Year: 2024

Photographer David Jay specializes in fashion and beauty, stuff that’s “beautiful and sexy — and completely untrue,” as he puts it. But that’s not all he photographs.

Three years ago, Jay began to take pictures of young, severely wounded soldiers returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Trigger warning: These portraits don’t shy away from wounded bodies.

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Be prepared. I found them shocking at first. But keep looking. The more I looked, the more beauty and humanity I found reflected here. (The photo captions are from the Jay’s Unknown Soldier Project Facebook page. All images used with permission.)

This is 1st Lt. Nicholas John Vogt, U.S. Army. On Nov. 12, 2011, he was severely injured by an IED while on a foot-patrol in Panjwaii, Afghanistan. We took these pictures this past weekend in the swimming pool at Walter Reed Medical Center. I asked Nicholas for his permission to post these images and this was his response: “The only thing that I want to pass on is this: Losing limbs is like losing a good friend. We wish we could still be with them, but it wasn’t ‘in the cards.’ Then we get up, remember the good times, and thank God for whatever we have left.” Image by David Jay/ David Jay Photography. All images used with permission.

In a National Public Radio interview about his project, Jay said, “You can imagine how many times each of these men and women have heard a parent tell their child, ‘Don’t look. Don’t stare at him. That’s rude.'”

“I take these pictures so that we can look; we can see what we’re not supposed to see. And we need to see them because we created them.” — David Jay

Jay wants us to see, to become even a little familiar with the tragic loss of limbs and burned skin of wounded vets — his portraits are 4 feet wide — but he also wants us to see them as people and to think about their experiences and those of people in their lives.

This past week, I went to San Antonio, Texas. There I had the privilege of photographing both Daniel Burgess and Bobby Bernier. They are friends. Daniel stepped on a IED, losing one leg and destroying the other. Bobby was hit by incoming artillery, sustaining burns over 60% of his body. He is pictured here with his daughter Layla.

This is Maj. Matt Smith. This past week, Matt allowed me to photograph him in his room at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Less than three months ago, on June 8, 2013, in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Matt was shot along with five others by a member of the Afghan National Army. The bullet severed his femoral artery, resulting in the amputation of his leg. A private and soulful man, it was an honor to photograph him. Thank you, Maj. Smith.

This is Jerral Hancock. He was driving a tank in Iraq. A roadside bomb pierced the armor, breaching the interior. We shot these pics two weeks ago at his home in Lancaster, California, where Jarral lives with his two beautiful children. We ended up hanging out into the night, smokin’ ciggys … so I kept taking pictures.

“To the men and women of The Unknown Soldier, I can’t thank you enough for your courage and sacrifice … both on and off the battlefield. It is an honor to photograph you.” — David Jay

On July 25, 2012, SFC Cedric King, an Airborne Ranger, was severely injured by an IED while serving his country in Afghanistan. Due to the explosion, Cedric sustained a multitude of internal and external injuries, losing both his legs. Cedric was doing his laps while I was photographing 1st Lt. Nicholas Vogt in the pool at Walter Reed Medical Center last week. Cedric kept watching, so I had to ask. Cedric said, “That man (Nicholas) doesn’t know it, but he changed my life. There was a point when I was so down that I thought I couldn’t go on. And then one day I saw him swimming … and I just thought, wow … if he can go on like that, then I can go on too.” Cedric will also change people’s lives. Already has.

This is Michael Fox, a 27-year-old Marine and an amazing man. On Nov. 15, 2011, Michael was on foot-patrol in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. His is the first picture of “The Unknown Soldier.”

This past weekend, I photographed Staff Sgt. Shilo Harris in Houston, Texas. He came up from San Antonio to see one of my other exhibitions, The SCAR Project (www.thescarproject.org). Shilo was severely burned on Feb. 19, 2007, by a roadside bomb estimated at 700 pounds. He lost three men out of a crew of five. Only Shilo and his driver survived the blast. Shilo has a book coming out soon. He is truly an amazing man, and I am honored to call him a friend.

“The Unknown Soldier is about neither war or politics … but rather something infinitely simpler and more powerful.” — David Jay

The Library of Congress has acquired images from Jay’s The Unknown Soldier project as part of its documentation of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This speaks to the power of these images in capturing war’s aftermath. But they are so much more than documentation.

Pictures like these help those of us who remain at home to begin to comprehend the true human cost of war.

