Astronomers have discovered the largest rocky planet yet, and its existence has profound implications for our understanding of the early universe and the potential for extraterrestrial life. Kepler-10c, which was spotted by NASA’s Kepler space telescope, has a diameter of roughly 18,000 miles—more than twice that of Earth —prompting scientists to create a new class of planets, dubbed “mega-Earths.”The body’s […]
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Researchers using a high-tech aerial mapping technique called LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) revealed contours hidden by dense foliage. They may have found tens of thousands of previously undetected Mayan houses, buildings, and pyramids in the dense jungle of Guatemala’s Petén region. The researchers believe that there were millions more people living there than previously thought. The estimate is that […]
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■ Brazilian taxi driver Adilson Luiz da Cruz often finds lost phones and forgotten umbrellas in his cab, but last week he hit the jackpot: 40 tickets to the World Cup. Despite his lifelong dream of going to the tournament, plus the thousands of dollars he could have earned by scalping the tickets, the cabbie didn’t hesitate to do the […]
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Mayo Sleep Clinic in Arizona surveyed 150 patients about sleep habits Found those who sleep with pets ‘feel more safe and secure’ But 20 per cent say sleep interrupted by ‘wandering or whimpering’ Animal lovers have been warned for years that having a pet in the bedroom may affect their sleep. Dogs and cats snore, fidget, wake up […]
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Anti-Semitism is sweeping Hungary, said Colin Freeman. It’s so bad that the World Jewish Congress held its annual conference in Budapest to express solidarity with beleaguered Hungarian Jews. The Jobbik party, which is openly anti-Roma and anti-Semitic, is now the third-largest party in parliament, and its rise has coincided with a sharp uptick in anti-Semitic attacks and incidents. Jewish leaders […]
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It is finally here – the Male Contraceptive Pill. Male Birth Control Pill Expected to Start Human Trials in 2022. The new non-hormonal pill was 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy in mice. The male birth control pill could offer a more flexible option for men while also reinforcing two important facts: that men and women are both responsible for […]
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Why are Americans so fat—and getting fatter with every passing year? said Brian Stelter in The New York Times. Seventy percent of adults in the U.S. are either overweight or obese, and so are one third of children and teens. This week, HBO began airing a four-part documentary, The Weight of the Nation, that aims to serve as a “wake-up […]
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Drone warfare is now coming to your own backyard, said Glenn Greenwald. Local police have begun using unmanned Predator drones like those used in Afghanistan and Pakistan to conduct surveillance of criminal suspects right here in the U.S. This chilling step toward “a Surveillance State”—without the public’s knowledge or consent— was revealed last week by the Los Angeles Times, which […]
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Back in March 2018 an extraordinary expedition took place. The Oyster 72 Katharsis II sailed below the 62°S round Antarctica. During the trip the weather didn’t help with all its fog and snow it made it very difficult to sail. Icebergs made their appearance when least expected and looked as though they were disintegrating. With the wind blowing at times […]
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A Florida man who came crashing through several Pensacola area businesses claimed he only did so as a result of his failed attempt to time travel. The driver, getting his car up to 88MPH before making contact with the storefront, found out quickly that his attempt would be a failure. Advanced Tax Services and Pensacola Caskets took on the bulk […]
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