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See hilarious race photos from Japan's Office Chair Grand Prix.

This is a story of triumph, creativity, and hundreds of busted desk chairs.

In 2010, Tsuyoshi Tahara of Kyotanabe, Japan, was trying to save his struggling photography studio. Tahara's business and the other small businesses on his block were struggling to compete with high-end malls and new supermarkets popping up in their city.

So Tahara thought big and came up with the perfect way to bring shoppers back: a race with rolling office chairs.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Yep, you read that right.

Now in its sixth year, the ISU-1 Chair Grand Prix has spread to 12 prefectures in Japan and has brought along with it fanfare, delight, and lots of happy shoppers.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to be competitive at this year's race in Kyotanabe which was held on March 26.

1. Round up your bravest friends.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

You can only have a team of three, so a pre-race showcase of strength and daring may be required.

2. Secure the appropriate attire for office chair racing.

What might that be? you ask. Well, you're definitely going to want a helmet. And probably some knee pads.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

And some stretchy pants can't hurt, right? Aerodynamics and whatnot.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Since you are in an office chair, you can go full business casual and throw on a necktie.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Or dress like some sort of baked good. I'm not here to judge.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

3. Get limbered up.

The race is two hours long and is a test of endurance and chair-durability in equal measure.

Gotta get loose! Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

4. Prepare your chair.

Your chair is not allowed to have any modifications but you can grease up and adjust any existing piece you want.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Extra decorations are A-OK, too.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Prior to the race, each chair-iot is given a proper once-over to check for any funny business.

Other than the incredibly funny business of grown people racing furniture. Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

5. Pump up the crowd.

Fans line the streets to support the courageous competitors ... and to watch strangers fall off office furniture.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

There are even a few cheerleaders on the course to provide extra encouragement.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

6. Go big or roll home.

Though it's all in good fun, this is not a competition for the faint of heart.

There are thrills!

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Spills!

Don't worry, this competitor wasn't seriously injured. Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

And hairpin turns!

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

7. Finish strong!

Check the scores.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Revel in the thrill of victory.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Or the agony of the seat.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Be sure to stick around to watch the winning team take home their grand prize: 90 kilograms (just over 198 pounds) of rice.

This year's winners were a trio of triathletes. Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

For business owners and fans alike, the ISU-1 Grand Prix is a story of perseverance and creativity.

Guests return to oft-forgotten storefronts and regular folks get to feel like pro athletes for one wild and wonderful day. There is no better (or funnier) combination.

Photo by Trevor Williams/Getty Images.

Facebook group brings people together IRL to make meaningful friendships

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Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

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Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

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3,700-year-old Babylonian stone tablet gets translated, changes history

They were doing trigonometry 1500 years before the Greeks.

via UNSW

Dr. Daniel Mansfield and his team at the University of New South Wales in Australia have just made an incredible discovery. While studying a 3,700-year-old tablet from the ancient civilization of Babylon, they found evidence that the Babylonians were doing something astounding: trigonometry!

Most historians have credited the Greeks with creating the study of triangles' sides and angles, but this tablet presents indisputable evidence that the Babylonians were using the technique 1,500 years before the Greeks ever were.

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Terrified, emaciated dog comes to life as volunteer sits with him for human connection

He tries making himself so small in the kennel until he realizes he's safe.

Rocky Kanaka|YouTube

Terrified dog transforms after human sits with him.

There's something about dogs that makes people just want to cuddle them. They have some of the sweetest faces with big curious eyes that make them almost look cartoonish at times. But not all dogs get humans that want to snuggle up with them on cold nights; some dogs are neglected or abandoned. That's where animal shelters come in, and they work diligently to take care of any medical needs and find these animals loving homes.

Volunteers are essential to animal shelters running effectively to fill in the gaps employees may not have time for. Rocky Kanaka has been volunteering to sit with dogs to provide comfort. Recently he uploaded a video of an extremely emaciated Vizsla mix that was doing his best to make himself as small as possible in the corner of the kennel.

Kanaka immediately wanted to help him adjust so he would feel comfortable enough to eat and eventually get adopted. The dog appeared scared of his new location and had actually rubbed his nose raw from anxiety, but everything changed when Kanaka came along.

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Voice recordings of people who were enslaved offer incredible first-person accounts of U.S. history

"The results of these digitally enhanced recordings are arresting, almost unbelievable. The idea of hearing the voices of actual slaves from the plantations of the Old South is as powerful—as startling, really—as if you could hear Abraham Lincoln or Robert E. Lee speak." - Ted Koppel

Library of Congress

When we think about the era of American slavery, many of us tend to think of it as the far distant past. While slavery doesn't exist as a formal institution today, there are people living who knew formerly enslaved black Americans first-hand. In the wide arc of history, the legal enslavement of people on U.S. soil is a recent occurrence—so recent, in fact, that we have voice recordings of interviews with people who lived it.

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