Nick's News

12/22/2025

Scientists have long suspected that childhood exposure to pets, especially dogs, can shape the immune system. Now, emerging research suggests that the effect goes even deeper—right into the human microbiome. When children live with dogs, they naturally come into contact with a wider range of microbes. As a result, the child’s gut and skin microbiome become more diverse, which researchers consider a foundation of better long-term health. Moreover, studies indicate that this microbial exchange may strengthen immune tolerance. In other words, the body learns to react appropriately to allergens and pathogens, potentially reducing the risk of asthma and inflammatory diseases later in life. Because dogs spend time outdoors and bring environmental microbes inside, they act as “microbial messengers,” exposing children to natural bacteria they might not otherwise encounter. Interestingly, scientists are also finding links between early dog ownership and improved emotional resilience. A more diverse microbiome supports the gut–brain axis, the communication pathway between the digestive system and the brain. As this pathway becomes healthier, children may develop stronger stress responses, better emotional regulation, and reduced anxiety. Furthermore, children with dogs tend to engage in more physical activity and experience consistent emotional comfort, both of which enhance psychological well-being. Over time, these combined biological and behavioral factors may contribute to lower rates of depression and anxiety in adolescence and adulthood. While dog ownership is not a prescription, the growing evidence suggests that early exposure to dogs can create subtle but meaningful changes in the body’s microbial landscape and emotional development.

12/22/2025

We are LIVE! Join us tonight for our last Chat N Chill of 2025. Good brew, good friends, and your questions!
Also introducing a new member of the Nick's News team.

Welcome to the 12/21/2025 Episode of Nick’s News!Tonight’s special broadcast will be a Chat & Chill episode! It’s just going to be a chill hour of chatting, ...

12/21/2025

Steve and crew with another rescue. Check out the vid and give these guys some love. They deserve it!

12/21/2025

See you tonight for an hour of Good Friends, Good Brew, and Good News!
https://www.youtube.com/-SBS

12/20/2025

Nick’s News would like to thank each and every one of our fans, and give a shout out to our top fans:

Rebecca Vangelderen, Cassidy Fox-Wallace, Dalton Mihulka, Waffle Erwin-Vargas, and Tesla Tree Service!

Thank you all so much for your support!

12/19/2025

Soil. It’s the foundation for terrestrial life, yet we know relatively little about what’s beneath our feet. However, that looks set to change thanks to a groundbreaking innovation that could have big implications for farmers and the planet. The Earth Rover Program uses seismology technology pioneered by the oil and gas industry to scan the ground, providing information on soil health, soil density and moisture levels – intel that could help farmers avoid unnecessary irrigation and fertilizer use. It’s something that existing methods, which rely on digging up the soil, struggle to do because they are time-consuming, expensive and disruptive to the soil. George Monbiot, an environmental journalist involved in the project, said that the cost of the technology has fallen from £7,500 per sensor to £75, making it more accessible. “In time, we should be able to use the accelerometers in mobile phones, reducing the cost to zero,” he wrote for the Guardian. “Eventually, we hope, any farmer anywhere, rich or poor, will be able to get an almost instant readout from their soil.” This, he added, would take a lot of guesswork out of agriculture, enabling farmers to boost yields while putting less into the soil.

12/17/2025

12/17/2025

When things seem pretty heavy, we need a little light. Join us Sunday evenings at 9pm EST for an hour of Good News. Our goal is to remind every one there is still reason to have hope and you are not alone.
https://www.youtube.com/-SBS/videos

12/17/2025

Every time synthetic clothes are washed, thousands of microscopic plastic fibers break loose and flow out with wastewater. These microplastics are too small for most treatment plants to fully capture, allowing them to enter rivers and oceans. Over time, they accumulate in ecosystems and food chains, making household laundry a surprisingly large contributor to global plastic pollution. Looking for a better solution, researchers at the University of Bonn drew inspiration from anchovies and other filter-feeding fish. These fish use specialized gill arches with comb-like structures to trap tiny food particles while water passes through unhindered. By copying this natural design, scientists created a funnel-shaped filter that redirects wash water along angled walls instead of forcing it directly through a flat mesh. This approach allows microplastic fibers to collect and roll toward a storage point without clogging the filter. Tests of the prototype showed it can trap more than 99 percent of synthetic microplastic fibers while maintaining steady water flow. The device is affordable, mechanically simple, and could be integrated into standard washing machines. If widely adopted, this anchovy-inspired appliance could significantly reduce the amount of microplastics released into the environment — proving that nature still holds some of the smartest solutions to modern problems.

