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Science

Health experts created a patch that can repair damaged hearts

German scientists found a way to fix a broken heart—literally

Two hands holding up a human heart sticker
Photo credit: Canva

A new patch made of human cells could help repair damage from heart failure.

Scientists at the University Medical Center Göttingen in Germany have found a way to mend hearts. Not the metaphorical version, but literal flesh-and-blood hearts! Through cell manipulation they have successfully tested a patch that can strengthen heart tissue for those with heart disease and advanced heart failure.

“We now have, for the first time, a laboratory grown biological transplant available, which has the potential to stabilize and strengthen the heart muscle,” said co-author of the study, Prof. Ingo Kutschka to The Guardian.

In this study, the researchers took blood cells from a donor and “reprogrammed” them into mimicking stem cells. This allowed those cells to further change into heart muscle cells and connective tissue cells. After combining these cells with collagen, the scientists were able to create a graftable patch that could be implanted onto a damaged area of the heart to increase its strength. In fact, the completed heart muscle patches have the characteristics of a heart that is only four to eight years old.

Doctor checking a person's heart with a stethoscopeThese patches could help many people with heart problems.Photo credit: Canva

The reason for this experiment was two-fold. First, it was done to explore other health care options for people who need a donated heart, which is typically a very long waitlist. Secondly, because previous methods of injecting heart muscle cells into the heart have led to patients experiencing tumors or an irregular heartbeat, both of which could be fatal.

Initial trials of this heart patch have been promising. After successful trials with macaque monkeys, the researchers approached a 46-year-old woman with advanced heart failure to treat her with patches made with human cells after a minimally invasive procedure. Three months afterward, the patient received a transplant and the scientists were able to study her discarded heart that they had patched to see how effective their treatment was. They found that not only did the patches survive but they had developed their own blood supply.

While this is definitely great news for heart patients, there still needs to be further testing. As of now, it takes three to six months for these patches to fully benefit the patient, meaning that transplants would be prioritized for patients that urgently need a new heart. However, fifteen patients have been approved for the procedure and are currently being monitored with their new heart patches.

Surgeons with a box that says "Human Organ for Transplant"While this heart patch is an option, it cannot fully replace human heart transplants.Photo credit: Canva

While advances in heart medicine are great news overall, further research is needed to make sure this and other advances are viable in the long term. In the meantime, it’s best for everyone to take steps to ensure maximum heart health. This may sound like an afterschool special or a basic lesson in health class, but according to American Heart Association nearly half of American adults have a cardiovascular issue, so it might be good to have a refresher.

Woman checking her heart rate outside.Running and other cardiovascular exercise helps keep your heart rate up and helps keep your heart healthy.Photo credit: Canva

Make sure your diet is rich with heart-healthy foods like vegetables and fish, with little to no added fat, sugar, or salt. Exercise at least 150 minutes per week to keep your heart rate strong. Visit your doctor with regular check-ups to keep track of your overall health, so you can both create a treatment plan if something comes up.

Over time, more and more medical breakthroughs will occur, but it’ll be better to do what you can to ensure you’ll be around to see them.

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Dad's heartfelt lunch message shows how simple, everyday acts can change lives

You can make a huge difference by using O Organics.

via Meg Sullivan (used with permission) and Canva/Photos

A volunteer hands out food in a food bank and Meg Sullivan shares her dad's kind gesture.

When we consider people who have had a positive impact on the world, we often think of those who have made grand gestures to improve the lives of others, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Greta Thunberg, or Mahatma Gandhi. Unfortunately, that type of effort is out of reach for the average person.

However, O Organics would like to remind everyone that they can positively impact the world through small, consistent acts of kindness that add up over time. Much like how a small creek can create a valley over the years, we can change lives through small, consistent acts of kindness.

O Organics is dedicated to the well-being of all by nourishing people everywhere with delicious organic foods grown by producers who meet USDA-certified organic farming standards.

Upworthy's Instagram page recently posted a touching example of everyday kindness. Meg Sullivan shared how her father, Tom, peeled oranges for her lunch just about every day from kindergarten through high school. But on the final day of her senior year of high school, he sent his 17-year-old daughter unpeeled oranges with a touching note about how she’d have to start peeling them for herself.



“It’s Time Baby Girl,” he wrote on a wikiHow printout on how to peel an orange with a drawing of himself crying. For the father, this daily ritual was about more than just making lunch; it was about showing that he cared by going the extra mile. “I could have put money on her lunch account,” Tom told Today.com. “But it’s one of those little things I thought was important, that she knows somebody’s taking the time to take care of her.”

The small, daily gesture taught Megan an essential lesson in kindness.

