The gist: Remember when inflation was supposed to be a temporary problem?

Economists are increasingly concerned that elevated prices could remain a challenge well into 2027.

A new Reuters survey of more than 500 economists found that inflation forecasts for next year have been raised in 31 of the 50 economies examined.

One of the biggest reasons is energy.

Oil prices have remained above $100 a barrel since early October, following a sharp rise linked to the war involving Iran.

When energy becomes more expensive, the effects can spread far beyond the gas pump.

Transporting groceries costs more. Manufacturing becomes more expensive. Businesses face higher operating costs, which can eventually reach consumers.

But there's an interesting twist.

Despite those pressures, economists have also raised their expectations for global economic growth, forecasting approximately 3.0% growth in 2026 and 3.2% in 2027.

Why it matters: Inflation slowing down doesn't necessarily mean prices are falling. It often means they're increasing more slowly.

And when inflation stays elevated, central banks face a difficult decision: keep borrowing costs high to control prices or ease interest rates to support economic growth.

For households, that can mean continued pressure on mortgages, loans and everyday expenses.

The economy may be growing, but that doesn't automatically mean life is getting cheaper.

Go deeper: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/high-inflation-persist-globally-into-next-year-reuters-poll-shows-2026-10-27/

The gist: If dating apps aren't working out, Finland has another idea.

The country's tourism organization, Visit Finland, is inviting international singles to apply for an all-expenses-paid, four-day trip built around food, travel and meeting new people.

The experience, called Finnish Dinner Date, will take place in February 2027.

Sixteen international participants will be selected for two small-group experiences, one in the Helsinki region and the other in Tampere.

The itinerary includes Finnish culinary experiences, local activities and a group dinner featuring regional tasting menus.

And yes, local Finnish singles will be joining the dinners.

To apply, participants must submit a short video answering one question:

“What would you serve on a dinner date, and why?”

Applications close November 10, 2026.

The campaign was partly inspired by a Finnish dating trend involving pink grocery baskets, which some singles use to signal that they're open to meeting someone while shopping.

Why it matters: Tourism marketing is becoming more about experiences than simply showing people beautiful destinations.

Instead of advertising Finland's scenery, the campaign invites travellers to experience its culture through food, social connection and a little romance.

It also reflects a growing interest in meeting people through shared activities rather than exclusively through dating apps.

And for the selected participants, the experience is a chance to explore a country they might never have considered visiting.

Apparently, the next great love story could begin over Finnish salmon soup.

Go deeper: https://www.visitfinland.com/en/have-some-finnish/

The gist: About 4,000 years ago, somewhere in what is now western Türkiye, a dog walked across a freshly made mudbrick.

The clay was still wet, so its paws left impressions on the surface.

The brick eventually dried and became part of the wall of a Bronze Age house.

Later, the building was destroyed by fire.

And for thousands of years, those little paw prints remained hidden in the ruins.

Now, archaeologists excavating the ancient settlement of Tavşanlı Höyük have uncovered the brick, with the impressions still visible.

The discovery was announced this week by Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Why it matters: Archaeology often focuses on monumental buildings, ancient rulers and elaborate treasures.

But some of the most revealing discoveries are ordinary accidents.

The paw prints offer a small glimpse into everyday life in a Bronze Age settlement, including the presence of dogs alongside the people who lived there.

They also illustrate how something as temporary as wet clay can preserve an unexpected moment for thousands of years.

Four thousand years later, someone's dog is still leaving evidence that it was somewhere it probably shouldn't have been.

Go deeper: https://www.iflscience.com/over-4000-years-ago-a-dog-left-its-paw-print-in-this-house-brick-found-in-turkey-85038

Serendipity ser-uhn-DIP-ih-tee | noun

Definition: The occurrence of finding something valuable or pleasant without specifically looking for it.

In a sentence: Discovering the tiny bookstore down a side street was pure serendipity.

Why it's worth knowing: Serendipity is more than luck. It captures the unexpected discoveries that happen when we leave room for something unplanned.

When you visit a restaurant, café or bar for the first time, try asking:

“What's something on the menu that regulars love but first-timers usually overlook?”

It's a different question from asking what's most popular.

The bestselling item is often the safest or most familiar choice. The overlooked favourite might tell you something more interesting about the place.

You can use the same idea in a bookstore, at a museum or when visiting a new city.

Ask people who know the place what gets overlooked, not just what gets recommended.

The most interesting discoveries aren't always the ones everyone is already pointing toward.

COPY AND PASTE:

Here are five things I'm genuinely interested in: [LIST FIVE INTERESTS].

Suggest 10 subjects, hobbies, cultural experiences or areas of knowledge that I might unexpectedly enjoy.

Don't simply recommend more of the same. Look for surprising connections between my existing interests and unfamiliar topics.

For each suggestion, explain why it might appeal to me, one interesting fact about it and a specific beginner-friendly way to explore it.

Prioritize variety, accessibility and genuinely unexpected ideas.

One thing you didn’t know you wanted to know.

Have you ever noticed that the first few days of a holiday seem packed with memories, while an ordinary week can disappear almost without a trace?

One possible explanation involves novelty and memory.

When we encounter unfamiliar situations, we often pay more attention and form more distinct memories.

Routine experiences, by contrast, can blend together when we look back on them.

Researchers studying retrospective time perception have found that our judgments of how long an experience lasted can be influenced by how we remember its different parts.

This doesn't mean novelty literally slows down time. Our experience of time depends on whether we're judging it in the moment or remembering it afterward.

But it helps explain why a weekend filled with different experiences can sometimes feel more substantial in hindsight than several days spent doing the same familiar things.

Maybe the secret to making life feel longer isn't adding more hours. It's giving more of them something worth remembering.

Go deeper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-025-02833-z