12/16/2025

The Vod is available if you missed Sunday's Live broadcast. This was the last Good News episode of the year. Join us this coming Sunday for a Chat N Chill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxRfRiOslxM

12/16/2025

Nick's Newsies Flora & Fauna 12/16/2025

Welcome to the fiftieth post in a weekly series entitled "Nick's Newsies Flora & Fauna!" This is a dive into the various plants and animals the Nick's Newsies have, and each Tuesday we'll feature a different Nick's Newsie family member. If you want to try your hand at pet ownership or work that green thumb, check out these posts for ideas and care instructions!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches. We know it can be a bit barbaric, but there's something about the smell of fresh pine that warms a home. Almost every year, Nick gets a real Christmas tree. Not for the needles he'll be cleaning out of the carpet until next year, or the sap he'll no doubt get in his clothes handling such a magnificent piece of flora. He gets it for the seasonal joy it brings into the home, and the art of decorating it in so many good memories. So here's to the Christmas tree, capable of providing so much goodness in such a short period of time.

Morphology:
Christmas trees tend to be evergreen conifers such as spruce, pine or fir. In fact, your typical Christmas tree can be any of those, often confined to the smaller species due to space, but there can be quite a bit of variety. Height and spread tends to be species dependent, but most are harvested at around 3 to 5 feet (0.9144 to 1.524 m) in diameter, and 4 to 8 feet (1.2192 to 2.4384 m) in height. Of course there are monsters used in city centers, but your run-of-the-mill Christmas trees don't tend to be megalithic for your home.

Distribution & Habitat:
Conifers are fans of all climates, and tend to grow well pretty much around the world in temperate regions. They can be found in areas across Europe, North America, Central America, South America, Australia and Russia, basically anywhere a coniferous forest wants to pop up.

Care:
Once your Christmas tree is harvested, it is on borrowed time. It cannot be replanted, and will slowly begin to pass on. Make the most of that time by utilizing a Christmas tree stand, filled with plenty of water. The Christmas tree is going to need every drop it can get, so check the stand multiple times a week to ensure water remains constant and available. If it's exceptionally dry in your home, consider misting the tree now and then to help retain moisture. Keep the Christmas tree away from hot air vents to prevent it from drying out faster. When it comes time to take the tree down, make sure to remove all tinsel and ornaments, as well as ornament hangers. The great thing about Christmas trees is that they are recyclable! Take yours to a designated Christmas tree recycling spot, where it can be used for mulch or all sorts of other tree-derived products. That way your Christmas tree can pass on into a product that can be given once again.

With Regard to Other Pets:
Be aware that consumption of pine needles from conifers can be upsetting to a fur friend's GI tract. The sap and tree stand water can also be sources of irritation. If you have a fur friend, dissuade them from hanging out in the tree, and use a cover to prevent them from drinking the tree stand water. Also be aware that Christmas trees present other hazards, like if your fur friend knocks it over! Properly secure the tree using a tree stand, preferably one that sets into the tree at multiple points and has a good wide base. Other Christmas-time plants are also extremely hazardous, like Poinsettias and Mistletoe. Both are toxic to cats and dogs, and need to be kept away from them at all costs. If your fur friend has had a nibble of either a Poinsettia or Mistletoe, contact your vet immediately for assistance.

We hope you found this article informative and fun! Stay tuned for future installments, available on Tuesdays, as we continue to explore the various flora and fauna the Nick's Newsies care for! If you have any questions or would like to submit your own flora and fauna for consideration by all means contact us here on Facebook, or email us at [email protected]. As always we love you all, and have a great day!

12/15/2025

Researchers at Northwestern University have introduced a major advance in neurobiology and bioelectronics by creating a wireless device that uses light to transmit information straight into the brain. The approach moves around the body’s traditional sensory pathways and instead interacts with neurons directly. The system is soft and flexible and fits beneath the scalp while resting on the skull. From this position, it can project carefully programmed light patterns through the bone to stimulate neurons across large areas of the cortex. During testing, scientists used tiny bursts of patterned light to activate specific groups of neurons in mouse models. These neurons are genetically modified to respond to light. The mice quickly learned that certain light patterns represented meaningful cues and used them to guide behavior. Even though no normal senses were involved, the animals used these artificial signals to make decisions and complete behavioral challenges. Researchers see broad potential for this approach. It could eventually support prosthetic limbs by supplying sensory feedback, deliver new types of artificial input for future hearing or vision devices, help manage pain without drugs, enhance recovery after injury or stroke, and even support brain-controlled robotic limbs. The study was published on December 8 in Nature Neuroscience.