Heroes
See The Scientific Accident That May Change The World (Or At Least Your Battery Life)
Why aren't we powering everything with tiny, fast, biodegradable "batteries"?
02.13.13
“Let's go all in and fill their visual memory with as much beauty as we can."
“Blink,” a new film by National Geographic Documentary Films shows how a family with four children, three of whom are going blind, embraces life in the face of an uncertain future. It’s a testament to the resilience of the Lemay-Pelletier family but also a reminder for all of us to seize the day because all our futures are uncertain.
Edith Lemay and Sébastien Pelletier are the parents of Mia, a 13-year-old girl, and three boys: Léo, 11, Colin, 9, and Laurent, 7. Over the last six years, they’ve learned that Mia and the two youngest boys have retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disease in which the cells of the retina slowly die. As the disease progresses, the person develops “tunnel vision” that shrinks until very little vision remains.
The diagnosis devastated the parents. "The hardest part with the diagnosis was inaction. There's nothing they can do about it. There's no treatment,” Edith says in the film.
However, even though the parents couldn’t affect the progress of the disease, they could give their children’s senses an epic experience that would benefit them for a lifetime.
“We don’t know how fast it’s going to go, but we expect them to be completely blind by mid-life,” said the parents. Mia’s impairment advisor suggested they fill her visual memory with pictures from books. “I thought, I’m not going to show her an elephant in a book; I’m going to take her to see a real elephant,” Edith explains in the film. “And I’m going to fill her visual memory with the best, most beautiful images I can.”
The Pelletier family (from left): Mia, Sebastien, Colin, Edith Lemay, Laurent and Leo inKuujjuaq, Canada.via National Geographic/Katie Orlinsky
This realization led to an inspiring year-long journey across 24 countries, during which every family member experienced something on their bucket list. Mia swam with dolphins, Edith rode a hot-air balloon in Cappadocia, and Léo saw elephants on safari.
Colin realized his dream of sleeping on a moving train while Sébastien saw the historic site of Angkor Wat.
“We were focusing on sights,” explains Pelletier. “We were also focusing a lot on fauna and flora. We’ve seen incredible animals in Africa but also elsewhere. So we were really trying to make them see things that they wouldn’t have seen at home and have the most incredible experiences.”
Cameras followed the family for 76 days as they traveled to far-flung locales, including Namibia, Mongolia, Egypt, Laos, Nepal and Turkey. Along the way, the family made friends with local people and wildlife. In a heartbreaking scene, the boys wept as the family had to leave behind a dog named Bella he befriended in the mountains of Nepal.
But the film isn't just about the wonders of nature and family camaraderie. The family's trip becomes a “nightmare” when they are trapped in a cable car suspended hundreds of feet above the Ecuadorian forest for over 10 hours.
Leo, Laurent, Edith, Colin, Mia, and Sebastien look out at the mountains in the Annapurna range.via MRC/Jean-Sébastien Francoeur
As expected, NatGeo’s cinematographers beautifully capture the family's journey, and in the case of “Blink,” this majestic vision is of even greater importance. In some of the film's quietest moments, we see the children taking in the world's wonders, from the vast White Desert in Egypt to a fearless butterfly in Nepal, with the full knowledge that their sight will fail one day.
Along the way, the family took as many pictures as possible to reinforce the memories they made on their adventure. “Maybe they’ll be able to look at the photographs and the pictures and they will bring back those stories, those memories, of the family together,” Edith says.
But the film is about more than travel adventures and the pain of grief; ultimately, it’s about family.
“By balancing [the parents’ grief] with a more innocent and joyous tale of childlike wonder and discovery, we felt we could go beyond a mere catalog of locations and capture something universal,” the directors Edmund Stenson and Daniel Roher, said in a statement. “Keeping our camera at kid-height and intimately close to the family, we aimed to immerse the audience in the observational realities of their daily life, as well as the subtle relationships between each of them. This is a film built on looks, gestures and tiny details—the very fabric of our relationships with one another.”
Ultimately, “Blink” is a great film to see with your loved ones because it’s a beautiful reminder to appreciate the wonders of our world, the gift of our senses and the beauty of family.
The film will open in over 150 theaters in the U.S. and Canada beginning Oct. 4 and will debut on National Geographic Channel and stream on Disney+ and Hulu later this year. Visit the “Blink” website for more information.
More of this, please.
One of the hardest parts of being a parent is never being sure whether you're doing a good job or totally bombing it. If you're conscientious enough to even wonder if you're a good parent, you probably are, but parenting entails a million little choices and interactions, and there's always a lingering voice in your head saying, "What if you're really screwing this whole thing up?"
