Credit: Getty Images Swedish pop group ABBA has joined the parade of musicians hypocritically attempting to silence President Donald Trump. The group, famous for their 70s disco hits, has demanded that…

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Aug. 23 that he was suspending his 2024 Independent campaign for president, and throwing his support to GOP nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance…

Watching the Olympics recently and the amazing effort of the hammer throwers was a wonderful demonstration of the radial velocity method that astronomers use to detect exoplanets. As the hammer spins around the athlete, their body and head bobs back and forth as the weight from the hammer tugs upon them. In the same way we can detect the wobble of a star from the gravity of planets in orbit. Local variations in the stars can add noise to the data but a team of researchers have been studying the Sun to help next-generation telescopes detect more Earth-like planets.  To date 5,288 exoplanets have been discovered, that’s 5,288 planets in orbit around other star systems. Before 1992 we had no evidence of other planetary systems around other stars. Since then, and using various methods astronomers have detected more and more of the alien worlds. Techniques to detect the exoplanets range from monitoring starlight for tiny dips in brightness to studying the spectra of stars. Just over 1,000 exoplanets have been discovered using the radial technique making it one of the most successful methods.  “Icy and Rocky Worlds” is a new exoplanet infographic from Martin Vargic, an artist and space enthusiast from Slovakia. It’s available as a wall poster on his website. Image Credit and Copyright: Martin Vargic. The local variations in the properties of stars has made it difficult to find smaller planets using the radial technique but a team of astronomers led by Eric B. Ford from the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Penn State University has just published a report of their findings following observations of the Sun. Observations of the Sun between January 2021 and June 2024 using the NEID Solar spectrograph at the WIYN Observatory have informed their study.  A gas giant exoplanet [right] with the density of a marshmallow has been detected in orbit around a cool red dwarf star [left] by the NASA-funded NEID radial-velocity instrument on the 3.5-meter WIYN Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab. The planet, named TOI-3757 b, is the fluffiest gas giant planet ever discovered around this type of star. Across the 3 years and 5 months of observations, the team identified 117,600 features which are not likely to have been caused by the weather, hardware or calibration issues so they could be used for their study. Given that the distance between the Sun and Earth is precisely known the team can use this to analyse solar observations and measure other solar variability.  Impressively the team have been able to show that the NEID instrumentation is able to measure radial velocity of the Sun accurate to 0.489 m/s-1. Using this data the team conclude that Scalpels algorithm (a technique developed for medicine that uses machine learning to analyse and extract data from images) performs particularly well. It can reduce the root mean square (used to analyse signal amplitude) of solar radial velocity from over 2 m/s-1 down to 0.277 m/s-1!  The results are significantly better than previous studies at removing solar variability from its radial velocity observations. This suggests that the next generation of exoplanet radial velocity instruments are capable, at least technically at detecting Earth-massed planets orbiting a star like the Sun. This does of course require sufficient observing time which the team estimate would be about 103 nights of observations.  Source : Earths within Reach: Evaluation of Strategies for Mitigating Solar Variability using 3.5 years of NEID Sun-as-a-Star Observations The post By Watching the Sun, Astronomers are Learning More about Exoplanets appeared first on Universe Today.

