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Science

5 things 'desire paths' - or human-made shortcuts - reveal about people

Going off the beaten path is a heavily studied phenomenon.

5 things 'desire paths' - or human-made shortcuts - reveal about people
Gordon Joly & wetwebwork/Flickr

If you've ever walked through a public park or across a grassy college campus, you've definitely noticed the phenomenon. Inevitably, there's a paved path or sidewalk leading from Point A to Point B. And then, branching off of that path, is a well-worn patch of dirt where people have chosen to walk instead.

Often the unofficial path is more efficient or more pleasant, and it's just so inviting that you can't help but branch off and walk it yourself. These human-made shortcuts are called Desire Paths — or sometimes Cow Paths or Elephant Paths. (Named as such because big, lumbering animals like to take the shortest route between two points.)

Some people say Desire Paths occur when a design fails to connect with human behavior.

Which makes them incredibly useful for urban planners and other people who design walking paths! Desire Paths are studied heavily, and some places even choose to pave over them once they appear, making them more official. (While others intentionally block them off).

There are even cases where no paving was done until Desire Paths naturally formed — when crowds of people did the engineers' and urban planners' work for them.

People are absolutely fascinated by Desire Paths.

The subreddit devoted to them has over fifty-thousand members! There are massive groups on Flickr where people share photos of desire paths they find in the wild. And a recent X thread of desire paths racked up almost thirty million views.

Why is it that Desire Paths spark such a reaction in us? If I had to guess, it's because Desire Paths are small acts of rebellion. They are literally a visual representation of going off the beaten path. The symbolism is powerful in a world that can feel very mundane and predictable.

They're also something that we create together. No one single person creates a new path. They hold a collective wisdom that resonates deeply somewhere in our souls.

And they teach us about ourselves, believe it or not. Here are a few things we can learn about ourselves from Desire Paths.

1. We're not superstitious, but we're a little stitious.

There are lots of examples of Desire Paths forming around archways or leaning objects.

Sure, you could say people walk around so they don't bump their heads, or maybe to make room for passing cyclists.

But I like to think we just don't want to risk the bad karma.

2. Anything that gets in the way of a straight line is annoying.

If we're walking in a straight line, we generally would like to continue in that straight line.
A decorative circular garden right in the middle of the path might seem like a good idea — but only if you want to see it get trampled.

In the same vein, why walk in a complicated squiggly shape when we can just cut right across?

A paved path with dirt path branching off through treeswetwebwork/Flickr

3. We like gentle hills more than stairs.

It's surprising and fascinating how often people will avoid going up and down stairs if they can cut through the grass instead.

Human beings' hatred of stairs is well-documented, but it's interesting to see it play out visually.

A path worn in the dirt next to stairsGordon Joly/Flickr

Some studies estimate walking up stairs is twice as hard on the body compared to walking up a hill.

A path work into tall grass next to stairsthepismire/Flickr

4. We don't like sharp turns.

If you know people, you won't be surprised to hear that we like to cut corners!

A dirt path next to sidewalkDan Keck/Flickr

We're not robots! We don't like turning at right angles. Plus, if we're in a rush, a more efficient path saves us time.

A dirt path cutting through graveyardGeorge Redgrave/Flickr

5. We like feeling connected to the people that came before.

Holloways are a special sort of Desire Path, carved deep into forests and other nature. They are often ancient. They are ever-changing.

A dirt path carved into forestBy Romain Bréget, CC BY-SA 4.0

By walking through these paths, we become a part of them and a part of history.

A quote from Rebecca Solnit sums it up perfectly:

“Walking is a mode of making the world as well as being in it.”

So go ahead and take the road less traveled. Follow your intuition. You might be on to something, and it could be the beginning of a new and better path!

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Education

A school assignment asked for 3 benefits of slavery. This kid gave the only good answer.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

Trameka Brown-Berry/Facebook

A school assignment asked for 3 "good" reasons for slavery.



It's not uncommon for parents to puzzle over their kids' homework.

Sometimes, it's just been too long since they've done long division for them to be of any help. Or teaching methods have just changed too dramatically since they were in school.

And other times, kids bring home something truly inexplicable.

