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A 17-year-old created a free app that makes Disney+ films more accessible for deaf children

asl, deaf, sign language, disney, signup

International School Magazine/Twitter

Mariella Satow, 17, spent her pandemic down time creating a signing app for children's films.

Subtitles and closed captions make it possible for deaf people to enjoy films and television shows—but what about little kids who can't read yet, or whose reading isn't fast enough to keep up with the captions? How does a deaf child fully appreciate a children's movie if they can't understand what any of the characters are saying and can't read the captions?

Mariella Satow ran into that question when she was teaching herself American Sign Language.

According to the BBC, 17-year-old Satow wanted to watch TV shows with sign language interpretation to help her learn ASL, but found very few that included signing. At first, that was the problem she wanted to solve, but as she learned more about deaf children, she realized an app that included sign language interpretation for kids' movies could also fill a gap in the deaf community.

"Me and my sister were avid movie watchers when we were younger, and I couldn't imagine that not being a part of our childhood," she told BBC's Newsbeat.

Satow has dual citizenship in the U.S. and the U.K. and had been attending high school in England, but when she got stuck in New York during the summer of 2020 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, she used the pandemic downtime—and her $3000 savings from dog walking—to create an app. It took her a year to develop the technology, and with the help of the deaf community and ASL teachers, the SignUp app was born.

SignUp is a free Google Chrome extension that provides sign language captioning over Disney+ videos. It puts a small box with a sign language interpreter in the corner of the screen while the movie plays—a surprisingly simple solution to the problem of kids not being able to hear or read captions.

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"I think accessibility is so important, in general, and this seems like quite a basic need," Satow told Sag Harbor Express. "So many comments have been, 'I can't believe this didn't exist before,' which is surprising, I thought, because it is so needed."

Testimonials on the SignUp website speak to how much this app means to deaf kids and their parents.

"We watched 'Moana' on Thursday night, with the SignUp interpreter on. My six-year-old daughter's face was priceless. She LOVED it. She's not reading yet, so captions don't mean anything. It was the first time she's had full access to a movie. Thank you thank you!!" — Karli H.

"SignUp is simply amazing. My son was born deaf and until recently, captions did nothing for him. He is only 8, so often captions are still way too fast. SignUp provides full access to movies he loves and now he loves them even more! We are so thrilled to finally have full access! This is true equality!" — Jarod Mills

"Thank you so much for developing SignUp! My daughter is Deaf, and can't read, and this provides her with the ability to enjoy movies via her native language of ASL." — Will B.

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"The most meaningful comments are when it's the first time a child has had full access to a movie," Satow told the BBC. "The numbers don't really matter, it's the messages."

Right now, the app is only available for a handful of Disney+ videos. Satow thought the site was a good place to start to have the most impact for kids, but she now has requests to add hundreds more films to the app and is planning a British Sign Language version of the app.

"There are more than 300 sign languages used worldwide, so it'll take a long time to get all of those versions out," she said.

Here's how to get the extension and use it to launch signing captions:

Satow has been sustaining SignUp as a free app with her dog-walking money, but the site has reached a point where more resources are needed for advertising and expanding to other platforms such as Netflix and Hulu. She launched a GoFundMe, which you can find here. (As of this writing, she had raised $3500 of the $10,000 she hopes to raise. Let's support her and get that up a bit, shall we?)

Satow is surprised but thrilled with the reception SignUp has gotten.

"I'm glad I could fill the gap in the small way I can," Satow told Sag Harbor Express. "I hope it sparks a movement of ASL captioning on everything."

What an awesome example of seeing a need and taking the initiative to meet it. Well done, Ms. Satow.

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15 years ago, a Russian gymnast was interrupted by her 2-year-old daughter. It became a historic performance.

"This is beyond beautiful. 🥲"

dance, motherhood, mommy daughter dance, mother daughter relationship, parenting, wholesome

Umi4ika/Youtube

Svetlana Putintseva with her daughter Masha.

In 2005 at only 18 years old, Russian rhythmic gymnast Svetlana Putintseva became a world champion, after which she retired and eventually became a mom. Then, in 2011, Putintseva came out of retirement for one special Gala performance.

Little did anyone know that her then two-year-old daughter named Masha would be the key to making that performance so special.

As the story goes, the young child refused to leave her side that night. But rather than stopping the performance, Putintseva did what so many incredible moms do: she masterfully held space for two different identities.

