Laughter boosts optimism in apes, the best films of the century, and a helpful service for grandma

Summary

Podcast Summary: Nice News Today – July 7, 2025

Host: Case Kinney
Podcast: Nice News Today
Episode Title: Laughter Boosts Optimism in Apes, the Best Films of the Century, and a Helpful Service for Grandma
Release Date: July 7, 2025

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1. Laughter Enhances Optimism in Bonobos

In the opening segment, Case Kinney explores a groundbreaking study on the emotional lives of bonobos, an endangered great ape species native to Congo. The research, conducted by Sasha Winkler, reveals that bonobos exhibit increased optimism after hearing their peers laugh.

Key Findings:

• Emotional Impact: The study found that bonobos not only produce laughter but also experience positive emotional shifts upon hearing it. This mirrors the human experience where laughter can elevate mood and influence outlook.
• Decision Making: The presence of laughter made bonobos more likely to approach unfamiliar gray boxes containing unknown rewards, suggesting a boosted expectation of positive outcomes. Winkler describes this effect as akin to the "rose-colored glasses" (07:45).

Notable Quote:

“I hope these findings bring greater public awareness to the remarkable similarities between us and bonobos. We have so much to learn from these incredible animals,” – Sasha Winkler (07:45).

Implications: This research underscores the deep-rooted evolutionary connections between humans and great apes, highlighting the potential for shared emotional responses and social behaviors.

2. Netflix Partners with NASA to Stream Space Exploration

Case announces an exciting collaboration between Netflix and NASA, aimed at making space exploration accessible to its vast subscriber base.

Highlights:

• Live Broadcasts: Subscribers will have access to live rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, and real-time views of Earth from the International Space Station.
• Accessible Content: Previously available only through NASA’s app and website, this partnership extends live space content to over 700 million Netflix users.
• Scheduling: Detailed programming schedules are expected to be released as launch dates approach.

Goal: The partnership seeks to inspire and educate the public by bringing the wonders of space directly into homes, fostering a broader interest in astronomy and space science.

3. First Fully Robotic Heart Transplant in the US

A significant medical milestone was achieved at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston, where a team of surgeons successfully performed the first fully robotic heart transplant on an adult patient.

Procedure Details:

• Minimally Invasive: Traditionally, heart transplants require opening the breastbone, leading to lengthy recovery and higher infection risks. This innovative procedure utilized a 5-inch incision above the belly button.
• Patient Recovery: Tony Ibarra, a 45-year-old patient, recovered swiftly, spending only a month in the hospital with no complications upon discharge.

Expert Insight:

“This transplant shows what is possible when innovation and surgical experience come together to improve patient care,” – Dr. Kenneth Liao (15:30).

Future Prospects: Dr. Liao emphasizes that such advancements pave the way for less invasive surgeries, potentially transforming cardiac care and reducing patient recovery times.

4. A Heartwarming Story at the Minnesota Zoo

Case shares an uplifting story reminiscent of a best-selling children’s book from the Minnesota Zoo involving Merritt, a rare wild Asian horse, and Alice, a pony who became his surrogate mother.

Story Highlights:

• Merritt’s Challenge: Merritt fell ill shortly after birth and was rejected by his biological mother upon returning from intensive care.
• Alice’s Compassion: Alice, who had recently lost her newborn, accepted Merritt into her life, nurturing him as her own.
• Veterinary Innovation: This is one of the first instances of surrogacy attempted with wild Asian horses, exemplifying compassion and interspecies bonding.

Quote from Annie Rivas:

“It was really kind of a perfect fairy tale end. They just bonded like that,” – Annie Rivas, Zoo’s Director of Animal Health (22:10).

Outcome: Merritt is set to join the zoo’s herd, providing a hopeful narrative of love and acceptance within the animal community.

5. Strawberry Dominance at Wimbledon Faces New Challenges

As the final week of Wimbledon unfolds, strawberries have become more than just a traditional dessert but the focal point of a "Game of Thrones"-style competition in the UK’s berry industry.

Current Leader:

• Malling Centenary Strawberry: Known for its sweet flavor and heart shape, it has been the staple at Wimbledon since 2016, with an expected 2.5 million berries consumed during the tournament (28:50).

Emerging Competition:

• New Varieties: The Summer Berry Company in England is introducing AI-engineered strawberries that are larger, sweeter, and have a longer shelf life, aiming to dethrone the Malling Centenary.

Industry Insight:

“We have been scaling back on producing Malling Centenary berries and are focusing on newer varieties that reduce waste,” – Director at Summer Berry Company (28:50).

Contest Dynamics: While the Malling Centenary currently holds its position, the influx of innovative strawberry varieties promises an exciting future for both producers and consumers.