Trameka Brown-Berry was looking over her 4th-grade son Jerome's homework when her jaw hit the floor.

"Give 3 'good' reasons for slavery and 3 bad reasons," the prompt began.

You read that right. Good reasons ... FOR SLAVERY.

Lest anyone think there's no way a school would actually give an assignment like this, Brown-Berry posted photo proof to Facebook.



In the section reserved for "good reasons," (again, for slavery), Jerome wrote, "I feel there is no good reason for slavery thats why I did not write."

Yep. That about covers it.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

The assignment was real. In the year 2018. Unbelievable.

The shockingly offensive assignment deserved to be thrown in the trash. But young Jerome dutifully filled it out anyway.

His response was pretty much perfect.

We're a country founded on freedom of speech and debating ideas, which often leads us into situations where "both sides" are represented. But it can only go so far.

There's no meaningful dialogue to be had about the perceived merits of stripping human beings of their basic living rights. No one is required to make an effort to "understand the other side," when the other side is bigoted and hateful.

In a follow-up post, Brown-Berry writes that the school has since apologized for the assignment and committed to offering better diversity and sensitivity training for its teachers.

But what's done is done, and the incident illuminates the remarkable racial inequalities that still exist in our country. After all, Brown-Berry told the Chicago Tribune, "You wouldn't ask someone to list three good reasons for rape or three good reasons for the Holocaust."

At the very end of the assignment, Jerome brought it home with a bang: "I am proud to be black because we are strong and brave ... "

Good for Jerome for shutting down the thoughtless assignment with strength and amazing eloquence.


This article originally appeared on 01.12.18

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Joy

2-year-old steals phone at wedding dance and films the greatest video music of the year

"Gotta save this one for his senior year."

Photo credit: Canva

Toddler steals phone at wedding resulting in surprising video

Weddings can go many ways when you're a guest. It can be a wedding that is so boring you fall asleep at the reception before the couple cuts the cake. Some weddings can be days long events in a top secret destination where every minute of your day is pre-planned for you. Then there are the weddings that have receptions that feel like you need a wristband and important connections to make it onto the dance floor.

You know fun will be had at the wedding that feels like a VIP afterparty. Seems one toddler decided that the reception he was attending didn't have enough energy for his liking. But it's when Lil' Jon and DJ Snake's song "Turn Down for What" started blasting through the speakers that the little boy decided to seize the opportunity stealing his dad's cell phone.

What transpired once the phone was in the spunky toddler's hands is music video material. Seriously, someone might need to think about employing two and a half foot tall humans to run around freely during a music shoot because his angles are everything. The reception wasn't a vibe, he was the vibe and brought it to the party creating one of the best moments that people can't stop smiling about.

a group of people dancing at a party Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash

The toddler's aunt who goes by the username CoryPea explains how the tiny videographer came to debut his skills, "we were at my brother's wedding, congratulations Will and Liz. My other brother who has a son was videoing his son from his level because he wanted to see how cute he looked from his level. His son, my nephew walked up, grabbed the camera from the way my brother was filming it so the camera was not front facing when the baby was holding it. It was like a Gen Z would take a selfie. A Gen Z."


@corypea Replying to @Frank💤stuff☑️ Eat your heart out Spielberg. #weddingbaby #babydancing #stolenphone #liljon #djsnake #toddler #nephew #toddlersoftiktok ♬ original sound - CoryPea

This wouldn't really be impressive since toddlers often run off with phones accidentally snapping pictures and videos of the world they see from their level. But this miniature camera man didn't simply film his feet, the ceiling or people's legs. Nope. This little guy was able to film the action around him while also including himself in the video as if he were being paid for the job.

"To me and maybe it's not that crazy, but the crazy part is that he kept himself in frame the entire time. This kid's like two years old, however many months that is and plus a couple of months," Cory says before sharing that there was no one secretly holding the phone for the baby.

@corypea Vibez. #baby #funny #wedding #dance #toddler #hilarious #turndownforwhat #liljon #party #stolenphone ♬ Turn Down for What - DJ Snake & Lil Jon

The video has been viewed more than 36 million times with over 7 million likes. People can't stop gushing over the baby's skills.

"How does a 2 year old have better camera skills than me," someone writes.

