Dazzle

 

Light Years In Length

It turns out those stretched-out hyperspace lines from Star Wars are real. Sort of. According to EurekAlert!, a team of astrophysicists has discovered a bunch of one-dimensional filaments between 5-10 light-years in length chilling in the middle of our galaxy, the Milky Way.

While the long white lines that appear when Han Solo throws the hyperspace lever on the Falcon are actually stars, these new filaments are thought to be some kind of outflow from Sagittarius A—a supermassive black hole that lies at the center of the Milky Way. 

Essentially the filaments are exceptionally long strings of electrons interacting with a magnetic field. These new filaments run horizontally and only appear on one side of Sag A, leading scientists to believe they were birthed from the black hole millions of years ago.

That’s right; these “new” one-dimensional space strings aren’t exactly new. Even if we set aside their age, the existence of gigantic one-dimensional filaments in the Milky Way was discovered back in the early ’80s by astrophysicist Farhad Yusef-Zadeh. 

The filaments Yusef-Zadeh discovered, however, were huge vertical monoliths measuring up to 150 light-years high. It’s the horizontal orientation of the new filaments that make them so interesting.

“I’m used to them being vertical,” Yusef-Zadeh confessed in the new paper released by Northwestern University. “I never considered there might be others along the plane.” 

Yusef-Zadeh went on to explain that studying the Milky Way’s filaments could help scientists learn more about the way Sag A spins and its orientation relative to the rest of the Milky Way.

The old vertical filaments first discovered hanging around the Milky Way in 1984 run perpendicular to the galactic plane. The new horizontal filaments, however, are parallel to the plane and point radially toward the black hole at the center of our galaxy. Another difference between the two types of filaments is how they behave.   READ MORE...

Change the World Robots

 

Time Explained

 

Longevity Diet

As a doctor and food scientist, I’ve spent 20 years studying how our diets can help us beat diseases and live longer.


I’ve always taken a natural food-based approach, and much of my diet is inspired by a unique blend of two of the greatest food cultures in the world: Mediterranean and Asia. I call it the “MediterAsian” diet.


Both the Mediterranean region and Asia have areas known as Blue Zones, where people age better and are overall healthier.

Here are six staples of MediterAsian eating that can help you boost immune health and stay healthy:

1. Fruit
Apples: An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but three apples a day can help reduce body fat. They’re versatile, great for salads, and delicious as a snack or baked in a dessert.

Pears: Pears are an excellent source of dietary fiber (a medium-sized fruit has 6 grams) for gut health.

Pro tip: to find a ripe pear, hold the fruit by its base with one hand, and with the other, pinch the flesh at the bottom of the stem. If the flesh gives slightly, it’s ready to eat.

Grapefruit: Grapefruit flesh contains disease-fighting flavonoids and vitamin C, which is a powerful DNA-protecting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substance.

Avocados: The fats in avocados are healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, which can reduce blood levels of bad LDL cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease.

2. Vegetables
Broccoli: Broccoli is potent in sulforaphane, which protects stem cells, improves gut health and metabolism, and amplifies immune responses.

Soy: Soy is eaten as a bean, made into tofu, fermented, and can even be transformed into wine. It has been associated with lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20% and diabetes by 23%.

Carrots: An ancient root vegetable that originated in Southwest Asia, carrots are a good source of dietary fiber for gut health. A half cup of grated carrot has 2 grams of fiber.

Mushrooms: Mushrooms contain a soluble fiber called beta-D-glucan, which stimulates defenses to grow new blood vessels needed for healing wounds. At the same time, it can prevent harmful blood vessels from feeding cancers.  READ MORE...

Stars

 

Cruising - The IDEAL Vacation

My wife and I like to go on cruises and have been on 10 cruises, including:

1. Mediterranean 
2. Caribbean (6)
3. Bahamas
4. Alaskan
5. Hawaii

We have sailed on:

• Celebrity
• Carnival
• Royal Caribbean
• Norwegian

For some reason we like Royal Caribbean the best.  Our statements have either been with a window or inside and we have done this because not much time is actually spent in the room, and the money saved could be used on excursions.  However, after COVID and passengers, we were told, were kept in their rooms, we know we will never get another inside cabin.

