they would treat me the same way if I were in that position."


Rudeness toward the waitstaff also indicates that the person isn’t very smart. It’s not wise to be rude to someone who is in charge of your meal for the night.

Conversely, a good person is kind to others without looking for anything in return because they want to spread joy and believe that others deserve respect. You are what you do, not what you think or believe, and when someone treats others with goodness, it's a clear indicator of the type of person they are.

In the end, we are all a mixed bag of behaviors and attitudes, and even the most perfect of us has a devil on their shoulder telling them that it’s okay to occasionally get into a bit of mischief. However, when it comes down to determining someone's core character, how they treat those who can do nothing for them says everything.

This article originally appeared in April.

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Joy

People share the 'buy it for life' products they've purchased that have actually held up

"It’s wild to have any belonging that will literally outlast me."

Image via Canva

People share the high quality products they've purchased that have lasted a lifetime.

Buying good-quality items that are meant to last a lifetime can be a big financial win, regardless of the initial investment. However, just because an item says it comes with a lifetime guarantee, it doesn't always mean it will actually last.

In a Reddit forum of savvy shoppers, member @qdobah posed the question: "We're at or near middle age. Have bought any 'buy it for life' products? How are they holding up at the midway point?" They followed it up with, "Good, bad, neutral. Give us all your reviews."

The shoppers divulged the products that have stood the test of time. These are 32 long-lasting items that lived up to their excellent quality.

quality, quality items, lifetime products, last a lifetime, high qualityHigh Class Quality GIF by ANTIQUES ROADSHOW | PBSGiphy

"Lodge cast iron pans are going strong. It’s wild to have any belonging that will literally outlast me. If you don’t mind the maintenance required for seasoning them, they are a slam dunk purchase." —@RerollingAfterDeath

"I love my cast iron collection, but honestly I love my All Clad pans more, simply because of the ease of maintenance. We received a set of stainless All Clad pots & pans 20 years ago, we use them daily, and they still look as good as the day we got them." —@IHeartChampagne

"My KitchenAid mixer. I've had it for 5 years and I use it at least once a month but it's going strong." —@bigkatze

mixer, stand mixer, kitchenaid, kitchenaid mixer, mixerscake baking GIF by franciscabGiphy

"Vitamix! They have had the best reliability, amazing customer service, and it’s a single consumer product I use every day and have not found a single issue/ something I don’t like about it. Great quality, great team based in the USA. My Dyson vacuums are so/so - customer service is trash. Lexus cars have been extremely reliable. It difficult to find items that aren’t short-term-use junk, marketing hypes, cheap crap made in China, horrible for the environment, etc." —@WhiteRabbitOrngePill

"Le Creuset dutch oven. Can cook bread, pasta, stews etc. anything. It’s held up well." —@Consistent-Duty-6195

"Sorel boots for snow. Lodge cast iron pans. Stanley thermos with the little cup on the top. My Stanley camping pot that comes with two cups inside. Honestly this Stanley camping pot has lived through hundreds of miles of backpacking and dozens of cups of coffee." —@djn3vacat

knife, knives, knife sharpening, sharpen knife, sharp knifeChef Cooking GIF by Brix 01Giphy

"People hate on them because they mistakenly think it's an MLM but CutCo has been good to me. I signed up to be a salesman in college. Scheduled a bunch of fake demos with friends and family to cash in on the money they gave you to do it. Can't remember what it was but I made like $3000 over the summer and only did like 2 actual demos out of the dozens I claimed to do. To top it off I never returned the demo set they loaned me. It was like a $2k set and I've had it ever since. Once every 5-8 years or so I spend like $10 to ship them off for sharpening. They're sharp as hell and I use them every single day and have been for like 15 years now. Can't beat literally being paid for a product haha." —@dnvrm0dsrneckbeards

"Darn tough socks." —@Traditional-Job-411

"Corelle dinnerware and my flatware. Definitely not replacing and they’re perfect after like 10 years already." —@RainyMonster2635

"We have a nice set of henckels knives and pot set for at least 15 years now. Going strong." —@Working-Librarian157

cast iron, cast iron skillet, cast iron pan, cast iron ware, cast iron kitchenCast Iron Food GIF by Rachael Ray ShowGiphy

"Lodge cast iron is solid although I probably hold a record for longest ikea furniture keeper. My corelle dishes are solid as is my Miele vacuum both acquired in 2005 when I graduated high school. My vitamix is holding up well, was a 2013 diploma grad present." —@Clevernamegoeshere__

