Research has shown that if your space is full of clutter, your mind may be as well. That fact in and of itself presents a problem: How can you go about cleaning when you’re already overwhelmed before you even start? KC Davis, author of How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing, has thought long and hard about this and come up with some simple and accessible tips. The first, she told Time magazine, is sorting mess into five categories: trash, dishes, laundry, items that have a place, and items that don’t have a place. “I would get a trash bag and pick up all my trash, and then I’d get my laundry basket and pick up all my laundry,” she said. “It provided a really simple roadmap for my brain.” Read more decluttering advice from her and other experts.
National Monument in Hawaii May Soon Become a Protected Marine Sanctuary
NOAA
Papahānaumokuākea, an expanse off the coast of Hawaii, is deeply significant to Native Hawaiians. Its name represents the union of ancestors Papahānaumoku and Wākea, who, per tradition, created the Hawaiian islands, taro root, and the Hawaiian people. It was also the site of commercial whaling in the 19th century and the World War II Battle of Midway, making it an important historical location in addition to its cultural and ecological value. And the marine national monument might soon earn greater protections under the law by becoming a national marine sanctuary, which is a designation requiring an act of Congress. Late last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the draft documents for making 582,250 square miles of Papahānaumokuākea a national marine sanctuary. From now through early May, the agency will accept public comment on its proposal and co-host meetings with the state of Hawaii to garner feedback from community members. Papahānaumokuākea contains “unique environmental resources,” with interconnected ecosystems including coral islands, various reefs, open ocean waters, and deep-water habitats, per the NOAA. Watch a video exploring the proposed sanctuary area.
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Those of us who don’t have much knowledge of the Middle Ages (beyond high school social studies and maybe The Princess Bride) might assume that most people at the time were peasants or serfs working their lives away in the fields. But cultural historian Witold Rybczynski has studied leisure through the centuries, and it turns out that modern Westerners, even with all our technology and conveniences, are falling behind Middle Age society when it comes to down time. “In the Middle Ages, people actually had more leisure time and more holidays than we do,” Rybczynski told Australia’s ABC News. “They had market days, they had feast days, saints’ days throughout the year, local days, and then finally holidays.” He also cited weeklong weddings and events like traveling circuses, which would be cause for workers to pause and take a break. “Leisure was more important in terms of everyday life than the work. The work was harder and broken up much more … compared to today,” Rybczynski explained. Take a page from the olden days and learn how you can incorporate more fun and leisure into your life.
Tech
Glacial Landslides Can Cause Tsunamis — This New Algorithm Detects Them in Just Minutes
Chris Larsen
Landslides can wreak havoc on the surrounding environment — damaging property, threatening humans and wildlife, and ripping up vegetation. In Alaska, glacial landslides in spots like Barry Arm could also cause devastating tsunamis with waves that hit nearby communities in as little as 20 minutes, according to a recent paper from researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. So those researchers knew they were racing against time when they set out to find a new way to detect such natural disasters in advance. “With an earthquake, there are instruments that measure ocean wave heights, and tsunami warning centers are on alert after an earthquake,” co-author Ezgi Karasözen said in a statement. “But landslides aren’t systematically monitored in Alaska or elsewhere in the world. If a landslide-triggered tsunami were to happen, we wouldn’t know. That’s a major concern.” Using a 2015 landslide in Alaska’s Taan Fjord (pictured) as a case study, the geologists developed an algorithm that continually scans seismic data from multiple sources to look for a landslide wave signature. The prototype system has been in place in the area around Barry Arm, which officials are worried might experience a landslide soon, since August. And, importantly, it meets the NOAA’s goal of issuing a tsunami warning within five minutes of a landslide.
In Other News
The FDA announced that food packaging sold in the U.S. no longer contains PFAS, eliminating a major source of the “forever chemicals.”
Researchers found a new way to classify prostate cancer that could help identify high-risk patients and potentially get them treatment earlier.
The seed vault on the Arctic island Svalbard gained a record influx of new seeds from around the globe that will help guarantee “food security for generations to come.”
After Jon Stewartdelivered a tearful tribute to his late dog Dipper on The Daily Show, the New York animal rescue he adopted the pup from received more than $35,000 in donations in Dipper’s name.
Something We Love
Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagon Lights Nanoleaf’s colorful LED hexagons provide the perfect opportunity to get creative with your lighting scheme. You can play with infinite design possibilities in the app, arranging the shapes and choosing from a mind-bending 16 million colors to create something truly one of a kind. If hexagons aren’t for you, the brand also offers smart lights in triangles and mixed shapes of various sizes.
Recommendations are independently selected by our team but may result in a commission to Nice News which helps keep our content free.
Inspiring Story
“It was heroic”
A sanitation worker in the U.K. did far more than just pick up the trash during a recent round. Steve Whitehouse rescued two people and a dog from a house fire, climbing up to a balcony three times to save them. “I have no doubt that without Steve’s incredible bravery the outcome could have been very different,” one official said.
Have you ever dreamed of flying … on skis? This photo from the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Finland on Friday features Austrian athlete Eva Pinkelnig soaring through the air before touching down and earning third place in the competition.
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