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A submarine just took humans deeper into the ocean than ever before. And what did we find there? Trash.

A submarine just took humans deeper into the ocean than ever before. And what did we find there? Trash.

Victor Vescovo isn’t your average businessman. Instead of spending his out-of-office time golfing or playing tennis, the 53-year-old retired naval officer enjoys descending to the lowest points in the ocean in his submarine, DSV Limiting Factor, searching for undiscovered species and collecting samples. I mean, who doesn’t, right?

During his four-hour May 1st expedition (in which he broke “Titanic” director James Cameron’s 2012 record for the deepest solo dive in history) he plunged 6.8 miles down into an oceanic region known as the Mariana Trench.

When he was exploring the terrain, however, he noticed something unusual among the shrimp-like amphopods and sea cucumber-looking “sea pigs” — angular metal and plastic objects. One even had writing on it. The ocean floor was littered with garbage. He even found candy wrappers down there, according to CNN.

“It was very disappointing to see obvious human contamination of the deepest point in the ocean,” Vescovo told Reuters.

Scientists plan to test the specimens collected on the expedition to see if they contain microplastics, which generally come from either large pieces of plastic that biodegrade or from microbeads, super tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic.

Vescovo hopes his discovery will raise awareness about dumping in the ocean as well as put some pressure on governments to tighten regulations.

“It’s not a big garbage collection pool, even though it’s treated as such,” Vescovo said about the ocean.

Obviously, plastic in the ocean is a huge problem, and the fact that we’re finding pieces of it at the ocean’s deepest points means it’s getting worse. But there are things you can do to help stop it.

According to the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy, there are five easy ways you can help keep our oceans trash free. They include properly recycling plastics, drinking water in a reusable bottle instead of disposable plastic bottles, volunteering for coastal cleanups, engaging in green boating practices and making sure your cigarette butts end up in an ashtray and not on the street.

We all need to be more mindful about our trash — especially we’re near large bodies of water, like oceans. So if you are taking a seaside stroll this summer and notice trash on the shoreline, pick it up and toss in a proper waste receptacle. If you don’t, there’s a chance pieces of it could end up in someone’s seafood dinner, maybe even your own.

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Woman's rare antique turned away from 'Antique Roadshow' for heart-wrenching reason

"I just love you for bringing it in and thank you so much for making me so sad."

Photos by Murat Rahim Caglak and Antoni Shkraba via Canva

Woman's antique turned away from 'Antique Roadshow'

People come by things in all sorts of ways. Sometimes you find something while at a garage sale and sometimes it's because a family member passed away and it was left to them. After coming into possession of the item, the owner may be tempted to see how much it's worth so it can be documented for insurance purposes or sold.

On a recent episode of BBC One's Antique Roadshow, a woman brought an ivory bracelet to be appraised. Interestingly enough, the expert didn't meet this rare find with excitement, but appeared somber. The antique expert, Ronnie Archer-Morgan carefully explains the purpose of the bracelet in what appears to be a tense emotional exchange.

There would be no appraisal of this antique ivory bracelet adorned with beautiful script around the circumference. Archer-Morgan gives a brief disclaimer that he and the Antique Roadshow disapprove of the trade of ivory, though that was not his reason for refusing the ivory bangle.

"This ivory bangle here is not about trading in ivory, it’s about trading in human life, and it’s probably one of the most difficult things that I’ve ever had to talk about. But talk about it we must," Archer-Morgan says.

Ronnie Archer-Morgan, Antiques Roadshow, BBC, antiques, ivoryRonnie Archer-Morgan on an episode of the BBC's Antiques RoadshowImage via Antqiues Roadshow


Turns out the woman had no idea what she had in her possession as she purchased it from an estate sale over 30 years before. One of the elderly residents she cared for passed away and the woman found the ivory bracelet among the things being sold. Finding the bangle particularly intriguing with the fancy inscription around it, she decided to purchase the unique piece of jewelry.

After explaining that his great-grandmother was once enslaved in Nova Scotia, Canada before being returned to Sierra Leone, Archer-Morgan concluded he could not price the item.

Antiques Roadshow, BBC, Ronnie Archer MorganRonnie Archer-Morgan holds the ivory bracelet he refused to valueImage via Antiques Roadshow/BBC

"I just don’t want to value it. I do not want to put a price on something that signifies such an awful business. But the value is in the lessons that this can tell people," he tells the woman.