As we see in the video below, Putintseva simply brought Masha onto the dance floor and incorporated her into the routine—holding and comforting her at times, performing impressive moves while she ran around at others…letting it all become a lively, endearing interaction rather than a rote routine. It became something really touching:

Watch:

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Now, a bit of fact-checking as this video has once again started going viral. Despite what many captions say, Putintseva‘s daughter was likely always a planned part of the performance (the tiny leotard is a bit of a giveaway). But that doesn’t really take away from the message behind it: motherhood weaves another soul into one's identity, forever. And one of the biggest lessons it teaches is how to hold someone else steady, all while becoming ourselves.

Every day, moms are engaging in a similar type of “dance”: navigating through the world while guiding and nurturing their little ones. It probably doesn't always feel quite as graceful as what Putintseva put out, and, yet, it is just as beautiful.

dance, motherhood, mommy daughter dance, mother daughter relationship, parenting, wholesome A mother hugging her daughter.Photo credit: Canva

Maybe so many thought it was an improvised moment because improvising is a very real parent superpower. That’s certainly the takeaway we get from some of these lovely comments:

“You cannot control life but you can learn to dance with it. 🤍”

"This is beyond beautiful. 🥲"

“If this isn't a metaphor for motherhood. We improvise so much.”

“A mother’s unconditional love 🥹❤️ She just made my whole month.”

“I do this sometimes while deejaying. My daughter comes up so I hit the slicer and let her chop it up. A few chops and she is happy and goes about her business. 🥰”

“I can see my daughter doing this to me soon whenever I get up on stage on perform. She already stares long and hard at me whenever I am onnstage singing. She doesn't take her eyes off me. Sure she would be running up to stand with me when she starts walking 😂😂 i look forward to it tho”

“Sobbing 😭😭😭😭 As a dancer who hasn’t performed since having a kid, this inspires me in so many ways 🥹🥹 So beautiful and it’s clear that she admires her mom so much 🥰”

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Though not much is written on Putintseva following this performance, one blog post says that Masha has followed in her footsteps by getting into rhythmic gymnastics. Maybe it all started with this one performance. ❤️

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People share 14 extremely subtle traits they've noticed in the smartest people they know

"When you correct them, they're actually happy about it."

albert einstein, intelligence, math problems, signs of being intelligent, smart people

Associated Press/Wikimedia Commons

Albert Einstein is so famous for his intelligence, people use "Einstein" as a synonym for a smart person.

How do you know someone is actually smart? Some intelligent people exude confidence, but plenty of not-very-smart people speak confidently about things they actually have no expertise in. On the other hand, some genuine geniuses are so humble and unassuming that it takes a while for others to realize the depths of their knowledge, and having more questions than answers can actually be a sign of a brilliant mind.

Highly intelligent people come in all types, but certain hallmarks of intelligence are noticeable in how smart people approach people and situations. Sometimes those hallmarks are things people might think are unrelated, such as having a great sense of humor, and others are the opposite of what people might think of as smart people traits.

from Productivitycafe

A Redditor asked people on the ProductivityCafe subforum to share the “subtle signs that someone is intelligent," which led to great conversations about the characteristics of intelligent people and how their smarts seem to influence every part of them, from their personality to their ability to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Here are 14 subtle signs people shared that someone is very intelligent.

1. Curious about multiple subjects

"They like to learn about any and everything."

"And remember details and concepts later. A desire to understand and curiosity about the subject at hand."

2. They change their minds

"They can change their mind when presented with new information."

"This is definitely the best / most noticeable answer. Intelligent people agnostically process new information. They don’t just “automatically” deny anything that they don’t know or is inconsistent with what they already know. Intelligent people - it’s not what they know, it’s how they interpret / process new information."

"As John Nash, the mathematician allegedly once said; when the facts change, I change my mind!"

smart people, intelligence, humor, signs someone is smart, intelligent traits Quick wit and a good sense of humor can be signs of intelligence.Photo credit: Canva

3. They process humor quickly

"They get the joke sooner than most people. Happens once in a while in movies or group settings: one person starts to laugh way ahead of everyone else. That’s one with a super fast processing mind (I know one). It is totally unconscious, so cannot be faked."

4. They like being corrected

"When you correct them, they're actually happy about it because they get to learn something new."

"100%. This is often referred to as growth mindset."

5. Great sense of humor

"Humor is a marker for intelligence. Truly dumb people aren’t funny."