The post reminded people how their fathers’ small acts of kindness meant so much to them. “My dad peeled my oranges until I graduated high school, too. Now, I peel my daughter’s oranges and will for the next 7 plus years,” Katie wrote in the comments. “Love this. My dad peeled mine, too. When I moved out, he gave me an orange peeler gadget,” Mary added.

o organics, albertson's giving backO Organics has a wide array of foods and flavors covering almost everything on your shopping list.via Albertson's

Did you know that every time you go to the supermarket, you can also change the world through small gestures? O Organics not only allows you to feed your family delicious and nutritious organic food, but each purchase also gives back to help people and communities facing food insecurity.

Through contributions from customers like you, O Organics donates up to 28 million meals annually. The company’s contribution is essential when, according to the USDA, 47.4 million Americans live in food-insecure households.

O Organics has a wide array of foods and flavors covering almost everything on your shopping list. “Over the years, we have made organic foods more accessible by expanding O Organics to every aisle across our stores, making it possible for health and budget-conscious families to incorporate organic food into every meal,” Jennifer Saenz, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at Albertsons, one of many stores where you can find O Organics products, said in a statement.

O Organics now offers over 1500 items, from dairy products such as eggs and milk to packaged meats and breakfast staples such as cereal bars, granola and oatmeal. You can also enjoy affordable organic produce with O Organics’ fresh salads and fruit.

Everybody wants to make the world a better place. With O Organics, you can feed your family healthy, organic food every time you go to the market while paying it forward by contributing to the company’s efforts to end food insecurity nationwide. That’s a small, daily gesture that can amount to incredible change.

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Education

Job recruiter is surprised when candidate put 671-day streak for Japanese Duolingo on his resume

Clever idea? Or just resume fluff?

@bllshfrv/Reddit, Wikipedia

Nearly two years of learning a language…something's had to have stuck.

In the age of algorithms and keywords and incredibly steep competition, people have to be more strategic and creative than ever to secure a good job. Especially when it comes to drafting a resume that stands out amongst hundreds of others.

Recently, one job recruiter was so impressed by one job seeker’s clever idea of listing their 671-day Duolingo streak—alongside a fluency in English and limited American Sign Language —under the "languages" section in their resume that he decided to share it online.

According to Newsweek, the job recruiter, named Bilal Ashrafov, was pleasantly surprised, and had even considered including something similar on his own resume, “but wasn't sure if it would come across as professional.”

“Seeing someone take that first step made me reflect on its relevance,” he said, noting that “a long-standing Duolingo streak can demonstrate dedication and continuous learning,” even if the popular app only requires a minute of practice a day.

After sharing the resume onto Reddit, others seemed to agree, and commended the potential employee for their innovative approach.

Someone sent a resume with their Duolingo streak under ‘Languages’
byu/bllshrfv induolingo

"Imagine explaining that in an interview—'I'm not just consistent, I'm Duolingo consistent!'" one viewer quipped.

Another commented, "If I was hiring, I would definitely interview this person."

Still another said, "It got noticed, didn't it? Sounds like not too bad of an idea."

Considering that there are a few ways folks can keep their Duolingo streak intact without truly getting proficient in a language, like continuing to purchase streak freezes, this idea might never take on as the new resume must-have. But, on a much broader scale, this story highlights the need to bring a bit of ourselves to our resumes. As the concept of portfolio careers, or a career that includes multiple income streams, rather than a single job title, becomes more and more mainstream, we’ve seen people find great success in listing what they uniquely bring to the table, professional or otherwise.

When it comes to adding resume items that pop, and offer a true reflection for who you really are, think about including:

Soft skills:

These are personal qualities that describe how you work and interact with others, such as conflict resolution or time management, and they are not only gaining importance across the workforce, but are highly transferable across different types of work.

Personal projects:

Whether you got paid for these isn’t paramount here. If you led a community initiative your passionate about, or even have a long-standing blog about something that interests you, this could be included.

Technical skills beyond the job description:

Do you have a proficiency in certain programs, like coding languages, data visualization, project management, etc? Even if a job doesn’t specifically ask for these skills, they could be helpful additions.

Creative or unique hobbies:

You never know what interesting conversations your oddball pastime might inspire, if anything else. So don’t be embarrassed if you’re a wiz a Photoshopping old-timey puppy portraits or engage in recreating Scandinavian folk tunes with GarageBand.

Community involvement:

This can be your volunteering roles, and mentorship programs you might have participated in, or even charities you have close ties to.

Academic achievements:

Include relevant published research papers or presentations, and awards or honors you received during your studies, or any significant contributions you might have made to a research project

These are just a few suggestions to get you started. Include a few, or perhaps your own impressive Duolingo streak, or something else. Just remember, sometimes it pays to think outside the box.

