Interesting Facts About the Women of NASA

NASA has been seen as kind of a boy’s club for years, but the fact is that women have contributed greatly to the agency for many decades.

Enjoy these great facts about women’s contributions to NASA.

1. Sally Ride taught them a lesson.

The late Sally Ride taught the boys at NASA a lesson before her historic space flight in 1983. The men who packed her things for her flight asked if 100 tampons would be enough for her weeklong trip.

Ride responded, “No. That would not be the right number” and cut that number in half.

2. Did you know this?

The American who has spent the most time in space is actually a woman. In 2017, astronaut Peggy Whitson became the astronaut to spend the most cumulative time in space when she broke the previous record of 534 days, 2 hours and 48 minutes.

In 2016, Whitson became the oldest woman to go to space at the age of 56 and became the first female to command the International Space Station TWICE.

Hats off to her.

3. The ladies were doing just fine.

Photo Credit: NASA

Women actually outperformed famous astronaut John Glenn on pre-flight tests in the early 1960s. A group of women known as the Mercury 13 went through the same training and tests as Glenn and his fellow astronauts and did better than Glenn on some of the tests.

The women’s program was scrapped in 1962 before any of the women actually went to space. At the time, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was opposed to women going to space because he wanted the program to be led by strong, masculine men in that epic competition with the Soviets.

4. She was a trailblazer.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Kitty O’Brien Joyner became the first female engineer at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in 1939 and then worked for NASA when the agency was established in 1958. She specialized in the mechanics of wind tunnels and her work helped to define modern aeronautics.

5. That’s a big imprint.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

According to the latest statistics from NASA, a total of 59 women have flown in space, including 50 from NASA and 9 from other countries. The first woman to actually fly in space was Russian Valentina Tereshkova in 1963. Sally Ride became the first American woman to do so in 1983. The first female commander in space was Eileen Collins in 1999.

Those are pretty amazing facts about the contributions of women to our space program, wouldn’t you say?

Do you know some cool facts about the women of NASA?

If so, share them with us in the comments!

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A Dad Is in Hot Water After Telling His Daughter He Loves Her “More Than Anything”

Okay, okay, so it sounds like a sweet thing to say to a small child (unless you have more than one small child, and then, ouch), but if you’re someone who believes that your marriage and partner should come first – and that modeling that for your children is important – it’s not so much.

Now, I can’t say for sure that’s why this woman got so angry after overhearing what Dad thought was a nice thing to say and nothing more, but it could explain it?

He’s logged on to Am I The A**hole to be judged by a jury of random internet strangers, though, so here goes his story:

AITA for saying “I love you more than anything” to my daughter in front of my wife from AmItheAsshole

People are pretty split on this one, and it’s easy to see why.

Photo Credit: Reddit

That said, most people are coming down on the side of NTA (Not-The-A**hole) for this poor sap.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Personally, I think his wife was feeling super emotional for some reason (which is fine) and that he’s kind of a dick for calling her an irrational 3yo in the original post, but otherwise, this will blow over and they’ll both see that it was a silly thing to argue about eventually.

Do you agree? Not? Please share your reasons with us in the comments!

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Artist’s Work Depicts How Relationships Change Over Time and It’s Very Interesting

Art can touch us in ways we don’t expect, and to make us think about everyday things – like all of the many relationships in our lives – in new and interesting ways.

That said, most people will not expect drawings that contain just two simple lines to hit them in the feels the way artist and illustrator Olivia de Reclat’s “Closeness Lines” do.

She uses just a few, simple lines that connect, diverge, and sometimes return to show how human relationships – from parent/child to a one night stand – evolve and influence us over time.

A minimalist drawing that represents closeness over time. from Damnthatsinteresting

The post has been upvoted on Reddit over 95k times and people just can’t believe how much thought the lines provoke.

