Seeker Land

Mongol empire leader Genghis Khan (1162-1227) rose from humble beginnings to establish the largest land empire in history and became one of the most feared conquerors of all time. After uniting the nomadic tribes of the Mongolian plateau, he conquered huge chunks of central Asia and China. His descendants expanded the empire even further, advancing to such far-off places as Poland, Vietnam, Syria and Korea. At their peak, the Mongols controlled between 11 and 12 million contiguous square miles, an area about the size of Africa. Many people were vanquished in the course of Genghis Khan’s invasions, but he also granted religious freedom to his subjects, encouraged trade and created the first international postal system. Genghis Khan died in 1227 during a military campaign against the Chinese kingdom of Xi Xia. His final resting place remains unknown. Temujin, later Genghis Khan, was born around 1162 near the border between modern Mongolia and Siberia. His mother had been kidnapped by his father and forced into marriage. At that time, dozens of nomadic tribes on the central Asian steppe were constantly fighting and stealing from each other, and life for Temujin was violent and unpredictable. Before he turned 10, his father was poisoned to death by an enemy clan. Temujin’s own clan then deserted him, his mother and his six siblings in order to avoid having to feed them. Did You Know? Mongol leader Genghis Khan never allowed anyone to paint his portrait, sculpt his image or engrave his likeness on a coin. The first images of him appeared after his death. Shortly thereafter, Temujin killed his older half-brother and took over as head of the poverty-stricken household. At one point, he was captured and enslaved by the clan that had abandoned him, but he was eventually able to escape. In 1178 Temujin married Borte, with whom he would have four sons and an unknown number of daughters. He launched a daring rescue of Borte after she too was kidnapped, and he soon began making alliances, building a reputation as a warrior and attracting a growing number of followers. Most of what we know about Genghis Khan’s childhood comes from “The Secret History of the Mongols,” the oldest known work of Mongolian history and literature, which was written soon after his death. Genghis Khan Unites the Mongols Going against custom, Temujin put competent allies rather than relatives in key positions and executed the leaders of enemy tribes while incorporating the remaining members into his clan. He ordered that all looting wait until after a complete victory had been won, and he organized his warriors into units of 10 without regard to kin. Though Temujin was an animist, his followers included Christians, Muslims and Buddhists. By 1205 he had vanquished all rivals, including his former best friend Jamuka. The following year, he called a meeting of representatives from every part of the territory and established a nation similar in size to modern Mongolia. He was also proclaimed Chinggis Khan, which roughly translates to “Universal Ruler,” a name that became known in the West as Genghis Khan. Having united the steppe tribes, Genghis Khan ruled over some 1 million people. In order to suppress the traditional causes of tribal warfare, he abolished inherited aristocratic titles. He also forbade the selling and kidnapping of women, banned the enslavement of any Mongol and made livestock theft punishable by death. Moreover, Genghis Khan ordered the adoption of a writing system, conducted a regular census, granted diplomatic immunity to foreign ambassadors and allowed freedom of religion well before that idea caught on elsewhere. When Genghis Khan returned to Mongolia in 1225, he controlled a huge swath of territory from the Sea of Japan to the Caspian Sea. Nevertheless, he didn’t rest for long before turning his attention back to the Xi Xia kingdom, which had refused to contribute troops to the Khwarezm invasion. In early 1227 a horse threw Genghis Khan to the ground, causing internal injuries. He pressed on with the campaign, but his health never recovered. He died on August 18, 1227, just before the Xi Xia were crushed. Genghis Khan conquered more than twice as much land as any other person in history, bringing Eastern and Western civilizations into contact in the process. His descendants, including Ogodei and Khubilai, were also prolific conquerors, taking control of Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the rest of China, among other places. The Mongols even invaded Japan and Java before their empire broke apart in the 14th century. Genghis Khan’s last ruling descendant was finally deposed in 1920.

The Theft That Made The 'Mona Lisa' A Masterpiece - Mona Lisa heist: how do you steal the world’s most famous painting? Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in the world, partly thanks to this crime. In 1911, it went missing for two years, seemingly snatched by an invisible thief. The police were confounded, the press enchanted. They were both asking the same question – how was the Mona Lisa stolen? In 1911, the Mona Lisa shot to global stardom when she became the victim of one the most daring art heists in history. Overnight, the painting seemingly disappeared into thin air – and the police were baffled. Modernist enemies of traditional art were suspected of the crime, with the finger of blame pointed at avant-garde poet and playwright Guillaume Apollinaire (who was arrested and then released) as well as Pablo Picasso. For two years the whereabouts of the painting remained a mystery. Then in November 1913, the thief – a petty criminal named Vincenzo Peruggia – contacted a Florentine art dealer and offered to bring him the painting for a reward of 500,000 lire. Who stole the Mona Lisa? Peruggia had moved to Paris in 1908 and had worked at the Louvre for some time. Dressed in a white smock worn by Louvre employees, he had hidden inside the gallery until it closed for the night. He then removed the painting from its frame and strolled out with it hidden under his smock when the museum opened as usual the following morning. The theft was genius in its simplicity – Peruggia, in his regulation smock, had attracted no notice and was out of the area by the time the theft was realized. His reason for the theft? Peruggia believed that the painting had been stolen from Florence by Napoleon and that he was simply returning it to its true home in Italy. He was arrested, but served just eight months in prison thanks to a sympathetic Italian tribunal and a psychiatrist who testified that he was “intellectually deficient”. Much rejoicing accompanied Mona Lisa’s return to Paris, while Peruggia became something of a hero to the Italian people, receiving love letters and cakes from female fans whilst in prison. #mystery #LeonardoDaVinci #heist

Join the movement to #EndTheVirus! Donate and spread the word -- We need this to go viral! Stop the next pandemic. https://riderinstitute.org/donate/ - Dr. Todd Rider invented DRACOs (Double-stranded RNA Activated Caspase Oligomerizers) at MIT. DRACOs are novel broad-spectrum antiviral drugs that have the potential to revolutionize the treatment and prevention of virtually ALL viral diseases. So far, DRACOs have successfully treated 18 viruses in laboratory tests. DRACOs have proved effective against rhinovirus (the common cold), H1N1 influenza (flu), dengue hemorrhagic fever virus, and more. DRACOs (Double-stranded RNA Activated Caspase Oligomerizers) are broad-spectrum antiviral candidates developed by Dr. Todd Rider. They have proved safe and effective in treating ALL 18 viruses against which Dr. Rider has tested them in proof-of-concept work. Two different types of H1N1 influenza (flu), four types of rhinovirus (the common cold), two adenoviruses, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and others were among the 18 viruses that DRACOs have successfully treated in human and animal cells and in mice. Check out the published results in the peer-reviewed - https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0022572 #cure #breakthrough

Australia: First 4 Billion Years - One of the strangest landscapes on Earth reveals our planet's complex history. Of all the continents on Earth, none preserves a more spectacular story of our planet's origins than Australia. "Australia's First 4 Billion Years" takes viewers on a rollicking adventure from the birth of the Earth to the emergence of the world we know today. With help from host and scientist Richard Smith, we meet titanic dinosaurs and giant kangaroos, sea monsters and prehistoric crustaceans, disappearing mountains and deadly asteroids. Epic in scope, intimate in nature, this is the untold story of the land "down under," the one island continent that has got it all. Join NOVA on the ultimate Outback road trip, an exploration of the history of the planet as seen through the window of the Australian continent. Until recently there were very few known dinosaur fossils in Australia. But there are highways full of footprints which along with the recently found skeletal fossils tell uniquely Australian stories of plants, mammals, dinosaurs and other creatures. #dinosaur #creatures #history

