It’s total solar eclipse day! For months we’ve been inundated with news and information about today’s celestial event — and for good reason: On average, a total solar eclipse can be seen from any given point on the planet only once every 375 years. And the path of totality for this one is crossing through quite a few U.S. states. If you’re one of the lucky ones in that path (or you’re traveling to it) check out a guide to capturing photos of the eclipse with your cellphone. If you’re not, consider tuning in to NASA’s livestream or listening to a real-time “sonification” from San Francisco’s Exploratorium museum. Either way, we hope you get to soak in the communal excitement of the spectacle.
Thanks to innovative sound and touch devices available at gathering sites around the country, people who are blind or visually impaired will be able to feel and hear today’s total solar eclipse. “Eclipses are very beautiful things, and everyone should be able to experience it once in their lifetime,” Yuki Hatch, a high school senior and space enthusiast in Austin, Texas, told the Associated Press. This afternoon, Hatch will gather outside with her classmates at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and listen to a device called the LightSound. The small box, developed in 2017 for that year’s eclipse, converts light intensity data into sound that ranges in pitch and tone. Its creators aimed to distribute at least 750 around North America for public use. Another tool making the eclipse more accessible is the Cadence tablet, a pocket-sized device with rows of three-dimensional dots that move up and down, so users can “feel” the eclipse in real time. Visually impaired high schooler Jazmine Nelson plans to attend NASA’s viewing event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the tablet will be available. With it, she told AP, “You can feel like you’re a part of something.” Watch videos showing both the LightSound and Cadence in action.
Listen up: hear.com released the world’s first hearing aid designed with conversation in mind, and you can really hear the difference. The Horizon IX is not just any hearing aid; it’s the biggest industry breakthrough in over a decade, packing top-notch German engineering into a device that’s so small, people won’t even know you’re wearing it. But that’s not all: It’s rechargeable and bluetooth-enabled, and the company offers award-winning support, flexible payment options, and a no-risk 45-day trial. Getting the clarity you deserve has never been easier — click below to learn more and start hearing clearly.
When someone has an asthma attack, their airways constrict, making it difficult to breathe. After more than a decade of research, a group of scientists in the U.K. have garnered a better understanding of the mechanism behind that constriction, paving the way for new preventative therapies. In a press release from King’s College London, the team explained that airway cells are destroyed during an asthma attack, deteriorating the barrier that normally protects the respiratory tract. That destruction can cause “long-term inflammation, wound healing, and infections that cause more attacks,” per study co-author Jody Rosenblatt. Current medications for asthma, like albuterol inhalers, treat inflammation by opening the airways, but don’t prevent the cell damage documented in the new research. While it hasn’t yet been tested in humans, the scientists identified a compound that did stop the airway damage in mice models, the first step toward new treatments for asthma sufferers. “This discovery opens important new doors to explore possible new treatment options desperately needed for people with asthma rather than focusing solely on inflammation,” said Samantha Walker, the director of research and innovation at Asthma + Lung UK.
Culture
Meet Clark: The Frequent-Flying Bald Eagle Whose Family Helped Save the Species
If you haven’t heard of Clark the bald eagle, prepare to be delighted. The 21-year-old bird is the son of Captain, an eagle gifted to former President Ronald Reagan in 1982, when the species was endangered. Captain ended up being part of a conservation breeding program that helped save America’s national bird — which, thankfully, is no longer at risk of extinction. Captain fathered six eaglets that were released into the wild. But Clark was born with “bad feet,” his handler Daniel Cone told The Washington Post, so his life looks a bit different from his siblings: He spends his time traveling the country with Cone to perform flight demonstrations and educate the public at various events. Clark has taken over 100 commercial flights (yes, he has to go through airport security), and earns new fans on each one. “Everybody comes up to see him,” Cone said. “They’re blown away. It’s a moment they’ll never forget.” Read more about the special eagle and see photos from his adventures.
In Other News
Public school teachers in St. Louis will receive a historic 17% pay bump over the next three years.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced $20 billion in federal grants for clean energy projects across the country.
Dozens of rehabilitated sea turtles returned to the Atlantic Ocean last week, the largest release in Georgia history.
Lego is making its stores more accessible to neurodiverse shoppers in recognition of Autism Awareness Month. Check out the changes.
Something We Love
Material reBoard Cutting Board Material’s colorful cutting boards are made of 75% recycled plastic from kitchen scraps and 25% renewable sugarcane. They’re also BPA-free and dishwasher-safe, and the reviews couldn’t be more glowing. One goes for $35, but if you’re in the market for more, you can also get three for $90.
No, this isn’t a still from Dune: Part Two. It’s the central control building for Kalyon Energy’s solar energy hub in the Turkish desert, the largest such plant in Europe. The building is lined with 7,200 reflective, stainless steel panels — check out more photos of the innovative architecture.
Horizon IX: Good Things Come in Small Packages
The Horizon IX hearing aids from hear.com are small but mighty. They feature state-of-the-art noise suppression, lightning-fast dual processing technology, and the most natural listening experience, but in a tiny, discreet package. Ready to join the more than 385,000 people who are hearing better than ever? Test drive the Horizon IX hearing aids.