This article originally appeared on 05.31.15

Madeleine Albright once said, “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” It turns out that might actually be a hell on Earth, because women just do better when they have other women to rely on, and there’s research that backs it up.

A study published in the Harvard Business Review found that women who have a strong circle of friends are more likely to get executive positions with higher pay. “Women who were in the top quartile of centrality and had a female-dominated inner circle of 1-3 women landed leadership positions that were 2.5 times higher in authority and pay than those of their female peers lacking this combination,” Brian Uzzi writes in the Harvard Business Review.

Part of the reason why women with strong women backing them up are more successful is because they can turn to their tribe for advice. Women have to face different challenges than men, such as unconscious bias, and being able to turn to other women who have had similar experiences can help you navigate a difficult situation. It’s like having a road map for your goals.

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​It’s interesting to note that women in leadership positions who lacked this style of support system didn’t make as much as the women who did. “While women who had networks that most resembled those of successful men (i.e., centrality but no female inner circle) placed into leadership positions that were among the lowest in authority and pay,” Uzzi writes. Men and women have different needs, and that even extends to their tribe.

But it’s not just in the workplace. A 2006 study found that women who had 10 or more friends were more likely to survive the disease than women who lacked close friends. The study found socially isolated women were 64% more likely to die from cancer, and 43% more likely to have a breast cancer reoccurrence. Friendship is literally the best medicine.

Never underestimate the power of a group text with your girlfriends. Having a place to commiserate over sexism and support other women with goofy gifs when someone succeeds can enrich your life on all fronts.

This article originally appeared on 12.03.19

Last year, scientists in Peru announced they had discovered the world’s heaviest animal. Dubbed Perucetus Colossus or P. Colossus, for short, this ancient whale with a bloated body, small head and small fins, was estimated to tip the scales at a resounding 700,000 pounds. That’s larger than the largest animal up to that point—the Blue Whale—which can weigh up to 540,000 pounds.

The unusual fossils of P. Colossus believed to be nearly 40 million years old, were discovered in a desert in Peru. Whereas bones are normally spongy-looking, these fossils appeared dense and inflated, leading scientists to debate whether these were bones or rocks. It was determined they were, in fact, bones—vertebra bones, to be exact, each of which weighed at least 220 pounds. They also found ribs measuring nearly five feet across. All told, they found 13 vertebrae, four ribs, and part of a hip.

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Using projections, it was estimated that this was the heaviest animal ever to have lived.

Headlines abounded, mentioning the size of this silly-looking beast.

However, in late February 2024, scientists changed their tune. It turns out the estimates were off, and this chonky gal was merely big-boned, literally.

The new estimates put P. Colossus at 60 to 70 tons at 17 meters long and 98 to 114 tons at 20 meters long. It is still quite heavy, maxing out at 228,000 pounds, but not nearly as heavy as the blue whale, which maxes out at approximately 540,000 pounds or 270 tons.

So what happened? Here’s some sciency language from the new study, “Downsizing a heavyweight: factors and methods that revise weight estimates of the giant fossil whale Perucetus Colossus.”

“[The scientists who said P. Colossus was the heaviest animal] based their estimates on a new method, in which they first estimated the total skeletal mass of Perucetus through extrapolation from the skeletal material and then used the value to secondarily extrapolate its body mass, assuming skeletal to body mass ratios based on extant cetaceans and sirenians. A simple ratio mandates an isometric relationship between body and skeletal masses, and they justified this step by testing for isometry using a phylogenetically controlled regression.”

Ah yes, how many times a phylogenetically controlled regression has come around to bite us on the butt.

Translation: It’s understandable, sort of, why they used the wrong equation, but make no mistake—they used the wrong equation. And now, some science shade from the same paper:

“Their method involves questionable assumptions that suggest their body mass estimates are not reasonable…”

“It is important to note that the overall size estimate of Perucetus has remained the same,” Cullen Townsend told Upworthy. Townsend is an artist who renders prehistoric animals for the Natural History Museum Los Angeles, among others, and who created a corrected rendering to accompany the new paper.

Says Townsend: “What is now being debated is how heavy the animal potentially was. Our understanding of prehistoric animals is filled with holes and can change drastically with a new discovery or research. It is not surprising that scientists are coming to new conclusions. Our depictions of nearly every prehistoric animal have changed over time to better correspond with advancements in paleontology and our interpretation of the fossil record. Our current understanding of Perucetus is no different and will likely change again in the not-too-distant future. It is the nature of this field.”

