Gaze upon photos of Earth's coolest mountain and just try to not say one of these 9 things.

    
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Gaze upon photos of Earth's coolest mountain and just try to not say one of these 9 things.

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Mount Everest isn't kidding around.

Photo by shrimpo1967/Flickr.

At over 29,000 feet high, it is nature's single greatest achievement.

(Sorry, grapes!)

Its scale is staggering. Its peaks magnificent. Its snow supremely powdery.

Only a lucky few ever get to see it in person.

In case you become one of those lucky few, here are the nine reactions you are, statistically, most likely to have, as studied*. By scientists**.

1. "Whoa."

Photo by rdevany/Wikimedia Commons.

When you catch your first glimpse of the tallest peak in the known world, whose summit would virtually scrape the bottom of a 747 at its cruising altitude, your first reaction will likely be a standard, "Whoa."

It's basic, but — no judgment — entirely appropriate.

2. "Whoa. Wow."

Human beings, walking as high as a plane flies. GIF from "Everest"/Universal.

Similar to the standard, "Whoa," but also with a "Wow."

According to experts, this is a normal reflex reaction to the experience of laying eyes on a towering monument of granite and limestone that is 10 times taller than the tallest building in the world and getting taller every year, making a complete and utter mockery of human ingenuity, especially when you stop to consider that over 4,000 people have been on top of it.

3. "..."

Snow coming off the top of Mount Everest, an event for which there are no words. GIF from "Everest"/Universal.

It is also natural to be totally speechless.

4. "I think I left the toaster plugged in."

Oh no. Photo by Eric March/Upworthy.

There's nothing worse than getting all the way to Nepal and then realizing you forgot something important at home. But now you've thought about it, and you can't unthink it. And there's a good chance you're going to spend your whole vacation worrying about the small, but non-zero likelihood that you will return home and find all your earthly possessions destroyed by a raging fire.

The most annoying part? You probably didn't leave the toaster plugged in. But now you know it's possible.

Either way, now you can't be sure, and you'll just have to wing it.

5. "Ummm."

Photo by Lerian/Wikimedia Commons.

I mean ... just...

Yeah.

6. "I'mma ski down that!"

Photo by Ian Gad/Wikimedia Commons.

For a number of reasons related to wanting to live to a ripe old age, see one's children have children, and collect Social Security, most people don't have this reaction. But Davo Karnicar did.

In 2000, Karnicar, who was born in Slovenia and now lives in a beer commercial, became the first person to ski from the summit of Mount Everest all the way back to base camp. It took him five hours.

He subsequently commenced smiling for the rest of his life.

7. "I wonder what global warming will do to this thing."

Photo by Bernard Goldbach/Flickr.

At some point, you will probably be a buzzkill. It's hard to blame you. Someone's got to think about this stuff. Might as well be you.

And it's a good thing you did, because the glaciers on Mount Everest are in some seriously deep crud. Some projections have them melting 70% to 99% by 2100.

You will be glad you got the gawking in while the getting's good. But also, it will inspire you to go home and raise hell! Beat the drum! The change begins with you! Get that butt moving, Charley! Mount Everest needs you.

8. "Holy moly."

Photo by Luca Galuzzi/Wikimedia Commons.

It's a little old fashioned, but yeah, holy moly! And, like, forget its sheer size. Mount Everest has been around a long time. Over 60 million years, to be kinda sorta exact. When Mount Everest was invented, there were no humans (but lots of bear dogs!), but now you can get 3G on the summit.

I guess human ingenuity is good for something after all — and that is playing competitive Words with Friends on the top of Mount Everest. Holy moly!

9. "Jeeeeeeeeeeeeee..."

Photo by Dnor/Wikimedia Commons.

Upon turning a corner near some rocks and realizing that Mount Everest is right in front of you, there's a good chance you will want to exclaim, "Jesus!" but will be too overwhelmed to even finish the whole word as your voice trails off into a weird mush of vowels. And that's OK. We get the point.