6. New York Times Ranks the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century

In this segment, Case encourages listeners to engage in a cinematic journey by exploring the New York Times' newly released ranking of the 100 best movies of the 21st century.

Methodology:

• The list was compiled based on input from 500 filmmakers, actors, and industry experts who each provided their top 10 favorite films from the past 25 years.

Highlight – Parasite:

• Top Spot: The 2019 South Korean film "Parasite," directed by Bong Joon Ho, clinches the number one position. The film, which masterfully blends comedy, horror, and thriller elements, won four Oscars in 2020, including Best Picture.

Engagement Encouraged:
Case suggests that even if listeners might disagree with some choices, the list serves as a catalyst for fun and stimulating film debates.

7. Gogo Grandparent: Empowering Seniors with Ride-Sharing Services

Addressing the challenges older adults face with modern technology, Case introduces Justin Bogard’s innovative solution designed to make ride-sharing accessible to seniors.

Service Overview:

• Gogo Grandparent: Developed by Justin Bogard, his parents, and co-founder David Lung, this service allows seniors like Betty Luce to order Uber or Lyft rides 24/7 via a simple numeric menu, eliminating the need for app-based interactions.
• Additional Features: Users can also request grocery deliveries, medication management, and assistance with home chores.

Inspirational Story:

• When Betty Luce, aged 94, initially asked her grandson for Uber’s contact number, Bogard realized the need for a more straightforward solution. He kept the service a secret until its functionality was assured, ensuring genuine feedback from his grandmother upon its launch (37:15).

Community Impact:
Betty Luce was so impressed with Gogo Grandparent that she helped promote it within her community, leading to widespread adoption among seniors.

Looking Forward:

• Justin Bogard mentions that Gogo Grandparent is approaching its 10-year anniversary next year, with Betty feeling a deep sense of pride and accomplishment.

Closing Encouragement:

“You go Grandma,” – Case Kinney (49:50).

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Conclusion

Case Kinney wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to follow Nice News Today on various platforms, share the positive stories, and subscribe for more uplifting content. Emphasizing the abundance of good in the world, the episode leaves listeners inspired and optimistic.

Final Message:

“Keep spreading your light and remember there's more than enough good out there to go around. Have a great day,” – Case Kinney (50:30).

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Note: Advertisements and non-content segments have been excluded from this summary to focus solely on the enriching stories presented in the episode.

Transcript

[Case Kinney]

