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I found a hidden gem on the Internet this week: NPR has a Soundcloud set of "binaural soundscapes." Strap on your headphones — it's going to be a surreal ride.Important note: If you have hearing loss, this may not work well for you.

Maybe you don't know what a binaural recording is.

Basically, the deal is, you have two ears.

They are the width of your head apart. And there's a big lumpy meatball in the middle. So your ears hear different things. Then your brain processes these two distinct streams of information and uses them to position stuff in space. Standard stereo recording often uses a couple of mics, but it's not trying to position them in a way that mimics your ears.


Recording artists have started building these crazy microphone setups that imitate the position and direction of your real ears.

Then they take them around the world. The results are astounding. You really can feel the birds singing as they move through space, or people passing you on the street.

It's like a window into other landscapes. It makes the world feel so close and small and familiar.

Here are a few of my favorites.

(Oh, and this doesn't work with regular speakers. Use your headphones.)

First stop: A regular day on a street in Tibet.

(Close your eyes. Trust.)

Wasn't that just amazing?

Next up, a stop in the Ecuadorean rain forest to hear the song of the orapendula. (It's a bird. I looked it up.)

I could listen to that all night.

Let's wrap up with a visit to Dzanga Bai, a clearing in the Central African Republic, where elephants gather as evening closes in.

For more magical journeys, check out the rest of NPR's Binaural Soundscapes.

This article originally appeared on 01.05.15

World Vision
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World Vision

Songs have a habit of getting stuck in your head — especially ones you like. They can be powerful ways to spread — and remember — important information. (Remember when you learned your ABC's through song in Kindergarten?)

That's why at Bidi Bidi refugee settlement in Uganda, some young people are using their creativity to raise awareness about the coronavirus by writing songs about it.

"For months now, awareness campaigns have been created," says David, a teenager who lives in the settlement. "These include posters, radio messages and public messages." World Vision Uganda, for example, has been going door to door to drive awareness in settlements, using mobile public address systems and megaphones.


But young people like David in the settlement are taking things one step further: they're recording the songs and sharing the music at food distribution points so everyone hears their messages. For them, music is not only a creative outlet: it is also a powerful way to engage with and protect their vulnerable community from this deadly disease.

"Children and young people are amazing. We see time and again, all over the world, they are not helpless, hidden victims. So often in a crisis, they are hidden heroes," says Dana Buzducea, World Vision's Global Head of Advocacy.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 7.9 million people around the world have caught COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. As of June 16th, the disease had killed 434,796 worldwide. 181,903 of these cases were in Africa; 823 of those were in Uganda where the Bidi Bidi refugee settlement is located.

People and children living in refugee settlements, like this one, might be particularly at risk for COVID-19.

There are 1.4 million refugees in Uganda with the majority having fled a civil war in South Sudan. 270,000 of those refugees live in Bidi Bidi Refugee camp; more than half are children. Many became separated from their parents when they fled the conflict and have had to learn to take care of themselves. Others might have a grandparent with them — but since COVID-19 is particularly deadly to elderly adults, they're also now at risk of being alone if the virus takes hold in the camp.

World Vision

This is why in March, World Vision asked that countries hosting high numbers of refugees, such as Uganda, be given special and urgent support because of the potential impact of the disease, both directly and indirectly.

"The disease might not kill as many children from the available statistics but the impact on them is great," Brenda Madrara, project manager at World Vision, said in a recent article. "In our foster programme, we train and facilitate foster parents to take care of these vulnerable children. This is now difficult because everyone is scared and they only want to take care of their own, without any extra responsibility."

In other words, because of the lockdown, money, food and other resources are already stretched thin. Bringing in a child to care for — especially one that might be infected — is scary.

This is the reason it's so important to prevent the rapid spread of the virus in these settlements. World Vision is currently working with The Office of the Prime Minister to respond to the urgent needs to help stop the spread of the virus, such as soap, hand washing facilities and personal protective equipment for health workers.

Information campaigns can still go a long way: the more people know about the virus, the better they can protect themselves. That is why the music that these young people are creating is so important at getting the message out there. It's also why World Vision has partnered with Hashtag Our Stories to help the kids in the settlement share their stories using smartphones — after all, that's how David was able to tell the world about these songs.


To learn more about World Vision, how they are supporting children impacted by the virus, or help in their efforts, visit their Hidden Hero page.

France won the 2018 World Cup with a resounding 4-2 victory over Croatia on July 15.

You could say they were pretty excited about it.

Photo by Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images.


Congratulations poured in from across the globe, including from President Donald Trump.

Trump — who at the time was in Europe for a NATO summit, a visit with U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, and a trip to Helsinki, Finland, to discuss ... something with Russian President Vladimir Putin — praised the French for their big win.

There's a helluva lotta irony packed into his tweet though. Because just two days before, Trump had warned European leaders that immigration is "changing the culture" of their countries. And not in a good way.

"I know it is politically not necessarily correct to say that, but I'll say it, and I'll say it loud," Trump told reporters during a press conference.

"I think [immigration has] been very bad for Europe. ... I just think it's changing the culture. It's a very negative thing for Europe."

France's soccer team, however, epitomizes the very cultural shift Trump warned about.  

Its players have roots stemming from nearby Germany, Portugal, and Italy as well as Guinea, Mali, and Algeria. No fewer than 15 athletes have lineages tied to Africa, and about two-thirds of the team members boast immigrant backgrounds.

Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images.

"There may be players who come from different origins," player Antoine Griezmann said after his team's big win, "but we do have the same state of mind."

"For our country, we give everything we have. As soon as you wear the jersey, we do everything for each other."

Photo by Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images.

Immigrants get the job done — in more ways than one.

Yes, they win championships, but they're also the lifeblood of many Western nations — including (and especially) the U.S.

Immigrants are our teachers, our business owners, our doctors, our friends. They've launched our most successful companies, starred in our most beloved TV shows, and written our most patriotic songs. Immigrants are as American as apple pie, and they have been since the beginning.

The 2018 World Cup may have marked a big victory for France. But it's also a victory for immigrants everywhere. Let's not forget it.

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