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Identity

Here's the one fact that's scientifically proven to make racists more tolerant

Shining the light on our shared humanity can change people's hearts.

via Geoff Livingston/Flickr

A white supremacist group marching in Washington, D.C.

Imagine how wonderful the world would be if we could enter the minds of those who harbor racist attitudes and magically make them more tolerant. An interesting study out of New Zealand, published in 2024 in The European Journal of Social Psychology, may have found the trick to do just that. A new research paper says that you can change people’s attitudes by showing how similar they are to the people they are prejudiced against.

The researchers wanted to learn more about changing people’s prejudiced ideas due to the rise in populist nationalism worldwide, especially in the developed world. “What you’re seeing is parties who are pushing back against the last 20 years of European history, against the Green New Deal, against globalization,” Mabel Berezin, the Distinguished Professor of Arts & Sciences in Sociology (A&S) and director of the Institute for European Studies, said. “They want to reinvent the post-war period.” These nationalist sentiments have created exclusionary politics where minority groups and immigrants have come under fire.

genome, genetics, human genome projectA human gene.via Canva/Photos

How genetically similar are humans?

Going into the experiment, the researchers noted that the average person believes that races share about 68% of the same genes. This leads some to think their differences are primarily genetic, which they can use to rationalize their intolerance. However, the truth couldn’t be more different. According to the Human Genome Project, all humans, regardless of their ethnic background, share 99.9% of the same genetic makeup. The researchers believed that if people were better educated on how similar they are to one another, they’d be a lot less likely to be biased against them.

How do you change people’s racist beliefs?

The researchers took two different groups of people and tested their attitudes toward race and ethnicity before showing them one of two videos. The first was an 11-minute video by the Human Genome Project about how humans are remarkably genetically similar. The other group watched a video about how learning music affects a child’s brain.

couple, love, beachA couple walking down the beachvia Canva/Photos

The results across all tests found that those who watched the 11-minute video on genetic similarities significantly improved their attitudes toward people from other countries. The research shows that many are less likely to see people as different when they are educated about their similarities. This is especially true if they hold to the incorrect belief that other races share only 68% of the same genetic makeup.

This study isn’t going to improve race relations overnight, but in a world where it can be difficult for people to move on from incorrect beliefs, it provides a solid playbook for challenging prejudice. The researchers hope their results can also help people change how intolerant people view those in an outgroup for reasons beyond race. Can pointing out our collective genetic similarities shift their biased views on those with a different religion, political philosophy, or sexual orientation? The good news is that there is hope that with a little bit of education, we can change the minds and soften the hearts of those who have racist beliefs.

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Mom shares how her first grader's homework on the second day of school broke his spirit

"It's breaking their spirit and it robs them of what little fun and family time they have when they come home after a long day of school."

Photo credit: Cassi Nelson/Facebook

How much homework is too much homework?

Debates about homework are nothing new, but the ability of parents to find support for homework woes from thousands of other parents is a fairly recent phenomenon. A mom named Cassi Nelson shared a post about her first grader's homework and it quickly went viral. Nelson shared that her son had come home from his second day of school with four pages of homework, which she showed him tearfully working on at their kitchen counter.

"He already doesn’t get home from school until 4pm," she wrote. "Then he had to sit still for another hour plus to complete more work. I had to clear out the kitchen so he could focus. His little legs kept bouncing up and down, he was bursting with so much energy just wanting to go play. Then he broke my heart when he looked up at me with his big teary doe eyes and asked…. 'Mommy when you were little did you get distracted a lot too?!' Yes sweet baby, mommy sure did too! I don’t know how ppl expect little children to sit at school all day long and then ALSO come home to sit and do MORE work too…."

Nelson tells Upworthy that she was "shocked" that kindergarteners and first graders have homework, much less the amount they were expected to do. "We didn't have homework like this when we were in these younger grades."

Expert opinion and research is somewhat mixed on the homework front, but there isn't any conclusive evidence that homework is universally beneficial for students and too much homework can actually be harmful. As a standard, the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA) support a limit on homework of “10 minutes of homework per grade level."

With that as a guide, a first grader shouldn't have more than 10 minutes of homework on any given school day, but it's not unusual for young kids to have two or three times the recommended limit of homework. That can be stressful for both kids and parents, cutting into valuable family time and limiting kids' time to decompress, play and freely engage in imaginative activity.

As Nelson concluded, "It’s breaking their spirit and it robs them of what little fun and family time they have when they come home after a long day of school."

