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A powerful “Cosmic Tornado” has received a high-definition glow-up thanks to NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The new look at Herbig-Haro 49/50 (HH 49/50) released today also answers a question that’s kept astronomers curious since they first spotted the distant formation nearly 20 years ago.

HH 49/50 was first glimpsed by NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope in 2006. Located approximately 625 light-years from Earth in the Chamaeleon constellation, astronomers soon nicknamed HH 49/50 the “Cosmic Tornado” for its distinct funnel shape. Herbig-Haro objects like this one aren’t rare, but they do only occur under very specific circumstances related during a star’s earliest phases, when it is known as a protostar.

A protostar’s journey to becoming a distant planet’s sun encompasses multiple phases and spans millions of years. Immense amounts of energy are both needed and generated during all that time, including the creation of Herbig-Haro objects. These arrangements are created after high energy jets streak across multiple light-years to collide with regions of denser material. The resultant shock waves can then heat the surrounding material, which cools through the emission of light at both infrared and visible wavelengths.

When Spitzer first spotted HH 49.50, astronomers noticed a small, bright spot of contention at the Cosmic Tornado’s upper tip. Experts have gone back-and-forth about the fuzzy mystery object’s identity ever since. By using JWST’s powerful toolkit, astronomers now have an answer.

The latest look at HH 49/50 is one of the best looks yet at a Herbig-Haro object, and was created by combining taken by the space telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). The swirling jetflows estimated to be speeding away from us at 60 to 190 miles per hour are composed of glowing carbon monoxide and hydrogen molecules, as well as highly energized cosmic dustmotes.

“The arc-shaped features in HH 49/50, similar to a water wake created by a speeding boat, point back to the source of this outflow,” NASA explained in its announcement. “Based on past observations, scientists suspect that a protostar known as Cederblad 110 IRS4 is a plausible driver of the jet activity.”

CED 110 IRS4 can be seen near the image’s lower right corner, and is located about 1.5 light-years away from HH 49/50. As a Class I protostar, astronomers estimate it to be no more than one million years old, and in its peak era for gaining mass.

As for the bright dot first captured in 2006, it doesn’t take an expert astronomer to identify the well-defined reveal documented by the JWST.  According to NASA,  it’s a spiral galaxy located against a “sea of distant background galaxies.”. A closer look showcases a blue “prominent central bulge” home to older stars, while the red regions inside the spiral arms indicate the galaxy’s own clouds of gas and protostars.

The lucky alignment of HH 49/50 with a face-on spiral galaxy provides a unique look at two cosmic bodies—one that could only happen at this point in time. Given HH 49/50’s jetstream speeds, the energy plumes will likely completely obscure the spiral galaxy within a few thousand years.

The post JWST spots an energetic ‘Cosmic Tornado’ 625 light-years away appeared first on Popular Science.

A mixture of history, archeology, and several other scientific disciplines, has led scientists to positively identify the remains of Schinderhannes, a legendary German criminal, after a 220-year-old skeletal mix-up. However, the bones of his partner in crime, Schwarzer Jonas remain on the lam. The findings are detailed in a study published March 22 in the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics.

The crimes of Schinderhannes and Schwarzer Jonas

Schinderhannes is a nickname for Johannes Bückler, a criminal who was born sometime in 1779 in Germany, to a family of executioners and slaughterers. He was linked to at least 211 crimes, mostly theft, extortion, and robbery, but potentially murder as well. 

In 1799, Schinderhannes met Christian Reinhard–AKA Schwarzer Jonas or Black Jonas. Schwarzer Jonas was another famous professional criminal who was born around 1774. Schinderhannes and Schwarzer Jonas eventually joined forces to commit crimes together, including burglaries, extortions, and robberies along with some other accomplices in loose alliances. 

In 1802, the pair was arrested in Mainz–now in Germany, then part of France–alongside several other criminals. During the initial investigation, Schinderhannes named more than 100 individuals allegedly connected to his criminal activities. After a nearly month-long trial, Schinderhannes, Schwarzer Jonas, and 18 others were convicted. They were executed by guillotine on November 21, 1803, in front of 30,000 curious onlookers and their remains were collected. 