In the late 19th century Nikola Tesla defeated Thomas Edison in the AC/DC battle of electric current. The decisive battle took place in 1893 at the Chicago World’s Fair. On one side, the celebrated inventor Thomas Edison. On the other, his former employee Nikola Tesla. And what were they fighting over – love, religion, territory? None of the above. They were fighting over alternating current (AC) versus direct current (DC). A quick explainer: current in metal wires is the flow of electrons, pushed along by a voltage. If the voltage is sourced from a battery, the electrons flow in one direction only. We call this direct current, or DC. However, batteries are not a primary source of energy. For that, we often use coal or natural gas. Their chemical energy is released in a furnace as heat to create steam that turns the shaft of a generator. In the simplest case, the shaft spins a magnet inside a coil and through the principle of electromagnetic induction produces an electric current. The polarity switches from positive to negative and back many times per second as the generator shaft rotates, thus the current alternates in direction. We call this alternating current, or AC. Even though the direction of the current alternates, its effects do not cancel out. The current does useful things in both directions, such as heating the wires in a toaster. Starting in the late 1880s, Edison developed a cost-effective means of generating DC electricity, and a suite of related devices, including motors and meters to measure DC energy consumed. However, there was a problem. There was no way back then to convert the DC voltage to higher or lower values. To be safe for use in homes and factories, the DC generators were designed to produce electricity at low voltages. The downside was that this meant the losses during transmission from the generator to the consumer were high. Edison judged that to be an acceptable compromise, but it limited the distance between the generator and consumers to less than a kilometre or two. In the other camp, Tesla had a secret weapon known as the transformer. It is a simple arrangement of iron cores and copper windings that allows voltage to be converted up or down. The limitation is that transformers only work with AC electricity. With transformers, Tesla could boost the generator output to thousands of volts for low-loss transmission over long distances then cut the voltage down again to safe values for final delivery to the consumer. There was a lot at stake, including patent royalties and the right to electrify the cities of the United States. The raging battle was called the War of the Currents. Feeling the tide of battle swinging against him, Edison changed tactics and launched a misinformation campaign to argue that AC current was dangerous. To prove his point he arranged the public electrocution of stray dogs, cats and horses. These skirmishes continued during the lead up to the Chicago event, till victory was declared for the Tesla AC camp. They were awarded the contract to electrify the Fair. From there it was all AC, with the definitive stake in the ground being the 1896 electrification of street lights in the city of Buffalo with AC power supplied from hydroelectric generators at Niagara Falls. AC distribution of electricity has reigned supreme for more than 100 years. But a quiet insurrection is taking place in our midst. Our computers, machines, LEDs and electric cars all run on DC. And at the extremes of high power – distributing electricity thousands of kilometres from one region to the other – engineers have discovered that the losses from a million-volt transmission line are lower if it carries DC current rather than AC current. Once again, the transformer is the secret weapon, but this time operating on DC. These new transformers take the form of electronic circuits that convert DC currents up and down the spectrum from a few volts to a million or more. Lighter and smaller than traditional ones, DC transformers make it easier to integrate wind and solar electricity into the grid, and they reduce the likelihood of failures cascading from one electricity generation region to another. In the coming decades, we may see the DC insurrection take hold. Not through warfare this time – I predict no public electrocutions of stray cats. Instead, it will be a subtle, gradual process. But by the turn of the next century Edison may well have the final victory. #genius #energy #history

The harrowing tales of those that have had real life extraterrestrial experiences. In this episode we ll hear the story of Whitley Strieber, so traumatized by an alien encounter that he almost lost it all--family, career, and his sanity. Also interviewed, a woman that has been abducted multiple times since the age of six and believes that aliens are preparing her for a future event. Alien abduction or abduction phenomenon describe "subjectively real experiences" of being secretly kidnapped by nonhuman figures (aliens) and subjected to physical and psychological experimentation. Most scientists and mental health professionals explain these experiences by factors such as suggestibility (e.g. false memory syndrome), sleep paralysis, deception, and psychopathology. Skeptic Robert Sheaffer sees similarity between the aliens depicted in science fiction films, in particular Invaders From Mars (1953), and some of those reported to have actually abducted people. People claiming to have been abducted are usually called "abductees" or "experiencers". Typical claims involve forced medical examinations that emphasize the subject's reproductive systems. Abductees sometimes claim to have been warned against environmental abuse and the dangers of technology. The contents of the abduction narrative often seem to vary with the home culture of the alleged abductee. Reports of the abduction phenomenon have been made around the world, but are most common in English speaking countries, especially the United States. The first alleged alien abduction claim to be widely publicized was the Betty and Barney Hill abduction in 1961. Strieber asserts that he was abducted from his cabin in upstate New York on the evening of December 26, 1985 by non-human beings. He wrote about this experience and related experiences in Communion. Whitley Strieber, a well-known author, recounts his alien abduction experiences that eventually lead to his best selling book, Communion. #mystery #ufo #ancientaliens

Dragons are creatures of legend, but in a world as fantastic as Indonesia, myths become reality. On a small, 22 mile long island among the thousands of Indonesian isles lives the planet's only living dragon -- the Komodo (Varanus komodoensis). Named after the island on which it was discovered, the Komodo Dragon has gripped the popular imagination since it was brought to the attention of the world in 1910. Lieutenant van Steyn van Hensbroek, a member of the occupying Dutch colonials, learned rumors of a "land crocodile," a creature purportedly over 20 feet long. In time, van Hensbroek caught and killed a six foot Komodo. Then, in 1926, American W. Douglas Burden went on an expedition to research the creatures, and named them "dragons." Today, the Komodo Dragon still has many names. Locals call it the ora, others the biawak raksasa, which means "giant monitor." Whatever one calls it, the Komodo is one of the more remarkable and unusual predators found on Earth. It is a reptile, a not-to-distant relative of the snake; both animals share a forked tongue. Dragons can reach 10 feet in length, and weigh as much as 300 pounds. Though it resembles one, the Komodo is not a direct descendant of the dinosaurs. They do, however, share a common ancestor from some 300 million years ago. On Komodo, the dragon is king. It eats any and all of the other large animals on the island, including wild boar, deer, water buffalo, dogs and goats. If hungry, a Komodo will eat snakes, birds, and even smaller Komodos. Over short distances, the Dragon is capable of pursuit speeds of nearly 20 miles an hour. But for the most part, they hunt with a combination of stealth and power. Concealed in brush, a Komodo will wait until prey -- such as a wild boar -- walks past. Then in a sudden aggressive move, the Dragon will burst from its hiding place. Like most predators, Komodos' attacks are nearly all failures, but when a Dragon succeeds, it lives up to its legend. Its mouth is filled with serrated teeth, which are rife with bacteria laden, flayed bits of meat from previous meals. These remnants make the Komodo's mouths reek from rotting meat -- perhaps a source of legends about fire-breathing dragons. Because of the bacteria, a Komodo's saliva is poisonous. An animal bitten by a Dragon, even if it escapes, will likely die from the poison alone, and become a meal for other Komodos. A victim of a direct Komodo hit has no chance of survival, nor does its carcass. Dragons leave nothing on their plates, devouring bones, fur and even hooves. As great as their legend is, Komodo Dragons are shockingly few in number. In fact, on its natural habitat of Komodo, Flores Island, and nearby islands, the Dragon species totals only 4,000 to 5,000 members. Loss of habitat caused by the encroachment of locals and tourists threatens to decrease the Komodo population even further. In addition, poachers have killed many deer in the Komodo's habitat, one of its staple foods. The Indonesia government is making an effort to protect the species. #Dragon #Beast #Travel

Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (alongside quantum mechanics). His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He is best known to the general public for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = m c 2 , which has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation". He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect", a pivotal step in the development of quantum theory. Near the beginning of his career, Einstein thought that Newtonian mechanics was no longer enough to reconcile the laws of classical mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. This led him to develop his special theory of relativity during his time at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern (1902–1909). He subsequently realized that the principle of relativity could be extended to gravitational fields, and published a paper on general relativity in 1916 introducing his theory of gravitation. He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light and the quantum theory of radiation, the basis of laser, which laid the foundation of the photon theory of light. In 1917, he applied the general theory of relativity to model the structure of the universe. Einstein moved to Switzerland in 1895 and renounced his German citizenship in 1896. After being stateless for more than five years, he acquired Swiss citizenship in 1901, which he kept for the rest of his life. Except for one year in Prague, he lived in Switzerland between 1895 and 1914. He received his academic diploma from the Swiss federal polytechnic school (later the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, ETH) in Zürich in 1900. Between 1902 and 1909 he was employed in Bern as a patent examiner at the Federal Office for Intellectual Property, the patent office. In 1905, called his annus mirabilis (miracle year), he published four groundbreaking papers, which attracted the attention of the academic world. That year, at the age of 26, he was awarded a PhD by the University of Zurich. He taught theoretical physics for one year (1908/09) at the University of Bern, for two years (1909-11) at the University of Zurich, and after one year at the Charles University in Prague he returned to his alma mater ETH Zurich between 1912 and 1914, before he left for Berlin, where he was elected to the Prussian Academy of Sciences. #Einstein #Science #Genius

Scientists believe that on Jupiter and Saturn, it rains diamonds. New atmospheric data for the gas giants indicates that carbon is abundant in its dazzling crystal form, the BBC reports. Lightning storms turn methane into soot which hardens into chunks of graphite and then diamond as it falls. These diamond “hail stones” eventually melt into a liquid sea in the planets’ hot cores, they told a conference. The biggest diamonds would likely be about a centimeter in diameter – big enough to grace the likes of that noted diamond-lover, Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor. More Space Facts- Space is completely silent. There is no atmosphere in space, which means that sound has no medium or way to travel to be heard. Astronauts use radios to stay in communication while in space, since radio waves can still be sent and received. The hottest planet in our solar system is 450° C. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system and has an average surface temperature of around 450° C. Interestingly, Venus is not the closest planet to the Sun – Mercury is closer but because Mercury has no atmosphere to regulate temperature it has a very large temperature fluctuation. There may be life on Mars. Of all the planets in our solar system (apart from Earth), Mars is the one most likely to be hospitable to life. In 1986, NASA found what they thought may be fossils of microscopic living things in a rock recovered from Mars. Nobody knows how many stars are in space. The sheer size of space makes it impossible to accurately predict just how many stars we have. Right now, scientists and astronomers use the number of stars only within our galaxy, The Milky Way, to estimate. That number is between 200-400 billion stars and there are estimated to be billions of galaxies so the stars in space really are completely uncountable. Halleys Comet won’t orbit past Earth again until 2061. Discovered in 1705 by Edmond Halley, the famous comet was last seen in 1986 and is only seen once every 75 to 76 years. A full NASA space suit costs $12,000,000. While the entire suit costs a cool $12m, 70% of that cost is for the backpack and control module. Neutron stars can spin 600 times per second. Neutron stars are the densest and tiniest stars in the known universe and although they only have a radius of about 10 km (6 mi), they may have a mass of a few times that of the Sun. They can rotate at up to 60 times per second after they are born from a core-collapse supernova star explosion and have been known to spin as fast as 600-712 times per second because of their physics. There may be a planet made out of diamonds. As space facts go, this is pretty impressive. Research by Yale University scientists suggests that a rocky planet called 55 Cancri e — which has a radius twice Earth’s, and a mass eight times greater – may have a surface made up of graphite and diamond. It’s 40 light years away but visible to the naked eye in the constellation of Cancer. The footprints on the Moon will be there for 100 million years. The Moon has no atmosphere, which means there is no wind to erode the surface and no water to wash the footprints away. This means the footprints of the Apollo astronauts, along with spacecraft prints, rover-prints and discarded material, will be there for millions of years. One day on Venus is longer than one year. Venus has a slow axis rotation which takes 243 Earth days to complete its day. The orbit of Venus around the Sun is 225 Earth days, making a year on Venus 18 days less than a day on Venus. Music: Spirit Must Train by Dhruva Aliman Amazon - https://amzn.to/2B9tGa7 https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dhruva-aliman/363563637 https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/road-of-fortunes http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet #astronomy #solarsystem #earth

Music: Snooper (103 bpm) by Dhruva Aliman - Amazon- https://amzn.to/2MbZ3TF - https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/snooper http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet ...More Astonishing Train Rides In The World- While a plane might get you to your destination faster, nothing quite beats the romance — and window-side sightseeing opportunities — of a train ride. Here are the world’s most amazing train rides. Rocky Mountaineer’s First Passage to the West – Canada Covering the beautiful scenery of southern British Columbia between Vancouver and Banff, the Rocky Mountaineer’s First Passage to the West is one of the most scenic train rides in Canada, if not the world. Leaving the cosmopolitan coastal city of Vancouver behind, passengers are treated to breathtaking sights — such as the wild waters of Fraser Canyon’s Hell’s Gate and steep tracks running alongside the Thompson River — from the comfort of luxurious carriages. There’s an overnight stay in the lakeside city of Kamloops before they rise over the stunning, snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies and arrive at beautiful Banff. Glacier Express – Switzerland Connecting two of Switzerland’s most scenic mountain resorts, Zermatt and St Moritz, the Glacier Express is the most relaxing way to enjoy the stunning scenery of the Swiss Alps. Traveling eastward from Zermatt, the day-long trip covers a staggering 91 tunnels and 291 bridges as it rolls past southern Switzerland’s alpine meadows, pristine mountain lakes and picture-perfect hamlets. Highlights of the journey include Oberalp Pass, the highest point on the ride at 6706 feet. Another is the famous Landwasser Viaduct — a magnificent six-arch structure standing 200 feet and plunging into a tunnel cut straight into the mountainside. TranzAlpine – New Zealand All aboard the TranzAlpine for a stage-side seat to one of New Zealand’s most dramatic landscapes — the South Island’s Southern Alps. Starting out in Christchurch, the TranzAlpine travels northwest through the fertile fields of the Canterbury Plains alongside the Waimakariri River. Then it goes up into the mountains, where it crosses the mighty Staircase Viaduct. Passing through the magnificent, snow-capped mountains of Arthur’s Pass National Park, the TranzAlpine chugs onward through the west coast’s subtropical rainforests. Finally, it reaches its destination: the historic former gold mining town of Greymouth. West Highland Line, Glasgow to Mallaig – Scotland Taking passengers through some of Scotland’s most diverse scenery, the West Highland Line is an excellent way to experience the country’s wild, western coast. Once the train leaves Glasgow — Scotland’s biggest city — the urban landscape quickly succumbs to verdant glens and tranquil lochs. Heading northward, the West Highland Line passes through the remote wilderness of Rannoch Moor before skirting the towering Ben Nevis and touching down in Fort William. Switching direction and moving westward, the train traverses the Glenfinnan Viaduct (featured in the Harry Potter film series) before arriving at the bustling port of Mallaig. The Ghan – Australia Australia’s Outback is home to some of the planet’s most awe-inspiring scenery, and The Ghan offers travelers the opportunity to experience the vast landscape in pure luxury. Cutting a path directly through Australia’s fiery red center, The Ghan travels from Darwin in the north to Adelaide — a total distance of almost 2000 miles. It takes passengers from the lush, tropical coast of the Northern Territory via the red-hued rocks of the MacDonnell Ranges and onto the fertile plains of South Australia. A trip on The Ghan also features off-train excursions, including a leisurely boat tour of Nitmiluk Gorge and a trip to the quirky desert town of Alice Springs. Trans-Siberian Railway – Russia At a staggering 5772 miles, the Trans-Siberian Railway is among the world’s longest rail routes. Starting at its westward terminus in Moscow, the Trans-Siberian crosses over the Ural Mountains and through dense Siberian forest. It spans the entire width of Russia and connects the capital with Vladivostok in the east. The eight-day journey takes passengers by landmarks including the magnificent 3227-foot-long bridge that crosses the River Ob at Novosibirsk (Russia’s third-largest city) and the breathtaking blue waters of Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake by volume. The Flåm Railway – Norway Just an hour long, the Flåm Railway may not be an epic journey, but it’s among the most scenic. In fact, it’s one of Norway’s top attractions and is frequently hailed as one of the world’s most beautiful train rides. One of Europe’s steepest rail routes, the railway rises 2831 feet from its starting point in the tiny village of Flåm in the Sognefjord. It passes by deep ravines, cascading waterfalls and towering peaks to the mountaintop station of Myrdal. #Trains #Travel #Interesting

