Over in the Facebook group Physics is Fun‚ one member stirred things up a bit by claiming "light takes on the velocity of its source"‚ meaning that if you were to cycle forwards and turn on your bike light‚ the light emitted from it would travel at light speed + whatever incredible speed you are traveling at on your bike.This‚ as several annoyed commenters pointed out‚ is incorrect. Light propagates at light speed‚ regardless of the speed of its source. But that doesn't mean it's a completely out there suggestion. After all‚ it took the actual Einstein to realize this in the first place.The confusion comes from expecting light to act like matter. If you were to ride a bike forward and fire a gun in the same direction‚ you would instinctively expect that the bullet would travel at the usual speed of that bullet plus your cycling velocity. And you'd be correct.Sound is different from light‚ but is a better analogy for explaining light than a bullet. As you probably remember from school‚ sound is a vibration propagating as an acoustic wave through a medium‚ be it liquid‚ solid‚ or gas. The speed of sound is dictated by the medium it is traveling through (meaning that it is different on Mars)‚ and you can change it by altering the medium (e.g. by heating the atmosphere) but not by adding your own speed.If you were to travel on a bike and shout forwards‚ you would probably instinctively understand that the sounds you produced would not travel at the speed of sound plus the speed of you on your bike. And you'd be right. In fact‚ you can increase your speed and overtake sound if you want to‚ showing that you are not adding speed.Of course‚ sound is different to light‚ but it helps to think of something other than firing a bullet. The speed of light is a universal constant‚ meaning it is the same wherever you measure it in the universe‚ according to Einstein's special theory of relativity. Whether you're sat on Earth‚ Mars‚ or Zoozve‚ if you measure the speed of light you'll find it chugging along at a cool 299‚792‚458 meters per second (983‚571‚056.43 feet per second)‚ the absolute speed limit of the universe.Though Einstein gets credit (rightly) for the thought experiments that led him to realize the speed of light was a constant‚ it had actually been proven experimentally before that.            Before Einstein‚ there was a theory that light was carried through space by a frictionless and physically undetectable "luminiferous ether" permeating all of space and time. According to the theory‚ the ether would have a direction to it‚ like wind in our atmosphere. As Earth makes its way through its orbit‚ if this theory were correct‚ the wind would blow us from different angles‚ and the speed of light propagating through it would be different depending on its angle through the ether wind. Physicists A.A. Michelson and Edward W. Morley‚ performing their respective experiments in 1881 and 1887‚ aimed to measure the speed of light in respect to the ether.      The idea was to send a light source at a beam splitter‚ sending it off in two directions. One would be in the direction that Earth is headed‚ another at a right angle to that. The beams then traveled toward two mirrors‚ which sent the light back at a detector. If the luminiferous ether theory was correct‚ then the light would be detected at different times‚ affected by its journey through the ether.What the experiments found‚ however‚ was that light was the same speed in all directions‚ evidence that the speed of light was constant‚ and that the ether theory was incorrect. 

The interaction between light from the Sun‚ charged particles‚ and molecules in the atmosphere can create a variety of glowing phenomena. The best known are the Northern and Southern Lights. They truly put on a show‚ but they are not the only ones. A more subtle phenomenon is called airglow‚ and while it is possible to see it from the ground‚ it is from space that you can get the best view.In an image snapped by astronaut Andreas Mogensen‚ a double airglow is visible in the atmosphere. The yellow glow is due to the particles of sodium in the atmosphere‚ while the red is caused by the oxygen and‚ to a lesser extent‚ hydroxyl (oxygen plus a hydrogen molecule) that is present even higher in the atmosphere.This weak luminescence in the upper atmosphere is caused by the interaction between light and the molecules or atoms. Sunlight energizes molecules over the day‚ slitting them apart‚ or exciting electrons from their atoms. The energy is then lost in the following hours‚ due to collisions with other molecules. That emission of energy happens at a specific color‚ creating the characteristics of airglow that can be seen here.Airglow forms from different molecules and at different altitudes.Image Credit: © IFLScienceAs long as there are molecules and atoms to excite‚ airglow can form. While most of it comes from a fairly narrow region‚ between 50 and 300 kilometers (31 to 180 miles)‚ NASA reports that it can extend over twice as far. And while it is a pretty spectacle‚ it can also be very useful‚ providing insight in the motion and distribution of the extremely rarefied layers in the highest portions of the atmosphere.