In 1805, Jacob Fidelis Ackermann, the first chairholder of anatomy at the University of Heidelberg, bought the two skeletons that he believed belonged to Schinderhannes and Schwarzer Jonas. However, the collection numbers were subsequently mixed-up at the beginning of the 19th century and the skeletons were misattributed.

Broken arms and legs

In this new study, an international team of researchers combined several analytical methods to 

show that the supposed skeleton of Schwarzer Jonas clearly belonged to Schinderhannes and that the alleged skeleton of Schinderhannes is not that of Schwarzer Jonas.

First, they used a few historical documents pertaining to injuries as reference. During a heated argument, Jonas is believed to have broken Schinderhannes’ arm. Additionally, Schinderhannes injured one of his legs when jumping from the second floor of a tower in Simmern, Germany after he was arrested. Some historical sources even report the leg fracture.

They then turned to the more hard science and used isotope analysis to analyze the different types of atoms of the same chemical element. The analysis allowed them to get an idea where both individuals spent their childhood and later years and the Hunsrück area in Germany is a possibility.

The chemical analyses of the bones and radiological imaging techniques also induced the presumed age, sex, and possible illnesses of the individuals. 

“All these results, coupled with a careful analysis of historical documents, pointed to a possible mix-up of the two skeletons,” Sara Doll, a study co-author, an anatomy dissection specialist at Heidelberg University, and curator of the anatomical collection, said in a translated statement.

An analysis of the mitochondrial DNA confirmed this suspicion of a two centuries long mix-up. This important genetic information is only passed on to descendants via the mother’s line and helps determine parentage. Comparison with a fifth generation living descendant of Schinderhannes also indicated that the skeleton attributed to Schwarzer Jonas was likely Schinderhannes.

[ Related: Medieval toilet helps uncover lost home of the England’s last Anglo-Saxon King. ]

Additionally, the team used genetic data to reconstruct Schinderhannes’ hair, skin, and eye color. There are only a few, sometimes contradictory, contemporary descriptions of his appearance and the surviving paintings or engravings made after his death are based on artistic license.

“The data suggests that Schinderhannes had brown eyes, dark hair and rather pale skin,” Walther Parson, a study co-author and geneticist from the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria explained.

A skeleton lost to time

The skeleton of Schwarzer Jonas has yet to be identified, and the mystery of who is behind it “remains exciting,” according to Doll. It could be sitting in a museum somewhere or be completely lost to time. 

“It is possible that it was stolen or borrowed in the belief that it was the skeleton of Schinderhannes’ and was never returned? Ironically, this mix-up could ultimately have led to our still being in possession of the real skeleton of Schinderhannes’ today,” said Doll.

The real skeleton of Schinderhannes has been removed from the Anatomical Collection.

for conservation reasons. Visitors can see an artist’s replica of the skeleton and a model of Schinderhannes himself. 

The post Famed German robber’s skeleton identified after 220-year-long mix-up appeared first on Popular Science.

Perhaps you haven’t heard, but Amazon’s Big Spring Sale officially starts tomorrow. But, this best smart oven is on sale for 25 percent off right now. That brings it down from $399 to $299, which is as cheap as I have ever seen it. You could call this an air fryer, but that’s an understatement. It does everything from baking to broiling with help from Breville’s smart cooking system. It’s a full-fledged part of a smart home setup. Plus, other models are on sale if want something cheaper or fancier.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro $299 (was $399)

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While $299 is definitely still an investment, I have basically replaced my oven and my air fryer with this single device. It has a total of 13 cooking modes, including air frying, traditional baking, a dedicated pizza oven mode, a keep warm setting, and more. The capacity is large enough to accommodate an entire turkey. It’s smaller than a traditional oven and manage airflow much more effectively, so it often cooks things much more quickly and with a lot less energy expenditure than turning on the full-sized oven.