Photo Credit: Reddit

For me, the way a child loops away from their parent, then returns, but ultimately has to continue alone really kicked me in the heart. Then there’s the way a first love is so close but only for a while…

Photo Credit: Reddit

And of course, the dog. They are as close to us as possible, but for far too short a time. Sniff.

Photo Credit: Reddit

People have thoughts on many of the relationships, and some of their comments are as good and deep as the original post.

Photo Credit: Reddit

As an artist, I think that the results of her thoughtful drawings are about all we can ask for – true engagement and conversation in return.

What are your favorite ones? Which ones really made you stop and take stock of your life? Please share with us in the comments so we can keep the discussion going!

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A Mom Penned a Letter to All the Superstar “Girl Dads” out There

We adore our children regardless of their gender. This is a given, and yet most parents will also tell you that there’s a special connection between parents and children of the opposite sex.

Boys and their mamas. Little girls and their daddies. When those relationships are healthy, everyone involved is thriving in ways they never could have imagined.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

And yes, while girls needed their mamas and little boys need emotionally strong and complex men to model after, this post is about celebrating the relationships between girls and their wonderful dads.

“Here’s to the girl dads.

Here’s to the guys who love hiking and fishing.

Who camp and build things with their hands.

Who have tattoos on their arms,

Here’s to the guys guy,

That now hold a little girl.

Thanks for pausing the wrestling matches to conduct tea parties.

Thanks for babysitting baby dolls,

And letting tiny hands,

Put polish on your big toes.

Here’s to the dads who watch princess movies,

And slow dance in the kitchen.

The dads who helped take off training wheels,

Who tighten seatbelt straps,

And fasten car seats in.

Who hold hands when crossing the street,

Who have spent so many years right now learning to hold on,

And will spend the rest of your lives learning to let go.

You are building hearts with your construction hands.

And I know a little girl who thinks the world of you.

So here’s to the girl dads,

Who give so much beauty to the word

Dad.”

Photo Credit: Pixabay

These words bring a tear to the eye of every woman who had a wonderful dad, a man whose love and guidance and kindness shaped not only her, but informed the kind of man she would choose to parent her own babies.

And of course, to the eye of every woman who has a partner like this in raising a daughter – having that is a blessing that none of us would turn away if we had the chance.

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Petition Asks Airlines to Seat Families Together Without Making Them Pay for the Privilege

Letting parents sit with their children on flights would seem to be common sense and, you know, the right thing to do, but that’s never been a reason for airlines to do anything.

See also: why they seat people in the front and with aisle seats before the rest of us schleps just because of some imagined “status.”

Planes should be boarded back to front, window to aisle, and I will die on this hill.

Anyway. Apparently some people out there agree with me, because there’s an actual petition to ask airlines to let families sit together without paying yet another fee.

The petition, started by Consumer Reports, applies to families traveling with kids under 13 and sent letters to the heads of Delta, United, and American asking them to institute these new policies.

More than 120,000 people have signed the petition, arguing that seating children away from their parents presents security concerns, should there be an emergency, as well as inappropriate burdens on customers who end up sitting next to an unaccompanied child.

In the letters, they also pointed out that sexual assault could also be a concern, but there are also many others.

“The FBI has reported on increases in sexual assaults in commercial travel. Also, emergency procedures and evacuations will certainly be slowed and compromised by anxious parents and children who are far apart from each other on the plane.”

Consumer Reports also shared the letters ahead of Tuesday’s House Aviation Subcommittee hearing, which could decide to seat children younger than 13 with their parent or guardian at no additional cost. This would not mean airlines would have to upgrade anyone’s seating.

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136 consumer complaints were forwarded by the Department of Transportation, which may not be enough to get the attention the organization was hoping for, but American Airlines told the website Romper that they are working on a family seating process.

