Imagine passing a test with flying colors when you didn’t even know you were taking one. A mother-daughter duo, known as Martina and Alexa, visits fast-food and coffeehouse drive-thrus. The person serving them is then, in a sense, given a test of their kindness, often revealing the most wholesome side of humanity. The way it works is this: The mother-daughter duo purchases food and drinks at drive-thrus such as Starbucks, Carl’s Jr., and Wendy’s. When they’re given their items, the daughter begins telling a story. As explained in the videos, “Every second they listen, the tip goes up $1. They don’t know that.” View this post on Instagram One video stands out They have many fun examples on TikTok and Instagram. But one recently truly stood out. A blond man appears in the Starbucks drive-thru window, cheerfully greeting the pair. “Hi! Here we are!” While the mother counts out one-dollar bills on her lap, her daughter, sporting bright red long hair, begins telling a story with the most adorable uptick: “One time at school? We had a science project about health? And I went up there? And like I talked for five minutes about how sugar was bad for you?” While the story goes on, the barista smiles warmly and occasionally says, “Right, uh huh,” to keep her at ease. She continues: “But on the actual day? After school, I went and I bought a donut? To test if sugar is bad for you. So yeah. Because I can’t present information without data and all of that, so yeah. Also, I have a snake at home? She’s a ball python? And she’s so cute. Her name is Frosty!” The barista enthusiastically asks, “Really?” She continues, “Yeah, and sometimes she likes her tank.” At this point, Mom cuts her off, and the barista hands over a drink. “Can I give you a tip?” she asks while handing him $30. “Oh my gosh! Thank you. Are you sure?” The whole exchange exemplifies pure kindness. But it gets even better. Turns out the barista is Dale B. Pirofsky. And there was something about him they just couldn’t forget, nor could the viewers who saw the video. View this post on Instagram The duo behind the videos thought they’d pay his kindness forward not just with a big tip, but with the hope of helping him raise money for a car. They started a GoFundMe, where they shared: “When we met Dale, there was something about him that immediately stood out – his kindness, his warmth, his humor, and the kind of positive energy that you can feel right away. He truly has one of those bright souls that makes people smile without even trying. After we shared the video, Dale became a favorite across social media in just a few days. It has been so special to see how many people connected with him through the screen. So many of you saw exactly what we saw in person – his genuine heart, his sweet personality, and the joy he brings into a simple moment. Many people reached out asking how they could support him financially, so we contacted Dale directly. After speaking with him and getting his permission, we decided to create this GoFundMe in his name. Dale shared with us that he has been working two jobs to save up for his very first car. This fundraiser is not an emergency request – it is simply a way for anyone who feels moved by Dale’s story to support a goal he has already been working so hard toward.” “Everyone deserves to be heard” Upworthy had the chance to chat with Dale, who shared how grateful he was for the whole encounter. When asked what he thought when she started telling the story, he said he was happy to listen. “Whenever someone wants to talk to me, especially children, I always try to listen,” he said. “I grew up—and honestly still struggle—with feeling unheard or unacknowledged, so I always try to make someone who needs to chat feel heard.” View this post on Instagram He didn’t suspect it was a test or a prank. “Honestly? I probably would have should the context of the story been something less engaging!” he said. “But considering she was talking about her school project, I figured it was something she was super proud of! Everyone deserves to be heard about what they are enthusiastic about.” This has been his biggest tip so far. “As a barista, the thirty-dollar tip definitely takes the cake!” he said. “Although, I did have to share it with my fellow baristas, and I’m in no way, shape, or form unhappy about that. My coworkers have been nothing but supportive of me, and they totally deserved a little something!” As for the duo, they remain rather mysterious. But what he does know is how good they made him feel. “They are a family of sweet-hearted people,” he said. “This family has absolutely turned my life upside down over the last week, and I am so grateful for all the support I’ve been given! It’s nice to see my enthusiasm and smile have made so many people so happy. It’s a dream of mine I can finally say I’ve achieved.” View this post on Instagram The post Woman tests drive-thru barista by tipping him $1 for every second he listens to daughter’s story appeared first on Upworthy.