"My grandparents had weirdly modern taste and bought a Rosenthal tea set in 1957 that still looks chic and modern today. If it had been covered in floral doilies it would have gone into a box in my basement or sold, but this set is sleek, simple, elegant, and the most intoxicating, iridescent, mother of pearl blue. The set is 68 years old and I still use it all the time." —@augustinthegarden

"Fiesta plates. Easy to wash and never chip." —@Familiar_Luck_3333

gameboy, gameboys, gameboy nes, gaming, gameboy nintendoNintendo Snes GIFGiphy

"My NES and Gameboy. These were OG from my childhood and still hold up today." —@Pogichinoy

"Copic markers. Not even kidding. My mom bought me a set in 2010 and I still use that grayscale set. You can replace the nibs and refill the ink. They are worth every penny." —@UnderlightIll

"I've been almost daily cooking on a Stargazer cast iron skillet for about 10 years now. It's still going strong on its original seasoning. I also have a 1940's Griswold skillet that makes magical pancakes." —@RickS50

swiss army knife, victorinox, swiss army, knife, pocket knifeLoop Knife GIF by MULTI AWESOME STUDIOGiphy

"I bought a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife (camper model) back in 1993 when I was 10. This thing is still razor sharp and working as good as when I bought it. But the tweezers and toothpick are long gone." —@halfway_23

"My kitchen is the most important room in the house. That's where we've decided to spend our money because our kids have food allergies and I need everything to just work when I need it to. I want to buy once, cry once. But if it's truly buy it for life, finding deals secondhand is absolutely possible. Viking oven. We bought ours second hand about 6 years ago and it was already 15+ years old. It needed deep cleaned and one hose fixed. And because I bake a ton, we have to replace the oven ignitors once every 2 years or so. It's a beast and I love it. Because it was secondhand, we only spent like $600. New they are $10k+ All my burners are "the good one". It doesn't have any fancy electronics either. It ovens and stoves. That's it. Thermador dishwasher. It's the luxury sister company to Bosch. Ours is only 4 years old BUT it's doing much better than the Samsung that we had prior. The salesman said that Samsung isn't designed to last more than 5 years or so. One of the few BIFL items we've purchased new, no regrets. We really had a hard time deciding between Bosch and Thermador. The racks were what sold it. Thermador has better quality racks." —@nutkinknits

"I bought a Zojirushi rice cooker at least 15 years ago when I was in college. I use it daily and it's still going strong." —@mishmashpotato

rice, rice cooker, cooking rice, rice gif, make riceGIF by YWAM NurembergGiphy

"Well my Craftsman tool set certainly outlasted the company." —@5oldierPoetKing

"I bought a burberry trench coat. 6 years ago. Looks exactly the f*ckin same as when I bought it. I dunno if its life but I think it has 20 years in yet. Worth it." —@pokemonandgenshin

"My rainbow vacuum. My Yeti 30oz tumblers (idk about their coolers yet)." —@In3briatedPanda

yeti, yeti, yeti tumbler, tumbler, tumblersYeti Tumbler GIF by Bill Miller Bar-B-QGiphy

"Wolverine waterproof steel toe boots. Bought these for a job when I was in my early 20s, still going strong in the winters, but they only got about 8 months of consistent use before being shelved for snow days." —@starwarsyeah

"DE safety razor merkur 34c saving money and getting better shaves."—@ 808_surf

"I’ve had a Cuisinart Food Processor for 20 years and it’s as good as the day I bought it." —@dunnkw

doc marten, doc martens, doc marten boots, boots, docsnew york fashion GIFGiphy

"Still have my Doc Martens from 7th-8th grade. Aside from laces fraying, they look and feel just like they did back in the day." —@bcathy

"Mine are all hand-me-downs from grandma. I have Corelle from the 70s, Pyrex glass bowls from the 80s, Tweezerman tweezers that were used when she gave them to me 20 yrs ago, and lots of cast iron. All of this stuff will likely outlive me." —@cat_at_the_keyboard

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Kids

Mom of world’s youngest Mensa member reveals the 3 ways they realized they had a mini-genius

“It soon became clear that he was an exceptional little being.”

Guinness World Records

Joseph Harris-Birtell made history at 2 years old.

