10 Good News Stories to Make You Feel Good, Week of 10/9/17

Your healthy dose of feel-good current events in pop culture, fashion, travel, science, and everything in between…

There’s no fear for Friday the 13^th thanks to the latest round of carefree weekly updates, with 10 smile-inducing hits delivering the opportuuunity to chill out and deeply breathe in that soon-to-be-Saturday scent of easy times that lie so very directly ahead.

Take the chance to unapologetically recline, perhaps in a fresh-from-the-dryer-toasted robe, and lounge with some harmless (yet fascinating) stories that have been selected to give you some clickable, likeable current events that are finally worth sharing with your favorites.

Peruse, ponder, audibly “awww,” lol a little, and enjoy the good news you might have missed:

No longer a shame-inducing medicine cabinet staple, scrunchies are experiencing a Celine Dion-esque resurgence of cool, according to spring runways and It-Girls embracing the 90s wave they never got to fully enjoy as babies with so little hair to tie. Here, cruise through 13 next-generation options to lift your Friday the 13^th spirits. 

Want to safeguard a good day? According to recent studies, sex is one hot recipe for happiness. Over the course of 21 days monitoring the diaries of 152 adults, those that fooled around with someone they loved reported better days the next day—with monogamy playing a role in feel-good results. “Relationship closeness was the most robust moderator in predicting greater levels of meaning in life and positive affect following sexual episodes. These data provide evidence to support the continual consideration of sex in empirical work and theoretical models of elements that comprise healthy relationships and a good life.”

“It smells a bit like sweet tea,” says Sebastian Cox of the velvety material created from mushrooms and discarded wood chips used in his newest furniture creations. Once the fungus mixture is placed into molds, it’s able to regrow into the shape of lamps and stools for an ultimately sustainable alternative to plastic. And thanks to its low carbon footprint (not to mention animal-friendly suede-like texture), consumers may be more interested in embracing the idea of shroom-furnished rooms. 

With insights like “a quick tail flick shows frustration,” and “like a kid evading a dodge ball, squirrels will dart back and forth to confound a predator,” this video on the habits and body language of squirrels maps out their skittish behavior for you to enjoy while they traipse around getting fat and fluffy during their favorite season. 

Those masterminds at Harvard and MIT teamed up to create the next generation of wearables, a smart tattoo that can sense the body’s changing states. Able to intensify or change color as a diabetic’s blood sugar shifts, or an athlete’s dehydration levels rise, these early tests of biosensitive inks are the first steps toward a larger discussion about a body-art-meets-science approach to health. “The purpose of the work is to light the imagination of biotechnologists and stimulate public support for such efforts,” Harvard’s Nan Jiang explains. “These questions of how technology impacts our lives must be considered as carefully as the design of the molecular sensors patients may someday carry embedded in their skin.” 

As the usual slew of horrifyingly kinky parade costumes are feeling a bit off-brand this year, this list of “The Scariest Halloween Costumes of 2017” strikes a surprisingly fresh and dreadfully modern chord. Whether it’s #4’s “The Text Bubbles That Pop Up After You Send a Risky Message,” #26’s “Music Festivals (all-encompassing),” or #42’s “Your Poetry From 2005,” each option makes dressing up for the year’s time-honored creepfest, terrifyingly relatable. 

It’s no surprise that emotional intelligence trumps IQ scores in regards to performance and success. These 8 habits of the highly thoughtful are worth serious attention— the ability to forgive (but not forget), be assertive without being brutal, and attribute a powerful vocabulary to their feelings are just a few traits that shoot these emo kings and queens to the top of the class. 

Commercial photographer Niaz Uddin started experimenting with high-altitude photos just a couple of years ago, and has already set himself apart from competitors thanks to a cheery disposition and surreal, candy-colored images. ““I believe if we make life more colorful and exciting, we can inspire others to be better versions of themselves,” says Uddin of his now drone-driven works. “My main goal is to inspire people with color because their potential inspires me.” 

Finally giving everyone a reason to trek to Melbourne, the city’s Park Hyatt Hotel has hired Mr. Walker, a blonde Labrador, as its first ever canine ambassador and hotel concierge. Guests are invited to walk with the former guide dog around the grounds each morning when he’s not busy greeting patrons at the door or napping in his Tasmanian Oak bed. 

For those feeling a creative slump, the answer may have as much to do with your bod as your brain. Exercise has been shown to improve convergent and divergent thinking, and people who kept up a consistent fitness routine performed better on creativity tests than those with more sedentary habits. Here, five moves (one as simple as walking) that can boost your ability to innovate.