Fossils can tell us a lot about dinosaurs‚ and sometimes‚ it can be pretty surprising. That’s certainly the case for a new study that analyzed the bones of everyone’s favorite bipedal predators‚ the theropods. The research revealed that this group of dinosaurs may have been affected by bone diseases‚ and that particular types of theropods could be associated with specific patterns of disease and injury.To reach this conclusion‚ the research team used a combination of CT scans and microscopic analysis (also known as histology) to examine the bones of three theropod species: Aucasaurus garridoi‚ Elemgasem nubilus‚ and Quilmesaurus curriei. All three were predatory dinosaurs with short arms and hefty skulls (like their fellow famous theropod‚ T. rex) that lived in South America around 90 to 70 million years ago‚ during the Late Cretaceous.The scans uncovered evidence of bone disease in all three dinosaurs. In the base of A. garridoi’s tail‚ the researchers found two vertebrae fused together‚ which they put down to a congenital disorder – it came out of the egg with it. E. nubilus also had evidence of bone fusing‚ as well as overgrowth; in this case‚ the researchers suggested that this could be the result of inflammatory arthritis.The analysis also highlighted irregular bone formation in one of Q. curriei’s legs. This was a particularly rare find‚ as paleontologists haven’t found much evidence of disease in weight-bearing bones in theropods. Some mysteries remain‚ however‚ as the team couldn’t say for sure what the cause of the irregularity was. Regardless‚ it may well have given this dinosaur problems getting about. In search of any patterns to which diseases affected theropods‚ the researchers then took to reviewing the existing literature on both bone disease and injury in this group. The three species analyzed in the current study all belong to the wider family Abelisauridae; the literature revealed that species in this family could be positively associated with bone inflammation‚ suggesting that they were probably fairly infection-prone.The literature review also made some interesting findings when it came to bone injuries in theropods. We might expect a lot of broken bones‚ but it turns out that’s not the case for the family Tyrannosauridae. Instead‚ species in this group are more likely to be associated with bite marks on the skull (ouch)‚ indicating that they got aggressive pretty often. The opposite was found for Allosauridae – that suggests they were active predators‚ so whilst they weren’t fighters‚ they weren’t exactly lovers either.The study provides an example of just how much we can find out about dinosaurs and their lifestyles from bones alone. But if you think the presence of bone disease in therapods might have rendered them completely safe‚ remember – they still had pretty big jaws. Something to keep in mind‚ de-extinction enthusiasts.The study is published in the journal BMC Ecology and Evolution.

Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have yielded surprising results regarding spiral galaxies. The discovery‚ made as part of the PHANGS program‚ attracted the attention of more than 150 astronomers from around the world. PHANGS is a project that aims to study nearby galaxies at high angular resolution. For their research‚ the scientists used a variety of instruments‚ including the Hubble Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). One of the key results was the representation of the infrared motherlode of the JWST spiral galaxies. These unique images‚ with incredible resolution‚ revealed details previously unobservable and expanded our understanding of the star formation processes in these galaxies. New images of 19 spiral galaxies / NASA‚ ESA‚ CSA‚ STScI‚ Janice Lee (STScI)‚ Thomas Williams (Oxford)‚ PHANGS Team Astrophysicist Thomas Williams of the University of Oxford expressed his surprise: “I feel like our team lives in a constant state of being overwhelmed (in a positive way) by the amount of detail in these images.” The images clearly show holes in the gas distribution caused by supernovae‚ as well as filaments of gas extending beyond the spiral structure. Physics professor Eric Rosolowski of the University of Alberta notes that “these structures follow the same pattern in certain parts of galaxies‚ and their distance tells us a lot about how the galaxy distributes its gas and dust.” In addition to these discoveries‚ scientists are turning their attention to the central regions of spiral galaxies‚ where supermassive black holes and bright star clusters are located. The data obtained from the PHANGS team represents a huge amount of information‚ including a catalog of approximately 100‚000 star clusters‚ making this project one of the largest to date. Eric Rosolowski emphasizes‚ “The amount of analysis that can be done with these images is far beyond anything our team could handle.” The post The JWST telescope received new images of spiral galaxies appeared first on Anomalien.com.