When Holly and Brandon Dunn’s car was broken into, the stolen items were ones they thought they’d never get back. The thief took a bag containing the ashes of their late chihuahua named Tia. The thief also took Tia’s ceramic paw prints and a memorial stuffed-animal replica of the beloved pup. Two weeks later, the items were found and returned. Now the Seattle community is chipping in to reward the hero with a fresh start. Brandon explained to KING-TV that the couple was unable to have children, so Tia had been their furry kid throughout their 20-year relationship. View this post on Instagram “It’s a bit cliche, I guess, comparing a dog to a child. But, you know, for us that was my child,” he said. The search was on The Dunns put up flyers offering a reward for the return of the ashes and memorial items. Folks on social media and Reddit offered to help search and put up additional flyers in the Seattle area. There were even people willing to 3D-print a replica of Tia’s paw prints to replace the original ones. A hero reaches out Two weeks later, the unlikely happened. The items were found and returned by a homeless man named Chris Engdahl. For the past seven years, Engdahl had been living unhoused in the Seattle area. He made a living off what he could find and sell from dumpsters. It was in a random dumpster that Engdahl found Tia’s ashes, paw prints, and stuffed replica. Engdahl knew the items had sentimental value and held onto them in hopes of finding their owner. After seeing one of the flyers, Engdahl texted Brandon’s phone number and made sure the Dunns got Tia’s remains back. The Seattle community chips in Engdahl didn’t want a reward from the couple and was just happy that a fellow dog lover got their precious memorial items back. The Dunns had already moved out of the state. However, they and the Seattle community still wanted to do something to help Engdahl. View this post on Instagram Kathryn Michie, a person who helped post flyers for the Dunns, started a GoFundMe for Engdahl to help restart his life. As of this writing, Engdahl has recently moved into his first apartment, and the GoFundMe has raised more than $6,700. The money will be used to help Engdahl get furniture and other supplies. Some of the money will also go toward food for his new dog, Reo, whom he recently rescued from the street. Altogether, it will help Engdahl’s new place feel more like home. “I just got off the phone with Chris and he’s absolutely floored with the support from this community!” Michie wrote in a May 6 update on the GoFundMe page. “Thank you to everyone who is changing his life for the better. He is such an angel and deserves all the help!” Kindness and support from an entire community helped recover lost items, house someone in need, and create a new life for a dog, too. The post A homeless man returns a pet dog’s stolen ashes to their owner. It’s changing his life. appeared first on Upworthy.

Speaking clearly and concisely is a communication skill greatly appreciated in both personal and professional conversations. And getting a conversation started with someone who rambles is usually a small-talk nightmare. As communication expert Chris Fenning explained, “We can tell pretty quickly if someone’s going to get to the point or if we are in for a long and painful conversation.” Fenning, a former self-professed rambler, shared exactly how you can avoid being long-winded and unclear during conversations. He offered up his simple three-step conversation technique during a 2025 TEDx Talk. The 60-second clear communication trick The start of any conversation sets the tone for a productive interaction. As Fenning explained, “Every time we communicate, we have an opportunity to create clarity or confusion. And clarity begins from the very first minute.” If the first minute of a conversation goes wrong, they can become “longer, less effective, and more frustrating,” added Fenning. To avoid that, he created a three-letter acronym called TIP that outlines an easy framework for productive conversations: T: Topic I: Intent P: Point TIP conversation framework According to Fenning, the TIP method works as follows: T: Topic Every conversation needs a clear topic. Fenning says that with a clear topic, everyone can stay in sync and understand what will be discussed. “Start your message with one sentence that names the topic you want to talk about. And the more specific, the better,” said Fenning. “One message, one sentence that lets your audience know what the topic is.” Examples include: “I want to talk about July sales figures.” “I want to talk about Project Everest’s timeline.” “I want to talk about our 1-on-1 this week.” I: Intent Intent should explain what you want the other person to do with your message. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why are you telling me this?” while talking with someone, it’s because their intent was unclear, explains Fenning. He adds that our brains go through a process called selective attention that determines what information is important and what is not. If your brain doesn’t know what to do with a message, it reads it as “not important, and we stop listening,” Fenning said. By making your intent clear, you are telling your audience what to do with the information you’re giving them. Examples include: If you have a question, say, “Can I ask you a question?” If you want someone to make a decision, say, “I’d like your help with this decision.” If you want to get something off your chest, say, “Is it okay if I vent for a minute?” P: Point Fenning says this is the most important piece of advice, and if you only had five seconds to speak, this is what you would lead with. “We need a point. We need a headline,” he explained. “Something that tells us where this conversation is going. In one sentence, deliver the most important piece of information.” Examples include: “I want to give a refund for a late delivery.” “Our project launch is going to be delayed for a month.” The post How to avoid sounding long-winded in conversations with this 60-second trick appeared first on Upworthy.

