New species are being discovered at a faster rate than ever, suggests a new study—more than 16,000 every year—and the trend shows no sign of slowing. Scientists are predicting that the biodiversity among some groups, such as plants, fungi, arachnids, fish, and amphibians, is richer than previously believed. Around 300 years ago, Swedish naturalist Carl […] The post New Species Being Discovered Faster Than Ever – At a Rate of Over 16,000 a Year appeared first on Good News Network.

From New Zealand comes the story of a public art project in disguise—as official-looking signs with bizarre declarations. One warns that an abandoned building is “slightly haunted,” while another one cheekily announces a walking speed limit of 2.83 kmh. Another simply reads “Don’t.” Despite borrowing the font and color palate of official Christchurch signage, the […] The post ‘This Area is Slightly Haunted but Manageable’: New Signs Look Official But They’re Public Art Designed to Delight appeared first on Good News Network.

There are truths in life that are hard to put into words, which is why we have poetry. A good poem can tap into human experiences and feelings in a way that touches us in ways prose simply can't, and when a poem resonates, it hits hard. Self-decribed "young aspiring poet" Joshua De Shutter shared a poem on Instagram that has gone viral for its simple yet profound message. With the text "If you could be friends with every year of your life" over the start of the video, De Shutter recites a spoken word poem about a dinner party with every version of himself so far. See on Instagram "I had dinner with myself 21 times last night," he begins. "They all showed up, each year of my life. Fifteen came in naive, stuck in his own head. One and two were at the end of the table, taking turns being fed by 16, who's a little distracted trying to fit in. Eleven wouldn't stop talking about how he wanted to be a policeman. Seven was soft and gentle, kind of in the corner alone. Nineteen didn't want to be there and thought about going home…"As the poem goes on, each age gets a brief description and shout out. "Because most people don't have any friends, and I have 21," he says. "Each of them who know everything that I've done, walk when I walk, run when I run. They've gone to all of the places I've gone, and none of them could relate to each other. They were different. They had nothing in common. All they knew was me. But they loved each other as the stories went around, and then five looked at me and said he was proud. That's when I really kinda started to break down, so I stood on my chair, glass in the air, I said guys I can't thank you enough for bringing me here. Both the years that made me happy and the years that showed I'm human…" People are moved by Joshua De Shutter's poetry.Photo credit: CanvaThe entire poem is worth a listen, as the outpouring of thousands of comments from people of all ages attests:"This is a very unique way to express your years. You are a pleasure to listen to. ?""'5 looked at me and said he was proud' ? This one broke me…– Man with 38 friends.""My birthday was yesterday and I had dinner with myself 27 times. Now I’m uncontrollably sobbing in bed ?""Realizing I should have been gentler on so many of my 47 friends ??""Thinking about having dinner with all 33 past versions of myself made me cry.""This made me cry as I'm drinking my morning coffee right now. ? Life gets tough, and to cope, I find myself looking back at every happy version of me as I grow older. I’m 28 now, and I miss my 16-year-old self, my 25-year-old self, all my gentler years.Hearing your poem made me realize I can visit them anytime I want. But to do that, I have to accept and love who I am now... because she’s the one carrying them all. And this.. just became my Monday reflection. More love and support for you! ?""Oh my gosh. The way I have tears in my eyes thinking back to all the different versions of me. The hurt ones, the happy ones, the I can’t wait to grow up ones. Thank you for sharing this ❤️""Damn man, you really got a way of "summarizing" how life should be seen sometimes. It's important to remember we are the product of every single person we've have ever been. Amazing text, congrats!" Being kind to ourselves isn't always easy.Photo credit: CanvaMany people found De Shutter's poem therapeutic, perhaps because learning to embrace our past self with kindness is an important element of mental well-being. As clinical therapist Hattie Awe, LPC, shared in a video about things she repeatedly tells her clients, you can't hate yourself into loving yourself. "There is no criticizing your way to confidence," she said. "There's no shitting on yourself into a version of yourself that you enjoy. It doesn't exist. And you've probably learned all of the lessons of life that you need by hating yourself. You might as well get to the fun part of life where you learn all the lessons of life by loving yourself.""So validate the past versions of yourself," she continued. "Validate the functions of the brain and the fact that it's never really cared if you were happy. Validate how easy it is to fall in the habits of cyclical behavior, given the fact that our nervous system and brain is drawn to it. Have acceptance for that and be able to move forward. But we can't act like the person before us doesn't exist. And we can't hate her for existing."So true. Thanks for the example of how to love the people we've been, Joshua. You can follow Joshua De Shutter on Instagram.

