I Went To Iceland To Learn What's Up With Their Elves

Plus, enter to win our Ultimate Travel & Entertainment Giveaway before it’s too late. [Welcome To The Futurist] The Futurist uncovers unique and inspiring topics that feed your curiosity. Curated articles on technology, science, and culture delivered to your inbox. Not for you? Unsubscribe anytime below. /health [Wildfire Smoke Linked To Higher Covid-19 Death Rates | National Geographic]( [WILDFIRE SMOKE LINKED TO HIGHER COVID-19 DEATH RATES]( Smoke from last year’s wildfires in California, Oregon, and Washington contributed to a significant increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths in those states, according to a new study. “The wildfires exacerbated the pandemic substantially,” says Francesca Dominici, a Harvard biostatistician and author of the study published Friday in Science Advances. Without the smoke from the fires, there might have been 19,742 fewer COVID-19 cases and 748 fewer deaths from COVID-19, the study found. [National Geographic]( /wild [Think You Know Your Dog? | The Next Web]( [THINK YOU KNOW YOUR DOG?]( You are the unique combination of DNA markers that coalesced together to form you. They’re why you react the way you do to specific environmental conditions, and they can explain some of your more idiosyncratic behavior patterns. It’s no different for your dog. Except, of course, your dog doesn’t understand why they howl at the mailman, chew up your drapes, or develop that itch when you try to change their dog food brand. But yes, their DNA has secrets locked up inside those chromosomes. [TNW]( /explore [I Went To Iceland To Learn What's Up With Their Elves | Vice]( [I WENT TO ICELAND TO LEARN WHAT'S UP WITH THEIR ELVES]( The relationship between Icelanders and elves is a complicated one that can fall somewhere between faith and folklore, depending on who you ask. For some people, the elves (and the larger-but-similar huldufólk or Hidden People) are real beings — or as real as supernatural entities can get. For others, they’re a superstition, the main characters of centuries-old folktales, or an inoffensive (if imaginary) annoyance that appeals mostly to tourists. [Vice]( /lifehack [How To Save $500 On Your Next Getaway - Dollar Flight Club | [Partner]]( [HOW TO SAVE $500 ON YOUR NEXT GETAWAY]( Itching for a weekend getaway (or five)? [Dollar Flight Club]( has your back. Think: Hawaii from $109 or Austin from $68 roundtrip. This smart platform analyzes flight data for you, finding the best domestic flight deals for your quick trip. They save members up to $500 on flights — and we’re talking first or business class, with premium partner perks. Simply choose your departure airports and you’ll be notified when deals pop up. Get the most bang for your buck by joining now: It’s just $1 to try for the next 48 hours. [Partner] /interior [@nathanschroderphoto on Instagram]( [@nathanschroderphoto]( /tech [Yik Yak, The Controversial Anonymous Social Media App, Is Back | CNET]( [YIK YAK, THE CONTROVERSIAL ANONYMOUS SOCIAL MEDIA APP, IS BACK]( Released in 2013 and shuttered in 2017, Yik Yak allows users to create and view discussion threads — or "yaks" — within a five-mile radius while remaining anonymous. The other users in your five-mile radius are considered your "herd." As with Reddit, you can vote content up or down, with results ranked on the Hot Feed every 24 hours. Yik Yak's anonymous format lead to accusations of cyber harassment, threats, bullying, and discriminatory speech, as well as bomb and gun violence … so, great to hear it’s made a comeback, I guess. [CNET]( /gadget [This Award-Winning Headphone Brand Just Dropped The Audio Tech Of The Future | Nura]( [THIS AWARD-WINNING HEADPHONE BRAND JUST DROPPED THE AUDIO TECH OF THE FUTURE]( While it might not be a household name, Nura joined the ranks of Apple and Google in 2018 when it won the Red Dot Award in product design at CES. Not only did it make a sleek, stylish pair of headphones with impressive audio quality and best-in-class noise-canceling, but it also became the first company ever to introduce active noise-canceling over a software update. Now it’s brought that same technology to its new NuraTrue True Wireless Earbuds, which deliver a 6-hour battery life, touch controls, and IPX4 water and sweat resistance as well as a unique sound personalization feature through the Nura companion app. [Nura]( /innovation [Inventor Builds Auto-Aiming Bow That Never Misses | Futurism]( [INVENTOR BUILDS AUTO-AIMING BOW THAT NEVER MISSES]( YouTuber Shane Wighton from the channel “Stuff Made Here” has created a terrifying bow that aims itself and never misses. The bow is so sophisticated that Wighton doesn’t even have to look at the target — he demonstrates with an apple perched on top of a Styrofoam apple — to hit a bullseye. [Futurism]( /posted [@brianchorski on Instagram]( [@brianchorski]( /bites - Brushing your teeth is a chore. Speed it up with this tool that combines brushing, whitening, and cutting-edge light therapy to [clean your teeth in just 30 seconds]( - Interested in learning or strengthening your STEM skills? 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