"Agreed but I would add that witty or dark humor is more intelligent than mean, cruel, gross humor. If someone’s 'wit' is just the same structure of putting other people down or being gratuitously shocking or gross, then no."

"A really good sense of humor. To be really funny, you have to be very observant and able to see things in ways that others don’t."

6. They make you feel smart

"They explain some things to you in a way that makes you feel intelligent."

"Einstein said, 'If you can't explain what you are talking about to a six-year-old, you don't fully understand it yourself.'"

smart people, intelligence, thoughtfulness, thinking before speaking, signs someone is intelligent Smart people take time to think before responding.Photo credit: Canva

7. They think before they respond

"They don't react. There is always a delay... and then, they respond."

"They observe, they pause, and then comes the long encyclopedic reply."

8. They know when to be quiet

"Yes, I have come across people with no filter, and have to argue about everything, and that can be exhausting."

"Never miss a good opportunity to shut the f**k up."

9. They're great at banter

"Yes, and quick word play/good puns."

10. They ask about your thought process

"If someone is inquisitive. They want to know how and why you think the way you do. Most people don’t do this."

11. They know what they don't know

"Even very intelligent people don't know about every topic. They understand this and don't pretend to be an expert or speak to things they don't specialize in. Or they use analogies to connect it to things they do understand. They understand that there is a lot they do not know, especially about their given specialties."

"Some people have so much ego, that they have an inability to say that they don’t know the answer to a question. They’ll either give a bullsh*t answer, or try to shrug off the patient’s concerns entirely. Nobody knows everything. If you don’t know, there’s no fault in admitting that, and then using resources to find the answer."

smart people, intelligence, physical intelligence, dance, choreography There are multiple manifestations of intelligence. Photo credit: Canva

12. Physical intelligence is important, too

"I wish people could understand intelligence in many forms—being good with your hands is intelligence. Being able to learn elaborate choreography is intelligence. Being emotionally responsive and understanding microexpressions is intelligence. It’s not just regurgitating facts. I’m a fact regurgitator myself, but I have a lot of respect for things I can’t do."

13. They don't get into drawn-out arguments

"Not raising their voice during a disagreement. Shouting over each other is to try and win an argument with intimidation rather than logic."

"Argue with an idiot and there's two idiots."

14. They think for themselves

"They don’t have herd mentality. Specifically in politics, religion, and pseudoscience."

"I remember the first time that I understood that not picking a side was a valid option for many situations. It was like a record skip moment in my head."

There are other signs of intelligence that people shared, of course, some of which are hilariously debatable. For instance, someone claimed that intelligent people use bidets instead of toilet paper, which is awfully specific and subjective. While certainly not foolproof, the above traits offer some solid starting points for spotting a smarty among the masses.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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Her groundbreaking theory on the origin of life was rejected 15 times. Then biology proved her right.

Lynn Margulis had the audacity to challenge Darwin. And we're lucky she did.

lynn margulis, lynn margulis symbiosis, biology, scientific breakthroughs, darwin, darwinism, women in science

Facts That Will Blow Your Mind/Facebook

A photo of Lynn Margulis.

Throughout her prolific and distinguished career, biologist Lynn Margulis made several groundbreaking contributions to science that we take for granted as common knowledge today. For example, she championed James E. Lovelock’s “Gaia concept,” which posited that the Earth self-regulates to maintain conditions for life.

But by far, her most notable theory was symbiogenesis. While it was first written off as “strange” and “aesthetically pleasing” but “not compelling,” it would ultimately prevail, and completely rewrite how we viewed the origin of life itself.

In the late 1960s, Margulis wrote a paper titled "On the Origin of Mitosing Cells," that was quite avant-garde. In it, she proposed a theory: that life evolved through organisms merging together to become inseparable.

In essence, cooperation is the driver of life, not competition and domination. This directly went against Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” principle that was considered gospel in scientific circles. Margulis’ paper was rejected by fifteen journals before getting accepted into the Journal of Theoretical Biology.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Time would be on Margulis’ side, however. By the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, research proved that the two major building blocks of plants and animals, chloroplasts and mitochondria were at one time independent bacteria. This solidified the fact that on a biological level, connection trumps autonomy for longevity. And now that fact is written in textbooks, with no real story of the adversity it overcame to get there.

