Top New Travel Videos: “Starlight – Deserts Of Chile” By Adrien Mauduit

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Adrien Mauduit

Ever since I started astrophotography I’ve waited to visit the dark skies of Chile. I took advantage of the total solar eclipse of July 2nd to give me a ‘good excuse’ to go there and shoot astrolapses as well. For a bit more than two weeks, Alyn Wallace and I roamed about some of the driest areas and darkest skies on the planet. This short films tells the tale of an otherworldly experience filled with many challenges and stunning scenery throughout the deserts of the South-American country.

Starlight - Deserts of Chile Directed by Adrien Mauduit 2019

Chile is unlike any other places on our beautiful planet. The climate there is very strange, especially coming from northern Europe. While the southern part of the country is colder and more humid, the northern part offers some of the sunniest and driest places thanks to the Andes blocking most of the clouds. The high plateaus (Altiplano) actually extends for miles from South to North and even in the winter time, the astrophotography possibilities are almost endless and seemingly easy to come by. During our two weeks around La Serena and Atacama, Alyn and I have almost not seen a single cloud or a major gust of wind. Moreover, despite the growing light pollution around the arid plains, the night remains one of the best on Earth. There, the nigh it is quite long (from 6:30PM till 6AM), and the air is thin and pure to allow less scattering and a clearer view on the stars. So theoretically it was possible to shoot every night.

Starlight - Deserts of Chile Directed by Adrien Mauduit 2019

Website: https://www.nightlightsfilms.com/

Research: UC Berkeley Announces First Large Scale Study Of Healthy Lifestyle On Aging Brains

From a Berkeley News online article:

UC Berkeley Helen Wills Neuroscience“A healthy diet and lifestyle are generally recognized as good for health, but this study is the first large randomized controlled trial to look at whether lifestyle changes actually influence Alzheimer’s disease-related brain changes,” said Susan Landau, a research neuroscientist at Berkeley’s Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, and principal investigator of the add-on study.

UC Berkeley was awarded a five-year grant expected to total $47 million from the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA) to incorporate advanced brain imaging into an Alzheimer’s Association-led study to explore whether lifestyle changes can protect memory in those at risk of developing dementia.

The expanded study will be the first large-scale investigation of how lifestyle interventions, which include exercise, diet, cognitive stimulation and health coaching, affect well-known biological markers of Alzheimer’s and dementia in the brain.

To read more click on following link: https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/07/29/47-million-grant-to-explore-how-a-healthy-lifestyle-changes-the-aging-brain/

Top Exhibits: Empire State Building Mini Museum Opens To The Public

From a Curbed NY online article:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe Empire State Building, New York City’s most iconic skyscraper, has been reimagining its observatory experience for some time now. As part of a two-phase project, a new observatory entrance at 20 West 34th Street debuted last August, and now, a new set of immersive exhibits are open to the public.

The 10,000-square-foot galleries, part of a $165 million project which began more than four years ago, include several displays that tell the history of the building from its construction to its prominent place in the city’s culture.

To read more click on following link: https://ny.curbed.com/2019/7/29/8934703/empire-state-building-exhibit-observatory-history-nyc

 

Top New Travel Videos: “Mandala – The Wheel Of Life” Is A Spiritual Journey Through Tibet (2019)

“Mandala – The Wheel Of Life”

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Andrada and Ion

Mandala - The Wheel of Life Spiritual Journey Through Tibel 2019

Music by: Ryan Taubert (“We Wish It Was Never Light”) and Bruno Coulais (“La Mort De Lhakpa”)

“Mandala” is a spiritual symbol representing the universe in Bhuddism. It can represent different cycles of life, or the life cycle itself. The wheel of life is a Mandala, but not every Mandala is a wheel of life.”

Mandala - The Wheel of Life Spiritual Journey Through Tibel 2019

Website: inbetweenflights.com

Sleep Studies: Hot Bath Or Shower (104 Degrees), 1-2 Hours Before Bedtime Improves Duration And Quality Of Sleep

From Sleep Medicine Review, August 2019:

Sleep Medicine ReviewsPBHWB of 40–42.5 °C was associated with both improved self-rated sleep quality and SE, and when scheduled 1–2 h before bedtime for little as 10 min significant shortening of SOL. These findings are consistent with the mechanism of PBHWB effects being the extent of core body temperature decline achieved by increased blood perfusion to the palms and soles that augments the distal-to-proximal skin temperature gradient to enhance body heat dissipation

To read more click the following link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079218301552?via%3Dihub

The following is from “Health News from NPR”:

In their research review, Haghayegh and his colleagues examined results from 17 studies that met criteria for their analysis, i.e. studies that looked at using warm water exposures of various types to aid sleep onset and quality. Some involved body baths, some involved footbaths and one involved a shower. Thirteen of the studies had the full amount of data needed for a quantitative review.

