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upworthy
Heroes

3 questions to ask yourself before answering NASA's job announcement for new astronauts.

Odds are, at some point in your life, you probably considered a career as an astronaut.

Between the kick-ass suits, exploring the unknown, and that whole zero gravity thing, it looks like a pretty great gig.

Also Space Camp seems like buckets of fun.


"Orange you glad to be an astronaut?" Photo by NASA on The Commons/Flickr.

Sadly, many of us traded in this dream for something a little more realistic.

For those of you who never gave up hope, however, I have some great news:

For the first time in decades, NASA is hiring new astronauts for future deep space missions.

It's the first time humans will venture past "low-Earth orbit" (anything higher than about 100 miles above Earth) since 1972, so they're looking for a few new recruits with diverse professional backgrounds and areas of expertise.

Astronaut Mae Jemison serving up STEM professional realness. Photo by NASA on The Commons/Flickr.

“This next group of American space explorers will inspire the Mars generation to reach for new heights, and help us realize the goal of putting boot prints on the Red Planet,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said.

Intergalactic pioneers and an annual salary of $66,026 to $144,566 per year?

SIGN. ME. UP.

So, do you have the right stuff to be an astronaut?

Flight Engineer Tim Kopra of NASA, right, is seen with fellow crewmates, talking with friends and family before launch aboard the Soyuz spacecraft n Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo by NASA HQ Photo/Flickr.

According to the application, available now on USAJobs, the federal employment website, here's what NASA is looking for for their next class of space professionals:

1. Do you have book smarts?

Applicants need a bachelor's degree from an accredited university in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. This, however, does not include degrees in nursing, psych, technology, or even aviation technology.

Your theater tech degree is awesome, but it probably won't give you the know-how you need to be an astronaut. I know. It stinks. Photo by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Flickr.

2. Do you have skillz? (Or In lieu of skillz-with-a-z, an advanced degree?)

You'll also have to have at least three years of professional experience under your belt in your degree field or an advanced degree.

Don't have those because you were busy being a pilot? 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time works too.


Photo by NASA on The Commons/Flickr.

3. Do you have a body that just won't quit (on you in space)?

Last step: You'll also need to pass a physical and have 20/20 vision, though you're allowed to wear glasses.

Applicants will also be expected to pass a drug test and a swim test, but probably not at the same time, despite a golden opportunity for comedy.

Carolyn Griner, Ann Whitaker, and Dr. Mary Johnston, simulating weightlessness while undergoing training in the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator at the Marshall Space Flight Center in 1975. Photo by NASA on The Commons/Flickr.

Getting selected for the program is difficult, but it's nothing compared to astronaut training and the job itself.

Training for the three to six month missions aboard the international space station requires two to three years of training, often overseas with NASA's global partners.

Fair warning, some surprising things happen to the human body in space due to the lack of gravity. Your spine may elongate, your bones lose calcium and become brittle, your heart gets smaller, and even your eyesight can change. They don't mention that stuff on the application.

But they also don't mention that your new view could very well be this:



So if you're ready to chase adventure and eat your weight in dehydrated ice cream, get your application in before the Feb. 18 deadline.

But word to the wise: frequent travel may be required.

Space Shuttle Atlantis takes flight in 1988. Photo by NASA on The Commons/Flickr.

Pop Culture

Here’s a paycheck for a McDonald’s worker. And here's my jaw dropping to the floor.

So we've all heard the numbers, but what does that mean in reality? Here's one year's wages — yes, *full-time* wages. Woo.

Making a little over 10,000 for a yearly salary.


I've written tons of things about minimum wage, backed up by fact-checkers and economists and scholarly studies. All of them point to raising the minimum wage as a solution to lifting people out of poverty and getting folks off of public assistance. It's slowly happening, and there's much more to be done.

But when it comes right down to it, where the rubber meets the road is what it means for everyday workers who have to live with those wages. I honestly don't know how they do it.

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Joy

5-star Scottish resort offers whimsical afternoon tea experience with 'naughty sheep'

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes tea in the garden with adorably rude guests.

Cameron House/Naughty Sheep

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes a unique sheep encounter.