We always bring:

• 2 Power strips with 6 outlets each
• A YETI coffee cup
• A YETI drinking cup
• Clips to hold the towels on the chair
• Medical supplies
• Set up phone texting only on cell phones
• Walkie-Talkies (palm size)
• No dress (Church clothes)
• Extra travel bag for gifts

Hints:

1. Board as early as you can so that you can familiarize yourself with the ship and arrange your eating schedule.
2. If you have afternoon excursions, make sure you eat at the second dinner time not the first.
3. don't bring dress clothes for dress night in dining room as it is not enforced.
4. On sea days, get up early to select your lounge chair but one person must remain seated there...  cannot save chairs on sea days.  Alternate going for meals.
5. We never buy any drink packages.
6. We never buy any wifi packages.
7. Most ports have free wifi connection inside the customs building.
8. Water/Soda beverages are cheaper in ports than on ship and each passenger is allowed to bring back a certain amount of each.
9. If you do your homework or attend the cruise briefings on each port, you can arrange for your own excursions cheaper than booking on the ship.
10. Look into walking tours at each port as they are usually inexpensive.
11. Set a gambling limit and stick to it.
12. If you want to buy something on the ship, buy the last night as the prices are reduced.
13. If you are worried about gaining weight because of all the food, then just eat 3 bites of everything.
14. Take advantage of all FREE areas on the ship

As far as a cost/benefit analysis is concerned, cruising is the best return on your investment, taking everything into consideration.  Any health concerns that you may have, you can always wear a mask.  However, washing your hands, avoiding close contact, and watching what you touch should always be followed.

Perpetual

 

There is no SELF

Western philosophy typically conceptualizes the self as a stable, controlling entity, comparable to a pilot, while Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism argue that the self is an illusion, a byproduct of our thought processes. 

Modern neuroscience provides evidence that aligns with the Eastern view, revealing that the left hemisphere of the brain constantly creates narratives to interpret reality, leading to a mistaken identification with these self-narratives.

This false sense of self, which is often equated with the incessant internal dialogue, contributes significantly to human mental suffering.

The brain-powered individual, which is variously called the self, the ego, the mind, or “me,” lies at the center of Western thought. In the worldview of the West, we herald the greatest thinkers as world-changers. 

There is no more concise example of this than philosopher René Descartes’ famous statement, “Cogito, ergo sum,” or, “I think, therefore I am.” But who is this? Let’s take a closer look at the thinker, or the “me,” we all take for granted.

Western view: The self is a pilot

This “I” is for most of us the first thing that pops into our minds when we think about who we are. The “I” represents the idea of our individual self, the one that sits between the ears and behind the eyes and is “piloting” the body. 

The “pilot” is in charge, it doesn’t change very much, and it feels to us like the thing that brings our thoughts and feelings to life. It observes, makes decisions, and carries out actions — just like the pilot of an airplane.

This I/ego is what we think of as our true selves, and this individual self is the experiencer and the controller of things like thoughts, feelings, and actions. The pilot self feels like it is running the show. It is stable and continuous. 

It is also in control of our physical body; for example, this self understands that it is “my body.” But unlike our physical body, it does not perceive itself as changing, ending (except, perhaps for atheists, in bodily death), or being influenced by anything other than itself.   READ MORE...

Black Hornet Drone

 

Slow Motion

 

First Branch on the Tree of Life

Scientists have discovered which animal was the first to branch off from our collective common ancestor.

For years, debate had raged over whether the first to diverge was the sea sponge or the comb jelly.

Thanks to new chromosomal analysis techniques, we finally have an answer.

All animals on Earth share a common ancestor. Trace back the history of any creature from humans to slugs, and you’ll eventually be able to follow all of the branches on the animal tree of life back to its trunk.

But that trunk had to branch off at some point, or we wouldn’t have all of today’s animals. And that first split has been a bit elusive to scientists, due to it taking place around 600 million years ago.

We know a few things, though. Namely, we know that the first split resulted in the birth of two creatures—the ancestor of almost all animals, and the “sister” to that ancestor. That sister is the ancestor of just one group of modern-day animals.

For decades, scientists have debated which group of animals traces its lineage back to the “sister” of literally all other animals. They had two contenders for a long time—sea sponges and comb jellies.   READ MORE...

Eternal Wave

 

Transformation of America

I am not sure why I am so upset with the way things are going in the US of A right now because NOTHING really will affect my lifestyle, or my finances.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION -  is a huge problem especially since these migrants are violating the rule of law with how they enter the country.  But, they will not be staying at my house, nor will many of them want to live in East Tennessee because the state is basically conservative and very few liberals live here.

INFLATION -  is another huge problem but my wife and I don't live high on the hog so there is no real impact on our finances.  If it costs us more to do some of the extra things we want to do, we will just do less...  I am 75 and she is 70 and there is really not that many places we want to visit, outside of Myrtle Beach.

NATIONAL DEBT -  is also a huge problem but not for me nor my wife nor our children...  however, their children will pay the price for all the money that is being spent today.

WOKE/CRT/BLM/REPARATIONS -  is really more of a joke than it is a serious movement because 12% of the US population is trying to tell the other 88% how the BLACKS should be treated as a result of slavery taking place here.  

NOTE:  one of the comments that I really like from East Tennessee is the following:  THE SUN DON'T SHINE ON THE SAME DOG'S ASS EVERYDAY...

Sooner or later the other 88% is going to wonder why 12% is telling them what to do...  and, when that happens, shit really will hit the fan.

TRANS-INDIVIDUALS - is a minor problem that less than 1% of the population want to turn into a big deal.  If women want to be males and males want to be females....  hell fire...  let them do what they want to do.  Personally, I don't want to have anything to do with them and if something happens where I have to deal with one, I will simply leave.  And, they can screw all their pronouns in the process.

What amazes me is that China is growing in strength and power while we are trying to recruit trans people into the military.  I cannot imagine being in a firefight with a trans, and I am thankful that I will never have that experience.

When China takes over our economy, the BLACKS and the TRANS can complain to their new leaders...  

However, AI/Robots will be replacing most jobs soon, so it will not really matter what these minorities think as they will be unemployed...

Horses

 

Space Based Power

Sci-Fi fans and futurists have long envisioned a mechanism that would capture solar power from space, focus it and transmit it to earth as a way of providing more efficient energy for humanity. 

There are many theoretical potential benefits of this if it can be made to work, including less pollution and no fear that the source of power will ever run out. 

With the right architecture, space based energy transmitted like this could also make access to energy available with little or no infrastructure. Just set up a device in your yard and there is your power.

How might this work? The video here from Dr. Ali Hajimiri, Caltech Bren Professor of Electrical Engineering and Medical Engineering and Co-Director of the Space-Based Solar Power Project, explains how:

Thanks to the vision and hard work and engineering of this Caltech team part of this vision has now been successfully demonstrated.  READ MORE...

Young Skills

 

Cooking Burgers

 

Classic Sunday Morning Newspaper Cartoons

 

Living With Medical Issues

2007 - Diagnosed with Lymphoma

2008 - Triple bypass type heart attack (5 stents inserted into left side arteries)

2010 - Diagnosed with Melanoma (surgically removed)

2015 - Melanoma returns

2018 - Radiation treatment

2022 - L2-L3-L4-L5-S1 vertebra fused

2023 - Lymphoma starts growing again

Cancer Treatments have included:

1. Surgery
2. Radiation
3. Chemotherapy
4. Immunotherapy
5. Over 150 infusions
6. Over 50 CT and/or PET scans

Living with Cancer and Treatments causes:

• Extreme fatigue (daily)
• Anemia
• No immunity
• Constant nausea (at least weekly)
• Loss of appetite
• Breathing issues
• Thyroid issues
• Negative impact on other organs

My eyesight is worsening

My hearing is worsening

My teeth are worsening

However, there is no direct correlation between cancer treatments and those three areas worsening...

During my over 14 years of treatment, I have never lost my hair, but I have been extremely sick with some of my toxin infusions that caused me to spend the night in the ER.

I am not too worried about my lymphoma growing as there are so many new ways to attack lymphoma that my Oncologist has many tools in his tool box with which to play.

Biden Falls Again

 

Signals From the Milky Way

Could intelligent aliens be lurking at the heart of the Milky Way?

A new search for extraterrestrial life aims to find out by listening for radio pulses from the center of our galaxy. Narrow-frequency pulses are naturally emitted by stars called pulsars, but they're also used deliberately by humans in technology such as radar. 

Because these pulses stand out against the background radio noise of space, they're an effective way of communicating across long distances — and an appealing target to listen for when searching for alien civilizations.

Scientists described the alien-hunting strategy in a new study, published May 30 in The Astronomical Journal. Researchers led by Cornell University graduate student Akshay Suresh developed software to detect these repetitive frequency patterns and tested it on known pulsars to be sure it could pick up the narrow frequencies. 

