Good Morning 🌞

Grab your slices—because today, May 16, we’re celebrating National Pizza Party Day! 🍕
There’s just something magical about pizza: the endless toppings, the variety of crusts, the perfect sauce-to-cheese ratio… it’s basically the edible version of a good time.

Personally? I’m a pepperoni loyalist, with extra cheese and mushrooms on top. And when I’m done with the slice, I save the crust to dip in a little Tabasco and salt—don’t knock it till you try it.

Fun fact: The world’s largest pizza was a whopping 13,000+ square feet—and it was completely gluten-free. Baked in Rome, it was named Ottavia after the first Roman emperor.

Now that’s what I call party-sized.

Health Science

Native Plants, New Cures

In San Diego, scientists are partnering with Native American tribes to explore the genetics of medicinal plants—remedies that have been used for centuries to treat conditions ranging from asthma to malaria. The ambitious goal is to potentially transform these traditional treatments into commercial pharmaceuticals. Researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies are leading the effort at the Medicinal Plants Nursery inside the San Diego Botanic Garden, where they’re cultivating native California plants long revered by Indigenous communities for their healing properties.

The Salk name is famously tied to Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the polio vaccine. Today, the institute is known for research in genetics, aging, and plant biology. But this initiative marks a unique departure. Rather than focusing on synthetic compounds, scientists are applying advanced genomic tools to ancient herbal medicine. “We have co-evolved with all of these medicinal plants,” said Salk biologist Dr. Todd Michael. “I mean, they make these things probably to protect themselves, but also maybe because they make their mammal counterparts happy.” Among the plants under study are ephedra, used historically for ailments like syphilis and weight loss; artemisia, a well-known malaria treatment; and yerba santa, now being investigated for its potential in treating Alzheimer’s.

This is more than a scientific study—it’s a collaboration grounded in mutual respect. Native American communities are sharing generations of knowledge, and researchers are using that wisdom to guide cutting-edge exploration. Their work is attracting national interest, with nurseries and research groups sending seeds and samples to contribute. As Dr. Ben Neiman notes, the goal is to create a “circular ecosystem” where successful drug development delivers both financial and environmental benefits to tribal nations. Still, a deeper question lingers: can pharmaceutical innovation move forward in a way that honors and protects the cultural origins of these remedies—or will history repeat itself, with science taking more than it gives?

Lifestyle

An Ice-Cold Routine

In Yakutia, Siberia — the coldest inhabited place on Earth — everyday life is a test of endurance. When temperatures drop to -71°C (-95°F), even the simplest tasks become a mission. Running water? Not an option. Pipes freeze solid. So locals rely on traditional wooden bathhouses, called banyas, heated with wood-burning stoves.

Laundry and washing aren't just chores — they're weekend events. Clothes are washed by hand, dried near the stove, and often freeze before they’re even hung up. As for bathing, it’s a mix of steam, speed, and willpower. In this icy corner of the world, survival isn’t just about braving the cold — it’s about adapting your entire routine around it. Even cleanliness comes with grit, smoke, and a thick winter coat.

Environment

Boosting Possum Population

The endangered mountain pygmy possum, a tiny marsupial native to Australia's alpine regions, has made a remarkable recovery in the Snowy Mountains, returning to its pre-bushfire population levels. Weighing just 40 grams, this elusive mammal is the only Australian species known to hibernate beneath the snow. Its numbers had plummeted to around 700 following a devastating 2017 drought and the 2020 bushfires that ravaged Kosciuszko National Park.

Surprisingly, the effort to bring the species back from the brink wasn’t driven by scientists alone. Students from local schools in Berridale, Jindabyne, Cooma, and Adaminaby played a crucial role, creating a high-fat emergency food supply dubbed “Bogong Biscuits”—a mix of macadamias, mealworms, and oils. These biscuits helped the possums survive while their native food sources and habitat slowly regenerated.

According to Dr. Linda Broome, a threatened species officer with the NSW Environment Department, the population has now rebounded to nearly 1,000. She emphasized that the 2017 drought, which decimated Bogong moth larvae—the possums’ primary food source—had an even greater impact than the fires. “We fed them for two years, until the vegetation recovered,” Broome said. “If we hadn’t, their numbers could’ve dropped to 500.”

Mind Stretchers

⁉️

I hold a thousand secrets in silent scales,
I wander endless worlds without leaving trails,
I breathe without a single lung in sight,
Yet hunger drives me through day and night.
What am I?

Yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

I stand alone in hushed repose,
My tears drip slow as evening grows.
I wage a war against the night,
Yet vanish softly out of sight.
My glow attracts both moth and muse,
Consume my wax—you can’t refuse.
— a candle! Debbie Ettinger got this correct first! ☀️ 

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to news@dailyupsider.comor reply to the email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to news@dailyupsider.com for the chance to be featured.