Most parents and even most teachers in the comments agreed with her that four pages of homework is too much for a first grader, especially on only the second day of school:

"Poor little man. Children below a certain grade should not be given homework! Small children have a hard time sitting still for a long period of time yet alone expected to sit and do hours of homework, for what??? They are SMALL CHILDREN! Let them snack, play, laugh and all the other fun things when they get home. You are only a child once, they don't need that taken away from them. Let them embrace their inner creativity, imagination, recipes, etc."

"This breaks my spirit. Our schools are huge scams. You're exactly right Cassi. Homework is ridiculous. Kids til the age of 10 primarily learn through real life situations and play scenarios."

"I hate that for him! My little one has ADHD and doing homework after sitting in class all day is very stressful to him and makes him hate school. They are in school for 7 hours they shouldn’t have homework. That definitely takes away any kind of family time and that’s why kids never spend time with parents anymore because they have all this homework to do after being gone all day.I feel that if it can’t be done in the 7 hours they have the kids then it should wait until the next school day."

"I don’t make them do homework at home when they are that little. It’s not fair!They are at school allllll day! And it’s already sooooo much for their little bodies and brains! I’ve never had a teacher upset about it either.. and even if I did oh well!"

"That breaks my heart. 4 pages is absolutely ridiculous for young kids. My daughter is going into 2nd grade next month, the 2 years in school it was always 1 page of homework sometimes back and front if it was math. And to read."

This article originally appeared in August "I was in this boat with my son…conversation with the principal and teachers helped dramatically!! It’s too much and we have to advocate for them."

Nelson was blown away by the response to her post, which has been shared on Facebook over 89,000 times. "I NEVER thought me sharing my thoughts openly about how my heart hurt watching my little guy struggle would connect to so many others worldwide going through the same thing," she says.

Many parents shared that excessive homework is one of the reasons they decided to homeschool their children, which Nelson took to heart. The week after sharing her viral homework post, she shared that they had had their first day of homeschooling. It was "A HUGE SUCCESS!!!!" she wrote, with her son getting far more work done in a far shorter amount of time, sitting for classes for just 1 hour and 45 minutes total.

Nelson tells Upworthy she was totally intimidated to try homeschooling. "I seriously thought there was no way," she says. "But I knew I had to set my fear aside and just take the leap for my kids. I told myself I'd figure it out one way or another. And here we are three days in and it's been the easiest and best choice I've ever made."

Homeschooling is not going to the right solution for every family, however, so the question of homework remains an important issue for kids, parents, teachers and schools to work out.


This article originally appeared last year.

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Pediatrician shares hilarious video of dads reading instructions from their wives on kids' symptoms

"We give them fist bumps. Dad, we've got this!"

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
a man holding a baby in his arms

This time of year, the pediatrician is a parent's best friend. Moms and dads are making *frequent* trips with their sick kids. So when the usual 'parent on duty' (which according to Pew Research Center, is more commonly mom) delegates the trip to dad, it can lead to an amazing feat of teamwork–thanks to meticulous and thorough instructions and notes she prepares for her spouse on their kid's symptoms meant to be shared with the doctor. Dr. Greg GulbransenGreg Gulbransen, DO, a pediatrician in Oyster Bay, Long Island, shared a hilarious compilation video on Instagram featuring the dads that come to his office strapped with lists, notes and details from their wives to get the best care for their sick kiddos.

"Dear Mothers, have you ever wondered what your husbands look like when they arrive at the pediatrician’s office with your instructions? They read your lists like legal documents, terrified of making mistakes. True confession; SO AM I🤪," Dr. Gulbransen writes in the video's caption.

The video begins with with Dad #1 reading from his phone exact notes from his wife. "Woke up in the middle of the night. Felt warm. Had a headache and stuffy, runny nose." Dad #2 enters the chat: "So he started not feeling well on the 8th. Diagnosed with Mono on the 15th. He had a high fever and sore throat." In another clip, Dad #3 is holding his sick daughter while reading from his phone: "Past couple days has had a fever, congestion, a bad cough and a rattle in her chest." Dad #4 follows suit: "Please tell them that he went to school complaining of small tummy ache." And Dad #5 explains, "She told me 2 o'clock he had a fever...can we still go to Florida?!" And Dad #6 ends the clip with a zinger: "My wife sent me in with a list. If you like I can just send it to you and you can read it," as Dr. Gulbransen jokes, "Just give me this thing", as the dad hands his phone to him.

