A Gem of a Proposal

CHRISTIAN LIDEN WAS in eighth grade when he hatched a grandiose plan to create a personalized engagement ring for his future fiancée. Never mind that he didn't have a girlfriend. If a natural diamond could take billions of years to form, he figured he could be patient.

Learn a Language as an Adult

Contrary to conventional thinking, it isn't too late

Bubble Tea Blows Up

WHEN BUBBLE TEA was first introduced to the United States about 30 years ago, you could get it only in mom-and-pop shops in big-city Chinatown and Koreatown. Now it's popping up in cafés around the country; Baskin-Robbins even offered a version this spring and summer.

A Celebration of 100th Birthdays

A Celebration of 100th Birthdays

MIND OVER MIGRAINE

A German study of migraine sufferers found that weekly sessions of mindfulnessbased cognitive therapy reduced the frequency of their headaches by 40 percent.

My Southern Accent, Lost and Found

For years, I denied this part of myself, until I realized what I was missing

THE GREAT 9/11 MARITIME RESCUE

We've read about so many heroes of that fateful day, yet somehow this mission-the largest of its kind in history-remains largely unknown

THE PLACEBO CURE

WHY DOCTORS ARE PRESCRIBING SUGAR PILLS INSTEAD OF THE REAL THING

The ENDURING DELIGHT of the DICTIONARY

Every unknown word is a solvable mystery

What I'm Currently Reading

Classics? Self-help books? Not for this Reader's Digest editor.

SO THAT'S WHY WE SAY THAT

Fun facts about the language that's been confounding speakers for centuries: English

A Peek at New Eye Science

Smart contact lenses may do far more than correct vision.

A Dose of Mental Health

Many people are microdosing, but scientists are split over whether the benefits of taking small amounts of psychedelic drugs are a placebo effect or something more

13 Things Home Sweet Vacation Home

We found a fix

Advice to the Young

One of the world's most celebrated writers has much to share—though she sometimes wonders whether she should keep her thoughts to herself

Quincy the Show Goat

BEST PET PALS

THE BEST SANDWICH IN EVERY STATE

We teamed up with Taste of Home and our collective readers to find the 50 greatest ways to fill two slices of bread (or just one, or a bun, or a biscuit...)

WORLD OF MEDICINE

THE HEALTHY NEWS

THE IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE

When 13 members of a Thai youth soccer team became trapped in a flooded cave, the two-week ordeal mesmerized the world. Here's the extraordinary story of how they were saved.

Lending a Hand in UKRAINE

Amid the brutality and destruction, people around the world have reached out to help those caught in the crossfire. Here are a few of their stories.

Instead of Going to College, I Read These Books

For a woman whose life took another path, a teacher’s reading list taught her everything she needed to know

Immune System Supercharger

Vitamin D appears O to help prevent many illnesses, including COVID

HOW TO Learn from Your Regrets

If you never pine for a different past, you'll stay trapped in a cycle of mistakes

Fired Up

World of Good

A Leap of Faith

A car crashes on a bridge and a child is catapulted into the water below. Who will save her?

A Perfect Match

Everyday Miracles

"I never thought of it that way"

How to talk to people even if you disagree

Clean the Things You Never Do*

*But ShouldMore chores? Don't worry. Just add an item or two to your regular routine, and your home will thank you.

Breaking Ground

The steps at the back of David Olson's house in Norton Shores, Michigan, were crumbling and had to go.

Stop Losing Your Stuff

Can't find your keys again? Cognitive experts can help you stop searching (and stressing).