In the end the woman leaves without knowing the monetary value of the item but with a wealth of knowledge she didn't have before visiting. Now she can continue to share the significance of the antique with others. Watch the full explanation below:


- YouTubewww.youtube.com

This article originally appeared last year.

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Joy

Mom has to decode toddler speak for her husband in a hilarious round of texts

An all too relatable parenting moment.

Photo credit: Canva, @amberlieh/TikTok

You'll never get "nanna toe" out of your head.

Being a parent means wearing many hats—that of a personal chef, live entertainer, chauffeur, therapist…and it looks like we can even add interpreter to that list.

In an all-too-relatable video posted to her TikTok, a mom named Amberlie Allen shared a series of recent texts she received from her husband, where she was asked to decode the head scratching requests their toddler was making.

Can’t really blame dad for being stumped on some of these. For example, the first request: “nanna toe,” which apparently means “banana toast.”

But it’s not even banana toast really, as Allen texted that it’s actually “Ritz crackers with peanut butter and banana slices on top.” There’s even an additional caveat to this—their kiddo will eat only the banana slices of said Ritz cracker, then need those small crackers to be replenished by more banana slices. Talk about a specific order.

banana slices and peanut butter beside a dish of peanut butterSounds like a complicated snacktimePhoto credit: Canva

But wait, there’s more. This one is even more puzzling. When dad asked what their son would like to watch, he replied “1 2 3 4.” Huh?!

Allen replied that he probably wanted to watch Toy Story, and just couldn't “decide which one.” Honestly that’s some next level translation.

gif of Woody and Buzz from Toy StoryMom is translating with style. media2.giphy.com

Lastly, Allen’s husband wrote, “‘I think he’s where horn go.’ What does that mean?”

Using her sleuthing skills, Allen asked if they were watching "monster trucks." When she got the confirmation, she explained that he must be wanting the monster truck with a special horn, which was located in her bedside table. Moms are truly magical.

@amberlieh Texts I get from my husband. #toddlertranslator #toddlertalk#translate #mom #fyp #toddlermom ♬ original sound - Maggie Winters

Down in the comments, so many shared their own similar experiences, particularly when it comes to movies and other bits of pop culture.

“The other day I had to decipher that ‘Judy and the Cops’ meant Zootopia.”

“My husband called me one morning and screamed ‘She wants zombie Taylor Swift? What does that even mean?’ I told him she meant the ‘Look what You Made Me Do’ music video.”

“I once nannied for a girl that wanted to watch ‘bleh bleh bleh’…it was Hotel Transylvania.”

gif from Hotel TransylvaniaDrac does say, "Bleh bleh bleh."media3.giphy.com

“Mine asks for ‘bud light’ aka Toy Story (Buzz Lightyear)”

Interestingly enough, the science suggests that parents are hardwired to understand what their toddler is communicating, even if it makes no logical sense. This intuition develops through consistent interaction and observation, which is why Allen, and many moms in general, might be a bit more attuned. After all, they’ve been interpreting their child since its first cry.

That’s not to say dads and secondary caregivers can’t become fluent in baby speak—like most things, it just takes practice. And you know that this dad is never, ever going to forget how to make the perfect “nanna toe” after learning what it means. So, let’s hear it both for the parents who decode, and the parents doing their best to figure out what all the gibberish means.

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Heroes

Nazis demanded to know if ‘The Hobbit’ author J.R.R. Tolkien was Jewish. His response was legendary.

J.R.R. Tolkien had no problem telling his German publishing house exactly what he thought.

J.R.R. Tolkien by Public Domain/ Wikimedia Commons Joseph Goebbels by Vitold Muratov/Wikimedia Commons

J.R.R. Tolkien didn't mince words when asked his opinion on Nazis

In 1933, Adolf Hitler handed the power of Jewish cultural life in Nazi Germany to his chief propagandist, Joseph Goebbels. Goebbels established a team of of regulators that would oversee the works of Jewish artists in film, theater, music, fine arts, literature, broadcasting, and the press.

Goebbels' new regulations essentially eliminated Jewish people from participating in mainstream German cultural activities by requiring them to have a license to do so.

This attempt by the Nazis to purge Germany of any culture that wasn't Aryan in origin led to the questioning of artists from outside the country.