The legendary American singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Stevie Wonder released a new song “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart”, his first single since 2020. Although the song doesn't have any direct political lyrics, it might be connected to the United States upcoming presidential election. Wonder recently performed at the Democratic National Convention. Hear the new Stevie Wonder song “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEr7dbJ2MKo Lyrics "Can we fix our nation's broken heart? Are we brave enough to try? Mm-mm Can we fix our nation's broken heart And leave a better world behind? 'Cause if we listen to different thoughts and points of views All my brothers and sisters, we don't have to lose Humanity We're family So can we please Fix our nation's broken heart Children marching down the boulevard Tears are streaming down their face, oh-oh Tension in the air is so bizarre Love has gone without a trace People pushing and shouting and fighting through the haze And all this sadness, madness, help me take away the pain It's gotta change This can't stay the same So tell me please Can we fix our nation's broken heart? See upcoming R&B shows Get tickets for your favorite artists You might also like Mirrors Justin Timberlake SouthWest Stallyano & E.T Die With A Smile Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars Poverty and homelessness Can we do away with this? All we need to is to be giving For our daughters and our sons There's a light in everyone They deserve a new beginning, yeah Will the light we share survive the dark Or will it slowly fade away? Ah-ah Will the light of good be torn apart And swept away by crushing waves? We've been floating alone in a dark and bitter cold 'Cause there's a growing ocean of lies that we've been told To tear us down But what I've found Is with our truth, compassion and love We can fix our nation's broken heart Ah-ah Can we fix our nation's broken heart? Are we brave enough to try? Hey-ey We must fix our nation's broken heart To leave a better world behind We've come together with purpose far bigger than you and me Don't have no time for hatred and negativity It's you and me We hold the key So tell me please Can we fix our nation's broken heart? Can we fix our nation's broken heart? I know and you know We must fix our nation's broken heart".The post Stevie Wonder releases new song “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” appeared first on Rock And Roll Garage.

With the release of their groundbreaking album "Nevermind" in 1991, Nirvana made Grunge one of the most promising Rock and Roll subgenres in the world, changing completely the music business at the time. Many people even said that it helped to "kill" Heavy Metal music. However, for example, Kurt Cobain was a huge fan of Metallica and the members of the Metal band also loved Nirvana. In an interview with The Metallica Report, the band's guitarist Kirk Hammett recalled which was Kurt Cobain's favorite song of the group. Kirk Hammett recalls which was Kurt Cobain's favorite Metallica song "I said (to him when he went to see us), 'I don't know if we're going to play 'Ride the Lightning', but we played Whiplash. The whole time we were playing 'Whiplash', Kurt was trying to get my attention." "I only found out afterward from some friends who were in the snakepit saying 'God, when you guys played 'Whiplash', Kurt went insane and he was trying to get your attention the whole time.' I was like 'Really?' I know that's his favorite Metallica song, but wow.'" "Kurt was great. He was such a great mellow guy and very fragile and vulnerable. But, at the same time, man, he had this great wit. He was a funny guy," Kirk Hammett said. Just one month before "Nevermind" was released , the Thrash Metal band had released their best-selling album “Metallica” (1991). The record was one of the few Metal albums released during that time that had a big impact in the Rock and Roll scene. 3 years later, Nirvana’s career was cut short due to Kurt Cobain’s tragic death in 1994 at the age of 27. But the band’s legacy and influence continued, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time with more than 75 million records sold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJhR7nex47w&pp=ygURd2hpcGxhc2ggbXRhbGxpY2E%3DThe post Kirk Hammett recalls which was Kurt Cobain’s favorite Metallica song appeared first on Rock And Roll Garage.

The legendary Dire Straits guitarist, singer and main songwriter Mark Knopfler first worked as a journalist before becoming a musician. In an interview with Guy Pratt (Transcribed by Ultimate Guitar), the musician recalled his journey from working for newspapers to becoming a songwriter. Knopfler is currently promoting his new solo album “One Deep River”, which was released last April. Since Dire Straits came to an end in 1995, Mark Knopfler released 9 studio albums. He also made many soundtrack albums and collaborated with artists like Chet Atkins and Emmylou Harris. Mark Knopfler recalls his journey from being a journalist to a songwriter "I didn't see myself as a songwriter at all. I was just a strummer. I remember some of the stories that I was doing for the paper. I'd see bits of them in my notebook afterwards, and they'd start creeping into the songs. So if I were sent to interview the city varieties in Leeds, go and talk to the cast of the pantomime. I'd be talking to the ugly sisters, you know, a couple of old dudes... And that became 'One More Matinee.' I started taking their lines and making them into lines of a song." "I think that's when I transferred. I might have had bits of songs, but I was busy copying songs. I didn't see myself as a songwriter at all. And so, I sort of eased into it that way, and ended up being the guy who writes the songs. Now, I think I'm a songwriter [first] and a musician second. [Being a musician is] very different from being a songwriter, to me." He continued: "[When] I think about a musician, I think about, say, the guy who plays bass in my band, Glenn Wolf. There's a man with a relationship with his instrument that is enviable. And also, he can play, which got me tied up with him in the first place." "What I mean is that if you take someone like Ianto [Ian Thomas, drummer] or someone like Jim Cox on the piano, the relationship with the instrument is absolute. And I can't get that going with the guitar. No, I'll be spending time looking at the songs, the songs, the songs," Mark Knopfler said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlD6jCGVU4A&pp=ygULbGFkeSB3cml0ZXI%3DThe post Mark Knopfler recalls his journey from being a journalist to a songwriter appeared first on Rock And Roll Garage.