Based on scientists’ review of these studies, a bath or shower of about 104 degrees Fahrenheit before bedtime that lasted for as little as 10 minutes was significantly associated with improved sleep quality, and increased the overall amount of time slept. In at least a couple of studies, taking a bath one or two hours before bedtime decreased the average amount of time it took the study participants to fall asleep — by about nine minutes.

To read more click on following link: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/07/25/745010965/a-warm-bedtime-bath-can-help-you-cool-down-and-sleep-better?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20190728&utm_campaign=health&utm_term=npr%20news&utm_id=46633831

Newly Renovated Resorts: Desert Hot Springs’ “Two Bunch Palms” – Carbon Neutral Rejuvenation

From a Design Milk online article:

Two Bunch Palms Mineral WatersTwo Bunch Palms mineral springs flow up from Miracle Hill, a 600 year old source bubbling from under the surface and flowing hot directly into the resort’s pool. Ecological considerations also extend to the hotel using its very own solar field array, earning Two Bunch Palms the status of being the first carbon-neutral resort in America.

Studio MAI, the firm responsible for designing the popular Venice restaurant mainstay, Gjelina, remained cognizant and careful to retain the resort’s storied “quirkiness and authenticity” while adding enough colors, textures, and modern motifs in acknowledgement of the new generation descending into the region drawn by the desert’s charms. The resulting makeover feels fresh without cloyingly contemporary, retaining a textural charm that has mostly abandoned nearby Palm Springs.

To read more click the following link: https://design-milk.com/mineral-springs-modernity-bubbles-anew-at-the-two-bunch-palms/

Top RV Campsites: North Rim Campground In Grand Canyon National Park

From a Fodor’s online article:

Grand_Canyon_North_Rim_Campground_Registration_Office_0097One of America’s most iconic national parks, it’s no surprise to learn that the Grand Canyon is often crowded. Most visitors, though, stick to the park’s South Rim, leaving the less populated North Rim open to campers in search of wildlife and a little tranquility. The North Rim Campground is a whopping 8,200 feet in elevation bordering the Transept Canyon, an offshoot of the main canyon, of which some sites have fantastic views. The 90-site campground, open May through October (reservations only), is located a mile south of the Grand Canyon Lodge and visitor center.

North Rim Campground Grand Canyon National Park

To read more click on the following link: https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/arizona/grand-canyon-national-park

Retirement Videos: Panel Discusses Topic “Is Retirement Extinct?”

The increase in longevity is disrupting the 20th-century retirement model. Our longer lifespans, though a blessing in many respects, has been a shock to the collective system. While Social Security and Medicare provide cushions, too few people have adequate savings and investment to support lifelong needs. The shift away from pensions and defined benefit plans has exacerbated insecurity. People need to work and earn longer to survive and thrive in a world of rapid change. As we come to grips with the opportunities and challenges of longer lives, what will 21st-century retirement look like? What policies and practices should be implemented to enhance wealth, health, and engagement for a better future?

Technology Trends: Dish Network Founder To Create “Low Cost” Wireless Carrier Out Of T-Mobile / Sprint Merger

From a Wall Street Journal article by Drew FitzGerald:

T-Mobile Sprint Dish Wireless NetworksMr. Ergen also argues wireless pricing is broken. He says U.S. carriers have many customers paying for unlimited data plans they don’t need, much as cable companies long forced subscribers to pay for big bundles of TV channels.

“This is deja vu all over again for us,” said Mr. Ergen. In wireless, he sees an opportunity for Dish to woo customers that use less data with lower monthly prices and those that are heavy data users with plans that don’t slow their connections.

Charlie Ergen has long tried to muscle his way into the U.S. wireless business. When his rivals had no other choice, the billionaire behind Dish Network Corp. finally got his way.
John Legere, the chief executive of T-Mobile US Inc., called Mr. Ergen in late May after it became clear T-Mobile’s proposed takeover of Sprint Corp. was in trouble.

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