Good morning. Welcome to Nice news today, your 10 minute roundup of the week's most positive news. It's July 7th, and today I'm diving into the news that great apes may feel more optimistic after hearing their peers laugh. I've also got the scoop on a new ranking of the best movies of the 21st century, a strawberry variety in England whose crown may be overthrown, and a medical milestone that could pave the way for less intrusive heart surgeries. I'm your host, Case Kinney. Let's uncover some good Together, both age old wisdom and a wide body of research tell us that laughter is the best medicine, and the benefits of cracking up may extend beyond humans. A recent study found that bonobos, an endangered great ape species native to Congo, found felt more optimistic after hearing fellow apes laugh. Just like it does with humans. Laughter not only appeared to enhance positive emotions in the bonobos, but it also influenced the apes decision making to expect more positive outcomes. The research provides the first experimental evidence that great apes not only produce laughter, but also experience emotional changes after hearing it. To figure this out, these scientists trained four bonobos living at the APE Initiative in Des Moines, Iowa, to approach black boxes filled with food rewards and avoid white boxes that were empty. Then they showed the apes gray boxes they'd never seen before and discovered that the animals were much more likely to approach these boxes after hearing bonobo laughter, demonstrating optimism in a way that author Sasha Winkler likened to the rose colored glasses effect. Moving forward, Winkler said she hopes these findings, quote, bring greater public awareness to the remarkable similarities between us and Bobby bonobos. We have so much to learn from these incredible animals. I couldn't agree more. If you've got a Netflix subscription, prepare to welcome the cosmos to your living room. The streaming service announced last week that it's partnering with NASA to broadcast live rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, live views of Earth from the International Space Station, and more than sometime this summer. The footage will come from NASA, which already offers free space content through its app and the space agency's website, but now some 700 million Netflix subscribers will get direct access as well. The goal is to bring the stories of space exploration to as many people as possible. Detailed programming schedules will be released closer to launch day, so stay tuned. I've got a surgery success story and a technological advancement all in one. Baylor St. Luke's Medical center in Houston recently announced that a team of surgeons successfully performed the first fully robotic heart transplant on a adult patient in the US this past March. The standard procedure for heart surgeries is to break through the breastbone and as you can imagine, that leads to long recovery times and a higher risk of infection. But during the robotic surgery, 45 year old Tony Ibarra's heart was instead replaced through a 5 inch incision above his belly button. After undergoing the procedure, Ibarra only spent a month recovering in the hospital and was discharged with no complications. The medical milestone is helping to pave the way for a future of less invasive surgeries, Dr. Kenneth Liao, who led the surgical team, said in a statement. This transplant shows what is possible when innovation and surgical experience come together to improve patient care. Before we dive into more good news, I want to tell you about today's sponsor, Duckbill. Life is complicated and as a mindfulness coach, I get it. Duck Bill gets it too and sets out to make your life a little bit easier. The tool is built for people who understand that time is power and believe everyone deserves extra help in reclaiming the theirs. Duck Bill is an executive assistant for your personal life, combining AI with humans who deal with the tedium so you could focus on what matters to you. That might mean coordinating with the doctors who somehow never have appointments in the same calendar year, handling returns for impulse online shopping purchases, or just making sure you get some airline points for that flight that sat on the Runway for hours. Technology handles what it can, and when the AI component hits a wall, Duck Bill's humans manage the rest. It's truly the best of both world worlds. Sign up [e-mail] and get 50% off your first two months with the promo code. Nice News Exclusive to Nice News Today listeners. This next story has all of the hallmarks of a best selling children's book. At the Minnesota Zoo, a rare wild Asian horse named Merritt fell ill shortly after his birth and was sadly rejected by his mother when he returned from intensive care. But the foals found fate changed when a pony named Alice, who had recently lost her newborn, welcomed him into her life as her own. Vets said that this is one of the first times this type of surrogacy has been attempted with wild Asian horses. After Merritt, whose name means one who is brave, spends the next few months with Alice, he'll likely join the zoo's herd of his kind. Annie Rivas, the zoo's director of animal health, told the Associated Press, quote, it was really kind of a perfect fairy tale end. They just bonded like that. With the final week of Wimbledon underway in the uk there's a true Game of Thrones going on and the key players are strawberries. Enjoying strawberries and cream while watching the tennis matches has been a long standing tradition at the tournament. And ever since 2016, the Mauling Centenary berry has been the strawberry of choice for that dessert, leading Reuters to call it the reigning king of strawberries. The down the road, though, the Malling Centenary could face competition. Despite its sweet flavor and heart shape, newer generations of strawberry varieties are on the horizon. A director at the Summer Berry Company in England said that they've been scaling back on producing Malling Centenary berries instead using AI technology to grow larger and sweeter types that last longer and reduce waste. But for now, this variety is holding onto its throne. Wimbledon's food and drinks operation manager Joe Ferber said he expects a whopping, whopping 2.5 million mauling centenary strawberries will be consumed during the tournament. Kind of makes me want strawberries and cream for breakfast. Here's an idea for an indoor activity you can do over the next few potentially sweltering months. Watch every film you haven't seen on the New York Times's new ranking of the 100 best movies of the 21st century, the outlet asked 500 filmmakers, actors and other industry experts what their top 10 favorite flicks of the past 25 years are, and use the answers to compile the list. I'll give you a few hints as to which movie nabbed the number one spot. It's a 2019 South Korean film that spans multiple genres, including comedy, horror and thriller. If you guessed Parasite, you'd be correct. Directed by Bong Joon Ho, the movie won four Oscars in 2020, including Best Picture. And while you might not agree with every Choice on the top 100 list, at the very least it should inspire some fun debates. Popcorn not required, but encouraged when we need to run an errand but don't want to drive, many of us rely on rideshare services like Uber and Lyft. But older adults who aren't as comfortable using apps don't have it as easy. And that's where today's inspiring human comes in. Justin Bogard was living with his grandmother, Betty Luce, when she asked him for the phone number to call on Uber. After he explained that there was no number to call, the 94 year old suggested he make one. So he did. Bogard, his parents and his co founder David Lung developed a service called Gogo Grandparent, which allows callers to order an Uber or Lyft24.7 using a numeric menu. Users can also request services like grocery delivery, medication management and home chores. When Luz went on her first ride using the service, she had no idea her grandson had created it. Bogard said he kept it a secret at first to make sure it would actually be useful and to get her honest review. Luckily everything went smoothly and when Luz discovered her grandson was behind Gogo grandparent she was very impressed. So much so that she helped spread the word to her community. Next year the business will hit its 10 year anniversary and Luz feels quote 6ft tall knowing that she was the inspiration behind it. You go Grandma. And that's it for today's episode. If you loved these stories please consider giving us a follow on Apple, Spotify and YouTube Music and sharing this episode with a friend. If you want more good news, visit nicenews.com to sign up for our free daily newsletter. And until next time, keep spreading your light and remember there's more than enough good out there to go around. Have a great day.