Why being bored is actually good for your brain | June 3, 2026

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:11]What's up, sunshine? I'm Coy Wire here with your 10 minutes of news, where I simply tell you the what, letting you decide what to think. We have scientists today saying that boredom might actually be the superpower our brains have been waiting for. The mayor of New York signing an executive order to repeal students bedtimes. We start though with an update on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a controversial plan to help curb the virus spread. Kenyan President William RTO says he has approved an Ebola quarantine facility requested by the US at an air base in central Kenya for high-risisk Americans who may have been exposed to the disease. A move that sparked protests among some local residents. Meanwhile, at the heart of the outbreak in the DRC, doctors and nurses are working around the clock against a virus that spreads fear as quickly as concern. As of this taping, at least 40 people have died with more than 280 cases confirmed. Our Clarissa Ward gained rare access inside the epicenter where grief, determination, and hope are all part of the battle.

[00:01:14]>> We are now getting ready to go into the so-called red zone of this hospital.

[00:01:19]That is the area where all suspected Ebola patients are put and there is a lot of protective gear unsurprisingly that one needs to wear to go inside. One of the things that makes this so challenging for these healthcare workers is that it becomes unbearably hot >> to wear these for honestly even just 10 or 15 minutes. It's actually quite hard to breathe normally in these things.

[00:01:52]Uncle another pair of gloves.

[00:01:57]>> He tells me to pull the gloves over the sleeves of the suit.

[00:02:01]>> Ebola is not actually airborne.

[00:02:06]It's contracted through fluids, but still healthare workers have to take absolutely every precaution before they can treat the patients because of course to treat the patients they need to touch them.

[00:02:22]>> The doctors write our names on our backs so they can recognize us and then it's time to go in. All right, this next story is for all of our viewers out there rooting for the New York Knicks.

[00:02:33]In tonight's tip off of the NBA Finals, New York City is running on Knicks fever. Mayor Zoran Mandani has given students the green light to stay up late, encouraging parents to bend rules so kids can stay up and watch the finals. The Knicks are facing the Spurs in their first Finals appearance since 1999. The city's wearing team colors with pride. Iconic subway railings and posts painted orange and blue.

[00:02:59]Excitement is spreading from burrow to burrow. The Knicks haven't won it all since 1973. Back when gas was 40 cents a gallon and streaming meant hopping in a creek. The internet didn't even exist yet. Pop quiz hot shot. Which part of your body uses about 20% of your energy despite making up only about 2% of your body weight? Heart, brain, liver, or lungs?

[00:03:25]If you said brain, ding, ding. It's basically the energy hungry smartphone app you forgot was running in the background. Even when sleeping or daydreaming, your brain is constantly firing billions of signals controlling everything from memories and emotions to movement and decision-making.

[00:03:40]Summer break is almost here. Maybe you've got a dream vacation or summer camp planned, or maybe you're booked solid with some prolevel chilling. But eventually, almost everyone inevitably is going to run into the same thing.

[00:03:52]Boredom. Well, it turns out scientists say boredom is good for our brains. In a world filled with endless scrolling, streaming, snaps, posts, and pings, experts say many of us aren't getting enough quiet time for our minds. Here's why. One professor and best-selling author says we actually need to get better at boredom. We need to be elite athletes at boredom. Because once we do that, we're going to find that our life feels deeper and more meaningful. The benefits of boredom have everything to do with what happens to your brain when you're bored. A set of structures in your brain turns on called the default mode network that leads you to flights of fancy, thinking about big questions, mind wandering, and that's where you find the meaning of your life. That's when the big complexities actually come into your brain. The trouble is that we don't like it, and so we turn boredom off. Most notably, we turn it off with the anti-borted devices in all of our pockets. Once you look at your phone, you're not bored anymore. putting yourself into the wrong part of your brain and turning off your ability to to get that mind wandering that you need.

[00:04:51]>> The script's national spelling be in Washington DC this past weekend was EPIC. It proved that intelligence can absolutely be a spectator sport. It's basically the Olympics of knowing where to put silent letters. But beyond the brain power, these kids, they were funny, fearless, and cool under pressure. We went behind the scenes to meet the competitors, test their skills, and see what happens when some of the nation's best spellers step away from the mic.

[00:05:15]>> In fourth grade, I tried the school spelling be because I thought if I'm good at reading, why not try spelling?

[00:05:20]And it's all kind of just went from there.

[00:05:23]>> She kind of just had a natural gift for it.