Neil deGrasse Tyson—astrophysicist, director of the Hayden Planetarium, and host of the StarTalk podcast—is one of America’s most popular science communicators. He has worked tirelessly for more than four decades to improve scientific literacy and instill a greater sense of awe about the cosmos. In his new book, Take Me to Your Leader, Tyson loosens his space tie a bit and has fun examining the possibility of aliens visiting Earth from scientific, historical, and pop-culture perspectives. Upworthy spoke with Tyson about why he chose this moment to discuss aliens, how we should greet them if—or when!—they land, and how he hopes to broaden people’s perspectives through the alien narrative. Take Me to Your Leader cover. Photo credit: Simon & Schuster Why now is the perfect time to talk about aliens The September 9, 2025, congressional hearing, “Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection,” was a watershed moment for UFO/UAP disclosure, shifting the conversation from science fiction and conspiracy theories to a national security issue.  “The real transition for me was the high-ranking officials who came forth in Congress,” Tyson said. “Much of which landed in that two-hour, hour-and-fifty-minute documentary, Day of Disclosure. So it elevated once it hit that level. It was no longer the sleepy farmer in the back 40 reporting on a glowing object over his farm. It was no longer the drunken revelers coming out of the bar at 2 a.m. reporting on the glowing thing in the sky. Upon reaching that, I said, ‘All right, I can’t sit back any further. I have to write this book.’” An illustration of a flying saucer. Photo credit: Danie Franco/Unsplash The turning point in the public discussion about aliens inspired Tyson to examine extraterrestrials from a practical, science-based perspective. “It’s an attempt to anchor the conversation, to celebrate the imaginations that have created aliens in our pop culture, and to pose a set of questions for those who may have had a one-on-one encounter with aliens,” he said. Who should represent humanity if aliens arrived on Earth? What if aliens were to visit Earth, as his book’s title suggests, and demand, “Take me to your leader”? The Earth doesn’t have a singular leader to turn to, so who would Tyson anoint to make first contact with the alien delegation? His choice: former president Barack Obama. Bill Nye, then-President Barack Obama, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Photo credit: WhiteHouse/Wikimedia Commons Tyson says that Obama would be a great representative of Earth after a recent conversation the 44th president had with Stephen Colbert, in which he said he “would be a good emissary for the planet. I feel I have a diverse background, some experience in statecraft and diplomacy. I’m friendly. I actually think I can do a pretty good job.” “He thinks he would be a good emissary for Earth, and that would be true,” Tyson shared. “First, he’s a nice guy, plus he’s smart, and he’s also scientifically literate. I think he sees his value there because a politician who’s also a diplomat would value that role if you’re meeting someone from another land, another place, another time.” However, Tyson wouldn’t send Obama alone to greet the aliens. He said Obama would need a team of experts to greet the delegation, including a cryptographer, an astrophysicist, an engineer, and a mathematician, “because math is the language of the universe.” Who would be the astrophysicist? Tyson, of course. “I’d be the astrophysicist just for good measure,” he joked. That’s no surprise, considering one of the first lines in his book is: “Ever since childhood I’ve wanted to be abducted by aliens.” Tyson adds that it would be dangerous for humanity if we sent conspiracy theorists to meet our new friends. “There are people who don’t think we went to the moon, people who think Earth is flat. And I say without hesitation to leave them behind on your first encounter with the alien,” he warned. “You’ve got to leave the best impression on them as you possibly can. So, you want humans