Also known as The Demon and God of Thunder, Gene Simmons helped to form Kiss in New Your City back in 1973 alongside Peter Criss, Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley. He fronted the band alongside Stanley for 50 years until their retirement in 2023 and their songwriting partnership was crucial to make them one of the best-selling bands of all time. They were influenced by several bands when they were starting and Gene Simmons was always a huge fan of the British guitarist Jeff Beck. Everytime he had the chance to praise the singer he would and he also said many times that he used to listen to his music before going on stage with Kiss. But which are the two Jeff Beck albums that Simmons said were some of his favorites? The 2 Jeff Beck album Gene Simmons picked as some of his favorites "Truth" (1968) and "Beck-Ola" (1969) Jeff Beck passed away in January 2023 at the age of 78 and at the time, in an interview with BBC News (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage), Gene praised him. Also mentioning the albums "Truth" (1968) and "Beck-Ola" (1969) as some of his favorite ones.“I will tell you that, and all the guitar players will tell you that." "The classics, the greats, the Claptons, the Jimmy Pages, the Brian Mays. All amazing, amazing talents. Only Jeff Beck had the ability. The God-given blessing to be able to easily be an icon in Jazz, in Fusion, Rock, Blues. He could do it all. You want to hear something classic? Listen to Jeff Beck’s version of ‘Nessun Dorma’ with a symphony orchestra. If nobody’s around you will cry.” He continued: “I will tell that above and beyond the words. Everyday when we do shows we put a little music in the background. Every single pre-show, because it takes me about two hours to do the make-up and all that. Every day that we are about to go to a show, what fires me up is the same thing that fired up Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin.” “Before that was a Zeppelin, you would put on that first Jeff Beck record, ‘Truth’ and then ‘Beck-Ola’, the second one. It’s just undeniable, nothing like it has been done before, during or since. In fact, it’s fair to say that Jeff Beck Group began Led Zeppelin. I listen to it all the time. When he plays, unlike any other guitar players, I hum along with the solos. That’s the sound of greatness,” Gene Simmons said. The albums and the friendship with Beck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6ZwQACHRyo&pp=ygUgamVmZiBiZWNrIGkgYWluJ3Qgc3VwZXJzdGl0aW91cyA%3D The album "Truth" had many famous tracks like "Shapes of Things", "Morning Dew", "You Shook Me", "Ol' Man River", "Greensleeves", "Beck's Bolero" and "I Ain't Superstitious". At the time Beck's band had Rod Stewart on vocals, Ronnie Wood on bass and Micky Waller on drums. But there were some additional musicians like Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Keith Moon and Nicky Hopkins. Released in 1969, "Beck-Ola" also had many famous songs "All Shook Up", "Jailhouse Rock" and "Spanish Boots". The album once again had Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, but this time also had Nicky Hopkins on piano and organ and Tony Newman on drums. Micky Waller played the drums in the track "Sweet Little Angel". Gene Simmons had the chance to meet Jeff Beck many times during his career and they were good friends. Until his death in 2023, the British musician released 17 studio albums. But had sold an estimated amount of more than 5 million records worldwide. Curiously, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 by his longtime friend Jimmy Page. During his speech, Page said: “He’d just keep getting better and better and he leaves us – mere mortals”.The post The 2 Jeff Beck album Gene Simmons picked as some of his favorites appeared first on Rock And Roll Garage.

Anyone who has been a stay-at-home mom knows that it's not easy. But many people who haven't been one assume that it can't be that hard. I mean, what's so hard about taking care of a baby or a toddler or two? Don't babies basically just lie there? Don't you have all kinds of free time while they nap? It's hard to describe what it's like to those who haven't experienced the near-constant demands of hands-on, full-time mothering. I've had multiple jobs in my life, from flipping fast food burgers to teaching in public schools, and nothing compares to being a mom. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful in a million ways, but it's friggin' hard. My kids are all in the double digits now, but I remember those early years of staying home with my wee ones and feeling totally and completely spent by the end of the day. Many moms I know lament that their husbands don't seem to understand why they are so exhausted when "all they do" is "just stay home" with the kids all day. That's probably why this dad's photo of a steamy shower door has resonated with so many. It reads: "I came home yesterday evening after working 12 hours. I went into the bathroom to get cleaned up and ready for dinner. I noticed my daughter's bassinet in the bathroom. I asked my wife if she had put her in there, and how she did in it. She said she put her in it as she had showered during the day. We continued to talk about how good she had been and how much she's growing up and so forth. This morning I came home from the gym and turned the shower on to get cleaned up for work. I turned to the door and saw where my wife wiped away the steam from the glass, so she could see our baby girl in the bassinet. I literally just sat there and stared at the glass and smiled. I could see it, I imagined it, it was like I was there in the room with them. I could see Heather just looking through the glass and making faces at Lottie as she smiled and played in her bassinet! I just melted! It's so crazy to me, how the smallest things can make me so appreciative of my wife. It's the little sacrifices my wife makes for this family, that would normally go unnoticed. From caring for our daughter 24/7, to caring for me, cooking, cleaning, taking care of the animals, and taking care of herself (yeah right, there's no time for that.) It just makes me stop and think. I work hard. I work long 10-12 hours days, I get tired, I have stressful days and that's my right, as the working member in the household. I have the right to be catered to hand and foot when I get off?!? All she does is have to take care of a baby. So, it should be that she cooks, and keeps the house clean, dishes washed, laundry clean and put up, animals tended to... and I'm a man, have I mentioned my needs yet?!? I mean seriously, she's at home all day after all! Mannnnn... I can't tell you how much this fogged up glass means to me! The fact that my wife can't even shower without caring for someone else; tending to someone else's needs. She doesn't get a second to herself to relax. My wife doesn't get to clock out, my wife doesn't get the satisfaction of seeing a check deposited in the bank in return for her hard work, my wife doesn't get to eat lunch with coworkers, my wife doesn't get to just walk outside and just take a deep breath. This may be just a fogged-up piece of glass to some, but to me it means so much more. It's the little things like this that don't go unnoticed. it's the little things like this that constantly remind me how badass she is. it's the little things like this that make me fall in love with her all over again, Heather Williams! Thank you for being the amazing woman you are... it doesn't go unnoticed! I love you My Queen." ? ❤️ The fact that he saw in this smeared glass the sacrifices his wife makes being home with their baby is wonderful. I know some will say this dad doesn't deserve a cookie simply for seeing his wife, but so many stay-at-moms would love to receive this kind of acknowledgement from their partners.The reality is when you are taking care of a baby, you are "on" all the time. When the baby is asleep, you might get a chance to do some housework. Or you maybe get to close your eyes for a few moments to try to make up for the lack of sleep you got the night before from the baby waking you up to eat. Sometimes the kiddo won't stop crying and your nerves get fried by noon. Sometimes it's 2:00 in the afternoon, you're covered in breastmilk and spit up, you haven't showered, and you can't figure out where the time has gone. Once your baby is crawling or toddling, you can't take your eyes off them or they might literally die. There's pee and poop and every other bodily fluid you can think of, all day, every day. It's non-stop attention, non-stop need-meeting, non-stop love, but also non-stop work. And then people ask you what you do all day. More shower door recognition please, partners. Trust me, the mother of your children will appreciate it.