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> Millions of Americans donned a wacky-looking headset to get a glimpse of a different reality this week. No, not a virtual reality headset — these people were

> Millions of Americans donned a wacky-looking headset to get a glimpse of a different reality this week. No, not a virtual reality headset — these people were looking up at the sky through protective goggles to witness a total eclipse of the sun which cut a shadowy swathe across middle America. Oh my. I'm sure you know the old saying: when you read a news report about something you happen to be an expert in, you'll likely find that they got it very wrong. And then you'll wonder what else they get wrong. I'm an eclipse veteran, and I certainly hope millions of people did not wear protective goggles to witness the total eclipse. Because they wouldn't have seen a thing. You need eye protection for any partial eclipse, including the partial phases before and after totality. But not during totality. The solar corona is only about as bright as a full moon, and "eclipse glasses" would block it out completely. Water under the bridge now, at least until the next total eclipse! But when a writer leads off a news piece with something so far from the mark, why should I believe anything they write? Maybe I'm being overly judgmental. After all, the eclipse comment was supposed to be just a clever lead-in for the article. But it was so wrong I just didn't have the patience to read the rest of the piece.

et1337 9y ago
You discredited the article because it said people used protective glasses to watch the eclipse? I'm not an "eclipse veteran", I don't know anything about it, but my feed was nothing but eclipse glasses for three whole days. I would say people wore glasses.
- Stratoscope 9y ago
  Touché. ;-) Yes, I did dismiss the article after that first paragraph, and as I mentioned probably unfairly on my part. Sorry, it was just a real peeve of mine in the weeks leading up to this eclipse to see so much misinformation spread by the news media. It was the same thing that happened in the 1979 eclipse that I got to see in all its glory. It was really sad to see so many people denied that experience because of unjustified fear, when it's possible to view a total eclipse in complete safety as I did. And the same thing happened again this year. This astronomer's experience in 1979 was all too typical: http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/35055369/i-was-robbed-of-my-eclipse-experience-dont-let-that-happen-to-you http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/35055369/i-was-robbed-of-my-ecli... OK, enough of my eclipse gripes. Just explaining why this put me off from the rest of the article. By way of contrast, if that opening paragraph had mentioned that all the people who used eclipse glasses during totality missed the whole thing because of misinformation and fear, now that would have caught my attention and led me to believe that the author might have some good insights in other areas too. Y'all can get back to VR now... :-)
  - mncharity 9y ago
    I've wondered why this isn't a market niche. Some news stories are easily anticipated. People die, so papers write obits ahead of time. Water mains break, and TV news... starts from scratch, showing boring pictures of water while making inane comments. Why isn't it a thing, that say film students, go out and interview water main people, and create fun graphics, and then when a main inevitably breaks, offer media outlets "you can be inane and boring and wrong, or pay us $$ for this content package"?
CamperBob2 9y ago
This, and the fact that current VR headgear is less like a pair of lightweight eclipse-viewing glasses, and more like the two pairs of laser safety goggles, one pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, and one 10-stop ND filter that I had to hold in front of all of those because I didn't have the proper eclipse-viewing glasses.
mncharity 9y ago
As you anticipated, the author's understanding of VR/AR is quite poor. I was surprised to see this on front page HN. I also think the thesis is wrong, but one could at least make an informed argument for it. But this wasn't that.
- madaxe_again 9y ago
  He also complained that 3D games on a 2D screen gave him motion sickness. I suppose FPSs are dead and we're going back to side scrollers.
tigershark 9y ago
If you are an eclipse veteran (what does it mean btw) then you should know that you need the protective glasses to enjoy the eclipse in all the phases. You don't need them just during the total phase, but if you don't use them before I can't imagine what you are able to see in that phase. The article is absolutely correct. There were millions of Americans looking at the sky through protective glasses to enjoy the eclipse.
- Stratoscope 9y ago
  Sorry I didn't explain my "eclipse veteran" terminology, I just meant that I've experienced one total eclipse, traveled to see another but got clouded out :-( and have done quite a bit of study into how to view them safely. I viewed the 1979 total eclipse with unfiltered binoculars, and it was an awesome sight - truly an experience of a lifetime. Alas, I didn't get to travel to the path of totality for this year's eclipse, but I viewed the partial eclipse from home with binoculars - of course this time with professional quality solar filters covering the front! Several of the neighbors stopped by to take a look. Back to your comment about the protective glasses, I can only speak for myself: I didn't use them at all in the 1979 eclipse. I'd seen partial eclipses before - they happen fairly often and you can see them from a wide area. What I traveled to Oregon for was totality. So I and the other people on the hillside with me simply ignored the partial eclipse. During the first partial phase we put on our sunglasses and looked away from the sun, waiting for the interesting effects that would happen on the ground as the moon's shadow approached. Then when it became total, we turned around, took off our sunglasses, picked up our binoculars if we had them, and viewed the solar corona directly.