Robin Williams was an actor and comedian best known for bringing intense energy to his improvisational comedy. Many fans loved his outlandish humor. Others found his serious and emotional acting roles deeply moving. What most of us never had a chance to experience was that Robin Williams was also a kind and loving friend.In a recently resurfaced interview, Williams recounts reaching out to his friend, Steven Spielberg, during the filming of "Schindler's List." Knowing it was highly stressful and troubling material that Spielberg was exploring, Williams wanted to add some levity and offer relief in the best way he knew how: comedy. See on Instagram Williams shares things he might say during a Spielberg phone call"So I would call him and just riff for him," explains Williams in the video. He then goes on to perform some of the funny characters and improvisational ideas that came to his mind.Using a Yiddish-influenced accent, he says, "Hello, Steven. I'm sending you some kosher email." The audience breaks into laughter. "You've got Mohel! Steven, I've been on eBay, and I've changed it to oy vey," performs Williams as the crowd roars with laughter again.Then, Williams reflects on the seriousness of the situation, sharing, "I'd called him, and we would just, every once and a while. Just to give him a fix on that, just because you know, that was a hideous, hideous thing. He kept going. He had to." Robin Williams, Washington D.C., 1998.John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com (cropped)/ Wikimedia CommonsYears after his passing, Williams continues to surprise and delight usViewers of the Instagram post couldn't help but share some kind words and reflect on the memorable spirit that was Robin Williams:"A wonderful man that brought so much light...""What a man""Super sensitive human being, understood that sometimes we just laugh to keep going!""You Brilliant, Talented Love, miss you , god rest your Beautiful Soul RW""I’m glad we get to hear what all he would say to him to make him laugh! So much talent and love for others!!""Such a special human being" Spielberg at the Israeli premier of his movie "Schindler's List."https://www.flickr.com/people/69061470@N05/ Wikimedia CommonsSpielberg shares his gratitude for what Williams did for himUSA Today reported that after the 25th anniversary screening of "Schindler's List" at the Tribeca Film Festival, Spielberg shared, "Robin knew what I was going through, and once a week, Robin would call me on schedule and he would do 15 minutes of stand-up on the phone, and I would laugh hysterically, because I had to release so much." Spielberg continued, "But the way Robin is on the telephone, he'd always hang up on the loudest, best laugh you'd give him. He'd never say goodbye, just hang up on the biggest laugh." Robin Williams star on the Hollywood Walk of Famechrisinphilly5448/ Wikimedia CommonsCelebrities remember Robin WilliamsKristen Dunst recounted for a 2025 article in People the kindness she experienced with Williams during the filming of the movie "Jumanji." Dunst shares, "He was just like… He left such an impression on me with his grace and the way he treated everyone." Dunst continued, "Again, what a lesson for me to learn at such a young age how to treat a crew. I mean he — just a very respectful, beautiful human.”In a 2025 article for Entertainment, Matthew Lawerence, a child actor who performed with Williams in the movie "Mrs. Doubtfire," said, "He really quantified what it was to be a real artist for me in the sense that he was definitely, and I worked with some great people, and he was definitely the most brilliant artist I've ever worked with." Lawrence continued, "But on top of that, he had the compassion, he had the humility..."Robin Williams was not only a respected artist but a cherished person. Someone who struggled with his own demons and did his best to navigate the world by making it laugh.You can watch this video about 10 Heartwarming Robin Williams Stories Told by Other Celebrities: - YouTube www.youtube.com

Rachel Anderson, 35, from Oregon, is being praised on TikTok for spotting a major red flag on a first date with a 37-year-old man and immediately walking out. “You showed me who you were, you don’t have to show me twice,” she said in a viral video with nearly a million views. Anderson was looking forward to the date when the man told her to dress "like it’s a lounge day at home.”“So, I throw on some sweatpants and NBC sweatshirt, some tennis shoes, my hair in a bun, no jewelry, no nothing,” she said in her viral TikTok video. But when she got to the fancy restaurant, she saw she was incredibly understressed while her date was wearing a “white button down, navy dress pants & dress shoes. I was shocked,” she wrote in the video's comments.“Why does this man try to walk me into a fine dining restaurant? I immediately know. I turned around and walked out,” she said. Anderson suspected that the man was trying to embarrass her so that she’d feel beneath him. “As soon as you meet me, you want to level the playing field by humbling and or embarrassing me by bringing me out to a place where you know that I am underdressed? Absolutely not.” In the comments, she added that when she arrived, the man pretended it was a joke to turn it back on her: "Can't take a joke?" @rachelanderson471 While it’s impossible to know precisely what the man was thinking, it’s pretty clear that he intended for her to feel out of place. It’s hard to chalk that up to being a mistake or an attempt at humor. If it was a joke, it made her the subject of ridicule—that's another big red flag.Why do men try to 'humble' women?Manipulative men often try to "humble" women by taking them down a notch to make themselves feel more important. This is a form of “negging,” a manipulative dating tactic, in which someone offers mild insults or backhanded compliments to undermine the other's confidence, to gain power over them. “He was testing you to see if he could control you,” Kim wrote in the comments. @non_composmentis_ After leaving the restaurant, Anderson “immediately blocked him.” There was no reason to excuse his actions or give him the chance to manipulate her further. Anderson had been trying to rebuild herself after leaving her husband, and her actions were a testament to her personal growth. She didn't give him a chance to manipulate her even further“Sitting in the car, old me would have tried to figure out why. I would have messaged him. I would have been like, ‘How could you embarrass me like that now?’ Immediately blocked. You showed me who you were. You don't have to show me twice. You will never, ever have the opportunity to try to humble me again,” she said.Her actions were applauded by people in the comments. “The immediate block instead of questioning/analyzing his behavior is SUCH growth!” Jess wrote. “Ladies, this is leaving at the first red flag,” Queenie added.Anderson’s story shows that there can be a bright spot in a terrible situation. It’s awful that someone tried to manipulate her, but wonderful that she saw the signs and refused to let it happen. “We are raised to tolerate so much discomfort and disrespect, it’s taken me years, but I’ve finally arrived at the ‘ZERO ALLOWANCES for a man’ stage in my life!” Anderson wrote in the comments. Hopefully, her strength will give the next person who encounters this manipulation the insight and courage to cut and run, too.