Photo: Everyonephoto Studio (Shutterstock)

Feeding the birds can be fun – the problem is that pond feeding ducks and geese is far more harmful than most of us think. Feeding food from your pantry to your local aquatic animals changes not only their diet, but the environment too. So we should just let the ducks get through on their own.

Why you shouldn’t mess with duck diets

Birds such as ducks and geese feed on a specific diet and naturally migrate to areas that meet their needs. The Virginia Wildlife Center explains how wild ducks and geese “eat grains and grasses, aquatic plants and invertebrates, all of which are naturally found in the wild”. There is no harm in feeding birds small amounts of ready-made food, but when everyone comes to the dock to feed the ducks it becomes an integral part of their diet and pretty harmful to health.

Malnutrition leads to metabolic bone disease (MBD) and “Birds with MBD have incredibly soft bones and joints that are often misshapen and broken,” explains the Wildlife Center of Virginia. To keep the birds healthy and safe, let them find food as usual.

How duck feeding harms the environment

Aside from the health problems that processed human food presents to wild birds, it can also disrupt the ecosystem as birds flock to places in greater numbers than usual where they know they are getting the stuff you are giving away. This results in overcrowding, which also affects the terrain and migration patterns. Birds that know they are getting food will stay longer than they should and will jeopardize their own survival.

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The New York Department of Environmental Conservation reports, “30 swans died of starvation in an artificial feeding place in the hard winter of 93/94. In the meantime, over 800 swans survived in the vicinity on natural food. ”The birds not only stay and cannot survive the winter, but also this behavior and the genetic defects passed on to their descendants.

What to do instead of feeding the birds

Some suggest Feeding duck and goose food that is more similar to their natural diet – for example, lettuce greens, vegetable peels and nuts. They recommend cutting them into smaller bites that the animals can easily eat and digest. But in the end, it’s best to spot ducks, geese, and other wildlife as they normally do in nature. Take up bird watching and let them forage for their own food so they can live healthy and natural lives.

Chrome OS users have reported a fatal bug in the latest system update that is locking them from their Chromebooks. For some reason, Chrome OS doesn’t recognize users’ Google Account passwords when they try to sign in after installing version update 91.0.4462.165. The botched update can also cause other fatal errors like boot loops.

According to 9to5Google, Update 91.0.4462.165 seems to be no longer available and Google is working on a patch to fix the bugs it caused, which hopefully will be released soon. However, to avoid these issues, do not download or install any new Chrome OS updates until it has been confirmed that the new patches from Google are working properly. If the update is already downloaded but not yet installed, do not restart your device.

If you’ve already installed Chrome OS version 91.0.4462.165 and you’re encountering the unknown password error, you’ll have to wait for the new update to appear, but once it’s available you should be able to safely sign back in. Fortunately, you can sign in to your Chromebook as a guest and download update files even if the primary user account isn’t working.

How to install Chrome OS updates in guest mode

1. On the Chromebook login screen, click “Browse as a guest.”
2. When you’re in, go to Settings> About Chrome OS.
3. click “Check for updates.”
4. The update starts automatically when a patch is available.

You can still use your Chromebook as a guest while you wait for the patch to arrive. This is not a good long-term solution because you will not be able to perform certain administrator-level tasks and all guest account information – including browsing history and downloaded files – will be deleted when you exit guest mode. That said, it’s better than using your Chromebook as a paperweight while Google works to fix this round of Chrome OS errors.

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However, you can also do a factory reset to instantly regain full access to your Google account on your Chromebook. This will delete all files and apps stored on your device, remove your Google accounts, and restore the system default settings. We don’t recommend a factory reset unless you absolutely need to immediately restore access to the Google Account on your Chromebook.

Here’s how to factory reset a Chromebook

1. On the login screen, tap and hold the Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R keys.
2. click “Restart.”
3. Choose “Powerwash.”
4. click “Keep going.”
5. Wait while the reset process takes place and follow any on-screen instructions as they appear.
6. Sign in to your Google Account when prompted.

Use the recovery utility to restore Chromebooks that are stuck in a boot loop

Unfortunately, none of these workarounds apply to users experiencing a boot loop. Instead, you’ll need a USB ChromeOS recovery media with a separate Chromebook or PC, a USB stick, and the Chromebook recovery utility. Download the utility, follow the instructions, and then connect it to the affected Chromebook to reinstall Chrome OS. This will erase your device like a factory reset. However, this is your only option if you want to get the Chromebook back to working.

[Android Central]

Photo: Micaela Heck / Angelica Alzona

Many of us have spent a lot of time in isolation during the pandemic, so this week we’re relearning the art of deep conversation with the help of user researcher and author Ximena Vengoechea.