So no “Real Scientists” reality show coming to cable TV anytime soon?

Or “Biggest Loser, Animal Style”? (P. Colossus wins, obviously)

The NatureWasMetal Reddit group saw this coming:

“Of course, Perucetus was going to be downsized… I’m never going to trust this sort of claim again, I felt like it couldn’t be true,” said Kaam00s.

“All my hopes and dreams shattered… I lived for that chonky whale man,” said Grouper3.

But Time-Accident3809 pointed out the silver lining:

“We are so lucky to coexist with the largest known animal to have ever lived. Now here’s hoping we don’t [mess] that up as well.”

Ariana Grande just released her highly anticipated new album Eternal Sunshine, so of course fans are wondering when (or if) they’ll get to hear its songs live.

Will Ariana Grande Go On Tour For Eternal Sunshine In 2024?

In a February interview with Zach Sang, Grande said:

“I would love to do shows. I love being on stage, I miss being on stage, I miss my fans so much, that’s the honest-to-God truth. I had a really hard time emotionally on my last tour, but I think that’s because of where I was at. So just like with music, I think I’m really excited to redefine my relationship to shows, when I’m ready, and to see what that looks like. I do have a very busy year, with this and with Wicked, and then the next year, I also have Wicked Part 2, so I’m interested to see what that would look like.

It would obviously be shorter. If it were anything, it would be a littler something, but I definitely do have the itch. I miss my fans and miss being on stage, but then again, I also am not ready to announce any sort of thing or get people too excited, because I don’t want to disappoint.”

So, at the moment, it appears Grande would be interested in touring in at least a small scale, but she’s not ready to commit to anything on that front as of now.

After two years away from the road, Uproxx cover star Russ announced a 10-city, headlining tour, It Was You All Along. The tour will begin at the end of May and run through the end of June, with support from 6lack and Melii. In the announcement video, Russ pokes fun at YouTube personalities who negatively critique artists for attention, subtly suggesting that they might not always be genuine with their criticisms.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, March 15 at 10 am local. They are currently on artist presale, with additional presales throughout the week. You can buy tickets and get more information at livenation.com.

In the comments for his announcement video, Russ addressed the “anxiety” of announcing such a short tour, explaining that, “I HATE disappointing people,” but that he “just wanted to do an arena tour for progress purposes.”

“I didn’t wanna be on the road for too long,” he continued, “So I know some of yall are mad bout your city not bein on here but I love all of you. Hope to see a bunch of you!!” However, after the prospect of a long haul away from home prompted him to pull the plug on his last tour in 2022, it seems he’s prioritizing mental health over forcing himself to fulfill arbitrary obligations.

See below for the tour dates.

05/31 –- Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
06/02 –- Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
06/06 –- Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum
06/08 –- Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
06/13 –- Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
06/15 –- Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
06/21 –- St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
06/23 –- Chicago, IL @ United Center
06/25 –- Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
06/28 –- Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center

Shameik Moore has apologized and admitted to being a “sore loser” after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse lost Best Animated Feature Film to The Boy and the Heron.

Moore voices Miles Morales in the Spider-Verse films, and he did not react well to the sequel missing out on Oscar gold. The actor initially tweeted “robed” before correcting himself and writing “robbed” in a follow-up tweet.

However, Moore quickly backtracked and apologized after fans began calling him out for the outburst.

“Respect to the winners. It’s true, I’m definitely a sore loser,” Moore tweeted. “But we didn’t lose, Spiderverse has impacted ALOT of lives, we may not have been acknowledged tonight but life goes on, and BEYOND….. yea get ready.”

Moore also agreed with a fan who noted that Spider-Verse producer Christopher Miller had the correct reaction to losing to the Hiyao Miyazaki film: “Well, if you’re gonna lose, might as well lose to the GOAT.”

“Your right, honestly the whole Spiderverse team are such good sports,” Moore wrote. “Very professional and I’m excited to see what comes of this. I’m young, and a fighter, so forgive my nature. Congrats to the winners.”

Across the Spider-Verse was one of the few critically acclaimed superhero movies in 2023, which was a rough year for the comic book genre. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, The Flash, The Marvels, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom all failed at the box office while the Spider-Verse was a bonafide hit.