Basics of Grid Security - America’s electric grid, data centers, telecommunications networks, and other critical infrastructure can be damaged or destroyed in several different ways: Atomic weapon that generates an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effect; radio frequency device (RFD) which emits a smaller, localized EMP and can be assembled from everyday equipment from a local electronics store or purchased ready-made on the internet; cyber warfare; kinetic (i.e. direct physical) attacks; or geo-magnetic disturbance (GMD) from the sun which can generate an EMP-like effect. Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) A nuclear EMP is a very real threat, given what we know about the Iranian and North Korean nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Both countries have demonstrated advanced capabilities to create a functioning nuclear warhead as well as to build and test the ballistic missiles that might be used as delivery vehicles for such weapons. Radio Frequency Devices (RFDs) Devices capable of subjecting transformers and other critical infrastructure to localized, but destructive, levels of EMP can be built from readily available equipment from local electronics stores and instructions from the internet. While the damage would not be nearly as devastating or widespread as that of a nuclear EMP, the ease of acquiring and assembling parts means that terrorists have a relatively easy way to cause significant damage to local communities. Kinetic (i.e. Direct Physical) Attacks The April 2013 attack on an electrical substation near San Jose, California demonstrates both the vulnerability of our physical grid infrastructure as well as the fact that terrorists also have been thinking about multiple ways to attack us. Assailants who were never apprehended attacked the Pacific Gas and Electric Metcalf substation with automatic rifle fire on the night of 16 April 2013. Firing more than 100 shots altogether, they knocked out 17 transformers and, even though electric officials were able to avert a blackout, the damage took 27 days to repair. Jon Wellinghoff, chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) at the time, called the attack “the most significant incident of domestic terrorism involving the U.S. power grid that has ever occurred.” Cyber Warfare The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reports that cyber attacks on the electric grid system are increasing in both frequency and sophistication. Such attacks come from a variety of different sources, including nation states and sub-national terrorist organizations. Concern over their ability to hack into U.S. power grid software and possibly disrupt the electrical supply system is growing because such an attack could be one of the quickest ways to destroy the U.S. economy. Geo-Magnetic Disturbance (GMD) Even if no enemy attacks our electric grid, we know that the sun will. That is because the sun regularly is shooting off geo-magnetic storms in every direction. It is only a matter of time before one of those storms hits Earth and creates a similar EMP-type of effect as that of a nuclear bomb. In fact, we know that in 1859, a massive solar storm that came to be known as the “Carrington Event” (after the astronomer who documented and explained what happened) struck the earth and generated fires in telegraph offices as well as extraordinary northern lights displays. Because everything in modern life now requires electric power, the 1859 event was not nearly as catastrophic as a severe geomagnetic storm would be today. Were such a solar storm to strike Earth today, the damage would be in the trillions of dollars, but worse yet, societies all over the world would be devastated. Human life as we know it could be nearly wiped out. The U.S. government is well aware of these threats to our electric grid and the threats that EMP, cyber and physical attacks, and the sun can pose to it. In fact, eleven different studies either conducted or sponsored by the federal government over the past decade have concluded the same thing: unless steps are taken – and soon – to secure our electric grid, we risk catastrophic consequences which include horrific loss of life, widespread destruction of property, and complete societal breakdown. Music: From Scales To Feathers (Thirsty Lizard Mix) by Dhruva Aliman Amazon- https://amzn.to/2Mgr7pg https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dhruva-aliman/363563637 https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/the-wolf-and-the-river http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet #EMP #NationalSecurity #Prepper

Music: The Walwrath (Escape From Hell Mix) by Dhruva Aliman https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/road-of-fortunes http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/ ... Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet - The Wild World of Armored Combat League - You know those Renaissance fairs, where European history buffs and World of  Warcraft nerds dress in wizard’s robes, drink mead, and talk with “ye olde” accents? This is not that. The Armored Combat League is part of an international sport with members in more than 20 countries that prides itself on full contact, real steel, and unbridled wrath. The USA Knights – roughly 200 participants from nine regions across the country – train year-round to compete for top spots on the team and a chance to fight in the International Medieval Combat Federation’s world championships, held in Europe. “This is dangerous,” says Andre Sinou, a 48-year-old Marine Corps reservist and USA Knights captain. “Guys will buy cheap armor just so they can play, and they end up in the hospital.” The rules for ACL fighting are simple. Some compete in individual contests, in which the winner is determined by the number of blows landed. Then there are “melees” – five on five or 16 versus 16, bashing each other in what looks like a metal-plated mosh pit; the last team standing in the fenced-in arena roughly a third of the size of a football field wins. If any three body parts touch the ground at once (feet included), you’re out. Surrender is also an option and often a wise one. (“If you have a guy in the corner getting blasted by a poleax,” Sinou says, “he may put his hand up and say, ‘I’ve had enough.’ ”) Hits to the back of the knee are illegal, as is thrusting. All weapons must have rounded or blunted edges and meet weight requirements, ensuring no one will get a limb hacked off or a skull crushed. Otherwise, nearly anything goes. Punching, kicking, leg sweeping, bull-rushing, and targeting exposed flesh are essential tactics. Bigger players who prefer close combat favor swords and hand axes; pole arms up to seven feet long are ideal for smaller speedsters who might strike at a distance or sneak up with a hockey-style cross-checking blow. Shields are used more for punishment than defense. #medieval #martialarts #electrorock

Fantasy Art and Illustration mixed with Electronic Rock Music - Track: Valley of Death by Dhruva Aliman - Amazon - https://amzn.to/2B9tGa7 - https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dhruva-aliman/363563637 - https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/road-of-fortunes - http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/ - Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet #art #halloween #spooky

