Monthly Archives: July 2012
Mystery Solved: Why We Sunburn
For the first time, science has illuminated why our skin reddens and stings when we get too much sunshine, a new study says.
Though “sunburn is a common experience for human beings, there’s surprisingly little information on how energy in sunlight is detected [in the body] as a source of danger,” said study leader Richard Gallo, professor of medicine and chief of dermatology at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine.
Q: Which Cell Phones Might Replace My GPS Unit?
Answer: Last time I checked out, I dutifully lugged along my colorful, “ruggedized” electronics—a Garmin handheld GPS and a bulky Casio watch with a digital compass. But during the trip I realized that both items are usually made redundant by another piece of electronic gear: that non-ruggedize, urban tool, the cell phone. I use my cell during the work week to set headings between parking lots. Nothing beats the dead-simple practice of following the little blue triangle on your phone.
Until now, the problem with your phone’s GPS has been its dependency on cellular coverage. Many great hiking areas have a trickle of cellular service. (Only one percent of the land mass of the U.S. has no signal but that’s where they put all the fun mountains.) When you don’t have coverage, the maps don’t load on your phone. Android and Apple screens both show the pulsing triangle in the middle of an empty field.