to have a fighting chance to be respected by our new friends.” Tyson challenges Hollywood’s conceptions of alien life In Take Me to Your Leader, Tyson deconstructs the notion that if aliens were to visit Earth, they would be humanoid creatures, such as the bar patrons on Mos Eisley in Star Wars or the big-eyed “gray” aliens popularized by Whitley Strieber’s Communion series. “I’d like to think of it as a force for Hollywood to up its game. That’s what [author] Andy Weir did with Project Hail Mary. His alien was crab-oid, not humanoid, and it was made of a material that resembled rocks, and they were really good engineers,” Tyson said. “So, Andy Weir tried to break that mold. And I would be happier if I saw more of that.” See it and believe in it. Project Hail Mary, now available to rent or buy on Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/b0kz4nsaeE— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) May 12, 2026 The alien question holds up a mirror to humanity Ultimately, Take Me to Your Leader is a lighthearted look at how aliens appear in American culture through movies and TV, conspiracy theories, sci-fi speculation, quasi-encounters, and our collective imaginations. Some may be disappointed that it doesn’t provide hard evidence of alien existence. But its real accomplishment is helping humans better understand themselves through imagining otherworldly beings. “It is the summation of my life’s thinking and observing. Humans, what we believe, what we count as evidence, what convinces us. The universe is quite susceptible to people’s personal theories about things,” Tyson said. “A lot of the cultural references, it’s not because I am some deep anthropologist, although in a small way, we all are. My father was a sociologist, so I have some baptism in thinking about people and what makes us tick. So the referencing to aliens and our relationship with them and their relationship with us was pumped by these very factors.”  This interview was edited for clarity and time. The post Upworthy exclusive: Neil deGrasse Tyson on the best way to make first contact with aliens appeared first on Upworthy.

Fans of *NSYNC knew Joey Fatone would be at the May 12 performance of & Juliet on May 12, 2026 for a sing-along. They surely expected Joey to perform It’s Gonna Be Me, which is featured on the show’s soundtrack. What they likely didn’t expect was the big surprise at the end. Lance Bass rushed onto the stage just in time to finish up the song with Joey Fatone. According to Instagram, he’d been at another show down the street and knew there was no way he could let his bandmate and friend down. Videos from the night prove there’s no denying the performers and fans got a huge kick out of the pair. View this post on Instagram A post shared by & Juliet Broadway (@andjulietbway) Joey Fatone and Lance Bass Clearly Have a Fantastic Friendship When Lance Bass appeared on stage, Joey Fatone had a huge smile on his face. The friends embraced and sang, sending the entire theatre into a joyous frenzy. “@realjoeyfatone stopped by for a special encore & you’ll never guess who else showed up,” an Instagram caption reads. “That girl screaming ‘omg’ over and over is all of us,” someone admitted. “The people want *NSYNC back together! Forget Justin, just get back together already and go on tour!” A fan wrote. “Immmm dyinggg there is so much love right here and can we just say how incredible Joey sounds,” another person added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lance Bass (@lancebass) Lance also shared the moment from his perspective, writing on Instagram, “The things I do for you Fatone…” In his video, he said, “I was almost hit by 6 taxi cabs!” “My new measurement of friendship ‘Would you risk being hit by 6 NYC taxis to show up?’” A funny comment reads. “We love this friendship so much,” a fan announced of the Joey Fatone and Lance Bass moment. It’s so incredible seeing these men as such great friends after so much time. And, yes, we’re 100% team *NSYNC reunion. This story’s featured image can be found here