While it is customary for most new scientific theories to be met with criticism, especially those that completely shift the current narrative, many have noted that sexism played a key part in Margulis’ initial lack of acceptance. On more than one occasion, she herself had hinted that women were seen as mothers and wives first, and scientists second. She recalled that while married to fellow scientist Carl Sagan that “Carl would finish his sentence, unperturbed” while she was expected to “handle all the duties of a 1950s housewife, from washing dishes to paying the household bills.”

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And yet, Margulis would have other ideas that were controversial that had nothing to do with her gender. Most famously, she did not believe that AIDS was caused by HIV, and instead believed it was cause by a syphilis-causing type of bacteria, despite there already being decades of research proving otherwise. That view was seen as an endorsement of AIDS denialism, which undermined prevention and treatment effort. Then later in life, Margulis became a vocal proponent of 9/11 conspiracy theories suggesting government involvement the in Twin Towers attacks.

And yet, perhaps this is one of those “you gotta take the good with the bad” situations. Margulis’ inherent contrarian nature gave us both these unfounded, even harmful stances, in addition to entirely new paradigms that altered our understanding of life itself.

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And if nothing else, it illuminated the need for science to include multiple points of view in order to unlock the truth. It seems life is, after all, about coming together.

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Scottish-Mexican woman switches between thick Scottish accent and perfect Spanish in mesmerizing style

The "Brave" meets "Coco" combo is fascinating to listen to.

scottish, mexican, scottish accent, spanish, bilingual

Courtesy of Yanett Steven/TikTok

Yanett Steven grew up in Scotland in a bilingual family.

People who grow up in bilingual households have a distinct leg up on second-language fluency. When you grow up hearing native speakers speaking their languages, you pick them up naturally, and it's not unusual to hear a child in a bilingual family switching back and forth between languages.

What is unusual, however, is hearing an adult Scottish-Mexican woman doing that switch-up mid-conversation. Yanett Steven effortlessly flips from her dad's thick Scottish accent to her mom's native Spanish (with a Mexican accent), and it is fascinating to listen to. Steven shares that her mom didn't speak any English when she was little, so she learned Spanish from her mom, but she has the accent that one would expect from someone growing up in Glasgow.

@yanettsteven
As a Scottish Mexican I always feel so at home in Texas 🥰 #mexicanscottish #britishlatino #mexicanamerican #scottishlatino #scottishmexican

The Brave meets Coco combo feels super unusual, and people in the comments had some things to say:

"What just happened to me?"

"The switching back-and-forth between Scottish and Mexican accents is like scratching some weird itch in my brain"

"First time I've ever heard scanglish."

"Also 'cute wee summer dress, en CHANCLAS' was a wild ride I never imagined this blend of accents it’s lovely I’m so curious."

"I’m like blown away right now. How is the Scottish accent and the Spanish accent blending so smoothly???"

"I want 3000 hours of people speaking 'Spanglish' in a Scottish accent. This is actually the only way I want to hear anyone speak ever again. Also hi, I live in Texas and love visiting Scotland."

"This is tripping me out 😂 my mom is Scottish (my parents & brother live in Scotland) and my husband is from South Texas and is Mexican… it's like my two worlds have combined in one video 😵💫"

Steven shares a lot about her cultural and linguistic background that offers some cool insights into living in a multicultural family. Even just hearing her talk about her mom speaking Scottish English with a thick Mexican accent is a wild ride.

@yanettsteven
Replying to @Xzeken Maybe I’ll post her speaking English but I bet you’ve never heard a Mexican woman sound so Mexican but so Scottish at the same time 😅 #mexicanscottish #britishlatino #mexicanamerican #scottishlatino #mexicanbritish and

Steven shares that the two languages bring out different parts of her personality. "I feel like when I speak Spanish, I'm a bit more happy and fun. I smile more," she said (in Spanish) in another video. "And I feel like in Scottish, I'm a little bit more timid, a bit more quiet, a bit more reserved into myself." She wondered if other people from bilingual families feel like they have different personalities when they speak different languages, or if people who learn languages later in life also feel that way.

@yanettsteven
Replying to @Jasmine Rivera Going to Texas and shocking people is my favourite past time lmao Does anyone else who’s bilingual feel this way or just me ?#mexicanscottish #britishlatino #mexicanamerican #people #scottishmexican

Other bilingual folks confirmed that they also feel a personality difference in different languages:

"Yes girl, both languages bring out a different side of you. I think it’s because words in Mexican Spanish are meant to be loud and with attitude and humor And English words are so much more subtle or quiet, if that makes sense lol."

