Alien life could be found in solar systems where to stars have been pushed together, according to new research.
The early life of planetary systems can often be difficult and dramatic: young planets orbit around suns that are found in clusters of stars that often collide with each other violently. Such dramatic moments have been thought to be difficult for life, since they are so harsh and violent.
It has meant that research has largely focused on planets and potential life around stars that are similar to our own, since we have been biased to presume that any other solar system that has aliens inside of it is likely to look like ours. Virtually none of those "solar twins" – stars that look like our own – have actually been found to exist.
Two things. First, that is so fascinating. We will have so many developments in the near future. Second, my friend at work, Terry, saw this and passed it over to me -- with a cost. She wants me to note that, "In my opinion, there are a lot of these type of stories lately and I, for one, believe it is the government trying to prepare us for the soon-to-be-made announcement that there are aliens who are in contact with our government." Terry will tell you, when you first meet her, that she believes in Area 51 and all of that. She's a really sweet person and a good friend.
There’s a new interest in extraterrestrial civilizations and planets, wherever they might be found, and it’s driven by a remarkable new reality: Our power as a species has become nothing less than astonishing. Humanity has become a truly global technological civilization. There are literally half a million of us flying through the air in jet planes at any moment. Most of us carry computers in our pockets that give us instant access to a seemingly infinite trove of information and let us exist remotely, anywhere on the planet. We’ve flung thousands of machines into orbit. Our robots now wander the plains of Mars and orbit the skies of Jupiter. If all goes well, our grandchildren are just as likely to vacation in space as we holiday in Europe.
And in that way, we are building what we so long imagined was possible for powerful futuristic civilizations. Spaceships, talking computers, buildings stretching to the sky: We are becoming the aliens we’ve always dreamed about.
And then there are all the alien news stories stoking our fascination. Last month, Canadian astronomers detailed how their telescopes had captured a mysterious squeal of energy called a fast radio burst from across the cosmos. Unlike most astronomy stories, this one made global headlines in part because it included the possibility of aliens. And about a year ago, astronomers detected an object diving across the solar system that must have come from another star system. It was the first such visitor humans had ever seen. Once again headlines blared, asking if the object, named Oumuamua (Hawaiian for “infinite heaven”), was just an asteroid or perhaps an artifact of a distant intelligence. And, just a year or so before Oumuamua appeared, astronomers discovered the strange blinking behaviour of the so-called “WTF star,” which quickly introduced the term “alien megastructures” into the media’s lexicon.
In light of all these stories, you’d be justified asking if science is making progress in answering the ancient question of humanity’s cosmic uniqueness – or if it’s all just hype. But to answer this question, you have to venture deeper than yesterday’s science news and the easy lure of hyperbole. We do, in fact, live in a remarkable moment when it comes to attitudes about life and the universe – but not for the reasons you usually read about.
So there's that. In the world of the knowns, CNN reports:
For the first time in history, an all-female crew will conduct a spacewalk at the International Space Station, NASAconfirmed to CNN.
As part of Expedition 59, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will carry out the spacewalk on March 29. They'll be supported on the ground by Canadian Space Agency flight controller Kristen Facciol, who will be on the console at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
It was Facciol herself who first tweeted the announcement on March 1, saying: "I just found out that I'll be on console providing support for the FIRST ALL FEMALE SPACEWALK with @AstroAnnimal and @Astro_Christina and I can not contain my excitement!!!! #WomenInSTEM #WomenInEngineering #WomenInSpace."
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Join us as we work for a #PeaceDividend—taking the trillions spent on regime change #war & nuclear arms race & investing them to ensure #healthcare for all, combat climate change, rebuild our infrastructure, & meet the needs of all Americans. Donate today.
60% of voters support marijuana legalization—great to see Florida coming around! We just introduced a bill to end federal #marijuana prohibition because American citizens should not be made into criminals for choosing to smoke marijuana. Join us http://tulsi.to/efmp
#TULSI2020
Let us confront hatred with #love. Confront bigotry with #aloha. Confront fear with truth. #TulsiGabbard
Thank you, @senmcsallyaz, for your service to our country and for your courage in coming forward to share your story in the mission to put an end to military sexual assault.