Ximena honed her listening skills while doing user research for companies like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest, and now shares it in her new book. Listen like you mean it: Recovering the lost art of true connection. Hear Ximena share some brilliant tips on how to ask the right questions to encourage a more interesting conversation, be a more open-minded and empathetic listener, and how to end a conversation gracefully when necessary.

Listen to The Upgrade above or find us in all the common places that serve podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google play, Spotify, I was listening to the radio, and stapler.

Highlights from this week’s episode

From the Ximena Vengoechea interview

What a good listening mindset actually looks like:

I’m talking about a listening mindset that has three core components. That brings qualities like humility, curiosity and empathy. And humility really means coming in with an open mind and being ready to hear what someone has to say, being willing to learn from them what is different than coming in … with assumptions or preconceived notions or opinions, that we want to convey. So it really means to flip the switch and say, “I am here to learn from you” instead of “I am here to teach you”. And it is curiosity that lets you go deeper, because that’s how you really get to know and understand another person. What’s your perspective? Why do you think these things? … and then it’s almost like a funnel. You start broadly with humility and start openly and you gradually get a little deeper with curiosity. And at some point you come across empathy, which in my opinion is the third quality of the listening mentality that really makes it possible to really get to know someone because they are talking about emotions and their emotional experiences. And that doesn’t mean we have to share the exact situation someone is going through in order to empathize with them. If someone is going through a divorce, you’ve never seen it before, that’s fine. But you can empathize with the feeling, oh, wow, you are mourning the end of your life.

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How to ask the right questions in a conversation:

[A] In conversations, we often don’t really pay attention to the kinds of questions we’re asking. And so we can inadvertently ask questions that don’t really help the conversation. Questions that can end with a yes or no result in a yes or no answer or a single word answer. And these begin with “do”, “is” and “are”, as opposed to more open questions that begin with “how” or “what”. So even to ask someone, ‘Are you mad at me?’ Will produce a very different reaction than “Hey, how are you feeling right now?” One of them leads someone down a certain path and the other just leaves them very open. So in general, at least at the beginning of the conversation, we want to try to ask more open-ended questions so that we can guide the other person, you know where they want to go.

When you remember the other person’s needs in conversation:

So we could aim to get to know someone or learn something about someone. And these questions can be used to accomplish that goal. But we also need to keep track of what is happening for the other person. Are they starting to offer smaller and smaller answers? Are they running out of breath because we keep asking them questions and they somehow give us sales answers? I think paying attention to these clues can be a sign for us to maybe sit back a little or offer something from our own perspective. I think it’s important in a conversation. There are two sides. There is the listening page. There is a speaking side. They want there to be give and take. And the other thing I can say can especially help with that instinct to figure out what the other person needs in this conversation. Because if we ask all of the questions, it probably comes from our own need … we want them to be comfortable. We want to get to know them to a certain extent. But the other also has a need. So you really want to make room for both needs in conversation. And that needs a bit of balance.

To learn more of Ximena’s advice on the art of deeper conversation, we encourage you to listen to the full episode.

Episode transcript

Photo: HandintheBoxinc (Shutterstock)

If you’ve ever thought about using lucid dreaming to harness the power of your sleeping brain, you are not alone. The first step for aspiring Oneironauts is to let your mind know that your dreams matter. As part of Lifehacker’s Workshop for lucid dreams, here is some background on the risks and benefits of lucid dreaming and what exactly is happening to your brain while it is happening.

What are the benefits of lucid dreaming?

Why bother with lucid dreams at all? First and foremost, lucid dreaming is fun. Like, really fun. My first lucid dream happened when I was a teenager. I had just started reading a book about lucid dreaming, and on family vacation, beginner’s luck met me in a hotel room:

I spoke to a dream friend – who wasn’t real, but was compelling in my dream state – while standing on my high school football field. While we were talking, an eye-opening realization occurred to me: I’m traveling with my family right now, so how could I be at school? Suddenly everything stopped and became more alive. The grass felt real, the sun on my skin warmed me and I became very aware that I didn’t know the person I was talking to. “Am I dreaming?” I asked myself allowed. “If I dream, then I can fly.” I felt my feet leave the ground and I hovered gently over the dream friend. “I can fly. I can go anywhere!” I thought as the amusement of the flight drove me higher and higher. Soon I was in the clouds planning to see the world from the comfort of my bed.

The dream didn’t last long as I couldn’t maintain my clarity, but I woke up ecstatically. It was the most fun sleep I’d ever had and I couldn’t wait to do it again.