"Him doing that with the back camera and staying perfectly in frame is crazy" another person laughs.

Excited Lets Go GIF by Lil JonGiphy

"Wholesome and savage at the same time!!! Love his chaos," someone else comments.

"GIVE HIM BACK THE PHONE I WAS VIBING," one person jokes.

"That’s gotta be played at his wedding and he must record himself doing the same exact thing," another chimes in.

There's no doubt that the little guy was having a blast but his camera angles will be the talk of the internet for years to come.

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Family

Technology expert shares the one message that can get teens to rethink their screentime

“Social media is free because you pay for it with your time.”

via Dino Ambrosi (used with permission)

Dino Ambrosi speaks at a school assembly.

In a 2023 TEDx Talk at Laguna Blanca School, Dino Ambrosi made a startling revelation that perfectly underlines the big question of the smartphone era: What is my time worth? Ambrosi is the founder of Project Reboot and an expert at guiding teens and young adults to develop more empowering relationships with technology.

Assuming the average person now lives to 90, after calculating the average time they spend sleeping, going to school, working, cooking, eating, doing chores, sleeping, and taking care of personal hygiene, today’s 18-year-olds have only 334 months of their adult lives to themselves.

"How you spend this time will determine the quality of your life,” Ambrosi says. However, given the tech habits of today’s young people, most of those months will be spent staring at screens, leaving them with just 32 months to leave their mark on the world. "Today, the average 18-year-old in the United States is on pace to spend 93% of their remaining free time looking at a screen,” Ambrosi says.


dino ambrosi, teens and technology, smartphone addictionAn 18-year-olds remaining time, in months. via TEDx

The idea that an entire generation will spend most of their free time in front of screens is chilling. However, the message has a silver lining. Sharing this information with young people can immediately impact how they spend their time.

How to get teens to reduce their screentime

Ambrosi says his work with Project Reboot through on-campus initiatives, school assemblies, and parent workshops has taught him that teens are more concerned about time wasted on their phones than the damage it may do to their mental health. Knowing the topic that resonates can open the door for an effective dialogue about a topic that’s hard for many young people to discuss. When teens realize they are giving their entire lives away for free, they are more apt to reconsider their relationship with smartphones.

“I actually don't get through to a lot of teens, as well as when I help them realize the value of their time and then highlight the fact that that time is being stolen from them,” Ambrosi told Upworthy.

A Common Sense Media study shows that the average 13 to 18-year-old, as of 2021, spent an average of 8 hours and 39 minutes a day on entertainment screentime.

“It’s important to get them to view time as their most valuable resource that they can use to invest in themselves or enjoy life and tick the boxes on their bucket list. I really want them to see that that's something they should take control of and prioritize because we're all under the impression that social media is free, but it's actually not free. We just pay for it with our time.”

dino ambrosi, project reboot, teens smartphonesDino AMbrosi speaks at Berkeley.via Dino Ambrosi (used with permission)

Ambrosi believes that young people are less likely to hand their time to tech companies for free when they understand its value. “I find that kids really respond to that message because nobody wants to feel manipulated, right? And giving them that sense of being wronged, which I think they have been, by tech companies that are off operating on business models that are not aligned with their well-being, is important.”

He also believes parents should be sympathetic and nonjudgmental when talking to young people about screentime because it’s a struggle that just about everyone faces and feels shame about. A little understanding will prevent them from shutting down the conversation altogether.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

How to reduce my screentime

Ambrosi has some suggestions to help people reduce their screentime.

The ClearSpace app

ClearSpace forces you to take a breathing delay before using a distracting app. It also asks you to set a time limit and allows you to set a number of visits to the site per day. If you eclipse the number of visits, it sends a text to a friend saying you exceeded your budget. This can help people be accountable for one another’s screentime goals.

Don’t sleep with your phone

Ambrosi says to charge your phone far away from your bedside stand when you sleep and use an alarm clock to wake up. If you do have an alarm clock on your phone, set up an automation so that as soon as you turn off the alarm, it opens up an app like Flora or Forest and starts an hour-long timer that incentivizes you to be off your phone for the first hour of the day.

