Runner’s shoes are laid out in a display titled, ‘Dear Boston: Messages from the Marathon Memorial’ in the Boston Public Library to commemorate the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, on April 14, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts. Image: Andrew Burton/Getty Images When I ran my first Boston Marathon in 2009, I was stunned by the aura. Most marathon crowds pack a part of the course and disappear for the out-of-the-way stretches, but the Boston crowd was at least three-deep nearly the entire time. Everyone picked out something about the runners’ outfits — your singlet, the color of your shorts — and shouted words of encouragement. Drunk college kids from every school in the city lined the course and hollered as only drunk college kids can. It’s hard to forget that kind of uproarious positivity. That’s why the Boston Marathon is so special. An optimism normally derided as hokey or fake is open and encouraged there. For many, that marathon is the culmination of an achievement that took years to build to, which contributed to why last year’s bombing at the finish line that injured at least 260 and killed three was so vile. Lives were ended and shattered, and it felt like the two suspected bombers had totally marred the positivity on which the Boston Marathon thrives. During that 2009 race, it was amazing that there could be such a raucous party for a running event, and it wasn’t until years later that I realized the crowd knew something I didn’t: Completing a marathon is worth celebrating. People start running for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes, each step provides a modicum of control in an otherwise hectic life. Other times, it’s the easiest way a person knows to lose weight. Maybe it’s just simply that for as long as someone is running, he’s removed from his phone and email. But every catalyst is for the good of that individual. Not everyone who runs likes doing so, but there’s always some sort of satisfaction there. That kind of inherent positivity has a way of building on itself. If a person feels good after one run, there’s a good chance he’ll lace up again and again until he’s running road races filled with people who are there for the same reason: because running provides some sort of solace, because it gives them goals and a means to accomplish them. Participants in a cross-country charity relay that began in March in California cross the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Boston, Sunday, April 13, 2014. Image: Michael Dwyer/AP Images/Associated Press That understanding is like an energy at the Boston Marathon that washes from shouting spectators onto runners and flows among competitors. It’s almost like a party rather than a race. Getting to Boston was the hard part and, for many, that marathon is like a long victory lap. The Boston Marathon is the culmination of thousands of runners’ personal goals. Watching tens of thousands of dreams come true within the span of a few hours is nothing […]
NASA‘s Chris Cassidy wanted to give fellow astronaut Luca Parmitano a warm welcome to the International Space Station last week, but a bottle of wine or a nice casserole wouldn’t cut it. Cassidy buzzed his head to match Parmitano’s signature clean-shaven look. (Hey, imitation is the best form of flattery.) However, even the most menial of tasks take on a whole new level in zero gravity. Cassidy couldn’t just pick up a standard razor — hair would be floating around the ISS for weeks. Instead, he used an electric hair trimmer and a vacuum. “I don’t think I’ve looked like this since Plebe Summer!” joked Cassidy, who has a reputation as a notorious prankster. When he arrived on board the ISS in March, he donned an over-the-top fake mustache for Commander Chris Hadfield. The fun didn’t stop with the video above. Once the nerds at Mission Control back on Earth heard about the space haircut, they jumped in on the joke with this “Wanted” poster in search of the missing hair. Images courtesy of NASA Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/06/04/nasa-astronaut-shaves-head/
Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire want to hear what you’ve got to say. The two stars unveiled a campaign on Monday called Vote4Stuff. It urges voters to use social media to talk about what issues are most critical to them in the upcoming election. A public service announcement went online Monday, asking: “What stuff is important to you?” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jonah Hill, Zac Efron, Edward Norton and Ellen Degeneres — among others — also appear in the video. Anyone interested can submit their own 30-second video about their biggest concerns going into the election. Then, selected videos — in addition to tweets, photos or posts directed at Vote4Stuff — will be incorporated into the campaign later in the month. The PSA mentions several potential issues to talk about, including jobs, marriage equality, foreign policy, immigration and education. But DiCaprio and the team are encouraging people to be creative. “Hey, knock us out and we’ll put (the video) in,” Norton says in the announcement. What issues matter most to you in this election? Let us know in the comments. Image courtesy of Flickr, Tostie14. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/01/dicaprio-maguire-want-you/