In recent weeks‚ residents of the coastal areas of Tampa (Florida‚ USA) have been disturbed by a strange vibrating sound that is preventing them from sleeping‚ reports The Washington Post. Rhythmic sounds‚ reminiscent of bass from music speakers or the beat of a drum‚ began to be heard in mid-January‚ and their source still remains a mystery. City resident Stephanie Kaltenbaugh initially thought that one of her neighbors was simply throwing a party that was too loud‚ but as the strange sound continued‚ she went in search of its source. Kaltenbaugh traveled all over the area‚ even drove to the nearest military base‚ but could not discover its origin. Marine biologist James Locascio says the culprit may be bearded dusky croakers‚ which produce low-frequency sounds during mating. Typically these sounds are only heard underwater‚ but under certain conditions they can be transmitted through the ground or underground utilities. In recent years‚ the population of these fish has increased significantly in Tampa Bay‚ which may explain the strange sounds. As it turns out‚ many of them have been heard for years‚ and despite the biologist’s explanation‚ some still believe that the noise is caused by loud parties‚ construction work or secret military device. Stephanie Kaltenbaugh and her neighbors decided to take matters into their own hands and are raising money to install microphones to record these mysterious sounds and‚ with the help of scientists‚ try to find their real source. The post Mysterious noise keeps Tampa residents awake appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Meet Hogan‚ a remarkable dog with a story that warms the heart. GeoBeats Animals shares his journey in a captivating video. Hogan‚ a deaf and visually impaired dog‚ transforms from an unwanted ‘mistake’ litter to a cherished member of a loving family. This story‚ as told by his owner Crystal‚ is not just about Hogan’s... The post Deaf Great Dane puppy thanks woman for adopting him in ‘sweetest way’ appeared first on Animal Channel.

So beheading a statue of Satan is a hate crime but shooting Christian kids isn't? U.S. Navy Veteran Michael Cassidy was just charged with a hate crime after beheading a statue of Satan at the Iowa Capitol back in December. Naturally‚ users are outraged at the hypocrisy of our “justice” system who punished Cassidy but at the same time allows the left to attack Christian or traditional values daily. Controversy struck this past holiday season when the Satanic Temple set up an altar on the first floor of the Iowa Capitol building. The set up featured a caped figure that looked to be a ram-headed Baphomet. The shrine also had a list of the “seven fundamental tenets” of the Satanic Temple.   At the time‚ Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R) insisted that the Satanic Temple could keep their display up as it was a representation of free speech and religious freedom.  This outraged Cassidy who took the head off of the statue and tossed it in the trash. He ended up turning himself over to police officers and said that he “saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged.” “The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan‚ but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of Satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment‚” Cassidy told The Sentinel. “Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades‚ and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water.” Now‚ over a month later‚ Cassidy has been charged with a “third-degree criminal mischief in violation of individual rights‚ a class D felony‚ according to Iowa Code Section 729A.2.‚” The Blaze indicated. In layman's terms‚ a “hate crime.” In response to the charge‚ users on X were peeved. “Satanism is literally evil. It is not a ‘hate crime’ to destroy a statue dedicated to evil‚” one user wrote in response to Rebel News’ Ian Miles Cheong’s post about Cassidy. Another user noted the following: “Of course if a Christian statue was beheaded there’d be no consequences for the perpetrator. That inconsistency in how justice is rendered is driving people bananas. Especially white Christians who are currently disproportionately prosecuted and punished for minor offenses.” One more wrote‚ “Putting up a statue of Satan in the first place seems closer to a hate crime than beheading a statue dedicated to hate‚ evil and lies by definition.” Libs of TikTok noted how hypocritical our justice system too when the account pointed out how numerous statues and structures have been vandalized and ruined with no punishments whatsoever‚ but the second a Satanic statue