Tony Awards, Trash Collection, and the First Photos on Mars

What we learned about the Tony Awards

The Tonys—short for the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre—are the live theater version of other US prestigious creative industry awards like the Grammys, Oscars, and Emmys. Since the Tonys debuted in 1947, more than 1,000 actors, directors, playwrights, and others have received awards.

Although the number of award categories has increased over the years, they have always fallen into three general buckets: performance, show and technical, and special honors. The self-governing, 24-member board of the Tony Awards Administration Committee selects roughly 50 individuals—a mix of theater professionals—to serve staggered terms of up to three years on the nomination committee. They must see every Broadway show during the yearlong April-to-April season—typically 30 to 40 productions.

Ceremonies often feature songs from nominated musicals and scenes from nominated plays, a tradition particularly popular since the event was first televised in 1967.

... Read our full explainer on the Tony Awards here.

Also, check out ... 

> Twenty-two celebrities have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony—known as an EGOT. (Read)

> Try your hand at Tony trivia. (Explore)

> The Tony statue features masks of tragedy and comedy. (Explore)

> Meet Antoinette Perry, the namesake of the Tony Award. (Read)

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Tired of Late Fees?

You aren’t alone. Late fees catch up with people fast—and once they hit, they’re hard to shake. Missing a due date by even a day can mean an extra charge on top of your balance, and those fees add up over time. It’s frustrating, and it’s exactly why we love Apple Card.

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Tired of Late Fees?

You aren’t alone. Late fees catch up with people fast—and once they hit, they’re hard to shake. Missing a due date by even a day can mean an extra charge on top of your balance, and those fees add up over time. It’s frustrating, and it’s exactly why we love Apple Card.

Not only does Apple Card have zero fees ever—no annual fees, no foreign transaction fees, no hidden or late fees, no nothing—you can earn unlimited Daily Cash back. Add to that the fact that you can apply and see your credit limit offer with no impact to your credit score, and the ability to use it right away with Apple Pay, and you’ve got one heck of a card just waiting to be used. 

Apply for Apple Card right here and see your credit limit within minutes.

Terms apply.

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Trash collection, explained

The United States generates more municipal solid waste per capita than any other nation on Earth: roughly 292 million tons per year, or about 4.9 pounds per person per day. Trash collection in the US is a local responsibility, managed by city and county governments, often with help from private companies.

Waste flows through an industrial ecosystem that spans garbage trucks, transfer stations, landfills, and waste-to-energy facilities. As of 2018, roughly half of all municipal solid waste is landfilled, about 32% is recycled or composted, and nearly 12% is burned for energy recovery.

New York City became the first US city to implement public-sector garbage management in 1895. Around that time, less than 25% of American cities had waste management systems, but by 1910, 80% did.

... Read what else we learned about trash collection here.

Also, check out ... 

> An anthropologist spent years riding garbage trucks to understand what our trash says about us. (Listen)

> Modern landfills use layered liners, leachate systems, and gas monitoring to safely contain waste. (Learn)

> A solar-powered device with googly eyes is pulling trash from Baltimore's harbor. (Watch)

> Why some US cities pay thousands of dollars for a single public trash can. (Read)

Sleep, 101

Sleep is far more than just a period of rest—it’s a complex, active process during which the brain cycles through distinct stages, each marked by unique patterns of brain activity.

While scientists still debate sleep’s true purpose, research has proved it to be essential for survival. Both humans and animals suffer severe consequences without sleep, including cognitive decline, emotional instability, and eventual death. More than a third of adults regularly experience poor sleep, leading to increased risks of heart attack, Alzheimer’s disease, and motor vehicle accidents.

The drive to sleep is regulated by our internal circadian rhythms, body clocks mediated by cues including light and food, and directed by a master clock located in the hypothalamus. Once asleep, the human sleep cycle proceeds through four stages, each characterized by unique brainwave patterns and physiological changes.

During sleep, the brain performs several critical functions: consolidating short-term memories into long-term storage, preparing neurons for learning the following day, repairing tissues, and boosting the immune system.

... Read our full write-up on Sleep here.

Also, check out ... 

> Try these bedtime exercises to help you sleep. (Explore)

> Tips for ending that late-night scrolling habit. (Listen)

> Nearly everyone dreams, but why don't we always remember them? (Read)
> The best way to nap to improve your mood, cognitive function, and more. (Read)

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It’s Time for Fee-Free Living

Is there anything worse than paying fees? We’ll answer that for you: No. From foreign transaction fees to annual fees to late and hidden fees, there’s nothing more frustrating when it comes to your money. And that’s exactly why Apple Card is genius for having no fees, period.

That’s right—you get the kind of benefits you’d expect from a top-of-the-line credit card (like real cash back on every purchase), all without any additional fees. It might all sound too good to be true, but we’ve seen it in action ... and we can confirm, Apple Card is a credit card unlike any other. Apply for Apple Card right here and see for yourself.

Terms apply. 

Please support our sponsors!

It’s Time for Fee-Free Living

Is there anything worse than paying fees? We’ll answer that for you: No. From foreign transaction fees to annual fees to late and hidden fees, there’s nothing more frustrating when it comes to your money. And that’s exactly why Apple Card is genius for having no fees, period.

That’s right—you get the kind of benefits you’d expect from a top-of-the-line credit card (like real cash back on every purchase), all without any additional fees. It might all sound too good to be true, but we’ve seen it in action ... and we can confirm, Apple Card is a credit card unlike any other. Apply for Apple Card right here and see for yourself.

Terms apply. 

Please support our sponsors!

Best of the Week

We added 258 resources this week to our knowledge collective—share your favorite link or outlet with us to see it featured here next week!

Speaking of trash, how is it impacting space?

Watch every couch gag from "The Simpsons."

Russian Empress Catherine the Great was a roller coaster enthusiast.

Which occupations have the highest burnout rates?

How medieval hospitals cared for patients.

The economics of the increasingly popular genre of romance novels.

Volunteering is a powerful mechanism for fighting loneliness.

Examining technologically advanced smart cities around the world.

Some of Netflix's movies are intended to play in the background.

Why songs get stuck in our heads.

A recent survey suggests kids today are more likely to dream of being YouTubers than astronauts.

See a breakdown of the identified species on Earth.

How private equity is changing the UK.

Revisiting when an ancient Greek playwright was put on trial for his satire.

The first photos ever taken on Mars. 

 ⚽ 1440 Explores ... Soccer, the World Cup, and FIFA  

Historybook: Actress Jean Harlow dies (1937); Mathematician Alan Turing dies (1954); Musician Prince born (1958); US Supreme Court legalizes contraception use by married couples (1965); Writer Dorothy Parker dies (1967).