Born in the USA? Not so fast: Trump takes aim at birthright citizenshipJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics In an interview with “Axios on HBO” scheduled to air Sunday, President Trump said he believes he can end birthright citizenship with an executive order. Disarming terrorists like the Pittsburgh shooter before they actJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, world One of the world’s most successful efforts at persuading terrorists or would-be terrorists to “disengage” from extreme militancy is in Denmark. The program aims to prevent Muslims from being radicalized and to reintegrate those who abandon terrorism back into society. But the approach could apply equally to almost anyone lured by a violent ideology – including Robert Bowers before his attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue. A critical moment in the global effort to contain nuclear weaponsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, world Not all arms-control agreements are created equal. The stakes are high: the prospect of a new superpower arms race, and the possible emergence of two more nuclear powers in North Korea and Iran. Recommended: Would US quitting the INF treaty rekindle a big-power arms race? High Vitamin D Levels Linked with Better FitnessJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science There's yet another reason to make sure you're getting enough vitamin D: High levels of this essential nutrient are linked with better fitness, according to a new study. In the study, people with higher vitamin D levels also tended to have better cardiorespiratory fitness, a measure of a person's aerobic fitness level. Indeed, the higher a person's vitamin D level was, the greater their cardiorespiratory fitness was, the researchers found. Cobra King F9 Speedback driver finds new way to optimize launch and distance with sleek aerodynamicsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science King F9 Speedback uses unique shape to keep weight low while reducing aerodynamic drag, resulting in more speed for the clubhead and for the ball ‘OnceJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science This is breathtaking North Carolina High School Student Shot by a Classmate Has Died, Suspect in CustodyJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science A student is shot and killed at a North Carolina high school. Is newborn smiling really just a reflex? Research is challenging the textbooksJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Many parents are told their babies' smiles aren't 'real'. But there is research to suggest otherwise. Giant Antarctic iceberg snaps into the ocean after forming ominous crackJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Crack. After a nearly 20-mile rift formed across Antarctica's retreating Pine Island glacier in early September, about 115 square miles of ice — an area more than five times the size of Manhattan — has now broken off into the sea. The single largest chunk of ice is four times the size of Manhattan. This iceberg calving event reinforces a continuing story of the melting and retreat of Antarctic glaciers, particularly due to relatively warm oceans eating away at the ice from below. #sentinel1 shows the rapid evolution from a rift across Pine Island Glacier in September to the calving of ~300km² of icebergs end of October, where the largest iceberg (226km²) will be named B-46 by NIC @CopernicusEU 1/2 pic.twitter.com/kQ7QyE6I7h — Stef Lhermitte (@StefLhermitte) October 30, 2018 "This retreat and weakening is almost entirely driven by a thinning driven by ocean melting at the bottom," Stef Lhermitte, a geoscientist specializing in remote sensing at the Netherlands' Delft University of Technology, said over email. This latest calving — while significant — was the sixth-largest event of its kind from the Pine Island Glacier since 2001. Ice shelves — which are the ends of massive Antarctic glaciers that float over the ocean — regularly break into the sea. But today, with ice thinning from below, the ice is breaking into the sea faster than can be naturally replenished. Relatively warm ocean waters thinning an ice shelf from below.Image: giphy"At the beginning of the 2000’s it was about every 6 years, but the frequency of calving has increased since 2013," said Lhermitte. "The resulting icebergs also disintegrate more rapidly as already happened with yesterday's iceberg." These ice shelves matter, a lot. SEE ALSO: This scientist keeps winning money from people who bet against climate change Specifically, they act as plugs, often pinning to the seafloor and holding back Antarctica's formidable ice sheets from flowing unimpeded into the ocean. With more ice retreat, like this latest instance, the ice shelf loses more footing and becomes increasingly vulnerable to collapse. In short, the plug may disintegrate in the ocean which could eventually unleash yards — not feet — of sea level rise. In early 2000 large PIG calving events happened every ~5 yrs (2001, 2007, 2011), but since 2013 there were 4 of them (2013, 2015, 2017, 2018). Consequently, the glacier front retreated strongly from the 1972-2013 range and it is now ~5km further inland than in 2015-2017 2/2 pic.twitter.com/8O7gPyQAmh — Stef Lhermitte (@StefLhermitte) October 30, 2018 Such major collapses are relatively new and largely unprecedented in human history, so it's unknown how quickly this might happen — perhaps this century, or soon after. "We really don’t know for sure how fast they’re going to collapse," NASA oceanographer Josh Willis