Tulsi Gabbard Retweeted
It's really hard for scientists to research marijuana, but @TulsiGabbard's bill could fix that. #CannabisCountry @SafeAccess @NORML
https://cir.ca/2VI6QeG
# of people arrested for marijuana law violation in 2017: 659,700
# of those charged with marijuana law violations arrested for possession only: 599,282 (90.8 percent)
I intro'd bipartisan bill today to END THE FEDERAL MARIJUANA PROHIBITION. Congress must act now #EndTheDrugWar
Three-quarters of Americans agree that people like them have too little influence in Washington, while lobbyists, big business & wealthy have too much. Corrupt pay-to-play politics in Washington must end. http://www.apnorc.org/news-media/Pages/AP-NORC-Poll-Three-quarters-in-US-say-they-lack-influence.aspx …
Tulsi Gabbard Retweeted
Gerrymandering threatens our democracy and fuels corruption and a widening partisan divide. Greedy politicians who literally divide us along partisan lines in order to consolidate their own power and influence need to be challenged at every turn. #PeopleBeforeProfits #TULSI2020
Trump’s basic misunderstanding of how trade works is starting to show up in devastating impacts to working Americans. We need a win-win global strategy based on cooperation, not confrontation. #TULSI2020
Growing evidence shows that Trump's trade wars are hitting the U.S. economy, with as much as $68.8 billion in annual losses, according to a "Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):
“Because I fled from my home in #Mosul and saw first-hand the havoc that war causes, I am reminded that kindness and empathy are fundamental characteristics that an obstetrician and gynecologist should possess.”
- Dr. Saba, an obstetrician and gynecologist.
#WomensDay
Today's International Women's Day.
First adopted by the UN as an international day to advance women’s rights and gender quality in 1975, International Women’s Day is celebrated across the world. There are a number of events scheduled across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on Friday.
I gotta find peace of mind
I know another cord
I gotta find peace of mind
See, this what that voice in your head says
When you try to get peace of mind
I gotta find peace of mind
I gotta find peace of mind
He says it's impossible, but I know it's possible
He says it's impossible, but I know it's possible
-- "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind," written by Lauryn Hill, first appears on her MTV UNPLUGGED NO. 2.0
Zainab met Zainab in Mosul.
Both women lost a leg during Iraq's war.
Neither are giving up on life.
Their courage inspires us. Which women inspire you? #InternationalWomensDay
An early observation event took place in Baghdad yesterday:
Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (DSRSG) Alice Walpole addressed the meeting, along with Dr. Mahdi Al-Allaq, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, who represented the Prime Minister; Dr. Thikra Alwash, Mayor of Baghdad and Chair of the Standing Committee on the Advancement of Women; UN Women’s Representative, Ms. Dina Zorba and UNFPA Representative, Dr. Oluremi Sogunro; as well as the Director-General of the Directorate for the Empowerment of Iraqi Women, Dr. Ibtisam Aziz.
In her remarks, DSRSG Walpole welcomed the upcoming discussions in Parliament on updating the Anti-Domestic Violence Law. “We need to acknowledge that domestic violence diminishes and shames all of society; it is a threat not just to women but to society itself,” she emphasised.
Reflecting on the challenges facing displaced women across Iraq, DSRSG Walpole noted that “They continue to suffer the brutal consequences of the recent conflict”.
Domestic violence is global. It's also terrorism. US House Rep Karen Bass, on Thursday, chaired the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. Her opening remarks included the following:
“I
am pleased that the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland
Security is holding our first hearing of this 116th Congress about our
critical duty to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. This law
has been successful at attempting to change policies that have led to
injustices, and too-often indifference to victimization and suffering,
throughout our country’s history.
“It is important to review how we arrived at this moment.
“This month has a special significance that is relevant to this hearing because it is celebrated as Women’s History Month. In 1980 President Jimmy Carter first designated March 2nd through the 8th, as Women’s History week.