Unfortunately, fans will be waiting a while. In the midst of the actors and writers’ strike, the third film, Beyond the Spider-Verse was delayed indefinitely. It currently does not have a release date, but the film isn’t canceled. It’s just going to take a little longer than expected before arriving in theaters.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

The Oscars can mean many things to many people — a celebration of movies, a sport, a trigger, a communal experience. Beyond all those things, it is a increasingly uneasy mash-up of classic and new Hollywood with the latter winning out more often than not, most likely in pursuit of greater relevancy with younger viewers. As such, we see Lifetime Achievement awards get shuffled off to the Governor’s Awards (depriving audiences of seeing a loving tribute and speech to Mel Brooks) and In Memoriam segments that get botched in ever new and depressing ways.

One continuing way the ceremony does honor cinema lore is with its presenters and the four acting awards; esteemed actors across the generational spectrum (but more in the 90s and 2000s relevant class than the 70s and 80s) offering testimonials about this year’s honorees. There’s also the Best Picture category, where traditionally one or multiple legends give out the biggest award of the night. This despite Warren Beaty presiding over the most epic whoopsy daisy in awards show history when he announced the wrong winner that one time.

This year, Al Pacino got the honor, and while he didn’t give the award to the wrong film, he did stray from the norm of reading the nominees, rolling into the main event of the main event with little of the expected buildup and breathlessness that might be expected of such a moment. Anticlimactic? Yeah. A little weird? Sure, and it pissed some people off, as well. But, and I say this with all due respect to the Oscars, that category, those nominees, and all offended: who cares?

First, it’s not like the nominees weren’t a running theme of the night. Hearing them read again would have been nice, but I don’t think anyone was unaware of which films were in the mix and pretty much nobody expected a different result (going into the show and certainly as the night went on and Oppenheimer showed clear signs of momentum).

Also, it’s Al Pacino. Let’s define that. This is an actor whose expressive on-screen nature and swagger helped to further the cause of using nervous energy, human explosivity, and confidence to propel certain roles (for him, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface, And Justice For All). This is also someone who could brood and built tension through quiet when the moment called for it (The Godfather, Heat, Insomnia). To a lot of the people in that room last night, Pacino is a foundational figure.

And sure, to a lot of people, in general, he’s a bit of a caricature of himself (something he has had fun with, as in the Jack And Jill Dunkacino bit) with the unmistakable vibe of an old man who used to be the young dude that everyone wanted to be or be with. Add it all together and he is a true character, so of course he was going to make the assignment his own and, maybe a little weird. This is a good thing. Everyone takes the Oscars so seriously, expecting narrative and execution perfection.

The best parts from last night – The Godzilla Minus One team having to juggle Godzilla action figures and trophies, Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” performance, the nude John Cena “costumes…” bit, Mulaney on Field Of Dreams, and amazing speeches from Cord Jefferson, Emma Stone, Mstyslav Chernov, and others – were all, to varying degrees, fresh and unexpected. I’d add Pacino being either unaware or indifferent to the details of his assignment to that list. Besides, based on Pacino’s own account of his first time at the Oscars in the ’70s, when he thought the show was an hour long and popped valium like candy, things could have been worse. Or better, depending on your appetite for chaos.

Again, in that the Oscars has moved further and further away from celebrating cinema’s past in all but surface ways, we should embrace what little we get and the potential for something interesting to happen. Al Pacino is a singular talent who won’t always be around to remind us of that. If you honor him with this task and then try to put him in a little box and expect him to be a prop, then you’re not really honoring him or fans who come to the Oscars for the spectacle and history as much as for the glam or the results. At least that’s what my eyes see.

After canceling his last tour in 2022, former Uproxx cover star Russ has got his head on straight and is heading back out on the road for the It Was You All Along tour with 6lack and Melii. The Atlanta/New Jersey rapper announced the tour with a tongue-in-cheek trailer making fun of the toxic culture on YouTube.

In it, he makes subtle references to the reasons he might have canceled that last tour, reasons he’s apparently addressed, judging from his recent musical output. So, getting tickets to this tour seems like it’ll be a safe bet — when are those tickets available to purchase?

Tickets for the It Was You All Along Tour are curently on presale, with the general sale scheduled to begin on Friday, March 15, at 10 am local time. There will be additional presales throughout the week, as well. You can find more information here.