"I'm German/Scottish I totally get what you mean 😂"

"Yes!! Totally get this!! I feel like completely different people 😂"

"Omg. I'm bilingual and I feel like this!!! Was just trying to explain this to a friend yesterday! I think it’s bc Spanish feels like being at home. 💛"

"When I get in my feels, my husband says, 'Your Latina is coming out.' I definitely feel more passionate 'in Spanish.' 😂"

"Si. Es porque el español tiene el “sazon/chispa” that english doesnt have."

"Yes ma’am when my Mexican side comes out I feel free, outgoing, funny."

Steven has also shared some other interesting insights into growing up bilingual. For instance, the Spanish she learned growing up, which is the Spanish spoken in Northern Mexico, was sometimes a problem when she started learning Spanish in school. Spain's Spanish is different than Mexican Spanish in some ways, so what she had learned growing up was deemed "wrong," even though it was just different from the Spanish taught in school. It's fascinating how the same language can be spoken so many different ways.

@yanettsteven
Replying to @Frank Rhodes I swear Spain Spanish was the biggest shock to my system when I was wee , and some Spanish teachers being rude but that’s another story 😭 #mexicanscottish #britishlatino #scottishlatino #mexicanamerican #mexicanbritish

You can follow Yanett Steven on TikTok for more.

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Michael J. Fox saw Harrison Ford's Parkinson's acting on 'Shrinking,' and immediately reached out

Their conversation resulted in a powerful performance from Fox.

Shrinking Season 3, Harrison Ford, Michael J Fox, Michael J Fox Shrinking, Apple TV, Parkinson's, pop culture, Jason Segel

Apple Tv/ Youtube

Harrison Ford and Michael J Fox in the trailer for Shrinking Season 3

The Apple series Shrinking centers around actor Jason Segel, who plays a therapist juggling grief, fatherhood, and experimenting with unconventional therapy practices with his patients. It also stars Harrison Ford, who plays Segel’s mentor and boss and happens to be in the first chapters of living with Parkinson’s disease.

Actor Michael J. Fox, who notably has Parkinson's in real life, was so moved by Ford’s “human” and “accessible” portrayal of the condition that he called up Bill Lawrence, his former Spin City boss, who also co-created Shrinking.

And, as he shared in an interview with the LA Times, Fox didn’t mince words:

@comedycentraluk Always listening... ⏺️ 📞 #SpinCity #MichaelJFox #DeniseRichards #ComedyCentralUK #CCUK #Comedy #Sitcom #NYC ♬ original sound - Comedy Central UK

“Bill, why the f— am I not on the show?”

Truly, only Fox could deliver such a line in a way that immediately feels charming and friendly. Pretty soon, plans were set in motion to have Fox guest star, marking his first return to acting since 2020.

In the Season 3 premiere, which aired on January 28, Ford’s character comes in for a doctor’s visit. While waiting to be seen, he encounters a fellow patient with Parkinson’s, played by Fox. It’s clear that Fox’s character will serve as a mentor and friend throughout the season.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

As to be expected, the Back to the Future star does not fall short on comedic expectations. For instance, during the scene (which you can see in the video above), Fox asks Ford what he’s in for. Ford responds, “Parkinson’s. You?” Without missing a beat, Fox replies, “Just a haircut.”

He follows with the quip, "I fall three times a day. I'm thinking of taking up stunt work."

Castmates instantly knew that seeing two icons, Marty McFly and Indiana Jones, acting together for the first time was something special. As Shrinking co-star Michael Urie noted, “Everyone’s hearts grew” in anticipation and nostalgia once Fox showed up to set.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

But perhaps no one was more affected than Fox himself. Speaking with Vanity Fair, he shared, “I wasn’t prepared for how much of [Ford’s] own understanding of the disease he brought to it. I mean, I recognized Parkinson’s in his eyes. The things I was feeling, I recognized in the way he was expressing himself."

It was such a powerful performance that Fox told the outlet, "I was just brought to tears by it."

"I should say he’s an underrated actor because everybody knows how great he is, but the subtlety of his work—so brilliant and so fun to work with," Fox continued.

Ford’s sentiment, it seems, was the same. In the same interview, he called Fox “an extraordinarily powerful person."

New episodes of Shrinking drop Wednesdays on Apple TV.

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