J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, Nazi, Nazis, book burning, censorship, The HobbitA Nazi book burning in GermanyImage via Wikicommons

In 1938, English author J. R. R. Tolkien and his British publisher, Stanley Unwin, opened talks with Rütten & Loening, a Berlin-based publishing house, about a German translation of his recently-published hit novel, "The Hobbit."

Privately, according to "1937 The Hobbit or There and Back Again," Tolkien told Unwin he hated Nazi "race-doctrine" as "wholly pernicious and unscientific." He added he had many Jewish friends and was considering abandoning the idea of a German translation altogether.

lord of the rings hobbits GIFGiphy

The Berlin-based publishing house sent Tolkien a letter asking for proof of his Aryan descent. Tolkien was incensed by the request and gave his publisher two responses, one in which he sidestepped the question, another in which he handled in '30s-style with pure class.

In the letter sent to Rütten & Loening, Tolkien notes that Aryans are of Indo-Iranian "extraction," correcting the incorrect Nazi aumption that Aryans come from northern Europe. He cuts to the chase by saying that he is not Jewish but holds them in high regard. "I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people," Tolkien wrote.

Tolkien also takes a shot at the race policies of Nazi Germany by saying he's beginning to regret his German surname. "The time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride," he writes.

Bryan Cranston Mic Drop GIFGiphy

Here's the letter sent to Rütten & Loening:

25 July 1938 20 Northmoor Road, Oxford
Dear Sirs,

Thank you for your letter. I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people.

My great-great-grandfather came to England in the eighteenth century from Germany: the main part of my descent is therefore purely English, and I am an English subject — which should be sufficient. I have been accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, and continued to do so throughout the period of the late regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I cannot, however, forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride.

Your enquiry is doubtless made in order to comply with the laws of your own country, but that this should be held to apply to the subjects of another state would be improper, even if it had (as it has not) any bearing whatsoever on the merits of my work or its sustainability for publication, of which you appear to have satisfied yourselves without reference to my Abstammung.
I trust you will find this reply satisfactory, and
remain yours faithfully,

J. R. R. Tolkien



J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Nazis, Nazi, Germany The letter J.R.R. Tolkien wrote to his German publishersImage via Letters of Note

This article originally appeared four years ago.

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Pop Culture

Brash New Yorker stirs debate by claiming those who brag about travelling are secretly miserable

We all have these people in our Instagram feeds.

via Canva/Photos

Wherever you go, there you are.

Do you have a friend on your Instagram or Facebook feed who always seems to be traveling? At some point, has their obsessive need to travel ever made you feel suspicious about whether they are doing it to enjoy themselves or just to make people envious on their social media feeds? Have you questioned why they feel the chronic need to get away?

Berg, a TikTok user in New York, has wondered the same thing. But instead of silently thinking it to himself while scrolling through Instagram, he posted about it on TikTok and received a big backlash. In a post from November 2024, he made a bold statement: People who travel too much probably hate their lives.

"I get annoyed by people who brag about traveling a ton," he said in the video, which has over 640,000 views. "Traveling is great, going on trips is great, everyone should explore, but if you are going on like five trips a year then maybe you just hate your life, maybe you just hate your hometown, maybe you just don't know how to have fun or feel important without going to places that other people deem interesting. I don't think there's anything cool about that.”

@cberg24

People who travel too much probably hate their life #travel #life

Berg then speculated that those who constantly travel should focus more on improving their lives at home. "If you can't spend a month in the place that you live without losing your mind, then maybe you shouldn't live there. If you can afford all these trips and you're literally doing it because you need a break from your hometown that often, then move," he said.

Many people in the comments accused Berg of being jealous because, for whatever reason, he isn't out there enjoying the good life.

"Projection will put a spotlight on your insecurities every time, bro. Go on, get a robinhood account, get better at saving, and plan a vacation," one commenter wrote.

"Or… there’s a whole world out there full of different cultures and history that they want to experience???" another added.

"Jealousy is jealousy," a commenter wrote.

Two women taking a selfie on vacationCould Berg be onto something or is he just bitter?via Canva/Photos

However, some people agree that Berg has a valid point. "People aren't getting it. It's escapism, it's avoidant. It's an addiction like any other," one of his most popular supporters wrote.

"They’re eating you up in the comments but I actually think there’s some truth to your point," another added.

"I agree with this! It’s escapism—they’re uncomfortable sitting in the familiar," a commenter affirmed.

Do younger people travel just to post photos online?