See below for the tour dates and watch the cheeky trailer above.

05/31 –- Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
06/02 –- Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
06/06 –- Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum
06/08 –- Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
06/13 –- Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
06/15 –- Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
06/21 –- St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
06/23 –- Chicago, IL @ United Center
06/25 –- Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
06/28 –- Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center

Today (March 11) brings a pleasant surprise for Adrianne Lenker fans, as the Big Thief leader just released I Won’t Let Go Of Your Hand, a new six-track solo project, on Bandcamp. Proceeds will benefit the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

In her Instagram post announcing the collection, Lenker explains:

“Everything I think to say feels like it is less than a micro-fraction of the power that is needed to convey the message. I can’t express how sad and angry I am about this ongoing violence towards Palestinians. The killing must stop. The need for a ceasefire is beyond urgent. Permanent Ceasefire Now!

Today I’m releasing a new collection of songs I cherish, which were recorded in the moments they were written. You can purchase this record on Bandcamp, and 100% of the proceeds will go towards the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.”

This comes after Big Thief had an Israel-related controversy in 2022, when they announced (and later canceled) concerts in the country, which is where band member Max Oleartchik is from. Lenker addressed that situation in a new New York Times profile published today: As Stereogum notes, Lenker acknowledged it was “naïve and not thought out” to announce concerts in Israel and expect to not face criticism.

Listen to I Won’t Let Go Of Your Hand here.

Adrianne Lenker’s I Won’t Let Go Of Your Hand Tracklist

1. “The Music”
2. “Feel It All”
3. “Fangs Lungs Ankles”
4. “I Won’t Let Go Of Your Hand”
5. “Relief”
6. “Someone To”

Mitch Morales has never seen a total solar eclipse. But that hasn’t stopped him from planning one of the world’s most anticipated parties of the year to spot one — the Texas Eclipse Festival.

“I remember I was sitting at the computer and I looked up when the next total solar eclipse would be, not knowing that it was going to be in Texas,” Morales told Uproxx. “The last time there was a total solar eclipse in central Texas was in the 1300s.”

As if witnessing a solar eclipse wasn’t exciting enough, Morales has layered on a once-in-a-lifetime experience — where creativity, music, art, space, and technology converge in one massive celebration. His Texas Eclipse Festival is slated for April 5th-9th, just 45 minutes North of Austin, Texas.

With 40,000 attendees expected, Reveille Peak Ranch will turn into a mini city for five days as it welcomes in a highly curated crew featuring visionary pioneers, leading space and technology experts, science and wellness thought leaders, renowned visual and interactive artists, and of course, global music icons. Serving as a global community hub, the event will feature over 300 programs spanning captivating experiential art installations, mesmerizing music performances, space exploration, cutting-edge technology, futurism workshops with pioneers in web3 and AI, and more.

“It’s probably one of the most memorable things that you’ll ever experience, this natural phenomena….I wanted to make sure that the location was perfect for this type of event,” Morales said. “[Reveille Peak Ranch] is an incredible property. It spans over 1,300 acres, 60 miles of hiking trails, and elevated hilltops for optimal viewing of the eclipse. The local community is super supportive and the owner is amazing. The property is right on the center line, within the overall path of totality. If you’re going to have the most magical moment in your life, would you rather watch it for a minute or would you rather extend it for as long as possible to over four minutes?”

Spanning seven music environments – SKY, EARTH, MOON, SUN, LONE STAR, ECLIPSE, and ETHER – Texas Eclipse will be soundtracked by an eclectic mix of the world’s most prominent artists, including Barclay Crenshaw, Big Gigantic, Bob Moses, CloZee, The String Cheese Incident, All:Lo Collective (Park Breezy, Pheel, Tf Marz, Thought Process), Treavor Moontribe, Lee Burridge, Subtronics, Tipper, Tycho, Vulfpeck, Desert Hearts, LP Giobbi, Tiga, Desert Dwellers, Mark Farina, Vincent Antone, Hamdi, Ivy Lab, Of The Trees, Zeds Dead, and many more. The stages are designed and built by the festival’s network of global partners: Symbiosis (repping California), Re:birth (Japan), Strawberry Fields (Australia), Earth Frequency (Australia), Bachstelzen (Germany), Beloved (Oregon), Origin (South Africa), Meadows in the Mountains (Bulgaria), Bass Coast (Canada), Ometeotl (Mexico), DisQo PereZoso (Costa Rica), and Cosmic Convergence (Guatemala).