“Seven years later in 1987, Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as “Women’s History Month.”
“Seven years after that in 1994, Congress passed Public Law 103-322, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, which we call “VAWA,” a landmark piece of legislation, which began with bipartisan support in both the House and in the Senate.
“This year we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of VAWA, since President Bill Clinton signed the first VAWA into law on September 13, 1994.
“On this day, March 7th, President Barack Obama signed our last VAWA in 2013.
“And today, on the 6th year anniversary of VAWA’s last passage, we are holding this hearing to address the urgency of now in reauthorizing this vital legislation, which addresses the needs of all victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
“As a result of this historic legislation, which has unarguably proven critical in the lives of so many survivors, every state has enacted laws making stalking a crime and strengthened their criminal rape statutes.
“While this legislation is named the “Violence Against Women Act”, this is a gender neutral legislation, which responds to the needs and care of all survivors—men, women, and children alike.
“For centuries, women have fought vigorously to demand changes in our federal laws, not simply for their own benefits, but for others as well, because they sought progress. VAWA is no exception in that regard.
“As Shirley Chisolm once said, you don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.
“We have made progress in VAWA 2000, 2005, and 2013 – but the statistics remain alarming and unacceptable.
“Domestic violence claims at least 2,000 lives each year. Seventy percent of the victims are women. Most “intimate partner” homicides, in which a person targets a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, are committed with firearms.
“An astounding 17,500 victims disclosed the use or threat of firearms being used during abuse.
“It is important to review how we arrived at this moment.
“This month has a special significance that is relevant to this hearing because it is celebrated as Women’s History Month. In 1980 President Jimmy Carter first designated March 2nd through the 8th, as Women’s History week.
“Seven years later in 1987, Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as “Women’s History Month.”
“Seven years after that in 1994, Congress passed Public Law 103-322, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, which we call “VAWA,” a landmark piece of legislation, which began with bipartisan support in both the House and in the Senate.
“This year we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of VAWA, since President Bill Clinton signed the first VAWA into law on September 13, 1994.
“On this day, March 7th, President Barack Obama signed our last VAWA in 2013.
“And today, on the 6th year anniversary of VAWA’s last passage, we are holding this hearing to address the urgency of now in reauthorizing this vital legislation, which addresses the needs of all victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
“As a result of this historic legislation, which has unarguably proven critical in the lives of so many survivors, every state has enacted laws making stalking a crime and strengthened their criminal rape statutes.
“While this legislation is named the “Violence Against Women Act”, this is a gender neutral legislation, which responds to the needs and care of all survivors—men, women, and children alike.
“For centuries, women have fought vigorously to demand changes in our federal laws, not simply for their own benefits, but for others as well, because they sought progress. VAWA is no exception in that regard.
“As Shirley Chisolm once said, you don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.
“We have made progress in VAWA 2000, 2005, and 2013 – but the statistics remain alarming and unacceptable.
“Domestic violence claims at least 2,000 lives each year. Seventy percent of the victims are women. Most “intimate partner” homicides, in which a person targets a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, are committed with firearms.
“An astounding 17,500 victims disclosed the use or threat of firearms being used during abuse.
The story hit the news
From coast to coast
They said you beat the girl
You loved the most
Your charitable acts
Seemed out of place
With the beauty
With your fist marks on her face
Your buddies all stood by
They bet their
Fortunes and their fame
That she was out of line
And you were not to blame
From coast to coast
They said you beat the girl
You loved the most
Your charitable acts
Seemed out of place
With the beauty
With your fist marks on her face
Your buddies all stood by
They bet their
Fortunes and their fame
That she was out of line
And you were not to blame
Six hundred thousand doctors
Are putting on rubber gloves
And they're poking
At the miseries made of love
They say they're learning
How to spot
The battered wives
Among all the women
They see bleeding through their lives
I bleed
For your perversity
These red words that make a stain
On your white-washed claim that
She was out of line
And you were not to blame
Are putting on rubber gloves
And they're poking
At the miseries made of love
They say they're learning
How to spot
The battered wives
Among all the women
They see bleeding through their lives
I bleed
For your perversity
These red words that make a stain
On your white-washed claim that
She was out of line
And you were not to blame
In the face of adversity, women persevere. That is especially true of Iraqi women. The ongoing war is largely forgotten by the news media. They live in war zones, Iraqi women, they face non-stop attacks on their rights. In January, a fire killed 8 women. And the media dithered over how to term the facility. "Women's shelter" was offered. How bloody noble. No, it was a prison. The 'crime' -- the women were homeless. "Lock them up"? By the time reality had intruded on the tale, momentary media attention had largely moved on. The moment of justifiable outrage was missed as the media 'kindly' named a prison a "women's shelter."