While it’s hard to know if people who travel a lot are happy, there is evidence that social media plays a big role in people’s travel decisions, especially with the younger generations. A study by Travel Pulse found that 21% of people aged 22 to 37 stated that their primary reason for travel was to get photos for their social media page. A whopping 61% said they would not travel to a destination if they could not take pictures and post them online. Another study published by PR Newswire found that 36% of millennial-aged travelers confessed to posting misleading information to make their travel look glamorous, and 65% said it was to make friends and family jealous.

Ultimately, people travel for a wide variety of reasons, so it’s wrong to paint them all with the same brush. However, one thing is clear: social media has changed why people travel. So, the next time your frequent flyer friend posts another snap of their latest trip, it’s fair to ask: Are they doing this out of a thirst for adventure or attention?

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Love Stories

Woman discovers her grandpa meticulously documented every date with his wife for over 60 years

He wanted to remember every detail of their incredible love story.

Canva Photos

Bring back yearning!

Is romance a lost art? Some might say it is. Many people find dating apps to be an impersonal nightmare, and meeting up in-person is not always much better. Still, love connections do happen every day despite the odds! But is there courtship? Is there chivalry? Has everything gone to complete hell since the invention of social media?

Some experts say that romance isn't dead, just different, and that's a good way of looking at it. But there's definitely something nostalgic about the old-fashioned ways of our parents and grandparents. When you met each other in real life, dated properly, took each other to a sock hop, and couldn't instantly go find someone else the second you got bored.

One woman recently shared a fascinating and nostalgic document she received from her grandpa: He had documented every single date with his wife for over 60 years.

people on a date in the 60sIf he wanted to, he would. Giphy

The caption, shared by the granddaughter, Kayla, read: "When girls can barely get a good morning text but my grandpa documented every memory and date he ever had w my grandma for 60 years."

What follows is an extremely well-organized log of every date or key memory between the pair. A couple of things stand out from the early years of Jim and Kay's love story:

  • The title of the document is "The Beginning of a Wonderful Relationship." Pure romance.
  • They met on December 5, 1969 at a collegiate dance.
  • They hung out A LOT in the early days. In the first month of dating, they went on around 15 dates!
  • Jim refers to himself in the document as "Jim," which took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out. I kept wondering, who's this Jim guy?!
  • There are no NSFW details—that's not how that generation rolls — but you can read between the lines. "Kay came over to Jim's place before she went to work." Alright, I see you, Grandpa and Grandma.
  • It is pages and pages and pages long. No memory was too minute to leave out. In the video, just the year 1970 goes on for over five pages.
  • In June of 1970, Jim proposes, and the story is pure gold:

"Jim picked up Kay after work and went to the 'Den of Times' for drinks. There, Jim proposed to Kay asking if she 'wanted to marry him.' She said she had 'wanted' to marry him for some time but that he needed to ask another question. When he said 'will you marry me? she accepted!"

Watch Kayla's touching video here:


@kaylastipsits1

my grandma is one lucky gal #fyp #foryou #dating #love #relationship #stl #silversprings #stlouis #missouri

Commenters swooned, sobbed, and in some cases, were super jealous of the love on display in this document.

Over 8 million people have viewed the video on TikTok and we're all in agreement: The bar has been raised.

"may this love ATTACK me," wrote one user.

"Now I'm mad at my husband"

“Made spaghetti, went grocery shopping” SOBBING

"MAY THIS LOVE FIND ME"

"They just don’t make them like this anymore"

"We get caught up in so many modern day dating rules….'don’t make yourself too available'. Notice how they spent almost every day together immediately after meeting for the first time [When you know you know]"

The most beautiful part of the journal, to me, is the pure mundanity of it. So many dates involved them going shopping for groceries, cooking dinner at home, or watching TV. The fact that it was all done together over the course of many decades, and Jim considered every instance worthy of writing down, speaks volumes about their love.

Reading through what's visible of the document, I didn't see any instances of "picnic in a rowboat on a lake at sunset" or "candlelit dinner at the top of a skyscraper." It's just all so normal and ordinary. And I think it paints an amazing picture of what love really is: Finding a person to live life with.

I'd love to see how the pages of this journal evolved over the decades. In any case, not only is this journal an amazing testament to true love, it's an incredible thing for Kayla to inherit. It's the entire story of her Grandpa and Grandma, from the very beginning, without a single detail left out. And it's a good blueprint for her to keep if and when she tries to find her own life partner.

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