said in September. WATCH: Ever wonder how the universe might end? Stephen Hawking's thesis, wheelchair heading for auctionJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science From a copy of his PhD thesis to his wheelchair, items belonging to Stephen Hawking are headed for auction, offering fans of the late British physicist famed for his work exploring the origins of the universe a chance to buy some of his possessions. Known for his acclaimed research on black holes, the wheelchair-bound Hawking, who suffered from motor neurone disease and used an electronic voice synthesiser, died in March at the age of 76. "On the Shoulders of Giants", which also features documents penned by Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein, will feature 22 lots from Hawking's estate, including one of five known copies of his PhD thesis, "Properties of expanding universes", estimated at 100,000-150,000 pounds ($127,480 - $191,220). How old is cacao? New research pushes back dateJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science NEW YORK (AP) — New research strengthens the case that people used the chocolate ingredient cacao in South America 5,400 years ago, underscoring the seed's radical transformation into today's Twix bars and M&M candies. After years of fighting insurgencies, the Army pivots to training for a major warJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics After 17 years of fighting grinding counterinsurgencies in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army is shifting its gaze. Synagogue attack awakens awful memories for daughter of Charleston church shooting victimJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics The mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh awakened terrible memories for Rev. Sharon Risher, who was murdered at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina three years ago. Human Activity Is Decimating Global Wildlife Populations, Says New WWF ReportJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Wildlife populations declined by an average of 60% over the last four decades Cobra King F9 Speedback irons sport distinctive shape aimed at both forgiveness and distanceJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science King F9 Speedback irons feature low heel and toe tungsten weighting in long and middle irons with wide and low shape for forgiveness; update single-length option with progressive shaft weights and lie angles South Dakota Executes Inmate After Supreme Court RulingJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Rodney Berget, 56, received a lethal injection for the 2011 slaying of a correctional officer Google is giving $25 million to people who want to use AI for goodJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Google is funding a new $25 million competition to encourage the development of artificial intelligence to address societal issues. The competition, called Google AI Impact challenge, is part of the company’s new AI for Social Good program. In 2019, an international panel of reviewers will assess proposals that use AI to attack “some of the… The Time Capsule That’s as Big as Human HistoryJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science When the apocalypse comes, survivors (and aliens!) will be happy that Martin Kunze built this place. This Entire Village in New Zealand Is Listed for Sale for $1.8 MillionJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The property includes eight three-bedroom houses and plenty of peace and quiet Court Orders Japanese Company to Compensate 4 Koreans for Forced Labor During WWIIJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science In a potentially far-reaching decision, South Korea’s Supreme Court has ruled that a Japanese steelmaker should compensate four South Koreans for forced labor during Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula before the end of World War II. How Big a Role Does Social Media Play in Homegrown Terrorism?JAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The deadly rampage on a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa., and the letter bombing campaign that targeted prominent Democrats cast a spotlight. Typhoon Yutu Damage Sends Tourists Fleeing From Northern Mariana IslandsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The U.S. Pacific territory is struggling with power outages, long lines for aid and destroyed homes The Reasons Why RightJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science One irony of the Tree of Life Synagogue killings, the worst anti-Semitic attack in American history, is that Jews have never been more accepted. A… China reverses ban on trade in tiger, rhino productsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science BEIJING (AP) — China says it will allow trading in products made from endangered tigers and rhinos under "special circumstances," reversing a previous ban and bringing condemnation from conservation groups. Mexico Referendum Cancels Partly Built $13 Billion AirportJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Mexico’s president-elect said Monday he will respect the result of a referendum that rejected a partly built new airport for Mexico City, effectively ending the $13 billion project. Hard Times Ahead For Elon Musk, The Man Who Wants To Transform The World With Science And TechnologyJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Elon Reeve Musk is considered to be one of the most influential people on this planet right now and with his affiliation to numerous projects and