[00:05:25]>> Like when I was young, um when the teachers didn't spell right, I kept correcting them.

[00:05:36]It's kind of surreal like going from a written test in like a classroom to like a big stage in Washington DC and like national television. It's kind of hard to believe but it's really cool.

[00:05:48]>> It is high stakes and just the hundreds of hours of work that go into it and knowing that it all just hinges on on one letter is pretty intense.

[00:05:55]>> Could you repeat the words?

[00:05:56]>> I feel like just the composure that all of these kids have is really incredible to watch. I don't feel too confident to take so much credit when it comes to this beautiful young lady because she's so hardworking and she's self motivated.

[00:06:11]>> What's something that you wish people out there knew about how difficult it is to prepare for a spelling beast?

[00:06:17]>> It's not natural talent that can get you somewhere like um scripts. It's it's more about the hard work you put in.

[00:06:24]It's pressuring of course but I think hard work was the one of the reasons why I was able to get this far into the national stage. Hi man even a strate strategy to get to what I am today with spelling.

[00:06:40]>> It takes a lot of dedication and determination because if you do a little bit of work and then you just stop you're not going to go anywhere.

[00:06:48]>> How many hours a day do you think you put in? um four to five hours on weekdays and eight hours on the weekends.

[00:06:56]>> That dedication is so inspiring.

[00:06:58]>> What is something that you hope kids out there watching can learn from your journey?

[00:07:03]>> That anyone can make it to finals? Like if I could make it to finals, anyone can. And that if you put in time and effort, then nothing is stopping you from coming this far.

[00:07:15]>> What was going through your mind when you were lifting that trophy above your head? You know, I was just so relieved and excited to be honest. It was It's It It was just such an amazing moment.

[00:07:26]>> Yeah. I I was just so happy.

[00:07:29]>> So, this is last year's champ. What did you make of that final speed round?

[00:07:33]>> It was so amazing. I mean, I knew Sherry would win all along. He's such a good speller. Like, he's one of my closest friends. I'm so happy for him. Really, >> he's worked very hard. There's no denying that. U you know, spelling was always his passion. Reading is his passion. But like to put in this effort to get to all the geo words and spell off 32 words in 90 seconds. I mean, I I never imagined he would do that, but he did it and I'm so happy.

[00:07:58]>> Wouldn't it mean the people who love you most in this world, your parents, your family surrounding you? How'd that feel?

[00:08:04]>> It was really amazing cuz they've supported me throughout my entire spelling journey. So, I'm just so glad they were here to like share this moment.

[00:08:10]>> Rise up. Yeah.

[00:08:14]>> Rise up.

[00:08:15]>> Woo! Woo!

[00:08:25]>> Today's story getting a 10 out of 10. A hidden star saving the city of stars. A live orchestra in Sydney, Australia was performing the soundtrack to the Oscar-winning movie La La Land when suddenly it found itself missing a keyboard player. Cue the dramatic music.

[00:08:40]The conductor turned to the audience and asked, "Can anyone hear sight read music and play?" That's when yaysayer Sterling Nassa raised his hand, walked on stage, and proceeded to live up to his name.

[00:08:51]>> Yeah, I've always enjoyed that movie. I long admire admired Justin Heritz's career and work. So, yeah, it was just it's one of my favorites. And, you know, obviously in that orchestral setting, it's a lot of fun.

[00:09:01]>> No official job offer yet after his stellar performance, but what are the odds? A future star named Sterling steps out to the crowd to help perform the soundtrack of a movie about dreamers chasing stardom. Congratulations to our your word Wednesday winner, Miss Clark and friends at Totem Middle School in Mary'sville, Washington for submitting yaysayer. Did not know this was a word.

[00:09:23]Opposite of naysayer. It's a noun meaning someone with a confident, positive, and enthusiastic attitude toward life. Thank you for making us smarter today. Our first shout out of the day goes to Mr. Clemen at Red Creek High School in upstate New York.

[00:09:38]Congratulations to all of our graduating seniors there. and Tiffany, a masterfully crafted mug. Rise up and pinkies up. Thank you so much. Our next shout out goes to Miss Betty at Arrowhead Academy in Duth, Minnesota.

[00:09:52]Thank you for your note, kind note about your Hollywood Academy. Thrilled you enjoyed our summer Friday episodes last year. We're doing it again this summer, every Friday. Look forward to keeping in touch and informed with all of you this summer. Go make someone smile today.

[00:10:07]Let's aim to be a little better today than yesterday. Hey, I'm Koi Wire and we are CNN 10.