“For families traveling with a child under the age of 15 who don’t have a seat assignment, our system will work to seat the child with an adult in the reservation starting 48 hours after the reservation is ticketed. This ensures the child will not be assigned a seat alone. In addition, we block seats on flights for airport control. This enables our airport team members to move people around, as needed, at the gate. This is helpful in case families book at the last minute, rebooking due to irregular operations, etc.”

Delta had a more vague reply, stating that they “work with customers on a case-by-case basis to ensure their travel needs are met,” and United declined to reply with a comment.

In the end, the airlines don’t need the government’s approval to do the right thing.

“The airlines can fix this problem without government intervention. Ensuring that children are always seated with their parents regardless of the ticket purchased would improve safety and security for all travelers while easing the minds of families.”

Of course, we all know that sometimes big corporations have trouble doing the right thing until their hands are forced, but however this happens, I hope the changes are made soon.

Have you had a bad experience trying to sit with your children on a flight? We want to hear about it in the comments!

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A Howl-Off Between a Boy and His Beloved Dog Will Brighten Your Day

There’s nothing quite like a child and their beloved dog, am I right? Videos like this are one of the main reasons I’m dying to adopt a dog for my littles, even though my husband and I agreed that we would wait until they were both out of diapers before we made another potty-training commitment.

I just want a dog!

If you’re in the same mindset as me, well, you might not want to keep scrolling, because this video of a toddler and his dog having a howling contest is going to send us all straight to the humane society.

This is what you get when your Toddler realizes he can talk to the Husky ??‍♀️To purchase this video for media use visit http://video.storyful.com For Storyful Newswire subscription inquiries, please contact sales@storyful.com

Posted by Alixandria Smith on Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Michigan mom Alixandria Smith caught the moment when her 2-year-old son Braxton and their husky, Boston, having a bit of a friendly competition.

“This is what you get when your Toddler realizes he can talk to the Husky,” she writes as a caption.

Photo Credit: Alixandria Smith

Braxton starts the howl off, but as the dog – and a husky to boot – I can assure you that Boston is the clear winner in the end.

Boston’s returned conversation makes Braxton dissolve into giggles that just make the whole thing, and the pure joy everyone (literally) gets from the video is just the best thing about being alive in 2020.

Photo Credit: Alixandria Smith

The video has been watched over 3 million times since it was posted, and people love sharing it with their friends.

If you know someone who needs a smile, I mean…what better way to give them one, so pass it along!

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A Girl Jumped Five Reading Levels After Her Mom Put a Ban on Screen Time

A lot of us have read the science here and there about how screens are affecting our kids’ minds, how we should limit them to a certain number of hours per day based on age…but we’ve all also needed to clean the kitchen, bake a cake, take a “sick day,” or just drag through a particularly rough Tuesday now and then.

This mom had enough of her kids’ obsession though, and no one was more shocked than she was how much ditching the screens totally changed their lives at home – and beyond.

When mom Molly DeFrank decided to pull the plug cold turkey, she figured that, at the very least, it wasn’t going to hurt anyone. She was noticing that her kids were losing interest in socializing in person, they could be cranky and aggressive when told it was time to turn screens off, and many other negative behaviors that sociologists and psychologists have warned could be connected to too much screen time for those with underdeveloped brains.

We did not stage this photo. Months ago we removed screen time from our kids. Why? Because my precious babies were…

Posted by Molly DeFrank on Thursday, November 7, 2019

I mean. I feel like the same things apply to those of us with supposed-developed brains, too, so take heed.

For Molly and her husband, it came to a head when they realized not one of their five children cared whether or not they spent time together or with their parents, as long as they had a screen. They put a 30-day detox plan into place, but in the end, discovered it didn’t take nearly that long to wean them off – and even the kids admitted they were happier for the switch.

Their children are all under 10, but their intense initial reaction to the decision only solidified the DeFrank’s resolve.

“It turns out that screens were doing to my children exactly what the studies claimed they were doing; cultivating distracted, grumpy, argumentative little people. …Quitting was shockingly easy, surprisingly sustainable, and my nine-year-old daughter has told me on several occasions that she’s glad we’ve cut them out.”