There are lots of smart children: ones who potty-train easier than others, pick up reading at a young age, or can play complex instruments before kindergarten. Then, there are genius children. One little boy in the United Kingdom is the latter, who quietly made history by becoming the youngest person admitted to Mensa, the exclusive intellectual organization that only accepts masterminds with an IQ of 132 or above—for those who aren’t in Mensa, that’s less than two percent of the population. So, how old was little Joseph Harris-Birtell when he was admitted to Mensa? A mere two years and 182 days. There are professional sports teams with World Series champion droughts longer than that—much longer.

Born on November 23, 2021, parents Rose and David Harris-Birtell say that Joseph has been extraordinary since birth. “It soon became clear that he was an exceptional little being,” Rose told the Guinness Book of World Records. Perhaps this isn't surprising, considering both his parents are academics: Joseph's father, David, is a Senior Lecturer at the University of St. Andrews and Rose is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the same institution. “He is very kind and loving, confident and curious, and incredibly determined,” Rose said. “He loves a challenge and is really exhilarated by complexity, whether learning chess or poring over new words and concepts that he hasn’t come across before.”

toddler, genius, smart, mensa, momBeyond intellect, Joseph is kind and loving, too. Guinness World Records


The difference between smart and genius

But when did the Harris-Birtells know they had a prodigy on their hands, that their son wasn't just smart, but a genius? Rose describes three signs that tipped them off:

  1. He rolled over at five weeks: Rolling over, from belly to back and vice versa, is one of the earliest and most important motor milestones in an infant's development. Think of it as a baby's first step toward taking their first step. According to pediatrician Dr. Lauren Crosby, rolling over is “a crucial gross motor skill essential for building core strength, head control, and weight shifting.” But just because your baby has a penchant for rolling around and started doing it earlier than most doesn't automatically mean they're the next Isaac Newton, or whoever invented Post-Its (that was Dr. Spencer Silver, a true hero). Early physical milestone achievement alone is not a reliable indicator of superior intelligence. But Joseph didn't just start rolling early—he practically did it out of the womb. While most babies typically start rolling over between four and six months of age, Joseph had mastered this skill in a mere five weeks.
  2. He spoke his first word at seven months: The second sign of Joseph’s extraordinary intelligence came when he was only seven months old, when he said his first word. (For context, the average age for this milestone is between 9 and 15 months.)
  3. Before two years old, he read his first book out loud: After the first word tumbled out of Joseph, it was off to the races. Reading at this age is extraordinary: research says that from ages three to four, children begin to recognize letters and understand the concept of printed language, but don’t learn how to actually read until much later, around ages six or seven. “By two-and-a-quarter years old, he was reading out loud fluently for 10 minutes at a time,” says Rose. “And he could count to 10 in five languages and could count forwards and backwards to well over 100.”

toddler, genius, smart, mensa, momJoseph loves a challenge.Guinness World Records


And that was only the beginning for young Joseph. Since then, his mother says that the pint-sized genius has also begun to learn morse code, taught himself the Greek alphabet, and is “interested in the periodic table,” adding, “His interests are vast and varied, and he is always keen to learn more and loves a challenge.”

Before Joseph, the youngest member to join Mensa was Isla McNabb, who was two years and 195 days old when she was admitted to the prestigious club in 2023. The Crestwood, Kentucky native scored in the 99th percentile of intelligence for her age on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, which led to her parents to look into Mensa.

What do you do when a truly gifted child comes along, like Joseph or Isla? Joseph’s achievement highlights a challenge for many parents: supporting a child who has needs that do not fit conventional standards. Whether a child is academically advanced, a creative virtuoso, or has different learning abilities, their parents inevitably struggle to find support and understanding.

toddler, genius, smart, mensa, momJoseph's mom hopes his story can raise awareness for children with different needs. Guinness World Records

“It is a common misconception that everything is super easy for gifted children,” Rose explained to Guinness Book of World Records.

She continues,

"But everyone needs appropriate stimulation and understanding throughout their lives, and highly able learners can sadly have their unique talents dimmed by the pressure to fit into environments that simply haven’t been properly designed for them. Joseph is fortunate enough to attend a brilliant nursery and has an excellent music teacher, and in Mensa we hope to provide him with a community of peers as a source of further support as his formidable intellect continues to grow and develop.”

Yes, Joseph’s story is remarkable, and it’s a joy to marvel at a genius child. But it’s also a reminder that every child is unique, with their own needs and challenges, and they should be celebrated, too. Instead of trying to force them to fit a prescribed mold, or “be like everyone else,” Joseph is a shining example of what can happen when a child is allowed to thrive and dance to the beat of their own drum.

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