Anyone who has been to New York’s Central Park in the fall can attest to the impressive display of color against the steel and glass of the city. Sure, we’ve all seen time-lapse videos. But there is something truly magical about this one by filmmaker, Jamie Scott. Many of the transitions move across the field of view from left to right, as if the color is being chased down by the shadow of winter. Scott said he chose 15 locations in the park and then revisited them two days a week for six months. If the lighting appears similar, it’s because all of the shots were taken just after sunrise. Take a look. Super Bowl? Naw, Puppy Bowl’s Got the Best Players DNews: Meet an Animal with a Type of Eye Never Before Seen Birdbrains? Hardly: Baby Chicks Can Count Could Super Bowl Be Influenced By Biological Clocks? This article originally published at Discovery News here Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/11/29/central-park-time-lapse-video/
The Social Good Summit continues Sunday in New York — but you can still join in the global conversation even if you couldn’t make it to New York. This year’s livestream is available in seven languages — English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Russian and Hebrew. This year’s Social Good Summit expands beyond the 92nd Street Y’s New York walls. Partner events, forming The Global Conversation are taking place in Beijing, China; Nairobi, Kenya; and Mogadishu, Somalia on Monday. One of the early Meetups took place Sunday morning in Madagascar: @thierry_ratsiz partage son exprience du web et des médias sociaux au #sgsglobal #madagascar twitter.com/saveoursmile/s… — Hery Zo (@saveoursmile) September 23, 2012 All Meetups in dangerous regions of the world have been cleared with U.N. security officials, who are taking responsibility. Are you taking part in a community Social Good Meetup? Let us know what’s taking place your region in the comments. About Ericsson Read more of Mashable’s coverage of the 2012 Social Good Summit: Day One: Hillary Clinton Opens the Social Good Summit [VIDEO] How the U.S. Chief Technology Officer Is Making Data Awesome Can Mobile Phones Help Fight Pediatric AIDS? How Is Social Media Changing Diplomacy? Peter Gabriel Makes Case For Internet Freedom ITU Secretary-General: OK to Make Profit When Helping Developing Nations 8-Year-Old YouTube Sensation Performs at Social Good Summit Social Good Summit Day 1: Highlights and Pics Day Two: ShoutAbout Aims to Inspire Social Action Based on News Stories Tim Pool, Guerrilla Journalist of the Digital Age [VIDEO] U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice: Twitter Crucial to Her Mission How Social Media Is Empowering Women in Haiti How to Use Mobile Devices to Solve Global Problems How Forest Whitaker Is Using Technology to Spread Peace Social Good Summit Day 2: Highlights and Pics Day Three: Napolitano: Congress ‘Got Stuck’ on Cybersecurity U.N. Foundation Challenges the World to Take Action Nick Kristof Takes Social Good Gaming to the Next Level Why Tech and New Media Can Help End Modern Slavery UNICEF Launches Online Campaign to Reduce Child Mortality Rates What It Means to Be an Advocate in the Digital Age What Non-Profits Can Learn From Cat Videos Wikipedia Founder: Online Connections Foster Real Change Deepak Chopra: Social Media is the Next Phase of Humanity [VIDEO] How Social Good Summit Sparked the Largest Conversation on Earth Social Good Summit Day 3: Highlights and Pics 10 Inspiring Quotes From Mashable’s Social Good Summit Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, skegbydave window._msla=window.loadScriptAsync||function(src,id){if(document.getElementById(id))return;var js=document.createElement(‘script’);js.id=id;js.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0].parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}; _msla(“//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js”,”twitter_jssdk”); Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/09/23/social-good-livestream-summit/
The firing squad execution chamber at the Utah State Prison in Draper, Utah, taken on June 18, 2010.Image: Trent Nelson/Associated Press A botched execution in the state of Oklahoma on Tuesday has drawn criticism from the White House, infuriated the ACLU and — practically overnight — reignited the death penalty debate in America. Clayton Lockett, convicted of raping and murdering a 19-year-old girl, was due to be executed at the state penitentiary in McAlester, Okla., Tuesday night when things went shockingly awry. It began when Lockett was given a powerful anesthetic at 6:23 p.m. CDT, the New York Times reported, and was pronounced unconscious moments later. After a few minutes, Lockett reportedly tried to sit up in his chair, trembled, shook his foot, said “man, something’s wrong” and gasped, before officials closed the curtains to the execution chamber. Prison officials later said Lockett died of a heart attack about 40 minutes after a doctor administered the initial drug, and stated the botched execution was a result of a “vein failure” that had “burst.” A second execution scheduled for later Tuesday was postponed pending an investigation. Speaking from the White House on Wednesday, Press Secretary Jay Carney said, “We have a fundamental standard in this country that even when the death penalty is justified, it must be carried out humanely.” “I think everyone would recognize that this case fell short of that standard.” Gov. Mary Fallin (R.-Okla.) has promised to investigate the state’s lethal injection protocol. The brutal mishap has again put a spotlight on the morality of the death penalty and has called into question the cocktail of secret drugs administered to Lockett. Below, Mashable answers some basic questions about the death penalty and how the process of lethal injection is carried out. Which countries have the death penalty? The United States is one of 58 nations that still practices capital punishment, along with Ethiopia, Afghanistan and North Korea. Japan and India are the only other major democratic nations that carry out this form of punishment. Of the 198 countries recognized by the Death Penalty Information Center, 98 forbid capital punishment. Seven of those countries allow it only in the case of “exceptional crimes,” such as one committed under military law. Thirty-five others allow it for “ordinary” crimes such as murder, but have not carried out an execution in at least 10 years and “are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions,” according to the center’s website. In the map below, click “legend” in the top left corner to see what the colors designate. How many states in the U.S. have the death penalty? Capital punishment is still legal in 32 states. Maryland was the latest to outlaw the death penalty in 2013, though the ruling was not retroactive; the five inmates on death row there are still due to be executed. The same is true for Connecticut and New Mexico, which outlawed the death penalty in 2012 and 2009, respectively. Connecticut’s 11 death row prisoners and New Mexico’s […]
Image: Amazon Amazon drones aren’t taking off anytime soon — at least not until the Federal Aviation Administration says otherwise. On Monday, in a document inviting public comment on drone policy, the FAA clarified that delivering packages using a drone isn’t legal. The agency didn’t mention Amazon in the document specifically. But the FAA seemed to suggest that Amazon — like every other business — falls under its regulations which, they say, already prohibits the commercial use of drones. Amazon, though, was unmoved. This “has no effect on our plans,” said Paul Misener, Vice President of Global Public Policy for Amazon. “This is about hobbyists and model aircrafts, not Amazon.” In its “Notice of Interpretation with Request for Comment,” the FAA included a list of activities that are not permitted under current regulations, including “delivering packages to people for a fee,” as first noted by Ars Technica. In a footnote, the FAA clarified that even if the shipping is free or offered as part of a “purchase or other offer,” it still would be considered a commercial use of drones and thus not allowed. Brendan Schulman, a lawyer who specializes in drones, said the FAA is trying to reassert its authority by reiterating that these kinds of uses are not permitted. The legal status of drones in the U.S. is complicated. According to the FAA, only amateurs and people with a special FAA permission — a so-called Certificate of Authority — are legally permitted to fly drones, though that has been disputed. This spring, a federal Appeals Court judge ruled that FAA drone regulation isn’t valid since the agency didn’t ask for public comment when initially drafting the drone rules, which is a federal requirement. The FAA is appealing the ruling and, in the meantime, insists that no commercial use of drones is allowed. The agency is supposed to publish new rules on drones by 2015, and developers are in a race to be ready with products for what is believed will be a multi-billion dollar market. In the meantime, it has allowed some universities, research organizations and law-enforcement agencies to use drones in a limited way. On June 10, the FAA announced that BP had permission to fly drones, the first time a company was granted permission to fly a drone over American land. BONUS: Drones vs. Government: Who Owns America’s Skies? Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/06/24/faa-amazon-drones-2/
Nik Wallenda walking across the Little Colorado River Gorge on the Navajo Nation near Cameron, Arizona.Image: Tiffany Brown/Associated Press Legendary daredevil Nik Wallenda has announced he will walk a high-wire 50 stories above the Chicago River between two skyscrapers in November, to the pleasure of white-knuckled Discovery Channel viewers. “This is going to be the most incredible tightrope walk of my career,” Wallenda said in a statement. “It’s the ‘Windy City’ and there’s nothing like doing this during winter in Chicago. That’s a challenge for me, and I love to push myself to do things that most people think are impossible.” It will certainly be challenging. For the first part of the nighttime walk, Wallenda will traverse the Chicago River, from the Marina City building’s west tower (below) to the Leo Burnett Building at an uphill angle of 15 degrees. According to the statement, this will be the first time Wallenda has ever attempted such a steep-angled walk. The Marina City Towers in Chicago. Image: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Wallenda will use neither a harness nor a safety net as he wobbles 50 stories above the river’s freezing waters. Then he’ll cross between the Marina City building’s two towers for the second part of the walk. Wallenda is no stranger to nail-biting stunts. He’s a seventh-generation member of the famous Flying Wallendas high-wire performing troupe, and the statement says his wife and three children will be watching in Chicago as the rest of the world stares in suspense on live TV. Dozens of cameras and helicopters will broadcast the stunt live. Discovery may be hoping to recapture the success of Wallenda’s 2013 Grand Canyon crossing, which drew a record-breaking 13 million viewers. In 2012, Wallenda crossed Niagara Falls wearing a safety harness, broadcast live by ABC. He also holds Guinness World Records for the longest high-wire bike ride and the highest seven-person pyramid. Skyscraper Live with Nik Wallenda will air 7 p.m. ET on the Discovery Channel on Nov. 2, and will be hosted by Willie Geist and Natalie Morales of NBC News and Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel. Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/09/17/wallenda-chicago-tightrope/
