Get ready for all the doomsayers and click-bait peddlers to come out of the woodwork. We are now hearing of an asteroid named "Apophis" that will pass near Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029. LINK: https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/apophis/ Holiday Fundraiser Venmo: @Pinball Preparedness Here is my NEW Twitter handle: @PinballPrep Pinball Preparedness PO Box 93 Sharps Chapel, TN 37866 pinballpreparedness@mail2world.com

Europa, one of the four Galilean satellites of Jupiter is one of the most intriguing locations in the Solar System to search for life. However, its subsurface oceans are buried beneath thick layers of ice making exploration difficult. To explore its oceans, scientists have suggested using small swimming robots capable of penetrating the icy shell. Recently, NASA engineers tested prototypes designed to operate as a swarm, enabling them to explore the mysterious sub-ice oceans on Europa and other icy worlds in the Solar System. Along with the other three Galilean satellites orbing Jupiter, Europa was discovered just over 400 years ago by Galileo. It is the smallest of the four measuring just 3,120 km across. It orbits Jupiter at a distance of 671,000 km in an almost circular orbit. In comparison to our own Moon, Europa is a little smaller but that is where the similarities end. Europa is made of a silicate rock and has a thick water ice crust below which is thought to be a liquid water ocean and it is this which has captured the interest of scientists.  The Galilean moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) The deep oceans of Europa may well harbour forms of aquatic life. Consider the deepest parts of the oceans of Earth where whole eco-systems thrive off thermal vents. At these depths, no light from the Sun penetrates so the organisms and creatures living at these depths take all their energy from the heat escaping from inside the planet.  It is this which tantalisingly suggests that maybe such life could have evolved in the oceans of Europa too. A black smoker hydrothermal vent discovered in the Atlantic Ocean in 1979. It’s fueled from deep beneath the surface by magma that superheats the water. The plume carries minerals and other materials out to the sea. Courtesy USGS. The exploration of Europa is already underway with NASA’s Europa Clipper expected to arrive in 2030. It will explore Europa with a powerful set of scientific instruments over a total of 49 flybys. Each pass will see the instruments search for signs that the ocean under the thick icy crust could sustain life. This will just be a flyby mission with Europa being probed from high above its surface. NASA are already shaping up their next mission to include even more complex robots that could survey the depths of the sub-surface oceans of Europa. Artist’s concept of a Europa Clipper mission. Credit: NASA/JPL This is where NASA’s new mission called SWIM ‘Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmers’ comes in. The concept at least, is simple…a swarm of self-propelled robots that can swim around in the underground oceans having been deployed by the ice piercing cryobot. Once underway, the swimming robots, which are about the size of a mobile phone, would hunt for chemical and temperature signals that might indicate life. The swimming robots are not just on the drawing board. Engineers have already used 3D printers to create prototypes that have already been tested in a 23 metre pool. The devices which are propelled along by two propellers, with flaps for steering were able to stay on course. These prototypes however were a little larger than those destined to make it into space measuring about three times larger.  The results of the test were very promising but much more work is needed before they are ready for launch. Meanwhile the robots are likely to be trialled here on Earth to support oceanographic research before being sent on their way to Europa.  Source : NASA Ocean World Explorers Have to Swim Before They Can Fly The post Testing the Robots that Might Explore Europa appeared first on Universe Today.