Reassurance and encouragement are always appreciated by parents, but not always received, which is why a note from one camping dad to another has people celebrating the kindness of anonymous strangers.
Someone on Yosemite Reddit thread shared a photo of a handwritten note with the caption, "To the man who left this thoughtful note on my windshield at Lower Pines Campground this weekend, I extend my heartfelt gratitude; your acknowledgment of my efforts to be a good father means a great deal to me."
The note reads:
"Bro,
I camped in the spot behind you last night. Let me just say, you are killing it as a dad. First off, I watched your wife guide you in as you backed up your trailer and nailed it on the first try without any yelling. Then your kids unloaded from the truck and were mild-mannered and well behaved. You told stories around the campfire and I had the pleasure of listening to the sounds of giggles and laughter.
From one dad to another, you are killing it. Keep it up.
P.S. Whatever you cooked for dinner smelled delicious!"
How often do we share these thoughts with strangers, even if we have them? And who wouldn't love to get a surprise bit of praise with specific examples of things we did right?
So many people found the note to be a breath of fresh air and a good reminder to compliment people when we feel the urge:
"That would make any daddy's eyes water."
"It’s always nice, as a guy, to get a compliment."
"I complimented a guy's glasses at work (I'm also a guy, and btw they were really cool glasses, I wasn't just being nice) and now he keeps trying to tell me where he got his glasses and how I should get some. But I'm just having to be polite because I already have glasses and I'm not in the market. I finally had to tell him I'm not going to buy them lmao I just like them on him.
Made me feel like that's the first compliment he's had in years because he can't stop talking about it. Also I mainly liked the glasses because I think he's cute but he really thinks it's just the glasses haha jokes on him that cute bastard."
"I was in the store with my wife and one of our 'adopted nephews' yesterday (we’re close friends with his parents and we’ve known him and his brother since they were newborns and 2yo, respectively). A woman came up to me at checkout while my wife was running out to the car and said 'I’m not sure what your family relationship is here, but I just have to tell you how nice and refreshing it is to hear all the laughter and joy from the 3 of you. You both seem like such a good influence on him and it warms my heart.' It’s such a small thing but as a dude, I can’t remember the last time someone gave me a compliment in public and it made my freaking day."
"10/10 letter. The and not yelling part gave me a good chuckle lol."
"We need so much more of men getting such heartfelt and sincere compliments. Thanks for sharing. ❤️"
"I’ve never considered leaving a note, but when I see a harmonious family with good parenting, it’s healing for me. My childhood was awful."
"Such an awesome compliment! Even though I don't have children myself, I like to remind my friends too that they're doing great & it brings them happy tears."
"This made me cry. I love that you are getting your 'flowers.' My dad sucked, I’m so glad you are one of the good ones."
"This made me cry too. It’s so hard to be a human. Let alone a parent. Getting a good job sticker every now and then really means a lot these days."
"I'm a big bearded guy and I would cry if I got this note. More people like this, please."
The best part of this story is that no one knows who the dad who wrote the note is, not even the dad who shared it. It wasn't written for clout or notoriety, it wasn't to get attention or make himself look good. No name or signature, just an anonymous act of kindness to uplift a stranger whether he needed it or not.
We all need to hear or read kind things said about us, and sometimes it means even more coming from an anonymous stranger who has nothing to gain by sharing. A good reminder to share it when you feel it—you never know how many people you may move and inspire.
The average flyer misses the best deal by 15 days.
Everyone seems to have a theory on the best time to purchase airfare to save the most money. Some say it's right before take-off. Others will swear that prices are lowest six months before the flight. Well, now we have the truth. A scientific study was conducted by Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Commission that found the best times to buy flight tickets to get the best deal possible.
When we actually buy...
DOMESTIC: 32 DAYS IN ADVANCE
INTERNATIONAL: 59 DAYS IN ADVANCE
When we should buy...
Get your boarding pass ready.
Photo from Pixabay.
DOMESTIC: 57 DAYS IN ADVANCE
The ideal advance-purchase time for domestic flight to snag the lowest average airfare is 57 with prices climbing most rapidly in the 20 days leading up to the flight. On a flight that averages $496, it will cost $401 57 days before the flight and around $650 the day of departure.
INTERNATIONAL: 171 DAYS IN ADVANCE
For a ticket that averages $1,368, the lowest average of $1,004 happens around 171 days before take-off. On the day of, the price will be around $1875. Ticket prices begin to dramatically escalate 75 days leading up to departure.
(H/T Conde Nast Traveler)
This article originally appeared on 10.14.15
“Do I have to change my name if I get married? Call me Shredder.”
Raising kids is tough, but there's a lot of laughs along the way.