I'm feeling Proverbs 31-y today after I "worked with eager hands" to attach construction paper cow spots to my children…

Posted by Molly DeFrank on Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Instead of playing video games or watching television, family time at the DeFrank’s looks like everyone grabbing a book and reading together, or taking a trip to the library to pick out more books.

Cutting out technology all together may not be for you – if you’ve got children too young to entertain themselves safely another way while you say, shower, or you’re putting more than one little to bed and need a way to keep one contained while you put the baby down, etc. – even Molly and her husband acknowledge it’s not evil, in and of itself.

“Technology can, of course, be useful – in its right place. The key is making technology work for us, rather than the other way around.”

Basically, the DeFrank’s have proven – colloquially – that what the experts are saying is true. The limits and suggestions are rules are there for a reason, and what’s best for the little developing minds in our own homes is to follow them on the days that we can.

Reason #325 that I'm grateful we screen-detoxed our children: they take more initiative to help each other. When…

Posted by Molly DeFrank on Monday, February 24, 2020

I know I’m going to make more of an effort with mine!

What are your rules for screen time? Do you break them more than you should? How would a total ban go down at your house?

Let’s discuss in the comments!

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A Young Boy’s Letter to His Teacher Is Absolutely Scathing

If you’re a kid at school, you’re gonna et in trouble at one time or another. If you’re the six-year-old who penned this absolute takedown of a letter, though, you’ve apparently decided you don’t have to take it lying down.

The monster/teacher in question took away the child’s “hummingbird bucks” to punish him for talking in class when he was supposed to be quiet.

His response earned his mother a one-way trip to a parent-teacher conference, and the letter was shared by one of the mother’s coworkers, who thought it was just hilarious.

Little Isaiah is quite angry about all of this and he used his excellent penmanship to make his feelings known.

“I am angry of you Because you took 25 of my humm-ing Bird Bucks all because I was talking to Conner that’s no big deal im only 6 I cant be qyet all the time and that makes you a theif and crook & you are going to Hell real Hell the burning 1 because you a theif.”

“I worked hard for those bucks and my Only prayer in chaple today was that god gets you to hell fast super fast and your new hair cut is Bad real bad.”

The original tweet has earned close to 300,000 likes and 65,000 retweets since it was first posted, and plenty of people are still passing it around.

People are largely in his corner, actually, but agree that going after the haircut was dirty business.

No word on how the parent-teacher conference went, whether or not Isaiah got his hummingbird bucks back, or whether or not his mother died of embarrassment.

I, for one, would really like an update.

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Watch a TikTok Video of a Mom Telling off a Man for Harassing Her Daughter

When you become a parent, you become a protective bear on the lookout for anyone and everyone who would even think about hurting your kids. That goes double when it’s a stranger in public who would dare say something to your daughter, or look at her wrong, or be everything that’s wrong with the world.

Thankfully, one of the great things about of the internet is that you can shame jerks for treating your babies wrong and everyone gives you a round of applause.

The incident started when an older man was blatantly staring at her 21-year-old daughter, Julia Frank, while they were shopping at a local supermarket.

“A glance is one thing, but an obvious stare is another,” Julia said, and when the man deliberately stared at her behind, her mother started with “excuse me, sir, that’s my daughter you’re looking at.”

The man tried to dismiss the mother with a “mind your own business, lady,” like he’d never actually met a mother before in his life. In fact, he doubled down, following the women like a creeper through the store.

That was when Julia’s mother, Stephanie Ibarrondo, had enough – and Julia’s cousin started filming.

“You dirty old man, stop staring at my f***ing daughter’s a**,” says Ibarrondo as the video starts. “Get away from me! Now you’re bothering me and harassing me.”