plans that he has undertaken in his name, he has totally been able to reframe the wires of the New Age Technology while taking it to the next level. Considering the future, Elon Musk still needs to achieve a lot. Air Force sets up $100,000 VQJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The U.S. Air Force is looking for a few good apps to visualize satellites and other objects in Earth orbit — and it’s willing to pay $100,000 in prizes for them. That’s the bottom line for the Air Force Visionary Q-Prize Competition, or VQ-Prize, which runs through Jan. 15. The tech challenge is aimed at encouraging non-traditional industry partners to develop visualization tools to enhance space situational awareness for the Pentagon’s space operators. “The need for timely and accurate object tracking is paramount to the defense of space, and this competition will help augment existing capabilities with visualization tools that enable… Read More Crouching tigers, hidden cameras: Nepal counts its big catsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Chayan Kumar Chaudhary flicked through photographs captured on a hidden camera in the jungle, hoping his favourite big cat -- dubbed "selfie tiger" for its love of the limelight -- had made another appearance. Thousands of camera traps have helped conservationists track Nepal's wild tiger population, which has nearly doubled in recent years as the big cats claw their way back from the verge of extinction. After a nine-year push to protect tigers, an exhaustive census across 2,700 kilometres (1,700 miles) of Nepal's lowlands completed earlier this year revealed the population has grown from 121 in 2009 to an estimated 235 adult cats today. A North Carolina High School Did Not Dismiss Class After a Student Was Fatally Shot on CampusJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Students and staff at Butler High School in Matthews, North Carolina faced gut-wrenching tragedy Monday morning when a student shot and killed a classmate during a fight in a crowded hallway as students were entering the school for the day. Democrats Put Ethics Reform at Top of Legislative Agenda, If They Win the MidtermsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Democrats, anticipating a possible victory next week, are touting the support some of their plans would have from outside groups. Billionaires Chase ‘SpaceX Moment’ for the Holy Grail of EnergyJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Peter Thiel are just three of the billionaires chasing what the late physicist Stephen Hawking called humankind’s most promising technology. “It’s the SpaceX moment for fusion,” said Christofer Mowry, who runs the Bezos-backed General Fusion Inc. near Vancouver, Canada. Youth Voter Turnout in the Midterm Elections Could Be Historic, According to a New PollJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Midterm turnout among young voters has been dismal in the past A 'deal for nature' to rescue wildlife: WWF chiefJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The global population of fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals has declined 60 percent since 1970, according to the WWF's "Living Planet" report released Tuesday. WWF director general Marco Lambertini tells AFP what went wrong and what's at stake. "We have always taken nature for granted. These Halloween pumpkins carved by NASA engineers are out of this worldJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Most of us would come at a Halloween pumpkin simply with a sharp knife and a will to succeed. Others would come equipped with NASA-level engineering skills. Every year, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California gather for the ultimate pumpkin carving contest. This year's competition went down on Monday, and guys, the engineers
brought it. SEE ALSO: Creepy anglerfish jack-o'-lantern takes pumpkin carving to a whole new level It's been a team-bonding tradition for seven years, and sees JPL engineers taking an hour break from building tools which enable us to explore the universe for a good old fashioned jack-o'-lantern carving competition. The rules: No carving is allowed during work hours. The prize: Bragging rights. "I don't think, even at the time, they appreciated just how seriously our engineers were going to take it," NASA mechanical engineer Mike Meacham said of the first ever pumpkin carving contest. "They do it all in their own time," he added. "They go home, use their own resources, plan it out, and all we give them is a pumpkin." NASA engineers at work. Sorta.Image: NASA/JPL-CALTECHPrevious years have seen pumpkins transformed into everything from lit-up UFOs to hovering Frankensteins, spinning carnival rides to working robotic arms. Here's what happens when @NASA has a pumpkin-carving contest:https://t.co/cc39F8X36e #NASApumpkin pic.twitter.com/9TKRSuPuwS — NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) October 26, 2018 And this year? The game was on. Om nom nom.Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech Look, there's a pumpkin phoning home: E.T. phone home.Image: NASA/JPL-CALTECH Strong team uniform.Image: NASA/JPL-CALTECHSometimes the pumpkins were at war with each other. Fight, fight, fight.Image: NASA/JPL-CALTECH There's Charlie Brown hanging out with the Mars Rover: Friends being friends.Image: NASA/JPL-CALTECHHere's a moving pumpkin musician you can join for a spooky tune or two: And a certain cookie-loving pumpkin monster: Coooookiiiieeeeee!Image: NASA/JPL-CALTECHThese pumpkins are friends, not food: Baby sharks!Image: NASA/JPL-CALTECHAn entire diorama featuring Jupiter, a pirate ship, and the highly badass moon of Europa: This is a lot.Image: NASA/JPL-CALTECH Want to give it a go? NASA has a bunch of tips for folks who want to make their own. Surprisingly, it's not rocket science. WATCH: Nightmares Fear Factory continues to serve us amazing haunted-house reaction photos President Trump Keeps Hostile Tone as Synagogue MournsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science When President Donald Trump visits Pittsburgh Tuesday, he'll be faced with a tough balancing act. Quake rattles New Zealand as Harry and Meghan visitJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science A 6.1 magnitude earthquake rattled parts of central New Zealand Tuesday, where British royals Meghan and Harry are on tour, but officials said it caused no major damage. The quake was felt in Wellington during a session of parliament, prompting lawmakers to stop deliberations and seek refuge as a precaution. Reporters travelling with the couple said they did not feel any tremors during the quake, which the US Geological Survey (USGS) gave a magnitude of 6.1. 7 days until the midterm elections: Where things standJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics Here's the latest news on the midterm elections on Nov. 6, 2018. Women Worldwide Struggle to Access Banking Services. Bitcoin Is Only Making That WorseJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The most vulnerable should not be made guinea pigs for fintech experiments Nature under assault: key indicatorsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The World Wildlife Fund and partners have tracked population changes in Earth's animal species for decades. News from the latest "Living Planet" report, released Tuesday, is more grim than ever. The WWF Living Planet Index tracks more than 4,000 species spread across nearly 17,000 populations. Two 'Guns in America' Participants React to Pittsburgh Shooting and Discuss How to Move ForwardJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science TIME's "Guns in America" mural was spray painted with the number 11 in blood red — an apparent reference to the 11 killed in Pittsburgh. 'We May Have to SelfJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science "There will be high tensions" Why Sharice Davids Could Win as a FirstJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science In Kansas's 3rd congressional district, Sharice Davids could be one of the first Native American women in Congress, and Kansas's first openly LGBTQ representative. Pittsburgh's Synagogue Shooter May Have Targeted HIAS on Social Media. Here's What to Know About the OrganizationJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science An alleged social media post on the platform Gab brought attention to the organization Rare ‘Dumbo’ octopus gives scientists a show near the ocean floorJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Scientists hoping to study creatures that live near the bottom of Earth's oceans have many difficult hurdles to overcome. You can't just swim down there on your own, so exploring the ocean floor has to be done with extremely durable robotic vehicles that require the effort of an entire team. The payoff, however, is often worth the trouble.
In a new video by the crew of the E/V Nautilus, an extremely rare "Dumbo" octopus is seen mugging for the camera. The images were captured by the remote-operated robotic vehicle Hercules, which endures the crushing water pressure to deliver glimpses of ocean depths that would instantly kill a human.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayCdTH7k6eU
The video is quite extraordinary, and you can tell by the excitement of the scientists just how special the sighting is. The octopus in this case measures nearly two feet in length, which is on the larger side, as most dumbo specimens found by scientists are quite tiny. This one does plenty of showing off for the camera as it slowly pushes itself along in the dark water near the ocean floor.
The creature looks a bit like a torpedo with wings as it slips through the water, but takes a moment to stretch its arms and push forward before the rover operators are forced to move on to a new area. It's an awesome glimpse at a creature that, if not for modern technology, we might not even know exists.
The Nautilus crew broadcast 24 hours a day, though much of that time is spent on the ocean surface as the ship travels to new locations or the crew rests. Whenever the team is ready to send down its rover to explore the sea floor, the cameras switch and everyone is invited to explore along with the scientists. It's pretty awesome, and the team regularly comes across some very interesting sights. Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Suspect Appears in Court as Prosecutors Push for Death PenaltyJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Robert Bowers, accused in the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, appeared briefly in federal court in a wheelchair Monday to face charges. Yale scientists have new insight on how LSD works in the brainJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The human brain remains one of science’s great mysteries. Recently, however, neuroscientists announced that they’re a little bit closer to understanding cognition and perception, with the help of LSD. Psychedelics famously alter perception and have a profound effect on consciousness, prompting hallucinations and color and sound distortions, as well as causing time to seem to… |