Making sure the money gets to the right places. Sadly, many people whose lives were completely devastated by Hurricane Helene continue to feel the repercussions in a huge way. Of course, the historic storm wreaked havoc on most of Western North Carolina in September, leaving hundreds of families without homes, businesses, cars and more. It's unbelievable the devastation the floodwaters caused, and the recovery process will take years, at a minimum. I can't even really put into words how bad of shape so many small towns and communities are still in — the city of Asheville, the biggest in WNC, just got drinking water back a week ago... and with temperatures quickly dropping in the high country (it snowed in Boone last week), there are major concerns for people who are without heat, and many are sleeping in tents as they struggle to rebuild their lives with little help from the government. While FEMA has insisted there are no people living in tents in WNC, I can tell you firsthand as a North Carolina resident not too far away, that is far from true, and reporters from all over the country have been on the ground talking to people who are in that horrific reality right now: It is mind-blowingly insane to watch FEMA officials claim no one in #WNC is in tents while reporters are flying in from all over the country to INTERVIEW the people living in tents. Here's a reporter from SEATTLE interviewing a couple with kids living in a tent in Swannanoa NC. pic.twitter.com/K3ORWIxEKP — Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) November 24, 2024 There were also rumors that FEMA officials were told to avoid homes with Trump signs in the front yard, which FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington CONFIRMED. She said if FEMA team members felt uncomfortable going to a particular home, based on the political sign in the yard, they didn't have to go: https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1857163980017705139 I don't even really have words to accurately describe how bad it is, but having people with platforms like Eric Church and Luke Combs bring awareness to it all certainly helps. In October, they hosted their Concert For Carolina benefit show at Bank of America stadium in Charlotte, raising over $24 MILLION to help victims of the hurricane in their home state. They announced ahead of the show that ALL of the proceeds would be split 50/50 between Eric and Luke, going to charities of their choosing. Combs’ portion is being distributed between Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, while Church’s Chief Cares is focused on helping established charities and organizations that are well managed, organized and can expedite aid directly to the families affected by Hurricane Helene. And with growing concerns in the area over the approaching winter season, many are growing frustrated that not much is seemingly being done to help the people in WNC. Over the weekend, a fan took out their frustrations on Luke, sharing a post from when they raised all those millions of dollars were raised, tagging him and Eric in a tweet that said: "Helene storm victims of North Carolina want to know where the 24 million dollars that was raised in this benefit concert is at. They are wondering why people are sleeping in tents almost a month after this concert. Do you care to comment Luke Combs or Eric Church?" Helene storm victims of North Carolina want to know where the 24 million dollars that was raised in this benefit concert is at. They are wondering why people are sleeping in tents almost a month after this concert. Do you care to comment @lukecombs or @ericchurch? pic.twitter.com/6SE08DF7Tw — Nashville Angela (@angelanashtn) November 24, 2024 Another fan commented that they could help them figured out how "to spend it," implying that Luke and Eric hadn't distributed any of the money at all, or that it's not going to the right places: "If you are struggling to spend it Eric Church or Luke Combs I could help you." If you are struggling to spend it @ericchurch or @lukecombs I could help you. https://t.co/xE0bIA42T3 — Shawn Hendrix (@TheShawnHendrix) November 25, 2024 There were many more tweets like that, implying that Eric and Luke didn't handle the funds properly. And, as you can imagine, Luke didn't seemingly appreciate being accused of any of that, and responded, saying that his portion was already "split evenly" between Manna Food Bank in Buncombe County, Second Harvest Food Bank of Watauga County, Samaritans Purse, and Eblen Charities. He added that they are all "hyper local 501c3 Charities originating and operating in WNC," which is 100% true and some of the best, most legit places you can donate to make sure the money gets to residents in WNC that really need it. Luke did his homework in selecting them, and I was relieved to see the money wasn't going to a government-associated agency like the Red Cross when this was all first announced: "The portion of proceeds that I raised were split evenly between Manna Food Bank in Buncombe County, Second Harvest Food Bank of Watauga County, Samaritans Purse, and Eblen Charities. All hyper local 501c3 Charities originating and operating in WNC." The portion of proceeds that I raised were split evenly between Manna Food Bank in Buncombe County, Second Harvest Food Bank of Watagua County, Samaritans Purse, and Eblen Charities. All hyper local 501c3 Charities originating and operating in WNC. https://t.co/zc1fIPB2kO — Luke Combs ? (@lukecombs) November 25, 2024 Obviously people are frustrated, but barking at Luke Combs and Eric Church on Twitter, like they're supposed to go door to door and hand out checks, isn't doing anything to help the situation. The pair raised nearly 25 million dollars, and gave it a few "hyper local" organizations who are the best equipped to get it into the right hands. What's continuing to happen in Western North Carolina is truly heartbreaking, and I know Eric and Luke, two WNC natives, have only the best of intentions when it comes to helping their community — it just sucks that so many others don't, especially the people who should be on the front lines assisting to make sure no citizen is sleeping in a tent while snow falls and temperatures drop below freeing.

Joe Manchin Roasts Biden’s ‘17 Educated Idiots’ Over COVID, Inflation, and More [WATCH]

There’s science behind that seemingly random number.

See if you can guess which of these unusual items were on the McDonald’s menu at one time, and which we made up.