Dad lifeSick Get Well Soon GIF by All Better Giphy

The interactions are praised by Dr. Gulbransen, who focuses on encouraging the dads who come into his office for stepping up and stepping in to help their families–even if it's with assistance. "So this is particularly true on the weekends when dads do the chores," Dr. Gulbransen explains. "We want them to be happy, so we give them fist bumps and 'Dad, we've got this!' We run all sorts of tests, give them prescriptions. They leave happy, and at the end of the day it's an honor to be a part of the whole thing and it's a privilege to be taking care of your children. So let's hope all we have ahead of us is good health and happiness!"

#1 dadCelebrate Fathers Day GIF by Adventure CommunistGiphy

And Dr. Gulbransen's video garnered an emphatic response from wives. "I have even sent my husband with a list of instructions for when he goes to the doctor for himself! #SooooTrueeeee," one wrote. Another added, "So accurate 😂 Good on these dads!" And another wrote, "lol this is sooo accurate! And if you ask a question that’s not on the list ie:’would you like your child to get cuz vaccine while you’re here?’ Blank stare from dad. Along pause. Then, ‘let me call my wife.’ 😂😂😂" Another viewer noted, "Then mom calls the clinic to clarify after care instructions lol."

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Two brothers Irish jigify Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' and somehow make it even better.

The infamous Drake diss gets the Riverdance treatment

gardinerbrothers/TikTok

You'd have to be living under a rock to not have heard of Kendrick Lamar and, specifically, the hit song "Not Like Us." Not only was the track the biggest song of the summer of 2024, it also won Lamar a ridiculous five Grammy awards (Song of the Year, Best Rap song, Best Rap Performance, Best Music Video, and even Record of the Year). It was also the lethal dagger in one of the biggest rap beefs in recent history, as the song is a "diss track" that ruthlessly eviscerates rival rapper Drake. Finally, Lamar performed the song in the front of the entire world at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, cementing its place in the cultural zeitgeist. You can't really have a discussion about pop culture and goings on in 2025 without mentioning the rap.

Just when you thought there was nothing more that could possibly be said about the song, the famous Gardiner Brothers — world-champion Irish dancers and TikTok mega stars — decided to drop a little Riverdance-remix.

It started as a joke. The brothers posted a video on TikTok mashing up Kendrick Lamar's moves at the Super Bowl with a few of their own. It playfully poked fun at the light and airy music they often dance to, contrasting Lamar's now famous beat with their own heavy-on-the-fiddle jig tunes.

Then a commenter challenged them to dance to "Not Like Us" for real, and the boys did not disappoint.

@gardinerbrothers

Replying to @Codename:estibestie Just missing the flares 😅 👖 #kendricklamar #notlikeus

Viewers were obsessed with the unique mash up of styles. The footwork on display in the video is hypnotizing, with the clicks and clacks perfectly complimenting the beat of the song and Lamar's lyrics.

"Yeesss McKendrick Lamar," a commenter joked.

"Kendrick O'Lamar," said another.

"Brilliant! Kendrik bringing the whole world together."

"Someone has to send these boys some bootcut flares," one user joked, referencing Lamar's attention-grabbing jeans worn during the Super Bowl halftime show.

Others wished the Brothers could have been included in the Super Bowl performance. It would have made an amazing addition! Just imagine how much more confused America's grandparents would have been if Lamar's politically charged performance, suddenly and without warning, cut to an Irish jig.

Michael and Matthew Gardiner are Irish-American brothers from Denver with millions of followers on social media. These days, they live in Galway, Ireland where they choreograph dances, tour the world, and compete in competitive dance competitions in-between filming content. And yes, they have both performed in Riverdance.

Giphy

TikTok and Instagram reels have helped bring so much exposure to artists, particularly ones that work in a visual medium like dance. It has allowed artists who, before, never would have been able to make money with their craft to build an audience and even, in some cases, earn a living. Some people argue that TikTok is having a negative effect on dance, in the sense that routines are designed for the algorithm and for as much distribution as possible versus from a place of pure creativity. But what's really amazing is that the exposure extends far beyond just modern and street dances. Who would have thought that two guys who specialize in Irish stepdancing could have videos with tens of millions of views?!

"Our vision was just to show how modern, athletic, and versatile Irish dancing can be," Matthew told Dance Spirit. "We also drew inspiration from places like Riverdance, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and other dancers online that are in a different genre, like hip hop. We just wanted to keep pushing the boundaries of Irish dance—hold on to the tradition from the past, but innovate it for the future and see where we can take it.

It says a lot about the beauty and skill of Irish dancing that it can be so flexibly applied across music genres, and to such viral appeal. But it also says a lot about the talent of Kendrick Lamar and how people from all walks of life can appreciate his lyricism and artistry. In other words, Kendrick Lamar and Irish dancing is a surprisingly perfect pairing.

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