Five internal quartz heating elements take orders from a built-in processor, which helps put heat right where the food needs it most. As a result, this smart oven can make food crispier, and more evenly heated than a traditional oven. Movable racks allow you to change up the internal arrangement for quicker cooking or maximum capacity.

Breville Mini Smart Oven $127 (was $159)

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If you’re not looking to spend $299 on the Pro model, you can get this mini version for $127. It offers eight cooking functions powered by Breville’s Element IQ smart cooking system. It won’t fit a turkey, but it will easily fit a frozen (or fresh) pizza and pretty much anything else you’d otherwise cook in an air fryer. Operation is simple, relying on a pair of dials and a light-up LED display. If you’re just looking to cook pizza rolls in a quick and classy way, this oven is tough to beat.

More Breville smart oven deals

• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer BOV860BSS $279 (was $349)
• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer BOV860BTR, Black Truffle $279 (was $349)
• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer BOV860DBL, Damson Blue $279 (was $349)
• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer BOV860RVC, Red Velvet Cake $279 (was $349)
• Breville the Smart Oven Air Fryer BOV860BST, Black Stainless Steel $279 (was $349)
• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer BOV860OLT, Olive Tapenade $279 (was $349)

The post I use this Breville smart oven every day and Amazon has it cheaper than ever right now appeared first on Popular Science.

For years, the so-called blue zones—regions where people reportedly live longer, healthier lives—have intrigued scientists and the public alike. In places like Okinawa (Japan), Ikaria (Greece), Ogliastra (Sardinia) and Nicoya (Costa Rica), residents lead a lifestyle that features natural movement, purpose, stress-reducing routines, mindful eating, a plant-based diet, moderate alcohol consumption, faith, family, and strong social ties. Researchers say these habits contribute to remarkable longevity.

But do blue zone residents really live longer? Or is their legendary lifespan more myth than science?

“People [in blue zones] reach age 100 at 10 times greater rates than in the United States,” according to a 2016 paper co-authored by Dan Buettner, an American explorer and journalist who coined the term ‘blue zones’. But Saul J. Newman, PhD, currently a research fellow at the Oxford Institute of Population Aging in the United Kingdom, has cast doubt on the reliability of the data behind these claims.

In a 2019 preprint published on bioRxiv, Newman uncovered a startling pattern: when U.S. states introduced birth certificates, recorded cases of supercentenarians—people living past 110—plummeted by up to 82 percent. Newman concluded that the striking concentration of centenarians and supercentenarians in blue zones may actually have little to do with healthy lifestyle factors, and is more likely the result of errors and fraud in record-keeping. 

Newman pointed out that many blue zones share unexpected characteristics: low incomes, low literacy, high crime rates, and shorter-than-average national lifespans—factors that, logically, should reduce longevity, not extend it. “The hypothesis that these relatively low literacy rates and incomes are generating age-reporting errors and pension fraud, and therefore remarkable age records, seems overlooked,” he wrote.

In 2024, Newman doubled down with another preprint, in which he highlighted a statistical red flag in blue zone data. Supercentenarian birthdates are concentrated on days divisible by five: a pattern indicative of widespread fraud and error.

In a joint statement issued in October 2024, multiple leading blue zone researchers strongly rebutted Newman’s critique, arguing that he overlooked the rigorous age verification and statistical analysis involved in identifying blue zones. 

In the case of Sardinia, for instance, the ages of centenarians in blue zone villages were cross-checked using multiple sources: civil status databases dating back to 1866, handwritten church records from the 17th century onward, and a complete genealogical reconstruction of village inhabitants from 1866 onward. 

“Not only were the birth and death dates of each centenarian confirmed, but those of their siblings were also cross-checked,” the researchers wrote. “This allowed us to rule out any possible identity switches, such as the case of a false supercentenarian that was rigorously eliminated from our Sardinian centenarians’ database.”

Similarly, in Nicoya, Costa Rica, blue zone researchers did not rely on self-reported age, but used birth dates drawn from the country’s civil registry. 