You've seen Mount Everest. And you feel not unlike this:

GIF from "Everest"/Universal.

Who can blame you? I certainly can't.

Amazon

Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly

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New Amazon badge helps you discover and shop for more sustainable products

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

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Increasingly customers are looking for more conscious shopping options. According to a Nielsen survey in 2018, nearly half (48%) of U.S. consumers say they would definitely or probably change their consumption habits to reduce their impact on the environment.

But while many consumers are interested in spending their money on products that are more sustainable, few actually follow through. An article in the 2019 issue of Harvard Business Review revealed that 65% of consumers said they want to buy purpose-driven brands that advocate sustainability, but only about 26% actually do so. It's unclear where this intention gap comes from, but thankfully it's getting more convenient to shop sustainably from many of the retailers you already support.

Amazon recently introduced Climate Pledge Friendly, "a new program to help make it easy for customers to discover and shop for more sustainable products." When you're browsing Amazon, a Climate Pledge Friendly label will appear on more than 45,000 products to signify they have one or more different sustainability certifications which "help preserve the natural world, reducing the carbon footprint of shipments to customers," according to the online retailer.

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In order to distinguish more sustainable products, the program partnered with a wide range of external certifications, including governmental agencies, non-profits, and independent laboratories, all of which have a focus on preserving the natural world.

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The 1776 Report is rife with 'errors, distortions, and outright lies' say historians

Wikiimages by Pixabay, Dr. Jacqueline Antonovich/Twitter

The 1776 Report isn't just bad, it's historically bad, in every way possible.

When journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones published her Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 Project for The New York Times, some backlash was inevitable. Instead of telling the story of America's creation through the eyes of the colonial architects of our system of government, Hannah-Jones retold it through the eyes of the enslaved Africans who were forced to help build the nation without reaping the benefits of democracy. Though a couple of historical inaccuracies have had to be clarified and corrected, the 1619 Project is groundbreaking, in that it helps give voice to a history that has long been overlooked and underrepresented in our education system.

The 1776 Report, in turn, is a blaring call to return to the whitewashed curriculums that silence that voice.

In September of last year, President Trump blasted the 1619 Project, which he called "toxic propaganda" and "ideological poison" that "will destroy our country." He subsequently created a commission to tell the story of America's founding the way he wanted it told—in the form of a "patriotic education" with all of the dog whistles that that phrase entails.

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P&G Good Everyday

Let's Do More Together

Meet the people infusing their communities with love and support when it’s needed most

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If the past year has taught us nothing else, it's that sending love out into the world through selfless acts of kindness can have a positive ripple effect on people and communities. People all over the United States seemed to have gotten the message — 71% of those surveyed by the World Giving Index helped a stranger in need in 2020. A nonprofit survey found 90% helped others by running errands, calling, texting and sending care packages. Many people needed a boost last year in one way or another and obliging good neighbors heeded the call over and over again — and continue to make a positive impact through their actions in this new year.

Upworthy and P&G Good Everyday wanted to help keep kindness going strong, so they partnered up to create the Lead with Love Fund. The fund awards do-gooders in communities around the country with grants to help them continue on with their unique missions. Hundreds of nominations came pouring in and five winners were selected based on three criteria: the impact of action, uniqueness, and "Upworthy-ness" of their story.

Here's a look at the five winners:

Edith Ornelas, co-creator of Mariposas Collective in Memphis, Tenn.

Edith Ornelas has a deep-rooted connection to the asylum-seeking immigrant families she brings food and supplies to families in Memphis, Tenn. She was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States when she was 7 years old with her parents and sister. Edith grew up in Chicago, then moved to Memphis in 2016, where she quickly realized how few community programs existed for immigrants. Two years later, she helped create Mariposas Collective, which initially aimed to help families who had just been released from detention centers and were seeking asylum. The collective started out small but has since grown to approximately 400 volunteers.