is displayed‚ that's when "justice" is enforced? Violent activists tore down dozens of statues including Columbus‚ Thomas Jefferson‚ and George Washington. None were held accountable or charged with a hate crime. Michael Cassidy knocks over a Satan statue made out of household items and gets charged with a hate crime. Welcome… pic.twitter.com/NdS70sXQKi — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 31‚ 2024 Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines brought up the Nashville shooter with her comment about Cassidy’s charge. It was never mentioned that the trans Nashville shooter who specifically targeted Christian children committed a hate crime‚ but knocking over a statue of Satan is. America has fallen and we're left to pay the price. https://t.co/4wgPTWTzor — Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) January 31‚ 2024 She’s right. Killing innocent children based on their race and religion isn’t a “hate crime” but knocking a metal head off of a statue that literally represents evil is? Is this some sort of joke?!

The network evening newscasts’ coverage of the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was uniformly fretful‚ with ABC and CBS further distinguishing themselves using the impeachment as an opportunity to further shill for the dying White House-Senate border compromise. ABC’s coverage of the impeachment proceedings was the most emblematic‚ as seen here during David Muir’s introduction to Rachel Scott’s reporting: DAVID MUIR: Back here at home now‚ and to the crisis at the border. For months‚ Republicans have put pressure on President Biden to do something. And now‚ with Senate Republicans and Democrats close to the first potential bipartisan deal on immigration in years‚ tonight House Republicans say they're not interested. Instead‚ moving forward in their effort to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. You have it all there. The bubbling contempt for Republicans‚ the promotion of the border deal‚ and the implied condemnation of the impeachment process. Correspondent Rachel Scott takes that baton and runs with it: RACHEL SCOTT: For months‚ Republicans have been calling for a tough new immigration law. President Biden says he's willing to compromise‚ and the Senate is closing in on a bipartisan deal. But tonight‚ House Republicans taking a very different approach. Not interested in the Senate's solution‚ they're moving instead to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border.  Scott doesn’t get into the specifics behind the impeachment‚ choosing instead to advocate both for Mayorkas and for the border deal. Scott closes her report by making sure viewers know who the bad guys are in this story: SCOTT:  Again‚ David‚ Donald Trump has been urging Republicans to reject any border deal. He wants to campaign on immigration in the general election. Tonight‚ Speaker of the House Mike Johnson rejecting any idea that he's trying to kill this bill to help Trump's campaign‚ calling it all absurd‚ David. CBS‚ albeit with slightly more restraint‚ echoes these same themes‚ but is at least willing to get into the specifics of the articles of impeachment: NIKOLE KILLION: The articles include willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and breach of public trust. They alleged the secretary obstructed congressional oversight and failed to rein in record migrant crossings‚ which topped 10‚000 per day last month.  CBS’s report closed by echoing Democrat condemnation of the impeachment: KILLION: The White House is criticizing House Republicans for threatening to block a potential package‚ while at the same time calling for border fixes. Some Democrats call it hypocritical‚ since Mayorkas helped craft that deal and now appears on the verge potentially of impeachment in the House‚ Major. NBC went a different route. Their very brief report had no soundbites‚ and did not shill for the border deal. Instead‚ correspondent Ryan Nobles delivered a tiny summary of the facts‚ along with a tiny summary of Democrat opposition to the impeachment. RYAN NOBLES: Lester‚ right now a House committee is debating the merits of these articles of impeachment against Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. It will likely become a vote for the entire House of Representatives. Republicans are accusing Mayorkas of willfully ignoring the law‚ and they say that President Biden’s border policies have led to a record 8.6 million migrant crossings since President Biden took office. Now‚ Mayorkas has said this is nothing more than a political stunt. He’s called the accusations against him “baseless”. He could