Dropping back to January 5th:
ALJAZEERA typed the following:
A fire at a women's shelter in Iraq's capital has killed several lodgers, according to police, who gave conflicting accounts of the tragedy.
Mohammed Jihad, Baghdad's
police lieutenant colonel, called the incident a "group suicide" caused
by women rioting in the shelter on Friday.
Why are women in a shelter rioting?
Apparently, they weren't in a shelter, they were in a women's prison. Whether they rioted or not is not clear. But MIDDLE EAST MONITOR reports:
In a statement to Anadolu
Agency, Police Captain Ahmed Khalaf said that the prison – which was
specifically for homeless female prisoners – experienced riots, though
he did not elaborate on the cause of the disturbance. The riots then
seem to have sparked a fire, causing an unspecified number of inmates to
suffocate.
[. . .]
Iraqi security forces take all
displaced or homeless people from the streets and places them in a
prison, which is run by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
In addition, this prison also imprisoned women who had children but were not married. How the hell do prisons like that exist in Iraq?
It's one battle after another for women in Iraq. EURONEWS notes the killing of high profile women in Iraq:
Hanaa Edwar, a women’s rights
activist and co-founder and chair of the Iraqi-Amal Association for
human rights, thinks it is disturbing that months after Fares' death,
investigations have yet to produce any results. “Why this silence on
women’s issues?” asks Edwar.
She remembers that an Interior Ministry official stated on Iraqi TV that he was aware of who was behind Fares' murder.
“He said very clearly that we know who killed Tara Fares,” says Edwar.
Iraq’s biggest militia groups are often connected to political parties and operate with a large degree of impunity.
Edwar believes that the reason Fares' murder remains publicly unsolved is because she was killed by a militia.
“I don't know exactly who, but it
seems that it [the murder] was an intervention by one of the non-state
groups that influence the Iraqi state.”
Edwar adds that she believes that Fares was killed by conservative groups who were angry at how freely Fares lived her life.
In the video above United Nations General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa states, "And we need more women leaders, participating in public life and taking decisions."
In the US, six women are currently seeking the Democratic Party's 2020 presidential nomination:
Coming up in 15 minutes on the Karen Hunter show!
Listen to my conversation on the WICKED Podcast. Episode 7.
Join me for campaign events in Nevada on March 14 and March 15! RSVP here:
Truth emerges from deep within, like a small seed within our consciousness which, if nurtured and sustained, will grow into the biggest tree. A political truth-teller is someone who throws around the seeds; the soul of a citizen is the ground in which it grows.
Join us as we work for a #PeaceDividend—taking the trillions spent on regime change #war & nuclear arms race & investing them to ensure #healthcare for all, combat climate change, rebuild our infrastructure, & meet the needs of all Americans. Donate today.
Thank you, @senmcsallyaz, for your service to our country and for your courage in coming forward to share your story in the mission to put an end to military sexual assault.
Tulsi Gabbard Retweeted
It's really hard for scientists to research marijuana, but @TulsiGabbard's bill could fix that. #CannabisCountry @SafeAccess @NORML
cir.ca/2VI6QeG
# of people arrested for marijuana law violation in 2017: 659,700
# of those charged with marijuana law violations arrested for possession only: 599,282 (90.8 percent)
I intro'd bipartisan bill today to END THE FEDERAL MARIJUANA PROHIBITION. Congress must act now #EndTheDrugWar
As a society, we cannot play politics with fundamental rights. Make no mistake: affordable and meaningful health care should be thought of as a human right and civil right.