@juliamfrankDon’t mess w mama & her babies.. ##fyp ##foryoupage ##crazy ##crazystory ##storytime ##catcalled ##rude ##ignorant ##livefootage ##thathappened ##mom ##fight ##omg♬ WOAH – Krypto9095

The man, who doesn’t have two brain cells to rub together, spits out “dress like a w****, you should look at a w****.”

Which…not only doesn’t make sense grammatically but also Julia was wearing sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt. Not that it should matter, at all, what someone is wearing, but I’m just saying.

The man was escorted out of the store after employees realized what was happening, and assured the women that they watched him leave. As a mother, you feel like you have to stand up for your child, but also, these days you fear what might happen if they lie in wait for you later.

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no rain, no flowers ?

A post shared by Julia Frank (@juliamfrank) on

As for Julia, she’s come out of the whole thing unscathed, and proud of her mother.

“She has raised me to be a stronger woman, so I’m able to teach my kids one day how to be strong as well. She has taught me that no matter what happens, it’s always important to stand up for yourself.”

A lesson for all of us, even the loser guy who couldn’t seem to slink away with his tail between his legs.

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You Might Be Surprised at the Data Your Kid’s School Is Collecting

Data collection has been on everyone’s mind in the past couple of years, ever since Facebook got bad press for selling information on users during the 2016 election. If anything, it made most people aware that everywhere you go online, every time you agree to anything before using it, there’s a good chance they’re collecting data about you that they will then sell to the highest bidder.

People have started to become conspiracy theorists about online games to DNA test kits, and rightfully so – but you might not have stopped to think about what your child’s school is collecting every time they log onto a computer in class?

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Some parents have found out the hard way what’s being collected – and how difficult it might be to get that data wiped before it causes real harm.

Because of incidents like school shootings, schools are collecting data about more than grades – they’re monitoring search histories, social media behavior, and the like in order to head off potential problems. The systems aren’t taking mistakes into account, though, and there are teenagers across the country who have already paid a steep price.

The Guardian has reported on up to 10 students, who had been accepted to Harvard, having those acceptances rescinded after racist and obscene jokes in a private Facebook chat came to light. More recentlyKyle Kashuv, a conservative activist from Parkland, Florida, also had his Harvard admission rescinded after racists remarks came to light. He was 16 when he made them.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The question for many is becoming not only about what is being collected and shared but whether kids with underdeveloped brains should be held accountable for dumb remarks long into their futures.

A group of parents in Montgomery County, which is in a suburb of Washington D.C., fought for and won an annual “data deletion week,” meant to clear the digital slates from not only the district, but also from the tech companies and online applications it uses.

The idea was pushed by attorney and parent Bradley Shear, whose second-grade son had gotten into trouble for Googling the song “Fuck You” by CeeLo Green on the school laptop. Shear maintained that the search was auto-populated and an accident, but even if it wasn’t, he’s only eight – how long should that follow him around?

Shear wanted the data deleted by GoGuardian, the company contracted by the district to monitor students’ searches and website visits.

The parents in that district won, and though it may not be as easy for those groups of parents that don’t include a lawyer and experts in security, privacy, and politics, at least we have precedence now to make regular data deletion a thing around the country.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

He started meeting with district officials, discussing his and other parents’ concerns, including at least one other committee member who’d had a similar experience with her son – he’d typed in “save the land” while doing a book report on conservation and “up came the Ku Klux Klan …’Save the land, join the Klan.’”

When she’d gone to the teacher and suggested wiping the search from her son’s browser history, the teacher had told her that wasn’t possible.

Data Deletion Week means that not only have these troubling mistakes been deleted from inside and outside school systems, but official letters to certify that the data had been fully deleted, not simply kept and “de-identified” have been sent.

In this day and age, the knowledge that your kid’s mistakes as a teenager aren’t going to ruin the rest of their lives seems like a common sense thing we’d all want to make sure gets done.

But maybe also make sure they know that racism isn’t funny. Just a thought.

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