Thursday, January 23
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner voted into 2025 class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame; Suzuki becomes first Japanese-born player elected to Hall of Fame (More) | Novak Djokovic tops Carlos Alcaraz to reach Australian Open men’s semifinals (More)
> Jules Feiffer, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter, and cartoonist, dies at age 95 (More) | Garth Hudson, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and last surviving member of The Band, dies at age 87 (More)
> Comedian Trevor Noah tapped to host Grammy Awards (Feb. 2) for a fifth consecutive time (More) | Netflix adds record-breaking 19 million subscribers in Q4; platform raises prices for ad-support tier to $7.99, standard tier to $17.99, and premium tier to $24.99 (More)
Science & Technology
> Chinese AI lab DeepSeek releases large language model it says rivals OpenAI's o1 model in reasoning and performance; model released under MIT license, allowing commercial use (More)
> Engineers develop desalination technology to create safe drinking water from salt water at a 15% reduction in cost from current approaches (More)
> Transplant of fibers from the soles of patients' feet makes areas like the thighs more resistant to rashes and wounds; technique may eliminate contact damage for people with prosthetics (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.9%, Dow +1.3%, Nasdaq +0.6%) as investors digest President Donald Trump's first policy moves (More) | Reddit shares rise over 7% to record high after analysts reiterate "strong buy" rating (More)
> Trump announces $500B in infrastructure investments for artificial intelligence through new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank (More)
> Smithfield Foods—largest US pork producer—sets initial public offering terms, targeting up to $10.7B valuation; expects to raise up to $940M in biggest food company listing in the US since oat milk maker Oatly raised $1.4B in 2021 (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Israeli military chief to resign in March, citing failure to prevent Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack (More) | Israeli forces launch operation in West Bank city of Jenin (More) | Taliban frees two Americans held in Afghanistan in prisoner swap (More)
> At least 76 people killed, 51 injured in ski resort fire in northwestern Turkey; hotel owner and eight others arrested as authorities investigate cause of blaze (More)
> New fires break out in San Diego area, including Lilac Fire, which has burned 85 acres and is 50% contained as of this writing (More) | Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire in Los Angeles are so far 65% and 89% contained, respectively (More, w/map)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Time - Age - Attitude
The aging process happens quickly after two decades of seemingly slow-moving aging, when in reality what is happening is that time moves by quicker it seems as we age. Time is what sneaks up on us, not aging.
I don't remember much about my adolescence or my teenage years before high school. High School is when my memories really start to pick up, then there is another void from about 30-50 or so where I remember that I did this or that but very little of the specifics.
My most current memories arrived at age 60 when I was diagnosed with cancer and had a triple level bypass heart attack while walking on the treadmill. I did not die then because my healthy body created its own bypass, ignoring the damaged/clogged arteries.
Time and age work in unison to ruin our lives as we get older from a physical point of view and not from a mental point of view unless we allow that to happen. We must accept that we now have limitation and adjust our lifestyle to those new limitations. It really isn't all that bad unless you are severely handicapped.
Ordinarily, we should be rather mobile into our mid to late 80s depending upon what happens to be wrong with us, with the understanding that we will just move a little slower.
What matters most is attitude.
Scientists Discover Super-Earth
Artist’s conception of the K2-360 system, showing the ultra-dense super-Earth K2-360 b (red) in its extremely close orbit around its Sun-like star, with the more distant companion K2-360 c (blue) in the background. The scorching temperatures on K2-360 b, which completes an orbit in just 21 hours, likely result in a molten or partially molten surface. Credit: Astrobiology Center
The K2-360 system features a record-dense “super-Earth” and a massive outer planet, revealing insights into extreme planetary evolution.
An international research team, led by scientists from Japan and Europe, has identified a new multi-planet system orbiting a Sun-like star. Among the discoveries is an ultra-short period planet with one of the highest densities ever recorded. These findings, published on November 8 in Nature Scientific Reports, provide fresh insights into how planets form and evolve under extreme conditions.
The system, designated K2-360, is located approximately 750 light-years from Earth and features two planets orbiting a Sun-like star:
An international research team, led by scientists from Japan and Europe, has identified a new multi-planet system orbiting a Sun-like star. Among the discoveries is an ultra-short period planet with one of the highest densities ever recorded. These findings, published on November 8 in Nature Scientific Reports, provide fresh insights into how planets form and evolve under extreme conditions.
