Higgs boson may be driving the Universe’s expansion

Scientists may have found a solution to one of the most profound questions in cosmology: What drove the Universe’s rapid expansion immediately after the Big Bang?

“According to what we call ‘standard’ cosmology, our universe is and has been expanding at different rates throughout its history,” explained Humberto Gilmer, a postdoctoral researcher at Brown University and one of the authors of the study, in an email to Advanced Science News.

“To understand this expansion, think of a muffin with some blueberries embedded in it; as the muffin bakes, these blueberries, which aren’t moving in the batter, still move relative to each other because the whole muffin is expanding. In a nutshell, that’s how our universe behaves. Inflation, then, is a period when that expansion happened extremely rapidly. But how do you get such a period? That’s an open question we sought to answer.”

Their new findings suggest that the Higgs boson, a particle discovered in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider, might be the culprit and could have played a pivotal role in this process.

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Slash - Sweet Child O’ Mine - Slash

Good Evening

 

VINCE

 

Lara Logan

 

Brookings Brief

April 2025 update to TIGER: The world economy shudders and could stall

The Big THINK

The evidence for biosignatures on K2-18b is flimsy, at best

Robert Reich

The secession of the billionaire class




Friends,

Billionaire Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the drop in the stock market is nothing to be concerned about because Americans aren’t looking at the “day-to-day fluctuations” in their retirement savings.

Billionaire Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick says we shouldn’t be concerned that mass layoffs in the Social Security Administration have caused delays because his mother-in-law wouldn’t be worried if she didn’t get her monthly Social Security check.

The richest person in the world, Elon Musk, whose minions are busily slashing the Social Security Administration, calls Social Security a “Ponzi scheme.”

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At A Glance

The science of optical illusions.

Inside Home Depot’s $20B secret garden.

Your favorite music prompts the brain to release opioids.

How Stephen King became the master of horror. (via YouTube)

... and learn more about King's career here.

Play the classic game Snake—but on a map of the world.

Users find ChatGPT too "relentlessly positive."

Meet the sifaka, nature's pogo stick.

Clickbait: An age-old question—what happens to mummies' eyeballs?

Good Morning

 

10 Easy Mediterranean Recipes | Mediterranean Diet for Beginners

Quick Clips

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Team USA tops Canada 4-3 in overtime to win women's hockey world championship (More) | Oklahoma wins its seventh NCAA women's gymnastics title (More)

> Judge allows Harvey Weinstein to remain in hospital during his retrial on rape and sexual assault charges with jury selection to continue today (More)

> "Sinners" tops Easter weekend at US domestic box office with $45.6M while "A Minecraft Movie" passes $700M globally (More)


Science & Technology
> Scientists "create" a new color by using a laser to stimulate the retina; five people have reported seeing the new color dubbed "olo," a highly saturated blue-green (More)

> Researchers discover genetic variations responsible for the development of cleft lip and cleft palate; condition is one of the most common birth defects in the US, affecting about 0.1% of children (More)

> Archaeological evidence from Germany of ancient horse hunts suggests the ability of humans to collaborate and plan complex tasks dates back to at least 300,000 years ago, roughly 250,000 years earlier than believed (More)


Business & Markets
> Stock markets reopen after Good Friday holiday, as companies gear up for first-quarter earnings reports this week; see schedule and estimates for companies including Tesla, Boeing, IBM, and many others (More)

> Logistics firm DHL suspends packages into the US valued above $800, citing increased administrative burden at US customs under new tariff orders (More) | Trump administration expected to further eliminate the $800 threshold for packages from China and Hong Kong May 2, citing concerns over fentanyl shipments (More)

> US class-action lawsuit accuses Tesla of using predictive algorithms that inflate odometer mileage, pushing owners past warranty limits quicker; company denies allegations (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Russian President Vladimir Putin declares one-day ceasefire yesterday in observance of Easter; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticizes unilateral move, says Russia still carrying out attacks (More) | Israel disciplines leader of military unit involved in attack that killed 15 emergency medical workers in Gaza (More)

> White House officials say April 11 letter to Harvard with set of reforms was unauthorized, came as talks between the administration and the university were advancing (More) | See original report (More)

> Iran nuclear talks to enter second phase this week; US officials say discussions will bring in technical experts from both sides (More) | See previous write-up (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Eating Habits

 When I was 40 years old, I quit smoking, drinking alcohol, and eating red meat...

Bold statement - hard to believe I really did this.

• Yes, I quit smoking cold turkey.
• My alcoholic consumption went to 1-2 glasses of wine per month then down to per year, then down to zero.
• My red meat intake was no steak but once a year, a hamburger once a month, a pizza quarterly.  Now it is no steak, no hamburgers, but pizza quarterly.

My total cholesterol (bad/good) has been 84 but recently it went up to 91.

I eat fish (salmon, tuna, cod), chicken, turkey, turkey burgers, turkey hot dogs, all sorts of beans and vegetables, nuts, and some fruits but not like I should.

My weakness is rice and what I use now is BASMATI - long grain.  I use (Amish) French onion soup starter to flavor the rice.

In previous years, I used to count my daily intake of fat grams but now I have changed to calories...  My goal is to not exceed 2,000 calories per day which is not as bad as it sounds once you get used to the routine.

When we eat out at a restaurant and the calories are higher than what I would normally have for that meal, then I eat half at the restaurant and the other half the next day.

In addition to the 2,000 calories, I try and focus on smaller meals five times a day.  This is a lot easier said than done.

Obesity is a problem and if it is not controlled it gets out of control and becomes very difficult to reduce one's weight - when that happens, it might take 18 months to get back to your correct weight if my 2,000 calories/day is consistently followed.