They also dismissed Newman’s claims about birthdate patterns or age heaping, noting that no such issues have appeared in their datasets. 

In response to Newman’s statement about high levels of crime and poverty in Sardinia’s blue zone, the researchers noted that broad regional statistics were not representative of the small rural villages that formed the blue zone. 

While they refute Newman’s concerns about inaccurate age data, blue zone researchers have acknowledged that the longevity advantage these regions once held may be slipping away.

In 2023, demographer Luis Rosero-Bixby, PhD, published a study revealing a troubling shift in Nicoya, Costa Rica: people born after 1930 in Nicoya are no longer living unusually long lives. The study found that while Nicoyan men born in 1905 had 33 percent lower mortality rates than the rest of the country, those born in 1945 actually had 10 percent higher rates.

Okinawa’s once-unmatched longevity is also declining, according to a 2024 paper by demographer Michel Poulain, PhD. While the older generations still experience significant longevity benefits, the younger generations show higher mortality rates compared to mainland Japan. Researchers attribute the decline in Okinawa’s longevity rates to the arrival of modern diets and transportation.

This decline in longevity among newer generations suggests that extreme longevity hotspots are probably transient, according to Rosero-Bixby. While people in these areas may have lived longer than average until recently, this advantage is rapidly vanishing.

This story is part of Popular Science’s Ask Us Anything series, where we answer your most outlandish, mind-burning questions, from the ordinary to the off-the-wall. Have something you’ve always wanted to know? Ask us.

The post Do people in blue zones actually live longer? appeared first on Popular Science.

Don’t cancel those plans just yet. Use the Weather Hi-Def Radar Storm Watch Plus app to get real-time storm tracking and future predictions so you can decide early if your softball game is getting rained out. Toggle through layers on the interactive satellite weather map to see incoming storms with this lifetime subscription now $27.99 (reg. $199.99) with coupon code TAKE30.

Know before you go with real-time weather alerts

Before you head out for big plans, check your app for any alerts. You can get notified about:

• Lightning strikes near saved locations (with strike map)
• Precipitation alerts within 10 miles of saved locations
• Live storm and hazard tracking (including tornado, thunderstorm, flood, hurricane, tropical storm, and winter storm watches/warnings)
• Marine and coastal alerts
• Earthquake alerts
• Snow reports

Over 75,000 App Store reviews have bestowed a 4.6 out of 5-star rating on Weather Hi-Def Radar Storm Watch Plus from grateful users who got a heads up about bad weather near them.

The future is now with premium radar

You can zero in on approaching weather with multi-layered radar maps. Get a complete picture of what’s happening around you with road conditions, active wildfire, wind speed, snowfall, water surface temperature, temperature, and cloud layers.

Toggle between current and future radar to plan and improve your storm prep. On the move somewhere during questionable weather? Check the direction of travel so you get alerts even while in motion. Access to future radar can be a pricey premium feature in other apps, but Weather Hi-Def Radar Storm Watch Plus includes it with a lifetime subscription.

Stay ahead of the game when you get this premium weather app for $27.99 with code TAKE30.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

 

Weather Hi-Def Radar Storm Watch Plus: Lifetime Subscription – $39.99

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The post SEVERE WEATHER ALERT: The app for when you need to know appeared first on Popular Science.

Buying a brand-new MacBook Air might seem tempting—until you check your bank account and realize what new means in dollars. But here’s the thing: the 2020 M1 MacBook Air is still a powerhouse, and a grade-A refurbished model gives you the same lightning-fast performance at a fraction of the cost.

If you love the idea of a sleek, dependable, and powerful laptop without the unnecessary markup, this deal is a no-brainer. What’s the benefir, you ask? For just $509.97 (hundreds down from its original sticker price), you get the Apple-designed M1 chip, an 8-core CPU that delivers up to 3.5x faster performance, and a fanless design for silent operation.