97% of Americans support universal background checks. 97%. These background checks can save lives. My colleagues and I are calling on Republican leadership to hold critical hearings on the background check bill that passed the House.
People in power are trying to convince us that the villain in our American story is each other. I reject that. I believe when we come together to fight for what’s morally right, we can create change in every part of our country.
On March 7, 1965, peaceful protestors were unjustly beaten back by state troopers as they attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the fight for voting rights. A brighter future requires acknowledging our painful past. Their fight for social justice lives on through us all.
It’s time for my colleagues across the aisle to do the right thing for our country: say no to the President’s unconstitutional emergency declaration.
My view on Manafort sentence: Guidelines there for a reason. His crimes took place over years and he led far from a “blameless life.” Crimes committed in an office building should be treated as seriously as crimes committed on a street corner. Can’t have two systems of justice!
Today is the 54th anniversary of the bloody march in Selma. I will never forget how moving it was to commemorate this day with march leader @RepJohnLewis at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 2013.
Let’s follow his example and continue to fight for voting rights for all.
.@SherrodBrown and I came into the Senate together and I ended my book with a Sherrod story because there is no one who better exemplifies what we SHOULD be doing in DC than him (and for that matter @ConnieSchultz). Look forward to standing with him to uphold the dignity of work
Some military families have been living in toxic homes while the private companies that oversee them make a guaranteed profit. I’m working on a new bill to fix that broken system. In the meantime, @DeptofDefense needs to start enforcing the rules that are already on the books.
0:03 / 7:04
Are they joking? @Equifax didn’t take data security seriously because it had no financial incentive to do so. That’s why we need my bill with @MarkWarner to impose automatic fines for data breaches at companies like Equifax & stop this from happening again.
The average student in Massachusetts graduates with $32,065 in student loans. Instead of jump-starting their lives and careers, they’re being weighed down by debt. I’m co-sponsoring @SenBrianSchatz’s #DebtFreeCollege bill to make sure every student can build an economic future.
DHS @SecNielsen testified today that @CBP “never purposely put a child in a cage." False.
I went to the processing center in McAllen, TX. I saw cages of people with my own eyes. Men, women, and children treated like animals. We must hold the Trump Admin accountable.
#InternationalWomensDay
is more than a celebration—it's also a call to action. As far as we've come, we still have barriers to tear down so we can all have equal opportunity and respect. Let's keep marching, and with every step, let's reach back and pull others up with us.In our modern society, a free and neutral internet is not a nice-to-have—it's a lifeline for opportunity and innovation, and a necessity for connecting to each other. We can't let corporate greed get in the way. #NetNeutrality
President Trump's relentless and dangerous attacks on women's constitutional rights—and interference in doctors' ability to care for their patients—cannot go unanswered. If his Title X gag rule isn't overturned in the courts before then, I'll undo it on day one of my presidency.
Voting is the backbone of our democracy. Every eligible voter should get to participate, period. Let's make Election Day a federal holiday so you don't have to take time off work to exercise your rights. #HR1
Let's note this:
“We are women from
, from Falluja, the city of 
. The women of Al-Anbariya are the leaders+mentors of homes and society.I congratulate the courageous
, the teachers, the doctors, all Iraqi women. We, as women, want change to happen in our societies.” Said Jinan #IWD2019
No walls, no war
No cause, no weapon is formed
No law, what for?
You are where I go to hide
You are where I go to heal
You are where I go to feel
To remember what is real, ooh
No cause, no weapon is formed
No law, what for?
You are where I go to hide
You are where I go to heal
You are where I go to feel
To remember what is real, ooh
You are my favorite place
You are my sacred space
Yes you are, yes you are, yes you are
Ooh
You are my sacred space
Yes you are, yes you are, yes you are
Ooh
-- "Sacred Space," written by India Arie and Shannon Sanders, first appears on India's new album WORTHY
The following sites updated:
