The pen and what it does......

The pen draws ink from the reservoir through a feed to the nib and deposits it on paper via a combination of gravity and capillary action. A pen really is a great tool. It is also used for various things, it is used in analyzing, summarizing, calculating, solving, writing, signing and it can also be used for various official purpose. A pen is also used by different people in different occupations.


The artist used a pen in drawing, the scientist uses the pen in solving arithmetic problems. The pen has just three layers yet it can and takes place in all life processes. The pen produces different images depending on the type of person using it. Here are some of the images the ink pen produces.
Though the ink pen can’t work itself, it requires the user and the paper. The ink pen produces the ink used and it gives the information a smooth or a rough edge. The image drawn by an ink pen depends on the User.


· Paper used
· The platform on which it is used
· The ink
· The Nibble of the pen


Ink pens float effortlessly over the paper when everything is working as it should. That is one of the reasons why people who prefer fountain pens really like them. But they can be difficult when something is not as it should be. They can be scratchy. Ink flows poorly or not at all. And, they may put out too much ink, even in the form of a sudden blob of ink that runs over a document and onto clothing. These problems are not inherent to all fountain pens, but occur in pens needing a little tender care to keep them in sound working condition.

The pen might draw the image but the image is produced mainly by these factors, an image produced by a pen is always a message. The message is always passed directly or indirectly. The images produced by a pen in the hand of its right user are always distinct, neat, smooth and clear. Though the pen is said to be going extinct because of the invention on new age systems and computers, but however, the pen cannot be neglected, not even stopped, this is because of the disadvantages affecting technologies.


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Do you think the computer causes problem to the eyes. No it doesn’t. Check out this

Do you think  the computer causes problem to the eyes. No it doesn’t. The manufacturers of the computer gave precautions on how to use the system. It states that:

·         Take a break - Use the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.

·         Blink frequently - Do not forget to blink periodically. Staring at computer screens can dry our eyes and cause redness and irritation.

·         Consider computer glasses - Computer glasses are prescription eyewear that is specifically designed for computer work. They allow you to focus your eyes on the distance of a computer screen, which is generally farther away than reading material. Computer glasses optimize your eyesight when you're looking at digital screens and help to reduce glare.

·         Keep your monitor bright - This reduces the flicker rate of the computer and reduces fatigue. Flickering can lead to eyestrain and headaches. Also, a bright monitor causes your pupil to constrict, which results in a greater range of focus. This reduces the need for your eye to accommodate and enables you to work longer and with more comfort.

·         Use proper lighting - Use incandescent lighting and avoid high-intensity lamps, which cast shadows and create glare. Place a dim light on either side of your workstation to create equal brightness without dark, shadowed areas.

·         Check your monitor’s position - The position of your computer monitor can add to your eyestrain. It is important that it be positioned at the proper distance away from your eyes. Optimally, your computer screen should be 15 to 20 degrees below eye level (about 4 or 5 inches) as measured from the center of the screen and 20 to 28 inches from the eyes.

·         Adjust your screen resolution - Make sure your monitor has a high-resolution display. A higher resolution produces sharper type and crisper images, reducing eye strain.

·         Minimize glare - Clean your monitor regularly to remove dust and consider installing an anti-glare screen. It also helps to keep shades drawn to prevent glare from outside sources.

·         Try massage or eye cupping - Massaging the area around the eyes will help relax the muscles and can be very comforting. Rub your hands together to create friction and warmth, then gently cup your palms over your closed eyes and rest them.

·         Take your vitamins - Getting the proper amount of vitamins and minerals is important for overall eye health. Opt for vitamins that contain antioxidants and ingredients that help improve the health of the eye and reduce eyestrain, such as vitamins A, C and E with a B complex and Zinc.

·         Schedule a comprehensive eye exam - Almost 71% of people reporting symptoms of CVS wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, so make sure your prescription is correct! The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommend that all computer users have an eye exam yearly. Lastly, be sure to tell your eye doctor about your workstation setup and the number of hours each day you spend on electronic devices.

The eye is an essential organ in the body system. It in fact is the bright side of the body. Though it is RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY. It stores images temporarily and takes it to the brain. The computer produces the image using light and different films. Actually all colored images gotten from the computer is a spectrum of white light. Which means the white light contains all other color known as the ROYGBIV. The eyes will let you see the image while the brain processes it, your body reacts to it and you access it either positively or negatively.

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How one woman turned the world’s worst aquatic plant into cool products and new job

Beautiful water hyacinth was strangling the life out of waterside communities in Nigeria, but entrepreneur Achenyo Idachaba saw potential in the plague.

The water hyacinth is a flowering aquatic plant that is native to the Amazon River basin. When plant enthusiasts first encountered its tall, showy lavender blooms more than a century ago, they transplanted it into gardens all over the world and it spread from there. The nearly indestructible plant propagates like an alien creature out of a sci-fi film, and it’s become what some consider the world’s worst aquatic plant.

Water hyacinth is a noxious, invasive weed that is found in more than 50 countries, threatening natural ecosystems and people's livelihoods. In Nigeria, it is referred to by names that point to its destructiveness and insidiousness -- for example, in Igala, it’s called A Kp'iye Kp'oma, which translates to “death to mother and child,” and gbe’borun, a Yoruba phrase that translates roughly to “gossip” or “tale-bearer.”

In 2009, Achenyo Idachaba had recently moved to Lagos from the US when she was on the city’s Third Mainland Bridge one day and saw a group of fishing boats hemmed in by heavy mats of water hyacinth (TED Talk: How I turned a deadly plant into a thriving business). Today, she has helped turn this scourge into a source of employment for people in some of the communities it has harmed.

Water hyacinth can double in mass in less than two weeks. Making things worse, the freshwater plants link together as they grow: their waxy leaves form a dense blanket on the water’s surface and their roots tangle below in a thick web. As a result, they displace other plants and marine life, prevent the growth of phytoplankton, deplete the dissolved oxygen in the water, and degrade water quality -- also hurting fish and other organisms.

The water hyacinth is devastating to humans, too. “Once it invades a lake or river, people who depend on the waterways for their livelihood are just shot,” says Idachaba. Fisherfolk, children who travel to school by boat, tourism, recreation and hydropower can all be harmed. What’s more, an overgrowth of hyacinth slows currents, leading the stagnant water to become a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes. The plant has also been linked to an increase in incidences of cholera. So how do you get rid of it? You can pull it by hand or with a machine, douse it with herbicides, or introduce native predators, but the plant frequently grows too fast (and its seeds are too tough) for these labor-, time- and money-intensive methods to make much of a dent. As a result, many people just wait for it to abate, which it sometimes does. In Nigeria, two occasions that can bring relief are the dry season and when saltwater from the Atlantic flows inland to freshwater bodies, killing the plants. But even so, the indefatigable weed usually resurfaces within a matter of months.

Could something so detestable be turned into stuff that people wanted? Idachaba wondered what, if anything, could be done with the plants. She did some research and found that people in Kenya and parts of Southeast Asia were creating baskets, bags and furniture from it. Could she learn to do the same, then teach these skills to people and help them sell their products? Together, perhaps they could turn the plague into profit. She traveled to the Sabo community in Ibadan, a city in southwestern Nigeria, where she hoped she might find people who could help her weave the stems of the plants into rope. There, she met Malam Yahaya who, with the help of local kids acting as translators, taught her the skill.

Idachaba first perfected her rope-making abilities. Then she worked with rattan artisans from Ibadan and Lagos to use it to create items like coasters. In 2010, she started a company, MitiMeth, to sell hyacinth-based products (today it offers everything from napkin rings and lamps to rugs and iPad sleeves). She also began teaching the handicraft in Nigerian communities that have been harmed by the plant. She and her colleagues will typically go to the chief of a village, introduce themselves, describe what they’re doing and the benefits it could bring, and ask for a list of people who’d be interested in learning. The training -- which shows participants how to make rope and a few products -- lasts around a week. To date, Idachaba has helped teach more than 250 artisans.

Click to get more images of products made from water Hyacinths

The usual reaction of Nigerians when shown products made from water hyacinths: disbelief. The residents of Bayeku, a community in the southern part of the country, “never thought anything good could come out of the weed,” Idachaba says. “But we proved them wrong at the end of the training.” In fact, because there was so much enthusiasm, she ended up teaching 60 people. “We had kids climbing through the windows,” she laughs. “They’d gather up the scraps from the training afterwards and make things with it.” Idachaba has been particularly gratified by the generous impulse of trainees to share their skills with friends and neighbors. In 2015, she and her colleagues trained 33 women in Idah, a town in north central Nigeria. Later, when she began sourcing rope from them, she says, “I noticed that people who weren’t at the training were weaving.” She learned that two students from the original session had taught others. “They could easily have kept it to themselves,” she says, “but they didn’t look at it that way.”

After training, the artisans become workers that Idachaba’s company can contact as orders for products come in. MitiMeth sells goods through a variety of channels: at duty-free shops and other retail stores; and through local and international exhibitions, as well as e-commerce sites like Konga and etsy. Last year, they rang up more than NGN 7.5-million in sales. And 44 percent goes to the workers, who are also encouraged to find their own ways to sell their products.

Idachaba is extending training to reach different groups of people in need. In 2016, she was contacted by the Tolaram Foundation, which runs the ISHK Limb Centre, a nonprofit that provides free prosthetics to people in Lagos. “A number of the men and women they’ve given prosthetics to are indigent and unemployed,” she says. The terrain in parts of Nigeria can be tough to navigate, even for the able-bodied, and it’s especially rough for those with a disability to travel to remote jobs. People who know how to weave, however, could earn money while working at home. In late July, Idachaba conducted an initial training session with people from the Limb Centre. The participants were excited to learn, she says, and picked up the skills quickly.

Even as her company grows, Idachaba remains committed to her original purpose: turning water hyacinth into something that can help people rather than hurt them. She slowly sees this shift happening -- and it’s reflected in the changing names for the plant. 

“It was gbe'borun, or ‘gossip,’ and now people call it olusotan, or ‘storyteller,’” she says. “And it’s gone from a kp'iye kp'oma, or ‘killer of mother and child,’ to ya du j'ewn w'Iye kp'oma, or ‘provider of food for mother and child.’

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Image. What it really is..

Have you ever thought of what things look like, Have you ever thought everything you see are the same as others see it, if so why do a black ball seems red to others, or why do a blue sky looks dark to some people. Do you think it’s because of their various eye problems? Do you think it’s because some look sad and others are happy. Let’s look a typical example.

The computer screen:

The computer is great invention, it processes data and bring out better information.

These days, many of us have jobs that require us to stare at computer screens for hours at a time. That can put a real strain on your eyes.

Eye problems caused by computer use fall under the heading computer vision syndrome (CVS). It isn’t one specific problem. Instead, it includes a whole range of eye strain and pain. Research shows that between 50% and 90% of people who work at a computer screen have at least some symptoms.

Working adults aren't the only ones affected. Kids who stare at tablets or use computers during the day at school can have issues, too, especially if the lighting and their posture are less than ideal.

How Do Computers Affect Vision?

CVS is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive motion injuries you might get at work. It happens because your eyes follow the same path over and over. And it can get worse the longer you continue the movement.

When you work at a computer, your eyes have to focus and refocus all the time. They move back and forth as you read. You may have to look down at papers and then back up to type. Your eyes react to changing images on the screen to create so your brain can process what you’re seeing. All these jobs require a lot of effort from your eye muscles. And to make things worse, unlike a book or piece of paper, the screen adds contrast, flicker, and glare.

You’re more likely to have problems if you already have eye trouble, if you need glasses but don't have them, or if you wear the wrong prescription for computer use.

Computer work gets harder as you age and the lenses in your eyes become less flexible. Somewhere around age 40, your ability to focus on near and far objects will start to go away. Your eye doctor will call this condition presbyopia.

click here to know more about presbyopia.

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All about Presbyopia

Presbyopia is the normal loss of near focusing ability that occurs with age. Most people begin to notice the effects of presbyopia sometime after age 40, when they start having trouble seeing small print clearly — including text messages on their phone.
Presbyopia is on the rise in the United States as the population continues to age. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 112 million Americans were presbyopic in 2006. This number is expected to increase to 123 million by the year 2020.
Worldwide, an estimated 1.3 billion people had presbyopia in 2011. This number is expected to increase to 2.1 billion by 2020.
Though presbyopia is a normal change in our eyes as we age, it often is a significant and emotional event because it's a sign of aging that's impossible to ignore and difficult to hide.
Presbyopia Symptoms And Signs
When you become presbyopic, you either have to hold your smartphone and other objects and reading material (books, magazines, menus, labels, etc.) farther from your eyes to see them more clearly. Unfortunately, when you move things farther from your eyes they get smaller in size, so this is only a temporary and partially successful solution to presbyopia.
Also, even if you can still see pretty well up close, presbyopia can cause headaches, eye strain and visual fatigue that makes reading and other near vision tasks less comfortable and more tiring.

What Causes Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is caused by an age-related process. This differs from astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness, which are related to the shape of the eyeball and are caused by genetic and environmental factors. Presbyopia generally is believed to stem from a gradual thickening and loss of flexibility of the natural lens inside your eye.


These age-related changes occur within the proteins in the lens, making the lens harder and less elastic over time. Age-related changes also take place in the muscle fibers surrounding the lens. With less elasticity, the eye has a harder time focusing up close. Other, less popular theories exist as well.

Presbyopia Treatment: Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses with progressive lenses are the most popular solution for presbyopia for most people over age 40. These line-free multifocal lenses restore clear near vision and provide excellent vision at all distances, regardless of what refractive errors you may have in addition to presbyopia.


Another option is eyeglasses with bifocal lenses. But bifocals are much less popular these days because they provide a more limited range of vision for many presbyopes. Also, most people don't want to show their age by wearing eyeglasses that have a visible bifocal line.

Also, it's common for people with presbyopia to notice they are becoming more sensitive to light and glare due to aging changes in their eyes. Photochromic lenses, which darken automatically in sunlight, are a good choice for this reason. They are available in all lens designs, including progressive lenses and bifocals.

Reading glasses are another choice. Unlike bifocals and progressive lenses, which most people wear all day, reading glasses are worn only when needed to see close objects and small print more clearly.

If you wear contact lenses, your eye doctor can prescribe reading glasses that you wear while your contacts are in. You may purchase readers over-the-counter at a retail store, or you can get higher-quality versions prescribed by your eye doctor.

Regardless which type of eyeglasses you choose to correct presbyopia, definitely consider lenses that include anti-reflective coating. AR coating eliminates reflections that can be distracting and cause eye strain. It also helps reduce glare and increase visual clarity for night driving.
Presbyopia Treatment: Contact Lenses

Presbyopes also can opt for multifocal contact lenses, available in gas permeable or soft lens materials. Another type of contact lens correction for presbyopia is monovision, in which one eye wears a distance prescription, and the other wears a prescription for near vision. The brain learns to favor one eye or the other for different tasks. But while some people are delighted with this solution, others complain of reduced visual acuity and some loss of depth perception with monovision.

Because the human lens continues to change as you grow older, your presbyopic prescription will need to be increased over time as well. You can expect your eye care practitioner to prescribe a stronger correction for near work as you need it.

Presbyopia Treatment: Surgery

Don't want to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses for presbyopia? A number of surgical options to treat presbyopia are available as well.

One presbyopia correction procedure that's gaining popularity is implantation of a corneal inlay. Typically implanted in the cornea of the eye that's not your dominant eye, a corneal inlay increases depth of focus of the treated eye and reduces the need for reading glasses without significantly affecting the quality of your distance vision.
FDA-approved corneal inlays for presbyopia correction surgery include the Kamra inlay (AcuFocus) and the Raindrop Near Vision Inlay (ReVision Optics).
Presbyopia is an unavoidable age-related condition that causes near vision problems in people aged 40 and over. The gradual loss of vision can interfere with simple everyday tasks like reading, operating a smartphone or tablet, or working on a computer. The good news is that presbyopia can be easily diagnosed through a routine eye exam, and there are a number of treatment options available to help restore near vision.


Check out these seven common treatments for presbyopia

1. Eyeglasses

By far the most common (and simplest) treatment for presbyopia is bifocal or progressive lens eyeglasses.

A bifocal lens is split into two sections. The larger, primary section corrects for distance vision, while the smaller, secondary section allows you to see up close.

Progressive lenses function in a similar manner, except that the sections of the lens optimized for distance and near vision are more blended (as opposed to the two distinct zones that characterize bifocals).

Although a simple and cheap option for correction, there can be associated hassles and aesthetic concerns with eyeglasses, which is why some people opt for an alternative solution such as contact lenses or surgery.

2. Contact Lenses

Multifocal and monovision contact lenses are very common treatments for presbyopia.
Multifocal contact lenses function in a manner similar to bifocal eyeglasses and are designed to provide clear vision across various focal points. Patients can work with their eye doctor to find the best fit, whether a soft lens, a rigid gas permeable lens, or a hybrid. They also have the added bonus of being available as disposable lenses.
Monovision contact lenses offer different prescriptions for each eye; one for distance vision and one for near vision. This can be problematic for some people who have a difficult time making the adjustment. Visual acuity and depth perception can be affected.

Both eyeglasses and contact lenses are temporary solutions for presbyopia that require ongoing maintenance. These days more people are opting for a permanent treatment through corrective
surgery.

3. Monovision LASIK

Although LASIK cannot treat the root cause of presbyopia, there are LASIK variations that can help reduce your need for reading glasses or bifocals.
Monovision LASIK is a procedure that corrects the dominant eye for distance vision while leaving the less-dominant eye nearsighted. Why? Because a mildly nearsighted eye is able to see things up close without reading glasses. The only problem is that distance vision with monovision LASIK is often not as crisp as it would be without the nearsightedness. Many people find this to be an acceptable tradeoff for improved near vision and, as such, Monovision LASIK is the most widely
used surgical correction for presbyopia.

4. Multifocal LASIK

Whereas monovision LASIK improves distance vision in one eye and near vision in the other, multifocal LASIK (also called PresbyLASIK) creates multiple “power zones” across the surface of the cornea to improve the depth of clear vision focus at any distance.
Multifocal LASIK is not yet approved by the FDA, though it is progressing through the clinical trial process and has been approved in several other countries.

5. Corneal Inlays

Corneal inlays are tiny implantable lenses that are surgically placed in the cornea to improve vision affected by presbyopia. There are currently two FDA-approved corneal inlays available, each of which works in a slightly different fashion.

The KAMRA corneal inlay is implanted in the non-dominant eye where its pinhole design allows it to extend the patient’s range of vision from near to far.
The Raindrop Near Vision Inlay is a biocompatible hydrogel that is designed to closely resemble the human cornea. The Raindrop Inlay treats presbyopia in a manner similar to multifocal contact lenses
by changing the curvature of the eye.

6. Conductive Keratoplasty 

Also called NearVision CK, conductive keratoplasty incorporates the use of a handheld probe that sends radio waves to targeted spots on the cornea to adjust its shape. It is most often performed on only one eye, making it a form of monovision correction.
In addition to being used as a treatment for presbyopia, conductive keratoplasty has been studied as a treatment for other eye conditions including keratoconus and astigmatism.

7. Refractive Lens Exchange

Refractive lens exchange (RLE) is an invasive procedure that involves replacing the natural lens of the eye with an artificial alternative. RLE treatment for presbyopia is similar to that used for cataract surgery. An artificial intraocular lens (IOL) replacement can improve near vision and reduce a person’s dependence on reading glasses. The surgeon performing RLE can utilize a monovision strategy with a distance-correcting lens in one eye and a near-correcting lens in the other, or a multifocal strategy where the lenses provide vision correction across a range of distances.

The best solution for each patient depends on age, current status of distance vision, and personal preference. Consult your eye doctor to determine which of these seven treatments is best for you.

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The great evil of American slavery wasn’t involuntary servitude, says public-interest lawyer Bryan Stevenson. It was the ideology of white supremacy used to justify it -- and it’s an ugly part of our history we need to acknowledge.

Today in America we are not free. We are burdened by a history of racial inequality and injustice. It compromises us; it constrains us. We live with the legacy of slavery, and that legacy has created a shadow that undermines so many of our best efforts to get to something that looks like justice.

The great evil of American slavery was not involuntary servitude and forced labor. To me, the great evil of slavery was the narrative of racial difference, the ideology of white supremacy that we created to make ourselves feel comfortable with enslaving people who are black. We’ve never addressed that legacy.

My parents were humiliated when they saw those signs that said “white” and “colored.” They weren't directions; they were assaults.

In the 13th amendment, we have language that prohibits involuntary servitude and forced labor. But we never talked about the narrative of racial differences, and as a result, I don't believe that slavery ended in 1865. Instead, it turned into decades of terrorism and violence and lynching that terrorized people of color. Thousands of people were pulled into courthouse squares in America, brutalized and sometimes even burned alive.

The demographic geography of this nation was shaped by terrorism. The black people who moved to Cleveland and Chicago and Detroit and Los Angeles and Oakland and New York and Boston didn't go to those communities as immigrants looking for new economic opportunities. They went to those communities as exiles and refugees from terrorism in the American South, and they are burdened by that history.

Even during the Civil Rights era, we never confronted all the pain and anguish that was created by decades of segregation. During that time, we said to black people, “You're not good enough to vote because you're black”; we said to black kids, “You can't go to school with other kids because you're black.” I started my education at a colored school. My parents were humiliated every day of their lives when they saw those signs that said “white” and “colored.” They weren't directions; they were assaults. We haven't addressed this. We try to press on instead, but now there’s a presumption of dangerousness and guilt that follows black and brown people in this country. It’s why kids are being killed on the streets by police officers.

An older black man said to me, “You see the scar I have behind my right ear? I got that scar in Greene County, Alabama, in 1963, trying to register people to vote.”

We cannot recover until we commit ourselves to a process of truth and reconciliation. We need to create a new relationship to this history of ours. I was giving a talk one time in a church. An older black man in a wheelchair came in while I was speaking. He sat in the back, and he looked at me with such intensity while I was talking. He had an angry, almost mean look on his face. I got through my talk, and people came up to speak to me afterwards. That man kept staring at me, and I couldn't figure out why. Finally, when everybody else had left, he got a young kid to wheel him up. The man got in front of me and said, “Do you know what you're doing?” I just stood there and looked at him. He asked me again: “Do you know what you're doing?” I mumbled something. He asked me one more time, “Do you know what you're doing?” And then he looked at me and told me, “I'm going to tell you what you're doing. You're beating the drum for justice.” He said, “You keep beating the drum for justice.”

I was so moved. I was also relieved, because I hadn’t known what he was going to do. Then he grabbed me by my jacket and pulled me towards him. He said, “Come here. I want to show you something.” He turned his head and asked, “You see the scar I have behind my right ear?” He said, “I got that scar in Greene County, Alabama, in 1963, trying to register people to vote.” He turned his head and said, “You see this cut I have down here at the bottom of my neck? I got that cut in Philadelphia, Mississippi, in 1964, trying to register people to vote.” He turned his head and said, “You see this bruise? I got this bruise in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1965, trying to register people to vote.” He said, “I'm going to tell you something, young man. People look at me and think I'm some old man sitting in a wheelchair covered with cuts and bruises and scars. But I want to tell you something.” He said, “These aren't my cuts; these aren't my bruises; these aren't my scars. These are my medals of honor.”

If we create spaces where we resurrect the truth, we can get to something that feels more like freedom.

I tell you this because our history has scarred us, it has bruised us, and it has injured us, but when we tell the truth about our history, we can change things. If we create spaces where we resurrect the truth, we can change the iconography of the American landscape; we can get to something that feels more like freedom; and we can achieve something that looks more like justice. We can shift this narrative that has burdened us and resurrect the hope that animates many of us.

That's why I'm excited about projects like The Memorial to Peace and Justice, a memorial to victims of lynching in Montgomery, Alabama. It’s a place that will tell a hard story but a necessary one. You can't go to South Africa without seeing these incredibly difficult but important monuments and memorials to apartheid; you can't go to Rwanda without being reminded of the genocide; you cannot go 100 meters in Berlin, Germany, without seeing a marker or a stone that's been placed at the home of a Jewish family abducted during the Holocaust. The Germans want people to go to Auschwitz and reflect soberly on the history of the Holocaust. We do the opposite in this country, and I think this kind of space will invite us to look at this truth. And when we do, we will find ourselves -- maybe for the first time -- freer, more just, more motivated and more liberated from our history.


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Here’s why should stop what you’re doing and look up at the sky on August 21, according to astrophysics research

On August 21, 2017, millions of people across the contiguous United States will have the opportunity to witness a solar eclipse: the phenomena when the moon’s orbit brings it directly between our planet and the Sun. For roughly 160 seconds, most of the sun’s light will be blocked out and its ethereal, tenuous solar corona will be exposed.

It will be a once-in-a-lifetime event for many of us, but it’s also the most recent crescendo of the epic and ongoing cosmic dance in which we constantly (and mostly unconsciously) play our gravitational role in the solar system. The path of totality for the eclipse -- that is, the places in the US where you’ll have the perfect vantage point to see the moon block out all of the sun -- is only about 70 miles wide in a diagonal line that goes roughly from Oregon to South Carolina. But even if you’re not along that path, people in the contiguous US can still see the moon covering at least 50 percent of the sun.

Of course, one major reason that I’m excited about the eclipse is because staring at space is my day job. But as it draws closer, I’m getting more and more giddy. It’s like Christmas in August; real talk, it’s Christmas in August plus finding out you actually ARE besties with Beyoncé plus tagging along with Alan Eustace on another stratospheric dive plus the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and then some. Here are my five -- okay, five-and-a-half -- reasons why you should take a few minutes to mark this upcoming moment.

1. The position will be perfect.

Solar eclipses are relatively rare, yet there are still on average two total solar eclipses every three years. The perception of rarity comes from the type, duration and eclipse location as seen from Earth. The most recent total solar eclipse to pass over any part of the US was about 40 years ago. (Fun fact: There are two places in the lower 48 that haven’t seen the path of totality of a solar eclipse in almost 1,000 years. Can you guess which ones? The answer is at the end.)

But there’s an even more interesting aspect to this positioning game -- the relative location of the sun and the moon with respect to the Earth is really the secret sauce of a total solar eclipse. The diameter of the sun is about 400 times bigger than the diameter of the moon, and the moon is about 400 times closer to the earth than the sun. Thus, when the three orbits align, the moon is just barely able to block out the sun’s photosphere. Without this celestial positioning, we’d never get to experience the science -- or the magic -- of a total eclipse.

Astronomically speaking, it’s also a special moment to have such advantageous positioning of our near and dear satellite, the moon, which is slowly moving away from us. That’s right, the moon gets about 1.5 inches further from the Earth every year. In 600 million years the moon will have moved 14,600 miles farther away, and we won’t be able to experience total solar eclipses on this planet because our 400:400 ratio will have vanished. In other words, our positioning in space is truly unique, as is our positioning in time. So count yourself lucky.

Now for you fortunate folks who will be available at the appointed time and place to watch this solar eclipse: PLEASE DO NOT STARE DIRECTLY AT THE SUN. Do not look directly at the sun for any length of time, for any reason. No, not even a glimpse. Technically, you can look at the sun without eye protection at the exact moment(s) of totality, but be VERY, VERY CAREFUL. The sun emits photons that are energetic enough to damage human eyes, so please look skyward only if you’re wearing the proper eye protection (and regular sunglasses do not count).

If you’re not able to witness the eclipse in person, there will be myriad videos and GIFs of this particular event, as well as a hearty archive of previous ones. In 2024, much of the contiguous US will have another opportunity to see an eclipse. For the rest of the world, here is a list of future eclipses throughout the 21st century. And for the sight-impaired, NASA has produced a tactile guide to the eclipse, which is being distributed to schools and libraries for the blind, science centers and museums, state libraries, NASA centers and other institutions.

2. You’ll get a fleeting chance to see the unseen.

While the sun is our nearest stellar neighbor, there is an astonishing amount that we don’t know about it. One of its most intriguing mysteries: that it gets hotter as you travel further from its core. The sun’s photosphere -- the part that we think of as “the sun” -- is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,000 degrees Celsius), but the corona -- the otherworldly haze around the sun -- is one million degrees hotter than the surface. Weird, right?

The corona is also significantly less dense than the solar surface, so neither it nor the chromosphere (a reddish gaseous layer that is right above the photosphere) can be seen by humans without employing some kind of technology. Scientists use coronagraphs on solar-observing instruments to observe them, but the moon is actually the best blocking mechanism for viewing both of these lesser-known regions of the sun. Solar eclipses also offer a time to better understand the surface of the moon, too. For example, Baily’s beads (shown below) are the beautiful bright edges seen right before the totality that are due to sunlight making its way through the craters and mountains on the moon’s surface.

Photo by Luc Viatour

2 ½. You’ll have a reason to use the word syzygy.

A syzygy (pronounced “SI-zeh-gee” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary) is the nearly straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies (such as the sun, moon and earth during a solar or lunar eclipse) in a gravitational system. It’s also worth 93 points in Scrabble if you play your tiles right, according to Mental Floss. I’m just saying…

3. An eclipse served as a pivotal moment of science discovery.

One of my favorite reasons to love a total solar eclipse is because it was used almost a century ago by scientists as a giant astronomical test bed for Einstein’s theory of general relativity. The key component of general relativity under scrutiny was whether massive objects can bend space-time itself. In order to tell, you either need highly precise instruments or exceptionally large “test particles” that can amplify small signals. And what could be a better test particle than the sun? That was precisely the experiment conceived by astronomer Sir Frank Watson Dyson in 1917 and later executed by fellow astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington to investigate Einstein’s then-controversial theory. Would the mass of the sun have measurable impact on the path of starlight near the sun-moon-earth line of sight? In particular, would the sun’s mass bend the starlight that passed nearby by the amount that general relativity predicted and more than what was expected from Newtonian physics?

(Spoiler alert: YES!)

In May 1919, the universe confirmed that it could indeed be better described by Einstein’s theories of relativity -- and a new era of physics was ushered in. How did the solar eclipse do that? The 1919 eclipse happened to occur near a well-known star cluster called the Hyades. By measuring the cluster’s starlight before the eclipse and during the eclipse itself when the light would normally be swamped by sunlight, Eddington was able to measure the slight shift in position of the cluster based on the gravitational pull the sun had on the light that passed by.

4. A syzygy (used it!) continues to be a time to answer our questions about the universe.

As if confirming general relativity was not enough, there are still experiments being done during solar eclipses to learn more about our celestial neighborhood. The ionosphere -- a part of the atmosphere which starts about 35 miles above sea level and extends up to more than 600 miles -- helps propagate radio waves and plays a significant part in the aurora, but scientists don’t quite understand how this layer works. Several groups will be turning their instruments towards the eclipse to see if radio transmissions across the ionosphere change during totality and measure the impact of solar radiation on ionospheric transmission. (To find out more about some of the research conducted, go here.)

There are also many citizen-science projects in which the public can participate (there’s even a tool for you to run the general relativity experiment yourself). For example, you can figure out how much the temperature cools during totality, either individually or collectively by contributing to this cool initiative from the GLOBE program. There’s definitely more to be said about citizen-science projects, but I’ll leave that for another day.

5. Eclipse = magic

Despite my giddiness about all the science-related reasons to watch the eclipse, I want to acknowledge a deeply personal one: its power to bring people together. I first became interested in astronomy because stargazing in my backyard made me feel connected to all those who’d come before me and looked up at the night sky. I experienced this deep connection to something much bigger, older and vaster than me, even when I couldn’t yet put words to such awe-drenched emotions. For me, that feeling of connection is heightened by the fact that this eclipse allows for synchronized star-gazing. In about four days, millions of us will be gazing upon the same thing, at the same time, courtesy of Mother Nature. How magical is that?

No matter what reasons move you to watch, I hope you’ll have the time, freedom and ability to see this celestial show we cannot control and should never take for granted. My secret hope is that these moments of connected darkness will spark the beginning of a love affair with space for a new generation of stargazers and from the eclipse’s sweeping shadow will emerge new luminaries in the fields like astrophysics, space science, aeronautics and more.

Answer: The places in the lower 48 that haven’t seen the path of totality of a solar eclipse in almost 1,000 years are Lewellen, Nebraska, and Fort Morgan, Colorado, according to NASA.

Things that happen during Eclipse.

1. Animals getting confused

"A totally eclipsed sun is 10,000 times fainter than one that is 99 percent covered by the moon," Meg Pickett, professor of physics at Lawrence University, told me. The change in light during an eclipse makes the temperature drop suddenly, which makes animals think that night is coming.
As the total eclipse begins, animals begin their evening songs and behavior, such as crickets chirping. As the eclipse ends, the animals think that morning is coming. If you're in the country, you'll be able to hear roosters crow.

2. Stars and planets in the middle of the day

During the eclipse, the sky will get so dark that stars will look just as bright as they would during the evening. If you live close to the total eclipse zone, you'll even be able to see planets like Jupiter and Venus easily.

3. Shadow bands. 

Right before a total eclipse, little snake-like shadows will appear to slither across the ground. According to NASA, scientists aren't completely sure why shadow bands happen. Many scientists believe that they are caused by light from the eclipse being focused and refocused through cells of air in the atmosphere.

Shadow bands are a rare sight during the eclipse, but you may be able to see them with the right equipment, timing and location. The most important part is the color of the ground. You can see the bands best on light colors. Some people lay a large white sheet on the ground. You may also spot them by looking at concrete, sand, snow or ice.

"In 2015, I saw the eclipse in Svalbard, just 800 miles from the North Pole," said Mark Bender, a longtime eclipse chaser who has followed eclipses from Norway to Australia, and the director of the documentary series "Eclipse Across America." "I was standing on a landscape covered with ice -- just like an enormous white sheet. And there they were! It's all about being at the right place at the right time."

4. Bailey's beads

Bailey's beads are pearls of sunlight shining through the valleys and 

mountains of the moon, explained Pickett. You'll see them around the edges of the moon as it passes over the sun.

"The beads may look reddish in color, exposing the upper atmosphere of the sun, the chromosphere, or 'Sphere of Color,'" said Pickett.

Bailey's beads are pearls of sunlight around the eclipse. NASA/Arne Danielson
5. Corona rainbows

Eclipse 2017: Get ready
How to tell if your solar eclipse glasses are safe
How to plan a total solar eclipse road trip

Corona rainbows happens when the air is full of water molecules. "During the eclipse in 1999, I was watching in Cornwall, England," said Bender. "It was a completely overcast and rainy day. Leading up to the eclipse, you couldn't see the sun at all. Three minutes before totality, the sun started to peek though, and with one minute to go, clouds dissipated and the entire sky opened up. We lucked out, but the best was yet to come.

"Even though the rain had stopped, there was still so much water vapor in the air. When the sun eclipsed, the corona was full of tiny rainbows! Imagine seeing the stunning corona in full color! I have never seen that since, but anything is possible. You just don't know how it will play out."

Rainbows around an eclipse are caused by light shining through water vapor.NASA/Romeo Durscher

6. 360-degree sunset

During totality, or when the sun is completely covered by the moon, you can see what looks like a sunset -- in every direction -- around the horizon.

When he was 15 in July 1963, NASA researcher and Dickinson College Professor of physics and astronomy Robert Boyle witnessed his first solar eclipse in Bangor, Maine. "When totality arrived, I was amazed at how dark it got," Boyle said. "The silence that descended around us was as profound as it was unexpected. The birds stopped chirping. The air grew still. And all around the horizon where the clouds left a little gap of sky, there was a crimson band of light as if sunset was a 360-degree phenomenon."

The strange 360-sunset effect happens, Boyle says, because the sun is still shining outside the path of totality.

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How to plan a total solar eclipse road trip

You've probably heard by now that a total solar eclipse will sweep from coast to coast across the contiguous United States on Aug. 21.

You may have also heard sky watchers and space nerds booked every available room along the 70-mile-wide eclipse path years in advance. You can be forgiven for not planning ahead. This is the first total eclipse to cross both coasts in 99 years.