“In my experience, if you can stay off screens for the last hour and the first hour of the day, the other 22 hours get a lot easier because you get the quality rest and sleep that you need to wake up fully charged, and now you're more capable of being intentional because you are at your best," Ambrosi told Upworty.

Keep apps in one place

Ambrosi says to keep all of your social apps and logins on one device. “I try to designate a specific use for each device as much as possible,” he told Upworthy. “I try to keep all my social media time and all my entertainment on my phone as opposed to my computer because I want my computer to be a tool for work.”

Even though there are significant challenges ahead for young people as they try to navigate a screen-based world while keeping them at a healthy distance, Ambrosi is optimistic about the future.

“I'm really optimistic because I have seen in the last year, in particular, that the receptiveness of student audiences has increased by almost an order of magnitude. Kids are waking up to the fact that this is the problem. They want to have this conversation,” he told Upworthy. “Some clubs are starting to address this problem at several schools right now; from the talks I've given this semester alone, kids want to be involved in this conversation. They're creating phone-free spaces on college and high school campuses by their own accord. I just think we have a huge potential to leverage this moment to move things in the right direction.”

For more information on Ambrosi’s programs, visit ProjectReboot.School.

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Pop Culture

Colin Farrell's finishes emotional marathon with friend who was told she'd never live to 40

He's a real life hero.

Debra.ie

Colin Farrell and Emma Fogarty cross the finish line of the Irish Life Dublin Marathon.

Colin Farrell is currently piling up the accolades for his turn as the Penguin in the HBO show of the same name, but his turn as the villainous gangster is even more impressive when contrasted against his real-life heroics. Farell recently joined the Irish Life Dublin Marathon to support his friend Emma Fogarty, Ireland's longest survivor of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare condition that causes the skin to blister and tear at even the lightest touch. Farrell and Fogarty completed the marathon together, raising over €810,000 as of this writing for Debra Ireland, a charity supporting people with this painful condition.

Earlier this year, Emma reached a milestone that doctors told her she would never achieve: she celebrated her 40th birthday. Born with EB, Emma’s skin has remained so fragile that something as simple as a light brush can cause intense pain and blistering. Farrell pushed Emma’s wheelchair across the final 4 kilometers of the marathon, symbolizing a decade for each of her four decades.

For Farrell, this journey wasn’t just a run but a tribute to Emma's resilience. Reflecting on the experience, Farrell said, “I have known Emma for many years and she epitomises bravery, she is what courage and pure determination are all about. That run was nothing compared to the pain she is forced to endure every single day, even though she doesn’t show it."

"Reaching 40 shouldn’t be a miracle, but right now, it is.”

— Emma Fogarty

The pair joined 22,500 other runners, and Farrell completed the 26-mile course in a remarkable 4 hours and 6 minutes despite not being an endurance runner. The star’s efforts captured hearts across Ireland and internationally, thanks to a live segment on Ireland's "Late Late Show."

Raising awareness and funds for butterfly skin

Epidermolysis bullosa, often called “butterfly skin” due to its delicate nature, affects approximately 300 people in Ireland. Emma’s journey through the years has been nothing short of courageous. “No one expected me to survive for this long – because people with my type of EB almost never do,” she shared. “I’ve always been encouraged to be a fighter." Her involvement with Debra Ireland has inspired others to understand EB and provide much-needed support for the community. Every euro raised through their marathon effort will go directly to research, resources, and support services for those affected by EB.

To support epidermolysis bullosa (EB) research, and to support his friend, Colin Farrell pushed Emma Fogarty the last 4 kilometers of the race, one for each decade she's survived. roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms

Jimmy Fearon, CEO of Debra Ireland, shared his gratitude for the overwhelming public response, saying, “Emma and Colin were outstanding and we are overjoyed with the funds raised. The good things we can do for families with EB is what this is all about.”

"The good things we can do for families with EB is what this is all about."

— Jimmy Fearon, Debra Ireland CEO

Join the ‘Run to 40’ team to support EB research

Farrell and Fogarty's initiative, the “Run to 40” campaign, encourages supporters worldwide to walk, run, or roll 40 kilometers in October to raise funds for EB. Participants can complete the distance all at once, or break it down into shorter sessions that fit their schedule.