Comedy writer James Breakwell has four daughters under the age of eight and shares their hilarious conversations on Twitter. And, from Breakwell's tweets, it looks like his five year old has a future in comedy.
Here's a sampling of some Breakwell's funniest kid-inspired tweets.
Me: What did you do at school today?\n\n5-year-old: Learned about dragons.\n\nMe: Your class learned about dragons?\n\n5: I learned about dragons. I don't know what everybody else was doing.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1524164098
5-year-old: *stares off into space*\n\nMe: What's wrong?\n\n5: What happens if a kangaroo jumps on a trampoline?\n\nMe: *stares off into space, too*— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1512655067
5-year-old daughter: Why does Mom wear makeup?\n\nMe: To look pretty.\n\n5: But she's already pretty.\n\nMe: Aww.\n\n5: Dad, you should wear makeup.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1434719335
3-year-old: Do boys like Frozen?\n\n5-year-old: Nobody cares what boys like.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522195727
5-year-old: I wish we all had infinity dollars\n\nMe: That\u2019d wreck the economy\n\n5: I just-\n\nMe: Go to your room until you understand inflation— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1441628973
5-year-old daughter: I think a boy likes me. He drew me a dinosaur.\n\nMe: That could mean anything.\n\n5: The dinosaur had a hat.\n\nOh shit.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1435237545
[watching a guy on TV do CPR]\n\n5-year-old daughter: Why is he kissing her?\n\nMe: He's not. He's saving her life.\n\n5: I'd rather die.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1458752016
Me: Who ate all the cookies?\n\n5-year-old: Ninjas.\n\nMe: I didn\u2019t see them.\n\n5-year-old: No one ever does.\n\nCheckmate.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1433627847
5 y.o.: Why do people congratulate you when Mom is the one making the baby?\n\nMe: I helped\n\n5: How?\n\nMe:\n\n5:\n\nMe: I read her the instructions— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1446746149
Me: You can't like Kylo Ren. He killed his dad.\n\n5-year-old: Maybe he deserved it.\n\nI'm never sleeping again.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1460388284
Me: What happened on the coffee table?\n\n5-year-old daughter: Elsa killed all the stormtroopers.pic.twitter.com/36hCfd1z5s— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1432591871
5-year-old: I'm writing a book.\n\nMe: What's it called?\n\n5: I Ate Too Many Cupcakes.\n\nMe: Oh.\n\n5: It's just pretend because you can never eat too many cupcakes.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1523975066
5-year-old: *eats a cupcake for breakfast*\n\nMe: Cupcakes aren't a breakfast food.\n\n5: I know. They're an all-day food.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1523364754
Me: It snowed last night.\n\n5-year-old: *flops on the floor* We already did winter.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1523279528
Me: You're still in your pajamas.\n\n5-year-old: I'll get dressed soon.\n\nMe: It's 4 in the afternoon.\n\n5: Don't rush me.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1523131531
[spring break]\n\n5-year-old: When do we have to go back to school?\n\nMe: Monday.\n\n5: *slides me a penny* When now?— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522870699
Me: Wake up. Time to get dressed.\n\n5-year-old: Not again.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522158012
5-year-old: *won't get out of bed*\n\nMe: I don't want to fight you every morning.\n\n5: Then let me win.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522847748
Me: Why are you being mean?\n\n5-year-old: I ran out of nice.\n\nIt's going to be a long night.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522786515
[lightning strike super close to our house]\n\n5-year-old: Missed me.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522762976
5-year-old: Can we have pizza?\n\nMe: We just had pizza yesterday.\n\n5: The pizza doesn't know that.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522096312
Me: Hurry.\n\n5-year-old: I am.\n\nMe: You're still in bed.\n\n5: I'm sleeping faster.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1521811809
5-year-old: Leprechauns are fairies.\n\nMe: They are?\n\n5: I thought you went to college.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1521326336
5-year-old: Do I have to change my name if I get married?\n\nMe: Only if you want to.\n\n5: Call me Shredder.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1521585950
His 5-year-old isn't the only (often unintentionally) hilarious child in the house; the 7-year-old and 3-year-old turn up from time to time. There's also a 2-year-old, but she hasn't been the subject of many tweets yet.