With an impressive 18-hour battery life, this like-new MacBook Air is built to keep up with your longest workdays (or Netflix binges). The 8-core GPU ensures smooth graphics performance, whether you’re editing photos, creating presentations, or just scrolling endlessly through social media. And at just 2.8 pounds, it’s the perfect lightweight companion for anyone who needs a laptop that won’t bother your back—or your budget.

Think of it like buying a car. Would you rather spend full price on this year’s model with barely noticeable upgrades, or go for last year’s version that runs just as smoothly and saves you hundreds? This grade-A refurbished MacBook Air has been tested, cleaned, and inspected to work like new. The only difference? You’re not overpaying for marketing hype.

With 128GB of SSD storage, you have enough space for essential files and programs, and the stunning 13.3-inch Retina display makes everything look crisp and vibrant.

Whether you need a reliable work computer, a travel laptop, or a secondary device for personal projects, this M1 MacBook Air is an absolute steal at $509.97 (reg. $1,499) when you buy through Match 30.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

 

Apple MacBook Air 13.3″ (2020) M1 MGN63LL/A 8GB RAM 128GB SSD Space Gray (Refurbished) – $509.97

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The post Apple would probably prefer you didn’t see this $510 MacBook Air deal appeared first on Popular Science.

A smartphone the size of a credit card? What will they think of next? If you’re wondering what one might do with NanoPhone, a teeny tiny smartphone, you may be surprised to know there are numerous uses.

The Nanophone can be used as an emergency backup phone in your glove compartment, as a safety line when you’re out on a run, or as an easy phone solution for kids or grandparents.

Right now, this multifaceted mini phone can be yours for just $89.97 (reg. $199) through March 30. 

This tiny smartphone is mighty

The NanoPhone measures in at the size of a credit card while still boasting as many features as its larger counterparts. 

First up, it offers Dual SIM support so that you can connect up to two numbers easily on one device. There’s also 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity available for browsing, streaming, and using your favorite apps. 

Like normal-sized phones, you can make voice calls and even video chat on the NanoPhone thanks to the built-in cameras. It also works as a great tiny photography device, capturing moments anywhere. 

Despite the size, you still have access to all of your favorite apps like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. And it boasts a lengthy battery life so you don’t need to drag along a charger. 

This tiny talking device makes a great second phone option, perfect for storing away in your car, gym bag, or luggage. Its straightforward interface makes it an excellent first phone for kids or the elderly, as it offers no frills with the same capabilities as usual smartphones. 

Wondering what you get with your purchase? You’ll receive your NanoPhone, a screen protector, a protective case, a SIM tray ejector, and a charging cable. Though the SIM card and data plan are not included, you can easily connect the NanoPhone to a service provider via a SIM card. 

Bring home a NanoPhone for just $89.97 now through March 30. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

 

NanoPhone – A Miniaturized Smartphone Packed with Mega Features! – $89.97

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The post Shrink your smartphone for just $90 appeared first on Popular Science.

Have you noticed that the internet is less fun lately? You’re not alone. There are all kinds of reasons for this, many of which I can’t begin to unpack here. At least part of the problem, though, is that we all stopped tidying up our feeds. 

Social media is only fun if you like the posts you’re seeing. What kind of posts you see depends on which social media site you’re using, but generally there are two categories of timelines: the reverse chronological, which you can directly control, and the algorithmic, which you can only sort of steer. In both cases, though, there are things you can do to see more of the things you like and less of the things you don’t like. 

With that in mind let’s rediscover the lost art of tidying out your feeds. Here’s a few routines I try to stick to when I notice a lot of gunk—hopefully they’re helpful for you. 

The Great Unfollowing

The British anthropologist Robin Dunbar suggested in a widely cited paper that there’s a cognitive limit to the number of people with whom a person can maintain a relationship, proposing that the number is around 150. The theory, which he arrived at by observing primates and scaled based on the relative size of human brains, is that we can’t really handle more relationships than that. While the exact number is debated the general concept that there is a limit is referred to as Dunbar’s Number. You might remember failed social network Path was based on this concept.