Since that eclipse in 1918, automobiles and interstate freeways have both become big parts of American life. As a result, we're witnessing a truly new kind of vacation: the eclipse road trip.

Here's what you need to do to make sure you don't miss out:
Pick your ideal viewing spot

While everyone in the lower 48 states will be able to see at least a partial eclipse on Aug. 21, you need to be somewhere along the "path of totality" to get the far more dramatic experience of seeing the sun go dark in the middle of the day. Temperatures plummet and animals start to behave strangely before the lights are turned back on after just a few minutes.

NASA has put together a map -- along with detailed instructions for using it -- that shows where you'll need to be to get the full eclipse experience.

Some key things to consider when choosing where to view the eclipse include distance, weather and traffic. In general, your odds of cloudless skies are better in the Western states. The more densely populated East means more crowds and traffic, but also more roads and accessible viewing spots. There's a great eclipse weather guide here and the map below features predictions on what traffic could look like leading up to and following the eclipse.

"Once you have arrived at a location in the path of totality, find your spot," said filmmaker and veteran eclipse chaser Mark Bender, director of the "Eclipse Across America" series on CuriosityStream. "You don't need to be high up, or away from buildings. But do look for a place away from a lot of bright lights. During totality, when darkness falls and the stars become visible, you don't want any bright lights to take away from your view."
Find a place to stay

At this point, it's not going to be as simple as spending a few minutes online and booking a room in a town along the path of totality. If you call around enough, it might be possible to find a room thanks to a cancellation. Or maybe someone will decide last minute to cash in by putting a room up on Airbnb. But trust me, it's slim pickings right now and "event prices" and shameless gouging are in full effect. Rooms are even totally booked in many towns within short driving distance of the path of totality. According to one site, the entire state of Idaho is essentially out of vacancies for the dates.

Always remember to subscribe on our blog. 

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How to tell if your solar eclipse glasses are safe

If you hadn't heard, there's a major eclipse happening soon. The US hasn't had a total solar eclipse visible from coast to coast (Pacific to Atlantic) since 1918 -- so we figured we'd give you some retina-safe options for viewing the eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017.

And to be clear, safety is paramount. Repeat after me:

• Don't look at any phase of the eclipse with your naked eyes

• Note that conventional sunglasses will not protect your eyes.

• The cheap, unsafe eclipse viewers being sold won't protect your eyes, either.

When it comes to buying eclipse glasses, caveat emptor applies -- your vision is on the line, it's really important to know you're getting viewers with proper protection.We pulled those points from NASA's safety tips to prevent eye injury during an eclipse, and you should read all those tips.

To that end, we've used those NASA guidelines to create our recommendations for eclipse-viewing gear. The most important rule of thumb while you shop is there are specific trusted manufacturers and vendors who sell certified glasses/viewers that meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard (that's what you'll need to be protected from the sun as you stare at it). The American Astronomical Society has an excellent rundown of manufacturers, vendors and retail chains where you can get solar-filter equipment, and that's further informed our list.

American Paper Optical makes cheap, safe paper glasses anyone can use to look directly at a solar eclipse. American Paper Optical
Cheap and easy: Paper glasses ($1 and up)

We've seen 'em before -- they're those paper frames that look like old-school 3D glasses, but instead of the old cyan/red combo, they're fitted with solar viewing material. You can buy these in packs for around a buck a pair, making them a great option for families, teachers or organizations hoping to provide larger quantities on the cheap. Again, make sure you're getting one made by or approved by the AAS list of manufacturers.

Got a pair laying around you plan to reuse? If they're crinkled, cracked, or more than 3 years old, trash 'em. They're dangerous and may not provide enough protection.
Sturdier but still inexpensive: Plastic glasses / cardboard viewers ($10-$20)

We've seen slightly sturdier options, like plastic frames that look like sunglasses, and folding cardboard viewers. This is a great option if you want your glasses to last a bit longer, but again, make sure you're buying from a company that sources its material from the AAS list (for example: Celestron's viewers often use solar viewing material from American Paper Optics).
The 'maybe I have this in my garage' option: Welding shields / goggles (free-$20)

This one's tricky, because while you may have a pair of welding goggles in your garage, they've got to be at least shade 14 or darker to suffice, according to NASA. You can also pick up a simple piece of shade 14+ welder's glass at a supply store and hold it up between your eyes and the sun to view the eclipse. At shade 14 and higher, they're dark enough to meet transmittance requirements for ISO 12312-2:2015. The thing is, most basic welding goggles aren't that heavy duty -- and if you aren't sure, it's not worth taking the risk. Trust us.

Celestron's eclipse binoculars use the proper solar filter material so you can get a slight closeup of an eclipse without damaging your eyes.Celestron
Getting a closer look at a reasonable price: Solar viewing binoculars ($20-$80)

I'd never heard of solar viewing binoculars, but it's a pretty cool idea. Using binoculars with approved ISO solar filters, such as this Celestron model, allows you to get a slightly magnified look at the sun. You'll have to exercise some caution putting them up and taking them down off your face, but if you're a solar enthusiast, this might be a great option. (Note: Don't ever use standard binoculars to look at the sun. If you've ever held a magnifying glass over an ant on a sunny day... well, imagine that ant is your retina. Ouch.)
Going eclipse gonzo: A telescope with solar filter lens (Price: potentially astronomical)

If you already have a telescope, you're probably more of a space enthusiast than I am, so I might be repeating what you already know. But you can buy solar filters for your telescope that allow you to get a closer look without harming your eyes. Some of these filters are relatively affordable, and some can be very expensive, letting you view the sun at very specific wavelengths. (Again, don't ever view the sun through a telescope without the proper equipment. See: aforementioned ant/retina comparison.)

Overall, you have a lot of different options for checking out the upcoming eclipse. Just make safety your No. 1 priority and you'll come out the other side with the same retinas you showed up with.

The Smartest Stuff: Innovators are thinking up new ways to make you, and the things around you, smarter. Here's what they're up to.