Me: *gets burned by bacon grease* Ow!\n\n7-year-old: Love hurts.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1512230800
Me: What are you doing?\n\n7-year-old: Counting the presents under the tree.\n\nMe: There aren't any presents under the tree.\n\n7: I know.\n\nPassive aggressive level 9000.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1511896968
3-year-old: *holds up a baby doll* What's her name?\n\nMe: She doesn't have one. You can name her.\n\n3: *kissing baby* I love you, Stupid Face.\n\nShe'll make a great mother.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1511877311
7-year-old: I'm glad I'm not a boy.\n\nMe: Why?\n\n7: I like being smart.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1512136729
3-year-old: Mommy married you.\n\nMe: Yeah.\n\n3: Why?\n\nWife: Nobody knows.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522527335
2-year-old: *touches my beard* It's soft like a kitty.\n\nMe: You mean rugged and manly.\n\n2: Purrrr.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1493775467
4-year-old: What happens when you die?\n\nMe: You go to heaven.\n\n4: No, I mean when you die, do I get your stuff?— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1412245842
4-year-old: Why do you go to work?\n\nMe: They pay me a salary.\n\n4-year-old:\n\nMe:\n\n4-year-old: I don\u2019t even like celery.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1425155143
3-year-old daughter: Will I have a baby in my belly someday?\n\nMe: If you want to.\n\n3: No thanks. That's where I put my candy.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1459859421
7-year-old: Why do we have to dress up?\n\nMe: It's Easter.\n\n7: Jesus just wore robes.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522592817
Me: Do you know why they call it Good Friday?\n\n7-year-old: There's no school.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522427812
7-year-old: Why does my teacher keep testing what I know?\n\nMe: What should she do?\n\n7: Trust me.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522246883
7-year-old: You should let me eat more candy.\n\nMe: Why?\n\n7: Then you won't eat it.\n\nShe's my new diet plan.— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn) 1522092561
This article originally appeared on 7.27.21
Mind. Blown.
Optical illusions are universally beloved for how they trick our brains and blow our minds. There's a reason we enjoy magic shows and Escher paintings and are mesmerized by fake oases in the desert. We love seeing things that bend our perceptions of reality, and the science behind the magic always proves fascinating as well.
The YouTube channel Curiosity Show explains the science of the illusion and gives a DIY demonstration for making your own Ames window. But wait until the pen gets taped to the window and spun. This is some real-life magic right here. Mind. Blown.
This article originally appeared on 02.21.20
The life-sized Mr. Quackers was almost too much joy for Charlie to handle.
The first thing you need to know about Charlie the golden retriever is that he loves Mr. Quackers.
Mr. Quackers is Charlie's stuffed yellow duck. Charlie carries him around everywhere, he loves him so.
@charliethegolden18 I always so happ to see my lil bro 😋 #dogsoftiktok #petsoftiktok #dogs #goldenretriever
Anyone who's had a dog with a favorite stuffy knows that it's a bit like a child with a favorite stuffy. As long as the stuffy is there, all is well. If stuffy goes missing, all hell breaks loose. Nobody take the stuffy away. Nobody lose the stuffy. Nobody mess with the stuffy.
Where they go, their stuffy goes.
Where Charlie goes, Mr. Quackers goes.
That's just the way it is.
@charliethegolden18 Happens every..single..time 😂🙈 #dogsoftiktok #petsoftiktok #dogs #goldenretriever ♬ Quirky - Oleg Kirilkov
The attachment is real. Watch what happens when Charlie's buddy Buddy tries to mess with Mr. Quackers.
@charliethegolden18 Ain’t nobody touching my Mr. Quackers 😋 #dogsoftiktok #petsoftiktok #dogs #goldenretriever
"There, see it!" Oh, Charlie. His love for Mr. Quackers is unrivaled, which is why his owner decided to pull an incredible pet prank and dress up as Mr. Quackers himself.
@charliethegolden18 When your husband finds a costume that looks identical to your dogs favorite duck toy 😂 #dogsoftiktok #petsoftiktok #dogs #goldenretriever
The things we do for our dogs, indeed.
And when Charlie got to meet the life-sized Mr. Quackers? So. Much. Joy.
@charliethegolden18 Dressed up as our dogs favorite duck toy. Full video on FB & YouTube. Link in bio. #dogsoftiktok #petsoftiktok #dogs #goldenretriever
Charlie practically wagged his tail right off his body. And he never let go of the original Mr. Quackers the whole time—at least on TikTok.
The extended video on YouTube shows Charlie dropping Mr. Quackers and trying to get a hold of Huge Mr. Quackers by the neck. Not in an aggressive way—more like in a "Hey, lemme carry you around like I do Mr. Quackers!" kind of way.
And then the slow discovery that Huge Mr. Quackers smells an awful lot like his hooman … just too precious.
Animals can bring such joy to our lives, especially when we take the time to play with them. Thanks, Charlie's parents, for sharing this moment of adorable delight with us all.
Follow more of Charlie and Mr. Quackers' adventures on TikTok and YouTube.
This article originally appeared on 03.30.22