be the first Cabinet secretary impeached in nearly 150 years. It is unlikely‚ though‚ that the Senate will convict him. Compared to the other two‚ NBC’s report was almost…refreshing. It is worth noting that while ABC echoed President Joe Biden's claims of powerlessness to do anything about the border crisis via executive authority CBS‚ to their credit‚ included a rebuttal by Speaker Mike Johnson. One common theme remained among the three networks‚ however. There is still no mention whatsoever of the border crisis legislation passed by the House‚ H.R. 2. Not mentioning H.R. 2 makes it easy to cast Speaker Mike Johnson as a do-nothing obstructionist‚ when in fact the House was the first to pass legislation addressing the border crisis. The ongoing suppression of H.R. 2 continues to be the most propagandistic aspect of the media’s coverage of the border crisis‚ which now includes the impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. For the full transcript of the ABC report‚ click HERE For the full transcript of the CBS report‚ click HERE For the full transcript of the NBC report‚ click HERE  

Speaker Mike Johnson (R) showed on Tuesday that President Joe Biden has not exhausted his authority related to immigration enforcement.Before departing the White House for a campaign event in Florida‚ Biden insisted that there is nothing more that he can do to alleviate the border crisis‚ calling on lawmakers to "just give me the power.""I've done all I can do. Just give me the power‚" Biden said. "I've asked from the very day I got into office. Give me the Border Patrol. Give me the people — give me the people‚ the judges. Give me the people who can stop this and make it work right."But that's "simply untrue‚" according to Speaker Johnson. "He's either lying or misinformed‚" Johnson responded‚ listing specific authorities Biden is not using to stymie the crisis."Here are just a few of the authorities at his disposal — if only he would use them: Presidential Authority to Restrict Entry 212(f)‚ Expedited Removal 235(b)(1)‚ Discretionary Detention Authority 236(a)‚ Mandatory Detention 236(c)‚" the speaker explained. "No more excuses." — (@) The fact-check comes days after Biden promised to "shut down" the border — only if lawmakers pass a controversial bill that Republicans say would do little to stymie the migrant crisis.Johnson similarly responded to those claims with specific actions Biden has at his disposal that he refuses to use."As I explained to him in a letter late last year‚ and have specifically reiterated to him on multiple occasions since‚ he can and must take executive action immediately to reverse the catastrophe he has created‚" Johnson said. "The Immigration and Nationality Act coupled with recent Supreme Court precedent give him 'ample authority' to 'suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants‚ or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.'"Additionally‚ Biden can "begin to secure the border by ending catch-and-release‚ ceasing exploitation of parole authority‚ reinstating the Remain in Mexico program‚ expanding the use of expedited removal authority‚ and renewing construction of the border wall‚" Johnson explained."The president must start by using the broad legal authority he already possesses to reclaim our nation’s sovereignty and end the mass release of illegal aliens into our country‚" he added.The idea that Biden would "shut down" the border is basically a farce. If Congress passes the border bill — and that's a big "if" — tens of thousands of migrants would still be allowed to enter the U.S. each week‚ the vast majority of whom would be released into the U.S. pending immigration court proceedings. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Texas and the Biden administration are at loggerheads‚ and now we have 25 governors who are saying‚ “Governor Greg Abbott's fight to secure the border is constitutional‚ and we support Texas.” Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) said‚ "If President Biden won't defend us‚ states will have to defend themselves. Arkansas stands with Texas." Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) likewise said‚ "The Biden administration continues to refuse to secure the border. Virginia supports Abbott and Texas' constitutional right to defend itself." Twenty-five states support Texas. Twenty-five through their words or their silence do not. This is a constitutional crisis that we haven’t had since the 1860s. What Greg Abbott is doing is right. We use the tools that the Constitution has given us. We don’t compromise. We don’t back down. Now‚ there are always crazy people. We have people on the left who want violence‚ and we have those who claim to be on the right who want violence. They want another civil war. They say‚ "We could Balkanize the country!" Have you been to the Balkans? You don't want to do that. That’s foolish. Then there are the people in the middle. They are peaceful‚ but they’re also angry. They’re saying‚ “Someone must do something. We have to stand up.” That is what Abbott has done‚ and he has done it the right way. He's done it with Ken Paxton‚ one of the best attorneys general in the country. They know the Constitution inside and out‚ and they are taking the constitutional route. Keep the republic together Remember when our founding fathers said that governments are “instituted among men" to protect these rights‚ and when a government becomes hostile to those rights‚ it’s the right of the people to “throw off such government” and form a new government? A lot of people are calling for that right now. Let’s think for a moment. First‚ let’s remember that the new government must be more likely to protect those rights than the one you currently have. Sorry‚ leftists‚ you would be in violation‚ just like the South was in violation in the 1860s. At the time of the Civil War‚ our government hadn’t been protecting everybody's rights as it should have. But when the South wanted to abolish the current government to increase slavery‚ to deprive more people of more rights‚ when we should have been protecting the rights of those people‚ we said‚ “No. That is not a legitimate government.” Second‚ remember when Abraham Lincoln came in‚ he said the most important thing is to save the Union. Why? Because a house divided against itself cannot stand. We know that to be true. So the most important thing we need to do is hold the republic together. We must hold the republic together. But realize that Lincoln was also right in predicting that if we were ever to fall‚ the threat would come from the inside. The threat is among us. The threat is from the system. Constitutional rights and wrongs America’s founders gave us all kinds of tools we can use to fight against this threat for the sake of our republic. Greg Abbott’s decision to call out the National Guard to address the border crisis was clearly constitutional. We are under an invasion. The federal government is not fulfilling its duty. We should celebrate that we have the constitutional ability to defend ourselves when the federal government fails to do so. The founders foresaw this. Some Democrats have come out and said that Joe Biden must nationalize the National Guard‚ which would give control to the president and not to the governor. Technically‚ Biden does have that ability‚ which might also involve deploying federal troops to the border to take charge. People are afraid this could go south. I don't think our National Guard would fire on federal troops. They wouldn't. Now‚ somebody could be stupid. The Boston Massacre started with a single shot fired in anger.But I do not believe that the Texas National Guard would turn on Texas with the Constitution being so clear. I don't think Greg Abbott wants that. I don't think anyone else wants that. What Texas does want is a challenge in the Supreme Court. “We disagree. Now the government has taken extra steps to harm Texas‚ and we’re just following the Constitution. Who is right?" The November election matters We also have something exciting happening right now: an election in November. We need to watch how all of this plays out. If you have “checked out” and you’re not paying attention because you don’t want to be part of that system‚ then how are you going to complain? We have a duty to make sure this election is as safe as possible. This is vital. Even if there was a chance the founding fathers could have voted King George III out without overthrowing the government — which they couldn't have‚ but stick with me. If the American colonists had had proper representation‚ they would have had recourse to the ballot and might not have needed the bullet. If an election was happening in November 1776‚ they might have been pessimistic about their chances‚ but they wouldn’t have written the Declaration of Independence in July. So let's stop throwing around the idea of civil war. Civil war is very bad idea‚ and I think everybody agrees. What should we do? What Greg Abbott is doing is absolutely right. We use the tools that the Constitution has given us. We don't compromise. We don't back down. Want more from Glenn Beck? Get Glenn's FREE email newsletter with his latest insights‚ top stories‚ show prep and more delivered to your inbox.