These frequency ranges are very small, at about a tenth of the width of frequencies used by a typical FM radio station. The researchers then searched data from the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia using the method.  READ MORE...

Blue Angels

 

Bear Makes Rescue

 

Weighing the Odds

 Former President Donald Trump has been indicted TWICE by Democratic DAs who would not have indicted fellow Democrats who had done the same thing.  The Democrats have weaponized the DOJ and that is setting a dangerous precedent...

In all likelihood, since indictments or even criminal charges do not prevent a candidate from running for President, there is a good chance that Trump will win because of this foolishness.

Arrogant Biden believes that since he beat Trump once he can beat him again.  That belief is misguided because of his age, his lack of accomplishments, inflation, immigration, a poor economy, and the fear that Kamala Harris might become the President.

Should Trump win, it will be GOOD for the US on the economy, return to oil, and with international countries but it will be BAD domestically where the division and hatred will just escalate.

INSTEAD, what I wish would happen is that Trump bow out of the race, and take legal action against the DOJ, the FBI, the mainstream media, and a corrupt Biden (along with his son) who has yet to be completely exposed.

Trump needs to fix our corrupt government and he just might be in a better position to do that as a former President than as a President.

Steven Wright One-Liners

This is not Steven Wright

If you're not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he's the famous erudite (comic) scientist who once said: "I woke up one  morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen and  replaced by exact duplicates."

His mind sees things differently than most of us do. Here are some of his gems:

1 - I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.

2 - Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back.

3 - Half the people you know are below average.

4 - 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

5 - 82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

6 - A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.

7 - A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

8 - If you want the rainbow, you have got to put up with the rain.

9 - All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand.

10 - The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

11 - I almost had a psychic girlfriend... But she left me before we met.

12 - OK, so what's the speed of dark?

13 - How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?

14 - If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked
something.

15 - Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

16 - When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

17 - Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.

18 - Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.

19 - I intend to live forever... So far, so good.

20 - If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

21 - Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

22 - What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

23 - My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn
louder."

24 - Why do psychics have to ask you for your name.

25 - If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

26 - A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

27 - Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

28 - The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.

29 - To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is
research.

30 - The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.

31 - The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.

32 - The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on
it.

33 - Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film.

34 - If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

And the all-time favorite:

35 - If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work?

Orange Tooth Rodent Invades

Over the last few decades, a new invasive species has moved into the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reported.

Populations of nutria are spreading across a growing portion of the U.S. Many states are taking steps to eliminate the animal before it destroys local wetlands, but some, like Louisiana, are already overrun.

What are nutria?
The nutria is a large, semi-aquatic rodent with orange teeth native to South America that was brought to the United States in 1889 for its fur, according to the National Invasive Species Information Center. It is also referred to as a coypu, coypu rat, nutria rat, or swamp beaver.

While nutria may look cuddly from a distance, they usually weigh in at around 11-22 pounds (and are often more than 20 pounds), making most heavier than the average healthy housecat — and nutria can eat a quarter of their body weight in a day.

Since nutria have few natural predators in the U.S. and can reproduce year-round, nutria populations can multiply quickly. Though most live less than three years in the wild, some live longer, and a female nutria can birth up to 200 babies during a short lifespan.  READ MORE...

Farming

 

Korean Robots

 

Oldest Burial Site in the World Not Filled with Humans

Paleontologists in South Africa said Monday they have found the oldest known burial site in the world, containing remains of a small-brained distant relative of humans previously thought incapable of complex behavior.

Led by renowned palaeoanthropologist Lee Berger, researchers said they discovered several specimens of Homo naledi – a tree-climbing, Stone Age hominid – buried about 30 meters (100 feet) underground in a cave system within the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO world heritage site near Johannesburg.​

"These are the most ancient interments yet recorded in the hominin record, earlier than evidence of Homo sapiens interments by at least 100,000 years," the scientists wrote in a series of yet to be peer-reviewed and preprint papers to be published in eLife.​

The findings challenge the current understanding of human evolution, as it is normally held that the development of bigger brains allowed for the performing of complex, "meaning-making" activities such as burying the dead.​

The oldest burials previously unearthed, found in the Middle East and Africa, contained the remains of Homo sapiens – and were around 100,000 years old.​  READ MORE...