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How to make your life easy

1. How to build your email list & get reviews for your books on Amazon

Early last year I shared the tip to put a link to your email list signup page in the front of your book on Amazon (see #2). Why? Because with Amazon’s "Look Inside" feature. someone could follow that link and get on your mailing list, even without buying your book. A win. In this episode of EOFire, Chandler & John talk more about that trick (at minute 8:15). Related to that, Chandler explains his clever "Review Sweeper" email sequence. He emails readers of his book(s) after 21 days asking what they think of the book. He thanks them for their thoughts, then asks them to copy & paste those thoughts into an Amazon review, and provides a link, to make it super easy for them. He explains the process starting at minute 13:32.

2. How to go through your inbox like Instagram

If you struggle to manage your email inbox but have no trouble scrolling through Instagram, check out the new app called Gfeed (for both Android and iOS). I haven’t tried it myself (I’m happy with Google Inbox), but basically it helps you process your emails quicker by turning your inbox into an Instagram-like feed. Interesting.

3. Teachable vs. Thinkific for ecourse hosting

In her podcast, Lisa Irby explained how she started building her ecourse on Teachable based on the recommendation of key influencers, but switched to Thinkific because she likes its customer support options better (LaTosha mentioned the difference in payouts too). For some, customer support options (or payout timing) might not matter, but Lisa makes a really great point: do your research and do what works for you! This is similar to what I ranted about a few weeks ago (see #5). It’s so easy to assume, "So-and-so did it, therefore, that must be the best way." Not so! Let others’ opinions inform your decisions, not direct them.

4. Heads up!

• Parenting Super Bundle - 80 resources from the Ultimate Bundles team, available a few more days.

• Challista font - Another script font.

• Captivating theme - A new Genesis theme released by Restored 316.

• Go LIVE with a friend on Instagram - The feature is in testing mode but will roll out in coming months.

• Share & chat about videos on YouTube - Share & chat about videos with friends and family directly on YouTube.

• In Facebook news… - They’re shutting down the Groups app, they "will remove Pages that engage in cloaking" (I’m not sure how this affects Pretty Link plugin users) and they announced Watch, a new way to watch shows.

5. Behind the scenes

(A question for you.) I’ve adopted a "minimalist business" mentality and a "live nimbly" motto, but this week I’ve spent a lot of time pondering how those things mesh with an online world full of noise—a million email lists to subscribe to, ecourses to buy, people to follow, blogs to read, videos to watch. Not only am I overwhelmed by it, I don’t want to contribute to it. I’ve been thinking about how I can simplify, even when so many say, essentially, to make things more complicated (get this tool and this service and this sequence!). Have you, or others you’ve encountered, simplified their online presence drastically? (By "drastically" I mean something like deleting social media accounts entirely or chucking your email list, not just scaling back from 3 posts a week to 1 post a week or unsubscribing from all but 5 email lists.) If so, would you let me know? I’d love to learn, and I’ll share the best ones next week.

Have a great weekend,

Seuns Blog.

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My life before and after.

Here's a view of our island at high tide
I can't wait to go back to Italy to see more views like this
Okay, okay. I know I’m past middle age (At least I know that when I’m thinking straight). That being said, ever since returning from Italy on June 6, I’ve been contemplating the next phase of life. Usually, I phrase it something like this: “ARGHHHH! There’s not much time left! I’m 2/3 of the way through life. IF. I’M. LUCKY. What happened? So much to do! So much to do!”

Since learning to live with achalasia, I’ve spent a lot more time contemplating “What’s next?” than I would normally be inclined to do. Clearly, I’ve had some sort of massive wake-up call. For example, I’ve always planned to work until I’m 70. And why not? Being a tenured full professor is a fantastic profession. Job security. Good pay. Flexible hours. Extremely liberal vacation time. Who would walk away from that?

Except, I just had the vacationof a lifetime. And I want more. I loved being in a different culture. And I want more of that. I loved crossing the ocean at 15-20 knots (i.e., slowly) with time to stare out into the horizon wondering about everything or nothing. I want more of that, too.

Seventy as a retirement age is starting to sound too far into the future. I’m not getting any younger. Clearly. I used to look younger than my age. But, people no longer stare with their mouths agape when they find out I have grandchildren. Sometimes I’m given the Senior Citizen Discount. Without asking. And, more than once recently, I’ve had acquaintances assume I’m retired—and look a bit of a confused when I tell them I’m still working. Heck, I’m not even Social Security eligible yet.

In my “I’m getting old!” full freak-out mode, I’ve noticed more creaks and moans coming from my body. Recently while rowing, I damaged my “sits bone” (the ischial tuberosity for anyone who is interested in keeping up with my continued bizarre medical escapades) and for the first time, I’ve wondered if it might be time to sell my racing scull.

We own two houses (one at the beach and one in the city), which take a modicum of effort to keep in good shape. Lately, I’ve walked around both houses thinking about things we should start getting rid of. (Including at least one of the houses.)

I met with the retirement guy to get his opinion on whether we have enough money to retire sooner than later. And, I’ve read just about every online publication Social Security offers trying to figure out if I know enough to make the decision to retire.

As for the hubster, he’s taking my whirling dervish “let’s do something” activity in stride. Occasionally, he’ll listen in when I say I’ve found the perfect cruise that leaves Amsterdam and travels through Iceland and Greenland on its way back to the States. Apparently, I have just developed a NEED to see the Arctic Circle. I think I’ve convinced the hubster that we need to get our next adventure to Italy set right now. We’ve booked an apartment in Nereto, Italy, next July. I’ve never heard of Nereto. either, but apparently I need to go there as well.

I’m studying Italian every day—determined to be at least 50% fluent before I return. I’ve read that studying another language helps delay brain deterioration. So, now I'm worried that my brain is deteriorating. (Drat! I broke my 29-day streak on Duolingo.)

Big breath. Sigh. Here’s the thing. Yeah, I’m getting older. But my life has been pretty awesome—and it looks like it might be pretty awesome in the future as well. (I’ve got my next trip to Italy planned so it can’t be all bad, right?) I’m normally not a freak-out kind of person. Maybe a wake-up call once in a while is good. And maybe visiting the Arctic Circle really is a good idea. Who knows? But, what I do know is that I’ve had an amazing summer—and now it’s time to get back to work. The fall semester starts in just a few days. Looks like I’m not retiring this year no matter what the retirement guy says. And that’s okay. I’ve got time. I hope

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