Denim History - Origin of Denim - Blue Denim Jeans - Denim is a type of cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. Warp threads of denim fabric are dyed in indigo while weft threads remain plain white. That is why denim is blue on the one side and white on the other. When used for jeans, denim is turned blue on the outside and because of the way it is made it fades in a characteristic way. The word “denim” comes from fabric "serge de Nimes" made in France city of Nimes from where it originates. It has been used in America since the late 18th century, colored blue with indigo dye to make blue "jeans", a type of cotton pants. Jeans come from "Genes" - a name given by French to Genoa and the people from Genoa where the cotton trousers were made. In the 1800s, in the time of the Gold Rush, American gold miners needed clothes that were strong, lasted longer and did not tear easily. Levi Strauss, a businessman, and Jacob Davis, a tailor, supplied miners with denim pants that were made from durable material and reinforced with rivets at the places where pants tended to tear which prolonged life of pants. This marked the beginning of the legend of jeans and brand Levi Strauss is still hugely successful today. Denim was first used for clothes worn by workers because of its high durability. Then it became widely popular in the 1930s when Hollywood started making cowboy movies in which actors wore jeans. With the beginning of the World War 2, production of the jeans drops but world meet denim when American soldiers started wearing them when they were on the leave. When the war ended, other companies that made denim started appearing like Wrangler and Lee. Young people started wearing denim in the 1950s a mean of rebellion. This fashion was also inspired by Hollywood with by Marlon Brando with his 1953 film “The Wild One” as well James Dean’s movie “Rebel Without a Cause” from 1955. Some public places like schools and theaters banned jeans because of what they symbolized. Denim crossed from counterculture to fashion in the 1960s and 1970s when manufacturers started to make different styles of jeans. Original denim was dyed with dye from plant Indigofera tinctoria. Modern denim is dyed with synthetic indigo. Denim is often dyed with indigo and dried many times over to get a stronger color that will not fade quickly. After the denim is made into clothing it as most often washed to make it softer and to reduce or eliminate shrinkage. Denim that is not washed is called dry or raw denim. Denim fades in time and gets a worn out look which is often desired as a fashion detail. Some denim is artificially distressed so a worn-out look can be got even before wearing. Denim that is not made of pure cotton but also has an elastic component (most often elastane) is stretch denim. Beside indigo dyeing, denim can be colored with sulfur dyeing which is used for dyeing of denim in colors other than indigo. Music: Uncle Festus by Dhruva Aliman Amazon- https://amzn.to/2Mgr7pg https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dhruva-aliman/363563637 https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/the-wolf-and-the-river http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet #Fashion #Jeans #Interesting

The Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization developed by the Maya peoples, and noted for its logosyllabic script—the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in pre-Columbian Americas—as well as for its art, architecture, mathematics, calendar, and astronomical system. The Maya civilization developed in an area that encompasses southeastern Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador. This region consists of the northern lowlands encompassing the Yucatán Peninsula, and the highlands of the Sierra Madre, running from the Mexican state of Chiapas, across southern Guatemala and onwards into El Salvador, and the southern lowlands of the Pacific littoral plain. The Archaic period, prior to 2000 BC, saw the first developments in agriculture and the earliest villages. The Preclassic period (c. 2000 BC to 250 AD) saw the establishment of the first complex societies in the Maya region, and the cultivation of the staple crops of the Maya diet, including maize, beans, squashes, and chili peppers. The first Maya cities developed around 750 BC, and by 500 BC these cities possessed monumental architecture, including large temples with elaborate stucco façades. Hieroglyphic writing was being used in the Maya region by the 3rd century BC. In the Late Preclassic a number of large cities developed in the Petén Basin, and the city of Kaminaljuyu rose to prominence in the Guatemalan Highlands. Beginning around 250 AD, the Classic period is largely defined as when the Maya were raising sculpted monuments with Long Count dates. This period saw the Maya civilization develop a large number of city-states linked by a complex trade network. In the Maya Lowlands two great rivals, the cities of Tikal and Calakmul, became powerful. The Classic period also saw the intrusive intervention of the central Mexican city of Teotihuacan in Maya dynastic politics. In the 9th century, there was a widespread political collapse in the central Maya region, resulting in internecine warfare, the abandonment of cities, and a northward shift of population. The Postclassic period saw the rise of Chichen Itza in the north, and the expansion of the aggressive Kʼicheʼ kingdom in the Guatemalan Highlands. In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire colonized the Mesoamerican region, and a lengthy series of campaigns saw the fall of Nojpetén, the last Maya city, in 1697. Classic period rule was centred on the concept of the "divine king", who acted as a mediator between mortals and the supernatural realm. Kingship was patrilineal, and power would normally pass to the eldest son. A prospective king was also expected to be a successful war leader. Maya politics was dominated by a closed system of patronage, although the exact political make-up of a kingdom varied from city-state to city-state. By the Late Classic, the aristocracy had greatly increased, resulting in the corresponding reduction in the exclusive power of the divine king. The Maya civilization developed highly sophisticated artforms, and the Maya created art using both perishable and non-perishable materials, including wood, jade, obsidian, ceramics, sculpted stone monuments, stucco, and finely painted murals. Maya cities tended to expand haphazardly, and the city centre would be occupied by ceremonial and administrative complexes, surrounded by an irregular sprawl of residential districts. Different parts of a city would often be linked by causeways. The principal architecture of the city consisted of palaces, pyramid-temples, ceremonial ballcourts, and structures aligned for astronomical observation. The Maya elite were literate, and developed a complex system of hieroglyphic writing that was the most advanced in the pre-Columbian Americas. The Maya recorded their history and ritual knowledge in screenfold books, of which only three uncontested examples remain, the rest having been destroyed by the Spanish. There are also a great many examples of Maya text found on stelae and ceramics. The Maya developed a highly complex series of interlocking ritual calendars, and employed mathematics that included one of the earliest instances of the explicit zero in the world. As a part of their religion, the Maya practiced human sacrifice. #Mystery #Documentary #Ancient