Basically you, as a single person, can’t keep up with everyone. Your brain literally can’t handle it. Following hundreds of people on social media means setting yourself up for feeling behind—you can’t possibly keep up with all of those people. 

This is why I try to routinely do what I call The Great Unfollowing. I’m a fairly generous follower. If I read an article I like I’ll try to find a newsletter link or RSS feed so I can keep up with the author. The same goes on social media: I try to follow people whose work I want to see more of. Over time, though, I become overwhelmed with the sheer volume. This can be a particular problem on social networks like Mastodon or Bluesky’s “following” tab, which have a reverse chronological timeline. It’s also true of my RSS reader. That’s because these services use a reverse chronological timeline. 

Put simply: These show you every post by the people or publications you’re following ordered from most recent and scrolling down from there. The idea is that you can keep up with every post stop when you get to something that you’ve noticed before. The simplicity is the appeal here but it has some downsides. For example: If someone you follow posts a lot they are going to be overrepresented in your timeline. 

This is where The Great Unfollowing comes in. Basically I, on a routine basis, will open the following list, look at each one, and decide whether I want to keep following them. Back when Twitter was a thing I did this every time I noticed I was following more than 150 people—more than that, I’d noticed, and keeping up shifted from fun into an overwhelming firehouse. In order to keep up with the accounts I value most I need to occasionally unfollow the accounts that, to paraphrase a book you’ve heard of, aren’t sparking joy. 

Another option is organizing your followers into groups or creating different accounts for different interests (for example: an Instagram account for following people you know in real life and one for sports or celebrities or food, whatever your interests). 

Now, I only heard about Dunbar’s number after I started doing this. And I don’t mean to suggest that there is scientific evidence that you should only ever follow 150 people, or any precise number. For one thing, following someone on social media isn’t the same as having a relationship with them, a point that needs to be stated clearly. Most of my close relationships happen entirely outside of social media and I hope the same is true for you. 

All I mean to suggest is that there’s probably a limit to the number of people, publications, and meme accounts that you can keep up with. Rather than feeling overwhelmed you should take the time to cut things back from time to time. The alternative is getting burnt out on your feeds and not following anyone anymore. 

Influence the algorithm

The above section was all about pruning back reverse chronological feeds, where you see all of the posts from all of the people you follow. Many modern social media services, however, barely take which accounts you follow into account. TikTok, famously, uses an algorithm to feed you videos you might be interested in based on your past behavior. 

The YouTube homepage works the same way: it’s based more on which videos you spend time watching than on which channels you’ve subscribed to. In both cases hitting the subscribe button may increase the odds of seeing videos from someone but it’s not a sure thing. Threads works the same way. Instagram and Facebook, meanwhile, show you a few recent posts from your friends before turning into an algorithmic feed. 

In all of these cases you can’t quite take the same approach as you can with reverse chronological feeds—unfollowing someone may not have any impact on whether or not you see those posts in your feed. But there are things you can do to help direct the kinds of content that shows up. The first: don’t click videos you don’t want to see, or if you do leave as quickly as possible. If you want to take more direct action most apps provide tools for that. On YouTube, for example, you can click the three dots next to a video titled and click the “Not interested” button. 

There are similar buttons on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. Now, how effective these buttons are are the subject of some debate—sometimes it doesn’t seem to make any difference. If you truly despise a particular creator and don’t want to see their stuff at all, well, there’s always the mute or block button. The point is to think actively about what you’re seeing in your timeline and attempt to take active steps to align it with what you want to see. 

Sometimes nothing seems to work, though, which is when it might be best to start over entirely. The simplest way to do this is to make a new account but you don’t necessarily have to. We’ve written about how to reset the YouTube algorithm and reset the Instagram algorithm, so you can try those guides first. There’s also a handy Mozilla guide if you want to reset the TikTok algorithm. Just keep in mind that, after you reset, your choices will shape the algorithm you get next. 

Some reading this might think this is all a bit extreme, and I will grant you that it doesn’t exactly sound relaxing. But there is arguably nothing more important than what you pay attention to. The things you read and watch will shape the person you become in a very real way. It is worth thinking critically about that and, if possible, trying to direct it. I hope the above tips help you, in some small way, to do that.

