nature Archives

Weekend update: Eclipse info, email warning, hot new job

Spring has sprung, and I don’t know about you, but I’m gearing up for a big weekend of hiking and biking! Before you clock out for the week, I’ve got three things to put on your weekend radar.

1. For the nature-chasers: A big moon-day

The solar eclipse is on Monday, and NASA has a great interactive map to help make sure you’re in the right place at the right time. Don’t worry if you’re not dead center in the path of totality; you’ll still get a pretty good view of the action.

🚘 Pro tip: The American Astronomical Society’s Solar Eclipse Task Force says the frenzy will be like having “20 or 30 Super Bowls all at once.” Plan to get to your watch spot hours ahead.

Oh, and don’t fry your eyes. Yes, you need eclipse glasses. And not just any old pair you find online. Scroll down to Deals of the Day for my picks.
Don’t fry your phone, either. Common sense says if looking at the eclipse isn’t safe for your eyes, it’s not safe for your phone’s camera. (Special phone filter link below, too!)

The best way to keep your phone safe? Put it in your pocket. You won’t be able to see a solar eclipse again in the U.S. until 2044, but some things are best appreciated with your own two eyes and the right protection.

2. For the savvy senders: Your inbox is screwed

Use Gmail, Outlook, Apple iCloud, Yahoo! Mail or AOL? I think that covers 90% of you. New research shows these platforms are pretty awful at catching malicious code in attachments. Cases in point:

Apple iCloud, Yahoo! Mail and AOL all delivered a malicious file sample posing as a PowerPoint. Btw, 40 different virus scanners flagged it during testing.
Yahoo! Mail and AOL didn’t block a fake Excel document (that 35 malware scanners caught).

The takeaway: Be very, very careful with attachments. Criminals can sneak something malicious right into your email with just a few tweaks to the metadata. If you weren’t expecting a file, trash it. Oh, and use antivirus software, please and thanks.

3. For the job-seekers: Paging Dr. Roboto

If you’ve got a teen or undergrad in the family, pass along the next big job: Brain-chip surgeon (paywall link). Brain-computer interfaces like those used in Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, turn brain signals into software commands.

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Tweet, tweet: The science behind bird song

Picture this. It’s a nice day, and you sit in a comfy chair to listen to the birds and enjoy your morning beverage. I bet you’re calmer just thinking about that.

And it’s not just you. Researchers say bird songs and calls are some of the most restorative sounds in nature, helping our brains and nervous systems get a nice reset. Those sounds can ease anxiety, too.

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For the birds

Don’t you just love watching and listening to your neighborhood birds? Here are a few tools to help you get closer to nature, whatever that looks like for you.

Bird feeder that sticks to your window with suction cups — love this.
An affordable trail camera for keeping an eye on your backyard visitors.
Smart bird feeders with cameras can run for $300! If you already have a Ring camera, combine it with this case to make your own.
The Audubon Society’s pick for starter binoculars for birding newbies.
Speak bird with this classic red Audubon bird call.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Bird nerds: Bird-watching apps are making it easier than ever to track, identify and record sky dwellers. One of the most popular, Merlin Bird ID (iOS and Android), uses AI to identify birds by their calls. Just be careful what you post. One woman spotted a rare bird, and over 700 people showed up outside her house to see it (paywall link). Yikes!

29,032 feet and growing

Mount Everest’s steady elevation gain can be traced back 89,000 years. Now, it rises about 2 millimeters per year. That’s only 0.08 inches, but it all adds up when you’re getting high.

20 happiest places to travel … based on selfies

We all get a limited number of vacation days each year, so when we travel, we’re all trying to get the most joy for our buck.

Researchers used AI analysis of facial expressions in 63,000 Instagram photos taken at tourist destinations worldwide, showing that not all vacations are created equal — and some places are more grin-inducing than others.

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Need some calm? Listen to the sounds of forests around the world

Amid all the noise in today’s culture, it is common to feel bogged down or unable to relax completely. This is why it is important to find specific ways to calm our minds.

You can try things like meditation, a quiet walk in the park or even an intense workout at the gym. Tap or click here for a list of meditation apps that can ease the stress in life.

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🦅 Nature unfiltered: Thousands of folks just witnessed three eaglets lose their nest in an Iowa storm, leaving the parent eagles shocked as they returned with fish. It’s scenes like these that keep viewers glued to live nature cams offering brutal, unedited glimpses into nature’s raw reality. Curious? Check out Explore.org.

70% more searches

For “star bathing.” Yep, that’s a new term you need to know. Campsite booking platform Hipcamp is seeing more guests looking for a site under clear skies so they can become one with nature. It’s a little out there for me.

This map predicts when leaves will change color as fall arrives

Let’s be honest, it’s been a rough year. Not only have we been cooped up inside for much of it trying to do our best at social distancing but in many areas of the country, the summer heat has been excessive. Finally, things are starting to turn around, at least as far as the weather is concerned, as fall is almost here.

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Pick from thousands of free documentaries to watch on this site

You’ve binge-watched the latest seasons of “Ozark” and “Westworld.”

Now you’re looking for something new but still can’t bring yourself to check out the new Netflix reality TV show “Too Hot to Handle.” Instead of diving into the shallow end of the streaming show pool, how about watching something a little more interesting instead?

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