Dear Internet: Can You Please Let Me Be Curious?

Sometimes the Internet feels like that friend who spoils the ending of all of the movies you've been wanting to see or tells you the big plot twists in the TV shows you’ve been meaning to watch. Sure, some writers are kind enough to throw in giant “[SPOILER ALERT]” disclaimers for you, but the Internet, that inconsiderate bitch, often just wants to be the first to tell you and will somehow manage to sneak in unsolicited information when you’re least expecting it. Like, oh, here’s a perfectly normal article on healthy cooking tips — wait, the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones, what?!

Today, for example, I’ve been spending most of my day on the Internet trying not to find out what happened on the series finale of Parks and Recreation last night. I do not (bold, highlight, underline, emphasis added) want to know. I’m still a good three seasons away from watching the series finale. I’m still in that phase of growing and connecting with the characters on the show, and I’m not ashamed to admit I’m having a marvelous time developing relationships with each and every one of these fictional people. I’m not ready to find out what happens to this delightful bunch in the wonderful town of Pawnee that has brought me so much joy. I’m not ready to say goodbye.

Trying not to find out certain information on the Internet has proven to be extremely challenging considering I am constantly researching (on the Internet) to find ideas and news for my blog (which is on the Internet), and I use social media (also on the Internet) to reach out to current and potential readers (who are on the Internet!). See my dilemma? It’s like that episode of How I Met Your Mother where everyone agrees not to watch the Super Bowl game so they can all watch it together the next day, and they have to get through an entire day without finding out which team won. Except this is every single day of my life for TV shows I haven’t seen, books I haven’t read, movies I haven’t gotten around to seeing, and just simple everyday questions I may have that I enjoy pondering.

The Internet is great when you want to find out information, but it’s not the best when you’re trying to figure things out on your own; when you want to experience it by yourself without already knowing how it’s going to end. There is a beauty in being curious. So, Internet, do you think you could pump the brakes a little, try not to constantly shove unsolicited information down my throat, try not to steal the mystery out of everything, and let me be curious? Thanks.

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NASA Reveals the Dark Side of the Moon

Because the moon is tidally locked to Earth, there is one side of the lunar surface we never see; what was once known as the "dark side of the moon."  NASA has revealed the far side of the moon in a video which takes a look at the moon from the perspective of its far side.

NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio has taken nearly five-years of mapping data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to create a stunning animation video. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a robotic mission that set out to map the moon's surface, was launched in 2009 from Florida. Since then it has beamed back hundreds of terabytes of data, giving scientists the ability to develop the images.

"It lacks the large dark spots, called maria, that make up the familiar Man in the Moon on the near side," a NASA spokesperson said. "Instead, craters of all sizes crowd together over the entire far side. The far side is also home to one of the largest and oldest impact features in the solar system, the South Pole-Aitken basin."

A number of people who've seen NASA's annual lunar phase and libration videos have asked what the other side of the Moon looks like, the side that can't be seen from the Earth. This video answers that question. The imagery was created using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data.

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Fitbit Flex

My brother-in-law bought me a Fitbit Flex because he’s awesome like that. My fitness levels have been virtually non-existent for the past few months so this is exactly what I needed to jump-start a more active lifestyle. Not only because being active provides numerous benefits towards my mental and physical well-being, but because bikini season. I’ve been looking into a wearable activity tracker (FitBit, Jawbone Up, Nike FuelBand, etc.) as they’re becoming increasingly popular and I felt it would help in providing accountability and motivation. The Fitbit Flex consistently has the best ratings and reviews across tech websites and I’ve found the price point at $99 to be friendlier than its counterparts.

The Fitbit Flex tracks steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, hours slept, and your quality of sleep. In addition, you can monitor your calorie and water intake through the customizable dashboard on the Fitbit website. I think one of the best features of the Fitbit Flex is that you can wear it 24/7; it can be worn in the shower and when swimming as it is water-resistant. The Fitbit Flex syncs data wirelessly with PCs and Macs automatically via the USB dongle, and can communicate directly with iPhones and select Android smartphones. Fitbit also works with several popular health apps such as Lose It!, MapMyFitness, and MyFitnessPal that let you export your Fitbit data.

Unpacking the Fitbit Flex from the packaging and the subsequent set up was easy. The box includes two rubber bands to fit all wrist sizes, a removable tracker which slips inside the rubber strap, a wireless dongle which enables automatic syncing, and a charger for the tracker which I’ve read takes one to two hours for a charge that will last from five to seven days.

The Fitbit Flex is able to provide a slimmer and more stylish design in comparison to its counterparts due to the fact that it doesn’t have a traditional display. Tap the module twice and the lights will tell you how close you are to your step goal. Each of the five lights represents 20 percent of your target number of steps (by default it's 10,000). When you reach the goal, the band will vibrate and the lights will blink to congratulate you. Tapping the module five times puts it into sleep-mode, and you tap it five times again when you wake up to start your day.

I’ll provide an additional review once I have a chance to fully utilize the Fitbit Flex. In the meantime, I’m having fun playing around with it and trying to meet my short term daily goal of 10,000 steps. 

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