Remember when "goat yoga" was all the rage? And then "cow cuddling" and "turkey cuddling" made everyone's bucket lists?

Now we can add "nuzzling with naughty sheep" to the mix, but with a fancy Scottish twist.

Less than an hour from Glasgow, Scotland, the Cameron House resort sits on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, looking as if it were plucked straight out of a fairy tale. Sprawling green grounds, gorgeous lake views and a four-story castled mansion greet guests as their "home away from home" (only better), and a perusal of the reviews show guests raving about the 5-star resort's elegance, beauty and exceptional service.

I mean, just look at this place:

drone view of cameron house grounds and lakeCameron House sit on Lake Lochmond in Scotland.Cameron House


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A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

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@caitlin.the.realtor/TikTok, used with permission

Wait, so 90's fashion is in, but 90's hair is out?

Every era has its own version of what’s attractive. And very rarely does that aesthetic hold power with the following generation. In fact, it often becomes the opposite of cool.

Just think of Elvis. He might have been a universal sex symbol for a time, but it also wasn’t long before his pompadour became passé. Same goes for Paul Newman’s rugged manliness, David Cassidy’s babyface, Tom Selleck’s mustache. Indeed, for everything a season.

Which brings us to the 90s. The age of beach blonde surfer boys (real surfing skills not required, but a plus). Of flannel, lots of flannel, and super chiseled bodies. Let’s not forget this was the dawning of the term “metrosexual,” and also the time period that brought us that Calvin Klein ad with Mark Wahlburg.

How exactly would these guys measure up with the Gen Z kids today?

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popular

A wild Eurasian crow befriended a toddler and won't leave his side

Crows are so much smarter than we think.

A Eurasian crow.

A family from Denmark has created a touching video montage documenting their unique friendship with a wild Eurasian crow. This crow, affectionately named Russell, has become an honorary member of their household, forming special bonds with each family member, including the pets.

However, the crow's relationship with their son, 2-year-old Otto, is truly extraordinary. “They could spend hours just playing,” Otto’s mother, Laerke Luna, says in a video shared by The Dodo. "When Otto is outside, he will never leave Otto’s side.”

Russell, the free-spirited crow, ventures away from the family's home from time to time, but never for too long. He always comes back and announces his return by tapping on the door, swooping in to lounge on the sofa, or awaiting Otto's return from school atop their roof.

“When we are inside, he will sit inside the window because he wants Otto to go outside with him,” Laerke said.

The family’s relationship with Russell didn’t come out of nowhere. When Russell was a young bird, he had health problems so the family took him and nursed the bird back to health. Eventually, they witnessed his first attempts to fly.

Recently, Russell became friends with another family member, their second child, Hedwig. Although he does get a little annoyed with the bird’s frequent attempts to nab his pacifier.

Even though it’s rare for humans to strike up such a close bond with a crow, according to research, it’s not that surprising. Audubon says that crows are “some of the smartest animals in the world” with an intelligence “on par with chimpanzees.” They are also very social and family-oriented, so no wonder Russell loves Otto and his family.

Crow Named Russell Waits For His Favorite Kid To Get Home From School | The Dodo


Learning

Why you shouldn't throw your dishwasher pod into the bottom of your dishwasher

Dishwashers actually use the dirty water to know how to wash your dishes.

Photos by cottonbro studio and PhotoMIX Ltd. via Canva

Why your detergent shouldn't go in the bottom of the dishwasher

There always seem to be something going on with the pods and powders you're supposed to use in the dishwasher to clean your dishes. Either the pods don't dissolve completely or the powder gets all goopy and hard, never really fully dispensing into the dishwasher.

The inconsistency in product dispensing can leave you wondering if the dishes are even getting cleaned, causing some to toss the detergent pod into the bottom of the dishwasher. It would seem that placing the detergent at the bottom would allow for it to actually reach your dirty dishes. But Melissa Pateras, a domestic expert, explains that doing it that way isn't doing what you think it's doing.

Pateras actually breaks down exactly how dishwashers work to clean your dishes while explaining why putting the detergent on the bottom is ineffective.

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