The world's deadliest animal isn't a shark or even a human. Here ranks the world's deadliest animals. Most of the deaths caused by animals, it turns out, have less to do with the animals themselves than the diseases they unwittingly transmit. Note that some numbers are harder to get an accurate read on than others, so these are for the most part rough estimates - sometimes very rough. And the list is representative of different kinds of deadly animals, but it's by no means comprehensive. The scariest predators aren't as dangerous as you might expect - but don't underestimate the little guys. 15. Sharks: 6 deaths a year Shark attacks are pretty rare. In 2014, there were just three deaths globally related to shark attacks, and in 2015, there were six, which is about the average. 14. Wolves: 10 deaths a year Wolf attacks are not common in many parts of the world where wolves live. A review of wolf attacks found that very few happened in the 50 years leading up to 2002 in Europe and North America, though there were a few hundred reported over the course of two decades in some regions of India, averaging out to close to 10 per year. 13. Lions: 22+ deaths a year Estimates for lion-related deaths also vary year-to-year. A 2005 study found that since 1990, lions have killed 563 people in Tanzania alone, an average of about 22 a year. 12. Elephants: 500 deaths a year Elephants are also responsible for a number of deaths per year - a 2005 National Geographic article said that 500 people a year are killed in elephant attacks. Far more elephants have been killed by people. 11. Hippopotamuses: 500 deaths a year For a long time, hippos were considered the most deadly animal in Africa. Hippos are known for being aggressive toward humans, including tipping over boats. 9. Tapeworms: 700 deaths a year Moving to parasites, the tapeworm is responsible for an infection called cysticerosis that kills an estimated 700 people a year. 10. Crocodiles: 1,000 deaths a year Crocodiles are now considered the largest animal responsible for the most human deaths in Africa, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN. 8. Ascaris roundworms: 4,500 deaths a year The Ascaris roundworm leads to an infection called aschariasis that kills an estimated 4,500 people a year, according to a 2013 study. 5. Tsetse flies: 10,000 deaths a year The tsetse fly transmits a disease called sleeping sickness, a parasitic infection that at first can lead to headaches, fever, joint pain, and itchiness, but later can lead to some serious neurological problems. The number of deaths has been decreasing. With about 10,000 new cases now reported each year, the estimated number of annual deaths is likely on the decline as well. 6. Assassin bugs: 12,000 deaths a year The assassin bug, also called the kissing bug, is responsible for carrying Chagas disease, which kills about 12,000 people a year on average. Chagas disease is a parasitic infection passed by the bug, which got its nickname by biting people on the face. 7. Freshwater snails: 20,000+ deaths a year The freshwater snail carries parasitic worms that infect people with a disease called schistosomiasis that can cause intense abdominal pain and blood in the stool or urine, depending on the area that's affected. Millions of people contract the infection, and the WHO estimates that anywhere between 20,000 and 200,000 deaths can be attributed to schistosomiasis. 4. Dogs: 35,000 deaths a year Dogs - specifically dogs infected by the rabies virus - are one of the deadliest animals out there, though the virus can be prevented using vaccines. About 35,000 deaths can be attributed to rabies, and of those cases, 99 percent are caused by dogs, according to WHO. 3. Snakes: 100,000 deaths a year Snake bites kill more than 100,000 people a year as of 2015. Worse still, there's a troubling shortage of an essential antivenom. 2. Humans: 437,000 deaths a year According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, there were about 437,000 homicides in 2012, making humans the second most deadly animal (and the deadliest mammal) to humans. 1. Mosquitoes: 750,000 deaths a year Mosquitoes - the pesky bugs that suck blood and transmit viruses from person to person - are responsible for the most animal-related deaths. Malaria by itself is responsible for more than half of mosquito-related deaths, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, though it's on the decline: The incidence of malaria fell by 37 percent between 2000 and 2015, according to the World Health Organization. Dengue fever, another mosquito-borne disease, has become a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children in some Asian and Latin-American countries. Music: Valley of Death by Dhruva Aliman Amazon - https://amzn.to/2B9tGa7 https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dhruva-aliman/363563637 https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/road-of-fortunes Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet #Statistics #Facts #Animals

The continents are in constant motion: Tectonic plates crash together and break apart, creating new crust while old crust is pulled below the surface. The process shrinks and widens oceans, uplifts mountain ranges, and rearranges landmasses. In about 250 million years a new supercontinent, Pangaea Proxima, will form. Fifty million years from now, Australia will be in collision with southeast Asia to a much larger degree," he says. Africa will also be pushing right up against southern Europe, while the Atlantic will be a far wider ocean than it is today. The idea that the continents moved around dates back centuries, but the first time anyone produced any serious evidence in favor of the idea was 100 years ago. That someone was German geophysicist Alfred Wegener. For many geologists, continental drift was a crackpot idea with little hard evidence He noticed remarkable similarities between the fossilized plants and animals found on continents that were separated by vast oceans. This suggested to him that those continents were connected when those now fossilized species were alive. What's more, when Wegener looked at his maps, he could clearly see that South America and Africa were like two giant puzzle pieces – they fit together. Could that really just be coincidence, or were they connected millions of years ago, only to drift apart? That was the essence of Wegener's theory: continental drift. But few people liked it. In fact, for many geologists, continental drift was a crackpot idea with little hard evidence. How exactly could massive continents move? Wegener could not provide a satisfactory explanation. He died in 1930. But his idea lived on, and 20 years later, his vindication would begin. South America and Africa were like two giant puzzle pieces – they fit together The crucial secrets that would unlock the truth of his theory were not to be found on those moving continents. They were all hidden under the sea. Marie Tharp was one of the first people to realize that mountain ranges and huge valleys were not just features found on land, but under the oceans as well. In the early 1950s Tharp helped to map a gigantic submarine mountain range, thousands of kilometers long but only a few kilometers wide, zigzagging right down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Similar ranges lie beneath the waves of other oceans. They have since been named "mid-ocean ridges" – and their discovery helped turn the tide of thought on how the Earth's surface had formed. Harry Hess, an American geologist and submarine commander in World War Two, recognized the potential significance of the mid-ocean ridges. This sideways movement of rock... could ultimately explain why the continents themselves moved During the war, Hess had used sonar to map some areas of the ocean floor in detail. He had found it to be far from the flat, featureless landscape most geologists had assumed it to be. The discovery of mid-ocean ridges fit with an idea he was developing – namely that the ocean floor is constantly, but very slowly, renewing itself. He suggested that hot magma welled up along the mid-ocean ridges and cooled into rock. Then, as more hot magma welled up at the ridge, the cool rock was pushed down the ridge flanks to make room. This sideways movement of rock, perpendicular to the mid-ocean ridges, could ultimately explain why the continents themselves moved. They were being pushed around by the upwelling of magma along the mid-ocean ridges. His theory became known as "seafloor spreading". But still, other geologists were skeptical. Other features under the sea were providing more clues, though, and gradually turning the tide of opinion in Hess's favor. #Archeology #Future #Documentary

For the ancient Greeks, the Olympic games existed since mythical times, but no definitive time of their inauguration can be identified with any certainty. The first Olympiad was held in 776 BCE, and this is the year that provides the first accurate chronology of Greek history. That's because after that date, the names of all Olympic winners were officially recorded. Koroibos, a cook from Elis, had his name saved for posterity as the first winner of the games in the one-stade race. The athletic games were held every four years during the second (or possibly the first) full moon in August, and the festivities lasted five days. Only free male Greeks were eligible to participate in the games, and they came from all corners of the Mediterranean, including colonies from Magna Grecia and the Pontus. Athletes competed nude, in an atmosphere of respect for for their opponents and above all, reverence for the rules. Slaves and women were banned from the sanctuary under penalty of death. Women however were allowed to sponsor events, teams, athletes, and votive offerings. In addition, maidens competed in their own athletic competition in Olympia which also was held every four years, and a competition with exclusive events for boys were introduced in 632. In essence, from their conception in the early days, the Olympic games reflected the values that were to characterize Greek civilization for the next five hundred years. First, during the games warring Greeks had to cease all hostilities because it was mandatory to participate in peaceful assembly. To this end, officials from Olympia traveled ahead of time throughout Greece to announce the assembly and to proclaim the ekecheiria, the ceasing of all hostilities (for up to three months) so all participants can find safe passage to the sanctuary. More importantly, the games reflected the Greek's ideals that have won them admiration for millennia to come: the free individual who aspires to achieve excellence through an agon (struggle, or contest) governed by just laws. Just like the games, Greeks in their everyday lives competed intensely with each other in the political realm, in the economy, and in the battlefield. They competed by placing enormous importance on the value of the individual, and by respecting the rule of law that was above all. Initially, the games were a local affair and the only event was the sprinting race, but in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE wrestling, boxing, and equestrian events were added, as well as the pentathlon (an event that combined running, long jump, discus and javelin throwing, and wrestling), and the pancration which was a vicious form of boxing with little to no rules. The Olympics in ancient Greece also included poetry and writing competition, and it provided a peaceful ground where Greeks discussed and forged agreements on military, commercial, and political matters. Olympia declared the games and chose a group of hellanodikai (game officials) who supervised preparations of the event and the athletes. Competitors prepared for the events for ten months, and they resided and trained in Olympia during the last month before the games began. During the games, thousands of visitors traveled to Olympia, creating a crowded scene with folk camping wherever they could find a space to spread their blanket. Most did not even get to see the athletic events since the limited capacity stadium was completely occupied by the early squatters. 10 facts - All athletes competed naked Wrestlers and pankration (a sort of mixed martial art which combined boxing and wrestling) competitors fought covered in oil Corporal punishment awaited those guilty of a false start on the track There were only two rules in the pankration – no biting and no gouging Boxers were urged to avoid attacking the on-display male genitals There were no points, no time limits and no weight classifications in the boxing Athletes in the combat sports had to indicate their surrender by raising their index fingers – at times they died before they could do this Boxers who could not be separated could opt for klimax, a system whereby one fighter was granted a free hit and then vice-versa – a toss of a coin decided who went first #Sports #History #Documentary