Somewhat Political

 

Scientists achieve record-shattering results after testing limitless energy device: 'Experiments will continue with increased power'

In a groundbreaking leap toward cleaner, more affordable energy, scientists in France held a fusion reaction steady for over 22 minutes — shattering the previous world record. If that number sounds insignificant, here's why it's a big deal: That is 1,337 seconds of controlled, blazing-hot plasma, the critical ingredient needed to power nuclear fusion, a nearly limitless energy source that does not rely on polluting fuels like gas, coal, or oil.

This milestone brings us one step closer to a dream energy future: one where our homes, cities, and electric cars are powered by a technology that mimics the sun — minus the radioactive waste and environmental damage of traditional nuclear power.

Nuclear fusion has the capability to solve a major problem with polluting energy sources. Right now, our power mostly comes from dirty energy that pollutes the air and contributes to extreme weather. While solar and wind energy are gaining momentum, fusion offers something different: the possibility of continuous, around-the-clock clean energy using hydrogen — the most common element in the universe — as fuel.

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EAGLES Rocky Mountains wayu

Good Evening

 

GONE HOME

 

At A Glance

Meet the northern snakehead, the invasive land-walking fish.

See how much your state receives in federal funding.

Visualizing what makes Americans cry.

... and what we remember most about high school.

Predicting wine quality by the animal on the label.

Olympic legend demolishes other parents at school field day.

A fireball lights up the night sky above Mexico City (w/video).

Humans and robots face off in a Chinese half-marathon (w/video).

Clickbait: San Francisco's new "great big naked statue."

Good Morning

 

How To Stay Healthy | Mark Gendreau | TEDxCambridge

Quick Clips

 

In The NEWS

The deepest human-made hole on Earth is in Russia’s Arctic North

The Kola Superdeep Borehole was a project in the 1970s to uncover the composition of Earth by boring deep into its crust. Driven by Cold War competition, the Soviets chose the remote north to reduce the temperatures the tools would encounter. The mission managed to go 7.6 miles into Earth’s crust, the deepest human-made hole on Earth. Watch here.



How they figured out plate tectonics
The now well-established theory of plate tectonics—which claims Earth’s continental crust has drifted over time—was laughed at as recently as the mid-20th century. This video explores the origins and evolution of the idea that the continents didn’t always look like that, explaining how technologies were deployed to figure it out. Watch here.






The overview effect: how seeing Earth from space changes you

Astronauts regularly report paradigm shifts after seeing Earth from space. This phenomenon, known as the “overview effect,” can prompt big philosophical changes. For astronaut Ron Garan, this effect made him realize the interconnectedness and fragility of life and revealed that humanity is a planetary species. Read more in this article.



What are the odds of life beyond Earth?

In 1961, Frank Drake, Carl Sagan, and several other scientists gathered to form the Search for Extra-Terrerestrial Intelligence initiative. Part of that process was Drake’s equation, a formula used to calculate the number of exoplanets able to sustain life. This article breaks down the different conditions that impact the probability of life forms evolving elsewhere in the cosmos.


Worldwide names for Earth

The word “Earth” is rooted in German and evolved via Middle English, meaning the ground. In English, “Earth” means both the planet and the land—but in many languages, there are distinct words. This map—oriented in an atypical but in some ways more accurate projection—showcases different names for Earth across the world. Check it out here.





Visible moments of Earth through satellite images

A lot is happening on the planet at any given time. This fascinating collection of space-based photos of Earth compiles shots of well-known locations and natural events to give a high-level view. For example, you can see how certain wildfires appeared from space or see the spread of a specific city over time. Get lost gazing at Earth here.

What Matters?

 

This is an interesting question that will be answered differently as one gain in age.

One might say what matters is

• Church
• Family
• Country

but, not necessarily in that order...

Others might say,

• Wealth
• Possessions
• Power

but not necessarily in that order either...

What matters to me is

• Freedom
• Integrity
• Honesty
• Loyalty

and I would say that freedom is the most important...

WHY would I say that?

Without FREEDOM, the one cannot have the other three...

I don't just mean freedom to vote or travel or make decisions, but freedom of communications, both written and verbal.

The next question is will we really ever have that kind of FREEDOM?

First there was our birth -  no freedom there

Then,

• parents
• school
• military - for some
• employers
• laws
• spouses

Death is last and seldom do we have any freedom over that unless it is suicide.

So, if freedom does not matter, given my constraints, then what's left?

HOW WE LIVE...

Somewhat Political

 

"Hidden galaxies" discovery would upend our current understanding of the universe

A newly analyzed, deep-field universe photo, produced by stacking multiple infrared observations, points to elusive collections of dust-filled star systems. This intriguing view of ancient “hidden galaxies” could change how we understand the cosmos.

Researchers used cutting-edge imaging to map a far-infrared landscape brimming with nearly 2,000 galaxies.

Preliminary hints suggest there may be galaxies lurking just out of sight, influencing how energy is emitted across space.

Early calculations indicate that their collective light might explain the missing piece in the energy puzzle at long infrared wavelengths, an aspect that has puzzled astronomers for years.

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The Beatles - Revolution

Good Evening

 

Robert Reich

Sunday thought
The contagion of courage



Friends,

Jo Ellen Grzyb, a member of this Substack community, noted in response to one of my posts that she’s seeing a lot of the phrase “courage is contagious.” She mentioned Bernie, AOC, Cory Booker, Tim Walz, Jasmine Crockett, and Elizabeth Warren.

She’s right. And in these darkening times, this contagion is critically important.

A staggering 36,000 people attended Bernie and AOC’s rally in Los Angeles; 34,000 attended their rally in Denver. These numbers are unprecedented.

Yesterday, hundreds of thousands of you turned out in your communities to condemn Trump and his regime. In front of the White House, protesters shouted “shame!”

This is the contagion of courage.

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