Even at the bottom, the trunks of the spindly, shag-topped trees are thin enough to wrap a good hug around, yet hard as concrete.

BBC: Colombia��s valley of the palms

According to a new study, talking on the phone with Mom is nearly as good as getting a hug for helping stressed-out kids calm down.

CNN: Stressed? Calling Mom helps, study says

When the next-to-last group was done and she knew her time was good enough for at least a bronze, she jumped up to hug her coach.

BBC: Martina Sablikova wins 3,000m speed skating gold medal