The system, designated K2-360, is located approximately 750 light-years from Earth and features two planets orbiting a Sun-like star:
- K2-360 b: A rocky “super-Earth” that is about 1.6 times the size of Earth and completes an orbit around its star in just 21 hours. With a mass 7.7 times that of Earth, it is the densest well-characterized ultra-short period planet discovered to date.
- K2-360 c: A larger outer planet with a minimum mass of 15 Earth masses. This planet orbits its star every 9.8 days but does not transit, making its exact size uncertain. READ MORE...
Wednesday, January 22
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> "FireAid" benefit concert (Jan. 30) expands as Olivia Rodrigo joins Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, and more at fundraiser for Los Angeles wildfire relief (More)
> Lynne Taylor-Corbett, two-time Tony-nominated choreographer known for "Swing!" and "Footloose," dies at age 78 (More) | Cecile Richards, former Planned Parenthood president, dies of cancer at age 67 (More)
> Man arrested in Jan. 16 stabbing of Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan; Khan is currently recovering in a hospital (More)
Science & Technology
> X, Bluesky roll out vertical video feeds as the status of TikTok—the short-form video-sharing platform that relies largely on the format—remains in limbo (More)
> Study suggests sleeping pills restrict the brain's ability to clear cellular waste from the brain during non-REM sleep cycles (More) | Learn how the brain uses cerebrospinal fluid to clear waste (More)
> Researchers detail the evolution of bacteria behind Pierce's disease, which decimates grapevines and causes $100M in annual losses in California alone; specimen was isolated from a 120-year-old grapevine sample (More)
Business & Markets
> Annual World Economic Forum begins in ski resort town of Davos, Switzerland, hosting government leaders, multinational CEOs, and global financiers (More) | Billionaire wealth grew by $2T in 2024, report finds; at least five trillionaires expected to emerge over next decade (More)
> Bitcoin hits new record above $109K after President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump launched a pair of meme coins; bitcoin has jumped roughly 40% since Trump was elected in November (More)
> Apple under investigation by Belgium for allegedly using "blood minerals" from the Democratic Republic of Congo—mineral sources that finance armed conflict and are associated with human rights abuses (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Vivek Ramaswamy (R) to run for Ohio governor and leave colead role on President Donald Trump's federal spending watchdog group, known as the Department of Government Efficiency (More) | Senate confirms Marco Rubio (R) as secretary of state (More)
> UK teen pleads guilty to murder in July 2024 stabbings of three girls at Taylor Swift-themed dance class (More) | China executes two men for separate deadly attacks in November; one man killed 35 people in car rampage, another man killed eight people in school knife attack (More)
> At least 100 people killed and 11,000 displaced from guerrilla violence in Colombia following the government's failed peace talks with the rival National Liberation Army (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Climate Change
Roughly 1.3 billion years from now, "humans will not be able to physiologically survive, in nature, on Earth" due to sustained hot and humid conditions. In about 2 billion years, the oceans may evaporate when the sun's luminosity is nearly 20% more than it is now..." Kopparapu said.
Ravi Kopparapu, is a planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, told Live Science.
It would appear that we have a few years before there is anything that we really need to worry about...
I guess what bothers me about this is the fact that all these climate control scientists say that if we don't reverse our current pollution by 40% by 2030 that earth only has 20 years of habitability left.
It is because the Democratic party believed this that the Biden administration tried to push EVs on Americans to force them away from Petroleum Crude Oil and gasoline.
The American people rejected that approach, but it did not negate the fact that half the USA believes that climate changes is going to destroy the planet in a few short years.
Their worries are coming from several PhDs who believe their concerns are valid...
So, why is this NASA scientist saying something differently???
China Outnumbers US
After being overtaken by China in naval strength, a senior US military official has now warned that by 2027, China’s modern fighter jet fleet will outnumber US forces about 12 to 1 in key regions of the Western Pacific.
Brigadier General Doug Wickert, commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, shared the information regarding the anticipated dominance of Chinese aerial power during the Back-in-the-Saddle Day event on January 6.