Could Extraterrestrials Really Invade Earth, and How? If Aliens Exist,They May Come to Get Us, Physicist Stephen Hawking Says. The human race could be devastated if aliens were to learn of our existence and venture to Earth, warned British scientist Stephen Hawking. But how could extraterrestrials really invade Earth? Aliens have already viciously attacked our spacecraft, savagely kidnapped us, heartlessly conducted experiments on us, and mercilessly aimed their death-rays at us, but of course, all of these crimes have been committed only in novels and movies. Other experts who, like Hawking, have devoted their careers to thoughtful exploration of the possibilities of alien contact say that we don't have anything to fear. "In movies, aliens only come here for two reasons," Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) told Life's Little Mysteries, SPACE.com's sister publication. "They either come here to find some resource they don't have on their own planet, or they want to use us for some unauthorized breeding experiment." These scenarios play on our most primal human fears of losing the resources we need to survive or not being able to reproduce, Shostak said. In reality, it isn't logical to think that aliens would want to do either of those things, Shostak said. Space travel is expensive and requires an enormous investment, he said. "Anything that we have here, they could find where they live," Shostak said. If there was a resource found on Earth that did not exist on the aliens' home planet, there would certainly be easier ways to get or make the resource than coming here. And if an alien civilization was advanced enough to engage in interstellar travel, they would also probably have very advanced robotic machines,Shostak said. If they wanted to research our planet, they would be more likely to send those machines here than to come here themselves. "It's not like, the hatch will open and we'll see a strange, alien paw coming out," he said. "It's more likely to be a robotic arm." Contact with aliens is extremely unlikely,agrees David Morrison, Director of Space at NASA-Ames Research Center. Any communication that may occur would likely be in the form of radio waves sent from one civilization to another, he said. "We?re listening for radio signals," Morrison said, "And we can assume that any civilization that we receive a signal from is more advanced than we are." We have only had the technology to listen and send radio waves for the last century, so if an alien radio signal reaches us from a distant planet hundreds or thousands of light-years away, that civilization would have to be more advanced than ours, Morrison said. Morrison doubts that an advanced alien civilization would come here to harm us. "Someone once suggested that if a civilization can last for hundreds of thousands of years, it almost surely has solved the problems we have. I would hope so," Morrison said. Even if aliens existed, knew about us, and could travel here, they wouldn't be likely to send an army or the equipment needed to launch an attack on the Earth, said science fiction writer Jack McDevitt. "Imagine putting together an invasion force, only to stick them in containers to travel here for years,"McDevitt said. Although contact between humans and aliens has been a key part of many of McDevitt's books, he doesn't think that it's likely to actually happen. It would take a great amount of time for aliens to reach Earth, and any civilization capable of this feat would not want to delegate its fighting force to the task, he said. We have bigger problems to worry about,McDevitt said. #Aliens #UFO #Space

3 mysteries were solved which led to finding the Templar Holy Grail according to film maker Rory Duff. For more information please visit https://www.roryduff.com ... The legend of the Holy Grail is one of the most enduring in Western European literature and art. The Grail was said to be the cup of the Last Supper and at the Crucifixion to have received blood flowing from Christ's side. It was brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea, where it lay hidden for centuries. The search for the vessel became the principal quest of the knights of King Arthur. It was believed to be kept in a mysterious castle surrounded by a wasteland and guarded by a custodian called the Fisher King, who suffered from a wound that would not heal. His recovery and the renewal of the blighted lands depended upon the successful completion of the quest. Equally, the self-realization of the questing knight was assured by finding the Grail. The magical properties attributed to the Holy Grail have been plausibly traced to the magic vessels of Celtic myth that satisfied the tastes and needs of all who ate and drank from them. The Holy Grail first appears in a written text in Chrétien de Troyes's Old French verse romance, the Conte del Graal ('Story of the Grail'), or Perceval, of c.1180. During the next 50 years several works, both in verse and prose, were written although the story, and the principal character, vary from one work to another. In France this process culminated in a cycle of five prose romances telling the history of the Grail from the Crucifixion to the death of Arthur. The Old French romances were translated into other European languages. Among these other versions two stand out: Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzifal (early 13th century) and Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur (late 15th century). With the passing of the Middle Ages, the Grail disappears until the 19th century when medieval history and legend awoke the interest of writers such as Scott and Tennyson, of the artists of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and of composers, notably Richard Wagner. The symbol of the Grail as a mysterious object of search and as the source of the ultimate mystical, or even physical, experience has persisted into the present century in the novels of Charles Williams, C.S. Lewis and John Cowper Powys. #history #davincicode

Best evidence yet for alien life on Saturn's moon found by scientists. Enceladus is only body besides Earth known to 'simultaneously satisfy all of the basic requirements for life as we know it', say scientists. Large organic molecules blasted into space from deep-sea vents on one of Saturn's moons, show that it contains "all of the basic requirements for life as we know it”. Plumes of material from cracks in Enceladus' icy surface were sampled by Nasa spacecraft Cassini, shortly before it plunged to its death in Saturn’s atmosphere. A study of this data by an international team of researchers has found evidence of carbon-rich substances formed in the heart of the moon. The scientists said they were “blown away” by the discovery. “Complex organic molecules do not necessarily provide a habitable environment, but on the other hand they are a necessary precursor for life,” - Dr Frank Postberg from the University of Heidelberg, who led the research. “Previously it was unknown whether complex organic chemistry happens on Enceladus – and now we know.” Dr Christopher Glein, a space scientist specializing in extraterrestrial chemical oceanography, said the new findings mean the distant moon is the only body besides Earth known to “simultaneously satisfy all of the basic requirements for life as we know it”. He added: “We are, yet again, blown away by Enceladus. Previously we’d only identified the simplest organic molecules containing a few carbon atoms, but even that was very intriguing.” The new discovery is the culmination of years of data gleaned by Cassini as it flew close by Saturn’s moons, collecting information as it went. Initial surveys found evidence of an enormous ocean of water residing underneath the moon’s icy crust. Subsequent flybys yielded signs of smaller organic compounds like methane gas, as well as hydrogen that indicated deep-sea hydrothermal vents. “Hydrogen provides a source of chemical energy supporting microbes that live in the Earth’s oceans near hydrothermal vents,” said Dr Hunter Waite, who co-authored the study at Southwest Research Institute. “Once you have identified a potential food source for microbes, the next question to ask is ‘what is the nature of the complex organics in the ocean?’ This paper represents the first step in that understanding – complexity in the organic chemistry beyond our expectations.” The news comes shortly after Nasa’s announcement that “ingredients for life” had been found on Mars, a discovery welcomed by scientists as some of the best evidence yet for aliens. Data collected on the red planet was far more detailed than Cassini’s Enceladus findings, but the discoveries made in the past 12 to 15 months have singled out the distant moon as one of the most likely places to support life in our solar system. Dr Postberg said the case for alien life on Enceladus is mounting, but as it stands there are no follow up Cassini missions planned. However, the technology to test for such life exists, and he predicts a decision will be made in the next five years about future alien-hunting missions to this elusive “water world”. “It is of course one of the biggest science questions there are – extraterrestrial life: yes or no – and here is a spot where we can check,” said Dr Postberg. “We have a habitable environment there and we have the means to probe it to find whether there is actual life or not.” Music: Bardos by Dhruva Aliman Amazon - https://amzn.to/3eyYxeD https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dhruva-aliman/363563637 https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/king-neptunes-travelling-merchants-and-their-adventures-in-and-beyond-the-sea http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet

Courtesy Tech Insider - The farthest in space that humans have gone is the moon, most recently during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. The farthest that any object made by humans has gone is slightly outside of our own solar system (farther out than any of the planets, that is, but still within the reach of the sun's influence). According to NASA, as of January 2001 the Voyager 1 mission (originally launched in 1977 to study the outer planets) was 12 billion kilometers from the sun (around 80 times the Earth-Sun distance) and moving away at a rate of several hundred million kilometers per year. Voyager 1, though, is still out there hurtling through space past its 40th year of operation. Voyager 1 even still communicates with us on Earth! Currently, Voyager 1 is about 130 times the Earth-Sun distance, or 19.5 billion kilomers from home. Not only is Voyager 1 the furthest spacecraft from Earth, it's also now officially the only spacecraft to have ever left the solar system. Voyager 1 crossed the region known as the "heliopause" starting in 2012, and is now considered to truly be in interstellar space. The Future Of Space Exploration Orion During Exploration Mission-1, Orion will venture thousands of miles beyond the moon during an approximately three-week mission. Modern space exploration is reaching areas once only dreamed about. Mars is focal point of modern space exploration, and manned Mars exploration is a long-term goal of the United States. NASA is on a journey to Mars, with a goal of sending humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s. NASA and its partners have sent orbiters, landers, and rovers, increasing our knowledge about the planet. The Curiosity Rover has gathered radiation data to protect astronauts, and the MARS 2020 Rover will study the availability of oxygen and other Martian resources. #Space #SolarSystem #Exploration Music: Here Today Gone Tomorrow by Dhruva Aliman Amazon- https://amzn.to/3dgKA52 https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dhruva-aliman/363563637 https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/hard-to-get-along http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet

Fireflies produce a chemical reaction inside their bodies that allows them to light up. This type of light production is called bioluminescence. The method by which fireflies produce light is perhaps the best known example of bioluminescence. When oxygen combines with calcium, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the chemical luciferin in the presence of luciferase, a bioluminescent enzyme, light is produced. Unlike a light bulb, which produces a lot of heat in addition to light, a firefly's light is "cold light" without a lot of energy being lost as heat. This is necessary because if a firefly's light-producing organ got as hot as a light bulb, the firefly would not survive the experience. A firefly controls the beginning and end of the chemical reaction, and thus the start and stop of its light emission, by adding oxygen to the other chemicals needed to produce light. This happens in the insect's light organ. When oxygen is available, the light organ lights up, and when it is not available, the light goes out. Insects do not have lungs, but instead transport oxygen from outside the body to the interior cells within through a complex series of successively smaller tubes known as tracheoles. For a long time it was a mystery as to how some firefly species manage such a high flash rate, considering the relatively slow speed of the muscles that control oxygen transport. Researchers fairly recently learned that nitric oxide gas (the same gas that is produced by taking the drug Viagra) plays a critical role in firefly flash control. In short, when the firefly light is ¿off," no nitric oxide is being produced. In this situation, oxygen that enters the light organ is bound to the surface of the cell's energy-producing organelles, called the mitrochondria, and is thereby not available for transport further within the light organ. The presence of nitric oxide, which binds to the mitochondria, allows oxygen to flow into the light organ where it combines with the other chemicals needed to produce the bioluminescent reaction. Because nitric oxide breaks down very quickly, as soon as the chemical is no longer being produced, the oxygen molecules are again trapped by the mitochondria and are not available for the production of light. Fireflies appear to light up for a variety of reasons. The larvae produce short glows and are primarily active at night, even though many species are subterranean or semi-aquatic. Fireflies produce defensive steroids in their bodies that make them unpalatable to predators. Larvae use their glows as warning displays to communicate their distastefulness. As adults, many fireflies have flash patterns unique to their species and use them to identify other members of their species as well as to discriminate between members of the opposite sex. Several studies have shown that female fireflies choose mates depending upon specific male flash pattern characteristics. Higher male flash rates, as well as increased flash intensity, have been shown to be more attractive to females in two different firefly species. The adult fireflies of some species are not luminous at all, however, and instead use pheromones to locate mates. The use of pheromones as sexual signals appears to be the ancestral condition in fireflies with the use of luminous sexual signals as being a more recent development. There are species that employ both pheromonal and luminous components in their mating systems. These species appear to be evolutionarily intermediate between the pheromone-only fireflies and flash-only fireflies. Music: Halls of Neptune (Breaks Mix) by Dhruva Aliman Amazon- https://amzn.to/3dgKA52 https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dhruva-aliman/363563637 https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/hard-to-get-along http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet

See all 4 Parts of our Amazing Thailand Trip ~ Links & Music listed below… KOH MAK ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRiEIyKkjF0 KOH KHAM ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtVsWfiWSeM KOH CHANG ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DozDnCFy4yQ PATTAYA ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHou7h-mPe4 Adventures & Surprises… Amazing Beaches Interesting Food Scuba Diving Temples Monkeys Hidden Art Elephants Strange Creatures Jungle Great restaurants Waterfall Night Life Bungy Jumping Speed Boats Music by Dhruva Aliman Amazon - https://amzn.to/2B9tGa7 https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dhruva-aliman/363563637 https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/road-of-fortunes http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet Tracks, in order- Jujitsu Flow Twilight Streets Nirvana Rush Lover’s Cove

A total of 16 officers voluntarily serve with the Blue Angels. Each year the team typically selects three tactical (fighter or fighter/attack) jet pilots, two support officers and one Marine Corps C-130 pilot to relieve departing members. The Chief of Naval Air Training selects the "Boss," the Blue Angels Commanding Officer. Boss must have at least 3,000 tactical jet flight-hours and have commanded a tactical jet squadron. The Commanding Officer flies the Number 1 jet. The Chief of Naval Air Training also selects the "XO," the Blue Angels Executive Officer. XO is a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) and must have at least 1,250 tactical jet flight-hours. Career-oriented Navy and Marine Corps jet pilots with an aircraft carrier qualification and a minimum of 1,250 tactical jet flight-hours are eligible for positions flying jets Number 2 through 7. The Events Coordinator, Number 8, is a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) or a Weapons Systems Officer (WSO) who meets the same criteria as Numbers 2 through 7. The Marine Corps pilots flying the C-130T Hercules aircraft, affectionately known as "Fat Albert," must be aircraft commander qualified with at least 1,200 flight hours. Career-oriented officers specializing in maintenance, administration, aviation medicine, public affairs and supply fill support positions. The Blue Angels base their selection of officers on professional ability, military bearing and communication skills. Blue Angels officers are well-rounded representatives of their fleet counterparts. Officers typically serve two years with the team. Blue Angels officers return to the fleet after their tours of duty. The mission of the Blue Angels is to showcase the pride and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps by inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country through flight demonstrations and community outreach. #Speed #Flying #View Music: Here Today Gone Tomorrow by Dhruva Aliman Amazon- https://amzn.to/3dgKA52 https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dhruva-aliman/363563637 https://dhruvaaliman.bandcamp.com/album/hard-to-get-along http://www.dhruvaaliman.com/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XiFCr9iBKE6Cupltgnlet