The post The lost art of cleaning out your feed appeared first on Popular Science.

Microsoft 365 keeps changing, but one thing stays the same: you pay for it every month. And now, they’re killing off Microsoft Publisher, proving you can’t even count on getting the same apps you subscribed for. These reasons are probably why more people are turning to the lifetime version of Microsoft Office.

It’s like buying a house instead of renting an apartment. Simply pay once and download your favorite Office apps to your PC or Mac forever—and Microsoft can’t threaten to take any of them away. You can get the latest version, Microsoft Office 2024 Home, for $129.97 during our spring sale through March 30 (reg. $149.99).

365 reasons to stop overpaying … but you only need one

Having a Microsoft Office lifetime license isn’t the exact same thing as Microsoft 365, but it’s pretty close. While the apps don’t update continuously, the 2024 edition is the most up-to-date version with AI integrations, fully featured collaboration tools, and plenty of new features to explore. 

If you’ve used earlier editions of Microsoft Office, you may love playing around with these improvements:

• Word: Collaborate on the same document in real time and track changes with version history
• Excel: AI features can help you generate formulas and charts or analyze data and trends more efficiently
• PowerPoint: Easily record presentations with voice, video, and captions

What’s included

You may not get cloud storage or mobile app access like you would with Microsoft 365, but you don’t have to worry about recurring fees or app access changing before your eyes. You get everything below for life:

Download Microsoft Office 2024 for PC or Mac while it’s on sale for $129.97 (reg. $149.99) until March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed to get this price.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The post Unsubscribe from Microsoft 365’s fees for Microsoft Office 2024’s one-time payment appeared first on Popular Science.

What would you name two bald eagle chicks? Talon? Sam Eagle? Leslie? Whatever your choice, it could become reality.

Jackie and Shadow, the internet-famous bald eagle pair, need your help naming their two surviving eaglets. Entries are open now through Friday, March 28 at 11:59 pm PST and can be submitted through the Friends of Big Bear Valley website. The Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam broadcasts 24/7 thanks to Friend of Big Bear Valley, a nonprofit that streams without advertisements and relies on donations, including the naming contest.

The cost is $5 for one name entry, $10 for three name entries, or $25 for 10 name entries.

FOBBV asks you keep the names gender neutral as the sex of the chicks is not yet known. And keep it G-rated (no explicit, derogatory language, etc.) or your submission will be automatically tossed. A computer will then randomly select a final list that will be sent to students at Big Bear elementary schools. Traditionally the honor of choosing the final names is reserved for local third graders but because Jackie and Shadow’s 2024 eggs didn’t hatch and their 2023 eggs were eaten by ravens, the final names will be chosen by 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.

The kids will vote by secret ballot on April 1 with the winners announced later that day on FOBBV’s official Facebook, Instagram,  YouTube pages. And if your name is selected, you’ll receive a certificate of recognition.

It’s been a rollercoaster for the tens of thousands of viewers that have tuned into the live cam this year. Chick 1 hatched late at night on March 3, followed by Chick 2 early on March 4. Chick 3 hatched four days later March 8. A snowstorm hit the area the evening of March 13, dumping up to two feet of snow and pummeling the nest with strong winds. On the morning of March 14, only two of the chicks were visible on the live cam. FOBBV confirmed the passing of one of the chicks a day later.

FOBBV couldn’t confirm which chick died, but because of the size difference of the surviving eaglets, it was suspected to be Chick 1 or Chick 2. The remaining chicks are now temporarily referred to as Bigger Chick (BC) and the Smaller Chick (SC). The chick that passed has been named Misty in honor of Kathi Misterly, an FOBBV volunteer who passed away after a battle with cancer.

Jackie and Shadow’s 2022 chick was named Spirit. So grab your baby (or eagle?) naming book and submit your favorite monikers.

The post Help Jackie and Shadow name their bald eagle chicks appeared first on Popular Science.