et1337 9y ago

You discredited the article because it said people used protective glasses to watch the eclipse? I'm not an "eclipse veteran", I don't know anything about it, but my feed was nothing but eclipse glasses for three whole days. I would say people wore glasses.

Stratoscope 9y ago
Touché. ;-) Yes, I did dismiss the article after that first paragraph, and as I mentioned probably unfairly on my part. Sorry, it was just a real peeve of mine in the weeks leading up to this eclipse to see so much misinformation spread by the news media. It was the same thing that happened in the 1979 eclipse that I got to see in all its glory. It was really sad to see so many people denied that experience because of unjustified fear, when it's possible to view a total eclipse in complete safety as I did. And the same thing happened again this year. This astronomer's experience in 1979 was all too typical: http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/35055369/i-was-robbed-of-my-eclipse-experience-dont-let-that-happen-to-you http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/35055369/i-was-robbed-of-my-ecli... OK, enough of my eclipse gripes. Just explaining why this put me off from the rest of the article. By way of contrast, if that opening paragraph had mentioned that all the people who used eclipse glasses during totality missed the whole thing because of misinformation and fear, now that would have caught my attention and led me to believe that the author might have some good insights in other areas too. Y'all can get back to VR now... :-)
- mncharity 9y ago
  I've wondered why this isn't a market niche. Some news stories are easily anticipated. People die, so papers write obits ahead of time. Water mains break, and TV news... starts from scratch, showing boring pictures of water while making inane comments. Why isn't it a thing, that say film students, go out and interview water main people, and create fun graphics, and then when a main inevitably breaks, offer media outlets "you can be inane and boring and wrong, or pay us $$ for this content package"?

CamperBob2 9y ago

This, and the fact that current VR headgear is less like a pair of lightweight eclipse-viewing glasses, and more like the two pairs of laser safety goggles, one pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, and one 10-stop ND filter that I had to hold in front of all of those because I didn't have the proper eclipse-viewing glasses.

mncharity 9y ago

As you anticipated, the author's understanding of VR/AR is quite poor. I was surprised to see this on front page HN. I also think the thesis is wrong, but one could at least make an informed argument for it. But this wasn't that.

madaxe_again 9y ago
He also complained that 3D games on a 2D screen gave him motion sickness. I suppose FPSs are dead and we're going back to side scrollers.

tigershark 9y ago

If you are an eclipse veteran (what does it mean btw) then you should know that you need the protective glasses to enjoy the eclipse in all the phases. You don't need them just during the total phase, but if you don't use them before I can't imagine what you are able to see in that phase. The article is absolutely correct. There were millions of Americans looking at the sky through protective glasses to enjoy the eclipse.

Stratoscope 9y ago
Sorry I didn't explain my "eclipse veteran" terminology, I just meant that I've experienced one total eclipse, traveled to see another but got clouded out :-( and have done quite a bit of study into how to view them safely. I viewed the 1979 total eclipse with unfiltered binoculars, and it was an awesome sight - truly an experience of a lifetime. Alas, I didn't get to travel to the path of totality for this year's eclipse, but I viewed the partial eclipse from home with binoculars - of course this time with professional quality solar filters covering the front! Several of the neighbors stopped by to take a look. Back to your comment about the protective glasses, I can only speak for myself: I didn't use them at all in the 1979 eclipse. I'd seen partial eclipses before - they happen fairly often and you can see them from a wide area. What I traveled to Oregon for was totality. So I and the other people on the hillside with me simply ignored the partial eclipse. During the first partial phase we put on our sunglasses and looked away from the sun, waiting for the interesting effects that would happen on the ground as the moon's shadow approached. Then when it became total, we turned around, took off our sunglasses, picked up our binoculars if we had them, and viewed the solar corona directly.