But lucid dreams can offer other opportunities too if you are willing to do the legwork. Your dreams can be a sanctuary for personal reflection and deep meditation; a place to chat with your real self and ponder big decisions without the distractions of the waking world. Dreams can also be a place to practice real activities. Think of the dream world as a mental rehearsal roomwhere you can go through your big presentation for work, focus on your exercise routines, or even get on with your studies before a big exam.

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If you are a creative type, lucid dreams can be an endless source of artistic inspiration. The dream world is your canvas and you can create anything in it. After all, dreams are a safe place to experiment and overcome fears. You can stand up against a bully, practice socializing, have the courage to ask your boss for a raise, or overcome your fear of public speaking.

What are the risks of lucid dreaming?

Lucid dreaming is generally safe for those who are mentally stable, but it is important to discuss some of the potential risks associated with the practice.

Sleep paralysis occurs in almost everyone at night during the REM cycle – to keep you from physically living out your dreams – however some people experience a state between dreaming and waking when trying lucid dreaming. This can be scary as you cannot move, aware that you are awake, but you may still be hallucinating from your dream. This type of sleep paralysis is uncommon, but it is definitely possible by experimenting with lucid dreams. Fortunately, there are ways to either wake yourself up from this state or achieve a full sleep / dream state, but we’ll cover these later.

One of the best advantages of lucid dreaming can also be one of its worst pitfalls: realistic feelings. The lucid dream state can offer euphoric feelings of sight, movement, happiness, and even sex, but that means feelings on the other side of the spectrum can also occur. Fear, sadness and pain are also possible in a lucid dream. However, such negative feelings occur even more frequently in the waking state, since, unlike in the dream state, you have less control over the world. And no, you don’t die in real life if you die in a dream. Trust me, I have died many times in my dreams.

There is also the possibility of “dream claustrophobia”, in which people in a dream scenario become clear that they cannot manipulate or from which they cannot awaken. But these aren’t that different from normal dreams – they’re just more alive. And finally, some fear it Using lucid dreams as a form of escapism will push them out of contact with reality. After all, why would you want to spend time in the normal world when you can be in your own personal world where you have unimaginable power? Well, lucid dreams only last as long as your REM cycles happen while you sleep, and training to be clear at any point in time you choose takes years of training. In short, your dream escapism sessions are no more damaging than watching a movie or playing a video game – except, perhaps, a little more enlightening.

However, if any of these slight risks startle you, lucid dreaming may not be for you. Likewise, if you have borderline personality disorder, or some other mental disorder that makes it difficult for you to know what is real and what is not, sleep better the old-fashioned way: lucid dreaming can leave you with dream-reality confusion and make your condition worse.

But while these scenarios are a very real possibility, they are all still unlikely events for those in relatively sane states of mind who work their way up to lucid dreams with gradual, conscious practice. Lucid dreams are very similar to a swimming pool; It’s a place to fight and drown, but once you learn to swim there is nothing to worry about and you will have a lot of fun splashing around.

Start and keep a dream journal

Learning how to wake up in your dreams doesn’t matter until you can develop your dream memory. You must learn to stand before you can walk. In fact, you may have had a lucid dream but you don’t know it because you don’t remember it happened.

Your brain usually tries to automatically forget your dreams. It knows that these experiences are not real and tries to push them into the background when they wake up to make room for immediate memories from the waking world. But there is an easy way to disrupt this: a dream journal. Always keep your pen and pad by your bed. It should be easy to pick up and use right away. Don’t put it in your bedside drawer, throw it under your bed, or use a writing tool that requires a lot of force (fancy pens, quills, etc.). You have to be able to grasp, grasp, and write.

Also, do not use your phone to do this. The act of writing down like taking notes in class, will only help you keep the dream in mind. Or if you have artistic skills and can make use of them, that’s even better.

To sleep well –worth at least seven hours– is also of great help with this exercise, as well as during your excursion into lucid dreaming. Without consistent, restful sleep, lucid dreaming is almost impossible. You won’t get stronger if you spend less time in the gym.

Additionally, don’t keep your alarm clock too far from the bed. You have few precious moments to memorize your dream when you wake up and chasing an alarm clock will waste that window of time. If possible, go to bed early and try to wake up without an alarm clock. When you wake up, take a few seconds to go over what you just went through, then grab your journal and write it down as soon as possible. Do this as often as possible and your brain will gradually reconfigure its normal wake-up protocol to meet your newly declared storage needs.

“Oh, did you want to hold onto that?” Your brain will tell when you wake from a wonderful dream and you will open your dream diary with a resounding “Hell yeah!” Okay, Oneironauts: sleep well and keep dreaming.

This story was originally published in June 2017 and was updated on July 20, 2021 to comply with Lifehacker style guidelines.