The US Air Force General stated that the speed at which China is modernizing its military is “unprecedented,” further noting that it is “far outpacing” comparable modernization efforts by the United States.
The warning follows the PLA’s introduction of two new combat aircraft on December 26, touted as sixth-generation fighter jets, to celebrate Chinese Communist Party founder Mao Zedong’s birthday. READ MORE...
Tuesday, January 21
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> "Moana 2" becomes Disney's third 2024 release to top $1B at global box office (More) | ... and Disney's "Mufasa" leads MLK weekend box office (More)
> Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz among tennis stars advancing to 2025 Australian Open quarterfinals (More)
> Bob Dylan memorabilia auction nets $1.5M from the sale of around 60 items, including draft of lyrics for "Mr. Tambourine Man" that garnered $508K (More)
Science & Technology
> Apple suspends AI-powered news feature over inaccurate summaries of headlines and stories (More)
> Ant study reveals the insects use simple rules via chemical signals to achieve smooth travel in large groups; researchers hope to apply learnings to autonomous vehicle traffic flows (More)
> Researchers discover bacteria growing in a polymer solution form long, twisting cable-like structures; finding has applications ranging from treating cystic fibrosis to making new biofilms (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close up Friday (S&P 500 1.0%, Dow 0.8%, Nasdaq 1.5%), with S&P and Dow posting best week since early November (More)
> Justice Department sues Walgreens, alleges the chain knowingly filled millions of unlawful opioid prescriptions; suit follows four separate whistleblower complaints (More)
> President-elect Donald Trump launches cryptocurrency; $TRUMP passes $11B market capitalization in two days, with fully diluted value near $60B (More) | What are meme coins? (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> TikTok briefly goes dark, turns back on for US users as President-elect Donald Trump signals he will sign 90-day extension after taking office (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> Death toll in LA fires reaches 27, Palisades and Eaton fires about 50% and 75% contained with risk of extreme wind returning this week; see updates (More) | See map of fires (More)
> CNN found liable of defamation over 2021 story suggesting US Navy veteran Zachary Young charged excessive fees and implying he was part of a black market to evacuate Afghans; network to pay $5M in damages (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Past - Present - Future
It is the day after the inauguration and MLK Jr celebration, of which I watch neither.
I have discovered in my limited time here on earth that celebrations come and go and don't really impact my life on little bit.
People remember, get emotional, say things good or bad about the event, eat, drink, regurgitate, remember very little of what happened the next day, and a week later, all is forgotten, and life goes on.
That is just the kind of people we are. We concentrate on the PRESENT, forget or overlook the PAST, and seldom pay attention to the FUTURE unless we are theoretically or actually making a PLAN that we may or may not execute.
When I turned 40 years of age, I made a plan and stuck with that plan for over 30 years and don't plan to stop now.
I gave up:
- cigarettes
- alcohol
- red meat
- sweets
- fried foods
2-3, maybe 4 times a year I cheat on that plan with everything except cigarettes, but as I get older, I do less and less cheating.
I also paid off my debt and started saving as much money as I could each month. Today, I am very glad I did that because it has made my life so much more financially secure...
Alignment of SEVEN Planets
A very rare treat is about to grace Earth's night skies.
On the evening of 28 February 2025, all seven of the other planets in the Solar System will appear in the night sky at the same time, with Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars all lining up in a neat row – a magnificent sky feast for the eyes known as a great planetary alignment.
But that's not all. Between now and then, on 21 January 2025, six of the seven other planets will appear in the sky at once in a large alignment – Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn, with the exception of Mercury.
An illustration of the upcoming January planetary alignment as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. (Star Walk)
Actually, it's not uncommon for a few planets to be on the same side of the Sun at the same time, but it's less common for most, or even all of the planets to align.
Any number of planets from three to eight constitutes an alignment. Five or six planets assembling is known as a large alignment, with five-planet alignments significantly more frequent than six.
Seven-planet great alignments are, of course, the rarest of all. READ MORE...
Any number of planets from three to eight constitutes an alignment. Five or six planets assembling is known as a large alignment, with five-planet alignments significantly more frequent than six.
Seven-planet great alignments are, of course, the rarest of all. READ MORE...
Monday, January 20
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