Those interested can register on Debra Ireland’s website and create a personal fundraising page. Upon registration, Debra will send each participant a Debra T-shirt, and organizers have also made promotional posters available to help people spread the word.



"Every step, every kilometre, and every donation brings us closer to a cure and better quality of life for people with EB."

— Debra Ireland

For Farrell and Fogarty, the Dublin Marathon was more than a race; it was a celebration of life, resilience, and the kindness of countless supporters. By spreading awareness about EB, they have inspired thousands of others to rally behind those with this painful condition. As Emma’s story continues to reach more people, she hopes that someday, reaching 40—or any age—won’t be an extraordinary feat for those living with EB.

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Popular

Woman describes how Gen X did Halloween in the 80s and it’s so accurate

"Every single member of Gen X can smell this photo."

Photo credit: ~ tOkKa/Flickr

Halloween costumes in the 80s were terrifyingly terrible.

Halloween has come a long way since the 70s and 80s, when Gen X kids donned the worst mass-produced costumes known to man to go out and ask strangers for candy that we were sure was laced with poison or razor blades. Those sure were good times, though, weren't they?

Social media creator Kelly Manno shared a video describing what Halloween was like for kids who grew up in "the forgotten generation," and holy moly is it accurate.

First, Manno showed a photo of someone dressed in an "80s costume" for Halloween, with neon colors and legwarmers and big hair, and said, "Absolutely nobody looked like that in the 80s, especially on Halloween. We looked like this."

Then she showed a grainy photo of kids in the plastic masks and poorly printed costumes that were the hallmark of the age.

"Every single member of Gen X can smell this photo," she said. "It's like a vinyl, like plasticky paint smell."


Manno explained that our parents only took a few photos of us per year, and Halloween was always one of them.

"You knew, before you went out trick-or-treating, that you had to line up with your cousins in front of the fireplace, in your highly flammable costumes, with your mom chain-smoking Virginia Slims, like, 'Say trick-or-treat!'"

Oh, those masks were the worst inventions ever. The eyeholes never lined up properly, so you were constantly trying to adjust them to be able to see even a little bit. "We would push our tongue through the slit in the mask. It would cut our tongue, but then we'd keep doing it again because we were eaten up with OCD and ADD and nobody cared."

Then Manno described the "garbage bag costumes" we had, which were basically trash bags printed with whatever character it was supposed to be. So janky. So sweaty. So crinkly when we walked. But somehow still socially preferable to your mom making your costume from scratch.

via GIPHY


"Look at us, we were terrifying," Manno concludes. "No wonder people tried to poison us."

Her descriptions of what it felt like to trick-or-treat in those costumes and haul our own bodyweight in candy are spot on, and people who lived it are feeling the nostalgia.

"So much truth in one video! 😂 I just saw, heard, and smelled my childhood."

"You are literally making me laugh so damn hard, cause you described it exactly as it was, but my mom smoked Winston's!"

"It was always freezing on Halloween that the vinyl/plastic suit would crack and tear halfway through the night."

"Or the rubber band breaking at the second house and you had to hold it up on your face at the door the rest of the night. 😂 Good times."

"The tongue thing is on point. I can still feel it. 😂"

"I can totally smell that picture lol. I remember the steam from inside the mask would have your lashes and eyebrows covered in dew then after a couple streets of running house to house the crotch would tear out. We would stay out until everybody turned their lights off and the pillow case was full."

"Yes!!!! And we used a pillow case for our candy. And no adult supervision."

"My mom made me really nice homemade costumes, but I remember begging for the plastic Strawberry Shortcake garbage bag one. So, she bought it for me one year. That was a terrible, sweaty experience. 😂"

"Let’s not forget having to inspect every piece of candy for razor blades. I swear I lost half my haul to my father in that clean up. 🍬 🍫 😢"

Kids these days have no idea, with their official city trick-or-treat hours and their parents walking around with them and their costumes that actually look like the thing they're trying to be. The 70s and 80s were a wild time, and as funny as it is to reminisce about those Halloweens of old, most of us would agree that the experience has been much improved for our own kids.

Pillowcases still make the best trick-or-treat bags, though. Some things do not change.

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