+
upworthy
Culture

10 things that made us smile this week

10 things that made us smile this week

Ready for the weekend? Of course, you are. Here's our weekly dose of good vibes to help you shed the stresses of the workweek and put yourself in a great frame of mind.

These 10 stories made us happy this week because they feature amazing creativity, generosity, and one super-cute fish.

1. Diver befriends a fish with the cutest smile

Hawaiian underwater photographer Yuki Nakano befriended a friendly porcupine fish and now they hang out regularly.



2. Denver police are handing out gift certificates to auto parts stores instead of 'fix-it' tickets

Police in Denver, Colorado have a new program designed to improve public safety as well as the relationship between the police and those they serve. Instead of issuing tickets, officers will now have the option to hand out $25 gift cards in situations where people are pulled over for minor "fix-it" violations.

Read the whole story on Upworthy.

3. Stunned wildlife lover set up a camera in a bird box and it got 41 million views

43-year-old John Chadwick started live-streaming footage of birds with their chicks so his family could watch their progress before they flew the nest. But just weeks after uploading the videos to YouTube, he racked up millions of views from around the world. "It's gone a little bit bonkers," John said. "I only wanted to show my neighbors, friends, nieces, and nephews what the birds were up to. I had no idea the films would attract such interest."


UK wildlife fan sets up camera inside bird box- attracting 41 MILLION fans worldwide! | SWNSwww.youtube.com


4. Dad with impaired mobility can walk his newborn after crafty teens built him a 'wheestroll'

Jeremy King, 37, of Germantown, Maryland has experienced difficulty with his balance after having surgery for a brain tumor. To help him take his newborn on a walk, a group of students at Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland built him a "wheelstroll," a car seat attachment that connects to his wheelchair.

Read the whole story at Upworthy.

High School Students Create Wheelchair Stroller for Teacher's Husbandwww.youtube.com


5. American gymnast Suni Lee made history, winning gold in the all-around

Suni Lee, 18, a Team USA member from Minnesota, became the Olympic all-around gymnastics champion on Thursday. Lee is the first Hmong American athlete to ever compete in the Olympics and the first Asian American to win the gold in the Olympics' all-around competition. "It feels super crazy, I definitely didn't think I'd be here in this moment with the gold medal," Lee said after her win. "I'm just super proud of myself for making it here because there was a point in time when I wanted to quit."

Read the whole story at Upworthy.

6. An Israeli woman donated a kidney to a Gaza boy

Harel Segal, a kindergarten teacher from northern Israel, donated her kidney to a three-year-old Palestinian boy from the Gaza Strip. She hopes her choice will inspire others to be more humane in a land of perpetual conflict.

7. Two big ships from British Columbia launched an expedition to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

The three-month-long, multimillion-dollar venture will test a new system to trap ocean plastics and load them onto vessels. If the system works, the plan is to build bigger versions for larger-scale cleanups.

8. Tunisian teen swimmer shocks with surprise gold, and his family's reaction is everything

Ahmed Hafnaoui had the swim of his life at just the right time on Sunday. After eeking into the men's 400-meter medal race in last place out of the eight finalists, the 18-year-old swimmer from Tunisia shocked everyone by taking home the gold in the event at the Tokyo Olympics.

9. Hundreds of 'tiny homes' have been built to help provide shelter for struggling Los Angeles residents

Los Angeles is the latest city to experiment with micro-homes to provide secure accommodations for unhoused people while they get back on their feet. The colorful homes of the Alexandria Park Tiny Home Village are capable of housing 200 residents in 103 one- or two-person units.

10. California Congressman introduces legislation for a four-day workweek

Citing pilot programs that have yielded positive results, Democratic Congressman Mark Takano introduced legislation on Wednesday that would reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours.

A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

Keep ReadingShow less

An English doctor named Edward Jenner took incredible risks to try to rid his world of smallpox. Because of his efforts and the efforts of scientists like him, the only thing between deadly diseases like the ones below and extinction are people who refuse to vaccinate their kids. Don't be that parent.

Unfortunately, because of the misinformation from the anti-vaccination movement, some of these diseases have trended up in a really bad way over the past several years.

Keep ReadingShow less

A woman looking at her phone while sitting on the toilet.


One of the most popular health trends over the last few years has been staying as hydrated as possible, evidenced by the massive popularity of 40-oz Stanely Quencher cups. The theory among those who obsess over hydration is that, when you pee clear, you’ve removed all the waste in your body and are enjoying the incredible benefits of being 100% hydrated. Congratulations.

However, according to Dr. Sermed Mezher, an NHS doctor in the UK, peeing clear isn’t always a sign of being healthy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Innovation

A student accidentally created a rechargeable battery that could last 400 years

"This thing has been cycling 10,000 cycles and it’s still going." ⚡️⚡️

There's an old saying that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.

There's no better example of that than a 2016 discovery at the University of California, Irvine, by doctoral student Mya Le Thai. After playing around in the lab, she made a discovery that could lead to a rechargeable battery that could last up to 400 years. That means longer-lasting laptops and smartphones and fewer lithium ion batteries piling up in landfills.

Keep ReadingShow less
via PamTina_/Twitter

Pam's little brother is so sweet.

Pam has a little brother, who recently learned that he is actually her half-brother.

Of course, half-siblings are still very much siblings, but Pam's brother doesn't quite grasp the concept yet and seems upset about having to part with 50% of his sister.

Keep ReadingShow less

Jennifer Garner's Ziploc care package.

Homelessness has been on the increase in America since 2016 and the numbers exploded in 2020. On a single night in January 2020, there were more than 580,000 individuals who were without a home.

There are many reasons for the increase in homelessness and one of the leading causes is a lack of affordable housing across the country. Housing prices have been on a steady increase and, according to PBS, we are about 7 million units short of affordable housing in the country.

So what can the average person do about this human tragedy taking place in America’s streets? Some people who would like to help don’t feel comfortable giving money to homeless people, although experts in the field say that most of the time it is OK.

Keep ReadingShow less