On the space and technology side of things, Texas Eclipse will host 11 astronauts to talk about the wonders of space and the achievements of human exploration, representing every flight provider –NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and Space Perspective. They’ll be joined by Dr. Peter Diamandis, Dr. Bruce Damer, Cosmic Perspective, and more.

Texas Eclipse will also explore the depths of human consciousness with an impressive lineup of thought leaders and visionaries. The festival will celebrate the 38th anniversary of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) with a collaborative and immersive educational experience. Additionally, mycology expert Paul Staments, integrative medicine leader Andrew Weil, environmentalist Adrian Grenier, and more will host curated workshops and panels onsite.

Concluding with yoga, movement, and immersive visual programming, the festival has enlisted the likes of transformative artist Amanda Sage, renowned visual artists Alex and Allyson Grey, futuristic creator Android Jones, immersive art collective Meow Wolf, visionary artist and storyteller Hannah Muse, breathwork specialist Michael Brian Baker, and more.

We had the opportunity to talk with the man behind Texas Eclipse’s cosmic vision on his inspiration and ethos behind the event. Read the full conversation below.

What is your recipe for creating an incredible festival centered around a celestial event?

There’s been a long history of these gatherings. They’ve been happening all over the world, specifically because they are so rare. Every couple of years you’ve got this occurring on a different continent so there’s this community that’s built up. That’s been probably one of the cooler parts is trying to continue on that tradition and tapping into those networks. That’s why we have our ‘global collaborators’ to cultivate a global curation of this event.

Can you speak on your own individual inspiration and ethos behind Texas Eclipse?

It’s so weird that we haven’t been to the moon or we haven’t landed and stepped foot on the moon since the ‘70s. You look back at the ‘60s and ‘70s and the geopolitical climate and what’s happening in our country, and there’s a lot of similarities between then and now. It feels like this spirit of exploration and expansion of possibilities into a new age for all of us. A new age of opportunity and excitement and working together.

This is very much about celebrating where we’ve come from and bringing a bunch of people together in this current moment, even if it’s only for four minutes. It’s about sharing a collective human experience together within the cosmos. We’ll all looking up to the stars and these celestial bodies together, evoking the idea of, “Where are we going?”

So… where are we going?

We are going to space, we are going to the moon and Mars, and furthermore, we’re going into these digital worlds that we’ve built ourselves. And so it’s going to be an incredibly interesting and dynamic time over the next couple of decades. It’s my belief that if we’re going to succeed and overcome these huge challenges that we are going to face as a civilization then we have to figure out a way to work together more and not be so divided. The idea of bringing these people together to celebrate all of this and the amazing things that we’ve been able to build is, I hope, an inflection point for more of that same thing.

What will the eclipse experience be like for attendees?

The sky starts getting dark around noon when just barely the moon goes in front of the sun until first contact. Fourth contact is where it fully departs, around 3 pm. The entire totality experience is about three hours long. Since there’s so much diverse programming happening throughout the weekend, we’re really trying to reserve the space for people to just appreciate it the eclipse. We want to make sure that people have outlets for the energy and the observation process that they’re going to be within. There will be a big group meditation and an indigenous elder from the area to hold and call upon ancient wisdom and traditions during the eclipse.

The programming for Texas Eclipse is unlike anything the world has ever seen. What are some of your favorite highlights that attendees shouldn’t miss?

We’re programming an extremely diverse music lineup spanning rock, jam, electronic, spiritual folk, world, and more. What I’m most excited about is the space programming. I think we’re putting together one of the most diverse lineup of speakers that any event has seen, especially outside of a space conference. We’ll have 11 astronauts who have been to space, with the majority of our space program being female-owned.

We’ll have representatives from NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and Space Perspective to hold educational workshops. I’m excited to get a glimpse and learn from them on what is going to happen over the next couple of decades and the timeline for us being a multi-planetary species. It’ll be pretty cool to see people walking around in spacesuit costumes and then people walking around in actual space suits that they’ve worn to space.

Don’t just go for the music. Go to learn, to explore, to be a human, and connect with other humans.

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A limited amount of ticket packages are still on sale for Texas Eclipse, including general admission, VIP, glamping, and hotel packages. For tickets and additional information, visit the Texas Eclipse website.